First weekend!

Okay, so Nana- there are like 4 or 5 single steps up to my apartment. We are on the first floor but when you look out the window its a lot higher up than our first floors in the US.

On Saturday my roommates and I decided to go shopping and try out the public transportation. We left from the metro (subway) near our apartment and went near the Vatican on a shopping street. There wasn't anything amazing to look at but there were a few outdoor stands. One of the girls found a dress she wanted to try on so she asked the guy and he said yes. She started to follow him down the block (to what we assumed was the inside of a store) but led her to a van with no windows to try it on. We were all watching her and she whipped around and started walking back toward us as fast as she could! We couldn't believe they actually thought we would go in a van to try on clothes. At least we learned not to ask for that again!

After the first shopping street we decided to go to another south of the city. We walked and walked but never found the stores. We were to the point where the maps were no longer useful because we were so far south so we turned around and started to walk back and came across a restaurant. It looked really authentic because only Italian middle aged people were in there so we thought it would be a good choice for real Italian food. I ordered melanzana con parmigiano (eggplant with parmesan). It was so so so good. Then we got tiramisu and creme caramel for dessert to share. To finish it off we got espresso. After lunch we got on the metro again and headed back towards our area. We got off at Spagna near the Villa Borghese. The Villa Borghese is a HUGE park (about 150 acres) just to the side of the Vatican. We walked a ways in and sat down on a bench for an hour and just watched people walk. As we were walking there were tons of couples laying in the grass cuddling, some kissing, and some that were ALL over eachother. It's just a different lifestyle over here. People are much more open. When we got home around 7pm I fell asleep and stayed asleep to almost 4am. Then I woke up and couldn't fall back to sleep so I just got up and got ready.

We left our apartment today (Sunday) at 9am and took the bus to the porta portese. It is a big flea market held every Sunday. I did not buy anything because it was mostly junk but Tarin found a cool ring. We met up at 10am and hopped on the tram to go back near the Pantheon. Every year on the pentecostal mass (last day of Easter season) they have mass at the Pantheon and drop thousands of red rose petals from the oculus of the ceiling. About 6 firemen somehow climbed the 1,900 year old building to perform the task. Apparently this was the 1,401 year in a row they have done this tradition!! We were so lucky to be able to see it. We had to stand the whole entire hour and a half mass but it was cool to be at mass in all Italian. I had a general idea of what part of mass they were in but it was just incredible to hear the old chanting and choir. It was just like at home, too, where common parish people do the readings and are a part of the choir. The pictures on facebook do not do it justice.

After the mass we headed to trattoria da luigi for lunch. The restaurant was recommend to us by Professor Stoughton so we trusted it would be good...and it was. I got lasagna and it was so different than what I am used to. It had larger pieces of pasta and it wasn't stacked up all neatly and the cheese was runnier and it had a white sauce mixed in. It was so delicious! Tarin and I shared that and a pizza con funghi (mushroom pizza). Very good lunch. Now it is 3:30pm and time for a nap. I want to try and get my body on schedule. I don't think it's a good idea for me to be going to bed at 7pm and waking up at 4am every day. Buona sera!