Day Three!

Gypsie (v): the act of getting pick pocketed by gypsies in Rome, Italy. Definition courtesy of Mr. Andrew Arrington.

The second full day in Rome is coming to a close, and I have yet to be gyspied (knock on wood). I must say, I was expecting the citizens of Rome to come out full throttle, their hands twitching to reach into my bag and grab my valuables and not-so-valuables. The gypsies would swarm like flies attracted to my tourist aura. Rome would be ruined for me. Such has not been the case, I can joyfully announce. The citizens of Rome have been incredibly generous to this young tourist, starting with the owner of a small café near the apartment where I am staying. While I naturally attract exasperated looks of “Oh look, another Americano”, the people I have interacted with (albeit few) have been incredibly patient with my clumsy attempts at their beautiful language, especially when it comes to explaining that I am, as they say, vegetariano.

Speaking of vegetarian, Italy has been surprisingly reliable when it comes food for the non-meat eater. While there are a plethora of dishes with classically Italian meats, there are staple dishes that are authentically Italian and delicious to boot. I personally adore caprese salads, which are a mix of mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and a little spice. This delightful combo is filling, but not fattening, and very affordable for the frugal tourist. Anyone and everyone should have the pizza of course: at the dinner with the fellow Global Scholars, I had a simple margherita pizza, a dish that anyone who’s ever been to California Pizza Kitchen would be familiar with. Unlike the West Coast franchise, a truly Italian margherita is light, lacking the extra oil and grease and cheese compounded upon each other. I ate the entire pizza, and not once did I feel guilty or sickly. The food in Italy is simply lovely, readers.

There are so many more items I have to share, but alas jet lag is catching up to me. Arrivederci, readers, and look forward to the next installment of the Global Scholars adventures in Rome!