Piazzas at Night

So last night after my failed skype session with my mother, my roommate and I chose to walk around some of the sites to get a better view. We visited the pantheon, the trevi fountain and some ancient ruins. We also got more gelato (it's addicting) and took lots of pictures- I'm still trying to figure out how to put these on here.

I'd survived a painful two hour Italian class and 90 minutes of religious studies plus doing my reading for the next day. We'd had a good dinner at the hotel before finishing homework. Our walk at night was beautiful and I love exploring the streets. It gives a much better view of roman life, though this helps if you avoid the touristy spots. Tonight we avoided all of them, but last night I think I got a better view of night life here because of how the piazzas come alive at night. The water is glowing in the fountains, people are chatting with friends in Italian on the steps, little children are running around and since it is still warm out, many people are eating a later dinner or enjoying a drink at the cafes. It's a site to see and it isn't captured well on a camera, at least not when you struggle with fighting the night setting.

I love seeing the every day life here. The two women chatting in the cafe about their husbands, the young people out on an awkward date (this is easier to spot than you might think), the people rushing to class or the men in full suits eating gelato at 2 pm. The history here is very ancient but the people are just modern humans and are just like us, minus that they dress better, eat healthier, walk most places and speak a different language. A language that I'm beginning to comprehend again. It's must easier to translate and listen than it is to speak and even easier to read, I can thank my teacher for that. I love it here, but I still can't help but crave a piece of cheesecake or a slice of spice cake. This weekend Regina and I are going to try and find a good american bakery we've heard of. If her luggage still doesn't arrive tomorrow though, we will probably be heading out for it tomorrow night. Plus I need a reward for sitting still for 2 hours at a time.