such great heights

I know, I know...I'm a failure, I've neglected my blog. I just didn't think there was anything significant to report, so now you're all going to have to slog through a post jam-packed with many insignificant things. Ha! Anyway, our most recent all-day trip was to Tusculum, where the rich and famous of ancient Rome (most notably, Cicero) had their holiday villas. We had to hike up a cliff face in the most powerful winds I've ever experienced (yes, that includes Chicago). Actually, that's a lie--we didn't have to. We could have stayed at a lower altitude and looked for the remains of the villas, but the high citadel was on the very top of the bluffs, and you just can't tell a group of classics majors there's an ancient citadel to explore and expect them not to go find it. Even if that means getting dirt lodged IN YOUR EYEBALLS from the gale-force winds (which it did for me). Ah well, the view alone was completely worth it. I could see all of Tusculum stretched out around me, the Alban Mount across the valley where they would make sacrifices to Jupiter, and lush mountaintops in every direction. It was simply jaw-dropping. None of my photos managed to do it justice; it's impossible to capture the sheerness of the cliffs, the dizzying sense of looking out at the countryside from so great a height. So you'll have to use your imaginations...

We also had our first trip the Roman Forum this week--the first of five. Now, I understand there's quite a lot to see at the Forum, but honestly, five trips? It seems a tad excessive. Couldn't our time be better spent elsewhere? Say, at a gelateria somewhere? I think you see what I mean.

This weekend has been really fun--we had a wine tasting at the Centro, and today Stephanie and I braved the bus lines in search of the Valentino exhibit at the Ara Pacis museum. And guess what? We finally found it! The exhibition--45 Years of Valentino--was just beautiful. Mannequins in haute couture were arranged in pyraminds, hanging from the walls...there was even one rotating in a pit set deep into the floor. But the most amazing part? They had gowns on display that had been made for and worn by individual celebrities! We saw the gowns Halle Berry, Cate Blanchett and Julia Roberts were wearing to the Academy Awards when they won their Oscars. It was incredible to see them up close; a combination of pop culture and art. I can remember seeing them all for the first time on television, or in my endless collection of magazines. There were others less familiar but equally beautiful--gowns worn by Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Onassis and Sophia Loren. It was like being in the presence of Hollywood royalty. Also on display were hundreds of Valentino's original sketches, some with fabric samples attached, which you could examine with a magnifying glass.

The rest of the day we spent wandering down the Via del Corso, which is packed with shops. (NOTE: I strongly discourage shopping here on the weekends. You will only get trampled/get elbowed in the eye/develop a severe sense of claustrophobia.) However, I did visit Italian Zara (which paled in comparison to the glory of Parisian Zara, in case you were wondering, Alissa and Casey) and Italian Sephora! Where Benefit's Dandelion costs--brace yourself--32 euros. That's over 45 dollars! Nearly double what it costs at home! I almost had a heart attack. To console ourselves in the face of this harsh reality, Stephanie and I took up another quest: the search for the best gelato in Rome. Now, legend has it there are two places vying for the title, both in the same area. All we knew was that the name of one of the places started with "G" and to find it, you must find a little green sign on the Via del Corso. But find it we did, and even though it's tucked away on a tiny street near the Pantheon, it's by no means unknown. At least not to the Italians; we had to elbow our way through an unusually large gelato-crazed mob. But when we did...ohhh man was it good. The place is called "Giolitti" and let me tell you, if you are ever in Rome, it's well worth taking the time to find.

I'm going to have severe gelato withdrawl when I go home...