The Solo Outing

So today we had to go school to start the process on our permits to stay in Italy. My time to go was later than my roommates so I ventured out by myself around noon. I managed to buy two adapters for Kate and I's (very European) hair dryers that for whatever reason don't fit into our flat's European outlets. The man didn't speak a lick of English but with the basic Italian and lots of gestures I was miraculously understood. I walked to school and listened to my little pink iPod nano that I rarely used in the States but I really enjoyed going to school that way so I think that might be my thing for when I go to and from school. So after I dealt with the whole Permit shing ding and also got an Italian cell phone which is just a very basic phone but I get free incoming calls and texts and decent rates for outgoing stuff so it was worth it to me. No apps though. Man I miss my iPhone!

I got two pictures of just one room, a student lounge, at school. But I wasn't able to get any others. So once I have more I'll do a post of a school tour type deal. Anyway, so after I was finished at school I couldn't find my roommates so I figured they were out and about and didn't mind doing some sight seeing of the Borghese gardens a little. I went to go get lunch first at the Pizza Rustica again. It was super busy and out of my margherita pizza! So I got a rossa instead and it tasted just fine. I sat and ate at Piazza del Popolo and did some people watching. I could easily spot out tourists, even heard a few Americans. The flower power boys were shoving roses in every woman's face. But no Michael Jackson :(

After that I walked up the left side of the Piazza's huge overlooking terrace. I was determined to get up to the top. If you look at my previous posts of the big hill behind the obelisk, that's the thing I'm talking about. There's actually two higher levels. The lower level is just a street but still has a great view of the Piazza. The highest terrace is part of the Borghese gardens and it was beautiful up there!!



This is looking down from the second level from the stairs I walked up.



Piazza del Popolo



That's the duomo of St. Peter's!



The grounds of the garden is huuuuuuge. So I only got to see a teeny weeny bit of them. But I definitely want to walk the whole thing before the semester is over. It feels like another world, where Rome is noisy with cars and people, the gardens are quiet and relaxing.







I walked back home (rocking the iPod of course) and caught up with my roommates. They had gone back home after they got their permit stuff finished and then went to the big market on Andrea Doria and picked up a few things for dinner - mozzarella cheese, cut pieces of a pig leg, and cut pumpkin pieces. It was super good. Glad I wasn't there to watch them hack up a leg though. I'm not a pumpkin fan but they made it with mozzarella cheese on top and baked it. I think you'd love it Mom. haha. So that's basically it for today. Didn't do too much. Tomorrow is a big day, we're going to Todi and having a traditional meal with something like 15 courses. Super excited about that! So stayed tuned for many pictures of that. Until then...

Ciao ciao ciao! xo