Day four, field trip!

Okay, I'm at an internet cafe so this will have to be quick even though I have so much to say - as always.

Today was a field trip day- we left at 7:30 and went about and hour and a half outside of the city to Terrencia (I think) a small medieval town that seems to have been stuck in time. The building and streets are all hundreds of years old and in a state of semi disrepair that gives it incredible character. It also seems to be in a pocket outside of the world just a tiny small town where word of the americans spread fast and people sitting on stoops asked where we were from as we went by. It was one of Rome's first coloneys back in the BC era!

These peoples houses are right next door to ruins, some ruins are in peoples backyards! There was an excavation halted because they had hit peoples homes that have to be knocked down to reveal the rest of the ruin. These people are just living around ancient history like it's nothing. IT was incredibly old world small town, all cobblestone streets and tiny groecerey shops- like the one we went into and got sandwiches. NOthing was premade, and there was only one woman how had to make each sanwich and ring us up- and they were very hearty bare bones- meat and cheese and bread- no veggies cut up or condiments- it wasn't like subway. It was a tiny shop and what they had really reflected that!

We ddint stay long but the pictures I got were amazing. Then we traversed tons of teeny tiny twisting roads in a huge bus, and I thought we were going to die because not only were we squeezing around tight corners we were going up a small mountain. It was foggy so it seemed like we were climing through the clouds small towns spread out below us with other mountains in the distance. It was the site of a temple of Jupiter OPtimus Maximus, who is the Romen equivalent to Zeus. We wandered around the temple site and were right by the sea but couldn't even see it! On the top of the mountain/large hill was asmall cafe to eat lunch populated with a few stray cats and kittens who we fed bread to. yes, Bread, and they fought over it until we frantically gave out enough for both cats! The tables and chairs were surrounded by bushes and flowering trees with aview of the ocean on better days.

Our next site was the sea side Villa of uhm, someone. But more importantly this guy had his dining room in a huge cave. The cave was connected to the sea so im not sure it was technically a cave because it was filled with water. Anyways he built platforms and put in towering statues depicting scenes from the Odyssey and illiad to surround the diners as they ate surrounded by beautiful blue water with fish swimming around them. It was insanely surreal. It was actually beautiful, not dark and dank because the opening was huge and let in light so you could see the details of the rock high above you. I want my dining room to be filled with water and be in a cave with statues depicting great epics. I told the professor so. I mean his villa was build around the hillside and cave and cliff, almost INTO the hillside so it was an amazing place. You walked out of the cave and to your richt was the edge of the cliff with shimming ocean beyond. By now the sky was blue and the sun shining, reflecting off the water. Behind you were green mountains and hills towering above. Today in the distance you see the small medieval towns propped on the cliffs! It was an amazing little world!

We returned and bought some much needed necessities and pasta! Each bag of pasta is 39 euro cents! Wonderful! UNfortunately things like laundry detergent and shampoo and are not so cheap! Okay onto the more interesting stuff. We hav been wandering around shops before this, and it is amazing, you will have a high end shop with clothing that is way expensive like 200 eros for a summer dress next to a small basement shop with hand made jewlery and pottery. there isn't a high end area and a low end area, they are all side by side, with street vendors and tables outside with the same type of range- some selling hundred euro bags while others sell scarves and rings for cheap!

I've been trying to think of others and what i can bring home for people, and I'm torn between things that are obviously from Rome and just really cute jewlery or scarves that might not say Rome on them. There is just about every kind of shop you can imagine though- they arent all souvenier shops by far! A lot of little boutiques and shops selling funky original accesories in a variety of styles!

It's so hard to be restrained with my money. I really want to budget but at the same time I want to be able to let go a bit because hellooo it's rome!! We'll see how well I do but hey once in a life time chance, dont want any regrets! Would type more but time is running out! Monday will have a longer entry, dont think I'll be around til then, costs too much to use an internet cafe!

Bye for now, forgive any typos, am in a rush!!!