Orientation and Tivoli

Hi again.....just thought you should know I'm going to live here some day.....
Orientation continued yesterday with the basics about school. I'm actually really excited to start classes, they all sound amazing. Maria, the woman who is our main contact and who reminds me constantly of Marion, told us every little tip we might need to survive here. She even showed us a great pizzeria down the road from school where you can get a huge 3-topping pizza for 3 euro. Speaking of pizza, the food here is incredible. We've mostly been eating on the school budget and they provide well. Last night, my roommates all cooked dinner. I made pesto pasta with fresh cherry tomatoes and mozzarella. The food here is so fresh and so good for you. I could talk about it for hours......
Anyway, we went to the Campo de Fiori, which is full of restaurants and a fruit market. It's more expensive than the market near our house, but it still looks delicious. The peaches are so juicy and the grapes are all perfect...crap, I'm talking about food again....I really do love it :-)

We also went on a brief tour of the historic section of Rome, not that any of it isn't historic. I can't wait to spend more time in the Forum and Pantheon and Colosseum, to name a few. They're just so incredible. Last night was pretty relaxed......gelatto included of course(blackberry and nutella)

Today: TIVOLI IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!
Tivoli is this town about 40 minutes outside of Rome that will take your breath away. We started by walking the narrow cobblestone streets dating back to the 2nd century. We saw a few temples and a few waterfalls coming down through the hills. Most of the day, however, was spent in a Roman Villa. If I lived there, I would never want to leave. The inside is covered in frescoes and mosaics, all wonderfully preserved. And the outside.....well, to start, the villa is on top of a hill overlooking the valley that Rome occipes. It has a view stretching miles. Even more impressive are the gardens. 154 fountains. 154!! The water is all cold, fresh, mountain water that has been poured into the most beautiful and elaborate fountains I've ever seen. Fortunately for me, my group kind of disappeared as soon as we got there(trying to go through it all really fast), so I started walking with my professors. They were these really cute 60-year old men overflowing with information. And they were definitely willing to walk with a young lady and tell her everything they could. I learned so many interesting facts and cool stories. My archaeology professor, for instance, used to use the ruins as his personal castle when he was little and draw pictures all over them. He admits now that it wasn't his best idea. So we strolled through the gardens and fountains....I hope I can take everyone there some day...trust me, its well worth it.

Now we're back in Rome. Did a few errands, the usual living in a city type stuff. Tomorrow is free, we're planning on going to the market and then the beach in Ostia.

Ciao for now!