Musei Vaticani

Today I finally went to the Vatican Museum. When my mom, Aunt Linda, and I came to Rome four years ago we made our “Vatican” day Sunday. We did this to get our stuff blessed by the pope, not realizing the museum is closed on Sundays and we would miss the Sistine Chapel. I've been waiting for a whole free day to see the entire thing; that was today.

I visited for about six hours. I saw everything, from the Sistine Chapel and the Rafael Rooms to the modern art and Vatican stamps rooms. I planned ahead to take my time and spend the day there, so I packed a small lunch. As I was about to leave the cafe, the table next to me needed another chair. I called over to them that I was leaving, and as the girl still standing turned to thank me and take it, I saw it was my friend Med Murray from High School! Then as I looked closer I saw that Cecelia Gondek was also there. The third girl was a friend of Cecelia's from grad school. We caught up and chatted for a little while. Meg had been working in a recording studio in New York until last February when she moved to LA. Unfortunately they were continuing on to Tuscany the next day, so we couldn't make other plans, but it was a really nice surprise.

Here's us in the cafe:

[Edit] Link to Rome photo album:
https://picasaweb.google.com/kaitlyn.hanrahan/20101001Roma#

Places in Rome

This post is just for me to remember all my favorite places here in Rome.

Vatican Area

Castroni
American Groceries
Few different locations

Panifico Mosca
Via Candia, 16
Pizza to go. Perfect to grab before waiting in Vatican line.
Metro: Ottaviano

Greater Vatican Area / Via Cola di Rienzo

Gelarmony
Via Marcantonio Colonna 34
00192 Rome
Neighborhood: Prati
http://www.gelarmony.it/
Phone: 06 3202395
My favorite gelateria, Sicilian, so you can also get a fabulous cannoli!
Right next to Mondo Arancina
Metro: Lepanto

Mondo Arancina
Via Marcantonio Colonna, 38
00192 Roma
06 9761 9214
mondoarancina.it‎
Delicious fried rice balls. Right next to my favorite gelateria.
Metro: Lepanto

Pantheon Area, all very close

Della Palma
Via della Maddalena, 19/23
Gelateria with lots and lots of flavors

Divino
Via dei Pastini, 112
0669941328
2.50 euro Beers

La Casa Del Caffe' Tazza D'Oro Dal 1946
Via degli Orfani, 84, Roma
Tel 06.6789792
www.tazzadorocoffeeshop.com
Iced espresso

Gelateria Artigianale Buccianti
Via Guistiniani, 18/A
www.gelatosimplyitalian.com

Misc.

Pompi – il Regno del Tiramisu
Via Calpurnio Fiamma, 67, Roma
Tel 06.768635
King of Tiramisu
Metro: Re di Roma

Gelateria Origini
Via Del Gesu 73/a, angolo via Pie di Marmo, 00186 Roma
Via Degli Olmetti 3-, 00060 Formello, Roma
Tel 06.45473915
All natural gelato

Doctor Look
Via Domenico Tardini, 20 (near Cornelia)
0666144972
Hair stylist

UPDATE July 2011, July 2012

Kevin and Andrea Visit

Kevin and Andrea (friends from Northeastern) are taking a Mediterranean Cruise that stopped in Rome. So I got a visit from them yesterday. They got in at 10am and had to be back at 4:30, so it was just a short excursion but was great seeing them and we got a lot in the short time.

They came into St. Peters station, Daniele and I met them there. It's near the Vatican, so we went there first. And since it was Wednesday the Pope was giving his blessing. We chilled out with Ben [http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/index.htm] for a little while and did a loop around the square taking pictures. Then grabbed a little snack of arancini at a place that is only arancini. Yum! Then we went to one of the hills, Gienico, maybe? I can never remember those names. There we could see the whole city. Then we headed into the historical center where we luckily found great parking right away. We had just enough time for quick stops at the Roman Forum, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and some gelato before it was time to bring Kevin and Andrea back and Daniele had to go to work.

I got a lot of great pictures. They should be up today!

[Edit] Link to Rome photo album:
https://picasaweb.google.com/kaitlyn.hanrahan/20101001Roma#

Visa Issues

Today I had to visit the police in Rome. As procedure, I gave my passport to Filippa to show them as soon as I moved in. At a hotel or hostel they send all the passport numbers everyday. At a private residence, the owner has to bring the physical passport. Only they did not like it and I had to go there in person.

I came to Italy / the EU with a tourism visa. Americans can travel to the EU (and lots of places) with this type of visa very easily. We just get a stamp when we arrive, nothing has to be applied for in advance. In the case of the EU, we can stay for up to three months before we are supposed to return to the US for six months. But keep in mind we only get stamps when we arrive. It is virtually impossible to know when we leave or how long we stayed after the fact. It is extra confusing considering the visa is for the whole EU. Thousands of backpackers travel Europe for years at a time, and no one really knows or cares because they are never in one place very long.

When I came out here I took the cheapest flight possible, a very long flight from SAS that stopped in Stockholm and eventually dropped me in Milan. No, I did not get to see Stockholm. Since I first touched down in Europe in Sweden, that is where my visa is from. I had all but forgotten about this, it seemed so unimportant.

In Italy, if you are staying for more than one week, apparently they want you to have an “Italy” EU visa. I was unaware. I only even ran into this after being in Italy a month. I had never stayed at the same hostel for more than one week. Also, they were hostels, so only my passport number was being sent, the police could not see that my visa was from a country other than Italy.

So at the police station it was not a very big deal, I had not done anything wrong (and I knew it). We went right in, because of course Filippa knew them all. They just needed me to fill out a form, since I am here for more than one week and my EU visa is not from Italy. So why am I so upset? This form that will stay with the Italy police says when I arrived in the EU, and when I plan on leaving, more than my passport says. Now the Italian police know that I have used up my tourism visa until May 23th (six months after I leave). They said I could still go to Spain (for example) or I could come back to Italy with a work or student visa. But I'm bummed that I can't just drop in to Italy for a visit until May 23rd.

Out with Filippa

Last night Filippa took me out for gelato near the Pantheon. I mentioned before she knows everyone in the neighborhood. She took me to a bar / restaurant nearby just to introduce me to everyone who works there. She is telling everyone she is friends with my parents. Then while waiting for the bus, she pointed out the Carabinieri. I asked the difference between the Carabinieri and Polizia and she called them over and had them explain, chatted with them until the bus came. Later we passed a police station and she had us go in, chatted up the girl working at the desk, and had her explain the difference again. And model for me the difference in uniform. When we walked out she said to me in Italian, “I'm not exactly normal”. (In case you are curious, the polizia are civilian, and the cababinieri have a military structure.) We got delicious gelati and took cover from some rain in a museum entrance across the street, where she knew the people there as well. Then we went to the Pantheon, which was amazing. The noble families in Italy (or maybe just Rome) still get married there. Rome seems smaller with Filippa.

[Edit] Link to Rome photo album:
https://picasaweb.google.com/kaitlyn.hanrahan/20101001Roma#

Arrived in Rome

I have arrived in Rome where I will stay the rest of this trip to Europe. When I first got here the friend of a friend I was supposed to meet, an Italian girl, changed her mind and decided to stay out of the city for the night with her family. So I had to make new plans last minute. Leaning against the train station wall, looking only at my cell phone, an old gypsy woman walked by cursing at me and making hand gestures. Then when she had finished passing, she mooned me! Buonvenuta a Roma!

My first days were busy starting school and apartment hunting. I was staying near the Vatican (near my school) and not taking time to visit the sights in the center. I had blocked from my memory how difficult it was to find an Italian apartment last time (4 years ago in Milan). There is no single website here like we have back home. Everything is in Italian. Everything moves at the speed of Italy. It really enforces how difficult it can be for foreigners.

But I have an apartment now! I'm living near Piazza di Spagnia (the Spanish Steps) just a few feet away from Via del Corso, a pretty important street. It's the historical center. I'm lucky to have found a room here for only 2 months. My room is in the apartment of a little old Italian lady, Filippa. She has lived in this apartment for 25 years! She knows everyone in the neighborhood. She does not speak any English and she is determined to teach me Italian. It's fantastic! Though she smokes, and I forgot how much I hate cigarette smoke. Though I can hardly ask her to stop in her home.

I finished my first week of language classes. The school is smaller than I expected. My language school in Milan had so many students it was so easy to make friends there. Though I have yet to be bored. It is not the best school I have been to, but since I have a full scholarship I have nothing to complain about.

I came here with two main language goals. First I would like to be able to speak Italian with my personality. Now I can only speak simply, it's not really “me”. Second I am OK at having a conversation with one patient person. But when I go out in a group it is almost impossible with everyone talking faster and all at once. I want to be able to have a conversation with a group of people and hold my own. But these two goals have been forgotten since I arrived in Rome and realized I can't understand anything. No one told me before I got here that the Roman people mumbled-- they are known for “eating their words”. I can hardly talk to one person (depending on how thick their accent is). But I think I am getting better listening to Filippa and my teacher so much. I hope.

[Edit] Link to Rome photo album:
https://picasaweb.google.com/kaitlyn.hanrahan/20101001Roma#