I arrived in Rome on Friday by bus (I’m getting to be quite the expert on public transportation). I met Luigia, my wonderful friend from GW, at the bus station and we went straight to her apartment. She is studying with IES Rome and lives right by the Colosseum. That night we rushed out and did a whirlwind tour of the city. I saw the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, some of the important piazzas and countless other things as we sped around the city on foot and by bus. Luigia was a great tour guide giving me history and background on all the things we saw. She loves being in Rome and really “owns” her new city.
Friday night we went to a birthday party being thrown for one of the IES students. I kept receiving awkward stares from the other students at the apartment. With a program of close to 200 people, Luigia told me that they were probably trying to figure out if they had seen me before in any of their classes—quite a difference from Siena.
Staying with Luigia made me realize how happy I am that I chose to study in Siena over Rome, or any other large Italian city. Everything costs so much more in Rome and the vendors are more likely to rip you off. Luigia’s friend bought herself a gelato and because the store was closing (and probably because she was American) the man charged her seven euro for her tiny ice cream cone. Ridiculous! I’ll take my overflowing cup of gelato at Siena’s Koppacabana for 1,70 euro thank you very much.
Another thing I didn’t like about Rome is that Luigia has to commute to school—1 hour by bus and metro. I guess it’s cool to live by the Colosseum, but an hour to school waiting for unreliable buses is not for me.
Finally, safety is a huge issue in Rome. Luigia constantly warned me about pickpockets and gypsies. Apparently one of her friends was mugged late one night at the train station and had to go to the hospital to treat his minor injuries. Also, there are gypsies in Rome that carry around fake babies. They will throw the baby at you, so you feel like you have to catch it. This distracts you while they take your money. Rome was exciting, but I like my quiet, sleepy town in Siena.
The next morning, Luigia and I woke up early to see the ruins of the Roman Forum. I saw the ruins of many old temples, arches, the old Roman senate, etc. We climbed up the Capitoline Hill to get great overhead views and also hung out in Michelangelo’s “perfect piazza”.
We rushed around that morning because at noon I was set to meet my cousin Luca Palatucci and his new wife Mariangela! We are all from the same tiny town in southern Italy, Montella. My family has been communicating through email with Luca for a few years now, and since my Uncle Tom’s last visit, I am the second person to meet him. Luca speaks some English, Marianglea none at all, but when Luca asked if it would be better if we talked in English I insisted that I use my Italian. It was rough at first, but they said they were impressed with how well I spoke. Mariangela spoke so fast, Luca a bit slower because he was trying to help me understand.
My family is amazing! Luca is 33, Mariangela is 32. Luca obviously comes from Montella, but Mariangela is from a small town close to Montella, called Lioni. They met in high school and were friends for a number of years. They had been married for only a week when I saw them after six years of dating/being engaged (Italians use the term fidanzato—like fiancée—interchangeably with boyfriend that it’s hard to tell). Anyways, they are so excited about being married. It’s cute to see how very much in love they are. Mariangela constantly scolds Luca for playing with his wedding ring and much of their conversation centered on choosing a new car to buy. She wants two doors because it’s easier with children, but he likes the sports cars. However, trunk space is also very important to consider.
Luca is a lawyer. He is not a criminal lawyer and from what he explained to me it sounds like he has more of a municipal job dealing with government contracts. He has been working in his office for only one year, because after graduation, in Italy, you have to apprentice for many years before you can get a job. Anyway, Luca attended Siena’s university to get his doctorate in political studies, but during his time there he commuted from Rome! A three-hour journey to go to school. Incredible.
Mariangela is so sweet. You can tell she’s really putting a woman’s touch on the apartment—like making Luca recycle. She became an archaeologist after studying in Napoli. She worked closer to her home in Lioni but two weeks ago she left her job to come live with Luca in Rome. Now she is searching for a new job here.
She confirmed what I have been learning from all my professors that finding a job is very difficult in Italy, especially in the south. She says jobs for college graduates are not guaranteed, and if a graduate does find a job the contract usually lasts only for a few months. Many of her friends from Napoli moved north to Milan or Bologna to find jobs, and even some moved outside of Italy to work.
We drove to their quaint little apartment to drop off my things and then we rushed off to lunch. We went to PizzaRe (Pizza King) and had the best pizza I’ve had since being in Italy. During lunch we talked about all different kinds of things: Siena’s Palio (which Luca says I must come back to see), Montella, Westfield, our families, their wedding, the weather, and even Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings (of which Mariangela is a huge fan). The best discovery I made was that Luca and Mariangela both agree that I look like the girls from Montella. That made me quite happy.
After lunch they showed me more of Rome and then we returned to the apartment for a little siesta. Mariangela showed me pictures from their wedding. She looked absolutely gorgeous and the ceremony took place in a beautiful old church right in her town. After a nap, we went out to dinner that night close to where Luca works and then we walked around Campo dei Fiori, a busy nightlife spot. Returning home close to midnight I almost fell asleep in the car. I was exhausted.
The most exciting part of the day had to be driving around Rome. It was like being on a roller coaster ride and more terrifying that driving with Dad in New York City. Italians drive with complete disregard of lane designation (when by rare chance there are actually lines painted on the road). Driving is like a big game of chicken, two cars racing into one narrow lane, the first to back down loses. All the while, however, mopeds are zipping in and out of the cars like a maze. With Luca at the wheel we were speeding down a one-way street when all of sudden we lurched to a stop. Before I could realize what was going on we began speeding backwards. Before panic mode could fully set in, Luca zipped into a parallel parking spot, one that must have opened up after we had passed it. It was quite the thrill ride.
Anyways, the next morning Luca took me to the Vatican while Mariangela stayed home to prepare lunch. The Vatican was amazing! It was huge. The basilica was beautiful. We even went down into the tomb to see the resting places of St. Peter and St. John Paul II. It was an unbelievable site to see. We returned home for lunch where Mariangela cooked us a fantastic meal. We had thick spaghetti-like pasta with pancetta and then for second plate, veal. It was delicious. I can’t believe she doesn’t think she is a good cook!
After lunch I had an early bus ride back to Rome. I was sad to say goodbye to my family. We had such a wonderful time together. They were so warm and welcoming, even inviting me back to stay with them again whenever I wanted. I can’t wait to see them again!
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