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.
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