Likes/Dislikes

My parents left yesterday morning, so I am now on my own. I decided to go downtown for the day and wander the streets. It was another beautiful day, and there were people everywhere. It’s pretty difficult to pick one favorite spot in Rome, but I have to say that Piazza di Spagna (the Spanish Steps) is incredible. The street leading up the the steps is Via Condotti (the Rodeo Dr. of Rome). It’s lined with the most expensive shops in the world and makes for some great window shopping. I MIGHT be able to afford a pair of socks from one of the stores, but with the weak dollar even that might be tough. I was however, able to go to a Louis Vuitton party the other day at the shop on Via Condotti. A friend of my cousin is the director of the store, and so I was invited to the event. I’ve never been to something like that before, so it was a pretty cool experience.

Here are some more of my likes/dislikes so far...

Like: The beauty of the “passeggiata.” This is basically an evening stroll around town normally before a late dinner. It gives a chance for the people to have an aperitivo, some gelato, meet up with friends, or just people watch for a little bit. It’s very casual and no one is ever in a hurry...it’s just about enjoying the night. (I put up a great picture of four old men during their passeggiata).

Dislike: Graffiti around the city. Rome is filled with sights that are absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, there is graffiti almost everywhere. What makes it even worse is that it’s not even artistic/creative graffiti. I can at least appreciate the artistic talent of some of the graffiti in places like NYC. In Rome it all looks like it was done by some eight year old kid.

Like: The fruit and vegetable markets. There is a great market around the block from my apartment. Everything is seasonal and fresh. I’m looking forward to what’s available in the winter, but right now I don’t mind eating peaches the size of grapefruits.

Dislike: All the smoking. I can’t stand cigarette smoke and it’s tough to escape.

Like: Rome is (in my opinion) the most romantic city in the world. Of course there are many places I haven’t been and I’m biased a bit, but walking around the streets at night is stunning. At the moment I don’t have a girlfriend, but when I do this is the city I am taking her to first. Plus, romantic comes from the word Roma. Ok, I made that up, but it seems to work right?? Haha!!

Dislike: There are water fountains all around Rome that continuously run all day and night. They are charming and the water is very clean and fresh. But why not put little on/off knobs on them? You want a drink...turn to left. You’ve had enough...turn to right. Seems pretty simple.


That’s it for now. I’m leaving for Worlds in London on Tuesday, so I’ll be there for the week cheering on Team USA. I’ll also be writing for Inside Gymnastics, so if you get a chance check it out.
I also put up some pics on my facebook page which was a little easier than putting them on this site. Let me know what you think!