"Sensing" Viale di Trastevere

To see, smell, hear, taste, and touch Rome, that is the assignment. I will use Viale Di Trastevere for an example.
The smells of this long street vary, depending on which area you are in. If, for instance, you are standing next to a dumpster then you will, for sure, smell garbage. But that’s common sense. But, travel a mere 50 yards to any café and the aroma of espresso, pastries, and other delights fill your nose, drawing you in to spend you hard earned euro. Smell is such a strong incentive to spend money, and Rome knows this, and they use it to their advantage.
To touch Rome is a little harder. But it can be done. I think of touching Viale Di Trastevere as walking on its streets, which are cobblestone for the most part. It’s such a unique experience to walk on cobblestone most every day for an extended period of time, after living in western Pennsylvania for my entire life. I am clumsy enough as it is, so uneven streets can sometimes be my worst enemy. I usually spend my summers in my backyard in a small western Pennsylvania town, walking on soft, green grass, all the while my three dogs play and roll in the freshly cut grass, as if this was cut for their pure enjoyment.
Seeing Viale Di Trastevere is an experience in itself! I have seen some weird things, but some of the action that happens on this street can have a tendency to blow my mind. Last night I witnessed a homeless gentleman washing “himself” in a fountain. I don’t mean his hands, or his hair. He was washing some very private areas, right in the middle of the street. Also, seeing the very large trams rumble by carrying hundreds of people is an awesome sight, especially going over the bridge that doesn’t look strong enough to hold one tram let alone two!
Going along the same line as seeing, hearing Viale Di Trastevere is most noted by the thunderous trams, and the trickling of water from the various fountains. It goes from one extreme to the other, and everything in between. The occasional sounds of music coming from a pizzeria are also a welcomed sound, as it reminds you that in fact these dark little places are lively and cooking, literally! Another great thing to hear is the Italian language. To me, someone who does not speak great Italian, this language makes me excited. It’s so unique! We’ve all heard of songs like “That’s Amore!” and other Italian songs/phrases, but that was in America. To hear them here is different.
Lastly, there is taste. Taste is my favorite, for obvious reasons. My three favorite tastes of Viale Di Trastevere so far are the pizza, the espresso, and the gelato. The espresso ranks up there among the best tasting coffees I have ever had. It puts Starbucks to shame! I think half the experience is the atmosphere in which you enjoy it, standing at a bar next to other Italians who are enjoying the same simple drink you are. Next comes the pizza, which is nothing like we have at home. It’s “real” pizza. The cheese is melted to perfection and the sauce is sweet and thin, as is the crust. The edges are burnt and it tastes like smoke, just like how every pizza should be. Lastly is the gelato, which makes my hometown ice cream (sorry Youngs!) taste, not so good. It’s smooth and has various chunks of other ingredients, depending on what flavor you get. I told my friend here that when you see it all piled up in the cooler, it seems as if you can just lay down and go to sleep in it. It even looks smooth and soft. Fantastic!
So what does this all mean? When we are here in Rome, we must be able to use our senses a little more wisely than if we were back in the United States. When we are home it’s routine and we don’t need to use them all to make choices, but here we do. So it’s important for us to understand this, and use it to make decisions about our every day lives.