Complete with Spelling Errors

Well the free wireless connection I was bumming off of in a building nearby disappeared today – I think they got wise to the bandwidth drain… So its back to hiking it a few blocks to the internet café and paying 2 euro an hour for internet, which isn’t too bad really. On a side note, the ‘s’ key on my keyboard is acting weird, so I’ll use that as an excuse for some of my spelling errors.

So Rome is great, and it is also a good learning experience to be outside of the US for the first time. It has been several days since I last saw a one story building, or a one stop shopping type outlet. If you need food, you go to the grocery store. If you need something else, there is a specialty shop for it. And when you are walking to these shops – you are careful crossing the street. Drivers here are crazy – it seems they have traffic suggestions, not traffic laws. Its common for cars to drive down the tram lane and dodge it as it comes.

After I overcame the initial culture shock – and we went out started exploring the city – well, Rome is awesome. We’ve been to so many churches in the past two days… and the Roman Forum, and the Coliseum, the Pantheon, and the list goes on. I’m really enjoying being able to sit down and draw some of these imposing structures and amazing statues – I think it helps me to absorb the experience more. There a bit of a fantasy quality to seeing so many immense ruins and elaborate buildings all so close together.

I forgot my camera battery on the second day, but its ok because everyone else took at least 300 pictures each – at least. I also got my picture while touring the Coliseum :]. Getting around the city is a bit of an adventure, and we’ve already experienced finding our way on our own today (with pre-directions from Ms. Golden), but its not too bad. Catch a bus here, cross over and catch a tram here, etc.

I’m going to give Will Parker a call later today, apparently he is over here in Italy this summer and will be in Rome on Sunday (my day off). Hopefully we can meet up and have some lunch. Speaking of lunch – there is definitely no problem finding a resturante to eat at. Especially downtown, there is an eating place about one in every three shops it seems. Food is pretty dang good here – though sometimes my tastes disagree with the Italians (not a fan of bacon-tomato sauce on my spaghetti apparently). And it is all freshly prepared. Italians also believe in taking your time eating – and socializing while you eat. So generally you can spend well over an hour at a restaurant eating, talking, and waiting. It makes the impatient American in my want to stand up and ask for my check so I can get out of here, but its good medicine to learn to take it a little slower sometimes.

That’s all for now, I’m staying really busy. We leave at about 9am and get back around 6-7. Then you have to cook, hand wash dishes and clothes, shower, grocery shop, etc. Check out my Flickr page for pictures and sketches.

-Stephen