tombs: dank, but fun!

After slogging through a full day of class on Monday, our academic diligence was rewarded on Tuesday with--finally!--our first full-day field trip! We went to the National Archaeological Museum in Etruria and spent the next several hours exploring Etruscan tombs in Tarquinia and Cervetere. Now, clambering over rocks and exploring dank tombs may not sound like fun to some, but despite the indisputable hiking element and the fact that I went all day without touching up my makeup (gasp!), I had an absolutely amazing time. Tarquinia was amusing mostly because of the British man on our audio guide, saying things like, "on the east wall, you will see a slave defecating" and describing scenes as "orgiastic." (Why anyone would want a picture of their slave defecating on the wall of their eternal resting place remains a mystery to me.) The Tarquinian tombs were all enclosed behind glass to protect the wall paintings--once you descended underground you could only stare through the windows--so I was expecting the same at Cervetere. But there we were allowed to actually enter the tombs themselves! It was so unbelievably cool. The tombs were inside these giant mounds called tumuli, carved into the solid rock within. Some of them were much harder to access than others--you would have to either lower yourself down a narrow staircase through a cave-type opening or climb up rocky hillside. Each tomb had markers outside to indicate who was buried there, and the burial "couches" inside the more elaborate tombs were also designed specifically for either men or women. Some of them were deep underground and had multiple burial chambers, which we explored with flashlights. Others had half a foot of stagnant water in the bottom...those we generally avoided. After several long hours of spelunking, we managed to find the snack bar and I bought tasty lemon granita. I thought it was pretty hilarious that there was a snack bar in the middle of a necropolis...but I was really thirsty, so I wasn't about to make a point about disrespecting the ancient dead. But really, what would the Etruscans think if they knew there were people wandering through their tombs and then buying cool refreshing treats? Actually, if in two thousand years my grave was a tourist attraction, I'd be pumped, but maybe that's just me.

After the tombtastic fun, we got back on the bus and headed to the beach in a small town that really reminded me of southern California...it had a plethora of palm trees and a very mellow, Pacific coast vibe. I got gelato at a beachside pirate-themed stand and just soaked up the sun. Interestingly, it seems the Italians don't like to actually go in the water. For some reason they think it's dangerous. I think the Centristi were the only ones actually swimming! Although I suppose the sea in September is nothing special to the Italians...they've got gorgeous beaches all year, after all.

Today after our Latin class, my friend Carla and I went to a cafe for a coffee break, where I realized too late I had made the treacherous mistake of ordering cappuccino after 11 am. I expected jaws to drop and Italian laughter to echo through the streets, but the server didn't so much as raise an eyebrow! Did she expect nothing better from a foolish American? Or is the whole cappuccino thing just a much-exaggerated myth? I don't know, but I may have to do it again to find out...it was really good. Plus, it only cost 1.20! And an apple tart was only one euro! That's dirt cheap compared to Starbucks. Now, I'm not renouncing my roots in the slightest--Starbucks will always have a special place in my heart, and no Italian bar has produced a delicious frappucino as of yet--but I'm not going to lie, it was nice to have an afternoon snack that only set me back a pocketful of change. Mmm...cappuccino.