The First Day

The first day (which really just felt like a continuation of the traveling day) started off with the bus ride from the airport. At first it seemed like a normal ride on a freeway.  The airport in Rome is actually quite a distance outside the city.  Our housing coordinator was handing out packets showing us where our apartments would be and little maps indicating the nearest grocery store, bank, etc.

Then I decided I needed to look out the window instead of read the packet.  I could catch up on the reading after we'd reached the apartment.  I began noticing the traffic and it seemed the vehicles were in no hurry to indicate which lane they had a preference for.  They just sort of floated in and out of the lanes at will. As we got closer to the city center it became apparent that the notion of lanes was really only all in my head. It clearly was not a concept the drivers were aware of.

Then we started driving by things that were old.  I mean REALLY OLD! And they were big -- REALLY BIG! These half-tumbled down ruins of ancient buildings are still so impressive with their magnitude and what they speak of former times and people. We drove past many very old buildings that were very large and grand and not tumbled down, but plainly still in use.  The statues are immense.  The doorways are immense. And the sheer volume of it all seemed larger than life as we made our way in the bus.

We stopped at a place that looked like a town square or piazza.  I could not tell if the bus was stopped in the middle of the road or not, or whether when we were left standing there we were in the middle of the road or not.  The cobblestones covered the whole area and if there had been any street markings, they had long since faded and worn away. We were bundled into our taxi -- the four of us girls who will share an apartment on Via Baccini. And sent on our way.  Not too long and he came to a stop and indicated that our apartment was up that street there and he could not get his taxi through there.  So we tumbled back out onto the cobblestones,  paid him for the ride and began lugging our suitcases in the direction indicated.

We found a door in the wall that looked pretty much like all the other doors in the wall and the key did fit, but there was a little bit of anxiety as Sarah turned it this way and that before finally the door gave way.  We walked through a narrow tiled corridor, up ancient marble stairs two flights to the door on the left.  Again a little battle with the key,  but eventually we were in our new home. It's a pretty basic place but clean and adequate; two bedrooms for four of us, two bathrooms, plenty of desks and modular closet space.  We have views onto neghboring apartments and rooftops although we do not have a balcony.

The rest of the day was our own.  We all felt like going to bed but we needed to explore our neighborhood and become familiar with getting around.  Besides, we only wer provided with an almost used  up roll of toilet paper.  We HAD to find out where to purchase some of that before very much longer! So we hit the streets.

We tramped here and there before finally gaining the courage to actually go in a place.  We were hungry and there was a multidude of good things to eat on display but the whole procedure was foreign.  If I had been able to communicate more easily and had a clearer idea of how much things cost, I would have ordered one of the delectable looking sandwiches.  As it was, I ordered a lemon gelato and it was delicious! And I felt so victorious.

We decided to walk to the ACCENT student center where our classes will be held and find the way on foot instead of bus.  I think it must be almost 2 miles if you take a direct route.  We did not.  We had to keep getting out our map and trying to figure out where we were and what street are we looking for again? We finally did find it.  I was pretty sure I'd rather take the bus back but the rest of my young apartment mates wanted to hoof it back too.  We chose a different route back and it seemed a bit more direct.  We found a "dollar store" type shop where we bought t-p and soap. Then we navigated dinner at a nearby restaurant and made it home again. I took a hot bath that felt wonderful! I had wanted to blog before going to bed but I was falling asleep sitting up.  So I gave in and went to bed around 8:45, the sound of dogs barking, intermittent sirens in the distance and the local night life alive and well outside was my lullaby.