Oh, Italia
Two things on my mind this week:
- Italy is great for your self-esteem
- Tourist season in Rome is terrible!
As to the first thing, there’s really no better place than Italy to get a self-esteem boost. At least a few times a day I will meet someone, or even just walk by, who will say, “What a beautiful girl!” or something of the like. It doesn’t even matter who, it could be man, woman, old, young, rich, poor, everyone likes to compliment you! It’s a very nice and friendly place, but living here too long might go to your head…
As to the second, tourist season started recently here, with Easter and now the advent of warm weather. At first it was nice, we had a couple of stress-free weeks with beautiful sunshine and warmth, but then came a steady influx of tourists, crowding the buses, filling up the restaurants, and creating insanely long lines at places you’re used to just walking into. Things that used to be free have also starting charging for entry, and other places have increased their prices (yes, even the gelato!). The most ridiculous thing of all, I think, is that they started shutting down the main lines of public transportation, including the tram I take almost every day, at 8:30 instead of the normal 12 on weekdays. Why, with MORE people around, would they make public transportation less accessible? My roommate thinks it might be because they want tourists to start using taxis more, but I think it’s quite ridiculous. I didn’t realize how well I was living by studying abroad in a non-tourist time of year!
