Cleaner Waters: Biocentric Examination of Cross-Culturalism & Spiritualism

Section II - Studying Abroad: The Calm Amid Chaos

Date: Written: June 1, 2023

Written & Published by: Rebecca Ruhnke

Locations: Rome, Italy & Ostia Antica, Italy

The Worth of Water

During my time away from home, I focused more on the elements of nature, specifically water, out of spirituality and necessity. As concisely as I can put it, I consider myself to be more spiritual than religious, and grounding myself in the elements of nature has always been a particular method of meditation and mindfulness to ease my anxieties and doubts.

When I was traveling abroad, I realized there was a significant difference in the way Italy's citizens consumed and valued water. Though I ran into some struggles along the way, as some of the policies led to some minor inconveniences, I truly uphold their way of prioritizing the environment as a method we should all learn from.

The Best Water I’ve Had, Thus Far

Something that I never thought I would write about is the quality of drinking water, well, aside from water pollution.

When in Italy and most of Europe, asking for water at a restaurant costs extra. This can upset visitors, raising some valid concerns about profiting off a necessity, especially when the need for water is urgent, such as in preventing a heat stroke.

Plastic bottles, whether holding soda or water, are designed to keep the plastic lid attached to the bottle to prevent many outcomes such as littering, misplacement, and plastic pollution. I've watched many foreigners try to pry off the lid, baffled as to why the lid won't simply detach; I was one of those foreigners early on in my trip.

While the cost of water through bottle or tap is a particular concern when visiting, what I found truly fascinating was how convenient the free-flowing drinking fountains across the city, and even in smaller towns, made it for locals and visitors. These drinking fountains, also known as nasoni

(large nose) or fontanelle (little fountains), had been installed in the 1870s, and at its peak, counted about 5,000 fountains all across Rome. Today, there are about 2,500 to 2,800 nasoni throughout Rome, particularly surrounding many historical and tourist attractions to keep everybody hydrated.

A Nasoni (Behind My Fresh Mangos)

Anyone who passed and took an interest could get a taste of sterling nasone water by tilting their heads slightly to get the water in their mouths, cupping their hands and drinking the water that they caught, or filling up their water bottles. Even the local dogs found their way to the fontanelle to get a refreshing drink on a hot day.

Swiftly, it did not take me long to learn of the importance of nasoni and how they contribute to the economy, architecture, and eco-friendly methods of the country. This water is crisp and pure, probably the best water I’ve ever had. Though there are some concerns circling bacteria in the water, the water seems to remain unaltered by human contamination, which may include not being tampered with by fluoride or pesticides.

On a tour around the Colosseum, my study abroad class was told that they do not cut the pipes as doing so would cause heavy levels of water waste as opposed to just letting the water flow through. It was also added that the architectures are built around these pipes for the convenience of maintenance and local access.

Lastly, and as previously mentioned above, they charge you for water when you enter restaurants, including tap, making these fountains an inexpensive way to hydrate, fill up, and go on our merry ways. This is especially important to the locals who may be jobless or homeless seeking drinking water without having to ask or pay.

This is drastically contrasting to the way it is in the States, as you are given free tap water with every sit-down meal. When you ask, you are provided with a nice ice-filled glass of water, all this at no extra charge. Part of this contrast is because Italians already have free-flowing water for everyone to access that has been around and built over for centuries. In the States, however, our architecture would not be able to withstand any construction to implement free-flowing water pipes, especially in densely populated cities like Los Angeles and New York.

Italy prides itself on its eco-friendly and accessible water supply, which is something that I would have never guessed if I didn’t get to experience it myself, not to mention, actually to drink that clear, cool fresh aqua. Definitely the best water I’ve ever had, thus far.

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Longing for Landscapes

On the last few days of my study abroad trip to Rome, I wanted to finally get out of the city and relax in the blissful landscapes of nature. As a nature lover, I could not possibly leave Italy without exploring and experiencing the ecosystems and wildlife that would differ from the ones back home. Whether it was venturing out to a forest preserve or having a picnic in a field of wildflowers, I longed for a moment of grounding and meditation with the earth. 

The Wednesday before the Friday flight back, my group and I dedicated the day to a beach adventure in Ostia Antica. The plan to go to a beach was like a tennis ball getting knocked all around the court for the past couple of weeks, and on the Tuesday night before our journey out, we thoroughly organized what and how we would accomplish this day in the sand. 

A Night Out - Lost Then Found

After changing into my pajamas and taking off all my jewelry with the idea that the day was over for me, I got a message from the Rome group chat inviting us all out for drinks at this reserved and quiet restaurant. I debated whether or not to go since I did not want to get all dressed up again if I went alone, but when one of my roommates showed interest in going, I gave in. While I began to get ready, I jokingly commented in the chat, “Thankfully I didn’t take off all my makeup yet.”

I was not given the exact address of this restaurant; all I was given was a photo of the menu with a barely legible name of the restaurant, hinting that the place was residing around the square of Giordano Bruno. I had received a few messages from others in the group asking if they could tag along, and since I was leading us there, I had to gather as much additional information as possible to not get us lost.

In the hotel's lobby, my roommate and I did a headcount, and then we went on our way. I used my phone's GSP to locate the Campo dei Fiori square in hopes that it would trace us to the restaurant's general area. Once we arrived at the square, we could not find the restaurant or spot any of our other classmates. From my understanding at the time, the restaurant should have been within the square, making up the square’s sides.

After walking in circles in the square, I got tired of leading everybody the wrong way and I decided to call one of the group members who were already at the restaurant. Irritatingly, I was also having service connection issues with my phone, which caused my calls to either not go through or disconnect once the call began. Eventually, after a handful of calls, a call went through and I was able to discuss my confusion about the location. 

“I’m right here, 12 o’clock,” my group member on the call said. Confused, unable to see in a sea of people, and having a sensory overload, I used my hand to point in different directions until I would get it right. She kept repeating, “12 o’clock,” hoping that staring straight ahead would allow me to see her. Yet, it didn’t, so I had to squint and play a guessing game until one of the group members with me spotted her and pointed her out, allowing us to go from lost to found.

That’s when my eyes focused and saw her in an alleyway corner. After we caught up to her, we followed her to the cute restaurant that was the first building in the alley. I took my seat, and throughout the night, ordered two drinks: Sex on the Beach and Amaretto Sour.

Amaretto Sour - Al Biscione Cafė

While sipping and chatting, a drunkard wandered the streets, and thanks to the translation from a local,  he was shouting about how there used to be football matches where motorbikes and cars were now parked. Interesting bit of history from someone under the influence of a worrisome amount of alcohol.

Drafting Beach Day Over Some Drinks

After the drinks were in my system, the group started to discuss our plans to go to the beach, but this time, we were dedicated to making it work and worthwhile. We texted in the group chat with the professors and other university staff on the trip that we would like to visit Ostia Antica and take in the beauty of the ocean while we were there. The debate continued in the chat on whether it would be doable or not, but the group persisted that it could be done and that it would be an unforgettable experience. We decided to take a poll in the chat with all the Travel Writing members on who would like to go as we were instructed that the group couldn’t go if the majority didn’t want to. All eight of us in our class liked the idea and completed the poll, and as a result, the professor was ready to talk to the director of the trip to let them know. 

Professor Needs Permission = Change of Plans

The original plan was to wake up at six in the morning, eat a quick breakfast, and then head down to the lobby where we would gather everybody up and head to the bus, then the train, and in time, the beach. Though I believe it is a crime to wake up that early, especially after a night out, I was committed to the bit; I was ready for the sand between my toes and the cool waves brushing against my skin. When I woke up and got ready, my roommate and I went downstairs with the expectation that everyone was going to be ready with us, including our professor. We knew that there were going to be a few stragglers who were slow and dizzy from waking up too early, but we did not expect our professor to ask us, “Why are you all down here?” 

Our professor needed to get permission from the director for our group to go on our expedition, which does not make much sense as we have been told and allowed to explore on our own just as long as we let a professor know. So instead of catching one of the early buses and trains, we had to wait an extra hour and a half in the lobby to get this situation resolved. My roommate was deeply upset and baffled as she had gone to a beach with a few others from our group on Study Day, a day in which the students could choose what they wanted to do for a day and go anywhere with the same expectation that we let someone know.

She hammered away at this proposition all night, even while drinking and having a good time, making sure to relay the correct information on bus and train schedules, the exact location, and even how much it would cost us if we were to pay on our own. She was ready to have a relaxing day, but due to this disturbance, to her, it probably felt like her Zen broke. 

A Lecture Before The Waves

After some time, we were then instructed that our exertion to the beach was optional, we needed to be back at the hotel at a certain time for class, and our professor was going to tag along with us. One of our group members opted out as he was super tired and was close to falling asleep sitting up while waiting for further instruction. So the seven of us and our professor began the walk to the bus stop. We boarded the bus, got off, boarded the train, and got off at a location in Ostia Antica that our professor wanted us to visit. He showed us around the Rocca di Ostia castle, only from the outside as the tickets were too expensive for us. He gave us small lectures on how this was built as an expansion of Rome but unfortunately did not get very far. 

Rocca di Ostia Castle - Ostia Antica, Italy

Disagreements & Depletion

After some time staring at the castle, we found ourselves back on the train headed towards the beach. When we got off, we found ourselves in a predicament as we veered in opposing directions, accompanied by the passive argument of my roommate and professor on who was heading in the right direction and who was not listening to the other. We came to a stop at one of the fountains that looked above the beach and stood there while the two of them kept going at it. My feet were sore and I longed for the cool breeze by the beach in the summer heat; I just wanted them to agree so we could get there faster.

After my professor repeated that he didn’t have to come but he did, and my roommate repeated her ideal plan to walk another thirty minutes to a beach she found the other day, they exhausted themselves into agreeing that we should go to the public beach that we walked past about ten minutes away from where we stood. 

Clear, Blue Waters & Hot, Soft Sands

We trudged our way back and eventually came upon the bottom of some steps with a landscape of silvery-sooty sand with the ocean waters at the far end; we made it to beach day. Wearing my swimsuit underneath, I took off my sundress, keeping my sunhat and sunglasses on. Taking off my sandals, I stepped foot in the slate-gray sand and it burned my feet as they sunk in; it hurt so good as it melted away the pain of standing on uneven concrete and stone all day. Every step was a joyous and humorous torture that forced me to jog across to the nearest section of shade. Underneath a gazebo, I giggled with a couple of my classmates as we pointed out the obvious differences in the sand’s color from our homeland as we had never seen blackish-gray sand before, and how it was ten times hotter than the beige and tan sand we’d known. 

Once I was ready, I ran to where the ocean meets the shore and immediately felt the temperature contrast as the ocean water rushed to blanket my worn-out trotters. I smiled with a lust for a place I had just come to as I peered off into the horizon, trying to determine what was the ocean and what was the sky. I took a deep breath before turning around, and then briskly laid my belongings out neatly on the sand before returning to the water. 

I collected shells and rocks along the shore as it is a tradition of mine to take a part of nature with me from wherever I visit and place them daintily in recycled, clear candle jars. As I made my way into the waters, I noticed how crystal the water was, so much so that the bottom was completely visible, allowing me to find more shells. The shells and stones in this ocean were far more detailed and sizable than what I have seen back at home; all that is left at the beaches in my country are tiny and broken ones. I placed all my findings on my borrowed hotel towel and went back to journey further into the ocean. As I waddled out into the depths, I noticed I could see the sand ripples on the ocean floor and every step was smooth with little to no rocks or trash that would surprise attack. 

Water Therapy

With my body submerged and my head above the cooling waters, I peered out again toward the horizon; this moment was authentically sublime. It reminded me of a quote by Alain de Botton in our course’s guidebook, The Art of Travel, that read, “If we spend time in them [sublime places], they may help us to accept more graciously the great, unfathomable events that molest our lives and will inevitably return us to dust.”

In this vast space in the ocean, I am merely a speck, which would make all of my problems and obstacles microscopic. I am a part of this extraordinary and expanding universe, living on a planet that holds beauty at every turn, and my purpose in it all is just to experience it. 

Out of everything we’ve done on this trip, moments like these are my favorite pastimes because rather than remembering random facts about old priests and rulers, or just standing on history, I recall the moments when I felt at peace with my existence.

All the stress and miscommunication that it took for me to get there was worth it in the end for the reason that I got to be one with nature. And though I got sunburnt for not putting enough sunscreen on, I felt stable in my being and teared up at how far I’d come to be at such a beautiful place. When I left this trip changed, I know that what made that change within me was all the little things, not all of the tourist attractions and not all the lectures; I have simply learned more about myself and the world because of what most of us take for granted, such as nature.