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?
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