Wilson College Does Rome: Day Two (May 24)

As our first day waking up in Rome, today was jam-packed full of experiences to immerse us in its culture and history. After a fairly early bedtime to beat the jet lag, we awoke refreshed and ready to explore the city as the Romans do. Many of us enjoyed breakfast at the hotel before meeting to take the tram (many students’ first experience with public transportation in a foreign country) to Trastevere, a region of the city across the Tiber River. Once we were there, we walked past several shops and restaurants (Photo 1) to learn about eating and shopping like an Italian. We discussed various considerations to keep in mind when eating on a budget, including the signs of a tourist-oriented restaurant versus a more authentic one (like whether the menu is in English or Italian), popular dishes to consider, typical price ranges, and so on. We also visited an Italian grocery store, which are typically much smaller and more specialized than American supermarkets, since Italians tend to shop more frequently for what they need on a day-by-day basis rather than for several weeks at a time. Since their stores have a smaller, more focused selection of products, many shop at markets with vendors that set up every day selling fresh fruits, vegetables, cheese, meat and fish, and more, which we visited next. After taking a break to rehydrate with water from one of Rome’s many water fountains, we moved to an area with several budget-friendly lunch options, where I purchased pizza sold by the slice which is priced according to weight. We then learned more about the occasionally unpredictable nature of public transportation, since the tram line we planned to take was not running. One bus ride, a tram, and a short walk later, we made it to the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia (Photo 2). This beautiful museum is dedicated to the history of the Etruscans, the people who inhabited part of the Roman Empire before it was overtaken. Many of their displays focused on items found in graves, which they used to recreate tombs that had been found, including paintings on tomb walls (Photo 3) and objects that would have been significant within their daily life. We were able to look at artwork that showed influences from other cultures, including Greece and several Eastern civilizations. After taking some time to explore the museum, we returned to the hotel via a short walk and a bus ride, and the group split to experience the city independently. I spent some time exploring the streets near the hotel, and eventually purchased gelato from Rome’s oldest (and one of its most popular) gelaterias. We then returned to the hotel to rest after a long day, and to begin preparations for tomorrow’s trip to Pompei.