First Week of School

The first week of classes: DONE! In a nutshell here are the classes that I will be taking this semester:

• The Jews of Rome: Sites and Times of the Oldest Diaspora in the World
• Mystics, Philosophers, Saints and Sinners: Studies of the Catholic Tradition
• Rome as a Living Museum
• An examination of the management of Roman cultural heritage from a multidisciplinary perspective. The course draws on art history, papal history, economic interests, and cultural aims in its approach to the transformation of the image and the perception of Rome. Includes site visits within Rome
• The Renaissance and its Classical Heritage

Through these art and humanity classes I will be taking field trips to:

• - Ostia Antica
• - Florence
• - Roman Forum
• - Beth Michael Synagogue
• - The Ghetto
• - Il Pitigliani Jewish Community Center
• - Colosseum
• - Capitoline Museum
• - Vatican Museums
• - Galleria Borghese
• - Piazza Augusto Imperatore
• - Museo Nazionale Romano
• - Assisi
• - Sant'Anselmo Benedictine College
• - Papal Audience
• -Cistercian Monastery
• And much much more...

I am also taking Italian and am having a very hard time with pronunciation (this may not come as a surprise to some).  With a little practice, I will be fluent in no time #wishfulthinking

My school textbook store was located right by the Spanish Steps - and one of the best shopping streets in Rome, Via del Corso. I happened to stumble across:

This and every other designer store I have ever heard of... Very different from the HUB bookstore in State College haha

My roommates and I also found a coffee bar in Trastevere that makes "normal sized" cups - but it might as well have been the worst cup of coffee that I have had in my life.  As much as I would love to sip on a 16 oz cup of vanilla Dunkin Donuts coffee, I have to stick to the cappuccinos and espresso.  

On one of the first non-rainy days of Rome, I had an awkward gap of time (5 hours) in between my classes.  Instead of walking back to my apartment, I thought I would roam around Rome and see where the roads would lead me.  I went to Campo di Fiori's market and bought some fresh apples and browsed through the other products being sold.  It was funny being in the Piazza during the day and seeing the market because at night it turns into "The Place To Be" among young Italians and students studying abroad.

Over the weekend, I visited local boutiques in Trastevere and bought an awesome new pair of pants (you will see them soon, don't worry), went on runs/walks with my friends to discover new parts of Rome and tried out some restaurants (There are 20 restaurants located within a few feet of my apartment - how lucky can a foodie get!?).My roommates and I ended our week with our first family Fienaroli homemade dinner.  We made eggplant parmesan, mashed potatoes and a salad.  It was delicious and gave us the energy to plan our future trips.

Eggplant: Sam, Mashed Potatoes: Sarah, Salad: Irem, Decor: Rose