A Night in the Eternal City

Warning: This entry not to be read while hungry! : )

For dinner our entire group stopped by a fancy sit down restaurant (I'm not sure of the name) and had a large traditional Italian dinner with apertif, primi piatti, secondi piatti, insalade and dessert!



Primi piatti was spaghetti and marinara sauce (the first spaghetti I've had since being here).


Second piatti (or the main course) was delicious! It was cooked pork with cheese and bacon on top, marinated in a sauce that was similar to chicken bouillon.


We received our salad and insalade at the same time. The salad was okay, a little strong for my tastes, the other plate was filled with fried things! Fried artichoke, mozzarella balls (PS: the mozzarella is really different here... very wet and usually immersed in water), riso balls and other fried vegetables.


I think only one person liked the dessert. It was some sort of flan cake covered in a sweet sauce... but not sweet enough. After trying some and waiting awhile I looked around and everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing I was... it's the first thing I've had here that I haven't liked!

Believe it or not, I've mistakenly ordered a tripe sandwich on two occasions and liked it--meanwhile its a gallette (cake) that is the only thing that hasn't lived up to expectation! I find that very funny... especially because all of the sweets here have been delicious.


After dinner the professors took us for a walk to the Trevi fountain. On the way we passed a few landmarks, but many of them were under constructions, including Bernini's "Four Rivers" which was impossible to make out through the scaffolding.



The Trevi Fountain has a more mystical and romantic air to it at night. It definitely seems to possess magic. Mr. Nero gave me a great description of what was going on in the fountain (meaning, symbolism, etc.) and I left that evening having a much greater appreciation for it!




And I threw a coin in!