….And I thought I walked a lot in Philadelphia. I haven’t even been here a week and already I can feel my calf muscles bulking up!
Ciao from Rome!
(This blog is being written on the floor of my apartment as close to the door as humanly possible because that is the only place where you can get decent wifi –other than the school)
The first few days in Rome were spent settling in, getting over jetlag, and making sure we could at least find our way to the school. But soon enough all we wanted to do was wonder around our new home and see exactly we would be living for the next three and a half months.
Once we felt somewhat settled in, my roommate and I set out in hopes of exploring the city. *Note we decided to do this by only looking at the map once before we left* We walked down Via del Corso, I guess you could say this is like Rome’s Broad Street, in hopes of hitting a few of Rome’s most popular places.
I had read a previous student’s blog saying that the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument was a must see, and after our trip there I couldn’t agree more! Nicknamed “the wedding cake” this building sticks out like a sore thumb against the Roman landscape. A lot of locals actually don’t like this building… they say it’s too “flashy.”
Once we walked around the side of the monument we had the option to pay 7 Euros to take an elevator ride to the top. My advice to anyone who comes to Rome is DO IT, It is the best 7 Euros you will ever spend! The view overlooking the city of Rome is breathtaking and something you will definitely never forget.
Of course one of the other things we did while walking around Rome was get gelato! Not only is the chocolate flavor to die for, it’s one of the only snacks you will catch Italians actually eat while walking.
One of the many perks of studying abroad for an entire semester is being able to go back to the places you love as many times as you want to.
After walking 4 miles just to get the Alter of the Fatherland (yet another name for the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument) we decided it was probably a good time to start heading back to TU Rome for one of our orientation events.
At this presentation Gianni and Dr. Ponce De Leon talked about the daily life in Rome and what to expect during our stay.
I was shocked to hear that Italians actually like Americans, like a lot! And they are just as fascinated by the large cities of the US as we are with large European ones. I guess it shouldn’t surprise me too much though, because even though it’s only been about a week since I’ve been in the city, I haven’t run into a local not willing to help, and this is coming from a girl who know very little no Italian.
Although it’s sad that this mini vacation before classes is coming to an end, I’m excited to meet all of my professors and settle into my routine as a foreign exchange student in Italy.