Wonders of Fall

The air is less thick. The wind is stronger too. It carries with it the reality that time is moving on. Leaves are dying, creating piles of wonderful crunchiness on the sidewalks. I took a walk to the top of Janiculum Hill where I looked out over the entire city of Rome. It was as if I were gazing at a gigantic map, recognizing the tallest landmarks and long row of trees arching over the river. Just being away was so refreshing. The walk back really brought out my inner child! There were huge piles of leaves covering the sidewalk…where I might have skipped and frolicked when no one was around.

For my History class we walk. We have no books. We are currently studying the Renaissance Period. It is the most interested in History I've ever been. Our teacher, Linda is so very wonderful. She makes us cookies and always presents them to us with such joy. She knows little details about daily life in the past that makes her class so worth it....the cookies help too. After class this week, Katelyn and I went back to a little Mediterranean food shop that Linda recommended. I ordered a thingy called shish taouk. The lady was asking me whether I wanted it spicy or not. I said yes. She asked me again. I said yes. I watched in horror as she dumped two heaping spoonfuls of the red fiery sauce into my food. It smelled so wonderful, but a few bites into it, my lips were numb and my tongue was buzzing. Adding some humor to the situation was the couple sitting next to us. If you haven't heard, public displays of affection are quite common in Italy. This was a perfectly awkward example. Let's just say I wasn't hungry for the rest of my shish taouk!

For a little peace and quiet, a few of us went to the town of Tivoli yesterday. It is home to Villa D'Este, a home commissioned by a cardinal in the Renaissance period. Behind the villa is a large garden and an extraordinary variety of fountains. The hydraulic engineering that went into the water systems is genius for that time. We were blown away by the sheer amount of water. The three of us had a very silly picture-taking day. We became entertainment for the old folk wandering around. I think we made their day!