Bar della Malva

Bars in Italy are cafes. You go to a bar for a cappuccino (or if you are me, four cappuccinos). When I say I found a great bar, all it means is a cute cafe. Our favorite bar by school is Bar della Malva. John Cabot students receive a free coffee every morning, and a 15% discount along with free wifi! It's the place to be. In Duke I have Alpine, In Charlotte my corner Starbucks, and here-Malva. But, do not be mistaken. You do still drink in "bars." In fact, you drink every where. Meetings are over a few cold Peronis (Italian beer). After school on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, you go have a glass of wine. Or if there are two of you, a bottle. I've already had drinks with priests and nuns discussing work and whatnot. One of my favorite nights was having a few beers with priests and explaining "Pandora." They were fascinated with the "magic" radio stations booming from Jill and I's blackberries that seemed to know every single song they loved. You drink alcohol in Italy, like you check your email in the States.

It was no surprise to me, that I made my first American friends over a few bottles of wine!

On Thursday, I went to my school John Cabot University in Trastevere to check in and get my student on ID. I am taking an Italian class to maximize my time in Italy and get a requirement out of the way! It also ended up being a great way to meet some American friends my age. I signed in, took a deep breath, and walked into the bar where the "John Cabot Meet and Greet" was being held. I had forgotten that butterfly feeling of walking into a room of strangers, not knowing where to sit with your food, and trying to look like you belong! I started thinking... My parents really never put me in a new school alone, except when we moved to Boston. When we moved to Charlotte, I had my best friend Alli with me when I walked into St. Gabriels. We were best friends in Boston and got to move to Charlotte and start our new school together! I went to Duke with Chris and had some upperclassmen friends. Basically I could not even remember the last time, I walked into a school without knowing a single person. Luckily, I didn't realize this until I walked into the bar...

Well, I could have used Alli or Chris, but I managed. I saw an open seat next to a group of guys and asked if I could sit. Ends up they were all nice and fun. Within an hour we got up to buy a pizza and some bottles of wine. We sat on a fountain in front of "the oldest church in Rome" (several towns claim they have the oldest church, it's a toss up). We passed one bottle of wine around at a time, and traded stories from home. We took a walk around Rome, and I went to bed sighing with relief that I made three new friends, Brendan, Joe, and Rusty.

On Friday, I went back to the same bar/cafe I had been going to since Wednesday. They upgraded me to a larger cup for my cappuccino! I was making progress :) Not only did I now have three new American friends, Fabio (the middle-aged Italian man), Jill, and a handful of priests... I now had my own little cafe, and I didn't even have to order! When I walked in, the barista started to make my drink while asking about my previous day (in Italian of course).

Feeling good, I walked to school for the official John Cabot Orientation. Well, the boys were assigned the later registration time so it was "make new friend day" all over again. I met a lovely girl from New Orleans whose parents live in Italy, and she was taking a few classes over the summer. We had a school BBQ in the Lemon Tree Courtyard in the middle of the school. I met Jill after the Orientation at the Colosseum. She gives tours throughout ancient Rome, and I followed along and was her "little helper." That night I had to move my over-packed bags to a new hotel. When I got to the hotel, they informed me they had over-reserved rooms, and they were sending me to ANOTHER hotel. They paid for my taxi, and I was off to a different hotel. When I got there around midnight, the hotel restaurant was closed so I took a walk around the city to find some pizza. Ended up at a cute restaurant. Tables are all super close together, and I was sitting practically on top of two men having dinner. One was from America and the other from Italy. The Italian man's daughter worked for the American in America. The American was on vacation and passed through to meet his favorite worker's parents. I ended up just moving my chair and sitting with them. Nice men who gave me some good advice about the easiest way to get to the Vatican the following morning.

On Saturday I woke up super early, bummed I was no where near "my" little cafe to get my daily cappuccino. I had to settle for a new, less friendly cafe. In Italy you drink coffee like shots. You drink at the bar standing up. If you sit down it's over double the price. So I order two, and I drink them with a croissant. Had to move all my bags to the NEXT hotel. After I finally got settled in the hotel I had originally booked, I decided to try the metro. It was easy, and I made it to Jill's tour meeting place. She gave a three hour tour of the Vatican. I can't express how truly captivating her tour was! I can't sit still for thirty minutes in class, and she had me and thirty others complete attention for 180 minutes strolling through Vatican City. She answered good and bad questions with enthusiasm, gave every family advice on where to go after, and even helped a lady look for her lost earring! I admire her patience, and her love for the Vatican spread to every single person on that tour.

Since I have no older siblings, I gladly follow her around. She is truly gifted in her ability to share knowledge! She makes history easy to understand, and her humor and real-life perspective provide great entertainment. After the tour we went to a bar and had a few coffees and a glass of champagne. We then went to her friend's birthday party. At first I was a bit apprehensive to crash the birthday dinner. In Italy, it is not only customary, but encouraged to bring extra guests to parties! What an inclusive environment, hah. I can only Imagine if my mom brought an extra three people to a dinner party in Charlotte? Saying the hosts would be pissed is an understatement. There would be less food, the table would then be off center, the group dynamics-completely ruined... This is just another reason why I love Italy. Good food, good friends, and an inclusive easy going atmosphere! People truly enjoy each others company. They look for reasons to celebrate instead of motives to complain.

The birthday girl was from America, but half her guests were Italian and only spoke Italian. What a real life test. Thanks to my Duke Italian teacher, Della, I managed. The dinner was incredible. It was a five-course meal, and I was full after the first two! Italian dinners can take hours, but Jill mentioned that this one was even longer than normal! We finished dinner around midnight, and I took a cab back to my hotel. The hot shower before bed put me right to sleep.

A domani,
Jessica