Continuing with my saga from a week ago, after dinner at home Julie, Sophie, Kat and I (and a reluctant Pepperoni) visited Nico at work for some dessert and wine to kick off the night. It's really fun to chat with her and her boss in Italian with the occasional slip ups in English. After lingering for a few hours we met up with all of IES at DJ Bar. We never last long there, way too crowded and way to American for our tastes. Aven led us to BAR instead (sorry the names aren't very creative here) where the barista was very friendly and made us Lily drinks using gin and a liqueur made from lily of the valley! It was purple and sweet! I liked it lots and as our numbers dropped us girls were jamming by ourselves to the music at BAR. Jackie had joined us by this point and we all trooped over to the chocolate bar for one last delicious chocolate shot together. Jackie very kindly paid for mine as a birthday present (what a sweetie). We weren't looking to parade all around town so we headed home after our little night of bar hopping. It's still strange for me to come home late at night and find my US friends just finishing up an early dinner, but it makes it a convenient time to skype them!
On Friday I slept and lounged all morning (ok cleaned) in preparation for Meredith's arrival that afternoon!! First things first though, I promised to climb the dome of St. Peter's with Pepperoni, he hadn't been to the top yet. While it has been getting chiller here in Rome Friday was sunny and bright and really warm, I'm glad I wore a t-shirt (that I stole from Ginny, thank you). We climbed to the top and sat enjoying the sunshine and fantastic view. We chatted for a long time and I really enjoyed relaxing at the top instead of trying to soak it all up in a mere ten minutes or so. We watched the tourists walk around and I even spotted a Steelers sweatshirt! It was a good start to my day and we topped it all off with burgers by the arches. When I'm craving a burger even Filippo's best pizza won't satisfy me. I came home and did a tiny bit of work and then whipped up a batch of pesto pasta with veggies for me and Pepps, and then to save for Mere cause I knew she would be starving when she got here. Then off to Termini to pick up my BFF!!!! Sadly she arrived at the other airport and instead of a direct train to Termini she had to figure out a bus company and wait around in line in the cold after a tough flight, poor lamby. When I finally found her and gave her a giant squeeze we hopped onto the 40express and I pointed out the more prominant sights: Vittoriano (the Wedding Cake), Scholar's bar, and Chiesa Nuova. I arrived to all my roommates and Pepperoni snuggled up on the couch in the dark watching Animal House. Cuties. So Mere was introduced, fed, and relaxing in front of a movie within the hour. We all hung out for the evening and called it a night because we were exhausted for different reasons.
 |
| Pepperoni at the top |
 |
| This really never gets old |
 |
| Hanging out in a niche |
Meredith's first morning (Saturday) I had to start her off right with a cafe and cornetto at the bar (I forgot all the weird parts of Italian culture that I am now used to, like drinking a cafe at the bar). Then we hit the Prati market for my veggies and a fun cultural experience for Mere. We walked home laden with bags of tomatoes, zucchini, and some yummy sausage and cheese. Meredith got to experience a truly hot Fall day in Rome, we were both sweating by the time we got home! Much different from Scotland she assured me. Fun part about walking home, Oh Ciao Vaticano! A beautiful view down the street of St. Peter's (yes they are one in the same Mere). After unpacking at home I took Meredith to Filippo's for true Italian pizza, I ran into my PT friend working the register again, and then we enjoyed our lunches by Chiesa Nuova. After a walking tour of the Fori Imperiali, Roman Forum, and Colosseum (plus a stroll up an ivy lined street) Meredith and I met with Pepperoni for gelato by the Pantheon. Pepperoni was the only Prati roommate home this weekend so our apartment adopted him. So within 24 hours Meredith was well set with pizza and gelato! I even dragged them both (a repeat for Pepps) into San Luigi dei Francesi to check out Caravaggio's St. Matthew sequence. Upon our arrival back at the apartment Gatto surprised us with the lovely news that she wanted to cook that night! I love when she gets the urge to cook! She prepared a delicious carbonara recipe for all of us! After dinner we weren't full so someone ran out for fresh bread and we made a bagna, welcome to the family Mere, bagnas all day everyday. That night I wanted to show Meredith the Italian clubs but it was an adventure just getting to San Lorenzo! We met up with nearly all of my Italian friends which was perfect!! She got to meet Mattia, Claudio, Nico, Isotta, and Riccardo (ROTTO PASTA!). We stood around in the chilly night air for a while but then hopped on home to snuggle up in our warm beds. Not the night I had hoped for but it was still fun in it's own way.
By Sunday I was starting to crash from constant none stop birthday celebrations (well done friends). We slept late but shook ourselves alert so that I could continue playing tour guide. We stopped in a different cafe and then walked to the Spanish Steps in the cool breezes. They were surprisingly not as crowded with tourists as usual and Mere and I hiked up for the view down Via del Corso. This was the most fun day for us because after the Spanish Steps we headed to the Borghese Gardens and stayed there for a few hours. First Meredith just loved the gardens with their twisting gravel paths, busts of famous Italians, and gorgeous trees! Then I showed her the rollerbladers whom we LOVE! There was an older man (88) who was competitively trick skating with all the 20/30 somethings plus a ten year old boy. They would zigzag and twirl and dance or race eachother... or in the older man's case do a split 360 under two low set bars. Oh yeah. It was mind boggling! We watched them for a long time, leaving only to lay in the grass/leaves staring up at our favorite kind of tree. I love this girl and I am SO HAPPY she was here to celebrate my big birthday with me. It's crazy we got to see each other twice in a semester, that never happens. Finally as the sun was setting we wondered home, stopping for gelato.
This was a very eventful evening: earring shopping, skyping with my Mother (sorry to miss you Dad), all of my friends returning home in time for dinner at Baffeto [[this is my perfect moment. dinner with all my friends here and Meredith, laughing and smiling, goofing off and eating Roman pizza]], they told the restaurant it was my bday so the lights went out before dessert and the entire restaurant sang happy birthday to me (bright red in the face), a man wishing me happy birthday on his way out the door, ricotta chocolate cake, stopping in the Steeler's bar for my favorite drink and watching the Steeler's whop the Bengals, card games at home with an awesome playlist, Scholar's for kareoke and another round of "Happy Birthday", seeing more IES friends at Scholar's, and of course to top the night off in a true "L" family move coming home from Scholar's to an apartment decorated with birthday signs all over and pastries and friends shouting all around. Did I mention my friends here are incredible and gave me a birthday to never forget?
 |
| Baffetto with all my friends for my birthday |
 |
| I love these girls |
 |
| And boys |
 |
| Amici, vino, e la mia amica maggore |
 |
| Another rendition of Happy Birthday |
 |
| Aven didn't deserve his dessert obviously |
oh and another hamburger as my first birthday meal :)
Monday I was not jumping out of bed with my roommates because I treated myself to a day of no classes! Meredith and I went to the Ghetto for lunch where she got her first taste of pesto gnocchi. I got pasta with artichoke sauce not knowing what it would be, turns out it's pure deliciousness. We came back to the apartment because I needed to register for classes. I am all signed up and will have a least a couple classes with my IC PT friends. Once that was finished I took Meredith to St. Peter's. We waited in the security line for a while but it was worth it. Seeing Mere's reactions to these churches and monument makes me think about the first time I went in St. Peter's a mere two months ago. She helped me to enjoy everything here in Rome because I got to see someone's first reaction.
Obviously the size and splendor of the Vatican were impressive and beautiful. Obviously on the way out we had to stop for more gelato! Then we hurried home and packed up quickly so I could drop her off at the bus station for her flight home. When we were on the bus to the station I got a call from Kat saying Meredith left her phone (and her boarding pass) on the table in the living room. Sadly there was nothing we could do because she had to catch her flight, so I shipped Meredith her phone the next day. After I said goodbye (until ..?) to my best friend I came home to another pleasant surprise, Nico had bought me a birthday gift! With a cute heart shaped balloon! When I opened it it was a pair of gloves and my brand new favorite scarf!! I can match her and Isotta now! We were all planning to go out to a nice dressed up dinner together (a birthday present from my parents) but while getting dressed Nico surprised me AGAIN with the most amazing cake! She bought a 2 and 1 candle for the top and we all sat and had a piece of cake as an appetizer. It was a raspberry mimosa cake mmmm. Then we all went to Ostia dell'Anima together for a classy night out together as an apartment. Another night of Italian dinners and the revelation that Nico is a decedent of BERNINI!!! My ISC is far too cool for us. It was a fantastic birthday.
 |
| All of us girls after a nice dinner out to celebrate my birthday |
 |
| The roomies |
 |
| Nico substituted for Julie |
 |
| Nico and Julie :) |
Tuesday morning oddly enough my first class had a field study to the Vatican! haha but of course Federica knows far more than I do about Bernini so I learned a lot from her and she gave new light to his arms and baldacchino and St. Peter's Chair. I had a presentation on St. Peter's Chair which I did an ok job on but I was only slightly flustered when presenting directly in the middle of the Vatican. It reminded me of studying St. Peter's with Sturd in high school and looking at slides whereas now we are physically standing in the piazza or directly in front of the baldacchino, there is no comparison. It is so cool to have Rome as my classroom (nerdy comment, deal with it). After class I finally stood in the spot where when you look at the colonnade all the columns line up which was a goal of mine while I am here. I ran over to IES after Baroque because I needed to print handouts for my second presentation of the day, for Gianni and Forma Urbis. I gave a quick overview of Roman Houses and Villas to my classmates because we were going to visit Ostia Antica on Friday for a day long field study. Later in the day during Italian class we didn't have a lesson but rather a cooking class together! We made gnocchi by hand with butter/sage sauce, polpette (meatballs) with apples and oranges, and then my group was in charge of tiramisu! We didn't have time to eat all of our delicious food so for dinner Pepperoni and I made our usual trip to Le Fate to see Kat at work and enjoy their student menu! After dinner we came back here to pick up some people and we all headed to Scholar's for Tuesday Karaoke It wasn't as good as usual but it's nice to belt out a middle school favorite once in a while.
Wednesday morning I had an early field study with Pier Paolo at St. Maria del Popolo. I almost didn't go because it was early and I've been there several times before etc, but since I missed class Monday I didn't want to ditch PP again. Thankfully I went because only four of us were on time!! Our group grew quickly but still he was a little disheartened to think only four students showed up. I'm also glad I went because we looked at the architecture more than the Caravaggio's and he made some cool comparisons to St. Maria Novella in Firenze. On the walk back Pier Paolo came up to me and said "I am very tired, parli italiano con me?" His English just wasn't working that morning, so we chatted in Italian all the way back which was fun because I'm realizing that I can sorta carry on a conversation!! I hope I never lose this level of skill :( I came straight home after class to finish up a paper that has been haunting me. FINALLY FINISHED! I really didn't want to write that thing. We didn't have Italian class today for several complicated reasons but I did go back to IES at 6 for a wine tasting! A bunch of my friends all signed up together and we tasted three wines and learned some of the finer points to enjoying red wine. I feel like I learned a lot but I am no expert still. I wish I had had this class before the Grande Pepperonis were here! Oh well. Then after the tasting we all headed to Prati for Mattly's haircut from Hope and I helped Pepperoni with his tattoo design idea and watched Boondock Saints. It suits him so I hope he gets it when he gets back home to the States. I'll be able to check because I am visiting him and Hope in January since COW starts classes before IC! So excited to celebrate some 21st with them!
Thursday was a struggle because I had four hours of lecture in a row, first Conservation then Forma Urbis (because our field study to the Baths of Caracalla was cancelled due to a general strike). I was woken up by students marching and chanting down our street preparing for the protests/strike. I am sad to miss the Baths so I really hope Gianni can squeeze the trip in for us somehow. Italian later was awesome because we ate the tiramisu we made on Tuesday and it right up there with my favorite tiramisu in Italy! Definitely top five, probably top three. I shouldn't have eaten so much though because we had everyone over for a potluck that night! It was last minute and really small. I whipped up some alfredo (or I tried to) and Jules made amatriciana pasta, Kat made some veggies, Sophia tried another warm wine recipe which was a success. We had pancakes and oh course the Buff.Chick.Dip was gone in ten minutes. It was a fun night of word games and never have I evers. Everyone went home at the end of the night but we went home full, happy, and tired. :)
 |
| We always forget to take the pictures before digging in! |
Friday I had a field study...... I'll talk about it later! haha
Baci baci
No comments:
Post a Comment