Exploring Trastevere

I really can't believe that we've been living in Rome for one week already!  It's funny, in some ways it feels like we just got here (I guess time really does fly when you're having fun!), but at the same time, (since the Academy is so homey and we've already gotten to know so many people) it feels like we've been living here for ages.

However, since we do feel so at home here, I think we (or at least I, since I don't have a dissertation to write) need to be careful not to fall into the trap of spending ALL of our time on the Academy property.  Part of my excitement about coming to Rome was to have time to explore the different neighborhoods, learn about the city and its history, and to interact with some of the locals (or at least the local merchants if no one else will talk to us!), and so I do want to make those things a priority.  

Somehow, though (despite my current lack of a real job) I never seem to have enough time. Today, for example, I got up around 7:30, went for a run, and then had Italian class from 9:45-12:45 (I'll have to tell you all about that in another post sometime).  Lunch was from 1:00-2:00, and then we attended a reading given by Toni Morrison (who's currently a visiting artist here) from 2:00-3:30 (that was really a special treat for us).  Since then, I've done my compiti (that's homework, and it took forever!), worked on this blog post, and, before I know it, it will be time for dinner at 8.  I tell you, the life of leisure is actually a very busy one (that's a quote from Tom, and it perfectly describes my sentiments)!

One of the Stairways Down to Trastevere

Fortunately though, we did have a bit of time to do some exploring over the weekend (partly due to the fact that the Academy does not provide meals on Saturday evenings or on Sundays), and much of that exploring took place in Trastevere.

Trastevere is a fun little neighborhood, just east of us and down a very large, steep hill (good thing we've had good practice walking up and down hills in San Francisco!).  It also borders the Tiber, and is the neighborhood that we'll walk through any time we want to take a bridge over to the east side of the river (where the majority of Rome's neighborhoods are located).

Trastervere itself is perhaps the neighborhood that best embodies the "Italy" that Americans conjure up when imagining life in Rome.  The streets are narrow, winding, and (often) crowded, and there are ristorantes, trattorias, and bars ("bars" here are more like coffee shops- hence the term "barista") everywhere you look.

Most of the buildings are colored in warm hues (reds, oranges, and yellows), and there are an abundance of street musicians and performers entertaining the masses in hopes of tips.  I'm sure that most locals find these musicians and performers annoying, and view them as tourist gimmicks (like how I feel about being at Pier 39 in San Francisco), but, at least for now, I find them charming. There seems to be an unwritten rule that any street music must involve at least one accordion, but the rules clearly don't require exclusive play of traditional Italian music.  (I'm not sure that I can fully explain how hilariously awesome it was to realize that one familiar song I was humming along to was actually an accordion rendition of ABBA's "Super Trouper.")    

Piazza di Santa Maria

On a more serious note, Trastevere is also the home to Basilica di Santa Maria, one of the oldest churches in Rome (parts of the building date back to the 340s!)  The Basilica is beautiful, and the piazza
(or "town square") it sits in is perhaps the heart of social life in Trastevere.

In the past couple of days, Tom and I have really enjoyed just walking around, learning our way around the winding streets (admittedly, we've gotten turned around a couple of times), and doing some people watching.  The area seems to attract all types of people- everyone from older foreign tourists dining at fine restaurants to local Italian teenagers just hanging out in the streets.  No matter what time of day (meaning even well after 10 PM) there also seem to be all sorts of parents with infants and/or toddlers out on the town (perhaps they get their kids on different napping schedules than American parents do?).  One of the most comical things we've seen so far was a little girl fussing in her stroller (nothing was seriously wrong; she was just cranky) while her father nonchalantly pushed her down the cobblestone path, smoking a cigarette. We've also loved strolling along the river in the evenings.  It's so beautiful to see the city lights reflecting on the water, although in the interest of full disclosure, this picture might actually make things look even prettier than they do in real life!

Looking up the Tiber Toward St. Peter's at night:  

In any case, although it maybe sounds like we already have a good handle on Trastevere, I'm sure we've only barely scratched the surface of what there is to see and do here.  We're looking forward to taking many more evening strolls, enjoying more delicious meals (we've already received three separate recommendations to go to Le Mani in Pasta and can't wait to try it), and (with any luck), hearing more ABBA songs on accordion here in the months to come.