I didn't bring my camera. Whoops.

Today was the second trip to JCU. We went to get student IDs, sign some forms, go to a meeting about housing and get told all the cool trips that are offered (for a tidy fee, of course). But many of them sound fantastic. Sailing trips around the Amalfi coast (expensive, but very cool sounding), skiing down a glacier (I didn't hear about that one, but somebody was talking about it. But we do seem far away from glaciers, don't we?), day trips to Capri, day trips to Tuscan villas for wine tasting... lots and lots of fun things. Dan and I are going to talk to some girls to discuss where we are planning to go. I'll let you know.

After that, Dan, about 8 girls, and I went around Trastevere for the first time. My first impression is that it is very very interesting. Not too much touristy is there, so just about everyone there seemed like a local. We then walked across the bridge to the island, and crossed the Tiber for the first time. We then hiked over to the Forum for a view (we walked up the Campidoglio. From there we could see across the Forum to the Colosseum. Very pretty view), then down through the Victor Emmanuel II monument at the Piazza Venezia, where I had never been. That was a very pretty area as well. From there we went to the Campo de' Fiori, a hotspot that doubles as a chilling area at night (many restaurants in the Little Black Book) and a market during the day. I will be spending a lot of time there, because it is near the school and has plenty to do between classes.

We crossed back via the Ponte Sisto, and found the restaurant where we were to meet with a bunch of JCU kids called "Friends" (Friends is also in the Little Black Book). They fed us finger food and water. We stayed for a little while, but then I ran off to go find this chocolate shop in the Little Black Book (Ciocolatto e Vino, I think), which was closed. It had weird hours (6PM-2AM), but it was probably already 7 PM. Still not open. From there, I took off by myself, because all the guys wanted to grab pizza because they were still starving and all the girls were nowhere to be found. I decided to head towards home. Seeing the Castle St. Angelo made me think of Gelarmony and made me crave some delicious gelato. Well, it was good. I had crema, and some flavor that I couldn't pronounce that started with an "a". Up to the point where I bungled the pronunciation of that flavor, the people at Gelarmony thought I was fluent. So I'm doing okay so far.

From there I got lost. That area wasn't exactly on the map they gave us (too far north from school). Medag (our apartment complex) is not on there either. So I kind of guessed (an educated guess, I would say) my way back home. I came out right at the market near our complex, and I was quite happy to know where I was. Rome isn't too huge, but the roads are in no way gridded. Everything juts every which way.

Getting back, me and the roommates chilled with a "shirts-off" party, because it is really really hot in the apartment. Dan and I then went up to talk to seven girls about the trips. The primitive plans involve a day trip to Tuscany with wine tasting, and a weekend sailing trip in early October. If they sail that weekend, I probably won't be able to go, especially if I'm going to Paris.

It's getting late. I must add one thing that I am not sure if I have noted before: we are so dehydrated that when we drink water about 45 seconds later we immediately start sweating for about ten minutes, and then the water is gone. I kid you not. It's pretty futile drinking anything at this point.