Rome via Brooklyn

315 words, 2 minutes read time.

I enjoyed taking pictures of the sculptures in Centrale Monetemartini, with the setting of the old factory, which made it an interesting sight. I have never seen such a combination, and liked that both the factory and the sculptures are not from this period, but they have such different feels.
A quote from Culture Smart! “Men run Italy but women run men” (Tomalin, 90). I found this to be an interesting statement compared to what we learned today about how women were treated in Roman history. The expected purity, not reclining to eat like the men, it being socially unacceptable to drink, not having a first name but only having a family name and nickname, and more gender discrimination. I think that this quote is something that is more applicable to modern day.
One of my favorite pieces of art in the museum was all the mosaics, but specifically Emblema policromo con leone e amorini, which was the lion with the cupids. Nothing was too jarring or confusing, but I do always wonder how they got the huge sculpture pieces into temples in 101 BC.
I learned that relaxing is the way to go here. The market we went to was closed for siesta, and on the street, I saw the driver of a car just get out to take pictures, which is the level of chill I strive to be. At lunch, I noticed the same thing, which was mentioned in Culture Smart!. People take their time, they talk and catch up, which is a vital part of community and friendship. I also loved how fresh all the food tasted, and everything was delicious. With calming my nerves about the public transport, Culture Smart! helped, and I will have to reread the section about the different places to eat out to make sure I am ready for when we go out on our own.