Fall Arrives in Rome

While growing up in Minnesota, I never understood why Thanksgiving decorations involved fall leaves and harvest themes.  I mean, normally, by the time November rolled around there was barely a leaf left on any tree, and we had already had several frosts (if not measurable snow).  It wasn't until I was older that I realized (jealously) that in some parts of the country- and world- fall happens a lot later.  Apparently, Rome is one of those places.

Yellow Hued Trees (from the shared kitchen window)

So, yes, at this late date of the last week of October, fall has finally arrived in Rome. The days of balmy 70 degree temperatures are over, and have been replaced by clouds, rain, wind, and much cooler temperatures (highs in the upper 50s and lows in the 40s).  It can get pretty cold in the building too, since federal law prevents us from using heat for a few days yet and- even then- the heat can only be on for 10 hours a day.  When going out at night, we now wear coats (although I'm sure most Minnesotans who had not been softened by CA weather would claim that no coats are needed).  Unfortunately, the trees don't really turn vibrant colors here, but there are quite a few leaves on the ground, and many trees do have a decidedly yellow or brown hue.  We also turned our clocks back an hour this past weekend, so now it gets dark quite early- around 5:30.

Halloween Invitation using (the party took place in that area
between the front gate and the building)

Although I'm surprised to hear myself say it, I actually kind of like the fact that it's becoming a bit more fall/winter-like.  It's nice to have a bit of that seasonal feel, and I'm sure it's much easier for Tom to buckle down on his work when he doesn't feel like he's missing out on a beautiful day in the city.  Of course, this is Italy, though, so even in the colder months, we will get our fair share of sun, and in the winter it rarely gets below freezing (last year, Rome experienced its first snowfall in 20 years!).  So, really, we can't complain about the cold too much!   

Fall themes have now also arrived at the American Academy.  Last week our dining space was moved indoors for the winter, which was a bit of a bummer, but the kitchen made up for it by serving pumpkin filled ravioli one night and lots of amazing desserts over the course of the week.  As I like to say (since the kitchen is based on a sustainable food model and serves lots of dessert fruit in the summer), "cake is never out of season!"  We've been invited to help out with the upcoming olive harvest on the Academy grounds, and last Saturday the fellows hosted a massive Halloween party.  Really, I feel like autumn should be oozing out of my skin!    

Costumes on the Academy Stairs

In any case, I decided that I should write a bit about this Halloween party, since it was really an epic event.  Generally speaking, Halloween isn't celebrated by most Italians (although they do celebrate "All Saints Day" on November 1 and "Day of the Dead" on November 2).  With that said, the concept of Halloween does seem to be slowly making its way into Italian culture, and we were actually surprised to see many stores selling costumes, candy, and plastic pumpkins.  However, since Halloween is still very much an American thing, it's been somewhat of a tradition for the fellows at the American Academy to host a Halloween bash and invite the fellows at all of the other national academies in Rome.

Decorated Party Room (pre-party!)

This year, two awesome fellows headed up the party planning committee, and we all pitched in some form, by helping with decorations, set-up, clean-up, and bar-tending during the party.  In the earlier part of the evening, the party was only for American Academy folks and was very kid-friendly.  The kids trick-or-treated in our building (the adults all passed out candy from our rooms), and then we all gathered in one of the artist's detached studios for a pizza party. The huge group of kids (we have 22 living at the Academy this year) all had on adorable costumes, and it was a lot of fun to watch them chase each other around the Academy grounds and enjoy themselves.

Batman and Robin Fighting the Joker (cartoon photo style!)

A bit later in the evening, guests from the other academies arrived, and part of the party moved outdoors, since it was impossible to accommodate all 200+ guests in the studio space (thank goodness it never rained as forecasted- but we did have good thunder and lightning for effect!).  The indoor space was used as a giant dance floor, and everyone really got into the spirit of things.  Most people came in costume, and Tom and I even found a Joker to go along with our Batman and Robin costumes.  We spent quite a bit of time creating our look (Tom sewed the Robin emblem onto his shirt himself and it took me about 5 hours to make that mask out of duct tape!) so the highlight of the night was probably when one of the kids asked his dad if we were *really* Batman and Robin.  All in all, I think it was a huge success.  It was definitely the biggest, most organized Halloween party that Tom or I have ever been to, and everyone had a ton of fun.

We're now looking forward to seeing what November has in store for us.  My good friend Kahla is en-route to Rome as I write this, and we'll hopefully have some fun adventures exploring together over the next few days.  Tom and I also have a trip planned down to the southern coast in a couple of weeks, and we've heard that the Academy puts on quite the amazing Thanksgiving meal.  So I'm sure we'll have lots of exciting experiences to share in the coming weeks.

Alla Prossima,
Erin

-------
Mon. Oct. 29:  It's seriously freezing here!  The internet says its 52 degrees, but inside it feels more like 40. Tom is even wearing his winter hat indoors!  

Adventures in Sweden

When my freshman year college roommate, Kat, invited me to visit her in her (relatively) new hometown of Gothenburg, Sweden, I immediately jumped at the chance.  Honestly there's nothing better than getting to catch up with an old friend AND visiting a new country at the same time (especially when the RyanAir flight was only 50 bucks round trip!!!)!  

Kat and I Enjoying Fall Colors in Sweden

It's funny, although Kat and I were great roommates and certainly got along well freshman year (I wish I had access to my photo album so I could post the iconic picture of us "surfing" in our dorm room chairs during finals week), we didn't spend much time together outside of our room, and went separate ways after the year was through.  However, we always kept in touch, and actually became much better friends after our St. Olaf days were over. For several years we were great email pen-pals, and visited each other a couple of times in Minneapolis and San Francisco. However, in 2010, Kat moved to Sweden to be with her "swede-heart," Fredrik, who she met on a bus tour of New Zealand, and it became quite a bit harder for us to be in close touch.  So, I was really excited to have a chance to see her again.

Meeting a Real Swedish Dala Horse

However, I had another reason excited about my visit, which is that my mom's side of the family is primarily of Swedish heritage.  My grandma  is 100% Swedish (her father, my great-grandfather immigrated from Sweden as a young man, and although my grandmother's mother was born in America, her parents immigrated from Sweden).  We know a bit less about my grandfather´s heritage, but there is Swedish blood on that side as well.  So, we have always thought of ourselves as a Swedish family.

Growing up, we celebrated this heritage in a number of ways, although it was always most pronounced at Christmas time.  For our Christmas meal, we´d eat Swedish meatballs (the one meat I can actually say I miss as a vegetarian), potatoes, and rice pudding, and my Grandma would sometimes play traditional Swedish Christmas music on the record player or on her accordion.  As a teenager, my mom was even a runner-up in her church's Santa Lucia pageant.

Gothenburg City

Even in other times of the year, though, we celebrated our heritage with dala horse decorations, singing "vi gratulerar" in addition to the happy birthday song, and, as a kid, I remember getting excited any time I saw something colored blue and yellow (the colors of the Swedish flag).  So, when I finally stepped off the plane in Gothenburg (after practically missing my flight because Italian cabbies tend to not show up for scheduled appointments!  Ugh!), I couldn't help getting a goofy grin on my face and feeling a bit like I was coming "home." (I feel less embarrassed saying that after watching episodes of "who am I," where every celebrity seems to cry after learning more about their heritage.)  Of course, as far as I know, most of my relatives actually came from areas closer to Stockholm,  but this- at least for now- as close as I've ever been to exploring my roots.

Kat in Her New Hometown

Although less well-known than Stockholm, Gothenburg (which is on Sweden's West Coast) is a pretty cool city in its own right. It started out as a shipping community, and is actually still considered a major world port today.  In addition to being on/near the coast, there's a river that runs through the city, so it has a very aquatic feel.  Gothenburg is also the city from which many Swedish emigrants left the country, so several of my relatives likely passed through during their journeys to America.

Nowadays, there's still a bit of an "industrial" feel to parts of town, but there is also really beautiful architecture, amazing shopping and restaurants, and a lot of natural beauty (preserved in many parks and other green spaces).  Before my visit, I read an article that compared Gothenburg to Pittsburgh, but since I have never visited that city, I liken it more to a cross between Minneapolis and Seattle.  In either case, though, it certainly felt a lot more"American" than Rome does (both visually and culturally), and it was quite easy at times to feel like I was back in the States.   

 Gardens

Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate as much as I had hoped (basically it was chilly, cloudy, foggy and/or rainy for all but my last evening there), but there were gorgeous fall colors, and we still got out and explored the city quite a bit.

One day, Kat took me downtown to the city museum, which had extremely well-done exhibits about Gothenburg's history- from the times of the Vikings all the way up until modern times.  Not only was it a visually stunning and interesting experience, but knowing a bit more about the city's history and culture helped me better understand and appreciate other things I saw around town. 

View at the Ferry Stop

On another occasion, we took a commuter ferry down the river, got off at a random stop, and took a walk (in light rain with our umbrellas) around the area.  Even with the gray skies, the fall colors were stunning (I was incredibly excited to see the red and yellow trees since neither San Francisco or Rome has "real fall"), and it was fun just to get a sense of the architecture and landscape in the area.  On my last full day, we took a trip out to a "castle" (more like a mansion), took a walk around the stunning grounds, and enjoyed a nice Swedish buffet lunch there. I'm not sure how "traditional" the food was, but it certainly did fit the stereotype of involving quite a bit of butter/cream, and actually tasted far better than it looked!      

Swedish Buffet (I initially mistook that butter for cheese...)

We also did some browsing in local stores (Swedes are very into skinny jeans/pants, boots, and long stylish sweaters and coats in subdued hues such as gray and black), and saw a lot of the city from the amazing tram (like a street car) that runs all over town.  (Seriously, the public transportation there is amazing- it puts the Bay Area to shame (and don´t even get me started about Minneapolis/St. Paul in comparison....)

Of course, it was also a lot of fun to just hang out in Kat's new condo (she has an IKEA kitchen!), chat about European life, and get to know Fredrik a bit.  There was also oatmeal in Sweden, so- needless to say- I enjoyed my breakfasts quite a bit!

I do realize that it's impossible to get a sense of a whole culture after only visiting one city for five days, but I did make some interesting observations a during my short time there.  Here are my top three (which you should take with a grain of salt):    

Out and About

1.  Sweden is much more culturally diverse than I had imagined.  I expected to see a lot of tall, skinny, blond hair/blue eyed people, and although Gothenburg did have its fair share of these folks, they were actually in the minority.  Really, there were far more brunettes, and actually so many more non-Caucasian people than I would have imagined.  Swedes also have a taste for ethnic food, and I had some really good Indian and Korean food (as well as some Tapas that were to die for) during my trip.  

2.  Swedes are less friendly than I expected.  I always thought that "Minnesota nice" had Scandanavian roots, but I no longer think this is the case.  Don't get me wrong, Swedes aren't mean or bad-natured in any way, and I do think they take pride in being good hosts and loyal friends.  However, as a group, I wouldn't exactly describe them as overly friendly.  Strangers don't greet or smile at each other on the street they way they often do in Minnesota, and even servers or cashiers  don't offer many smiles or warm greetings.  They are much more stoic.  I do get the sense that other stereotypically Minnesotan personality traits (such as being humble and non-confrontational) are Scandinavian based, but I guess we Minnesotans need to credit another ethnic group for making us want to waive to every neighbor, baby, and stray dog we see on our afternoon walks.

Quaint Gothenburg Church

3.  Everything in Sweden is "cozy." Granted, fall is a good season for curling up with a good book and a cup of tea in most places, but Swedes take this concept to a whole new level.  Twice a day most Swedes have "fika," which is basically a mid-morning and mid-afternoon coffee break/snack. Given this, it's not uncommon to see, for example, two men drinking tea and eating scones together in a cute little coffee house covered with pink wallpaper and chandeliers.  In Sweden, this isn't girly, it's just cozy!  Really, though, even though it was cold outside, everywhere we went just felt very warm and homey (a feeling often lacking in Rome), and you get the sense that the home and family are very important parts of life.    

Nature Preserve (just like Minnesota!)

In any case, whether it's because of its similarities to Minnesota, Kat's hostess abilities, or my Swedish heritage, I really did feel right at home during my entire visit.  If I ever have the chance to return to Sweden, I'd love to see Stockholm, but I'd also be hard pressed to turn down another chance to visit Gothenburg.

Of course, while gallivanting around Sweden, I did miss Tom, our new Academy friends, and even Rome at times (I suppose it is starting to feel a bit like home here). So, as wonderful as my trip was, I'm looking forward to getting back to Academy and Italian life!

Alla Prossima,
Erin

PS:  If you're left with a burning desire to hear more about life in Sweden, you should check out Kat's super interesting blog:  http://katsinger.com/travel/

-----------
Oct. 23:  It was cold in Sweden (light winter jacket and hat weather), but still summer-like in Rome!  We keep hearing stories of "freezing cold fall nights" (since there are rules about when residents can start using the heat), but we haven't experienced any yet!  

Visiting the Colosseum and Castel Sant'Angelo

In the past week, Tom and I had the opportunity to visit two major Roman landmarks:  the Colosseum and Castel Sant'Angelo.  Even though I've described it as a major landmark, I wouldn't be surprised if many of you have never heard of Castel Sant'Angelo.  In fact, I'm not sure I even saw it during my week here in college.  Of the two, the Colosseum is definitely much more hyped.  Practically every t-shirt, calendar, or coffee mug you see in Roman tourist shops has the Colosseum plastered all over it, and I imagine that most people (including Americans) could identify it in a lineup.  It might as well be the official symbol of the city. On the other hand, you'd be hard pressed to find anything at all featuring Castel Sant'Angelo, and It wouldn't surprise me if even most Italians (outside of Rome) couldn't tell you much about it.  Both landmarks are great, of course, but personally, I think the Colosseum is a bit overrated and that Castel Sant'Angelo is completely underrated.  However, you can be your own judge of that after reading this post.

Inside the Colosseum

So, first, the Colosseum:  Last Friday we had the opportunity to visit this spot on one of the "walk and talks" I've mentioned earlier.  Of course, we've already seen the Colosseum many times from the outside during our trip in Rome, but this was our first trip in.  Normally I try to steer clear of the Colosseum area.  It's just so ridiculously touristy.  Sometimes I think if I see one more guy in costume pretending to be an ancient statue I'm going to scream (yeah, that's a sentence I never thought I'd write).  But, really, you can't come to Rome and not go inside the Colosseum, and learning about the history is actually quite interesting.

The Colosseum was completed around the year 80 AD (surprisingly it only took about ten years to build!) and was used in ancient times for public executions of criminals, beast hunts, and gladiator fights.  In that sense it was sort of like the town theater and sports arena all rolled into one (well, plus the whole executing criminals thing...).  As we learned on our walk and talk, one interesting controversy is apparently whether the Colosseum was ever actually purposely flooded in order to stage mock navel battles.  (It seems pretty unlikely to me, but some think that this was actually done!)

Substructures of the Colosseum

In any case, the Colosseum was used for these or similar purposes for a few hundred years and then private groups and families began taking over the space (which was used as housing and shops).  Sometime around the 1400s (although this is a very general estimate), the building fell into general disrepair and people stripped the Colosseum of its stone and iron clamps to be sold and re-purposed. Because of this, many of the support walls now look a bit like swiss cheese (although they assure us that it's all very structurally sound!).  In the 1600s and 1700s, the Church took over the Colosseum, and it was subsequently restored.  Now it's possibly the most popular tourist destination in all of Rome!

It's at times like these that I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of the American Academy community, because we essentially got a "back door pass" to view parts of the Colosseum that are difficult for the general public to view. First, we got to see the substructure of the Colosseum (the area where staging happened prior to any event).  That was really neat because you got a sense of the "performance" aspect of the venue. This lower level was where humans and animals performers (if you use that term broadly) waited to make an entrance.  Unfortunately, I've never seen the movie "Gladiator," but I've heard that there are scenes in that movie where animals suddenly appear out of trap doors.  That may have seemed like Hollywood flourish, but apparently it's all true!  You can still see the holes from the pulley system in the basement today!

View From the Top!!!

Then (and this was my favorite part), we were allowed to go up to the very top floor of the Colosseum- and an area in which the general public is usually not allowed.  We were the only group up there, and I can't even describe how amazing it was to be able to look down at the entire Colosseum. The view out to the surrounding parts of Rome wasn't bad either!  In ancient times, it was the lowest classes who sat up here (basically, these were the nosebleed seats), but if it were up to me, I'd have wanted to sit up there no matter what class I was in. The view was just incredible (and, really, who wants to watch public killings anyway?).  So, yes, we had a fantastic time and I have to admit that I do love the Colosseum.

Castel Sant'Angelo from the Bridge

(you can peek out of those windows once you're inside!)

But is it the absolute best thing in all of Rome?  Probably not.

What's better?  Well, in my opinion, Castel Sant'Angelo, for one.  Tom and I visited this spot on our own last Sunday.  It's not too far from the Academy- it's just on the other side of the Tiber from the Vatican, about a 25 minute walk.  The name "Castel" might be misleading to those of us thinking of castles as places where Disney princesses live, though, because this place was previously used by the Vatican as a fortress, starting around the 14th century.  (Tom says that the word castel actually derives from the Latin word for "military fort," so maybe we need to add some cannons to that giant pink palace in DisneyWorld.)  Actually, Castel Sant'Angelo was even connected to St. Peter's by a raised corridor that ran through the city, so that the Pope could make an escape if necessary.

Walking Around Castel Sant'Angelo

However, the building actually had a earlier purpose:  It was commissioned by Hadrian (an emperor of Rome during the 2nd Century AD) to be his Mausoleum (which is essentially a monument and a tomb).  The idea, of course, was that the building would serve as the eternal resting place for Hadrian and his many descendants, but obviously that plan didn't quite work out (although the bodies did presumably remain there for many centuries).

Now the building serves as a museum and a super amazing space to explore, with breathtaking views of the city.  I was initially a bit reluctant to go because I didn't know how interesting it would be (or if it was worth the entry fee), but now I'm already looking forward to my next visit.  We were entertained for hours just walking around and inside the structure and peering out of various windows and cannon holes on all of the different levels.  It brought me back to a time in my childhood when I was obsessed with finding secret passageways in the basement of my Grandma's Lutheran church (okay, maybe that was more just one day, but it felt like a long time in the life of a 7 year old).  The museum part of the building was also very interesting, and was filled with lots of beautiful art, including official portraits of past popes.

View From One of the Windows

It appeared that it was possible to do an audio tour of the building, and I think I'll do that next time.  Although it was great just exploring, I'm sure there's much more to learn.  There were just too many occasions where we said "huh, I wonder what that is?" and, unfortunately, there weren't otherwise many signs to explain things.  But, I have a feeling we'll have many future opportunities when showing guests around town!

Speaking of out of town guests, I'm excited to report that I'm actually heading to Gothenburg, Sweden tomorrow to visit my freshman year roommate, Kat (who is now a Swedish resident!).  Packing duties call, but I can't wait to share my Swedish adventures with you all in my next entry.

Alla Prossima,
Erin

---------------
Tues. Oct 16:  Fall is in the air.  Dinner is still served outside but we all wear coats!  Highs in the 60s, lows in the 50s (but it feels quite chilly after sundown!)

The Haunted Library

I’m happy to be making my first appearance as a guest-blogger (this is Tom, not Erin, writing). Fall is here and Halloween is coming soon, so I thought I’d share a spooky story with everyone.

As you may know from Erin’s posts, I do most of my work in a little office on the other side of the courtyard from the room we live in. But the Academy also has a library that takes up an entire wing of the building, and I spend a lot of time working there too. The library is a very old fashioned place, as you can tell from the pictures. To check out a book, you basically just take the book and leave a little note saying “I took this book, drop by my office if you need it.” During the day, the library is a lovely place to be. On the main floor, the tall windows mean that the whole place is flooded with natural light. At night, on the other hand, things can look a little different.

I do not advise the use of that stairway.

There is 24-hour access. And if you’re really a nerd, sometimes there is a book that you just need to see. At night, the library is unbelievably spooky. The main floor is bad enough, with its creepy candelabrum and endless dark corners (all the aisles really do make for a lot of dark corners). And the crowd of busts that frown down at you doesn’t help things. The rest of the library, buried under the main floor, is even spookier. The underground space was originally one massive hall, but a scaffold-like structure was built into it so that it’s two stories, each with a cramped, low ceiling. The odd design of the built-in structure makes it so that there are dozens of little hallways that dead end suddenly, and creates rooms whose sizes are impossible to gauge. It can be easy, too easy, to forget which way would let you back out. There are lights in the various hallways and rooms, but they are motion-activated, so you have to pluck up your courage and walk into the darkness, trusting that a light will come on. And if you stay still too long while reading, the lights will suddenly snap off and you’ll be left in the dark. You hear noises and want to yell out “Is there anybody there?” But you resist the urge, fearing that something will answer “Yes . . .”

After Erin and I had been here about a week we found ourselves in the library at around half past midnight. We had been at a party hosted by the Professor-in-Charge (who, in the charming manner of academic titles, is not actually the person in charge). The party had been on a rooftop terrace nearby, and we had walked home with one of the other fellows. The three of us decided to drop into the library—not because we needed anything particular, but because we had had a few drinks and were making the most of our unrestricted access to the grounds.

We entered the library through the locked door on the courtyard, and found our way into the vestibule on the main floor—although we did not find the lights. We went into the main hall, with the busts and the candelabrum, and I started to have some misgivings. This place looks completely haunted, I said to myself. It turns out that I was right.
 

Some inscriptions plastered onto the wall.

Some say that ghosts are the result of people dying with unfinished business, others that ghosts are the product of writers in need of a good literary device. Either way, it wouldn’t be surprising for the Academy to be full of them. The Academy was built on the grounds of a bloody battle in 1849 between French troops, determined to restore the Pope, and Garibaldi’s miscellaneous fighters. (In one of those quirks of history, the papal army was actually fighting on Garibaldi’s side.) Even more than our location, the building itself seems a likely to find the unquiet departed. You can see from the picture on the left that ancient inscriptions were plastered into the walls of the courtyard. Apparently, in 1915 when the structure was built, this was considered to be a perfectly responsible way to store antiquities. Look at the picture below, and you notice that many of the inscriptions start with the letters “D M.” As Latin epigraphists will cheerfully inform you, this is an abbreviation for Dis Manibus, “To the gods of the underworld...” These inscriptions were taken from tombs.
 

Dis Manibus . . .

You might expect then, that the library would be haunted by one of Garibaldi’s soldiers, or by an ancient Roman who’s a little miffed by his tombstone being used as wall-paper. The ghost in the library, however, is said to be that of an early librarian here, a man named Van Buren. And he is by all accounts a benevolent ghost.

We did not see Van Buren that night in the library, although the place did scare the crap out of us. For the purposes of bloggeristic integrity, Erin insisted that I spend a night working in the library after midnight. I chose my location carefully. I wanted a full view of the mezzanine with the candelabrum (surely the place where a ghost would appear), but I also didn’t want my access to the door impeded if circumstances arose that necessitated a hasty retreat. I waited and worked. I did not go down into the lower levels, below the ground. (I’m not crazy.)

Van Buren did not visit me that night, although I suppose I can hardly expect him to appear on command. I’ll keep my eyes and ears open though, and you’ll hear from me (screaming in fright from Italy) if I do run into him.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Running in Rome (Part 2): Running Along the Tevere

I've found a new favorite spot to run in Rome!  Don't get me wrong, I still think the park I previously wrote about is great, and I still run often there too (especially when I'm short on time, since it's so close).  But, as a true water-lover (and how can you not adore water when you grow up in the Land of 10,000 Lakes?), the path along the Tevere has been an even more exciting find!

(looking down on) My New Favorite Running Spot

The Tevere is the Italian name for the river that most Americans know as the Tiber.  It's the third longest river in Italy, beginning in central Italy, flowing through Rome, and then entering into the sea just south of here in Ostia (very near where we went to the beach last weekend). Another fun tidbit (which it took us an embarrassingly long time to figure out), is that the neighborhood of Trastevere gets its name from this body of water. "Tra" means "across," and so the name "Trastevere" simply conveys the fact that this neighborhood is on the other side of the river from most of the city.  There's also a small "island" near Trastevere in the middle of the river (accessible by bridge), on which a bunch of temporary bars and food vendors spring up in the warm summer months.  We arrived too late in the year to get to experience the scene there, but we're looking forward to checking it out next summer!  

Although the Tiber was extremely important to Rome's development, especially in terms of trade and commerce, the flip side is that flooding has been a huge problem. Obviously, I'm no expert on the subject, but it's my understanding that floods regularly destroyed houses, monuments, and other important buildings in Rome for thousands of years.  In fact, ancient Romans actually found a way to fill in the Forum (a very large space) with over 6 meters of dirt to help protect that area from floods!

Tiber Island (from the street above)

In the late 1800s (at least that's what the internet tells me), Rome finally built huge walls (about 40 feet high) along either side of the Tiber.  So, now, if you're driving along the river or walking along the street, you're essentially at the top of the wall.  Of course, you can still see the water over the top, but it doesn't exactly feel like you're "at the river," since the water level is so much lower than street level.  However, much more recently, in the early 2000s, the city put in a running/biking path along the river's edge (inside of the walls). Occasionally the Tiber will flood and the space becomes unusable, but, for the most part, this new path allows Romans to get some exercise and enjoy the river all year long.

Cobblestones for Runners, Blacktop for Bikers

If the stereotype that Italians aren't very into exercising (other than playing soccer) is true, you really have to hand it to them for creating such a wonderful public space for doing just this!  First of all, in a city as old and densely populated as Rome, it's hard to believe that it's even public space to begin with (but, I suppose the fact that it's basically a massive flood plane helps with that)!  Beyond this, though, they've really created a beautiful and functional area in which to break a sweat.  As far as the basic set-up goes, there are actually two paths- one running along each side of the river, and they seem to be very well used by bikers, walkers, runners (and dogs!) of all ages.  Technically the path is divided into "bike lanes" (the blacktop) and then running/walking lanes (made out of cobblestones), but there's no way you're going to convince me that I should run for miles on cobblestones (even if I am generally a rule follower)!  Honestly, if this is what you're "supposed" to do, it's no wonder that Italians generally aren't very into running!  There is also some basic exercise equipment along the way (like pull up bars), which hopefully will encourage me to work on my upper body strength as well, since I don't otherwise belong to a gym here in Rome.  

Castel Saint'Angelo

It's also amazing that path is located in such a scenic location.  It's surprising, though, how varied that scenery can be.  At certain spots, it's impossible to mistake the fact that you're in Rome.  Looking up, you often see various cityscapes, including historic buildings, beautiful bridges decorated with statues, or even popular sites such as Castel Saint'Angelo (a fortress and castle, which was previously used by the popes).  But, if you keep your eyes on the river and the surrounding trees and flowers, at times you can almost convince yourself that you're running along the Mississippi in St. Paul, or even that you're just out in nature somewhere.  In all fairness, I should  mention that there are also some less scenic, slightly more industrial looking areas, but I like to think those areas just encourage me to run a bit faster to get to the next pretty sight!

Minnesota-like Scene Along the Tiber

Today I took a leisurely 8 mile run (no, that's an oxymoron!) along the river (stopping for many pictures along the way). The "good part" of the path runs about 2 miles in each direction from the Ponte Sisto (the bridge that's my starting point), so today I ran 2 miles south, then 4 miles north (passing my starting point halfway through), and then 2 miles south again back to the bridge (which is only about a 15 minute walk from the Academy- just down the hill and through Trastevere). You could actually run further on the north end, but things get a bit difficult, since the blacktop turns into concrete squares, which are separated by 1 inch grooves (and I really don't feel like spraining my ankle this year).

From a long-distance running perspective, I do wish the path was a bit longer, but I really can't complain, especially since I finally have flat black top to run on!  I know blacktop isn't the best material for my joints, but it is fun to finally get to run fast!  Plus, nothing beats being able to outpace and pass a boat on your run. Even if that boat is a paddle boat.  And even if that paddle boat is headed upstream...

Alla Prossima,
Erin

--------------
Wed. Oct. 10:  so far it's still a bit summer-like:  sunny and highs in the mid 70s.  Let's hope the winter rains hold off so that my beloved path doesn't flood anytime soon!  

La Nostra Giornata Alla Spiaggia (Our Day at the Beach)

Finally, yesterday, all of the elements combined to create the perfect beach day:  It was sunny (actually, there wasn't a single cloud in the sky), it was warm (but not overwhelmingly hot), and it was a Saturday (so that Tom didn't have to feel too guilty about not working).  So, when we saw that the beach gods were smiling down on us, we did what any good Romans would do and made a bee-line for the coast.

(slightly artistically (?) blurred) Scene from our Beach Day

It's funny, even though Tom and I were most recently Californians, being able to go the beach is quite the novelty for us.  Or, at least, I should say that being able to actually hang out and suntan at the beach is a novelty.  Although there's a lot of beautiful coastline around San Francisco, it's generally way too cold (we're talking sweatshirts and winter hats) and often too rocky to have the sort of beach experience that you can have here in the Mediterranean.

For those of you who aren't real familiar with the geography, Rome isn't quite on the coast itself, but it's only a quick trip away by car (slightly longer by public transportation, as we found out), and so going to the beach is a very popular thing for Romans to do on hot summer days. There are a lot of different beaches to explore within an hour or so from Rome, but another fellow (who also lived here last year) gave us a tip for a particular beach, which she felt best balanced quality with travel distance/time.

At the Pyramid near Piramide Station

So, at around 10 AM we grabbed our "picnic" lunches from the bar here at the Academy and headed out to the Piramide metro station, which was about a 30 minute walk. We could have taken a bus to the metro station, but, in our experience, it often takes longer to wait for and ride the bus than just to walk.  Plus, this way, we were able to stop and buy our much needed (but ridiculously expensive and tiny) bottle of European sunscreen on our way over.

We then took a train to the end of the Lido line, which runs southwest from Rome, to a town called Ostia.  I'm sure there are a lot of other interesting things to see in Ostia (including an archeological site), but this day was all about the beach!  It is possible to get off at an earlier beach stop on this line, but we've heard that beach is not nearly as nice.  So, from the end of the line, we then took a city bus along the coast.  This bus stops at about ten different beaches, and we basically just chose the the third or fourth stop at random.  In all (including the walking) the trip cost us only 1.5 Euros (each), and took about 2 hours.  Not too terrible (although it probably would only be about 30 minutes by car!)

Wading in the Chilly Water

In any case, it was absolutely worth it!  The beach was absolutely beautiful, with lots of sandy areas to spread our towels, relax in the sun, and watch the passing sailboats. The water was a dark blue and at least appeared relatively clear so that we didn't feel like we'd get dirty (or contract some strange bacterial disease) swimming in it. The water temperature felt very cold at first, but once you were in, it was great (and, with the hot sun, it would only take a few minutes to dry off afterward).

Of course, another fun aspect of being at the beach was walking along the water's edge and doing some people watching along the way.  The beach didn't seem to be very touristy at all, and so it was a good chance to see some Italians in their natural habitat.  Since (as you'll read below) these Italians were in various states of dress, it didn't quite seem appropriate to take many pictures.  So, you'll have to just trust me on the three main takeaways from our observations:

1)  Fashion of the late 80s/early 90s is back in full force.  Sure, you do still see a mix of modern things too, but there was definitely an abundance of hot pink and hot green beachwear.  And, when these colors appeared on men, it was often in the form of tight fitting bike-short like apparel.  As was done in the 90s, these colors were often set against or paired with black for that extra "pop."  There was no way you'd miss these folks on the beach!  

Me (not wearing fashion boots) at the Beach

2)  Many Italians "dress up" just to travel to the beach.  Like most Americans would, I headed out for my beach day wearing nylon (running) shorts,  a somewhat ratty old tank top, and flip flops (with my swimsuit underneath).  Clearly, though, I wasn't doing things correctly, because many of the young women on our train were wearing dresses (or at least very stylish shorts and fancy tank tops), big hooped earrings, and fashion boots/sandals.  I had initially assumed that they were getting off at an earlier stop and were heading out for a day on the town, but most of them ended up on the beach bus with us!  I still don't personally see the point of doing this (especially given my observation in point 3, below), but perhaps the idea is that you can never be seen looking less than great in public (even if you are just on the beach bus).

Tom (wearing way too much clothing by Italian standards)

3)  Once Italians actually get to the beach, they tend to wear very little clothing. Italians clearly don't have the same hang-ups about their bodies or nudity as most Americans do. Most of the men wear tiny speedos (rather than long swim trunks), and there were a decent number of women (of ALL ages) who went topless. Of course, here this is all very normal/expected, so it's not like the women (or men) have to worry about receiving any unwanted attention. Another interesting point was how many kids lacked any sort of bathing suit whatsoever Of course, in the US, I have  seen really little kids (maybe under the age of 2) running around naked in public, but even that's not super common.  Here, I don't think I saw a single kid under the age of two with a swimsuit, and it also seemed to be acceptable practice for kids up to the age of 4 or 5 or so.  Also, for girls, it seemed to be completely normal to wear only swimsuit bottoms (but no top) through about age 8 or 9 (something you would never see in the US).  At first, all of these practices seemed a bit strange to me, but, after a while, it did just seem normal- and perhaps somewhat liberating since no one seemed self-conscious or embarrassed about their own bodies.  

We stayed at the beach a good 3 to 4 hours, and by the time we finally made it back home (a bit before 6), we were completely and totally exhausted (or, at least, I was- Tom had to spend about 30 minutes talking me into leaving the room to get some pizza for dinner).  We're not sure if we'll be able to get any more beach days in this fall (the weather should start turning colder and rainier this time of year), but we'll definitely put another trip on our must-do list for this spring!  We've also heard that there are a few lakes near Rome, and so we're also looking forward to checking out some lake beaches (Minnesota style!) this spring/summer, too!

Alla Prossima,
Erin

--------
Sunday, Oct. 7:  yesterday was warm (80 degrees) and sunny, but today is a bit more fall-like (upper 60s and overcast)