I woke up in Rome. For reals, Kelsey pinched me and I wasn't dreaming!!! Ahh, the sights (crazy drivers and scruffy puppies everywhere), the smells (smoke and food, but mostly smoke) enveloped me as I frolicked off to orientation.
On the way to JCU my roomies (who are awesome) and I stopped at amazing cafe for breakfast called Settimano. We had macchiatos and croissants, which were delicious and cost less than 2 euros (woot)! An added bonus, it gave me a nice jolt of energy *jazz hands* to get through the endless hours of orientation (it was excessively boring). The best part was the three hour break for lunch. We wandered around near the Guarini campus (the historic one). We clip clopped over the cobblestones and saw some super cute shops. Eventually our noses led us to the most quaint of restaurants. I had a scrumptious ravioli with spinach and fresh basil. Yum! The uniquely European part of the lunch was the table. It was outside on the cobblestone path (cute) but the path was slanted, hence, our table was as well. By the end of the meal I had a crook in the left side of my neck. Well worth it though.
So onto the exciting events of the day...... WE WENT GROCERY SHOPPING!!!!! We googled the location, so as to be prepared, and then walked to the store. The store is about a ten minute walk from my apartment and is located near a very pungent cheese and meat store. It was such a unique experience. We had to go through a gate, like you would to get on a ride at Valley fair, and push our cart under this weird flapp-y thing. And then the fun began. The store is like a maze. There are weird aisles that zig and zag, and some that end oddly. The aisles are also super narrow, so there is no passing someone as they ponder over what bread loaf to get. So I had to say "scusi" (excuse me) and "permesso" (like permission to pass) alot. Strangely enough, they have lots of the same brands that we have at home: ritz crackers, colgate toothpaste, herbal essence, cheerios, cocoa puffs. Its like a little taste of home. The only thing missing is Milwaukee toast (rye bread with peanut butter), because sadly they lack PB in Rome. Thus far, it is the city's biggest flaw (aside from the smoking). When we finished shopping through the maze we paid. Also a unique experience as they charge you for bags. I bought some nice reusable ones for the walk back, I felt so European! Though, by the end of the walk my fingers had turned blue and were permanently in a bag holding position (making this most difficult to type).
For dinner we went back to the Ristorante-Pizzeria that we ate at last night. It is super close to our place, like 8 steps, and we were starving, plus the food is really good. The server remembered us and was super nice. I have a feeling that she will be seeing a lot of us this semester.
Update on the door situation. It is still impossible. The key and lock combo is circa the 16th century (its the big one on the key ring under the picture tab). To open the door you insert the key, twist to the left until it gets stuck, grab the handle (located in the middle of the door), twist key until you hear a 'click', then throw your body on the door, at which point it successfully opens. I have bruises on my hands from trying. It is the most stubborn door in the world. You can try to open it five times and will probably only be successful once. I am all for maintaining the history of places to keep the rustic look, but seriously, some things need to be updated!
A shout out to Mrs.K! You are right, shopping is a must. It was another sweltering day and my current wardrobe just won't suffice. Somehow I missed the part of the travel book saying that it would be 80-90 degrees for September. *sigh*
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