So on friday we had our last field trip. We visited a sanctuary of Fortuna which was on a hill, meaning it started at the bottom and then you made your way up, up up, until at the top there was a well where a priestess would draw lots to answers your questions, much like a fortune teller. At the top today you can see the well still and the ramps they made into the hillside are still climbable and at the top sits a museum with the most amazing mosaic of the Nile! Its huge and today is on a wall but used to be a floor at the bottom part of sanctuary. It is made of such tiny details and depicts Egyptians and wild animals and all sorts of Nile associated scenes.
the second half of the trip consisted of a visit to Hadrian's Villa, He was an emperor after Trajan who actually spent most of his reign traveling. The villa was, I believe, well over a hundred acres, only 80 of which are visitable today. There isn't much left, or what is left isnt in good shape but just by seeing how expansive the ruins are and the signs of grandeur, like heated baths and heated floors, this place was a home that much have cost the equivalent of BILLIONS. It had pools and artificial lakes (one which was meant to evoke the Nile) and different areas for receiving guests and living and housing guests and grand entertaining. It was mind boggling. Though walking around n the hot sun nearly killed me because the grounds were so expansive! And underneath the whole villa was a set of complex tunnels that slaves would navigate, fueling furnaces and moving supplies all out of sight. There were tiny windows but overall it was dark and unsantiary in the tunnels and sounded miserable, since the slaves had to run the whole villa all out of sight.
So it was a neat trip. That night we left on an overnight train to Venice. I dont know why we were so naive thinking we would get ANY sleep. We didnt have those sleeper cars with beds, though there were plenty of them, they were first class and cost way too much! Though now I see why people pay. We had gotten reserved seats but the woman who put them in the system and on our tickets split us all up even though we bought the tickets all together with her at the same time! She had major attitude with us and I cant see how she would have accidently placed us in completely different cars/ compartments. Also, that was something cool, there were compartments, little rooms with 6 seats in each, three facing each other on each side. Again, it reminded me of harry potter and I was very excited about that!
We got to Venice at 5:30 AM and made our way to the famous St Marks square before anyone was up. We watched the sun rise over the canals and got to navigate the streets while the fisherman were just going out and fruit vendors were setting up their wares. It was amazing to be in the city before anyone was around because by 10 AM it was PACKED. Thing like disneyworld/china/bejing/tokyo/any other way crowded place. It was insane, all the streets were packed packed packed!!! And the shops were all amazing, selling the famous venetian masks and glass (both were expensive- I still bought a mask though, I just HAD to) And of course it was so picturesque with the canals and little "river streets;" while there are still some normal streets they are often connected by bridges going over the water that runs throughout the city. There are NO CARS, people do get around by boat and many people had small boats, aside from the famous gondolas, which are about 100 euro for a 35 minute ride! Needless to say we skipped that! It was still wonderful and beautiful and though it was a very long day as we didn't leave until 11:30 it was fun because all the shop were open late, and the food places and the people were out and everything was lit up, so it was great to see it at night.
Though spending ALL day together did have of disagreeing at times or not getting to do exactly what one person or other wanted, overall it went well. Though you have to pay for public restrooms there, 1.50 euro which is like paying two dollars to use a public restroom!! That was somewhat frustrating! As for the sites, I didnt really have any preference, I was just happy to be there. We went into St. Marks basilica, into another one of the big churches, and to the Guggenhiem musem, which was very strange for me as I have absolutely no background in modern art, or art at all, but it was interesting despite the lack of context to put what I saw in. We ate at a small restaurant and I was frustrated because i read that unless you are at a pizzeria it is bad etiquette not to order a few courses, as that is how food is served, basically a pasta dish and a meat dish. I told my group this but they didn't want to spend the money and didn't care at all about not following customs, and ended up being extremely disappointed by the small portions which they paid a good bit of money for. I wanted so badly to say i told you so! And of course I couldn't get several courses since they only got one and in turn was very upset about not doing it the "right" way moreso because everyone left in a bad mood when they should have just listened to me (and not have been cheap IF they wanted to going to a decent dining establishment!). Overall though, I'm glad we went even though the train home was so packed and staying together was very hard- which we did on both rides despite our tickets, once having to change seats. It was very frustrating because of course everyone wants to stay together and four was on the larger side of a group. Luckily, we found a compartment with two men and got in there after some misunderstanding, and it was fine. Minus the not sleeping part. Though next time I would pay more and be more clear about seating assignments and avoid all the stress and get a bed!!
It was a busy weekend, and this morning despite getting back at 7 Am, I was out and about on my own, doing some walking assignments. I just needed some time alone to do what i wanted how i wanted, when i wanted. It was WONDERFUL and I got a ton don, not having to worry about anyone else. I love my friends but we have been like glue for two weeks and Im a bit on the independent side. So having four hours to myself was GOLDEN.
So thats that!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Thursday
So I think my format from now on will be more bullet oriented for the lesson recap, since the order gets all mixed up in my head. Let's try this:
Highlights
Yeah there were def supposed to be three people there, and now only one is left. Btw all pics stolen from google...
Today we are going to take a bus to the train station and try to get ourselves tickets to go to Venice but complications keep popping up, like the fact that we may need a reservation in addition to a ticket. If we do make it there it will be a miracle. I hope we manage to find someone patient enough to help us and who speaks english because as much as I like trying out my limited Italian it would be more than a stretch to try and discuss train schedules and fares with no English involved.
As for that whole soccer fiasco, er, game, we stayed in. Heard Barcelona won but the pubs were super crowded and hot, and the streets were deserted because everyone was inside somewhere watching. I'm not upset since I got an amazing night of sleep, and don't feel like I missed out on too much. Just have to hope I don't become a soccer fan in the future and regret it then! So I guess that's its for today, pretty calm day.
Tomorrow we go on a field trip (the last of the program) and our prof says the scenery will be amazing so I hope the weather clears up and is nice!
Highlights
- Arch of Janus: while this isn't hugely significant it's the first arch I've seen with four pillars instead of a more simple arch over a single road whereas this could have been at a crossroad though we don't know if it was. They actually think it used to be taller because there is a staircase in one of the pillars leading up to what is now the roof. It doesn't have any reliefs depicting wars or triumphs like the others though, just niches where there used to be statues which are now empty. It's actually rather plain compared to the arches at the Roman Forum, though it seems to make sense as its more in the everyday area of Rome, not the grand forums.
- Arch of Argentari: This was given in honor of Septimus Severus by what we think were the money handlers of Rome and what made it interesting to me was that the reliefs originally showed Septimus and his two sons who were supposed to co rule the empire after he died. However One son decided he didn't like that plan and had his brother killed, and then went a step further by erasing all public memory of him by removing his name and image from all monuments so now there is just a ghost of an outline where he once was. Then the guy does the same to his wife and father in law because he doesnt like them, and you can see where she is removed as well. Karma works though because ultimately he was assassinated! Not only that but we know about those people he tried to erase so it didn't even work, just ruined perfectly good monuments for nothing.
Yeah there were def supposed to be three people there, and now only one is left. Btw all pics stolen from google...
- Temple of Hercules: I guess Hercules was very popular in this area because we saw his round temple and learned about an altar to hercules which we actually have never found any trace of.
- Vitruvius: the lecture was on Roman architecture and this guy left behind ten books on how to do just about everything in the world of architecture, and beyond in my opinion! He believed an architect had to know EVERYTHING, and laid out just why you had to know philosophy and medicine and science to be an architect. He was the renaissance man loong before the renaissance.
Today we are going to take a bus to the train station and try to get ourselves tickets to go to Venice but complications keep popping up, like the fact that we may need a reservation in addition to a ticket. If we do make it there it will be a miracle. I hope we manage to find someone patient enough to help us and who speaks english because as much as I like trying out my limited Italian it would be more than a stretch to try and discuss train schedules and fares with no English involved.
As for that whole soccer fiasco, er, game, we stayed in. Heard Barcelona won but the pubs were super crowded and hot, and the streets were deserted because everyone was inside somewhere watching. I'm not upset since I got an amazing night of sleep, and don't feel like I missed out on too much. Just have to hope I don't become a soccer fan in the future and regret it then! So I guess that's its for today, pretty calm day.
Tomorrow we go on a field trip (the last of the program) and our prof says the scenery will be amazing so I hope the weather clears up and is nice!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wednesday
Today was one of my favorite days so far! It was much, much cooler than it has been being slightly cloudy, and we didn't do nearly as much walking. We spent half of our time in a museum in the Trajan markets so first let me explain the markets because they are SO COOL. Get ready to be fascinated!!!
They are a bunch of what we think were shops but might have also been used for administration- but built into a hillside using Terrences, so there are three levels in a large curve- because the arched shape pushes back against the hillside. We went inside them and they are all connected by stairways going up inside these huge covered walkways between shops, almost like an ancient shopping mall. They are from the early AD during Trajan's reign so they are almost 2,000 years old, maybe a few centuries less if I'm remembering correctly. Behind them were remains of insulae, basically apartment building where people were crammed. Rome's center had about a million people living in it, and while they reserved lots of space for forums the every day people lived crammed into very high apartment buildings, which probably wasn't very fun.
here's a picture i stole from google were were INSIDE:
Very cool, right?
The museum had pieces from the different forums set up in these little shop areas, (rooms). The forums were actually large areas separate from the markets. Now, several different rulers built their own forum which was basically a huge open rectangular space with temples and basilicas (law courts), altars, museums, and tons of statues (the important people were honored with these as decoration whereas cult statues that were worshipped were found inside the temples), with porticoes (covered walkways) around them from what I've seen. There is one original one which is THE Roman forum but then Julius Caesar built his own to expand to help ease severe crowding and it became a trend. By the time of Trajan, who is many rulers down the line, they were extremely elaborate, becoming increasingly lavish as the bar was raised by each ruler. I think the forums, in order, were built by Augustus, Vespian, Domitian, and Trajan ( just checked: got it right!) and basically they were all right next to each other with similar decoration to give it a unified feel so they didn't completely contrast with each other but weren't exact copies either. For example they would use the same proportions or dimensions for certain structures, though each whole forum was a different size. They also each had different temples for example, Julius had Venus Genetrix (mother of all) while Augutus had one to Mars.
Then we had a few lectures sitting outside the markets (so cool that we have lectures AT the sites) which covered a lots of ground, one was on Augustus who followed Julius Caesar, his name was originally Octavius (he was the first famous person do do that name changing thing to increase his fame, his new name Augustus referred to the method Romans used to get permission from the Gods to do something, and thus implied he had god given right to rule) and he had a lot of problems in the beginning of his reign with revolts and even some totally failed battles, like his first battle at sea. Luckily the general Agrippa took over that whole fiasco and had a success in the second battle! Despite this, he was one of the most successful emperors and has his own forum of course, as well as that altar of peace I mentioned (which was built when everything settled down) and his mausoleum with his autobiography on huge stone tablets. He was the one who had to fight with Mark Antony and Cleopatra, remember? And he won. Then came the "peace" since he had finally put down all those who challenged his position.
Then we went over the succession of emperors from Augustus wayyy past Septimus Severus, including Gaius, Tiberius, Nero, Vespian, the Flavians, Hadrian, Marcus Auerulius, Nero, and at least a half a dozen others. So we covered a lot of ground! Despite it being a lot of material, I enjoyed hearing about which emperors were meglomaniacs and declared themselves Gods (if done while alive it was totally not cool- most were actually deified after death and that was totally okay, but not before dying!) or just wanted to be gladiators as their empire was getting run into the ground by revolts.
Okay history lesson over:
There is a huge huge soccer match in Rome tonight, Barcelona and Manchester. And you know how Europeans get with soccer, we have already seen lots of Barcelona fans, some with beers already in hand at noon! Even school children are chanting at the people in jerseys and it promises to be an exciting night in the city. A bunch of girls want to go watch the game at a pub near the stadium and while going out into the excitement sounds fun, I dont follow soccer nor do i drink so i dont know how fun a pub crowded with rowdy fans would be. Though I do want to walk around near where the game is and see all the excitement and fans. I'm sure it will be very chaotic and fun!
In other news the pigeons here love me, I got yet another surprise dropped on my bag to my dismay, but people say its good luck. I don't want the luck if it comes with disease! Also getting to Venice is proving very confusing!! I think tomorrow we are going to get on a bus to go to the train station and just ask for help there in getting a train. However, it might rain Saturday so I'm not sure where we stand on that which is worrisome. (edit: checked weather, tis all good to go!)
Also, weird note yesterday for the first time I had meat (chicken) in Rome. i didn't even realize it but I had between switching between pasta and salads while muching on fruit and granola bars all during the first week and didnt even miss the meat!
Yesterday i denied myself gelato so today i get to have it, hooray! You can see how far my self restraint is going! Though with all the walking none of us can figure out why we aren't either buff or very lean and trim. Haha. Uhm let's see, what else... yesterday we got very lost and I did even more asking for directions (exciting) also oh yeah this is importante, well sort of...but I've noticed that all the churches in Rome are breathtaking. On the outside you'd NEVER guess, ever but once you're inside it's so gorgeous and elaborate, with painted cielings and beautiful altars and statues gracing the walls, I mean i thought churches back home were pretty but these are amazing, on a whole different level!
I guess those are the major things so far for today!
EDIT: Just went outside to sit an eat lunch and ALL the soccer fans are out in their jerseys with flags around their shoulders and mobs of Italian children screaming and chanting for Barcelona, we were watching all the commotion when my roommate was like omg this feels like the quidditch world cup (from harry potter) and I was like OMG IT IS JUST LIKE THAT! then of course I got super excited. It's sooo awesome, it's like someone declared it a holiday and everyone is just walking around selling team souvenirs and wearing their team's stuff and just iunno. Its exciting!!! So glad we're here during the huge soccer game!! Its way cool!! We def don't get the atmosphere like this in the US.
Also guy trying to sell us cheap costume jewelery came by TWICE and the second time I was just like "yo, you were JUST here" but not loudly, more to myself but my friends laughed and he finally gave up, whether he understood or not I was clearly like "Are you serious?"
Also there's a street on our walking tour that even google maps cant find. Ha I beat the system, I AM NOT going to search for a non existent street!
They are a bunch of what we think were shops but might have also been used for administration- but built into a hillside using Terrences, so there are three levels in a large curve- because the arched shape pushes back against the hillside. We went inside them and they are all connected by stairways going up inside these huge covered walkways between shops, almost like an ancient shopping mall. They are from the early AD during Trajan's reign so they are almost 2,000 years old, maybe a few centuries less if I'm remembering correctly. Behind them were remains of insulae, basically apartment building where people were crammed. Rome's center had about a million people living in it, and while they reserved lots of space for forums the every day people lived crammed into very high apartment buildings, which probably wasn't very fun.
here's a picture i stole from google were were INSIDE:
Very cool, right?
The museum had pieces from the different forums set up in these little shop areas, (rooms). The forums were actually large areas separate from the markets. Now, several different rulers built their own forum which was basically a huge open rectangular space with temples and basilicas (law courts), altars, museums, and tons of statues (the important people were honored with these as decoration whereas cult statues that were worshipped were found inside the temples), with porticoes (covered walkways) around them from what I've seen. There is one original one which is THE Roman forum but then Julius Caesar built his own to expand to help ease severe crowding and it became a trend. By the time of Trajan, who is many rulers down the line, they were extremely elaborate, becoming increasingly lavish as the bar was raised by each ruler. I think the forums, in order, were built by Augustus, Vespian, Domitian, and Trajan ( just checked: got it right!) and basically they were all right next to each other with similar decoration to give it a unified feel so they didn't completely contrast with each other but weren't exact copies either. For example they would use the same proportions or dimensions for certain structures, though each whole forum was a different size. They also each had different temples for example, Julius had Venus Genetrix (mother of all) while Augutus had one to Mars.
Then we had a few lectures sitting outside the markets (so cool that we have lectures AT the sites) which covered a lots of ground, one was on Augustus who followed Julius Caesar, his name was originally Octavius (he was the first famous person do do that name changing thing to increase his fame, his new name Augustus referred to the method Romans used to get permission from the Gods to do something, and thus implied he had god given right to rule) and he had a lot of problems in the beginning of his reign with revolts and even some totally failed battles, like his first battle at sea. Luckily the general Agrippa took over that whole fiasco and had a success in the second battle! Despite this, he was one of the most successful emperors and has his own forum of course, as well as that altar of peace I mentioned (which was built when everything settled down) and his mausoleum with his autobiography on huge stone tablets. He was the one who had to fight with Mark Antony and Cleopatra, remember? And he won. Then came the "peace" since he had finally put down all those who challenged his position.
Then we went over the succession of emperors from Augustus wayyy past Septimus Severus, including Gaius, Tiberius, Nero, Vespian, the Flavians, Hadrian, Marcus Auerulius, Nero, and at least a half a dozen others. So we covered a lot of ground! Despite it being a lot of material, I enjoyed hearing about which emperors were meglomaniacs and declared themselves Gods (if done while alive it was totally not cool- most were actually deified after death and that was totally okay, but not before dying!) or just wanted to be gladiators as their empire was getting run into the ground by revolts.
Okay history lesson over:
There is a huge huge soccer match in Rome tonight, Barcelona and Manchester. And you know how Europeans get with soccer, we have already seen lots of Barcelona fans, some with beers already in hand at noon! Even school children are chanting at the people in jerseys and it promises to be an exciting night in the city. A bunch of girls want to go watch the game at a pub near the stadium and while going out into the excitement sounds fun, I dont follow soccer nor do i drink so i dont know how fun a pub crowded with rowdy fans would be. Though I do want to walk around near where the game is and see all the excitement and fans. I'm sure it will be very chaotic and fun!
In other news the pigeons here love me, I got yet another surprise dropped on my bag to my dismay, but people say its good luck. I don't want the luck if it comes with disease! Also getting to Venice is proving very confusing!! I think tomorrow we are going to get on a bus to go to the train station and just ask for help there in getting a train. However, it might rain Saturday so I'm not sure where we stand on that which is worrisome. (edit: checked weather, tis all good to go!)
Also, weird note yesterday for the first time I had meat (chicken) in Rome. i didn't even realize it but I had between switching between pasta and salads while muching on fruit and granola bars all during the first week and didnt even miss the meat!
Yesterday i denied myself gelato so today i get to have it, hooray! You can see how far my self restraint is going! Though with all the walking none of us can figure out why we aren't either buff or very lean and trim. Haha. Uhm let's see, what else... yesterday we got very lost and I did even more asking for directions (exciting) also oh yeah this is importante, well sort of...but I've noticed that all the churches in Rome are breathtaking. On the outside you'd NEVER guess, ever but once you're inside it's so gorgeous and elaborate, with painted cielings and beautiful altars and statues gracing the walls, I mean i thought churches back home were pretty but these are amazing, on a whole different level!
I guess those are the major things so far for today!
EDIT: Just went outside to sit an eat lunch and ALL the soccer fans are out in their jerseys with flags around their shoulders and mobs of Italian children screaming and chanting for Barcelona, we were watching all the commotion when my roommate was like omg this feels like the quidditch world cup (from harry potter) and I was like OMG IT IS JUST LIKE THAT! then of course I got super excited. It's sooo awesome, it's like someone declared it a holiday and everyone is just walking around selling team souvenirs and wearing their team's stuff and just iunno. Its exciting!!! So glad we're here during the huge soccer game!! Its way cool!! We def don't get the atmosphere like this in the US.
Also guy trying to sell us cheap costume jewelery came by TWICE and the second time I was just like "yo, you were JUST here" but not loudly, more to myself but my friends laughed and he finally gave up, whether he understood or not I was clearly like "Are you serious?"
Also there's a street on our walking tour that even google maps cant find. Ha I beat the system, I AM NOT going to search for a non existent street!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Tuesday
So today the plan was to lug my laptop around during lecture so that i could bring it to the school afterwards where there is wireless and put all my pictures online! This is a huge deal because we walk a lot in the sun, very quickly and a heavy bag makes it's almost unbearable. Well problems:
1) the adapter i have doesn't do three pronged plugs so i only had 30 minutes battery life
2) My computer kept freezing and facebook and photobucket weren't working and i got so frustrated as the battery got lower I was near tears and eventually had to give up.
Then I tried to upload my pics to a school computer but to upload those to the internet you need java and the school comps wont let you download java. So almost an hour of wasted time later I am out of luck.
So this morning was pretty horrible for me, I was lugging around my laptop in almost 90 degree heat for over three hours, and we were running late from the start so everything was even more rushed than usual and the exhaustion and heat plus my failed attempts at uploading pictures had me near tears by well, now.
Oh well, let's move on.
Yesterday we had our Italian class in the Campo dei fiori, which means field of flowers since it used to be a meadow, back in ancient times. Today it's a marketplace and we had to go around answering questions and finding the names of things. By now I'm totally good at asking things like come se dice in italian? and pointing (I'm very proud of this if you couldn't tell), people are really nice and eager to help us. I also saw ostrich eggs for sale and these teeny type of strawberries that aren't really baby strawberries but like mini ones. There were also a few other varieties of fruits we dont get back home! And everything looks so fresh and refreshing when it's so hot out! I just want to eat fruit all day!
Though while waiting for the group to finish a pigeon decided to drop a little gift on me which I was horrified by, of course. Luckily a friend had some tissues but it was really a downer since we still had hours to go before we could go home.
Though I hate to say this again, this class too is rushed. I wish they would just expand this whole course into a three months instead of three and a half week course. I constantly feel bewildered and rushed. I hate complaining here because despite this, the city never ceases to amaze me.
So onto todays lecture, we briefly covered the Pantheon and went inside, it was beautiful, I didn't realize how pretty it was inside since it was turned into a church in 608 I believe, though I could be mixing up that date. The dome is famous because experts are still arguing about how it was constructed, it was quite the architectural feat! In the middle of the dome is an oculus, an open hole that lets sunlight shine in and just adds to how amazing this dome is!
I also gave my presentation today on the theater of Balbus, which is the smallest of three stone theaters in Rome. Small still being able to seat 7,700 spectators! A fun fact is: on the day of it's inauguration the Tiber flooded so guests arrived by boat! Yes they still held it and floated themselves right up to that grand opening! I didn't realize it was such a big deal. I had to give the presentation on a busy street because we give them at the site of whatever we are talking about. However, you couldn't even see the theater on street level which was somewhat disappointing! I couldn't even tell you what it actually looks like!
We also saw an ancient sundial made of an obelisk brought from Egypt, which could not only tell the time of day but the time of year! Unfortunately it only worked for a few decades because earthquakes and nature interfered and threw the calculations off. I guess since Julius Caesar had just revolutionized the whole calender his successor Augustus felt he had to one up him. It just didn't last very long, though the obelisk is still there.
The obelisks are actually all brought over from Egypt which I find wonderful since i love Egyptian anything. Also it's amazing that they could bring these HUGE structures all the way from Egypt by boat and then erect them in Rome. They are very tall! When Julius Caesar was married to Cleopatra he actually erected a temple or two to Isis, and Egyptian god and you can find evidence of that still in the city, we saw evidence of one today in the form of a giant foot left over from the original statue.
Anyway we also saw the column of Marcus Aerulius (sp?) which is carved with pictures depicting his triumphs and victories. It has upwards of twenty levels, depicting detailed scenes in white stone! It also has a spiral staircase inside that can take you to the top though I don't think it's accessible and if it is i doubt its open to the public! But in ancient times I guess it gave quite the view as these columns are at least as tall as buildings!
Lastly we saw the mausoleum of Augustus which had huge tablets filled with his accomplishments and the altar of peace. What's interesting about the altar of peace is that while it celebrates Rome's enemies being suppressed and end of civil war, even in peace they still had to contend with famine, plague, fires, and floods! life in ancient Rome was perilous at it's best! This was so well preserved that at first I thought it was a reconstruction! Later our professor pointed out places where it had been restored, adding to its intact appearance but even then it was in pretty good shape. It depicted a few legends but also a procession of the imperial family and just about everyone associated with them along one side. On another side it depicted a goddess of fertility.
So I think those are the big landmarks. I have also realized that gelato is the fix all when you're tired, cranky and hot, it's just impossible to deny yourself a nice cool REFRESHING gelato. My favorite so far is coconut. MMM. Just thinking about it improves my mood. Though I think it's contributing to my increasing waist size despite all the walking which i think should be having the opposite effect. Ah well such is life.
Also all the shops are so expensive. There is nothing like walmart or jcpenny here, it's all high end boutiques, so much for coming home with any Italian fashion! We have looked in dozens of shops and many of the dresses run around 200 euro. I'm thinking perhaps I might be able to afford a ring, I mean a cheap ring but even those are twenty euro! I sent out some postcards and intended to send more until it cost me an arm and a leg! My intentions are good but Rome is just too expensive!!!
I think I need to go now, but I will be printing this out for my journal, so concrit is welcome friends!
1) the adapter i have doesn't do three pronged plugs so i only had 30 minutes battery life
2) My computer kept freezing and facebook and photobucket weren't working and i got so frustrated as the battery got lower I was near tears and eventually had to give up.
Then I tried to upload my pics to a school computer but to upload those to the internet you need java and the school comps wont let you download java. So almost an hour of wasted time later I am out of luck.
So this morning was pretty horrible for me, I was lugging around my laptop in almost 90 degree heat for over three hours, and we were running late from the start so everything was even more rushed than usual and the exhaustion and heat plus my failed attempts at uploading pictures had me near tears by well, now.
Oh well, let's move on.
Yesterday we had our Italian class in the Campo dei fiori, which means field of flowers since it used to be a meadow, back in ancient times. Today it's a marketplace and we had to go around answering questions and finding the names of things. By now I'm totally good at asking things like come se dice in italian? and pointing (I'm very proud of this if you couldn't tell), people are really nice and eager to help us. I also saw ostrich eggs for sale and these teeny type of strawberries that aren't really baby strawberries but like mini ones. There were also a few other varieties of fruits we dont get back home! And everything looks so fresh and refreshing when it's so hot out! I just want to eat fruit all day!
Though while waiting for the group to finish a pigeon decided to drop a little gift on me which I was horrified by, of course. Luckily a friend had some tissues but it was really a downer since we still had hours to go before we could go home.
Though I hate to say this again, this class too is rushed. I wish they would just expand this whole course into a three months instead of three and a half week course. I constantly feel bewildered and rushed. I hate complaining here because despite this, the city never ceases to amaze me.
So onto todays lecture, we briefly covered the Pantheon and went inside, it was beautiful, I didn't realize how pretty it was inside since it was turned into a church in 608 I believe, though I could be mixing up that date. The dome is famous because experts are still arguing about how it was constructed, it was quite the architectural feat! In the middle of the dome is an oculus, an open hole that lets sunlight shine in and just adds to how amazing this dome is!
I also gave my presentation today on the theater of Balbus, which is the smallest of three stone theaters in Rome. Small still being able to seat 7,700 spectators! A fun fact is: on the day of it's inauguration the Tiber flooded so guests arrived by boat! Yes they still held it and floated themselves right up to that grand opening! I didn't realize it was such a big deal. I had to give the presentation on a busy street because we give them at the site of whatever we are talking about. However, you couldn't even see the theater on street level which was somewhat disappointing! I couldn't even tell you what it actually looks like!
We also saw an ancient sundial made of an obelisk brought from Egypt, which could not only tell the time of day but the time of year! Unfortunately it only worked for a few decades because earthquakes and nature interfered and threw the calculations off. I guess since Julius Caesar had just revolutionized the whole calender his successor Augustus felt he had to one up him. It just didn't last very long, though the obelisk is still there.
The obelisks are actually all brought over from Egypt which I find wonderful since i love Egyptian anything. Also it's amazing that they could bring these HUGE structures all the way from Egypt by boat and then erect them in Rome. They are very tall! When Julius Caesar was married to Cleopatra he actually erected a temple or two to Isis, and Egyptian god and you can find evidence of that still in the city, we saw evidence of one today in the form of a giant foot left over from the original statue.
Anyway we also saw the column of Marcus Aerulius (sp?) which is carved with pictures depicting his triumphs and victories. It has upwards of twenty levels, depicting detailed scenes in white stone! It also has a spiral staircase inside that can take you to the top though I don't think it's accessible and if it is i doubt its open to the public! But in ancient times I guess it gave quite the view as these columns are at least as tall as buildings!
Lastly we saw the mausoleum of Augustus which had huge tablets filled with his accomplishments and the altar of peace. What's interesting about the altar of peace is that while it celebrates Rome's enemies being suppressed and end of civil war, even in peace they still had to contend with famine, plague, fires, and floods! life in ancient Rome was perilous at it's best! This was so well preserved that at first I thought it was a reconstruction! Later our professor pointed out places where it had been restored, adding to its intact appearance but even then it was in pretty good shape. It depicted a few legends but also a procession of the imperial family and just about everyone associated with them along one side. On another side it depicted a goddess of fertility.
So I think those are the big landmarks. I have also realized that gelato is the fix all when you're tired, cranky and hot, it's just impossible to deny yourself a nice cool REFRESHING gelato. My favorite so far is coconut. MMM. Just thinking about it improves my mood. Though I think it's contributing to my increasing waist size despite all the walking which i think should be having the opposite effect. Ah well such is life.
Also all the shops are so expensive. There is nothing like walmart or jcpenny here, it's all high end boutiques, so much for coming home with any Italian fashion! We have looked in dozens of shops and many of the dresses run around 200 euro. I'm thinking perhaps I might be able to afford a ring, I mean a cheap ring but even those are twenty euro! I sent out some postcards and intended to send more until it cost me an arm and a leg! My intentions are good but Rome is just too expensive!!!
I think I need to go now, but I will be printing this out for my journal, so concrit is welcome friends!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Week Two day one
So, I just found out we have to daily journal entries, am hoping I can just print this all out!!! Thus it's going to get a bit more formal in explaning where I went, I hope anyway! So start taking notes people!
Today our lecture took place in campus Martius which actually was a flood plain up until the 1800s but because of expansion and crowding the Romans eventually had to figure out how to build there. My favorite part was going down into Romes first stone theater the theater of Pompey which now lies in the basement of a restaurant but is in its original state so you can dine in the very theater of Pompey. Some people didn't like it but I thought it was amazing to be surrounded by ancient stone walls unrestored and I would love to eat there!
Another great site was the portico of Octavia, she was Augustus' sister and it led to two temples one for Jupiter and one for Juno, the temple for Jupiter was the first marble temple in Rome!!!!
We also saw the remains of the temple of Apollo which only consist of three columns and an entablature, decorated with ox skulls as if it's a perpetual offering to apollo, which is a neat idea. Across was the theater of Marcellus which was amazingly huge but we didn't examine it very closely.
By 11:00 we settled down for a lecture right on the banks of the Tiber and learned about the progression from the state to focus on the individual which led up to Julius Caesar. We learned about his predeccesors Marius, Sulla, and Pompey who was his rival. All of this was in the late republic with Caesar finally declaring himself dictator.
Well everyone is heading out now I wish we had more time but today's walking assignment is substantial!
Today our lecture took place in campus Martius which actually was a flood plain up until the 1800s but because of expansion and crowding the Romans eventually had to figure out how to build there. My favorite part was going down into Romes first stone theater the theater of Pompey which now lies in the basement of a restaurant but is in its original state so you can dine in the very theater of Pompey. Some people didn't like it but I thought it was amazing to be surrounded by ancient stone walls unrestored and I would love to eat there!
Another great site was the portico of Octavia, she was Augustus' sister and it led to two temples one for Jupiter and one for Juno, the temple for Jupiter was the first marble temple in Rome!!!!
We also saw the remains of the temple of Apollo which only consist of three columns and an entablature, decorated with ox skulls as if it's a perpetual offering to apollo, which is a neat idea. Across was the theater of Marcellus which was amazingly huge but we didn't examine it very closely.
By 11:00 we settled down for a lecture right on the banks of the Tiber and learned about the progression from the state to focus on the individual which led up to Julius Caesar. We learned about his predeccesors Marius, Sulla, and Pompey who was his rival. All of this was in the late republic with Caesar finally declaring himself dictator.
Well everyone is heading out now I wish we had more time but today's walking assignment is substantial!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Weekend!
So weekend recap!
Friday we met up with Jen and Josh who studied here during the spring semester and are experts. They took us (us being my roomate and another girl, D, who are my two closest friends here) to the best gelato place, pantheon and trevi fountain at night (it's all lit up and beautiful- google it!) and to get that cappucino that Chris D. promised would change my life. Well it might have, I'll give it that. Good cappucino!! It was great to see them and explore the lesser known parts of the city!
Yesterday we finally did our walking tour at our own liesurely pace and thank goodness we did! It took us right across the city it seemed! We went down the curso, one of the main roads of the city, which is lined with shops (almost every single street is lined with shops!) Our destination was the famous Spanish steps, villa di Medici and the popolo Piazza. In the piazza they (some people...I dont know who) were putting down this huge mural type thing made up of big photos of hundreds of different people, it was really quite amazing. Unfortunately, we got there are at a bad time because all the churches in Rome shut down after lunch for a few hours and it was so hot we couldn't bear to stand around and wait for hours so part of our assignment is still unfinished despite our best efforts.
After this we went up the pinchino (sp?) hill and got an amazing view of the whole city from above. It was truly epic you could see all the tiled rooftops and domes of the many churchs and even the vittoro emanuele monument in the distance. Then we went down the other side of the hill to the spanish steps. Very steep hill, was very scary! Going up was harder but not life threatening!
Now, the spanish steps (at a new piazza now people, keep up!) are huge steps filled with people, it's hard to describe but they are one of the most popular destinations in Rome and it's where foriegn travelers through history have had their Lodgings and where the writer Keats died. Anyways, around the Piazza di Spanga where the steps are there are tons of high end fashion shops, Dolce and Gabbana, Dior, Armani, Prada, uhm Burberry, and tons of others I cant remember. Just looking in the windows was like being at a fashion show runway! I saw heels that were so thin they were spirals! Like, the heel twisted into a spiral. Crazy. In the middle of the piazza was a fountain of a sinking ship with water spouts coming out of it's "leaks" and people lined up to filled their bottles with the water because it is said to be piped in from an aquaduct from the first or second century BC. The girls I was with were like no way- that's crazy, but when they went off I did refill mine with it! Its said to be the sweetest water in Rome, haha. And if hundreds of peple are drinking it I figured it was fine. And Im not dead. Hoorah.
Though I did get a heat rash I think, in which for a few hours until roomie gave me benedryl I looked diseased and thought just maybe I was going to die. We are out all day every day and it is HOT HOT HOT!!!! And always super sunny. Yes I have sunscreen and sometimes I even remember to put it on. Dont worry, the rash went away. Not dying afterall.
Later that day (saturday):
We also went to Ciampo de Fiori, a huge outdoor market that fills a whole piazza (plaza) and I bought some apples and fruit. People are set up under tents with tables you cant even SEE under mounds of fruits and vegetables. People also sell scarves and hats but mostly it's produce, everything you can imagine! That night we also made our first meal. My contribution was to light the gas stove since sometimes we have to do it at home with a lighter/match and I wasnt scared. That's right folks, still cant cook! Why cook when you can go out and eat pasta and pizza at REAL italian places? And gelato. But I have stocked up on fresh fruit from the market! I also learned how to get fruit around here at indoor markets, you weigh it yourself, and the scale has numbers you press depending on which fruit it is and it prints out a barcode for you. If you dont have a bar code they cant ring it up at the register. The first few days the woman disappeared and did it for us, bringing it back to us, but I got brave (and tired of being ignorant) and asked a woman how to do it. I was very proud of myself to learning.
Today we got up bright and early and went to the vatican for mass at St Peters. Yes, I attended mass at THE st. Peters at the vatican. It was all in Italian but it was still amazing to be in this huge church. Just the fact that the cielings are so high above you and everything is intricately decorated with carved stone or painted and there are statues everywhere gives you a sense of being so tiny and in awe. I was just filled with a sense of gratefulness, just utter thankfulness that I am experiencing this beautiful place. Everything has been so amazing. After mass I was very brave and asked a security gaurd in Italian where the museum was (scusi, dove il museo?) I guessed at the museo part but it must have been close enough. The problem was that he answered in Italian so it totally backfired. Then I admitted I didnt actually know italian and he told me in english that they were only open that last sunday of each month, which we knew and thought was THIS sunday (its not). Oops! Either way it was beautiful.
I didnt know if anyone wanted anything from the vatican, if so let me know now, here. But I cant go crazy with gifts because the exchange rate is horrible, everything is super expensive here already and suddenly we have to pay 70 euros we werent warned about for books. My roommate said when she exachnged 400 dollars she got 280 euros, if that gives you an idea of what Im up against... anyways...
By noon we were home again thanks to our early start and we got some homework done. I have post cards all filled out and ready to mail but the only place to get post cards is closed on Sunday. Mail is very slow here so they might not even arrive until after I get home! But they are the only source of pictures to show people I have! See, I came to the internet cafe hoping to put pictures up but the man who tried to help me only could find one computer capable of doing so and it wasn't working!!!
I really want to show people pics, I have almosy 900 from the first week because we have been so many places. Im rather paranoid that something will happen to my computer between now and home and really would feel much better getting them online!
Though I love the comments and that people are reading. Continue, please! It helps me feel connected! Sorry about the lack of pics but at this rate I'll have about 3,000 when I get home IF they make it home without anything happening to them. (knock on wood!)
Oh by the way my two friends and I are taking a trip to VENICE next weekend!!! exciting much? YES.
Friday we met up with Jen and Josh who studied here during the spring semester and are experts. They took us (us being my roomate and another girl, D, who are my two closest friends here) to the best gelato place, pantheon and trevi fountain at night (it's all lit up and beautiful- google it!) and to get that cappucino that Chris D. promised would change my life. Well it might have, I'll give it that. Good cappucino!! It was great to see them and explore the lesser known parts of the city!
Yesterday we finally did our walking tour at our own liesurely pace and thank goodness we did! It took us right across the city it seemed! We went down the curso, one of the main roads of the city, which is lined with shops (almost every single street is lined with shops!) Our destination was the famous Spanish steps, villa di Medici and the popolo Piazza. In the piazza they (some people...I dont know who) were putting down this huge mural type thing made up of big photos of hundreds of different people, it was really quite amazing. Unfortunately, we got there are at a bad time because all the churches in Rome shut down after lunch for a few hours and it was so hot we couldn't bear to stand around and wait for hours so part of our assignment is still unfinished despite our best efforts.
After this we went up the pinchino (sp?) hill and got an amazing view of the whole city from above. It was truly epic you could see all the tiled rooftops and domes of the many churchs and even the vittoro emanuele monument in the distance. Then we went down the other side of the hill to the spanish steps. Very steep hill, was very scary! Going up was harder but not life threatening!
Now, the spanish steps (at a new piazza now people, keep up!) are huge steps filled with people, it's hard to describe but they are one of the most popular destinations in Rome and it's where foriegn travelers through history have had their Lodgings and where the writer Keats died. Anyways, around the Piazza di Spanga where the steps are there are tons of high end fashion shops, Dolce and Gabbana, Dior, Armani, Prada, uhm Burberry, and tons of others I cant remember. Just looking in the windows was like being at a fashion show runway! I saw heels that were so thin they were spirals! Like, the heel twisted into a spiral. Crazy. In the middle of the piazza was a fountain of a sinking ship with water spouts coming out of it's "leaks" and people lined up to filled their bottles with the water because it is said to be piped in from an aquaduct from the first or second century BC. The girls I was with were like no way- that's crazy, but when they went off I did refill mine with it! Its said to be the sweetest water in Rome, haha. And if hundreds of peple are drinking it I figured it was fine. And Im not dead. Hoorah.
Though I did get a heat rash I think, in which for a few hours until roomie gave me benedryl I looked diseased and thought just maybe I was going to die. We are out all day every day and it is HOT HOT HOT!!!! And always super sunny. Yes I have sunscreen and sometimes I even remember to put it on. Dont worry, the rash went away. Not dying afterall.
Later that day (saturday):
We also went to Ciampo de Fiori, a huge outdoor market that fills a whole piazza (plaza) and I bought some apples and fruit. People are set up under tents with tables you cant even SEE under mounds of fruits and vegetables. People also sell scarves and hats but mostly it's produce, everything you can imagine! That night we also made our first meal. My contribution was to light the gas stove since sometimes we have to do it at home with a lighter/match and I wasnt scared. That's right folks, still cant cook! Why cook when you can go out and eat pasta and pizza at REAL italian places? And gelato. But I have stocked up on fresh fruit from the market! I also learned how to get fruit around here at indoor markets, you weigh it yourself, and the scale has numbers you press depending on which fruit it is and it prints out a barcode for you. If you dont have a bar code they cant ring it up at the register. The first few days the woman disappeared and did it for us, bringing it back to us, but I got brave (and tired of being ignorant) and asked a woman how to do it. I was very proud of myself to learning.
Today we got up bright and early and went to the vatican for mass at St Peters. Yes, I attended mass at THE st. Peters at the vatican. It was all in Italian but it was still amazing to be in this huge church. Just the fact that the cielings are so high above you and everything is intricately decorated with carved stone or painted and there are statues everywhere gives you a sense of being so tiny and in awe. I was just filled with a sense of gratefulness, just utter thankfulness that I am experiencing this beautiful place. Everything has been so amazing. After mass I was very brave and asked a security gaurd in Italian where the museum was (scusi, dove il museo?) I guessed at the museo part but it must have been close enough. The problem was that he answered in Italian so it totally backfired. Then I admitted I didnt actually know italian and he told me in english that they were only open that last sunday of each month, which we knew and thought was THIS sunday (its not). Oops! Either way it was beautiful.
I didnt know if anyone wanted anything from the vatican, if so let me know now, here. But I cant go crazy with gifts because the exchange rate is horrible, everything is super expensive here already and suddenly we have to pay 70 euros we werent warned about for books. My roommate said when she exachnged 400 dollars she got 280 euros, if that gives you an idea of what Im up against... anyways...
By noon we were home again thanks to our early start and we got some homework done. I have post cards all filled out and ready to mail but the only place to get post cards is closed on Sunday. Mail is very slow here so they might not even arrive until after I get home! But they are the only source of pictures to show people I have! See, I came to the internet cafe hoping to put pictures up but the man who tried to help me only could find one computer capable of doing so and it wasn't working!!!
I really want to show people pics, I have almosy 900 from the first week because we have been so many places. Im rather paranoid that something will happen to my computer between now and home and really would feel much better getting them online!
Though I love the comments and that people are reading. Continue, please! It helps me feel connected! Sorry about the lack of pics but at this rate I'll have about 3,000 when I get home IF they make it home without anything happening to them. (knock on wood!)
Oh by the way my two friends and I are taking a trip to VENICE next weekend!!! exciting much? YES.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Day four, field trip!
Okay, I'm at an internet cafe so this will have to be quick even though I have so much to say - as always.
Today was a field trip day- we left at 7:30 and went about and hour and a half outside of the city to Terrencia (I think) a small medieval town that seems to have been stuck in time. The building and streets are all hundreds of years old and in a state of semi disrepair that gives it incredible character. It also seems to be in a pocket outside of the world just a tiny small town where word of the americans spread fast and people sitting on stoops asked where we were from as we went by. It was one of Rome's first coloneys back in the BC era!
These peoples houses are right next door to ruins, some ruins are in peoples backyards! There was an excavation halted because they had hit peoples homes that have to be knocked down to reveal the rest of the ruin. These people are just living around ancient history like it's nothing. IT was incredibly old world small town, all cobblestone streets and tiny groecerey shops- like the one we went into and got sandwiches. NOthing was premade, and there was only one woman how had to make each sanwich and ring us up- and they were very hearty bare bones- meat and cheese and bread- no veggies cut up or condiments- it wasn't like subway. It was a tiny shop and what they had really reflected that!
We ddint stay long but the pictures I got were amazing. Then we traversed tons of teeny tiny twisting roads in a huge bus, and I thought we were going to die because not only were we squeezing around tight corners we were going up a small mountain. It was foggy so it seemed like we were climing through the clouds small towns spread out below us with other mountains in the distance. It was the site of a temple of Jupiter OPtimus Maximus, who is the Romen equivalent to Zeus. We wandered around the temple site and were right by the sea but couldn't even see it! On the top of the mountain/large hill was asmall cafe to eat lunch populated with a few stray cats and kittens who we fed bread to. yes, Bread, and they fought over it until we frantically gave out enough for both cats! The tables and chairs were surrounded by bushes and flowering trees with aview of the ocean on better days.
Our next site was the sea side Villa of uhm, someone. But more importantly this guy had his dining room in a huge cave. The cave was connected to the sea so im not sure it was technically a cave because it was filled with water. Anyways he built platforms and put in towering statues depicting scenes from the Odyssey and illiad to surround the diners as they ate surrounded by beautiful blue water with fish swimming around them. It was insanely surreal. It was actually beautiful, not dark and dank because the opening was huge and let in light so you could see the details of the rock high above you. I want my dining room to be filled with water and be in a cave with statues depicting great epics. I told the professor so. I mean his villa was build around the hillside and cave and cliff, almost INTO the hillside so it was an amazing place. You walked out of the cave and to your richt was the edge of the cliff with shimming ocean beyond. By now the sky was blue and the sun shining, reflecting off the water. Behind you were green mountains and hills towering above. Today in the distance you see the small medieval towns propped on the cliffs! It was an amazing little world!
We returned and bought some much needed necessities and pasta! Each bag of pasta is 39 euro cents! Wonderful! UNfortunately things like laundry detergent and shampoo and are not so cheap! Okay onto the more interesting stuff. We hav been wandering around shops before this, and it is amazing, you will have a high end shop with clothing that is way expensive like 200 eros for a summer dress next to a small basement shop with hand made jewlery and pottery. there isn't a high end area and a low end area, they are all side by side, with street vendors and tables outside with the same type of range- some selling hundred euro bags while others sell scarves and rings for cheap!
I've been trying to think of others and what i can bring home for people, and I'm torn between things that are obviously from Rome and just really cute jewlery or scarves that might not say Rome on them. There is just about every kind of shop you can imagine though- they arent all souvenier shops by far! A lot of little boutiques and shops selling funky original accesories in a variety of styles!
It's so hard to be restrained with my money. I really want to budget but at the same time I want to be able to let go a bit because hellooo it's rome!! We'll see how well I do but hey once in a life time chance, dont want any regrets! Would type more but time is running out! Monday will have a longer entry, dont think I'll be around til then, costs too much to use an internet cafe!
Bye for now, forgive any typos, am in a rush!!!
Today was a field trip day- we left at 7:30 and went about and hour and a half outside of the city to Terrencia (I think) a small medieval town that seems to have been stuck in time. The building and streets are all hundreds of years old and in a state of semi disrepair that gives it incredible character. It also seems to be in a pocket outside of the world just a tiny small town where word of the americans spread fast and people sitting on stoops asked where we were from as we went by. It was one of Rome's first coloneys back in the BC era!
These peoples houses are right next door to ruins, some ruins are in peoples backyards! There was an excavation halted because they had hit peoples homes that have to be knocked down to reveal the rest of the ruin. These people are just living around ancient history like it's nothing. IT was incredibly old world small town, all cobblestone streets and tiny groecerey shops- like the one we went into and got sandwiches. NOthing was premade, and there was only one woman how had to make each sanwich and ring us up- and they were very hearty bare bones- meat and cheese and bread- no veggies cut up or condiments- it wasn't like subway. It was a tiny shop and what they had really reflected that!
We ddint stay long but the pictures I got were amazing. Then we traversed tons of teeny tiny twisting roads in a huge bus, and I thought we were going to die because not only were we squeezing around tight corners we were going up a small mountain. It was foggy so it seemed like we were climing through the clouds small towns spread out below us with other mountains in the distance. It was the site of a temple of Jupiter OPtimus Maximus, who is the Romen equivalent to Zeus. We wandered around the temple site and were right by the sea but couldn't even see it! On the top of the mountain/large hill was asmall cafe to eat lunch populated with a few stray cats and kittens who we fed bread to. yes, Bread, and they fought over it until we frantically gave out enough for both cats! The tables and chairs were surrounded by bushes and flowering trees with aview of the ocean on better days.
Our next site was the sea side Villa of uhm, someone. But more importantly this guy had his dining room in a huge cave. The cave was connected to the sea so im not sure it was technically a cave because it was filled with water. Anyways he built platforms and put in towering statues depicting scenes from the Odyssey and illiad to surround the diners as they ate surrounded by beautiful blue water with fish swimming around them. It was insanely surreal. It was actually beautiful, not dark and dank because the opening was huge and let in light so you could see the details of the rock high above you. I want my dining room to be filled with water and be in a cave with statues depicting great epics. I told the professor so. I mean his villa was build around the hillside and cave and cliff, almost INTO the hillside so it was an amazing place. You walked out of the cave and to your richt was the edge of the cliff with shimming ocean beyond. By now the sky was blue and the sun shining, reflecting off the water. Behind you were green mountains and hills towering above. Today in the distance you see the small medieval towns propped on the cliffs! It was an amazing little world!
We returned and bought some much needed necessities and pasta! Each bag of pasta is 39 euro cents! Wonderful! UNfortunately things like laundry detergent and shampoo and are not so cheap! Okay onto the more interesting stuff. We hav been wandering around shops before this, and it is amazing, you will have a high end shop with clothing that is way expensive like 200 eros for a summer dress next to a small basement shop with hand made jewlery and pottery. there isn't a high end area and a low end area, they are all side by side, with street vendors and tables outside with the same type of range- some selling hundred euro bags while others sell scarves and rings for cheap!
I've been trying to think of others and what i can bring home for people, and I'm torn between things that are obviously from Rome and just really cute jewlery or scarves that might not say Rome on them. There is just about every kind of shop you can imagine though- they arent all souvenier shops by far! A lot of little boutiques and shops selling funky original accesories in a variety of styles!
It's so hard to be restrained with my money. I really want to budget but at the same time I want to be able to let go a bit because hellooo it's rome!! We'll see how well I do but hey once in a life time chance, dont want any regrets! Would type more but time is running out! Monday will have a longer entry, dont think I'll be around til then, costs too much to use an internet cafe!
Bye for now, forgive any typos, am in a rush!!!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Day three
So, day three and possibly the hottest yet. Or that might just be because we spent three hours walking through the forum and the Palatine hill. We really zip through these things because there is just so much to see. In three hours I don't think we covered much more than half! However, we're really lucky because we get a lecture as we go, I wouldn't get even a tenth out of it without our professor. Even then, by the end I'm so overheated and tired and damn near falling over it's hard to appreciate things or pay as close attention as I should.
The forum and hill have almost no shade since non of the structures have a roof, unless you count to two massive arches, though we did get to walk through an underground tunnel in Caesar's palace. Dont ask me which Caesar, Julius or Augustus, one had a palace and one bought a bunch of houses and connected them and I'm not sure which it was we saw.
Even then, by the time I'm half dead I'm still in awe, absolute awe. Nothing could describe it in person, text book learning doesn't come close. Everything is so massive and so elaborate and detailed I just can't comprehend how they did it. The Romans believed Rome was the center of the world and from what the remains look like I wouldn't doubt it was at the height of Rome. Unfortunately most of the marble...okay, all of the marble was stripped in the medieval ages to use in the churches. It's so frustrating that they destroyed their own history just for making churches glizy and overly decorated. It makes me wish so badly I could see these buildings as they were, I keep trying to imagine what it must have looked like and from the ruins it must have been breath-taking. I want to travel back 2,000 years so badly! Even now I'm absolutely in love with the city as it is.
See, it feels like we've been here so much longer than we have. Our days are so long and so full it feels like it can't possibly only have been three days. So I'm kind of starting to miss people back home- but not home, not America, not a teeny bit. I just want to fly everyone over here so I can share it with them! Yesterday I had gelato twice (oops)and my first Italian pizza! It was very thin, with little if any sauce, but it was amazing. It was great that it felt lighter and not as heavy so I ate the whole thing and didn't feel overly stuffed. About halfway through we realized why they hadn't cut it up into slices for us- other people didnt eat it with their hands, the cut it into small pieces and used a knife and fork. We must have looked like barbarians...or just Americans.
Also, yesterday evening after class we did eventually find the churches we were assigned. Turns out we walked right by it- they close for a "siesta" like period after lunch. Anyway, the churches are amazingly beautiful, and extremely grand- even the smaller of the two we went two which was rather inconspicuous on the outside was breath-taking once you went inside. As frustrated as I am that they stripped Roman monuments for the material, I can''t deny how breath-taking the result was. And I'm not a religous person but it just felt so peaceful and calm I wouldn't have minded sitting quietly there for a bit...if we didn't have to go to out next assignment -_-
And, despite the fact i am in the most beautiful city ever, eating the most wonderful food I have ever had, allow me to rant for a second. The reading they give us is ridiculous- over a hundred pages a night, after we've been running around the city all day. Basically my day goes like this:
6:30 AM get up to shower before the other girls
7:00- 8:00- Try to get ready and do a little reading which is always overwhelming and frustrating.
8:00- Try to corral all the girls in our building (seven) to get out so we can walk together. This is not easy and I end up sounding like a mom. Today I left without most of them.
8:15- 9:00 Walk to school, we stop at a small market to grab breakfast, I get a small yogurt drink and an apple- it costs me about 1.50.
9:00- Meet and immediately head to the site where our lesson will take place
9:00-12:00 on site lesson
12:00- 1:00 Lunch time
1:00- 3:00 Self guided walking tour, this usually takes at least this long and if you get lost or have to go far you might have to leave and come back after Italian
3:15- 4:45 Italian class
We make it outside by 5 and dinner usually takes another hour and a half so then you get finished by 6:30/7:00. If you have to finish your walking tour then add an hour.
By then you just want to flop down and relax, we also have to go to the market and get little things for our apartment, currently toilet paper -_- So really last night we got back around 8:30 and I finished up writing out the answers to the walking tour assignment and opened my books to read about 9:00 PM
By 9:30 I was asleep over my books. Crispy has seen this. By ten I gave up. I just dont want to make myself miserable, not here. Most of the group went out to a bar until 2:00 Am and haven't even opened the book which makes me a bit frustrated because I try to do the work even trying to continue it in the morning but it still doesn't get done.
Today I decided I am not going to exhaust myself and get heat stroke walking assignment be damned. I'm not blowing it off because i WANT to go see the stuff (including the medici villa- that's exciting!!!!!) but I dont want to be cranky over tired and overheated when i do!
We have a field trip tomorrow from 7:30- 3:00 and no Italian or walking tour assignment and then we have the weekend free. I'm going to do it on my own time and be stress free about it. I'll have as long as I please and I'll be able to stop in shops on the way and enjoy myself.
Anyway, back to recalling my day. Today for lunch I had a frustrating experience. It was mostly due to the language barrier which hasn't been a problem until now. Though it was more a case of I was just being ignored. The one guy who knew English took my order and then ran off yelling in Italian at various people for various reasons i assume and his other help ignored me. The half sandwich was in a display case and all I had to do was point but i didnt know how to say "hey, stop washing glasses and ignoring me and please help me" because they saw me and just went back to doing whatever they we doing. We had Italian class but we learned things like My name is...Where are you from..? My favorite food is... and counting to twenty and things like that. The only other thing I can say is excuse me, thank you, hello but not much more. I feel like i'm never going to have to tell an italian what my favorite food or music is, but I'd really like to know how to order food, and ask prices and very practical things. I hope it gets more practical from now on. Eventually, the original man returned and saw me looking forlornly at the sandwich. I wanted to sit down but that costs 3.00 euros extra and the sandwich was only 2.50 so that would have been dumb. So we ate while walking. But it was so good I wasn't really mad even when i realized I paid about 4 american dollars for half a sandwhich. Yeah, it was yummy.
Tonight I'm determined to go to the market and stock up on food so i dont have to keep eating out because I will be absolutely broke if I do. But it's been so unbareably hot and we are always outside and walking the passing so many gelato stands is almost impossible. I always have water on me but it's always warm so nice cold gelato is amazing, it's lighter than ice cream and creamier. It's only 1000% better than ice cream with more flavors!
Despite how cram packed the program is Rome is amazing and being here is wonderful. I just wish they could have spread it out more. But I'm going to figure out how to be less stressed. the only major concern is that they will really expect us to finish all the reading plus the onsite stuff. I mean it's more material than anything I have ever encountered. I think jerusalem is much less intense and I will be so relieved to be able to breathe!
I always think of things I'm forgetting to tell you all and I'm sure I will but for now it feels like I've been typing forever, so I'm going to go work on some stuff now. Whew.
P.S- if you are reading please comment.
The forum and hill have almost no shade since non of the structures have a roof, unless you count to two massive arches, though we did get to walk through an underground tunnel in Caesar's palace. Dont ask me which Caesar, Julius or Augustus, one had a palace and one bought a bunch of houses and connected them and I'm not sure which it was we saw.
Even then, by the time I'm half dead I'm still in awe, absolute awe. Nothing could describe it in person, text book learning doesn't come close. Everything is so massive and so elaborate and detailed I just can't comprehend how they did it. The Romans believed Rome was the center of the world and from what the remains look like I wouldn't doubt it was at the height of Rome. Unfortunately most of the marble...okay, all of the marble was stripped in the medieval ages to use in the churches. It's so frustrating that they destroyed their own history just for making churches glizy and overly decorated. It makes me wish so badly I could see these buildings as they were, I keep trying to imagine what it must have looked like and from the ruins it must have been breath-taking. I want to travel back 2,000 years so badly! Even now I'm absolutely in love with the city as it is.
See, it feels like we've been here so much longer than we have. Our days are so long and so full it feels like it can't possibly only have been three days. So I'm kind of starting to miss people back home- but not home, not America, not a teeny bit. I just want to fly everyone over here so I can share it with them! Yesterday I had gelato twice (oops)and my first Italian pizza! It was very thin, with little if any sauce, but it was amazing. It was great that it felt lighter and not as heavy so I ate the whole thing and didn't feel overly stuffed. About halfway through we realized why they hadn't cut it up into slices for us- other people didnt eat it with their hands, the cut it into small pieces and used a knife and fork. We must have looked like barbarians...or just Americans.
Also, yesterday evening after class we did eventually find the churches we were assigned. Turns out we walked right by it- they close for a "siesta" like period after lunch. Anyway, the churches are amazingly beautiful, and extremely grand- even the smaller of the two we went two which was rather inconspicuous on the outside was breath-taking once you went inside. As frustrated as I am that they stripped Roman monuments for the material, I can''t deny how breath-taking the result was. And I'm not a religous person but it just felt so peaceful and calm I wouldn't have minded sitting quietly there for a bit...if we didn't have to go to out next assignment -_-
And, despite the fact i am in the most beautiful city ever, eating the most wonderful food I have ever had, allow me to rant for a second. The reading they give us is ridiculous- over a hundred pages a night, after we've been running around the city all day. Basically my day goes like this:
6:30 AM get up to shower before the other girls
7:00- 8:00- Try to get ready and do a little reading which is always overwhelming and frustrating.
8:00- Try to corral all the girls in our building (seven) to get out so we can walk together. This is not easy and I end up sounding like a mom. Today I left without most of them.
8:15- 9:00 Walk to school, we stop at a small market to grab breakfast, I get a small yogurt drink and an apple- it costs me about 1.50.
9:00- Meet and immediately head to the site where our lesson will take place
9:00-12:00 on site lesson
12:00- 1:00 Lunch time
1:00- 3:00 Self guided walking tour, this usually takes at least this long and if you get lost or have to go far you might have to leave and come back after Italian
3:15- 4:45 Italian class
We make it outside by 5 and dinner usually takes another hour and a half so then you get finished by 6:30/7:00. If you have to finish your walking tour then add an hour.
By then you just want to flop down and relax, we also have to go to the market and get little things for our apartment, currently toilet paper -_- So really last night we got back around 8:30 and I finished up writing out the answers to the walking tour assignment and opened my books to read about 9:00 PM
By 9:30 I was asleep over my books. Crispy has seen this. By ten I gave up. I just dont want to make myself miserable, not here. Most of the group went out to a bar until 2:00 Am and haven't even opened the book which makes me a bit frustrated because I try to do the work even trying to continue it in the morning but it still doesn't get done.
Today I decided I am not going to exhaust myself and get heat stroke walking assignment be damned. I'm not blowing it off because i WANT to go see the stuff (including the medici villa- that's exciting!!!!!) but I dont want to be cranky over tired and overheated when i do!
We have a field trip tomorrow from 7:30- 3:00 and no Italian or walking tour assignment and then we have the weekend free. I'm going to do it on my own time and be stress free about it. I'll have as long as I please and I'll be able to stop in shops on the way and enjoy myself.
Anyway, back to recalling my day. Today for lunch I had a frustrating experience. It was mostly due to the language barrier which hasn't been a problem until now. Though it was more a case of I was just being ignored. The one guy who knew English took my order and then ran off yelling in Italian at various people for various reasons i assume and his other help ignored me. The half sandwich was in a display case and all I had to do was point but i didnt know how to say "hey, stop washing glasses and ignoring me and please help me" because they saw me and just went back to doing whatever they we doing. We had Italian class but we learned things like My name is...Where are you from..? My favorite food is... and counting to twenty and things like that. The only other thing I can say is excuse me, thank you, hello but not much more. I feel like i'm never going to have to tell an italian what my favorite food or music is, but I'd really like to know how to order food, and ask prices and very practical things. I hope it gets more practical from now on. Eventually, the original man returned and saw me looking forlornly at the sandwich. I wanted to sit down but that costs 3.00 euros extra and the sandwich was only 2.50 so that would have been dumb. So we ate while walking. But it was so good I wasn't really mad even when i realized I paid about 4 american dollars for half a sandwhich. Yeah, it was yummy.
Tonight I'm determined to go to the market and stock up on food so i dont have to keep eating out because I will be absolutely broke if I do. But it's been so unbareably hot and we are always outside and walking the passing so many gelato stands is almost impossible. I always have water on me but it's always warm so nice cold gelato is amazing, it's lighter than ice cream and creamier. It's only 1000% better than ice cream with more flavors!
Despite how cram packed the program is Rome is amazing and being here is wonderful. I just wish they could have spread it out more. But I'm going to figure out how to be less stressed. the only major concern is that they will really expect us to finish all the reading plus the onsite stuff. I mean it's more material than anything I have ever encountered. I think jerusalem is much less intense and I will be so relieved to be able to breathe!
I always think of things I'm forgetting to tell you all and I'm sure I will but for now it feels like I've been typing forever, so I'm going to go work on some stuff now. Whew.
P.S- if you are reading please comment.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
P.s- just had first italian class, can now tell an Italian man to &^$%^ off four different ways.
Also, note: italians don't seem to see the need for screens on windows. So you open them *from the middle) and lean out into the world. It's EPIC.
I have so much homework. Ridiculous. Off to find that church...
Day two
Alright, I have had a good night's sleep and can actually say something intelligent about Rome. In fact, I can say a lot since they've basically dumped us here with a map and a list of places to be and said GO.
So, first out journey to school starts with us crossing the Tiber via a bridge right outside out apartment, but then we go through a system of alleyways filled with little shops and food markets- in fact we make quite a few rights and lefts but i couldn't even tell you how many as we rely completely on landmarks, like outdoor cafes, arches, or a familiar shop all of which we already have memorized by the amount of times we've had to go out and about! Dont think american alleyway- think cobblestones and shops and plenty of people walking and chatting, with laundry hanging overhead or huge arches.
At one point we come out onto a huge plaza that during the day has an outdoor market selling tons and tons of fresh produce. Eventually we get into the heart of Rome, our classrooms are right outside the vittorio emanuele II monument and the column of Marcus Aeurulis (sp?)which is on the Northern edge of the Captiole hill.
Today our lesson took place right on Capitole hill, the smallest but most important of Rome's seven hills. Most of it was a whirlwind tour of the two museums and the underground Tramularo (sp?) that lies under the city hall. Two and a half hours could barely cover the HIGHLIGHTS and my head is full to bursting with information.
The last wrap up lecture also took place outside we sat on concrete benches under a canopy of trees at the top of the hill overlooking Rome. At noon all the churches bells went off and we had to pause until it finally quieted down- the whole city was filled with the sound of bells.
Then, freed, we made our way to what will be our daily lunch spot, Insalata Ricca. We have a meal voucher each day that will get us a free meal there. We ate outside under a canopy of umbrellas right off one of the main streets. So all was going smoothly until we set out for our walking assignment. Well, our map completely failed and we wandered in a huge circle for an hour before retiring to the computer lab in defeat before our next class- Italian. All we wanted to do was explore and poke in shops, but instead we were rushing around manically.
It's the one thing I regret is that since I've been here I have always been in a mad rush to find something or get somewhere. I would love to wander, to be able to sit at one of the many, many outdoor cafes that line almost every street. I especially would like to get to the outdoor market in Campi de fiori that we pass on our way to class.
However, I may have only been here two days but I feel like we've already been all over the city. In fact I've already managed to order two gelatos. Gelato is everywhere. Seriously. And there are NO chains, nothing like CVS, or a convenience store, just little shops. This morning we stopped in a small market and garbbed fruit for breakfast for examble (and i got this yummy yogurt drink!) there aren't really places like starbucks or dunkin doughtnuts, and it's WONDERFUL.
We have seen signs pointing to Mcdonalds (two) but never the actually place, it's as if they are hidden, and I'm glad!
Last night we went to a pizzaria for dinner for a welcome dinner but I ended up getting pasta, which I had twice yesterday. Also for dessert tiramisu- which was unreal. It's like everything is just on a whole different level here. Like today I had a ceasar salad with just cheese mushrooms and a light (not cream) dressing but it tasted like something from an upscale restaurant!
I love the atmosphere if Rome, everyone seems to just be meandering along (except for us- haha) and I cant even begin to explain the old buildings without pictures. I'm not sure when pics will be up, we have no wireless, I use the computers at the school quickly before or after class.
I can't wait until the weekend, the shops to explore are EVERYWHERE. The cafes and geloti places beg me to stop and look around but I have to rush on. I have reading and the still unfinished wlaking assignment piling up but God I just wanna wander! This weekend will be amazing, I know!
Random Rome notes:
Traffic here is insane! I dont thing motorcycles (vespas) have any rules and even the cars seem to be of a fend for yourself attititude! Crossing the street is a mission and traffic is always heavy. We havent gone near a bus yet, thank goodness, I'm sure it would take forever.
you think NY is the city that doesn't sleep? ha, try again. Thank God I was so tired but even so I knew the city was awake even while I slept, so loud!!!
Tomorrow's class takes place at the forum and will probably be long and I should get started on that homework. I'm sure there more to say but I'm so so busy! ciao for now bellas!
So, first out journey to school starts with us crossing the Tiber via a bridge right outside out apartment, but then we go through a system of alleyways filled with little shops and food markets- in fact we make quite a few rights and lefts but i couldn't even tell you how many as we rely completely on landmarks, like outdoor cafes, arches, or a familiar shop all of which we already have memorized by the amount of times we've had to go out and about! Dont think american alleyway- think cobblestones and shops and plenty of people walking and chatting, with laundry hanging overhead or huge arches.
At one point we come out onto a huge plaza that during the day has an outdoor market selling tons and tons of fresh produce. Eventually we get into the heart of Rome, our classrooms are right outside the vittorio emanuele II monument and the column of Marcus Aeurulis (sp?)which is on the Northern edge of the Captiole hill.
Today our lesson took place right on Capitole hill, the smallest but most important of Rome's seven hills. Most of it was a whirlwind tour of the two museums and the underground Tramularo (sp?) that lies under the city hall. Two and a half hours could barely cover the HIGHLIGHTS and my head is full to bursting with information.
The last wrap up lecture also took place outside we sat on concrete benches under a canopy of trees at the top of the hill overlooking Rome. At noon all the churches bells went off and we had to pause until it finally quieted down- the whole city was filled with the sound of bells.
Then, freed, we made our way to what will be our daily lunch spot, Insalata Ricca. We have a meal voucher each day that will get us a free meal there. We ate outside under a canopy of umbrellas right off one of the main streets. So all was going smoothly until we set out for our walking assignment. Well, our map completely failed and we wandered in a huge circle for an hour before retiring to the computer lab in defeat before our next class- Italian. All we wanted to do was explore and poke in shops, but instead we were rushing around manically.
It's the one thing I regret is that since I've been here I have always been in a mad rush to find something or get somewhere. I would love to wander, to be able to sit at one of the many, many outdoor cafes that line almost every street. I especially would like to get to the outdoor market in Campi de fiori that we pass on our way to class.
However, I may have only been here two days but I feel like we've already been all over the city. In fact I've already managed to order two gelatos. Gelato is everywhere. Seriously. And there are NO chains, nothing like CVS, or a convenience store, just little shops. This morning we stopped in a small market and garbbed fruit for breakfast for examble (and i got this yummy yogurt drink!) there aren't really places like starbucks or dunkin doughtnuts, and it's WONDERFUL.
We have seen signs pointing to Mcdonalds (two) but never the actually place, it's as if they are hidden, and I'm glad!
Last night we went to a pizzaria for dinner for a welcome dinner but I ended up getting pasta, which I had twice yesterday. Also for dessert tiramisu- which was unreal. It's like everything is just on a whole different level here. Like today I had a ceasar salad with just cheese mushrooms and a light (not cream) dressing but it tasted like something from an upscale restaurant!
I love the atmosphere if Rome, everyone seems to just be meandering along (except for us- haha) and I cant even begin to explain the old buildings without pictures. I'm not sure when pics will be up, we have no wireless, I use the computers at the school quickly before or after class.
I can't wait until the weekend, the shops to explore are EVERYWHERE. The cafes and geloti places beg me to stop and look around but I have to rush on. I have reading and the still unfinished wlaking assignment piling up but God I just wanna wander! This weekend will be amazing, I know!
Random Rome notes:
Traffic here is insane! I dont thing motorcycles (vespas) have any rules and even the cars seem to be of a fend for yourself attititude! Crossing the street is a mission and traffic is always heavy. We havent gone near a bus yet, thank goodness, I'm sure it would take forever.
you think NY is the city that doesn't sleep? ha, try again. Thank God I was so tired but even so I knew the city was awake even while I slept, so loud!!!
Tomorrow's class takes place at the forum and will probably be long and I should get started on that homework. I'm sure there more to say but I'm so so busy! ciao for now bellas!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Day One (what i can recall of it anyway!)
First day In Roma, VERY VERY QUICK update people waiting for the comp, they are in limited supply here!!
here we go, bullet point style!
5:45- 7:30- plane takes off, dinner served on plane (chicken questionable- eat what's given)
8:30- 11:30- Lights out on plane, good luck sleeping- seat recline is a joke- haha! Slept one hour and regretted it due to soreness and pain caused!
11:30- lights on because it's morning! is now almost 6:00 AM local time
12:30- Breakfast served according to the local time of 6:30 AM
1:30- we land at 7:30 local time We have time traveled and it is now morning instead of middle of the night. Sleep is for the weak.
Get baggage, wait for bus at airport, drive into city (Rome traffic puts Boston/Mass pike at it's worst to shame- drivers are insane- glad to be in massive bus) 7:30- 10:00
Arrive at apartment at 10:30 Are locked out at first- stand around looking lost,dazed and confused for 15-20 mins. Keys are found. Hoorah!
Housing Orientation, filling out housing forms, unpacking: 10:30-1:00 Learn how to recycle in Roma. Way more complicated than in US. No, I'm not joking.
1:00- lunch at a local restaurant! That we had to find on our own, walking. Will never ever eat canned sauce again. Have lived. Thank you Italy!
3:00 More orientation, was in coma during it. Something about not getting drunk. have that under control. The course seems intense and panic attack inducing. But in Rome! Am okay with that. HAd to find building ourselves again, walking through Rome. Ignored map, looked for massive column, technique worked. Found building, success. So street savvy!
4:30- break during orientation (now)
We have not stopped going at all. It has been nonstop without even a chance to nap. I have seen tons but it has all been through sleep deprived bleary eyes. Tons of pictures have been taken but again, i could not tell you of what, well i could explain our sweet apartment pretty well but that's for another time. (our apartment is better than all of them- this has been proven by comparison and agreed upon) pictures to come in a day or two (or three?!)
Interesting Notes:
Almost all apartments have balconies, almost all balconies are lined with plants, some positively overflowing with plants so even the lower income areas have a beauty to them unseen in America.
SUVs are NOT in. Smart cars are everywhere, and if it's not a smart car- its a smartcar just enlongated slightly so it's shaped like an egg tipped on its side. I refer to these cars as egg cars and if you don't have one you're not in, it seems.
heat wave in Rome right now. It's blazing.
Going outside because I'm in Rome and sleep deprived and it's sunny out, then more forms forms forms, til dinner at seven.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Last night in the U S of A
So here it is, the eve before my departure. Allow me to provide some background. This blog will chronicle my two trips abroad this summer to Rome and Jerusalem and anywhere else I happen to hit along the way. I'm going for a month to each location to participate in two academic programs. The first, in Rome, will be centered on topography (with intense survival Italian lessons thrown in every day for about an hour). I will be in Rome until June 13th, return home for a few weeks, then leave for Jerusalem June 28th. Anyway, to begin, at least for Rome from what I've been told we will be having long super packed days, so hopefully there will be a lot to tell!
Here's the layout of the program from what I understand:
I'll be living in an apartment with two other American girls and we'll pretty much be on our own, expected to master the transportation system and be able to meet at different sites each day for an on site lecture before then making our way to the school for a complementary in class lecture and Italian class, in between we'll have self guided walking assignments that involve different locations all over the city (which can't be completed unless you physically go visit the site). As for food, we have kitchens to cook in as well as numerous restaurants around, no dining hall or anything so easy!
I'm glad we'll really be forced to get out there and fend for ourselves. While there will be staff and support, no one is holding our hand and leading us around. We don't get bussed from site to site with our own private tour guide. We'll also be in the heart of the city, surrounded by amazing opportunities and things to see, so I'm hoping even getting lost will be a learning experience- provided we get back to our apartment in one piece! I'm excited we'll to be able to go out on our own (preferably not completely alone- but with no constraints) and do what we choose. We can even take weekend trips to other cities in Italy.
By the way, did I mention I speak no Italian? You probably got that from the whole "intense survival Italian language class" part. You're all smart people I assume. Well it gets better. This will be my first trip abroad. Ever. So of course I had to do it with one of the most intense academic programs just to make the experience that much more interesting, as if culture shock wont be enough!
And of course, I haven't finished packing. So if you haven't guessed already this is going to be one heck of a trip! I don't know how often I'll be able to sit down at a computer and update this blog, but I'm sure going to try. And hopefully I'll have some seriously amazing/amusing/new stories to tell!
Wish me luck everyone!
Here's the layout of the program from what I understand:
I'll be living in an apartment with two other American girls and we'll pretty much be on our own, expected to master the transportation system and be able to meet at different sites each day for an on site lecture before then making our way to the school for a complementary in class lecture and Italian class, in between we'll have self guided walking assignments that involve different locations all over the city (which can't be completed unless you physically go visit the site). As for food, we have kitchens to cook in as well as numerous restaurants around, no dining hall or anything so easy!
I'm glad we'll really be forced to get out there and fend for ourselves. While there will be staff and support, no one is holding our hand and leading us around. We don't get bussed from site to site with our own private tour guide. We'll also be in the heart of the city, surrounded by amazing opportunities and things to see, so I'm hoping even getting lost will be a learning experience- provided we get back to our apartment in one piece! I'm excited we'll to be able to go out on our own (preferably not completely alone- but with no constraints) and do what we choose. We can even take weekend trips to other cities in Italy.
By the way, did I mention I speak no Italian? You probably got that from the whole "intense survival Italian language class" part. You're all smart people I assume. Well it gets better. This will be my first trip abroad. Ever. So of course I had to do it with one of the most intense academic programs just to make the experience that much more interesting, as if culture shock wont be enough!
And of course, I haven't finished packing. So if you haven't guessed already this is going to be one heck of a trip! I don't know how often I'll be able to sit down at a computer and update this blog, but I'm sure going to try. And hopefully I'll have some seriously amazing/amusing/new stories to tell!
Wish me luck everyone!
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