Trastevere

As promised, I wandered around my neighborhood yesterday afternoon and had quite a nice day.  The area of town I'm living in is called Trastevere.  It was originally--we're talking Roman Republic/early Imperial days--a neighborhood of outcasts outside the city walls, Jews, Christians, and the like.  Fast forward almost 2,000 years and you'd find Trastevere a neighborhood of very old families with deep roots; the people living here felt they were more Roman than the Romans living in the city center and they were probably right.  Today, Trastevere is a vibrant community with a great mix of people including recent arrivals and foreign students like myself.  It is also one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Rome.  There are countless restaurants and bars and cafes as well as boutiques and clothing stores and nic-nac shops.   

The campanelli in the background belongs to Santa Maria in Trastevere. 
Google it because it is one of the most beautiful churches I have ever
been inside but was unable to capture it with my camera. 

This is a small part of the facade of Santa Maria in Trastevere.  The blocks
or marble embedded into the wall are pieces from ancient Roman
buildings that are being reused to provide both structure and history
to the church.  You can see that some of the inscriptions are official
while others are ancient graffiti. 

 Last night the faculty hosted a marvelous dinner for us at a restaurant called Taverna Antonina.  Did I mention that it was marvelous?  It was.  It began with the antipasti--a plate of several cured hams and cheeses, another with a pile of seafood, squid, shrimp, octopus.  A third of grilled vegetables and a fourth of bruschetta.  Then the pasta course with a red sauce and panchetta; others had a ravioli stuffed with pear.  The pasta course was followed by a plate of mixed meats for me, a small and thin steak, lamb chops and a patty of the beef and lamb mixed together served with a mouthwatering bearnaise sauce.  Others had either a lamb steak or a zucchini encrusted sea bass.  Finally a pistachio tiramisu with a side of hazelnut gelato ended the meal.  

 After dinner I went wandering around my neighborhood again.  It was a beautiful evening, warm and clear.  The streets were crowded with young people spilling out of the bars, restaurants and cafes.  It was loud and energetic and vibrant and I had a wonderful time.