Top Five Signs That You've Been Living in Rome For Too Long

Well, the final countdown is officially here.  In just a little over a week we leave Rome for a three week trip to Prague, Budapest, and Croatia.  (I know, I feel like the luckiest person alive.)  And then, when we get back to Rome, we only have two days to pack up before we catch a plane to Baltimore, drive down to Williamsburg, move into our new home, unpack, buy a car, and begin our new lives as a legal writing professor and a post-doc (who splits his time between Pisa and VA).  I'm not sure that I've even fully processed my feelings about everything at this point- it's just so incredibly exciting and terrifying all at the same time.  

In any case, as you've probably gathered from the blog, I've had an absolutely incredible year here in Italy and at the Academy, and am going to miss so many people, places, and aspects of Italian/Academy living when we go.  But, at the same time, there are also a whole lot of people and places that I miss back home, and I'm actually feeling a bit ready to resume "normal life" again.  So, with that in mind, here' are my top 5 signs that you've been living in Rome for too long:

Castel San'Angelo (Formerly Hadrian's Mausoleum, built in 135 AD ) 

One: Anything built after 1700 seems extremely "modern."  You know how when you're in the in the US people are totally wowed and amazed by 19th (and even early 20th) century buildings?  That seems completely ridiculous to me now.  The building I'm currently living in was built in the 1910s and it practically feels like  the most cutting-edge place around. Not to mention that most of the buildings in the US were built with local materials like wood and brick.  Really, how hard was that?  It's not like they had to transport huge slabs of granite from thousands of miles away (through the desert, uphill both ways) or anything.  Really, USA, come talk to me once your building is more like 2000 years old, has survived a bunch of wars, flooding, pillaging (and perhaps was turned into a fortress or something else equally cool).  Then maybe I'll be impressed.  

Two: You become convinced that the normal bedtime of all two-year-olds should be midnight.  I swear, the average toddler in Rome enjoys the night life more than Tom and I have for years!  Just wander down to any evening "hot-spot" in the city and you'll see dozens of parents out and about with their very small children (often with a glass of wine and/or cigarette in hand- I mean the parents, not the kids- not quite yet anyway). Sometimes the little ones are dozing in their strollers, but other times they're wide-awake and scampering about.  Of course, as an American, my first reaction to seeing this was shock and horror.  Shouldn't these precious bundles of joy be tucked into their comfy cribs full of pastel blankets and stuffed animals no later than 8 PM?  But then someone explained to me that this way, the kid sleeps in to around 10 or 11 AM  (and takes an early evening nap) and that it gives the parents plenty of time to recover and get some work done the morning after their night out. Maybe this schedule wouldn't work out so well if the child had to go to daycare on weekdays, but if there was a stay-at-home parent or a nanny/babysitter, does it really matter when the kid sleeps as long as he/she gets enough of it?  Is this actually the answer to parents' complaints that their kids never sleep in and/or that they have "no life" post-baby due to early bedtimes and pricey sitters?  Maybe Americans are really missing out on something great here!

Gelato covered in Olive Oil

Three: You start thinking about, referring to, and/or using olive oil as a "sauce." Before moving to Rome, olive oil wasn't much more than my favorite cooking oil. Sure, I also occasionally mixed it with some balsamic for an easy salad dressing, but that was about the extent of it- and I used it sparingly at that. But now, I've started using it for all sorts of things without really thinking about it.  Is the bread a little dry?  Dip it in olive oil, of course!  Have no sauce for your pasta? Drench it in olive oil!  Need a topping for your buffalo milk gelato?  Smother it in olive oil and sea salt!  (Okay, I'm not actually a big fan of that one, but Tom is.) And the crazy thing is, neither Tom or I have gained a pound despite the massive quantities we consume. The next thing you know, I'll be pouring it over my breakfast cereal...

Four: When you're annoyed, the first word out of your mouth is "Dai!"  Strictly translated, this expression (pronounced like "die") means "come on."  But, when it's articulated in a particularly exasperated, whiny tone (especially by a female), it actually means something more like "C'mmmoonnn you big stupid meany-face, why can't you just do what I want you to do? Pllllleeeeaaaaasssse."  Needless to say, it can be a helpful expression at times.  On the other hand, this word can also be used in a motivational/encouraging manner, which leads to some pretty hilarious anecdotes from confused Americans.  The best two stories I've heard was the marathon runner who thought all the spectators wanted him to "die," as he panted his way through 26+ miles, and the Jewish football coach (hired to teach Italians American football) who was greatly disturbed when the team captain started shouting "Dai giù!"(pronounced like "die jew") during push-up drills.  Of course, this was totally appropriate, since all it means something like "c'mon, get down!"  But, still, as a native English speaker, I think I'll try to stick with just plain "Dai" should I ever find myself in a similar situation.  

        

Awful "Mexican Food" (but with a lovely river view (river not pictured))

Five: You'd consider trading your left arm (or at least a finger or two) for just one meal of decent Mexican food.  I know I've complained about this before, but Tex-Mex just may be my favorite kind of food, and it's virtually non-existent here in Rome. Sure, you can try to cobble together your own version after hitting up no less than three separate stores (the regular grocery store, the foreign foods store (which sells salsa), and the only market (way across town) that sells cilantro).  But, at the end of the day, you still have to make do with mediocre (at best) avocados and whatever cheese you can find that's the least mozzarella-like (there's no cheddar or jack here).  But, sadly, trying to get your Tex-Mex fix at a Roman restaurant leads to even worse results. The last time I tried this, my "vegetarian burrito meal" consisted of a tiny tortilla completely filled with some sort of Italian white cheese and canned peppers, a side of canned black beans, and some plain white rice (which Italians seemed to think qualified as "Mexican rice" simply because it wasn't risotto).  Really, it completely baffles me that no ex-pats have opened a decent Tex-Mex joint because they'd make a total killing with all of the tourists and college students in town.  (No matter what you think, trust me, you can really only eat pasta and pizza for so many days before you start chasing after the smells of anything non-Italian like a stray dog.) Of course, my burrito standards might be a bit high after living in San Francisco for several years, but at this point, even Chipotle sounds like heaven!  Good thing there's one in Williamsburg (and it's right next to the Dairy Queen, in case you were wondering).  Ah, good ol' American fast-food chains, it only took a year apart to realize how much I really do need you.  

Alla Prossima,

Erin 

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Sun. June 30:  We're no longer freezing cold or sweltering hot.  We've settled into a nice moderate temperature pattern (highs in the low 80s), which hopefully will stick around for a while. 

Bellissimo Venezia

Well, I can hardly believe it, but our very last group of visitors for the year has now come and gone.  Tom and I had a great time showing my dad, step-mom and little sister around Rome, but we actually began the visit by spending a couple of days together in Venice.  Neither Tom or I had ever been to Venice before, and, since I had heard some mixed reports, I didn't exactly know what to expect.  I have to say, though, that I'm so glad we went because it's one of the most unique places I've ever visited.  

Venice's Grand Canal

Sure, it's true, Venice does have a bit of a "Disney World" feel to it, and on any given day (at least in the summer) there are probably 5-10 times as many tourists as locals in the city.  If you're looking to get a glimpse of the "authentic" Italian way of life, this is probably not the place to do it. But, at the same time, Venice is such an interesting and stunningly beautiful place that I can't imagine avoiding it altogether for those reasons.  And, really, you only have to wander a little bit off the beaten path to avoid most of the crowds.

Venice is located just off the northeastern coast of Italy, about 4 hours (by train) from Rome.  Its world famous canals are due to the fact that this "island" city is actually made up of over a hundred tiny islands.  Many bridges connect the islands to each other, and of course, the intervening canals are filled with gondolas (and many other boats, including ambulance boats fire boats, and trash boats).  As you may have gathered, there are no motor vehicles (aside from boats, of course) allowed in Venice, and so this is a place where "taking the bus" means taking the vaporetto (water bus) up or down the main canal, which separates the small island in two.  Once you're in the general neighborhood, though, it's pretty easy to walk (down tiny alleys and over various stone bridges) to get to your destination (although a "direct" route is rarely possible and you'll likely run into several dead ends along the way).  The lack of cars made the city feel unbelievably peaceful, though, and despite all of the crowds, my memories of Venice are filled with the sounds of lapping water and squawking sea gulls.

Gondolas 

Peaceful Side Street

Water Bus on the Canal

You may have heard that Venice is "sinking," but the more accurate statement is that the water level is rising (due to global warming and other factors). Although the water level is rising at fairly slow rate (most estimates put it around 2 mm/year), this still poses a big risk to the city, since massive destructive floods are becoming more and more common. Fortunately, the MOSE Project, a massive flood protection system (scheduled for completion sometime in 2014), should protect the Venetian Lagoon from much future damage.  I imagine that many Venetians haven't been thrilled about some of the changes that tourism has brought to the city over the past several decades.  However, if there's any silver lining, perhaps the booming tourism industry (and resulting influx of money) has actually helped to fund the types of projects that will protect the city over the next several decades.

Piazza San Marco (from the water bus) with Campanile on left

Venice is actually fairly small, and you can easily walk around the bulk of the island in one day.  We really enjoyed just wandering through the narrow alleyways off of the Main Canal and taking in the sights and sounds of the city. Venice's main square, "Piazza San Marco," is located on the southeastern shore of the city, and once served as its political and religious center. We stayed nearby and visited both the Piazza's beautiful Gothic Basillica  di San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale.  The Palazzo was once the residence of the ruler of Venice, and also housed the courts and prison.  Today, you can tour much of the ornate building as well as enjoy a lot of art and other displayed period objects, such as swords and armor.

View from the San Marco Campanile

More Campanile Views

Enjoying Burano

There are also many other small islands near Venice, and one of my favorite activities was taking the "bus" out to two of them, Murano, and Burano.  These islands are known for their glass work and lace work, respectively, and we had a really good time learning a bit more about the local crafts and visiting the dozens of gift shops on each island.  Of the two, Burano, which is is full of rainbow colored buildings, was definitely my favorite (at least from a visual standpoint).  But, both had their own charm and the weather was perfect for wandering and just hanging out.  The islands were fairly small (Burano, in fact, was tiny), and so we were able to explore them both thoroughly in just a few hours.

Murano

Colorful Burano

Burano

I'm not sure what it would be like to live in Venice (sadly, for the locals, I'm sure the touristy feel would get old fairly quickly), but I thought it was an absolutely fantastic place to visit.  The food was good, the people were friendly, and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking.

Speaking of living somewhere, as you may have heard, I recently accepted a job that will be taking me to Williamsburg, Virginia this fall.  (Tom will be back and forth between Pisa and VA.)  It's going to be quite a change (after living San Francisco and Rome), but I'm sure it will be quite the adventure (even if Home Sweet Williamsburg doesn't quite have the same ring to it!).    

Alla Prossima,
Erin

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Fri. June 20:  It's gone from pleasantly warm to HOT.  Temps have been in the low to mid-90s for the last few days.  We're feeling really grateful for our ceiling fan right about now!

One Villa, Two Villa, Old Villa, New Villa (Our Day in Tivoli)

Before I tell you all about the wonders of Tivoli, I actually have two embarrassing confessions to make.  First, over the past few days I've become horribly addicted to the game "Candy Crush Saga."  If you don't know what this is, you'll have to trust me that you're better off for it.  Second, I've recently had the song "Party in the USA" stuck in my head.  Random, right?  Or maybe not.  Could it actually a sign (through a kind of ridiculous pop song no less) that I'm starting to feel ready to head back to the States?

Don't get me wrong, I'm going to be really sad to leave Rome, and especially the Academy, but there are also a lot of things (in addition to our friends and family) that I miss about life back home.  To name just a few, I miss Target and Trader Joe's and people who understand how to stand in lines, and the proliferation of Tex-Mex food (I'd seriously be willing to pay about $30 bucks for a black bean and plantains burrito from the Little Chihuahua in San Francisco right about now).  And, I also miss not getting the flu every two months (which I've somehow managed to do here).  But, honestly, in a weird way I'm actually glad that things aren't completely perfect here, since it will make leaving in a couple months just a tiny bit easier.

Statues around the "Canopus" at Hadrian's Villa

In any case, after I recovered from my most recent bout of illness on Friday, Tom and I celebrated my recovery by spending a fantastic day in Tivoli.  Tivoli is just 20 miles east of the city and is best known for two of its villas, Hadrian's Villa, and Villa d'Este.

Having visited both before, Tom assured me that there was a "best" order to visit the two Tivoli sites, so we headed first to Hadrian's Villa (which is on the outskirts of town). There are a couple of options to get to Tivoli from Rome, and we opted to take the Metro and transfer to a bus (you can also take a train).  The trip went surprisingly smoothy (despite a brief period in which Tom and I both thought we might get sick on the very jerky bus), and we made it door-to-door in about two hours.

Courtyard Pond at Hadrian's Villa

As you may have guessed (if you're at all up on your ancient history), Hadrian's Villa was built by the Roman emperor Hadrian (in the 2nd Century AD).  Originally, it was a countryside retreat of sorts  but, in later years, he actually ruled Rome from the Villa.

It's funny, before coming to Rome, I always thought of a "villa" as a single dwelling, but often, a villa is actually an entire complex. There are about 30 buildings at Hadrian's Villa, including two bathing complexes, dining rooms, artificial ponds, and many spaces, identified as things like theaters and temples and libraries, etc.  However, it's still up for debate what many of the building were actually used for, and often the identifications seem rather dubious.  In any case, it's absolutely crazy to imagine such a huge space as a private residence (especially if you can picture it in its original ornate state).

Grounds of Hadrian's Villa

I should also clarify that there probably aren't nearly as many water features at Hadrian's Villa as my pictures may lead you to believe (at least not in comparison to the villa we visited afterward).  But, since I personally love water, this is what most of my pictures inevitably end up being of (or maybe I just haven't learned to fully appreciate the look of ruins yet...).

The grounds of the Villa were also gorgeous and covered in olive trees, and we had a great time exploring.  However, there wasn't a lot of shade, and since the weather has finally warmed up, we actually got really hot after a couple hours of walking around.  At that point, Tom told me it was the perfect time to head over to Villa d'Este, and so we hopped another bus into the center of Tivoli, where it's located.

"Canopus" at Hadrian's Villa (view from the dining room)

"Maritime Theater" (but probably not actually a theater)

"Library Tower" (but probably not actually a library)

Gardens (with Villa in the Background)

I know I gush about most things I've seen here in Italy, but Villa d'Este might seriously be the most gorgeous place I have ever been to in my life.  Unlike Hadrian's Villa, this villa is still completely standing (as it was commissioned in the late 1500s by Ippollito II d'Este, a Cardinal and Governor of Tivoli.

Although a ticket gets you into both the Villa and the gardens, the gardens are really what everyone comes for.  Perhaps the word "gardens" doesn't quite do it justice, though, because it actually feels more like the greenest, most peaceful and beautiful park in the world.

The gardens are built into the side of a massive hill, and so as you walk down there are different "levels"- all tons of  unique water features.  I can't emphasize enough how much water there is.  Literally everywhere you look there's some kind of fountain or grotto or babbling brook, and you can hear the flow of water all around you.  As an added bonus, the gardens are nice and shady and the water spraying off all of the fountains actually cools you down (which is why Tom was anxious to head over once the heat set in).  

Top Level of Organ Fountain (Organ is in the Central Opening)

Although there are an endless amount of paths and features to explore, the main "attraction" of the gardens is the enormous Organ Fountain.  Really, though "Organ Waterfall" would probably be a better name, because a massive amount of water drops several stories down from the top of the fountain.

Apparently, when Tom visited this villa in 2009, he had no idea why the Fountain was named "Organ Fountain" (he claimed that he thought Italians just picked goofy names for things).  However, prior to our visit, I did some internet sleuthing and learned that the upper level of the fountain is actually an organ that plays music every two hours.

The first "performance" was supposedly at 10, so at 2 PM we waited around the fountain for five or ten minutes.  But, when nothing happened, we gave up on it and started exploring other parts of the garden.  Of course, though, in typical Italian fashion (where nothing runs on schedule), I heard a faint organ-like noise at precisely 2:37, and so we literally ran all the way back up the hill to hear the music.  I think I was a bit more into it than Tom was, but, honestly, how often do you get a chance to hear a musical waterfall?!

Organ Fountain From Below

Gardens And Surrounding Countryside

Villa and Waterfalls 

View From Top of Organ Fountain

Relaxing and Taking in the Views

Tom Cooling Off in the Fountain Walkway

View From Upper Gardens

I could have stayed in the gardens all day (or for the rest of my life, really), but we were happy to make it back to the Academy in time for dinner.  My only regret is that I discovered this place so late into my time here (so that I can't go back five more times!).  Really, though, if you're ever in Rome, please take the time to go out and see this.  You won't regret it- it truly blows all of the other villas out of the water.

Alla Prossima,
Erin

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Sun. June 9:  After a long wait, summer is finally here.  It's been warm with highs in the mid to upper 70s (but it feels much warmer in the sun).