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A Day Trip to Santa Marinella

I am entering Week 3 of my semester in Rome! And what a busy two weeks it has been! I was as excited and exhausted after my first week of classes at Temple Rome as I was when I started my first classes at Holy Cross.

The biggest difference is the temperature: I got to experience the Mediterranean breeze at the beach in mid-September! Not expecting any New England weather here!

At orientation, we got plenty of tips on travelling around Italy and Europe during the semester.  I took one of the Temple Rome staff’s suggestion of taking a train from Termini station (in downtown Rome) to Santa Marinella, which is northwest of the city. I heard that the beaches close in mid-September, when students go back to school, so I wanted to see a Roman beach before it closes.

I bought a ticket for last Saturday. The ride was an hour long. As the train moved closer to the coast, I noticed the stark contrast of the bustling city and the quietness of the seaside.

My first glimpse of Santa Marinella, after a one-hour train ride from Roma Termini.

The beach was a 10-minute walk from the train station, and once I stepped foot on the sand, I felt like I was in a completely different time of year. The sea breeze, the smell of saltwater, and the soft sands reminded me of hot July afternoons on the other side of the Atlantic, where I would go to the beach with my family from a young age. I couldn’t believe that this was what I was feeling in the middle of September, of all times!

I loved looking at the rows of umbrellas planted on the beach like a bright orange and red forest by the sea. It surely made my day even brighter!

Perfect beach weather!

I walked further inland away from the seaside restaurants and sat in the shade at a local park. I enjoyed the quiet atmosphere and cool breeze under the trees. I also enjoyed seeing a name I recognized: J.F. Kennedy, of all names! I did some research on JFK in Rome, and it turns out that the 35th president of the United States went to Rome in the 1960s! The park also has a pizzeria and bar further along the road. I found a sign that said “Funny Park” on it. My thoughts, exactly!

Stopped to rest at a park – J.F. Kennedy Park! Thought the “Kennedy” in “Kennedy Park” looked familiar…turns out JFK visited Rome in the 1960s!
The park also has a pizzeria and a bar. And it’s also sometimes called “Funny Park” as well!

I walked south again toward the shore and walked past a curious site called Castrum Novum. I caught a small glimpse of the sign. I did some research on the place and found out that the archaeological site, whose name means “New Camp” in Latin, was first identified in the 1600s.

The most recent archaeological dig was an international effort in 2010. The report I found online said that the researchers found pottery under the sea near the site and that there is evidence of an ancient settlement that used a very worn Roman road.

A small glimpse of Castrum Novum from the road along the shore – wonder what else they’ll find here! The most recent international excavation started in 2010.

Looking out toward the sea, I saw wooden paths to little sunbathing spots above the water. If only I weren’t so keen on finding dinner at the time! I would have loved to sit on a chair and read above the sea.

This looks like a nice place to rest!

I found a ristorante (restaurant in Italian) on my way back toward the train station. I got to practice my improving Italian with the waiter, who smiled at my attempts to read the menu and order food in an unfamiliar language. I still had to stop and think for a bit before I spoke, but I think I’m getting better at forming sentences.

And what timing: we learned about food in Italian class! I learned that the primo (primi in the plural) is usually a pasta, rice, or soup dish, and the secondo (secondi in the plural) is usually meat or seafood. I think I did well with my Italian – I got exactly what I ordered, and I loved eating fresh seafood by the shore! I enjoyed my Spaghetti alla Pescatora (Seafood Spaghetti) and my Frittura Calamari e Gamberi (Fried Calamari and Shrimp).

Ordered my first dinner in Italian! Got to experience a real primo (pasta, rice, or soup) and secondo (meat or seafood) for the first time.
What better way to enjoy dinner at the beach than with a primo of Spaghettii alla Pescatora? Squid, mussels, clams, and shrimp all fresh from the sea!
The secondo: Frittura Calamari e Gamberi! Fried squid rings and whole shrimp…fresh and crispy!

The food was so good that I ate until I was stuffed. I ended up taking some calamari home with me. The waiter was happy to give me a box for my leftovers at the cash register and to give me the bill when I said “Conto!” (“Bill!”) afterward. This was a word I learned at orientation, when Temple Rome staff told us about Italian culture in eating out. I paid the bill, thanked the waiter, and went to the train station as the sun set.

I turned back for one last glance of Santa Marinella. What a view, with the colors in the sky! So different from the view I captured in the afternoon. I stopped to enjoy the breeze one last time.

What a beautiful seaside sunset!

Finally, it was time to go back. My train would be departing the Santa Marinella station at 7:41. I made the 10-minute walk back to the platform and waited for the train. Back to my home in Rome I go!

Here comes my ride back to downtown Rome! Riding away from the sunset.
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A Day Trip to Umbria (Todi and Titignano)

Orientation flew by! It was very helpful in familiarizing myself with the city before classes started. I also had a lot of fun during our last orientation activity: a day trip to the towns of Todi and Titignano in Umbria, the province north of Rome!

Our trip to Umbria!

Our first stop was Todi, an ancient town on a hill. Todi was an hour away from the city and was at a lofty 1,350 feet above sea level; it was quite a journey! I climbed up the steps at our destination and enjoyed a wonderful view of Umbria!

Greetings from the hill town of Todi!
View of Umbria from Todi. Elevation: 410 m (1,350 ft) above sea level.

Todi has a long history in Italy. Local legend has it that millenia ago, an eagle had stolen a tablecloth from the ancient people in the region and flew to the hill; the local Italic tribes followed the eagle and built Todi on the hill. The eagle is still a symbol of Todi today. I saw the Todian eagle in the Piazza del Popolo (“People’s Square’) of the town.

The Todian eagle surveys the city from a lofty perch – legend has it that an eagle once stole a tablecloth from an ancient tribe in Umbria and flew to a hill that would later become Todi.
Got to see the Piazza del Populo (“People’s Square”) in Todi.

After its founding legend of the Todian eagle, Todi was an Etruscan town. The ancient Etruscans were from a region in central Italy that was around what is now Tuscany, which shares borders with Umbria and Lazio (the province Rome is in). They formed a major civilization in Italy that predates that of the ancient Romans. The hill was a strategic location for the Etruscans, who relied on the elevation and walls of Todi for protection against invasions.

The ancient Etruscans fought the ancient Romans in several conflicts in the 6th century B.C.E. and onward.  The ancient Romans, who were not yet an empire or republic, were heavily influenced by the culture and technology of the Etruscans, basing their alphabet on those of the ancient Etruscans and adopting the Etruscan sewage system. The Roman cisterns can be accessed from a passageway in the town. The last kings of Rome were also of Etruscan descent; there were also plenty of Roman family names that come from the Etruscans.

The Piazza del Popolo in Todi was once an ancient Roman forum after the ancient Romans absorbed the Etruscan civilization. The walls of Todi were important to the Romans and to the medieval people who lived there in the Middle Ages as well. They provided the people living there with protection from the repeated invasions during times of strife across the centuries. There is also Gothic influence in the architecture of the cathedral north of the Piazza and more Classical inspiration from the Corinthian columns inside.

The Todi Cathedral sits at the north side of the Piazza del Populo – this used to be an ancient Roman Forum!
Some Gothic architecture in the ancient Roman hill town.
Stunning arches over Corinthian columns lining the cathedral, which has a gorgeous stained-glass window and colorful mural.

After our short adventure in Todi, we took a long, winding road to another town: Titignano. There, we were treated to a gorgeous view of the vineyards, lake, and stunning landscape of the region.

Love this view from a terrace at Titignano!

We had a special lunch in the early afternoon that went for two hours. We started with appetizers outside of the restaurant that comprised of pizzete crustini, or small pizzas with various toppings. Once we were indoors, we ate several courses of meats such as ham, salami, prosciutto, wild boar, venison, chicken, and lamb. We also had cheese, pastries, risotto, salad, fruit, and a delicious homemade tiramisù as part of a 14-course meal.

I liked the wild boar pasta and tiramisù the most. Some of my classmates finished their meal with espresso and biscotti with their dessert. I was not used to eating so much so late in the day (I usually eat lunch at or before noon in the States), so I ended up sleeping off the meal on the bus ride home.

Some pizzete crustini (small pizzas with various toppings) as appetizers in our 14-course lunch at Titignano!
What a view of the vineyards and hills of Umbria! Taken from the restaurant in Titignano.

We arrived back in Rome around 7:00 that evening, and with that concluded our orientation at Temple Rome! It was a pleasure getting to meet the Temple Rome staff and my fellow study abroad students on this journey. I learned a lot about life in Rome and Italian culture. Onto classes I go!