Viva Rome!

Well today I did something kind of different. I got lost in Rome. It was kind of on purpose though. I wanted to see where my feet would take me. I just picked a direction and continued walking. What I was trying to do was see the different parts of Rome on foot. You see Rome is one of those cities where each quarter or section has a different feel or personality. Some sections are really busy and noisy with a lot of activity. These sections or quarters are easy to get to with great Metro access and lots of bus service. If you want to live in a quieter area then I would recommend the outskirts of Rome where the construction is newer and the streets are far quitier. But just because the streets are less busy does not mean there is less crime. Actually I have heard that in Rome the suburbs can have more crime then in the city center. This is probably because it is so much more expensive to live in the city center so I guess the people have more wealth.

For instance one of the most wealthiest areas is by the Piazza di Spangna or in English by the Spanish Steps. This is a very rich and wealthy area of Rome with some of the finest shops in the whole of Rome. Those that can actually live there have plenty of money so the crime rate is pretty low. That and the police presence is quite high as well.

Getting lost was certainly an adventure that I can not really explain too much. You have to live and feel the city of Rome in order to fully understand what it is like to be here. It is something I highly recommend. I am so happy that I am taking my Italian language course from Torredibabele as the level of instruction is quite high.

I am on my second week and my Italian has gotten so much better then when I started. I still have a long way to go but with time and lots of practice I will get there. This school has a philosphy that I completely agree with in that they try to make you as uncomfortable as possbile so that you are forced to use as many resources to learn the language. They purposely place their students in situations where they are forced to use Italian on a daily basis. For instance I am forced to use Italian because the place I am staying in Piazza Bologna no English is spoken.

Also I have found that there is a huge contrast in prices with the Italian sections and the tourist sections of Rome as far as prices are concerned. If you really want to pay through the nose then by all means go to the tourist spots. But if you get off the beaten track you can save a lot of money. I am well under budget for this trip and I have had a few unexpected purchases. Well that is it for now. I will try to update you all again tomorrow. Ciao.

Well I guess I am getting settled here. I went out to eat in my first real day in Rome. Nothing really fancy but something I have been longing to do for a while. I ate my first Roman pizza in a small pizza shop in Piazza Bologna. I had your typical Neapolitan pizza or the Margherita Pizza which is real simple pizza of tomato, basil and cheese. While many people may scoff at such an idea this is a typical Italian experience and you should really try this. The restaurant I ate at was called Pollo Dorro which I am not sure of the meaning.

Now the price of this mean was under 4 Euros so I guess I really made out. You see a pizza like this from a chef I know would cost close to double that amount of money. The prices of the meals in Rome do not have to be extraordinary.

One thing I am really regretting doing is not taking my camera along as I am sure many of you would probably like to see what I am talking about. I am going to have to make sure I bring my camera in the future.

Oh and one thing I am I am kind of proud of is getting a better feel for the traffic here. While I did almost get run over by a car I am actually kind of proud of that fact. I wear it like a badge of honor as I feel more like a local.

It is good to be back in the city again. Of course there was a bit of apprehension when I first arrived as I am not fluent in the language the locals are very accommodating and you should try to speak their language.

All in all I would say that today was a successful day. It does take time to get accustomed to a different culture. But in time you do start to get a feel for a place. After some time I am sure I will get more of a feel for this city as well. Only time will tell and I have plenty of it right now.