My favorite view of Rome is outside of my teacher's apartment. Her window, which is about eight feet above mine, is taller than me. If you lean out just enough, and look to the right, you can see sprawling orange-y brown buildings. Some buildings have rooftop terraces, where people water plants or talk on the phone. In others, you can look through the window where old man watch TV. Across from her apartment, there is a large balcony, littered with toys or drying laundry. The sun sets, and golden light falls across the buildings. You can't see the streets, or the river, or the separations. Rome, simmered down to a single shot. During cooking classes, I attempt to pay attention while simultaneously leaning out the window and watching Rome stretch and breathe. I listen to instructions for a ragu sauce, to the correct amount of time pasta should cook, to the blade of the knife as it hits the cutting board. But I remain at the window, mesmerized.
It is crazy how quickly a new place becomes home. Three weeks ago, I didn't know my way around. I didn't know how to speak to the fruit vendor, and I couldn't imagine feeling comfortable in Italy. All of a sudden, in the past week, there has been a shift, a subtle change that has caused Rome to feel like home. I know to buy all my milk at the latteria across the piazza, and I know the milk costs a euro and fifty. The young workers at the butcher below the building know Mikaela and I by name. We know some of them. They greet us with ciao bellas, and air kisses. Roberto, the doorman, taught me the word for rain today. Sergio, an old man in the building, shoves coffee candies into our hands on the way out the door, telling us to call him nonno (grandfather.) Our Italian classes are over, and on the last day, our teacher Raffaella teared up as we left class. Grazie, Raffaella, we called as we ran out of the building, to the pizza shop around the corner, or to Forno, the bakery with the softest bread and almond pine nut cookies. Our apartment smells familiar, and I know exactly how to twist the key to get it open on the first try. Home.
In this new home, I continue to make new discoveries every day. Yesterday, as I was leaning out of my teacher's apartment window, I realized that the swarms of black birds I had been watching over the weeks had suddenly doubled or tripled in size, and the sky was black with their tiny dot-like forms. The birds flew out from the swarm, and back together again, dipping and soaring, coming together until a black swell like a lava lamp waved across the sky. Some would fly over the window, and I craned my neck as if watching an airplane.
My teacher, Ann, told us that they are roosting, coming down from the hills to seek refuge in the valley. She didn't know why they swarm, but she did tell us that Romans used to think that the birds were writing messages from the Gods across the sky. They even did bird divination.
Apparently, no one really knows how or why European Starlings perform the air acrobatics they do. The birds typically fly side by side, which for them is eye to eye. They take turns being on the outside and inside of the swarm, and they play follow the leader. It is possible that the birds swarm for protection against predators, or to save energy. The swarms are called murmurations. Check out BBC Earth for more information: http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9175000/9175793.stm . There is a cool video that gives a poor view of what it looks like here. I encourage you to skip ahead to the second video, to the time 1:40.
I love the murmurations, and I love Rome. The end of this week marks the halfway point of this journey, and I am beginning to feel anxious about how little time I have left. There is still so much to do! This weekend, we are throwing a pumpkin party for Emily, a girl on the program who is turning 19, and whose favorite thing in the world is pumpkin. We might go to Pompeii. But, then again, maybe I shouldn't be too concerned about how much time I spend in Rome... after all, I did throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain. Love from Rome.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
When I grow up...
I might want to be a farmer.
Last night, we got back from a one night trip at Caponetti's Farm (http://caponetti.com/Lorenzo.htm) in Tuscania. We left Friday at 2:45, and arrived at the farm around 4:30. The drive was beautiful... in our big red bus, we passed by St. Peter's Basilica and ambled through the suburbs of Rome, until we finally broke into countryside. We drove along the coast, and as always, since I spent most of my life in a land locked state, it was exciting to see the ocean.
After a precarious drive down a gravel road, we were greeted by Lorenzo, the head farmer, his father, his mother, grandmother, and four extremely happy dogs. We had just enough sunlight to set our stuff down, and run towards the field, where we planted some onion, learned about the water system, and got to see some of the Etrusian tombs that litter the farm. Pepe, Berta, and Olsola, the dogs, followed us everywhere.
The "farm" is more than just a farm; Lorenzo's family bought Caponetti's Farm with the purpose of making the main building a bed and breakfast. The house had been abandoned for years, and the yard was being used as a helicopter landing pad for the Italian government. The house, a crumbling, orange building, sits on the middle of a 125 acre property. The Caponetti family knew they had to use the farm for something other for a bed and breakfast, and asked their younger son, an agricultural student, to plant things. But, after being overwhelmed, Lorenzo took over.
Lorenzo, a self dubbed "smart ass," began farming. He had been studying various subjects, including ecology, for years, but had no experience farming. When he discovered the olive trees on the property, he saw it as one way to make the farm profitable. He also began extensively studying olive oil, and has perfected his olive oil, which is the best of the best (apparently used at all the best restaurants in New York City). He believes in sustainable, "clean" agriculture. He spoke with us for only 15 minutes, but it was the most informative talk of my life. I want his olive oil, but it usually sells out immediately, seeing as he doesn't have many trees. (Actually olive trees are shrubs that have been cut and pruned over the years into a tree shape, which is easier to harvest.) He travels to the US a few times a year to teach seminars at various schools, and he also participates in WOOFing, and does internships with culinary students. Basically, he has created an enterprise that gives back. Maybe when I grow up I want to be Lorenzo...
After learning a little bit about the farm, we headed inside to eat dinner. Dinner in Italy is an ordeal. It is typical to have three courses, and two are absolutely necessary. There is bread before, and coffee after. At this dinner, our first course was a pasta with a tomato sauce that also had olives and capers. The second course consisted of (the best, most delicious, most amazingly cooked) chicken, white beans, and baked potatoes that had been sliced in half to fit butter and a bay leaf (bay leaves grow like crazy here.) Dessert, or dolci, was a brioche like cake with custard in the middle (we had thirds). And of course, extremely strong Italian espresso with sugar, but no cream.
Stuffed to the brim, we learned more about olive oil, and retired to our rooms. It was cold, but not too cold to stargaze... We took chairs from outside, wrapped ourselves in blankets, and sat under the stars. They were the brightest I've ever seen them. I want to go back.
The next morning, we ate a breakfast of coffee and a variety of pastries. Then we headed out to the fields to plant more onion and garlic. My job was to make holes, and people followed me to put garlic or onion in the hole. Then, after a snack of fresh focaccia bread, we went to go do some trail maintenance, but got distracted by some horses we found in the field. Apparently, the farm also raises Arabian race horses... they have sold some to the King of Morocco! They are huge, and very skittish, but eventually warmed up to us after we fed them leaves. They also liked the smell of onion on our hands. One of the horses was pregnant, and there were two foals.
The farm is situated on top of a hill, facing an old city, with an extremely old church. It makes it so that every direction you look, there is an amazing view. Planting garlic, we would look up and see rolling hills and blue sky. Lunch was a picnic, an omelet, a tomato bread salad (so good), a tuna and bean dish with red onions, fresh bread, sliced salami, grapes, and apples. It was all so fresh... Ricotta with jam for dessert.
It was refreshing to be out of Rome. It felt free, windblown hair and thick socks, the Italian countryside at my feet, and dirt on my hands. There is something to be said for simplicity, and Caponetti's Farm is just that. Maybe I want to be a farmer when I grow up. Or maybe I just want to feel free.
Today, Rome felt claustrophobic. We visited some catacombs this morning, and walked on sore legs by the Trevi fountain later. We ate more good food, and checked our computers. But I want to go back.
This week, we have our Italian final and lots of reading due. Now, my Saturday afternoon will be spent reading our book in a park near the Colosseum. Love from Rome.
Last night, we got back from a one night trip at Caponetti's Farm (http://caponetti.com/Lorenzo.htm) in Tuscania. We left Friday at 2:45, and arrived at the farm around 4:30. The drive was beautiful... in our big red bus, we passed by St. Peter's Basilica and ambled through the suburbs of Rome, until we finally broke into countryside. We drove along the coast, and as always, since I spent most of my life in a land locked state, it was exciting to see the ocean.
After a precarious drive down a gravel road, we were greeted by Lorenzo, the head farmer, his father, his mother, grandmother, and four extremely happy dogs. We had just enough sunlight to set our stuff down, and run towards the field, where we planted some onion, learned about the water system, and got to see some of the Etrusian tombs that litter the farm. Pepe, Berta, and Olsola, the dogs, followed us everywhere.
The "farm" is more than just a farm; Lorenzo's family bought Caponetti's Farm with the purpose of making the main building a bed and breakfast. The house had been abandoned for years, and the yard was being used as a helicopter landing pad for the Italian government. The house, a crumbling, orange building, sits on the middle of a 125 acre property. The Caponetti family knew they had to use the farm for something other for a bed and breakfast, and asked their younger son, an agricultural student, to plant things. But, after being overwhelmed, Lorenzo took over.
Lorenzo, a self dubbed "smart ass," began farming. He had been studying various subjects, including ecology, for years, but had no experience farming. When he discovered the olive trees on the property, he saw it as one way to make the farm profitable. He also began extensively studying olive oil, and has perfected his olive oil, which is the best of the best (apparently used at all the best restaurants in New York City). He believes in sustainable, "clean" agriculture. He spoke with us for only 15 minutes, but it was the most informative talk of my life. I want his olive oil, but it usually sells out immediately, seeing as he doesn't have many trees. (Actually olive trees are shrubs that have been cut and pruned over the years into a tree shape, which is easier to harvest.) He travels to the US a few times a year to teach seminars at various schools, and he also participates in WOOFing, and does internships with culinary students. Basically, he has created an enterprise that gives back. Maybe when I grow up I want to be Lorenzo...
After learning a little bit about the farm, we headed inside to eat dinner. Dinner in Italy is an ordeal. It is typical to have three courses, and two are absolutely necessary. There is bread before, and coffee after. At this dinner, our first course was a pasta with a tomato sauce that also had olives and capers. The second course consisted of (the best, most delicious, most amazingly cooked) chicken, white beans, and baked potatoes that had been sliced in half to fit butter and a bay leaf (bay leaves grow like crazy here.) Dessert, or dolci, was a brioche like cake with custard in the middle (we had thirds). And of course, extremely strong Italian espresso with sugar, but no cream.
Stuffed to the brim, we learned more about olive oil, and retired to our rooms. It was cold, but not too cold to stargaze... We took chairs from outside, wrapped ourselves in blankets, and sat under the stars. They were the brightest I've ever seen them. I want to go back.
The next morning, we ate a breakfast of coffee and a variety of pastries. Then we headed out to the fields to plant more onion and garlic. My job was to make holes, and people followed me to put garlic or onion in the hole. Then, after a snack of fresh focaccia bread, we went to go do some trail maintenance, but got distracted by some horses we found in the field. Apparently, the farm also raises Arabian race horses... they have sold some to the King of Morocco! They are huge, and very skittish, but eventually warmed up to us after we fed them leaves. They also liked the smell of onion on our hands. One of the horses was pregnant, and there were two foals.
The farm is situated on top of a hill, facing an old city, with an extremely old church. It makes it so that every direction you look, there is an amazing view. Planting garlic, we would look up and see rolling hills and blue sky. Lunch was a picnic, an omelet, a tomato bread salad (so good), a tuna and bean dish with red onions, fresh bread, sliced salami, grapes, and apples. It was all so fresh... Ricotta with jam for dessert.
It was refreshing to be out of Rome. It felt free, windblown hair and thick socks, the Italian countryside at my feet, and dirt on my hands. There is something to be said for simplicity, and Caponetti's Farm is just that. Maybe I want to be a farmer when I grow up. Or maybe I just want to feel free.
Today, Rome felt claustrophobic. We visited some catacombs this morning, and walked on sore legs by the Trevi fountain later. We ate more good food, and checked our computers. But I want to go back.
This week, we have our Italian final and lots of reading due. Now, my Saturday afternoon will be spent reading our book in a park near the Colosseum. Love from Rome.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
We found a loft.
Well, Nicole found it. As you enter our apartment, there are three light switches. One is for the hallway, one is for the kitchen, and one says "loft." How we managed not to notice it the first three weeks, I'm not sure.
Yesterday, Nicole discovered the light switch, and looked up. A secret door! After attempting to climb tall things to open it, Mikaela and I dragged a ladder up two flights of stairs, we swung open the door, and...
we found a loft! It is a small room with white tile floors, and a light. There are three old mattresses and some boxes of old binders and old papers, as well as a larger moka, two fake gladiator swords, and Christmas decorations. Mikaela joked that we let some ghosts out, and that our apartment might be haunted, but today she claims it has a nice vibe. We want to lay the mattresses down and use it as a hangout, cocktail room.
In the non-loft portion of my life, we have been cooking up a storm in "jam sessions." Jam sessions are cooking lessons, but instead of focusing on recipes, they are focused on using seasonal, local food and employing improvisational cooking to make the best you can out of those foods. Yesterday, we spent five hours cooking sesame hummus, a chick pea dish, an apple and onion tarte, a torta rustica with broccoletti (chard like Italian green) and ricotta, stewed meat with tomato, grilled liver (couldn't eat it), a pumpkin mash with cheese, and a fava bean dish with onions. After gorging yesterday, we still had leftovers (and a new stew!), which we finished today. Despite being full all day, we find time for gelato. And time to talk about burgers and fries, milkshakes, and movie theatre popcorn drenched with butter. This weekend might have an American theme...
Tomorrow we leave for an overnight field trip to an olive farm. Hopefully we will get to cook delicious meals and roam the olive trees! Love from Rome.
Yesterday, Nicole discovered the light switch, and looked up. A secret door! After attempting to climb tall things to open it, Mikaela and I dragged a ladder up two flights of stairs, we swung open the door, and...
we found a loft! It is a small room with white tile floors, and a light. There are three old mattresses and some boxes of old binders and old papers, as well as a larger moka, two fake gladiator swords, and Christmas decorations. Mikaela joked that we let some ghosts out, and that our apartment might be haunted, but today she claims it has a nice vibe. We want to lay the mattresses down and use it as a hangout, cocktail room.
In the non-loft portion of my life, we have been cooking up a storm in "jam sessions." Jam sessions are cooking lessons, but instead of focusing on recipes, they are focused on using seasonal, local food and employing improvisational cooking to make the best you can out of those foods. Yesterday, we spent five hours cooking sesame hummus, a chick pea dish, an apple and onion tarte, a torta rustica with broccoletti (chard like Italian green) and ricotta, stewed meat with tomato, grilled liver (couldn't eat it), a pumpkin mash with cheese, and a fava bean dish with onions. After gorging yesterday, we still had leftovers (and a new stew!), which we finished today. Despite being full all day, we find time for gelato. And time to talk about burgers and fries, milkshakes, and movie theatre popcorn drenched with butter. This weekend might have an American theme...
Tomorrow we leave for an overnight field trip to an olive farm. Hopefully we will get to cook delicious meals and roam the olive trees! Love from Rome.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
I'm not sure...
how it got to be 6:00pm. All I know is it is 6:00, and I am sitting on my balcony watching the sun set across a wall. The light here is golden, antique, and warms slowly. It suits old buildings and tan skin. It catches you by surprise, and stuns. It is truly Roman. I don't ever want to leave.
Time flies. It generally flies away from me. We wake up early to run through markets, pick through vegetables until we find the right squash, hop on a bus, run to the grocery store for flour to make bread, learn the Italian words for vegetables, race to afternoon lecture, jog to Piazza Navona, bake the bread in a rush, and lay down only to sleep.
Despite the rush, I find balcony time.
"Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each."
-Thoreau
Every day, we are deeper into fall. This morning I woke up at 8, made coffee with our moka, and ran the Run for Food 5K. It was cold outside, and although there aren't many leaves to change colour, you somehow you know it is fall. In the morning, I stood in the Campo di Fiori waiting for friends, and a restaurant had put out a heat lamp for the farmers and food vendors at the market. They came by one by one to warm their hands, and I did the same. An Italian woman smiled at me and spoke to me, and I nodded and smiled back as if I understood although I did not know. Fall seems right for inclusion, for coming together, for giving thanks.
On a day to day basis, I find it hard to keep up the pace. I feel tired, and seek caffeine. I complain about going to lecture. I complain that my feet hurt when I walk. I talk without thinking, and regret it. But then I turn my head, and open my eyes, and I see the world in a new light. I am filled with awe. And I think, how did I get so lucky to watch this sunlight on this balcony?
"However mean your life is, meet it and live it: do not shun it and call it hard names. Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Things do not change, we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thought. God will see that you do want society."
-Thoreau
Earlier today, the apartment downstairs invited us over for spiced apple cider and pumpkin muffins with coconut cream cheese frosting. I feel as if I am eating fall, and I never want to stop. The people in my program never fail to impress and amaze me with their cooking skills and culinary fearlessness. My cooking confidence is growing daily, with the help of Mikaela and Nicole's (roommates) small encouragements. In the past week, we have made tacos with homemade tortillas and baked bread. From now on, I want to bake my own bread every day. Thank you to Sarah for the beautifully simple and delicious bread recipe.
Tomorrow is World Food Day! Celebrate, and eat lots of good, local food. We will be celebrating at the FAO. I will be partaking in many $0.35 latte macchiatos, and I will be tired. But of course, it will be worth it.
Love from Rome.
Time flies. It generally flies away from me. We wake up early to run through markets, pick through vegetables until we find the right squash, hop on a bus, run to the grocery store for flour to make bread, learn the Italian words for vegetables, race to afternoon lecture, jog to Piazza Navona, bake the bread in a rush, and lay down only to sleep.
Despite the rush, I find balcony time.
"Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each."
-Thoreau
Every day, we are deeper into fall. This morning I woke up at 8, made coffee with our moka, and ran the Run for Food 5K. It was cold outside, and although there aren't many leaves to change colour, you somehow you know it is fall. In the morning, I stood in the Campo di Fiori waiting for friends, and a restaurant had put out a heat lamp for the farmers and food vendors at the market. They came by one by one to warm their hands, and I did the same. An Italian woman smiled at me and spoke to me, and I nodded and smiled back as if I understood although I did not know. Fall seems right for inclusion, for coming together, for giving thanks.
On a day to day basis, I find it hard to keep up the pace. I feel tired, and seek caffeine. I complain about going to lecture. I complain that my feet hurt when I walk. I talk without thinking, and regret it. But then I turn my head, and open my eyes, and I see the world in a new light. I am filled with awe. And I think, how did I get so lucky to watch this sunlight on this balcony?
"However mean your life is, meet it and live it: do not shun it and call it hard names. Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Things do not change, we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thought. God will see that you do want society."
-Thoreau
Earlier today, the apartment downstairs invited us over for spiced apple cider and pumpkin muffins with coconut cream cheese frosting. I feel as if I am eating fall, and I never want to stop. The people in my program never fail to impress and amaze me with their cooking skills and culinary fearlessness. My cooking confidence is growing daily, with the help of Mikaela and Nicole's (roommates) small encouragements. In the past week, we have made tacos with homemade tortillas and baked bread. From now on, I want to bake my own bread every day. Thank you to Sarah for the beautifully simple and delicious bread recipe.
Tomorrow is World Food Day! Celebrate, and eat lots of good, local food. We will be celebrating at the FAO. I will be partaking in many $0.35 latte macchiatos, and I will be tired. But of course, it will be worth it.
Love from Rome.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Rome in October.
Rome is full of people. Literally, the streets are bursting with people. On my run around town yesterday, and on our walk to a food rally today, I found myself dodging people of all shapes and sizes, speaking all sorts of languages. I dodged left and right, speed walked again, and got caught behind. I got kicked off sidewalks and stuck inside a large mass of tourists as Italians dressed in fake gladiator costumes asked me if I'd like a picture with them in front of the Colosseum. Rome is the 11th most visited city in the world, and the 3rd most visited in Europe. This makes for a lot of tourists, particularly in the month of October.
And while all the tourists look and sound different, it seems they all have something in common. Rome is a city of and for lovers... Couples walk hand in hand, guidebooks tucked under one arm, eyes either on each other or on the buildings above. They point at the Pantheon, and laugh. They walk slowly to their next destination, and kiss in the streets. We have seen so many people necking in the streets that I think the French kiss should be renamed the Italian kiss...
Why are there so many people? Because Rome in October is beautiful. The sun shines at 8 in the morning, and the morning light highlights the imperfections that make Rome elegant. The weather is crisp, sweater weather, and the women look so stylish in their leather jackets and heels while driving mopeds. It is the kind of weather in which one can enjoy both a cappucino and a gelato in one day... which one does often...
The days since I've last blogged have been busy. On Saturday, a group of us went to Ostia, a town near Rome on the Tyrrhenian Sea. After taking a bus and two trains, we arrived at what we thought was our stop, Ostia Antica.
It turns out Ostia Antica is not the beach, but an archaeological dig of what used to be a harbor for ancient Rome. We roamed the dig, stopping to read signs. Adrienne, a fellow program member, told us that when Mussolini was in power, he had demanded many excavations like those at Ostia Antica. He used ancient Rome's power to convince Italy to unite behind him. If Italy could re-unite, it could all be possible again, just look at Ostia Antica! See the ornate mosiac in the floor of the old bathhouse, the aqueducts that still run and sustain fountains large and small... Also, at one time, there were plans for Ostia Antica to be an archaeological theme park, complete with roller coaster rides and cotton candy...
After roaming, we got back on the train, and went to Ostia Centro, where we spent an hour on the beach and ate pizza. Tina got pizza lardo, or pizza with lard. Lard is sold in meat shops around Italy. It used to be eaten plain by workers in the winter in order to satiate hunger. Our teacher Ann bought us some the first day. I tried it... but I spit it out. The American anti-fat ideal is still somewhat ingrained in my head.
Sunday, I went on a city run, running through Trastevere (the neighbourhood across the Tiber), through our Campo, to the monument to Vittoro Emanuele. We had a pot luck that night. Ann Anagnost, our professor, made us sausage and white bean stew, and a big pot of polenta. We also had roast vegetables (with apples, too!), freshly baked bread, chocolate chip cookies, and biscotti. As Sarah said, it was fall on a plate. Monday, we discussed alternate economies in our anthropology class, and learned how to ask for directions in our Italian class. (If you are interested in alternate economies, research centro sociales. They are fascinating. More later.)
Today we attended a rally with Via Campesina (http://viacampesina.org/en/), an organization of organic farmers worldwide that is protesting against land grabbing in Italy. We held signs on the side of a busy road, while people from the UN watched us and took pictures. After an hour of sign holding (and singing old pop songs under our breath), they fed us the best apple I've ever eaten, the best cheese I've eaten, and Nutella... So delicious. After class, I went to the Pantheon with a few people to hear Mozart's requiem... for free, in the Pantheon. Both the music and the building were stunning.
I'm sad to say I'm already sick of Italian food. There is only so much pasta one can eat. But, I have managed to eat both Indian food and Chinese food since I have been here. We have plans for taco night this week as well! But I am not yet sick of gelato... Tomorrow we visiting a new market in class, and cooking a market meal together at night. On Thursday, we get to hear the annual McGovern Lecture at the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (http://www.fao.org/) How lucky am I?
And while all the tourists look and sound different, it seems they all have something in common. Rome is a city of and for lovers... Couples walk hand in hand, guidebooks tucked under one arm, eyes either on each other or on the buildings above. They point at the Pantheon, and laugh. They walk slowly to their next destination, and kiss in the streets. We have seen so many people necking in the streets that I think the French kiss should be renamed the Italian kiss...
Why are there so many people? Because Rome in October is beautiful. The sun shines at 8 in the morning, and the morning light highlights the imperfections that make Rome elegant. The weather is crisp, sweater weather, and the women look so stylish in their leather jackets and heels while driving mopeds. It is the kind of weather in which one can enjoy both a cappucino and a gelato in one day... which one does often...
The days since I've last blogged have been busy. On Saturday, a group of us went to Ostia, a town near Rome on the Tyrrhenian Sea. After taking a bus and two trains, we arrived at what we thought was our stop, Ostia Antica.
It turns out Ostia Antica is not the beach, but an archaeological dig of what used to be a harbor for ancient Rome. We roamed the dig, stopping to read signs. Adrienne, a fellow program member, told us that when Mussolini was in power, he had demanded many excavations like those at Ostia Antica. He used ancient Rome's power to convince Italy to unite behind him. If Italy could re-unite, it could all be possible again, just look at Ostia Antica! See the ornate mosiac in the floor of the old bathhouse, the aqueducts that still run and sustain fountains large and small... Also, at one time, there were plans for Ostia Antica to be an archaeological theme park, complete with roller coaster rides and cotton candy...
After roaming, we got back on the train, and went to Ostia Centro, where we spent an hour on the beach and ate pizza. Tina got pizza lardo, or pizza with lard. Lard is sold in meat shops around Italy. It used to be eaten plain by workers in the winter in order to satiate hunger. Our teacher Ann bought us some the first day. I tried it... but I spit it out. The American anti-fat ideal is still somewhat ingrained in my head.
Sunday, I went on a city run, running through Trastevere (the neighbourhood across the Tiber), through our Campo, to the monument to Vittoro Emanuele. We had a pot luck that night. Ann Anagnost, our professor, made us sausage and white bean stew, and a big pot of polenta. We also had roast vegetables (with apples, too!), freshly baked bread, chocolate chip cookies, and biscotti. As Sarah said, it was fall on a plate. Monday, we discussed alternate economies in our anthropology class, and learned how to ask for directions in our Italian class. (If you are interested in alternate economies, research centro sociales. They are fascinating. More later.)
Today we attended a rally with Via Campesina (http://viacampesina.org/en/), an organization of organic farmers worldwide that is protesting against land grabbing in Italy. We held signs on the side of a busy road, while people from the UN watched us and took pictures. After an hour of sign holding (and singing old pop songs under our breath), they fed us the best apple I've ever eaten, the best cheese I've eaten, and Nutella... So delicious. After class, I went to the Pantheon with a few people to hear Mozart's requiem... for free, in the Pantheon. Both the music and the building were stunning.
I'm sad to say I'm already sick of Italian food. There is only so much pasta one can eat. But, I have managed to eat both Indian food and Chinese food since I have been here. We have plans for taco night this week as well! But I am not yet sick of gelato... Tomorrow we visiting a new market in class, and cooking a market meal together at night. On Thursday, we get to hear the annual McGovern Lecture at the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (http://www.fao.org/) How lucky am I?
Friday, October 7, 2011
Catching up... Rome, Week 1
I never dreamed of Italy. It was always Spain, or any Spanish speaking country, lands filled with people with tan skin and sunshine, with tapas or tacos. This could have been because of my experience in Spain and Mexico, or because of my celebrity crush on Gael Garcia Bernal. Italy only recently came on my radar, when I learned about, applied to, and was accepted to the University of Washington program entitled Anthropology Italy: Food Politics and Culture. Needless to say, I couldn't resist the calling of Rome, and off I went...
I arrived in Italy September 29, with a rolling duffel bag full of clothes and with absolutely no perception of what Italy would be like. Through Facebook, I had agreed to meet with a fellow program member, Matt. After traveling 24 hours, and sleeping minimally, I was grateful for his help as we moved from train, to tram, to walking on foot, to finally a taxi (my duffel bag broke) to the UW Rome Center in the Campo di Fiori. Despite being lost, and walking circles around an intense monument to Vittorio Emanuele II built by Mussolini (it is EPIC, but Romans hate it), Matt and I kept our spirits high. We did not nap, and, with the help of our teacher and guide Ann Anagnost, we found a hostel to stay in for the night.
Rome is a quilting of streets, cobblestone alleys that were sewn together year by year as the city grew and aged. Rome's history spans at least 2,500 years, although people have been living in and around Lazio, Italy for at least 14,000 years (thanks Wikipedia.) Every corner holds a tiny piece of it, whether it be the archaeological dig turned into a cat sanctuary around the corner, the Trevi Fountain gushing with water from aqueducts, or simply an amazingly beautiful old building with windows taller than me. There is never not something to look at. I am learning to train my eyes to be able to watch both the cobblestones and the buildings above.
Two days after I arrived, I moved into my apartment with my two roommates, Mikaela and Nicole (check out Mikaela's blog: http://mikaelaisinitaly.blogspot.com/). We live on the 3rd floor of a beautiful white building where the Rome Center lives, on Piazza Biscione. Our apartment, which is typically a faculty apartment, is amazing. In one room, we have a small kitchen, complete with a dishwasher, and in the other, there are three beds and three closets. We also have a desk, a small TV, a kitchen table, a washing machine, and... a balcony! Our balcony faces the inside of the building, and there are a series of plants and herbs outside which we need to water. So far, I've taken advantage of the balcony, and let Mikaela and Nicole take advantage of our kitchen. They are amazing chefs (pasta with garlic and veggies, zucchini in tomato sauce...)
Since we have moved in, we have been constantly busy. The first few days were free to explore Rome, and as a 17 person program, we generally traveled together from open air market to open air market. In the two free days, we glanced at the Collosseum, the Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon. Then, we began class. Our general schedule is a lecture in the morning, Italian class in the late morning, a two hour lunch break, and then another lecture. It is a lot of work, and by the time we end, I am usually exhausted. My bedtime is around 9pm... But I am learning lots! Check out Zolle, a CSA kind of business in Rome, complete with bicycles, and run by an amazingly hard working and intelligent woman Sabina. Our first fieldtrip was to their company, and I want someone to start one in Seattle! Also, I can now order my cappuccinos in Italian... (Posso avere un cappuccino, per favore? Vorrei un cornetti!), as well as ask for directions (Scuzzi... Dove Campo di Fiori?), and have a basic conversation (Mi chiamo Marion, e tu? Di dove sei?) Unfortunately, I can't understand the responses yet...
Today was our first free weekend. Nicole, Mikaela, and I took our Rick Steves' guidebook and walked around the Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere, then moved onto shopping, a trip into Italian McDonald's (don't tell our teacher...), the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and the Pantheon. Our feet hurt, but we successfully learned a lot about Rome. I am absolutely fascinated by all of the stories and history. After researching, I will post more about certain places and certain histories...
Tomorrow will be my first day trip out of Rome, to Ostia, a beach town about 45 minutes away. I am excited, and can't wait to learn more about its story. So for now, I will rest and reinvigorate my feet for another day of walking! Arrivederci!
I arrived in Italy September 29, with a rolling duffel bag full of clothes and with absolutely no perception of what Italy would be like. Through Facebook, I had agreed to meet with a fellow program member, Matt. After traveling 24 hours, and sleeping minimally, I was grateful for his help as we moved from train, to tram, to walking on foot, to finally a taxi (my duffel bag broke) to the UW Rome Center in the Campo di Fiori. Despite being lost, and walking circles around an intense monument to Vittorio Emanuele II built by Mussolini (it is EPIC, but Romans hate it), Matt and I kept our spirits high. We did not nap, and, with the help of our teacher and guide Ann Anagnost, we found a hostel to stay in for the night.
Rome is a quilting of streets, cobblestone alleys that were sewn together year by year as the city grew and aged. Rome's history spans at least 2,500 years, although people have been living in and around Lazio, Italy for at least 14,000 years (thanks Wikipedia.) Every corner holds a tiny piece of it, whether it be the archaeological dig turned into a cat sanctuary around the corner, the Trevi Fountain gushing with water from aqueducts, or simply an amazingly beautiful old building with windows taller than me. There is never not something to look at. I am learning to train my eyes to be able to watch both the cobblestones and the buildings above.
Two days after I arrived, I moved into my apartment with my two roommates, Mikaela and Nicole (check out Mikaela's blog: http://mikaelaisinitaly.blogspot.com/). We live on the 3rd floor of a beautiful white building where the Rome Center lives, on Piazza Biscione. Our apartment, which is typically a faculty apartment, is amazing. In one room, we have a small kitchen, complete with a dishwasher, and in the other, there are three beds and three closets. We also have a desk, a small TV, a kitchen table, a washing machine, and... a balcony! Our balcony faces the inside of the building, and there are a series of plants and herbs outside which we need to water. So far, I've taken advantage of the balcony, and let Mikaela and Nicole take advantage of our kitchen. They are amazing chefs (pasta with garlic and veggies, zucchini in tomato sauce...)
Since we have moved in, we have been constantly busy. The first few days were free to explore Rome, and as a 17 person program, we generally traveled together from open air market to open air market. In the two free days, we glanced at the Collosseum, the Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon. Then, we began class. Our general schedule is a lecture in the morning, Italian class in the late morning, a two hour lunch break, and then another lecture. It is a lot of work, and by the time we end, I am usually exhausted. My bedtime is around 9pm... But I am learning lots! Check out Zolle, a CSA kind of business in Rome, complete with bicycles, and run by an amazingly hard working and intelligent woman Sabina. Our first fieldtrip was to their company, and I want someone to start one in Seattle! Also, I can now order my cappuccinos in Italian... (Posso avere un cappuccino, per favore? Vorrei un cornetti!), as well as ask for directions (Scuzzi... Dove Campo di Fiori?), and have a basic conversation (Mi chiamo Marion, e tu? Di dove sei?) Unfortunately, I can't understand the responses yet...
Today was our first free weekend. Nicole, Mikaela, and I took our Rick Steves' guidebook and walked around the Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere, then moved onto shopping, a trip into Italian McDonald's (don't tell our teacher...), the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and the Pantheon. Our feet hurt, but we successfully learned a lot about Rome. I am absolutely fascinated by all of the stories and history. After researching, I will post more about certain places and certain histories...
Tomorrow will be my first day trip out of Rome, to Ostia, a beach town about 45 minutes away. I am excited, and can't wait to learn more about its story. So for now, I will rest and reinvigorate my feet for another day of walking! Arrivederci!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)