Rain in Rome is quite romantic

Wow. I took a little detour after class today to find some food, maybe some photo opts, my iPod setting the background music to my little exploration. I has just turned down a charming residential ally, ruins towering in front of me, when Billie Holiday started to sing "I'll Be Seeing You" into my ears. It was a wonderful moment, bringing me thoughts of loved ones that reside around the world to my heart and telling them I'll be seeing you, and thoughts of Rome when I leave, letting her know I'll miss you and I'll be seeing you.

At this point in my 'story' it's the end of my very first week outside of The States. We got our first taste of Roman rain. We have been told there is plenty more of it to come, but so far, I find rain in Rome to be quite romantic. The sun comes and goes, and the light rain starts in. Before you know it the rain is pounding down, bouncing off of the old shingles and numerous, asymmetrical antennas jetting out from the Romans roofs’. It’s beautiful. I shared some pictures in this post. It usually doesn’t last all day; just long enough to cool it off a little. Since Rome has had a hotter than normal end of summer this was always welcomed.

So, we had a little excitement when our first Saturday. . . Amand comes out into the living room squealing, ‘M-lsa-lzrd-in-ar- ROOM! Aaah hahaha, ah!” After deciphering what she was trying to say we come to learn a lizard had been spotted in our bed room! An interesting search for the little guy with a broom ensues as we all shriek and laugh hysterically. No luck however, he is too stealthy for us so we put the room back together and label it ‘unsolved’ and moved on with our day.


Meeting up with what seemed like 20 graphic students this night was me and 4 of my interior design roomies. Overwhelmed with new names but friendly faces we all started out on the long hike to The Spanish Steps. In an attempt to look somewhat good on our first night out Kara and I wore new shoes . . . such an awful idea. We probably walked a total of 6 or 7 miles. Well, that wasn’t happening in new shoes! Yes, we did, we walked bare foot though Rome. Gross! Trust me, I know! JJ was nice enough to join Kara and I and wander barefoot with us, even though he had tennis shoes and the bare road hurt much worse . . . hahaha, thanks JJ! So, aching and feet coated in dirt, we passed what the Roman refer to as “The Wedding Cake” and finally made it to the steps. Not quite as romantic as The Pantheon at night, still quite striking. More gentle lighting set the steps to glow. We meandered up and down, talking, snapping pictures, resting our feet, taking in the view of Roman lights twinkling from the top of the stairs.

After sometime spent reclining on the stairs we headed off, shoes in hand, to The Trevi Fountain. I can say, I loved the Trevi Fountain. It was quite crowded; I would have liked a more intimate experience with it, guess I’ll just have to get back there! The enormous fountain is set with massive statues of the Romans ideal physical form. They leaned forward over the fountain and into our world, spewing water still carried through ancient Roman aqueducts. There is a legend that if you ‘bribe’ Rome to bring you back by throwing money into the fountain over your shoulder she will bring you back—so of course I did! I hope I make it back to the foreign city I lived in for four months during college! However, this night, we were rushed away, under the impression that our tram stopped running at midnight. We had to dash away from the fountain . . . barefoot. Yes, yes, barefoot was very nasty, but here’s what I’ve decided; It’s a good story! When I’m all grown up, maybe reading this, I can reminisce and remember the time I ran through the streets of Rome barefoot! Sprinting from The Spanish Steps to The Trevi Fountain and back to the tram stop by midnight like Cinderella—ha--what an exciting time!

So what about after Cinderella made it home? I’ll tell you what; she found that pesky lizard scurrying around her room again! Natalie was on her way to bed after washing off the thrill of the night when she let out a shriek! The little guy was back! After what must have been and entertaining sight of 4 interior design student carefully and nervously tearing a room apart for a lizard not more than three inches long, we got him. I won’t go into the incriminating details, but the tiny lizard was laid to rest . . . I didn’t want him trying to cuddle up with me!

Exciting? Yes. Exhausting? Oh, yes! What did we need? Why, a trip to the Mediterranean shore, of course! It was JUST what we needed. Quite proud of ourselves for successfully navigating a bus, two metros and yet another bus to reach the beach, it was only the beginning to a wonderful day. We got some advice from a local family on the bus to wait for the last stop the bus would make; skip the first 7 beaches, they’re very touristy, wait for the last one and go where the locals like to go. I haven’t seen any sea or ocean since I left New Jersey in 1998. The sand was hot and bright. The sun was shining down on us with no reservations. The water, the water was endless. Warm and crystal clear, the waves rushed in and graced over the shore line. Tiny sailboats set on top the horizon line. So we set out our towels and I strolled into the sea. It was like a salty bath! The water was so warm, waves running into me and gliding past me. After we all gathered our sighs for the gorgeous beach, we started to play; jumping into waves, laughing, salt water in our eyes and mouth, relaxing. We took our turns running into the water and loosing track of time out there, watching the locals stroll by (occasional topless, uh hu), falling asleep on the beach.

Favorite moment of that day however; I laid on the shore line so I could let go and feel the waves run over and under me and Kara and Amanda decided joined me. Some Italian men were playing pickle ball on the beach close to where we were. As the three of us posed for a picture their ball got away from them and one ran after it. He started to stop so we could snap our picture but we signaled him to keep going, except he didn’t quite ‘keep going’. He jumped toward me like he was going to lay next to me for the picture! We all started laughing but he waved his hands at us and ran off. We thought how funny that would have been had we gotten a picture with him! Well of course the next time their ball rolled at us we beckoned him to come take a picture with us! He did and we all laughed hysterically! As he walked away he joked in Italian about how he was all wet now. It was definitely a moment I’m glad we were able to get a picture of! The only story that could top that fun was probably the clothing optional beach we stumbled across on our way home! Hahaha, gotta love Europe! I will say, it’s NOT as glamorous as the rumors make it out to be! That is my humble opinion.



Il mio amore da Roma ♥ Ciao!


::Still to come:: Our personal Italian tour guides and how many ways can you hold up that tower?!

Making Rome my home

Well, it's been about two and a half weeks since my first post. That's weird to me because on one hand it seems like I’m feeling more at home and I've been in Rome much longer than three weeks-- but on the other hand time is flying and I can't believe I'm starting in on the fourth week here! Since so much happens every day I should try to write more, not only to keep everyone that is interested updated, but for my own memory of the semester I lived in Rome. I have told a few people, it's hard to sit down and write about my life when I am so much more interested in just living it, having a new experience and creating a new memory. So, since it has been a few weeks and I don't want to write a novel, I will try to write about one week now and one shortly after this.

The night of my first blog we had what we refer to back in Ames as "family dinner" our first week. When we are at school the closest thing you have to family is who you live with and your friends, so when we all make dinner together was call it 'family dinner'! Here in Rome, we have the apartment farthest away from studio but it's such a great apartment we rarely mind. Just short of two blocks away from us is the apartment of the guys from my class. After wasting the day away together we decided to have a 'family dinner'. We all made the short trek to the 'supermercato' and loaded up on pasta, sauce, meat, bread and wine. Kyle and I witnessed a persistent, little old Italian women pester a sales man as he found a bottle opener for us and we headed back to our apartment. Chef Kyle was in charge of cooking while the rest of us moved ALL of our furniture on to the roof top terrace to seat us all. Yes, this includes all of our chairs, stools, table, desk and the red couch-- everything but the beds! So Kyle cooked in our "Sexy red and stone kitchen" with the doors wide open, we all laughed at the furniture on the terrace and each other . . . mostly me, I must admit. . . When dinner was ready we all sat down, taking note of the red, black and white that we set ourselves in (design students. . . ) with our wine and food as Rome provided the setting, the sun provided dusk as we laughed and talked to enjoy our 'family dinner'.

The next day one of the studio professors here took us on a walking tour around central Rome, mostly pointing out all the places that were a "must" and what to avoid. We wandered the old cobble stone streets of Rome, some dating back to the Renaissance. It’s something fantastic for a girl like me that’s stays mostly in the place I’m living to be in a place that is so ancient and rich with aesthetic interest. The history in every street is stunning. I always thought I wanted to live in a big city. I love all of the life buzzing around, the movement, the architecture, the night life, the food, the entertainment, but being here . . . I guess it’s got me feeling smaller city than I realized. I mean, I have come to appreciate the beauty of Iowa. Rome is a big city, full of big personalities. I’m sure the language barrier has a lot to do with the feeling of being out of place as well, however. Never the less, it is an incredible place to find yourself, and even if I miss Iowa hills and country I have Italian hills and country, and vineyards, sea shores, ancient ruins, historic plazas, charming ally restaurants, quaint allies with picturesque shutters and balconies . . . I love and miss home, but I am loving every moment I get to live in Rome.

So, on this walking tour, one of the places she took us has turned out to be among my favorite places to stop for a sandwich and cappuccino-- but I'm feeling addicted! It's called Bar Dell Cappuccino and they have the most DELICIOUS iced cappuccino I have ever tasted! I want two every day, heck I could drink two at a time! Anyone that has spent a fair amount of time with me knows I love coffee, and now I’m living where espresso was invented! It’s part of the culture here. After dinner your server always asks if you would like a cappuccino or espresso, then you linger as long as you would like until you ask them to bring you your check. This little caffé also has what is supposed to be one of the best pastrami sandwiches this side of Rome, and I believe them. A cute family runs the caffé; dad and his two daughters. They are really sweet and recognize all of us Iowa State students that come in frequently for our cappuccino fredo and pastrami! Our tour also stopped at The Pantheon (located only a few mins walking from my studio), Bernini's Elephant, the gelateria "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn was filmed, an art supply store, a good hotel for family and friends visiting, places to eat, places not to eat, some good shopping. It was a really enjoyable day. I was able to get closer with all of my roommates and introduced myself to some graphic design students when we were all walking around that day. Actually, we've been getting much closer, all of us design students. I wasn't good friends with really anyone in my class last year, but we only have each other here so we've been getting to hang out more and have great experiences together. Half of the Interior Design students are 3rd years and half are 4th. There has always been a divide between us from back in Iowa but we've all been laughing together in studio and sharing funny stories from here in Rome, weekend trips through Italy and back home. Before we got here we didn’t have any interaction with the graphic design students, so it's really cool to have friends in other majors of the College of Design. They have turned out to be some of my favorite people to hang out with here. As you can tell, our first week here was mostly spent learning where we are and getting to know the people we are here with.

That night after walking around with class all day the roomies and I decided to go see what Rome is like at night. Still fresh to the country, we didn’t go looking for night life so quickly, but made our way back to The Pantheon. It is not stretch for me to say it was one of the most romantic things I have ever experienced. I’m sure Italy has a lot left for me to uncover, but it was magical in that plaza. Soft, romantic lighting lines all of the allies and plazas. As you cut through back allies and discover restaurants hidden in nooks the square suddenly opens up in front of you, revealing the grandiose Pantheon. We come up from the back and hear a man playing “House of the Rising Sun” as he sits on the back wall and tried to charm pedestrians into adding to his guitar case. Stepping carefully on the uneven cobble stone, we slowly make our way to the front. This was a sight I won’t forget even in to old age. All kinds of people cluster in the romantically lit restaurants that lined the plaza, families laughing and couples dancing on the squares that server as a platform for a towering obelisk, a small brass band provides the soundtrack to the scene of friends, family and love. But of course, standing in front of the night playing out is the porch to The Pantheon. Thousands of years old are ten grand columns that gesture in a magnificent way to all gathered here. It’s after hours, so no entrance is possible, but we walk to the porch and turn out to the setting of The Pantheon at night. It was a breath taking experience . . . I’m still stunned I experienced it. This is my reality right now!

Il mio amore da Roma ♥

Ciao!

::Coming soon:: The ‘friend’ we didn’t want, a barefoot excursion to The Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain, first steps in the Mediterranean Sea, new Italian friends and Pisa!

Melissa Meets Rome

Buongiorno!

So, I made it! The plane ride was good but I am exhausted! After waking up at 6 am Monday morning after 2 or 3 hours of sleep, a 6 hour drive to Minneapolis, a 2 hour flight to Detroit, a 9 hour flight (over the ocean!!), a 7 hour time change, and my first time being abroad ever, I'm feeling drained. We had quite some drama with a mad shuttle driver and a language barrier yesterday. . . But, we're in our apartment safe and sound so nothing to worry about!

Our apartment, by the way, is so incredible! We all thought we would be in a crumby little hole in the wall, but it is wonderful! The best part is probably that since we are on the top floor we have a huge roof patio with breath taking views. This is a photos I took on our patio last night after a little venture we took onto the streets of our neighborhood. Beside that we have huge windows that let in a lot of light and great views, bathrooms full of stone and marble (we are in Italy!), and we're in a great location!

Sleeping last night was tough. I'm sure it was a combination of missing people, being hot (82 when I laid down at midnight and of course no AC), the time change and being nervous about being here. This morning went pretty smoothly though! We were up earlier enough to get a monthly tram pass, navigated how to work the tram, and got to studio with plenty of time to find a danish and water breakfast! After studio we walked around a bit. We found a beautiful square with gorgeous ancient buildings and a market. I ate the most delicious peach I have ever had! I stopped mid sentence after I realized how it tasted! Unfortunately, however, our internet is very finicky. Our wireless stopped working last night ans hasn't started yet. I'm down the street at the apartment of some guys in my class using there internet. We have a deal, food at our wonderful apartment and internet here! We're going to head to the market in about an hour to get food to make dinner.

That's it for the Rome update! Uncle Bob was wonderful enough to co-sign my loan! A few people know I was pretty apprehensive about coming here because I haven't gotten anything back about my loan yet so right now I am scared and nervous. . . I'm sure it will all be fine once it goes through but it's hard right now. Grandma was able to loan me about $450 before i left, but after the euro exchange it was only 300. Yesterday we had to pay 165 euros in fees for housing, 25 for a shuttle and taxi from the airport and our place, 30 euro for a tram pass, we have no groceries (no dinner last night since the markets are closed and we aren't comfortable for a restaurant yet!), no school or studio supplies, and another fee for studio. . . so this is why I'm scared and nervous. I have 85 euro until the loan comes through. I mean, I don't spend a lot of money in the states, I'm just really apprehensive about my needs here. So, I hope something comes back really really soon!

So, there have been some ups and downs. I am so soo very sick of being in a constant state of sweaty but, I am loving it here! I'm sure I will love it even more when I can afford a pizza and cappichino! Some friends are going to the beach this weekend! I hope I can afford to join in. But, I am in Rome, I look out my window and I can't believe Little-Never-Been-Anywhere-Melissa is sitting in Italy!

Once I have money I will set up my cell phone but until then we have cells for the apartment. I can receive calls there if you can make them 3495342590 or 3495407832 if someone is at the phone. Besides that (if I can get on the internet) gchat or email cooper.mn@gmail.com, facebook (Melissa Cooper of Iowa State University) or skype (cooper.mn)!

Love you all! Ciao!