local market

For barely learning any Italian in the three days that I have been here, going to the local outdoor market in Campo di Fiori to buy some food was a bold move to say the least. Thankfully, Jared and his one semester of Italian accompanied me on my excursion. Walking through a throng of customers and vendors screaming and bartering with each other what overwhelming at first, but after getting over the initial shock I was mentally ready to buy some meat and cheese. With Jared standing by my side and an English-Italian translator ready in case of an emergency, we sheepishly approached an elevated booth where an older woman peered down at us, and we began to order. Promptly, we realized that she spoke no English, so it was time to improvise. Attempting to nail the pronunciation down as good as possible, we asked for a “meta” (half) kg of prosciutto and a “quarto” (quarter) kg of mozzarella. After a few failures, repeats, and clarifications, she finally comprehended what we were saying and we got a good amount of food for a modest 15 euros.