Ciao

Rome is absolutely stunning! I feel like  the city itself is so unique. Here we are in a huge metropolis, full of busy people, cars, and all the modern amenities, but then, out of nowhere, pops up these beautiful renaissance piazzas or these absolutely  breathtaking ancient ruins. The city just sort of runs around these things, incorporates them. As our architecture teacher to day explained, its not a layer cake, but a fruitcake. We live in an old convent and it so pretty. It across the river in the side of town which is a little quieter and also a little cheaper (which is nice). There is beautiful courtyard that just happens to be the largest enclosed Garden in Rome! 

Now…for the best part,,,the food! I was a little nervous coming here because a) I’m vegetarian and b) I’ve never been a huge fan of “Italian” food. Thankfully, Italian food as we know it is nothing like Italian food as Italian’s make it. The first two meals I ate happened to be Pizza. Usually I am not a fan of Pizza, but these Pizzas were nothing like your typical $1 slice at Canyon. They were both absolutely fabulous. The first Pizza (pictured) had olives and artichokes and was sooooo good. It was supposed to come with prosciutto and egg, but I opted out. However, my friend assured me that combination was also amazing. The second pizza was a plain “Margareta” and was also soo good. What I really love is that you can tell they pride themselves on good, fresh ingredients, and prepare things in a way that reflects this mentality. Usually I feel gross after pizza, but these dishes just left me feeling good. Its definitely a healthier way to eat and live. My second Italian experience was of course, Pasta! It was a really funny experience because no one at the restaurant spoke English. We thought the adorable old lady was telling us about specials, but really she was trying to help us order, and shortly after the table was served  half lasagna and half Alfredo. It wasn’t a big deal though because the dishes were culinary perfection and the price was cheaper! I had the meat-free Alfredo and it was nothing like the disgusting Alfredo I’m typically accustomed to, and  typically despise. The sauce was different than American Alfredo, it had more complexity, more maturity, and had a hint of pink in the color, looking a little rosy tan in the end. It was lightly coating the pasta, which I much prefer to American pasta where the noodles often swim in the sauce. The dish was topped with peas and mushrooms, and in all, I really enjoyed it. I felt satisfied without feeling heavy or greasy, which are feelings I used to associate with Italian. Overall, I am pleased to see that real Italian food is vegetarian friendly, fresh, healthy, and full of interesting, intriguing, enjoyable flavors! This is definitely how food and cuisine is meant to be!

On a side note, I was really impressed at how environmentally cognizant the city is! Not only is recycling MANDATORY, its done well and right. Our Kitchen has 4 trashcans, one for Glass/Plastic/Aluminum, one for Paper/Cardboard, one for Organic Waste (Yay Municipal Compost!), and one for non organic waste (trash). They also have a 5cent bag tax at the grocery store! While this may seem annoying to most people, I think its absolutely fantastic! We can def learn a lesson from how they do it here

Paige