Ciao Roma!

the view from my apartment

jaimi snapping the same photo as above

my apartment building!

Italy stole my heart the moment I entered her borders. When Marco’s methane-guzzling Fiat began to make its way through northern Italy towards his home in Bologna, I was already giddy with the landscape around me, making me compulsively eager to explore it, yet still ringing some deep chord of familiarity in the Mediterranean me. Especially after visiting central and eastern Europe, Italy already felt like home. The rocky hills covered in cypresses and olive greens and the small, jagged stone walls which cut up the fields reminded me immediately not only of Southern France and Corsica, but even of Southern California.

We arrived in Marco’s parents’ house just in time to be gloriously fed. After over 13 hours on the road, we were starving and were running off of only cookies, some baguette and viennoiseries we had picked up on the way out of Paris, and a rather tasty but light tabbouleh I had made out of some leftovers in my father’s fridge. Marco and Cal had warned me to halt all snacking as we approached our time as arrival, as Marco’s family knew how to feed hungry Americans. And so they did! Immediately upon arrival, we were treated to exclamations and embraces of welcome, as well as a sumptuous multi-course dinner. Our primi consisted of orcchiette with eggplant, tomatoes, mozzarella, and olive oil. The secondi, which Marco’s mother brought out all at once, consisted of slowly roasted lamb, roasted potatoes, and a beautifully fragrant tomato stew of veal. The table was also stocked with delicious snacks to add to one’s plate, such as whole sundried tomatoes in olive oil with crunchy capers, and mini peppers stuffed with tuna and spices. The salad, scattered with pine nuts and shavings of magnificently tangy parmesan cheese, also circled the table throughout the meal, followed by its olive oil and balsamic accompaniment. Marco’s father spoke to me in near perfect French about his horse breeding and his complimentary thoughts about French cuisine, and Marco’s mother made us feel so welcome with her encouragement to take yet another helping of EVERYthing.

This sentiment of familiarity only increased as we continued to drive south. The landscape became increasingly dry and the vegetation’s silver-green and hay coloring really struck me as straight out of Corsica. Perhaps the resemblance is really not as striking as I am expressing, but after all the other terrains I saw on my trip, it really felt like coming home. We arrived in Rome around 8:45pm, just as the last rays of the sun were fading away. This is the most beautiful time to see a city, its streets dim but still glowing, and I think I would have found anything at least lovely at this hour. But Roma isn’t anything! It is the Eternal City, the Caput Mundi! The American Academy of Rome is located in the Southwest part of the city, on a hill that overlooks the main sights of Rome below. Arriving at the gate of the Academy, I was given my key and a note to join Mona, the chef of the kitchen, at a restaurant nearby after putting my things down. After some fumbling and confusion, I found my apartment at the top story of the apartment building across the street from the main Academy entrance. The apartment is of a good size, with a big main room in the middle and two large-ish bedrooms off to the side. The building itself is bright orange and the windows in the main living room have an incredible view of Rome. Mona later told us that the view was the most famous cityscape perspective, used over and over in countless old Roman movies.

After saying goodbye to Marco and Cal, I met Mona and my two co-interns and roommates at a pizzeria about five minutes away from the apartment. They had finished eating, and I ordered pasta from an extremely warm Sicilian woman who basically just told me what I was having: homemade ravioli stuffed with ricotta and basil, and covered in a rich and creamy tomato sauce. The four of us got to know each other and all asked each other dozens of questions to try to get more acquainted as fast as possible, explaining where we were from, who we knew in common, how we had come to be there. Camilla, the intern with whom I share a room, is from Scotland, while Jaimi, who lives in the other room, is originally from Florida but has been going to school at CIA Hyde Park in New York. We are all three around the same age and have been getting along splendidly!

After returning to the sweltering heat of the apartment, we chatted over some sweets our Sicilian host had given us in parting. Camilla and Jaimi are both so incredibly sweet, and we have so much in common! All three us are super interested in sustainability and making delicious and healthy food, and eating slow meals, accessible to everyone. We all love to eat and taste everything, as is to be expected from being in the program, but we also love talking endlessly about food issues and enjoy long, lounging meals. By the time I had unpacked my many bags, it was past one in the morning and I was very sorely ready for bed. After saying goodnight to my fellow girls, despite the exhaustion I felt, I had trouble falling asleep in anticipation of all the fun learning and exploring ahead!

ADDED NEXT MORNING:

Got up this morning to write the above post. Just as I was finishing up, Mona called our apartment and offered us to come with her to the farmer's market down the street. We met her at the Academy and she gave us a tour of the grounds, which no pictures can do justice to (though I didn't have my camera, so I didn't try... but I will). There is a big green expanse scattered with trees and benches, creating a contemplative seeming place, though Mona said people are rarely very quiet there. She explained that hanging out there before or after our shifts was a perfect way to either relax or to meet other scholars and fellows. In the gardens is the highest point in Rome, where Galileo demonstrated the telescope (thereby changing the way anyone willing to believe him saw the world). The vegetable garden was a bit beaten down from the summer break, but we still managed to try some wonderful figs, tomatoes, smell the bay leaf bushes, taste the plums, etc.

On the way to the market, we stopped by a cafe for some absolutely mind blowing espresso, which we drank at the bar and paid for at the back counter. The market itself was lovely, and goes on every day except Sunday. Even though I will get all my food at the Academy's kitchen, I may want to wander down there every once in a while, just for the experience. Mona knew a lot of the farmers and introduced us enthusiastically to them, and they were very warm to us. On the way back to our apartment, we got a tour of the inside of the academy, which included a tour of the kitchen and pantry, which are top-notch and very excitingly stocked. The inside dining room, where meals are served in winter, is beautiful (though I would still rather eat outside, especially in the sweltering heat...).

After parting with Mona, who told us to call her later, the three of us headed back to the apartment to pop open a bottle of very chilled Italian white wine and chat with excitement about food and Rome and everything else, and practiced our Italian a bit. After several hours, we realized we were hungry and headed out for some pizza down the street. Later tonight, we plan on going out to dinner one last time before we are able to eat at the work/the Academy kitchen (starting Monday). If this all sounds a bit like a dream, know that it feels like one too.

Now all I need to do is actually start working! :)

a random shrine to Mary

my backyard

my cosy room

amaaaazing esspresso with camilla, jaimi, and mona
on the way to the market this morning

the main building of the Academy