After mulling around the hostel this morning and trying to avoid doing anything productive (since i was severely jet-legged and lazy), I finally decided to go out and explore my surroundings. For any of you who are familiar with the downtown Rome area, the hostel i am staying at is right near the Stazione Termini which is a fairly short subway trip outside of central Rome. When i left my hostel, it took me exactly two blocks walking in the opposite direction of the train station before i got lost for approximately 20mins and was finally able to find my way back, without accomplishing anything, and frustrating myself with my directional amnesia and stupidity. Anyways, when i got back, the guys at the reception desk told me to go right instead of left outside the door and the train station was only 2 blocks away...
A short walk later, I was on my finally on my way and took the subway to the Piazza di Stagna (where the Spanish Steps are located). As soon as i got out of the subway i knew i was in the right place because there was a million tourists walking around, and the Piazza is absolutely beautiful. The spanish steps have a more picturesque look of grandeur in all the post cards but they seemed smaller in person....or maybe that was because of all the people on them?? Who knows... I will go back some evening for a different perspective.
Then it was a short walk to the Trevi Fountain, and that also seemed very different in person. The facade was gorgeous, and the statues breathtaking, but the fountain is self seemed bigger in the movies...or maybe i just expected the piazza itself to be bigger. Then again, there was too a million tourists walking around and taking pictures like myself... So a different perspective is also needed.
Then i found the Pantheon. The outside architecture is absolutely amazing!!! It is obvious that this monument of Historic Rome is the real deal since the circumference of the building is bordered off with a moat like structure to preserve it. They are currently doing maintanence to the front of the Pantheon so i have a bunch of pictures with ugly ass staffolding ladders in them...bummer. The inside was nice. I expected it to be a little bigger because all the postcards make it seem absolutely gi-normous. I mean, it was big and everything, and the floors were nicely decorated and made of marble with the big ass whole in the middle of the ceiling directly above. The surrounding piazza was also nice. I might as well make another trip in the near future.
The Piazza Navona was probably my favorite "touristy" sight today. The piazza itself is huge and is actually the shape of a square unlike the Piazza di Spagna which is kinda just an open area....or maybe i just couldnt tell its shape becuase of all the freaking people. Anyways, there was a carnival type event going on and there were a bunch of children walking around with their parents so that was really cute and charming. I loved the three very large fountains in the middle and their very different decorative themes, especially :)
A short walk north is the Piazza Campo de Fiori which is the Roman market area. This is a lot smaller and quant than the Navona but just as charming, and really had the authentic Italian atmosphere. The UW Rome center is located just on the northeast wing of the market in the nearby piazza de Biscione. This was the reason for my venture out today, so i could find this place in the morning when i have my big ass bulky suitcase to lug around the cobble stone... :p
Afterwards, I made my way back to the Stazione Termini without trouble, and grabbed some take out (I LOVE TAKE OUT) which was the Italian dish of Catelloni de Carne! It was muy delicioso (yeah, i dont know any Italian so Spanish can suffice)!
However, shortly after making it back to my room, i was somewhat alarmed by someone knocking on my door. I assumed that one of the 4 other girls sharing the same room was locked out... So imagine my surprise when i found a young girl standing outside asking for me and greeting me with a smile only to start sobbing when i confirmed that she had found the right person. Her name is Sharice (i think), and she is another girl in the same UW study abroad program. We had sent a few emails back and forth with our travel itinerary but i had no idea she was staying here. Anways, she was crying because she was very overwhelmed with her first experience traveling solo outside of the US and had encountered a some unforseen obstacles. She too had a weird experience with her "cab ride" (though it wasnt a marked/licensed taxi car), and the "cab driver" freaked her out. So she was already unnerved when she got in and then she had trouble figuring out the door/room light situation, like myself. Her laptop was also dying and she has the wrong converter so she cant charge it, etc. She was just not having a very good day and had only just got in a few hours prior; plus she isnt used to being on her own so she just needed to vent and be reassured that she is okay, and i will make sure she gets to where we both need to be tomorrow.
Other than that i took a two hour nap and am ready to finish my dinner, have a couple of drinks, and enjoy the last night of my first Roman hostel experience. Sorry for the overload of information. There was a lot going on today. I promise i wont post again till the end of the week :) Ciao luvs!!
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