Weekend in Firenze!

Ciao!

Time is flying here in Rome, and another amazing week has passed.  A few highlights--I started my two-a-week lunch hour Italian lessons, so my Italian is improving and fast!  I was even able to have a (friendly) argument with a bus driver and basically knew what he was saying.  I had a great great great meal at a restaurant in my neighborhood with some amazing Italians, and even gave in to eating prosciutto! The vegetarian concept is unknown to Italians, and bizarre to a Roman. Plus, I figured...while in Rome... :-)

And, reason number 346 why I love living in Rome...weekend trips to amazing places!  This weekend a friend and I headed off to Florence!  It was cold and rainy, but it was still amazingly beautiful.  The city is filled with history and culture--some fun facts I picked up this weekend--the Italian language was born in Florence, the Medici family was terribly cruel and brutal yet, had great taste for commissioned art, and real leather doesn't burn.  I saw Michaelangelo's David (breathtaking), the Uffizi museum, climbed up the Duomo, bought some leather goods (ok...lots), learned about Tuscan wine and a Florentine's love of everything beef.

The Duomo

View of Florence from the top of the Duomo.

Me on Ponte Vechhio

Ponte Vecchio

Night out at the enoteca--learned lots about Tuscan wine and cheese pairings.  Yum. 

Sticazzi!

Ciao!
Another week has passed...and so quickly!  I am definitely settling in, and have made myself very at home in Testaccio.  I even have a buddy at the bread shop on my corner who pops out to say "Ciao!  Come stai??" every time I walk by! So friendly, these Romans.  I've been warned that my enthusiasm for this city will chill soon, but for now...I seem to love it more every day.

Where else can you walk by the site where Julius Caesar was killed on the way to Italian lessons?!  It seems at every turn there is something incredible to see.

Work is picking up, and I am quickly becoming the resident expert on disciplinary cases and hearings.  So, I am getting lots of cases with juicy and interesting details!  Despite that, I still managed to leave work everyday by 5:30 pm to head out to my new favorite thing-- un aperitivo.  An aperitivo is basically happy hour in Rome, except every drink comes with access to a snack bar which includes a variety of Italian snacks!

Today, it was a cold and rainy day here in Rome so, I headed to the Vatican museum.  I also saw St. Peter's Basilica and finished off my day by sharing some arancinis (yum) and gelato with a friend.  Overall, another great week!

One of the many amazing Greek/Roman sculptures in the Vatican museum.

The Locoon- apparently the most famous Greek statue in Rome and considered"superior to all other sculpture or painting"--I guess it was pretty good... :-)

St. Peter's Basilica

View from the cupola of St. Peter's Basilica.  I had to climb approximately 5,000 stairs to get to the top (ok, maybe more like 500, but it seemed like a lot!), but it was worth it.  So pretty!

View of Rome.  This picture doesn't even do it justice.

A dopo! 

Il mio appartamento a Testaccio!

I have a home!  After living out of and lugging around my suitcases for what seemed like forever, I have unpacked and settled into my apartment in Testaccio!  The neighborhood is great--there is a farmer's market 1 block away, countless delicious looking food shops and apparently TONS of great restaurants.

My flat mate is a super sweet Italian girl who says that she moved into this apartment, passed to her by friends, because every time a female friend moved in here...she got married a few months later!  A good luck charm of sorts.  Not sure how I feel about that...

After getting settled, I went shopping at the supermarket for a few things and caused check out line chaos because I didn't weigh and tag my fruit in the fruit department (oops).  I will learn soon, I hope...

My room. 

The view from my balcony!

More view...

The neighborhood. 

My street. 

More of Via Aldo Manuzio.

Ciao Ciao!

Navona e Campo

Buona Sera!

I have survived my first week in Rome!  Everyday seemingly brought a new challenge--getting lost looking for apartments, losing my map and then REALLY being lost, trying to buy a telephonini from a non-English speaking clerk, getting lost AGAIN--but, overall it was a great first week.  I had my first great Italian meal of suplè, carbonara and Lazio wine with new friends, ate more gelato and found a great apartment!

Also, I spent today doing a little more exploring in the neighborhoods of Navona and Campo.  They are considered to be very traditional Roman neighborhoods--lots of little winding streets and cobble stones, loooottsss of cobble stones. Yes, my feet hurt tonight.  I saw the Pantheon, countless piazzas, and fountains including the gorgeous Bernini sculpture Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi.

The pantheon.  I was sitting at the fountain eating gelato (I fear to think of how many sentences are going to start like that..) when this Italian guy sits down and starts singing Wham "Last Christmas" with an Italian accent--amazing. 

Piazza Navano

Bernini's Fontana de Quattro Fiumi in the Piazza Navona. 

Campo de' Fiori

I took a people watching/lunch break at Obika mozarella bar in Campo de' Fiori. 

Ponte Umberto

I move into my new apartment in Testaccio tomorrow, I will post pictures soon!

Ciao Ciao!

Dopo Domani...

is a phrase that basically means "sometime after tomorrow" and when used to reference when things will get done, truly embodies the Italian way of working. Even with a more relaxed work environment, WFP still does amazing work for the world!

I am now 3 days into my stint at the WFP and I am slowly getting used to taking espresso breaks approximately every hour (you drink them quickly afterall...) and doing legal work without concern for how many six min billable increments I need to account for.

Where I go to work everyday--the WFP offices.

I share an office with 3 people who speak Italian, French and English interchangeably, seemingly without noticing which language they are using (until they see my blank stare).  Perhaps I will improve my French by mere osmosis?

I am just getting started on a few appellate cases which involve employee claims of wrongful termination and defending UN employee's privilege and immunities.  Turns out, UN employees are immune from the excercise of ANY local jurisdiction when they are on duty working abroad, which is actually pretty amazing.

Ciao for now!

La vita è bella, non?

Ciao Roma!  It was quite a journey to get here filled with visa issues and flight delays, but I finally arrived on Sunday morning and was greeted by a gorgeous, sunny and slightly warm day.  My friendly airport cab driver, Maurizio, gave me a quick driving tour of some Rome highlights, including the Roman Forum and the impressive, Colosseum on our way from Fiumicino into the center of Rome.  Maurizio wanted to buy me my first cup of Italian coffee, so we stopped to have a cappuccino at a cafe overlooking the Colosseum.

Once I ditched my many and massive suitcases at my hostel, I headed out to spend my first day wandering around Rome.  My first stop was Trevi Fountain, where I sat and ate some delicious pizza from a vendor in the piazza.


Compliments of my iPhone as I realized my camera battery was dead after I headed out. 



I then headed to the "close" Barberini metro stop, but (literally) wandered around in circles looking for the station. The upside-I now have seen all of the Trevi neighborhood. Once I found the station, I took the metro to the Vatican area where I was in search of the Gelateria dei Gracchi on Via dei Gracchi, claimed by the NY Times to be home of the "best" gelato, to have my first taste of Roman gelato.  The gelato proved to be delicious, although I will have to continue my field research to determine whether it was the best...

And that was my first day in Rome!  I am so excited to be here and continue to explore, eat and drink vino.  I am off to work at the UN, World Food Programme tomorrow, wish me luck!

Ciao!