Today marks the end of my first week in Rome! My parents and I arrived in Italy early to go sight-seeing but my program actually starts tomorrow, something I am very much looking forward to. This first week hasn’t been too frantic yet although it has been wet. (As you may or may not have heard Italy and France have been having flood-level amounts of rain this past week.)
Either way, here are ten things I have learned after a week of partly flooded and very touristy sight-seeing:
1. There are lots of seagulls here! There are also pigeons and swallows, the same as in the US, which is a bit of a letdown after London’s colossal, brobdingnagian crows and odd masked river birds (they even had herons at Regent’s Park!). Still, this is made up for by the fact that:
2. The trees are different! This was one of the first things I noticed upon arriving in Italy. In particular, what I have since learned is a stone pine caught my eye. This type of tree is typical to the Mediterranean but also to North Africa. Basically, they look really cool.
3. There are a lot of ecclesiastical clothing shops in the city, something I don’t think I’ve ever seen in the US although they must exist there. There are also of course many nuns and priests, which is unsurprising considering the number of churches I’ve seen here, and the location of the Vatican.
4. Street peddlers are much more aggressive perseverant here, especially those selling umbrellas. They’ll follow you for a bit, even after you tell them you don’t want anything, even if you are already holding an umbrella.
5. Just like in London there aren’t really any water fountains in buildings—but—there are some on the street, especially in piazzas. The ones I have seen thus far are pretty ancient looking and the water pours out of them like a faucet. However if you place your finger along the rim of the faucet there is a way to get the water to arch up. I hope that by the end of my time here I will have mastered this mysterious technique.
6. Even small, unexceptional looking churches can have masterworks inside. Along the Piazza del Popolo for example, there is the Basilica of Santa Maria which has a relatively simple façade compared to other churches in the city. Inside however are sculptures by Bernini, and paintings by Caravaggio, Raphael, and Donato Bramante.
7. A lot of the statues here are very sassy.
Nettuno at the Piazza del Popolo.*
8. You can’t hail a taxi just anywhere. You can try (and boy did I try) but you just look like a bit of a loser as they drive past you without a backward glance. You can really only get a taxi at a taxi stand, and there are thankfully a fair number of those, especially in touristy areas and along piazzas.
9. Unsurprisingly, there is a lot of Italian food here. More surprisingly, it is easy to become tired of Italian food, even in seven days. In the less touristy areas though there are non-Italian restaurants. I can’t attest to their quality but as I said, after seven days of Italian food I’m ready to take a risk.
10. People wear a lot of black. The stereotype about Europeans wearing a lot of dark colors has thus far rung fairly true. Just something to consider when you’re packing, which I did not.
+1 for good luck!
11. As someone who hasn’t really traveled in Europe before, the picturesque cobble stoned streets really are pretty amazing. Aside from the joyous feeling of walking inside one of your high school language text books, it’s fun to imagine you’re in the 17th century for a couple of blocks.
I can’t wait to learn more about Rome; its different neighborhoods, what it looks like in the spring, what it feels like to be here for more than a week, all of it. I’m also looking forward to going to more museums and churches and seeing the amazing art history the city has to offer. Despite the sometimes sketchy internet and phone service, the odd store hours and the utter lack of chai tea lattes I’m so excited to see what this semester will have to offer!