5 Side Quests to Pass The Afternoon In Rome

What is a side quest, even? It’s a (maybe overused) term in our generation, borrowed, like much of our slang, from gaming. Sometimes we will accuse our friends who have wandered away from the bar to buy chips or pizza of “going on a side quest.” I guess I’m using the term to mean small activities that don’t warrant a whole blog post, but are odd and memorable ways to pass the time.  Here are a few ways I entertained myself for little money in Rome:

1. Watch a public game of some sort
   Many Roman parks have ping-pong tables, soccer pitches and basketball courts. They are very well used by people of all ages, and no one seems to mind if you watch for a little bit. If you have a friend with you, it’s fun to bet for small money on the players. Ping Pong is especially good for this sort of improvised gambling, because it’s easy to tell the score even if you can’t understand what the people are saying and the games are quick. Who needs to spend thirty euros on a soccer game?
2. Climb one of the mountains.
   Rome is famous for being founded on seven hills, but these are much smaller than the hills on the periphery of Rome, some of which reach over four hundred feet. The Villa Borghese, located on the Pincian Hill, is a popular spot for both locals and tourists, and there are concession stands that will sell you a tiny beer for eight euros. Better to get a few bottles at a grocery store and haul them up yourself. Monte Mario, the highest hill in Rome, is a little more run-down and out of the way, containing a nature preserve and an observatory. Allegedly you can see the ocean from (hence the name, Monte Mare-io), but either way, the view is unmatched.  If you are farther south, the Villa Bonelli or Villa Doria Pamphili are good options.
3. Go Down The Giant Slide at the Valle Aurelia Mall
   The Centro Commerciale Aura is a big new mall in Valle Aurelia, a little ways from the Vatican City. I actually liked going there a few times, because it’s really interesting to see the “boring” elements of everyday life in Italy- the ones that cater to mass audiences of natives, the ones that imitate (often humorously) elements of American culture. It’s a great view into the everyday life of your host country, away from the historic monuments and bars full of Americans. Oddly enough, there’s a three-story slide through the the middle of the mall, which you can pay 1 Euro and go down. It’s pretty fun and a good way to get rid of an extra euro if you have one in your pocket.

Above: The slide in question

4. Pick up Trash.
   Okay, this one might not be too much fun, or at least not sound like it. But I promise you it will bring you as much joy as anything you do in Rome!  IES Abroad organized a trash pickup with some organization called Retake Roma for the first Saturday of our semester. Everyone was pissed about having to wake up early after a Friday night and haul over to Villa Borghese, but it ended up being one of the more memorable experiences of Rome. There was great vibe, everyone was hanging out, playing music and goofing around, and we picked up an enormous pile of trash. Litter in public parks is a major problem in Italy, so the people were very grateful and yelled so at us. If you fall asleep at night knowing you gave back in a small way to your host city, you will fall asleep happy.
5. Pet A Cat.
   There are plenty of cats wandering around in the residential neighborhoods of Rome, as well as in the ruins of the Largo Torre Argentina and the Forum. If you stroll around a park or a neighborhood street, you should see at least a few. The cat in the photo below was a truly rotund specimen, who’s name I never managed to figure out, who hung around the police station near Piazzale Clodio. You ought to be careful around strange animals, of course, but if you’re good with animals you can pet the cats with no problem. Cats don’t like me so I would just have to stand around like a jerk and think about IES Abroad blog ideas while my friends played with the cats.
    

The cat. He looks to be in a lousy mood in this picture but I promise he was a huge chiller.