Famous fountains in Piazza Navona

The Romans always favored symmetry as one can notice as they travel the streets into and out of piazzas and churches. It can also be realized by noticing the two fountains located at the southern and northern end of the Piazza Navona, the Fontana di Nettuno and Fontana del Moro. Both fountains were created by Giacomo della Porto in 1575 and 76.

The Fontana del Moro is constructed of antique marble and represents an Ethiopian fighting with a dolphin. More than 75 years later Bernini made an addition of a triton as the central figure. Opposite of the Fontana del Moro there resides Giacomo's other work, the Fontant de Nettuno or the Fountain of the Boilermakers. It resembles Neptune god of the sea fighting with an octopus, a symmetrical theme from the fountain on the opposite side of the piazza.

"Neptune Fountain." Piazza Navona. 2004. Rome Viva. 5/28/08.

Dinner in Sorrento

It was a warm Saturday night in Sorrento. There were people swarming the streets socializing, shopping and dining. After a long day touring the beautiful grottos on the island of Capri I was showered and ready to sit down for a scrumptious meal. We found out about a little restaurant in the center of town from a guy that came into our hotel room to change the phones. He raved about this place called the Red Lion. The Red Lion was apparently really popular and had delicious food for a decent price. We thought that if the locals went there then it definitely was worth our while.

When we arrived at the Red Lion the hostess immediately seated the group. We were tucked in the back part of the cozy restaurant and given menus. It took me only about five minutes to choose what I wanted. The pasta with a thick creamy sauce with tomatoes, mushroom, and a shrimp seemed like the perfect mix for my mood.

I waited anxiously for my food to come out. Little did I know that it wouldn’t show up for another hour. The service was horrible to say the least. I understand it was a busy Saturday night, but we didn’t even receive our drinks until after our food came out. We waited a ridiculous amount of time for our food as we watched people who ordered after us eating their meals. We ordered a zucchini pasta dish for an appetizer because we were all so hungry from our adventurous day. The penne was drenched in a white sauce and had cut pieces of the vegetable sprinkled overtop of it. It was surprisingly enjoyable to me because I’m not particularly a fan of zucchini, but maybe I just found it so good because I was so hungry.

When we finally began to eat our meals the thick noodles of pasta in the creamy sauce filled me after only two bites. I ordered the shrimp because I thought that they would be big and fresh, but there were only four tiny shrimp almost the size of a walnut. We all passed around our plates to try what everyone else had ordered. Even though the service was lacking, the food was good and we had fun.

Just don't get caught buying that fake fendi!

As a tourist in Italy the street vendors stand out peddling their knock off products with names such as Prada, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton. These products are blatant forms of copyright infringement but nothing stopped consumers from trying to save some money on a designer purse or sunglasses. Now that 20 euro purse may just end up costing you 10,000 euros in fines.

The counterfeit sale industry costs businesses about 300 billion euro in lost sales. To help curb these losses, Italian officials are trying to fight the crime. In a six month span, Italian customs officials confiscated 1.9 million pieces of counterfeit products. Not only are they trying to stop it at the source, tourists and buyers can see pernalties for fueling these illegal businesses.

Since 2001, 80,000 jobs have been lost at majorcompanies due to illegally pirated sales. Purchasing knock-off products hurts the authentic industries as well is a crime, as some tourists have discovered. According to an Italian consumer website, a Florence resident was fined 3,300 for purchasing a pair of sunglasses for 11 euros. These illegal items may seem like good bargains, but after having to pay a 3,000 euro fine it might have been better to purchase the real thing. On top of receiving an outrageous fine, you will be stuck carrying around a bag with fake leather and a cheap broken zipper.

Freeman, Alan L. & Forden, Sara Gay. In Italy buying a fake handbag isn't a joke- it's a crime." 1/14/06. International Herald Tribune. 5/27/08.

A true convient store

As I was sitting in by the ocean in Sorrento waiting until it was time to check into our hotel, I saw some pretty interesting things. I was sitting on the bench and a truck pulled up in front of me with the most random sales products. All the four corners of the pick-up truck were completely packed with various household necessities.

The backend consisted of trashcans of all different sizes and colors, including blue, green, red, grey and yellow. One the sides of the truck there was a railing with all sorts of cleaning products. Underneath there were even pedicure kits for women that held a filer, a nailbrush, and a little container of nail polish remover. Most of the smaller containers of cleaner and cosmetic bags had an asking price of 4 euro, which is kind of a lot when we think about how much less a bottle of Windex would normally cost in the states. The light-weight products such as toilet paper and paper towels were placed on the top of the truck which the guy would climb up a ladder the was propped on the side. This was kind of surprising considering the heftiness of the seller. I walked around the truck asking the man how much everything cost and I think the man was getting angry with me because he didn’t really understand English and on top of that, I didn’t end up buying anything.

My business definitely wasn’t necessary because as soon as the man parked the truck in the tiny road, local residents came down from their apartments and circled the vehicle looking for things to purchase. This moving grocery store is convenient for those who don’t have time to walk into the center of town or only need a particular item. Either people were used to the costly prices or decided that it was worth it to not have to pay for a bus into town. The only thing that this truck lacked was food, but who would really want there produce mixed with cleaning products anyway?

Pasta sales increase

As most of us are aware prices seem to be rising everywhere, from oil to a slice of pizza. One place where rising prices are affecting people is here in Italy. According to a recent study by the Confederazione Italiana Agricoltori (CIA) pasta sales have fallen by 2.6 % in the last year as prices rose by 20% on pasta. The rise insrices is due to major populated countries such as China and India raising the demand for wheat based products. While the cost of oil is rising, it is causing the cost of transporting the grains to increase which leads to higher pasta prices.

These increases in prices are changing the buying habits of many Italian residents as they search for cheaper protein enriched foods. Both chicken and egg sales have increased by 4% since this change. The CIA also believe that a lifestlye change is occurring in the eating habits of Italians, "More Italians are now buying chicken pieces instead of pasta, fried foods instead of vegetables and cheese instead of fruit, " according to a CIA report. Many wonder whether this trend of less pasta eating will continue to decrease and the Mediterranean cuisine may be less popular as it once flourished. Most consumers do agree that these prices are here to stay. I guess that I will just have to live with the high prices of pasta because there is no way that I can live without it in my diet!

Adams, Stephen. "Pasta sales fall in Italy as prices soar." 5/6/2008. The British Telegraph. 5/27/08. < http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1930791/Pasta-sales-fall-in-Italy-as-prices-soar.html>

Sant'Agnese Church in Piazza Navona

One of the most famous sites located at Piazza Navona is the Sant'Agnese in Agone church. The 17th century structure was designed and constructed by Girolamo and Carlo Rainaldi under the request of Pope Innocent X. Adjacent to the church is the palace of Pamphilj, the pope's family, almost as a private chapel. The outside of the church is a wide façade that represents Baroque architecture. It has a large dome and two symmetrical towers on each side. The church represents a Greek cross structure common to Roman churches. Inside the church contains many marble structures where in the main altar there contains a marble relief portraying the Miracle of Sant'Agnese. The dome sits atop eight pillars Corinthian columns that gives the church an octagonal resemblance. Also inside the crypt of Pope Innocence X rests with his funerary monument above the entrance that makes one of the first objects viewers see. The inside of Sant'Agnese in Agone additionally offers frescoes of Gaulli, Ciro Ferri and Sebastiano Corbellini in the cupola. The legend of the church states that St Agnes as a teenager refused to renounce Christ in 304 AD and in turn was cast naked and decapitated in the stadium of Domitian. Beneath the church her body remains where she was martyred.

Sant' Agnese in Agone." Churches of Rome Wiki. February 27, 2007. Wikia. 5/27/08. < http://romanchurches.wikia.com/wiki/Sant'Agnese_in_Agone>

Procession in St. Peters

During my trip to the Vatican I saw many interesting statues and detailed frescoes. However, one of the most exciting things that occurred while I was circling St. Peter’s was the procession. I had been looking around for at least an hour when all of a sudden bells began to ring and loud instrumental music radiating from the organ. Everyone rushed to the center of the church to see the priests and cardinals walking to the papal alter. They were dressed in the red, gold, purple, violet and white linens that are mentioned in Dickens’ writing. It was so cool to see the three cardinals pass by me from only about 5 feet away. The three cardinals are possibly the second most important figures of the Catholic Church. When the Pope passes away the cardinals choose who will become the next Pope in the Sistine Chapel. The alter servers held their long white candles close to their bodies, while surrounding the tall metal cross in the middle. As they passed, the strong aroma of incense consumed the air. The rich, natural scent is contracted from certain resinous trees in preparation for the offering of the Eucharist. It is said that incense is used a as symbol of sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit and the prayers of the saints rising to heaven. I think that visiting the Vatican and seeing the procession was the first time that I was actually really excited to be in church.

"Incense." Wikipedia. 30 Apr.-May 2008. 27 May 2008 .

The History of Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is one of the most popular attractions among tourists and residents of Rome. The rectangular shape of the area obtained its shape from the route of the Roman stadium built by Emperor Domitian. In the square they held sports competitions much like those in the Greek Olympic Games. The piazza was not used for gladiator fights like the Coliseum. During the Renaissance the area was altered back to the way it was originally before Emperor Constant II abandoned the beautiful atmosphere. The fountain of Rivers located in the center of the square was a masterpiece of Gian Lorenzo Bernini that had been arranged by Pope Innocent X in 1651. The Danube, Ganges, Nile, Rio de la Plata are recognized as the four longest rivers in the world and represent their continents. The Fontana di Nettuno stands at the northern end of the piazza where there are sculptures of Neptune and the Nereids. At the opposite end is presented with the Fontana Del Moro, where Moor is seen fighting a dolphin.There are a number of churches surrounding the Piazza including the Church of Santa Maria dell'Anima, the Church of Santa Maria della Pace, the Palace of Sapienza, the church of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, and the Church of St.Luis of the French. Each church houses art from some of the most notable artists such as Bernini, Caravaggio, and Raphael.

Hutchesson, Ian. "Piazza Navona." 1. 25 May 2008 .

Fruit Carts in Sorrento

This weekend some of the CAS program girls and I took a trip down to southern Italy. The town of Sorrento offered cute little boutiques and fashion apparel along the small cluttered streets. One thing of the things that I noticed during our stay was the fruit trucks that had stopped on the side of the road for people to come and purchase their fresh produce. Local residents of Sorrento had bought all types of fruit such as peaches, apricots, nectarines, tomatoes, and lemons that were about the size of a football. The strong scent of each individual fruit led me to believe that the fruit had just been picked from the fields that morning. Even in the United States some of the most delicious fruit is found outside of the grocery store and on the little vendors stationed outside of local farms.

The most popular fruit among the variety are the massive lemons. The lemons are commonly used to make lemoncello. The lemon rinds, alcohol, sugar and water mixture provide a sweet taste that in produced mainly in the surrounding regions of Naples. The alcoholic beverage is inexpensive to make and can be made at home for an even stronger taste than what is offered in the stores. Restaurants in other countries, such as the United States, United Kingdom and Australia are beginning to add the choice of lemoncello on their desert menus just as it is listed here in Italy. In my house at home my dad will usually keep a bottle of lemocello in the freezer and use it for an after dinner treat. While out to dinner on the island of Sorrento the waiter would complete his serviced to our table by bringing out a tray filled with shots of the refreshing drink.

Barilla's In Control

One of the most popular imported box-sold pasta is Barilla. I am writing about this particular brand because I thought it was interesting when I had seen Barilla being sold in the standas here in Rome. The company’s goal is to make cooking entertaining while sparking your curiosity to try to combinations. Pietro Barilla believed that cooking helps to develop strong relationships between family members, friends and even countries. No other company would know better about establishing a relationship than those of this family-run company. Since being produced in Parma, Italy in 1877, the owners and creators of Barilla have dedicated themselves to making a product with great flavor, convenience and highest quality standards. Pietro and his son Riccardo averaged 18 hours a day in a small kitchen making handmade fresh bread and pasta. Viela Barilla has been the location of the factory in Italy since 1907 where there are now being more than 4,000 tons of pasta made each daily. There are now 30 other locations where this respected company provides over 120 shapes and sizes. In 1996 Barilla earned the spot as the number one brand of pasta being sold internationally.

*Information provided by www.Barillaus.com

Flower Vendors

Along with the vendors around the city filled with material things such as clothes and sunglasses, they also sell all different types of flowers. Some of the most common flowers being sold include sunflowers, lillies, orchids and many different colored roses. Each of the flowers are sold at prices relating the type of flower and the desired amount. I have seen two flowers vendors so far during my stay in Rome. One of them was located on the main street of Trastevere, and the other over just over the bridge infront of the Jewish synogog. The flowers attract all different buyers from town locals to people passing through and buying one for their loved ones. At nighttime even thought the vendors close down, there are men all over the main attractions such as Piazza Navona and Campo Dei Fiori. Men walk around with bundles of flowers trying to get tourists to buy them girls. They will even come up to you will you are trying to enjoy a meal at a cafe and persistantly try to convince you to purchase them.

In Italy there are different meanings for the amount of roses you wish to buy.One rose translates to "thanks for the visit" and three roses stands for "I love you." Some of the flowers are exceptionally beautiful and can be bartered for a lower price than what is originally being asked.

Gnocchi- Best Pronounced N-Y-U-K-I-E!

While I was in Piazza Navona this past Sunday watching tons of the people eating outside of the cute little cafés surrounding the square my stomach started to growl. The sweet smell of tomato sauce consumed the air so much that I just could no longer resist. After circling the piazza for nearly 15 minutes looking at menus and secretly scoping out other peoples meals from a distance, I finally picked place to sit down and have a relaxing lunch. I opened the thickest menu I had ever seen and peered down the list of pasta entrées. I stared at the picture of gnocchi for at least three minutes and decided to take a chance even though I have never really liked that particular type of pasta unless it was cooked by my mom before. When I was little I hated gnocchi and called the yuckies while refusing to eat them. After taking my first bite I could safely say that my mom still holds the record for the best gnocchi that I have ever tasted. Although the sauce at café Ai Tre Tartufi tasted quite good, the gnocchi could be best described as potato rocks. I know that pasta al dente is supposed to be one of the Italian traditions of pasta, but in all seriousness I am not trying to crack a tooth during my time in Italy.

At home we follow and old family recipe to make our gnocchi but for those who have never tried it before a general recipe calls for five major ingredients. Three pounds of russet potatoes, two cups of all purpose flour, 1 extra large egg, half a cup of vegetable oil and a small dab of salt. After mixing all of the ingredients, begin forming the dough by softly kneading for four minutes or until it is not sticky or too wet. Cut the ball of dough into ¾-inch pieces and gently roll over it with your fingertips to make a cylinder shape. Then, cut the long dowels of dough into 1-inch pieces. After the pasta starts to float to the top of the boiling water use a strainer to drain the water. Part of our family tradition is to roll the one inch pieces with our pointer finger and middle finger into a slightly concave shape. We do this process to make the pasta cook quicker and to keep them from becoming too heavy and hard. Now that you have the recipe, I recommend you try it yourself and begin your own pasta making traditions. My family always has so much fun in the kitchen, socializing and joking around during the process of making our homemade gnocchi!

Recipe provided by: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_5283,00.html

Cheap and Fun Decorations

While I was making my way over to Piazza Navona I stopped multiple times to check out all of the exceptional side street sales that had been set up for the day. From a distance I saw a man weaving tiny frogs, dragonflies, lizards as well as other insects and animals from white and green palm leaves. All of the creatures were attached to a long trunk resting in a tinted blue glass bottle. The craftsman continued to hang more figures on different branches giving it the allusion of flying or jumping. The little palm insects were a cute idea for balcony décor and were being sold for only two euro.

A few hours later I saw a young girl and guy selling colorful paintings along Via Del Corso and was curious to see how the pictures came out. They continued to stay focused on their work while barely ever stopping to look up from the canvas. The scenic displays were made from airbrushing on top of a stencil and collaborating vibrant colors. All different types of people including tourists and locals gathered around the painters to admire their artistry. The artwork was being sold at varying prices according to the size and amount of labor the piece entailed, the cheapest one being 10 euro. It is a small price to pay for beautiful artwork, especially when your plain, all white walls are completely bare such as mine here in Rome.

Lunch In Piazza Navona

Today Brooke and I walked to Piazza Navona to eat a nice relaxing lunch and enjoy the daily entertainment that was happening during the day. While we were walking we were distracted by all of the shops and beautiful buildings and must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. We eventually found our way back to the pantheon and followed the streets signs which led us to the notorious square. When we finally arrived there we circled the area trying to find a nice place to eat. We chose a tiny café called Ai Tre Tartufi that was dressed in flowered gold and blue tablecloths and parallel to the Fiumi fountain located in the center of the piazza. I really hope that the fountain in the center is finished being restored before the time we leave so that I will be able to see it without walls surrounding it and filled with flowing water While we were eating our delicious meals an accordion player stopped in front of our table to place us some music. When he was done playing, he reached out a little yellow sack so I picked up my purse and trying to gather any loose change I could find for him to show our appreciation for his wonderfully unique talent. I was surprised when the waiter had asked us to pay right after we had gotten our food, but thought it could have been the end of his work shift and he wanted to have the money before he left. We saw a large circle of people surrounding a man dressed in a pink, black and white stripped tuxedo doing magic tricks. He picked three men from the audience to help him perform a particular trick. It was getting late so we decided to back to the apartment, stopping to admire the painted mimes as we walked.

Street Vendors

As I’ve been exploring the streets of Rome for the first time I noticed that there are many of street vendors and other kiosk-like booths filling the streets and alleyways of Rome. The different size tables display a variety of merchandise including jewelry, shoes, purses, postcards, sunglasses and even underwear at some. Some of the salespeople will even negotiate their original asking price or cut you deal for buying more than one item. Some of the stuff that is being sold on the street is handcrafted or painted right before your eyes and set to be sold within the hour or even a couple of minutes. The vendors are always packed with people surrounding every corner throughout the entire day. At the end of the night the owners close down by either locking metal gates or packing their products up to put in a bag until they return the next morning. The different vendors often attract local residents and tourists looking for a quick solution to finding almost anything you need for an affordable cost.

Our Night in the Kitchen

Last night some of the girls and I went to Standa’s, the local grocery store in our town of Trastevere, to buy ingredients for a dinner that we had been craving all day long. We bought bread and baked in the oven for five minutes with balsamic vinaigrette to add some extra taste. While that was baking away we boiled a pot of spaghetti and chopped some tomatoes into little pieces along with bits of mozzarella cheese. When the pasta was done we mixed all of the ingredients with a pesto and olive oil sauce. Some of us sprinkled parmesan cheese on top while others used balsamic vinaigrette to enhance the flavor. We enjoyed our yummy dinner while seating down outside on our balcony and sipping our bottles of Italian wine. The pasta was delicious and we even saved a couple of euro by making it ourselves! During the week we also ate at a cute little Italian restaurant only a couple feet away from the Pantheon called Regalo Di Lorenzo. I ordered the cannelloni dish because it looked the most appetizing to me. The spinach and ricotta flavor was a perfect blend with the creamy red tomato sauce!

Pasta!

There is no other place in the world better than the pasta made right here in Italy. There are so many different types of pasta and sauces you can order or make in your own kitchen to satisfy your taste buds. There are so many Italian restaurants in the United States that try to imitate the great taste of Italian style cooking. My mom has always made her own pasta sauce by juicing ripened tomatoes and cooking it on the stove for many hours to enrich its tastiness with the seasoning of meatballs and Italian sausage. In Italy pasta is served as the first meal in a dinner and usually followed by a plate of meat or fish and a salad. Pasta can also be stuffed with things such as spinach or ricotta cheese to add some extra flavor. It is common for Italians to drink red wine with a tomato sauce and white wine with a creamy sauce. Our family always makes homemade gnocchi by using potatoes and rolling them with our fingers. I’m excited to see how similar the gnocchi will be here; hopefully I won’t have to tell my mom that hers wasn’t as good because that may upset her! I am going to eat all of the pasta that I can during my stay here in Italy, I love it!

Piazza Navona*

Nothing compares to the enternaintment and beauty of the square located in the center of Rome known as Piazza Navona. The piazza is filled with people roaming about watching its theatrical acts and taking pictures by the three extravagant fountains. Some of the piazza's detailed statues were built and restored by Rome's most notorious artists such as Giacomo Della Porta and Gion Lorenze Bernini and date back to the 15th century. Of the three fountains the most spectacular is La Fontana Dei Fiumi with its lifelike poses and representation of ancient Rome. No matter what season it is, the square attracks thousands of people a day to its shops and cafes. Musicians playing various instruments like the banjo and accordion provide hours of amusement for onlookers. Artists offer to paint pastel or black and white portraits for a fair price. The outdoor cafes attract people with their sweet smells and picturesque look. The Piazza will remain a main attraction for many years to come.