Italy was a huge culture shock for me. I had never been outside of the US before so I had no idea what to expect. Of course I had listened to what other people had told me about it but it’s not the same as actually experiencing it. There were so many differences between the US and Italy. Also, the history and buildings were phenomenal. I had the most amazing time in Italy with Katie I will try to do my best to explain my experience.
First I will start by mentioning what was different for me. Everything is smaller. The cars were all miniature and fuel-efficient as opposed to the sedan/SUV mix I am used to. The roads in the heart of the city were all cobblestone and parking rules seemed nonexistent. The grocery stores were so much smaller than the ones here. It was very convenient because they always have the best prices and whenever I wanted to grab a drink I could run in there real quick and get a liter of water for .25 euro (it was on sale). The gas stations looked like pit stops on a race track because they were just on the side of the road. The soda didn’t have any high fructose corn syrup which was nice and it gave soda a more natural taste, but Coca-Cola tasted like Coke Zero and I wasn’t a fan. I mostly drank orange soda and it was really good. The food was of a much better quality and I love love loved it. The ingredients in everything were so fresh. I had what was probably the best dinner of my life at La Cisterna. I got spaghetti in a red sauce that had bacon in it and veal that was slightly breaded with a slice of ham on top that sat in a killer white wine sauce (the sauce was so good I asked the waiter how they made it). Instead of ice cream, as you all know, they eat gelatos. They are so much creamier and very delicious. I had one with whipped cream that was made right at the store and it was amazing. I really like the tram system there. It was basically a subway right in the middle of the road and they ran really frequently. The street performers there were pretty interesting. There was one guy who was juggling pins that he lit on fire. I was impressed until he dropped one right away, then I laughed and walked away. My favorite was this clown that was outside a restaurant at Piazza Navona. He was just messing with everybody who passed. He would walk behind them and mock the way they walked, pretend to steal girls from their boyfriends, polish off bald people’s heads, stare up at the sky when a tall person passed, and even stole a little girl’s hat (which he gave back with a balloon animal). That is all I can think of for now that was different.
I managed to do a lot while I was there. Katie had class during the week so I had to do some exploring on my own. I went to the Coliseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Vatican, the Spanish Steps, Il Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele, the Pantheon, Campo de Fiori, Piazza Navona, and the Castel Sant’Angelo. However, there is history and random sculptures and paintings all over Rome and it was very beautiful everywhere because of it. My favorite was definitely the Castle. They let you go throughout the entire building, inside and out. It was an incredibly well built structure and the rooms inside were decorated so nicely you forgot you were in a Castle. I also went to many different churches, of which my favorite was the Gesu Church. Katie’s favorite, St. Ignatius of Loyola, was a close second though.
Although there were a few bumps in the road (I don’t want to go into detail with these), I had one of the most amazing weeks with Katie and it was a great way to spend our one year anniversary. I am going to remember this visit for the rest of my life.
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