excuse me, do you know when the mongols ruled china?
Been doing some cool things lately. Last weekend I went across to the eastern coast to visit my roommate's mom with her and another girl from the Centro. Her mom just moved to Italy around 2 weeks ago and wound up in this tiny medieval town on a big hilltop, living in a room in a pink brick estate thats hundreds of years old. We got to stay in her room, the old stable with vaulted stone ceilings, and sleep in a medieval mini-tower next door with views of rolling hills and vineyards and farms. Such a nice change from Rome, walking through a town with probably less than 500 people, getting meal ingredients from the butcher store and fresh pasta shop. We walked to the next town over, actually inside a small castle type structure. Got a tour of an olive oil "factory" where they crush the olive with huuge stone wheels and presses. Drove up into the Appenine Mts and saw some great views, then stumbled onto a local "vino cotto" wine festival where they make this special wine in giant vats built out of clay in the town square. Good food, good people, very relaxing.
Back in Rome we've visited the Forum, and its really breathtaking to see all these pieces of a puzzle I've studied coming together in a big picture. Also visited Cosa, a Roman colony from 2200 years ago on a hill on the coast. The morning field trips are tiring but they're definately the most valuable part of the trip.
Today I left my notebook in a gelateria across town. Went back in the afternoon and was able to ask for it and find it all in Italian! (with some coaching beforehand...). I'm starting to get homesick bad tho, Im trying hard to keep in touch with everyone. If you can drop me an email or an IM or something I love talking to everyone even about nothing.
Back in Rome we've visited the Forum, and its really breathtaking to see all these pieces of a puzzle I've studied coming together in a big picture. Also visited Cosa, a Roman colony from 2200 years ago on a hill on the coast. The morning field trips are tiring but they're definately the most valuable part of the trip.
Today I left my notebook in a gelateria across town. Went back in the afternoon and was able to ask for it and find it all in Italian! (with some coaching beforehand...). I'm starting to get homesick bad tho, Im trying hard to keep in touch with everyone. If you can drop me an email or an IM or something I love talking to everyone even about nothing.