Ciao Roma!

My experiences in Rome exceeded my expectations I had before I had left. Rome offered more than anyone could imagine. I was constantly surrounded by history, thousands of year old buildings, shops, people, wine, food, etc. I fell in love with the city of Rome and loved that I was surrounded by the Italian culture every where I went. The experiences were amazing and the sites were more than I could have asked for. Now that I am back at home I realize how much I miss Rome and my life there. I love being home so much but just to be able to think back to what I have experienced while I was over there is beyond me. I completely immersed myself into a culture with such wonderful people and friends. I am so glad I came out of this experience wanting to see more countries and cultures and leaving with amazing memories of places and friends!

Farewell Rome Shopping

Rome is known for the people dressing to the nines at every hour of the day so what better place to shop around to add some more style into your life than Rome! I have more than enjoyed the shopping in Rome and had taken full advantage of the multiple streets and store choices to shop in. Rome is such a beautiful place filled with beautiful people, places and shops. The shopping streets of Rome have plenty to offer. I am going to miss walking down the cobble streets stopping in every shop to see what they had to offer. The stores on Via del Corso, down the Via Della Condotti and every street in between have a variety of clothing, jewelry, handbags, etc. to offer. These shops offer a wide selection of styles to different people. Rome is the perfect place to shop and I would recommend shopping for the styles that interest you in all of the stores.

So long Campo de' Fiori

After my program had ended I was lucky enough to be able to stay at Campo de' Fiori hotel with my family for an extra five days and experience the everyday market and night life the piazza had to offer. I had told my parents to try to stay at this hotel because it is close to many popular tourist locations and offers different scenes day from night. Campo de' Fiori lived up to my parents expectations that they had imagined from this place. I have come to know Campo de' Fiori very well at all hours of the day. From the day time market to the loud night life, tourists as well as the local society of Rome are intrigued with this place as they visit weekly if not daily. This piazza has so much to offer to people from all over the world and I will miss this eventful setting that was so close to my home in Rome.

Tabbachi

Campo de' Fiori is a popular piazza known for its night life and open-air markets. But a more convenient shop that are also located all over Rome is a Tabacchi. Campo de' Fiori has a Tabacchi that offers postcards, souvenirs, lottery tickets and bus and metro tickets. The bus and metro tickets are 1 euro for a one way and 2 euro for a two way ticket. It is a great little shop to stop in for something little such as a refreshment. These refreshments include soda, juice and water usually. The prices at a Tabacchi for drinks are cheaper than you would get at a restaurant or pizzeria. The size of all the Tabacchi's are very small and can get crowded quickly so it is a quick store to get into and get out of. If you are looking for a Tabbachi you will see a sign with a big T on it above the store.

Gelato Tour

Part of being in Rome during the summer time a nice refreshment is much needed in the hot weather. Gelato is the perfect snack that will cool down anyone who is feeling over heated. I am going to map out a tour of five gelati places that on can access from various points around Rome!

My tour begins at a gelato shop on Via del Corso (name will be added). Once we leave () you will make a right back onto Via del Corso. Once you come to the end of the street you will want to make a right onto Corso Vittorio Emanuele. You will walk down all the way to the end of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and on your right is the second stop at the gelato place (name will be added). After enjoying a nice gelato you will make a left out onto Corso Vittorio Emanuele again and walk down until you see Via dei Baullari on the right. Via dei Baullari will lead you to Campo de' Fiori. Once you get into Campo de' Fiori you will find Via dei Baullari continued across the way. On Via dei Baullari is a gelati place, Blue Ice, which is a chain throughout Rome. Once you are standing facing Blue Ice we will continue going to the left, straight across the piazza square of Campo de' Fiori continueing on Via dei Baullari. Once getting to the end of the street, you will take a right onto Corso Vittoria Emanuele II. You will cross over to the other side of the street and take a quick left onto Corso del Rinascimento.

Once you take a left you will want to keep an eye out for V. dei Canestrari on your left hand side. Taking a left will lead you to Piazza Navona which will be on your right hand side. This left will take you to the one end of the Piazza. If you walk straight through the piazza all the way to the other end you will find a gelato shop Cafe Mariotti. After tasting the yummy gelato of your choice you can make your way back to the Corso del Rinascimento and take a left. Once you have taken a left onto this street you will want to keep an eye open for a right turn onto Via Giustiniani which will lead you to the Pantheon or Piazza della Rotonda. Once you enter into the Piazza you will see side streets to your left that will lead you to the street V.D. Colonnelle. V.D. Colonnelle offers a gelato place called San Crispino on the right hand side. Upon entering San Crispino on the right you will see a chalk board with flavors that "marry well" meaning that those flavors go well together. San Crispino does not offer visual sight of each flavor, instead keeping them in covered metal bins in the window. Once enjoying a nice gelato you will move back out onto V.D. Colonnelle making a right. Make a left onto V. del Collegio Capranica. Once rounding a corner you will then want to make a right onto a side street called Guardiola. At the end of this street you will make a right onto Via D. Uffici D. Vicario.

Finally, Giolitti will be on your right hand side where you can try the famous gelato that is talked up by most. I have been to Giolitti before and it was very good. You first pay for the gelato and then you go up and order your flavors! This tour is filled with gelati places that all offer great flavors. I chose this tour because I love gelato. Almost every flavor I have tried offers a true flavor and is a great refreshment. I hope everyone has the chance to try these gelato places as I have over the past five weeks!

Botanical Gardens

Last week a group of us went to the Botanical Gardens to take a look around. The Botanical Gardens are located in Trestevere. The gardens were beautiful and offered so many different kinds of plant species! There are about 7,000 plant species located in the Botanical Gardens of Rome. These plant species are from around the world. The Botanical Gardens also consist of a main fountain called Fontana dei Tritoni which is located almost in the center of the entire garden and is surrounded by benches and a lush green field with plam trees.

One of my favorite parts of the garden was the bamboo which was extremely tall Upon entering the gardens you are given a map that tell you the general area and location of plants. The map is not overwhelming in the least bit. There are only, at the most 15 marked areas of plants even though the Garden holds thousands of plant species. The neat thing about the Botanical Gardens is that there are views of the city of Rome throughout the walk and you have the option of actually walk through some of the gardens. I was able to walk through the bamboo by a path that was created to do so. I would recommend making a stop at the Botanical Gardens if you get a chance to do so. The price was about 4 euro per person.

Venice Shopping

This past Saturday my two roommates and I had taken a day trip up to Venice. Venice is a beautiful city and I would recommend taking a trip up there if you have a chance. While I was in Venice I had bought some souvenirs for my friends at home. I had bought mask key chains from on outdoor vendor on the side of a street. I had gotten 6 key chains for 12 euro. I did bargain with them a little. However, the stores in Venice are a little pricier and there is no bargaining going on inside of them. The shops are small and offer very nice items but the prices of an item are higher than one would be in Rome.

Many of the shops located around Venice are filled with glass objects, masks, jewelry, and souvenir products. Along the Grand Canal running around Venice is lined with vendors who are selling much of the same products the small shops are selling. So if you get a chance to go to Venice and want to buy a couple items, take a look around at the vendors and the small shops to get the best price!

Zara

Rome is loaded with many places and streets to shop on! All up and down Via del Corso are clothing, handbags, souvenir, shoe, bathing suit, etc. shops. One of the major shops along Via del Corso is Zara. Zara is a large store that offers women and men clothing and shoes. Zara is located in two locations on Via del Corso. Both stores are located on the right hand side if you back is to Il Vittoriano.

The prices vary depending on what you get. So far I have only bought a belt for 20 euro and a tunic for about 40 euro. Zara holds various sorts of shoes from high heels, gladiator sandals, and closed toe flat shoes. They range in various prices. Most of the sandals I had looked at cost about 40 euro. Zara's clothing is trendy with the most recent styles I have seen on the streets of Rome. If you ever get a chance to stop into Zara I recommend it. The prices can get a little steep but if you look around the entire store you will find some more reasonable prices that may fit in your price range!

Boys Town

Boys town is an orphanage and was founded in 1951 which hosts a home for boys who have no families to return to or to support them. Boys town is a town of boys who has a president and adults around to keep an eye and help them. On Friday, our class as well as another class visited Boys Town. We had met a boy who was 9 years old, who had been there for about one month. The ages of the boys range from about 9 years to 21 years of age. The boys get schooling while they stay in Boys Town. We had also met the mayor of Boys Town, which change every two months. He was 17 years of age and had been in Boys Town for two years.

The town was very nice filled with buildings, a church, kitchen, trees, and art that the boys have done recently and in previous years. Boys Town is a wonderful place where boys who have little or no support from their parents and/or family can earn an education, gain leadership roles, grow up and live and meet others who are in similar situations as they are in. The boys we had met seemed extremely happy to be able to have the opportunity to live in Boys Town and begin the process to one day be on their own.

*For more information on Boys and Girls Town please visit the following site:

www.boystownofitaly.org

Coin

While I was in Florence I went to a department store called Coin. The department store was fabulous and held four floors of various items. On the entry level floor was cosmetics, jewelry, and menswear. On the ground level, below the entry level they stored all of their home furnishing items. On the third floor was women and the fourth level consisted of children clothing. The prices vary depending on the brand and item. I had bought a four strand beaded necklace for 13 euro which was a good price. The item was made well and was worth it. Other necklaces ranged from 10 euro to about 30 euro. Coin is located around Italy is some of the major tourist cities such as Rome, Venice and Florence. If you ever get a chance while staying in one of these cities, stop in and take a look. You can get some nice deals depending on the items for a nice price.

Al Biscione Cafe

If you are looking for a nice fresh squeezed refreshment while around Campo de' Fiori Al Biscione Cafe offers a delicious fresh squeezed orange juice. The Cafe is right across from Hotel Campo de' Fiori located on Via del Biscione. After you browse around the open-air market in the piazza head over to Al Biscione Cafe to cool off. Once you enter the cafe shop you order your fresh squeezed orange juice and then proceed to drink it at the bar where you were served. The cost is 2, 50 euro.

Florence markets

Last weekend a group of us headed on up to Florence for a nice weekend travel. On our way to our hostel from the train we ran into a huge open-air market. This open-air market was filled with handbags, scarves, paper products, jewelry and clothing. We wanted to drop off our suitcases at our hostel and go back to the market when we had learned by asking one vendor, that they had been opened every single day from 9 am to 7 pm unless rain would come there way.

Just like many other open- air markets that are held around Rome, you can bargain down the price of an item. I had been offered a leather bag for 76 euros that was originally 95 euros. It is a nice option when you are shopping on a budget but you may need to be prepared to walk away if the bargaining does not work in your favor. I had bought scarves for three euro a piece. If you are looking for cheap scarves and you get the chance to go to Florence I suggest buying these items there. They are great prices and the same scarves are as much as 9 euro in Rome.

Campo Flowers

A variety of flower stands are scattered around the city of Rome. But some of the most fresh and beautiful flowers are at the open- air market at Campo which is open every day except Sundays. Campo de' Fiori open-air market is open every day from 7:30 am to 1: 30 pm. Campo de' Fiori cuts fresh flowers every morning for the market that are displayed with prices and in vases with water.

Campo de' Fiori's flower tents consist of various types of flowers such as daffodils, roses, hydrangea, lilies, sunflowers, tulips, etc. The price ranges anywhere from 3 euro to 15 euro per stem depending on the type of flower. I did not try to bargain with them because I did not buy any flowers, but you may be able to throw in extra stems of flowers for a lower price point.

Giordano Bruno

Campo de' Fiori holds a historic statue in the center of it's piazza square. This statue was built in memory of Giordano Bruno who was an Italian philosopher of his time. Giordano Bruno was born in 1548 and died in 1600. The statue of Giordano Bruno was erected in 1889. Interestingly enough, Bruno was executed in Campo de' Fiori which is why his statue stands where it does today.

During the day the statue is not as noticeable as it is at night due to the market tents surrounding the Giordano Bruno statue. By night, the statue is surrounded by local Italians and tourists sitting around conversing and drinking. Even though many surround this statue it does not seem to attract tourists during the days. At night it seems to be more of a hang out area for many late night bar goers.

If you would like to learn more about the statue please follow the link below:

Giordano Bruno

Florence Shopping

This weekend a group of us went to Florence to sight see and shop! On our way to our hostel after arriving in Florence, we walked through a open air market filled with souvenirs, clothes, scarves, handbags, etc. Of course, later that afternoon we had to check out the market which offered great deals and the vendors left room for some bargaining.

The open market did not seem to have a name but was located on Via del Canto de' Nelli. My roommates and I bought mostly scarves from the market. Usually we were able to bargain three scarves for ten euro which seemed to be a great deal. I priced some of the leather bags and most of them were anywhere from 50 euro to 100 euro depending on the size of the bag. This market was large and offered a variety of items that many may be interested in. If you ever make it to Florence make sure you check out the markets along the streets of the city.

Roseto Comunale

Roseta Comunale is a beautiful rose garden filled with different colored and kinds of roses. This rose garden is located in Aventine, Italy. Roseta Comunale is located on Viale del Circo Massimo which is walking distance to the Palatine Hill, which is visible while in the gardens. This rose garden was once a Jewish cemetery and its path ways are situated in the the shape of a Menorah. While walking through the rose garden I had not noticed the shape I was walking in however they did have a sign to tell a little history about the wonderful gardens.

The Roseta Comunale was peaceful and colorful. Roseta Comunale was quiet and just offered the sound of others talking and snapping pictures. There were a variety of colored roses that stood alone so they were easy to notice and walk around. The rose garden had a fresh smell due to the surroundings of trees and flowers. You really couldn't smell the roses all that much until you walked up to each one. Next to the roses, it provided the name of the type of rose you had been looking at. There were so many roses that jumped out in color and size it was hard to go in order around the garden. Roseta Comunale was extremely clean with only the sight of the walkways and roses. It took about a half hour to forty minutes to walk around the entire rose garden and was free of charge. I would recommend this site to anyone due to the beautiful sights and a place to get away from the loud noises of the city.

If you would like to find out more about this gorgeous rose garden please visit the following site:

"“Time Brings Roses”." Time Brings Roses. 04 June 2009 .

Castel Sant' Angelo

Today Sam and I had gone to Castel Sant' Angelo and walked through the historic site. The castle was finished and began it's roles in AD 139. Upon walking up the the castle it was massive and included a fortress. Castel Sant' Angelo has been used for a medieval prison, city wall, and a residence of many popes.

Castel Sant' Angelo offered museums inside that consisted of many paintings and artifacts, such as clothing, instruments and a baby carraige. Once you get to the top of the castle, you will find an excellent view looking over the city of Rome and to your right, once at the top of the stairs, you will see the Vatican and St. Peter's Dome. The views were magnificent inside and out. It cost 8 euros to go into the castle and it was worth it.



Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2003.

Blue Ice

The summer heat in the city of Rome can be uncomfortable and can be solved simply with a cold refreshment. Gelato stands are visible all around Rome, but if you are in the square or around Campo de' Fiori, stop in at Blue Ice which is located on the side street of Via dei Baullari, right off the main square of Campo de' Fiori.

Blue Ice offers a variety of flavors ranging from chocolates to fruit flavored gelato. You can get flavors to mix together to satisfy your taste buds. The prices of gelato at Blue Ice range from 2 euro to 3,50 euro depending on the size and number of flavors you would like.

Picture link:
http://www.swiftcity.com/pictures/56/1154/2323.jpg

Milvian Bridge

Rome offers bridges throughout the city to cross over the Tiber River but the Ponte Milvio Bridge, also known as the Milvian Bridge offers more than just a pathway to the other side. The other day a group of us had gone to Rome's Milvian Bridge. The Milvian Bridge is one of the oldest bridges in Rome that was built in 206 B.C. Italy's citizens as well as tourists visit this bridge to resemble their love.

The walk was far and the look of the bridge is a little unsightly but the fairytale of this bridge was worth it. This bridge is aligned with locks and graffiti that state love quotes or sayings along the sides. The bridge is filled with padlocks on various chains located along the bridge that represent everlasting love. It is said that couples are to bring a padlock, can be written on and any size, lock it to one of the chains and toss the spare key to the lock into the Tiber River. If you would like to learn more about the bridge please visit the following site:

Mivian Bridge link

Festa della Repubblica

Every year on June 2 Rome, Italy holds a parade to celebrate the founding of Italian Republic. The parade took place up and down Via dei Fori Imperiali lining the streets with onlookers and government officials. All armed forces, police forces, fire brigade, and the Italian Red Cross all march down this long street for recognition and to celebrate.

The parade started off with the recognition of the President of Italian Republic,Giorgio Napolitano, who was driven down Via dei Fori Imperiali with cheers echoing down the street. I got the opportunity to experience this national holiday with the Roman people and it was great. Everyone was anxiously awaiting the start of the parade, which ended up being around 9:45 am. The streets were crowded with people watching as all the men and women in different forces marched down the street. In the moment of this parade, I could tell by the cheers and excitement from the crowd how proud the citizens were of their country as I am of mine.

Above are some picture I was able to take at the parade. The first one at the top left was a picture of the ongoing armed forces that stretched around to the other side of the Colosseum. The top right photograph is a picture of the military men and women marching and the last picture is a photograph of President Giorgio Napolitano being escorted in the car with security surrounding him.



Links:

"The “Festa della Repubblica” is the Italian national holiday." Welcome to Italian Week 2009 in Brisbane - THE ITALIAN FESTIVAL. 02 June 2009 .

"Giorgio Napolitano - biography." Presidenza della Repubblica. 02 June 2009 .

Accessories Anyone?

Italy has a variety of shops to choose from ranging in prices and items. Via del Corso is lined with shops on both sides of the famous street. Along the Via del Corso is a store called Accessories that offers a variety of items that will spice up an outfit! If your starting at the beginning of Via del Corso walking with your back to Il Vittoriano, the quaint shop is up about a mile on your left hand side.

Accessories sells jewelry, handbags, shoes, dress up clothing for kids, and hair accessories. Depending on your price range for jewelry and accessories, the accessories can be a little more pricier and better quality than the jewelry that Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe may offer, which are American stores that sells accessories for cheaper. I picked up a fabulous bracelet that was around 22 euro's and decided to wait. Most of the necklaces and bracelets ranged from 20 to 35 euros. So if you are looking to splurge on some nice looking jewelry with pretty good quality I suggest Accessories. They have a variety of items and colors to mix and match with an outfit!

Porta Portese

There are many open air markets throughout Rome that offer many items to buy but Porta Portese is a must to make time for. Every Sunday an open flea market is held on the street of Via Ippolito Nievo inTrastevere. This outdoor market is a must see and experience, but, is only open on Sundays from 6:30 am until 2:00 pm. Porta Portese outdoor flea market offers such a variety of items including, handbags, clothing, jewelry, linens, luggage, CD's, flowers, etc.

This market is extremely large and stretches up the road at least a good mile or so. I had walked the entire market and found some excellent deals. The key to this market is bargaining. Make sure you do not take the first price offered. Make sure you work the vendors to a price that is comfortable for you. Be prepared to walk away if you have your heart set on an exact price because they may not be willing to go lower. I had to walk away from these bracelets due to the uncompromisable price that I wanted. Overall, my experience was excellent and I was able to talk down the prices of jewelry and clothing walking away with three pieces of jewelry and two tunics for a total of forty-one euro's. I strongly suggest to make a Sunday free to go to this market. It is a great market to get great deals at and I hope everyone has the same luck that I found!

Baccanate

If you are looking for a casual, quick meal check out Campo de' Fiori. Campo de' Fiori has many restaurants to offer within the square and on the outskirts at all prices. The side street as well as the square offers panini and pizzeria places for many to enjoy their delicious foods.

Before the Championship football game started here in Rome, I decided to grab something quick to eat so I did not have to sit down and pay extra for sitting. I chose a panini place on a little side street called Via dei Baullari. Via dei Baullari is off the main square of Campo de' Fiori. The small panini shop was named Baccanate. Almost every time I arrive to a panini shop I order mozzarella and tomato so I decided to stick with the same order to see how it tastes in comparison to the other places I have eaten at. I usually get my panini's toasted or heated which always turn out to be so good!

Baccanate was extremely yummy and the price was just right. I was able to get a panini and a soda for around 6 euros. If you are interested in grabbing a quick bite to eat to go I suggest this panini shop. They have a variety of panini's to choose from and are quick to serve. However, if you are looking for a place to sit down and enjoy a leisurely more expensive meal, this is not the place to go. There are no tables outside of this shop but they offer reasonable prices for a nice size panini.

Roma Finale 2009

Last night Rome held the Championship game, Barcelona vs. Manchester United. My roommates and I had gone to the Campo de' Fiori bars to watch the game that started at 8:45 pm. The bars throughout Campo de' Fiori were all crowded with plenty of people swarming a television trying to get the best view of the game. After shimmying my way through a packed bar my roommates and I got a view directly in front of a television. However, inside the bar we were squished like sardines in a hot, humid and smelly place.

The end result of the game was Barcelona winning which seemed to be the picked over choice within Campo de' Fiori. After the game there was plenty of chants and cheers going on throughout the streets of Rome! I even saw people jumping into various fountains located in Rome celebrating the win of Barcelona. This experience was much like a Penn State football game that is extremely important or another big game with die hard fans, like the Phillies winning the World Series. This was an excellent opportunity to experience even though I was not rooting for one team over the other.

Hotel Searching?

At the end of my stay here my parents and my brother are going to be joining me in Rome! They have been looking around at different hotels in various locations that will suit a convenient location to close day trips and night life. Since I have visited Campo de' Fiori a number of times I stopped in at the Hotel that is located on Via del Biscione, right around the corner from the square of Campo de' Fiori.

Upon walking into the Hotel I was greeted by two receptionist who spoke English. After figuring out that the Hotel itself only accommodated visitors of one to three they recommended that my parents go online and apply for the apartment accommodations that they offer all around Rome. They supplied me with a card including their website and phone numbers to search for an apartment.

Once you accessed the website you would apply to stay in one of their wonderful apartment accommodations and later received a confirmation accepting your interest in staying. This process only took minutes for my parents and they received a confirmation within five days. If you are looking for a reasonable priced hotel for your family to come visit I would suggest Campo de' Fiori to many. It is in a convenient location, close walking distance to many historical sites around Rome and offers great markets, restaurants, shopping and night life. If you would like to see more information please visit; www.hotelcampodefiori.com .

H&M

If you ever get a chance while in Rome, make sure you take a stroll down Via del Corrso which is filled with many shops. If you are familiar with the shops in America you will see some stores that may interest you being that they are the same. Today in between my classes, I had taken a walk down Via del Corrso to take a look at some of the shops close to Sede di Roma, where my classes are held.

I had found an H&M while I was walking down the street and decided to take a look in to compare to the one I am fond of, King of Prussia Mall in Pennsylvania. Upon walking into the store, I spotted an elevator and stairs, automatically knowing that there were more floors to this store. The store was filled with clothing, shoes, and jewelry on all of the four floors that were available to shoppers. H&M offered cashiers on every floor as well which made the set up of the store more unique than the King of Prussia H&M which consists of one floor with one line of cashiers. The clothing are marked at reasonable prices and they have a variety of selection in terms of types of clothing. The prices in Rome in some stores can get expensive so look around for a more familiar store and take a look inside!

Capri

Over the weekend a group of us decided to take a trip to the Amalfi Coast. On Saturday we took a boat out to Capri (picture above) which is only twenty minutes away from our bungalow in Sorrento. While visiting the beaches and amazing views from Capri, a group of us walked up at least three hundred steps to get to the main road and town of Capri. Along that shopping strip there were many shops and restaurants with wonderful views at all angles. The stores included clothing, high end jewelry, glass vases and bowls, and shoes. Most of the stores were pricier than some of the stores in Rome. However, down near the beach area there was little stands that offered an array of collection of jewelry in different colors. I had bought a bracelet for about five euro. So needless to say these type of stands that are randomly placed on the island are cheaper than some of the small shops along the main stretch of the town. But, these small stands still offer nice looking souvenirs to remind you of a place where you had visited.