Little Piece of Heaven

Last weekend I witnessed a little piece of heaven. We were on our way to the town of Assisi on a really cloudy Saturday morning. The view from my seat on the bus was spectacular. Around every corner was another amazing view of the large hills/small mountains. We’ll call them hilountains. They were beautiful. After about an hour of driving, the clouds met the sun in such a way that rays of light filtered down onto the land below. At one point, I looked out and saw two very large hills on either side of a valley that was home to a heard of sheep. The hills were sprinkled with villas and the rays of light spread over the valley making it look so wonderfully peaceful. I wasn’t quick enough to capture it on my camera, but it is an image that will stay with me forever!

 

Other scenes I saw on the way were both ordinary and peculiar. There were many farmers out tending their fields, women working in their gardens, people outside their homes talking. Fields full of corn, some still green and some ready for harvest, fields of sunflowers, and also many vineyards. My eyes were overjoyed at the countryside. In one pasture were three men working on some machinery. In the next field sat three surprisingly white bathtubs, placed haphazardly near one corner. I made the assumption that the two were connected…which led to some pretty humorous visuals.

I was also intrigued by the drainage systems of roads and fields. The highway we were on had little runoff spouts into the ditch every 20 yards or so. In the pastures were deep ditches running the length of land every 100 yards. These ditches were sometimes curving all across the land or perfectly parallel with each other.

Assisi is a town that sits on the top of one very large hill. It is home to many churches and a castle that sits on the tippy top. I spent the day with one of my roommates whose name is also Anna. We sketched for a while in the Church of St. Francis, and then we found our way to a lovely little restaurant overlooking the earth below. It was an amazing view with the crisp wind blowing our hair all over the place. We treated ourselves to white wine and pasta followed by tiramisu. The whole time it threatened to rain and the waiter threatened to take us inside. Fortunately, the rain held off and we were able to enjoy the view. It was a very elegant and sophisticated dinner, leaving us both feeling like beautifully poised young women. 

How to buy bread.

Yesterday I decided to buy bread. I was walking by myself to studio after getting my permit of stay when it just hit me - I hadn't bought bread from a bakery yet. I knew exactly where I needed to go. There is a little bakery in the Jewish ghetto behind our studio. Every time I walk past, I am lured to the door by the heavenly aroma. Each time I am frightened away by the large amount of people crammed into the tiny space, standing on tiptoes just to peek at the wonderful breads. I thought today is the day! I fearlessly squeezed my way into a corner and maneuvered my head to see what was behind the glass. Once I finally made my way to the front of the line, I had selected my bread and was ready to tell it to the nice young man behind the counter when the whole fantasy came to an abrupt stop as an older woman fanned a tiny piece of paper in my face. She promptly placed the paper in a bowl on the counter and proceeded to order. I immediately assumed that I should probably have a number too, so I picked one out of the bowl and handed it to the man. He gave me a confused and humored look, and then pointed to the screen where numbers are displayed. I quickly realized my mistake. I was supposed to grab a number as I walked in and then wait my turn. At this point I probably had a really fearful look on my face, but I was quickly relieved when both the man and woman began to laugh. He shook his head and said, "No problema." He picked out my bread, wrapped it up and I received it with delight. I was further encouraged by the jolly round old fellow sitting behind an ancient cash register. He beamed a smile at me and said, "Perfetto," as I handed him exact change.



It wasn't the most graceful way to buy bread, but I decided I did it with style. I am hurriedly eating the delicious bread so I can return soon and purchase bread like a pro!

Operation: Robert E. Ihlang

I was given a mission. It was from my grandpa George. He fought in WWII and was stationed in Italy for two years. Within the first two weeks of their arrival in January 1944, his good buddy Robert Ihlang was killed by an explosion of shrapnel. George was responsible for calling Robert's parents and letting them know they had the option of having his body shipped home or coming to Italy to have the service. There was nothing left of his body, and George strongly encouraged them to have the service here. They agreed, and he was buried in the American WWII Cemetery. Robert E. Ihlang was a Sergeant in the U.S. Army of the 133rd Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division. He died on January 10, 1944. He was honored with the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster. He was a brave young man who fought for our freedom.

The mission was to find his gravesite and take a photograph for the Minnesota WWII Memorial in his honor. We arrived by train early yesterday morning and found ourselves in the wonderful little town of Nettuno. The cemetery was within walking distance from the station, so we quickly found ourselves in its beautiful gardens.

We wandered through, enjoying the calm serenity of the honored place. The air was so fresh, infused with scents of pine and freshly cut grass. It was a welcomed change from the thick dusty air of Rome. Finding the gravesite brought about a rush of adrenaline...comparable to finding a treasure chest! I and my five roommates took the challenge of taking the best photograph...we're still not sure who won. It was an honor to be in the presence of a man that George knew so many years ago and still thinks about to this day.

We made our way from the cemetery to a nearby grocery store. It was the biggest food store we had seen yet, selling clothes and other home supplies. Shopping in Italy is a unique experience. I would say the major food groups are produce, fresh bread, and cheese. The options are endless, and the language barrier forces us to try many new foods just because we don't know what is what. I have found that one can't go wrong with bread, but the cheeses can be a bit tricky...and stinky! We all have enjoyed the fresh and extremely cheap produce. My new favorite snack is pear slices with brie and crackers.

 

Once we found the beach we had a lovely picnic and took our leftovers to a homeless man sleeping nearby. The water was just perfect, and we enjoyed several hours of climbing rocks and lying out. The rest of the afternoon was spent shopping. This task takes a lot of pointing and nodding, hand gestures and awkwardly jumbled Italian words. I'm sure they appreciate our business!

Finding restrooms in Italy is quite difficult. The options are as follows: Option #1 Buy something from a cafe and hope they have a toilet. Option #2 Pay a euro to use one, toilet paper costs extra. Option #3 If you're a man, pee in the street (we witnessed this firsthand) Option #4 Find a secluded area and hope no one comes near. Extra tip - Always carry toilet paper just in case. At the train station, we had no choice but option #4, as all the other alternatives did not exist. I hope to never do that again!
The train ride home was blessed with good conversation and gorgeous views of the nearby Apennine Mountains. It was a wonderfully accomplished day.

Adventures on Cobblestone

This morning I got up and realized I have been here for a whole week. It is a strange phenomenon, this adaptation thing. I thought it would be harder than it was. I am now quite used to the sound of tiny cars squeezing through the narrow alley outside our bedroom window, the smells (both good and bad) that I breathe on the walk to studio, and the face of Enzo, our gelato man who's shop is just around the corner. The things that make a place familiar are what will be remembered.
Another thing I realized this morning as I stepped out of bed was the aching of my feet from the extraordinary amount of walking that has been done. I'm sure we've covered an average of 8 miles a day! Yesterday we covered so much more ground; however I have really no idea considering we were lost the better portion of the time. The plan was just a simple venture across town to the Flos showroom for lighting design. After 45 minutes of walking and wandering and many attempts at getting directions, we were really in the middle of nowhere. Asking for directions usually consists of our broken Italian followed by lots of words we don't understand, hand gestures, more hand gestures, and finally a grazie, ciao! It is a very comical transaction that I quite enjoy.

Finally we came upon a hidden little curvy road which led us to a very crowded piazza. A few more directions later we were standing in Flos, which turned out to be less exciting than the beautiful lighting creations in the surrounding shops.

Around another corner was the Trevi Fountain, which we found to be the hot spot for nighttime hangout. There were so many people! So we sat in a safe little spot under the railing to take pictures and enjoy the environment. Not a minute later we both jumped to a loud BOO from behind, followed by two Italian boys laughing hysterically...it wasn’t really so funny. They were the first "smarmy" Italians we had met. Fifteen minutes passed of trying to understand one another when I heard my first ever "Your eyes are magnificent" from an Italian boy. Oh gee. Thanks.

During the walk home Katelyn and I were so surprised at how small the city of Rome is. We had literally walked from the Pantheon to Villa Bourgese to the Spanish Steps to the Trevi Fountain to the Church of St. Mark and then home. The map forming in my brain was quickly rearranged onto a much smaller piece of land.
This adventure was one of many. I have so much to write, but will try to sum them up in a few sentences! We've been exploring our means of transportation by hopping on the metro and busses and taking them in different directions just to see where we'll end up. The first exploration led us to the Coliseum. The second took us to a gigantic jogging park where we had a photo shoot with our friend Charlie, the only boy in interior design.

One day Katelyn and I went to the Coliseum. On the way we met a man named Massimo, pronounced Maaasssssssimo. He was a flight attendant with a crew that transported the Pope all around the world, even to Des Moines!

Oh, and we just got back from our daily gelato run to Enzo's shop. This time he treated us to tiramisu and a fancy strawberry creation. I think Enzo and I will be forever friends!

Benvenuto

Ciao amico!  We have arrived.  It was a long 32 hours of travel, but finally we are here.  During our layover in Canada, (supposed to be 8 hours, turned into 10) we ventured into Toronto's Brewery District.  Using directions from a friendly bus driver, we took a bus and two subways to arrive at downtown's Union Station.  After a mile of wandering, we found an adorable little cafe and ate the most delicious paninis of our lives!!  Yum Yum Yummy was all we could say. 

Once the plane took off, I became well acquainted with my seat mate, Patty from Cleveland.  She was wonderful. 

We arrived in Rome at 2:15, got a taxi to the housing office, then jumped on the metro to our home.  (the plan to walk was quickly nixed...luggage on cobblestone equals a very bumpy ride)  Our apartment is so lovely.  It's much larger than we thought.  I am rooming with these lovely ladies, Anna and Katelyn.  With two Anna's in the apartment, we have decided to be Anna Marie, and Anna Michell.  It's still a little confusing.  : ) 

Anyway, more exciting than the getting here is the being here!  This afternoon was such an adventure.  We toured the neighborhood around our studio, Piazza delle Cinque Scuola.  One narrow alley of orange and yellow stucco buildings led to the Pantheon.  It was shocking, yet very ordinary, tucked into the surrounding buildings.  Once the tour was over, we took a little break at our apartment, and then went out for lunch.  Two blocks away, we found a cafe.  The lady inside, Vanessa, was so helpful, and so nice.  If you watch NCIS, she reminds me of Abbey.  After we ate, Charlie, the only boy with five girls asked Vanessa how to make the cappucino.  She used her very limited vocabulary to explain the process, then proceeded to spoon feed Charlie the steamed milk.  He had made a friend! We are all sure we'll visit her again soon. 

Later we went to buy our 30 day bus pass when we decided to ride the bus one direction and see where it took us.  We rode north and kept deciding to go on.  As we rounded one of the many curving roads, the trees parted, and revealed the gloriously enormous Coloseum.  AHHHHH! We quickly got off and walked around, visited a Jewish synagogue and listened to a bit of the service.  When we left, we spotted the Coloseum through the buildings, so we walked towards it.  At that time it was about 6:30 so we jumped back on the bus and rode home. 

Supper was tortellini and pesto sauce with red wine and fresh bread.  It was delizioso!  This evening has been filled with skype tours of our apartment and doing laundry and telling you all about everything, and now it is time for bed!

Good night!