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083004 - Work, fun, and the search for the best gelateria in Rome! |
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by floods / 09.06.2004 |
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Itinerary |
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| Our First Italian Class in Rome |
| Students get ready for an exciting day with Sabrina. |
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| At the Counter |
| Alexis orders fabulous gelato. |
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| Chef Lauren |
| Lauren cooks up some angry pasta. |
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After our first weekend in Italy, during which some of us spent our time carousing the Roman flea markets, and others tolerated expensive hostel prices and miles of steep stairs all for the gorgeous beach in Positano, we arrived safely back to our apartments for class on Monday.
Luckily, the day began late for the weary travelers. Although we didn’t get to seek out any monuments, churches, or ancient ruins, we did attend Italian class with Sabrina, which is just as exciting and equally unpredictable.
After an extensive review of our verbs and vocabulary from Spring quarter, Sabrina took the class on a short run to her favorite gelateria, (arguably the best in all of Rome). There we found ourselves face-to-gelato with an assortment of homemade flavors, including honey oatmeal and rice with cinnamon. Che favoloso!
The gelato trip was an effective way for the class to get a little on-site practice with Italian. The shopkeepers were patient as we filed through the narrow store to pay and then on to the glass cases where we drooled over the beautiful cakes and gelato flavors. I ended up with something that had mini strawberries in it. Whatever it was, it was well worth the Euro.
We were on our own for a while, which meant lots of time to explore, shop, eat, sleep, take photos (and of course, do our art history reading). The class reconvened at 6:00 for sociology. We discussed the role of the family as a fundamental aide to social organization, as well as the impact of revolutions on social stratification. I was surprised to learn that nearly 80% of Italian males ages 18-35 live at home with their parents. I can’t imagine living at home for that long in the United States!
When sociology ended, we were turned loose again, and some of the girls at my apartment made an excellent dinner, which apparently earned the title: “Lauren and Andrea’s angry gnocchi.” After the busy weekend, most of us ended the first night back by engaging in somewhat low-key activities, such as studying, calling home, or writing postcards (and maybe drinking a little wine) before falling asleep to the sound of the lively piazza outside of our window.
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Highlights |
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| A Happy Class |
| The class poses with Sabrina on the benches outside of the Alberto Pico. |
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| Campo di Fiori at Night |
| Crowds begin to gather outside of our apartment. |
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I have to admit that my favorite academic part of the day was the gelato excursion with Sabrina. Does that count as academics? In all honesty, it was nice to be back in Italian class, especially now that we really have the opportunity to use the language.
A side highlight is that today marked the first day back in town for many Italian students. I noticed more fruit, spice and fish vendors in the Campo di'fiori, and the place was absolutely packed with people at night. Our window at the fourth floor of the 9-girl apartment overlooking the campo is very addicting. There are lots of street musicians, people at restaurants, and groups of slick-looking guys trying to pick up girls. Last week I saw a fire dancer at the Piazza Navona, mimes miming to recorded music, and actors collecting money to stand very still in creepy statue-costumes. It's all very amusing.
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Images |
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| A Hard Decision |
| Andrea and Helen discuss which gelato flavor to order. |
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| Enjoying Rome |
| James works hard to finish his gelato. |
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| Students Take a Break |
| Jack and Alexis enjoy the warm weather and company. |
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| Olive Oil & Vinegar |
| Kirstin contemplates one of the staples of Italian culture. |
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| After Dinner |
| The latest wine investments pose for the camera. |
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More photos to complement the day...
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