Trastevere!

I am loving my neighborhood! Trastevere is just beautiful! It has a wonderful blend of ancient, renaissance, baroque, and more modern architecture. But it all blends together and complements each other. I'm working on becoming a Trasteverini - a resident of Trastevere who is typified by being a bit bohemian and knows where the party's at. Currently there is a massive set-up of retaurants, shops, bars, and hookah bars on the banks of the Tiber by Isola Tibberina. Wendy, Ashley, Stephanie and I went out and walked it last night. It was amazing. Neon lights and bumping music next to ancient structures. Trastevere is a living chronology and Trasteverini believe themselves to be the last of the 'true romans' unlike those located more northwards. Trastevere literally translates to 'across the Tiber (Tevere).' 

Right next door to us is the Jewish ghetto, known for its wonderful food. It is a neighborhood that was created by a papal bull from Pope Paul IV in 1555 as a place to segregate the Jewish community without having to drive them and their business out of Rome. It was definitely not the nicest place to live in Rome; crowded, dilapidated, quarantined... The treatment of these people was horrifying. The Jewish ghetto finally became a part of Rome officially after the unification of Italy in 1870. They lost a good portion of their citizens during WWII due to forced deportations. But despite all of its hardship the Jewish ghetto is now a beautiful, vibrant place full of fresh markets and delectable kosher eateries. Danielle and I are planning on finding some great open-air markets to get some good produce.

So to pacify all of the curiosity I took some pictures of my flat! It's pretty large but has 2 tiny showers and is decked out in all IKEA furniture. I love my flatmates though!