Roamin' in Rome
Posted by Christina | | Posted On Thursday, June 17, 2010 at 4:37 PM
We are officially doing as the Romans do! Though delirious from operating on about 5 hours of sleep in 2 days, this morning we touched down in the heart of Italy and launched straight into Viva Italia. In our mere 12 hours here on the ground, we’ve already learned a few things:
1) Italians smoke like chimneys. I am now convinced the Mediterranean diet is a bunch of crap. Just smoke like an Italian and you’ll be skinny.
2) Have Vespa, will travel. Vespas are EVERYWHERE! They line the streets and sidewalks, along with an assortment of Fiats, BMWs and Audis. Which brings me to my third observation…
3) There are no parking rules. Any smooth surface counts as a parking spot. You can double park, park on the sidewalk, park parallel or perpendicular, park in a turnabout, braille park or curb check – if you’re inches out of the flow of traffic, you’re golden.
4) Italians always drink out of cups. Matt and I found ourselves feeling particularly stupid when lunching with locals when we realized we were chugging our beverages straight out of the bottle and everyone else was politely pouring theirs into a cup for sipping. The waitress pitied our barbaric American ways and brought us two cups without saying a word. We got the point.
5) Despite being forewarned, fast food truly does not exist. If you want fast service, eat at the local McDonalds. Otherwise, plan for at least 1 hour for a meal and expect to ask for your check.
And finally, the biggest aha! moment of the day – Matt and I concluded that America is weird. In all our previous travels, we visited third world or developing countries that were far from anything we see in America. Come to find out, despite our pre-conceived notions about Europe, Rome is more like a third world city than any American city we’ve seen. Sure, there are a couple streets that could pass for Beverly Hills, but over all, it looks more shabby than shiny, more community than convenience. So, turns out, America is the odd ball. Who knew?
Pic #1: Outside of Borghese Gallery. Amazing paintings and statues in a 200-acre estate.
Pic #2: Matt and I in the Borghese Gardens.
Pic #3: Just a taste of the Vespa madness on a little sidestreet. Matt and I ate dinner at a cute little restaurant on this street.
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I can't believe you managed to post already!! yahoo. It was so exciting to hear you are there and jumping right in. What did you eat, anything exciting? It looks warm and beautiful.