in which i catch up, attempt domesticity, go to a concert, and see my roommate in Rome
Monday July 8 - Friday July 12
So on Monday I SAW CHIARA IN ROME. I'm still kind of in shock because home and Chicago and now Rome and what (?!) people just everywhere life wow it was crazy. That sentence made no sense. We met in Piazza Navona, with me being like crazy super late because I had to take the bus, for which I was very sorry. As per uzh, an old man was a super creeper, we were packed like a can of sardines in a rectangular hunk of moving metal, and it was grody as balls. But anyway, we met up and headed over to Piazza di Spagna because we had to have tiramisu. Obviously. And it was delicious. Obviously. Anyway I'm having social media confusion because I feel like once I post photos on Facebook I've fulfilled my memory-saving obligations and am thus unmotivated to write about them as well, but whatever. I'm just going to repeat pix eh. Whilst walking and eating and walking and eating (what's new) we had the longest chat ever and I really missed my roommate so I'm glad I got to see her. We went up to Prati by Piazza Cavour near Castel Sant'Angelo (which reminds me, I still hav to go) and ate at her favorite gelatería, Gelateria dei Gracchi. I learned about this flavor called zabaione which is like egg and milk and dessert wine and straight up tastes like the rice wine dessert with tapioca and tang yuan that they make at Chin's. I've since eaten that like a million times. Anyway I need to go back because they had apple and mint and I have to have that. We went back to Piazza Navona, I had given up all hopes of going to class at that point, and went to this awesome salad place called L'insalata Ricca. I tried this incredible salad called insalata sfiziosa with shrimp, crab, corn, cherry tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, arugula and BUFFALO MOZZARELLA. Unfffffffffffffffhelp. When I get obsessed with places I go all the time and so I went again on Wednesday with Edmyt and Katarina. And also ditched class. I'm a terrible person.
Sigh I can't take normal pictures I looked weird that day
On Tuesday night I met up with a girl from my class, Kelly, who is American and from Boston! We went to this amazing and small and gorgeous restaurant called Da Umberto and tried pasta con cacio e pepe which was completely mind-blowing in its simplicity and depth of flavor. I'm going to try to make it at home. There's also a really cool bar near Piazza Trilussa (where we ate) that I want to try that apparently has a great aperitivo (happy hour) buffet. Afterwards we went for gelato at this cute place in Trastevere called Fior di Luna. And through all that time I barely took a picture. Shameful.
Ugly gelato pictures: pistachio and zabaione at Fior di Luna
Wednesday was the day where I ate so much gelato I died. Edmyt and Katarina got up at 9 and went shopping at Via del Corso. I haven't been sleeping well so there was no way in hell I could've gotten ready in time so I excused myself and met up with them for lunch at the Spanish Steps. We went back to L'Insalata Ricca, where I tried the lobster salad. It was delish. Damn I love that place. We ditched class, went back to Giolitti (the 150 flavor gelato place by the Pantheon) and I had the zabaione because I'm obsessed. Then I went home to get ready for the Arctic Monkeys concert, but had a headache from all the wine we drank at lunch, and so took a nap and almost didn't go. Wifi was out so I went to the gelateria by my house to use their computer, and of course bought gelato out of 1) politeness, and 2) desire.
L'insalata aragosta (lobster)
On the bus to the concert I met some guy named Chase who was wearing a California shirt and looks like how every boy looks like at home basically. He goes to Santa Barbara City College and is doing some kind of exchange program for film studies in Rome. So we met up at the concert with his roommates, and it ended up being me and five Southern Californian men--what are the odds, eh? Basically the concert was a concert--there were some rowdy Italian guys drinking coke + ?? aka ("magic potion"--"Do you want some?"--"No thanks"--No thank you, indeed), I was stuck in a mosh pit, the Vaccines were amazing and I was dying and they played All in White and Teenage Icon and If You Wanna and Post Break-up Sex and blah-dee-blah it rocked. Miles Kane was good, it rained, and Arctic Monkeys looked really really good but I left super early because I needed to take the Metro home before it shut down and the venue was super far south and it was super shady and I was glad I left when I did. Basically any time I get get home via Metro is a good time for me haha. I hid behind the bus stop until the bus came because I'm a freak and also because I was a scared freak but fine.
Magic potion man//I look like a bonobo butt
Phew. AND FINALLY. Yesterday because I had bought a shit load of groceries and eaten none of them because I'd gone out so much recently I invited some friends over to my apartment so I could cook dinner for them and my roommates. Katarina was sick, but Edmyt came and we had a great time. I made carbonara, and between us four girls we crushed an entire package of spaghetti (gluten-free!). So I think that means I did a good job aka I AM A KITCHEN GODDESS. But yeah it's cool that authentic carbonara is made without cream at all, and the creaminess comes from a beaten egg and cheese mixture that you cook with the heat of the freshly-cooked pasta. I also discovered how delicious panchetta is and how much I like cooking. Especially for people. Edmyt brought wine and we chatted and listened to music and watched Britain's Got Talent and it was a great night.
It looks disgusting but I swear it tasted good
AND THAT'S IT. Tonight I'm going on an Irish pub crawl and tomorrow to a disco that plays Latin music because it's Edmyt and Katarina's last weekend and Edmyt wants to dance! Haha. Sorry that was a lot of text but there you have it. I can't believe I'm leaving soon I don't want to go!!!
Ciao!
