Days 23-24
Saturday morning we woke up well rested and ready to continue on our adventure. We went straight to the train station to get tickets to Taormina, but the first train did not leave for another 2 hours. Though we were disappointed not to get an immediate move on, since we were in Sicily, it was very hard to put us out. We made our way to a beach because I decided I absolutely had to get my toes wet in the crystal clear water of the Mediterranean. Though the beach was rocky and not exactly someplace you would want to spend a day sunbathing, we were so comfortable skipping rocks, listening to music, and just chilling not two feet from the water that we spent the remainder of our time in Messina right there.
We hopped on our train and an hour later arrived in Taormina. (The ride to this city was a experience in itself. The train hugged the coastline the entire way and the view was amazing.) All we knew about this city was that there was a temple somewhere at the top of a mountain and on a cliff. We saw a structure that could feasibly be this temple and started up a road. This road quickly turned into the original path the Greeks must have used when they first built the temple on the cliff. It was a fun, if daring, climb, but definitely not for the faint of heart. We finally got to the top of mountain only to discover there was a much easier road that normal people who had access to maps took. But we found our temple (which was actually a Greek theater that had a tiny temple as part of it) and could not have been happier. It was everything we had hoped it would be, giving us breathtaking panoramas of the Mediterranean, picturesque views of the colorful town, and a magnificent perspective of Mount Etna.
Taormina itself was colorful and lively and everything I wanted in a seaside Italian town. Looking back, it was definitely my favorite part of the weekend, and the place I would recommend everyone visit if they head to Sicily (just take a car up the mountain, not the dirt track we followed).
We climbed back down the mountain (the same way we went up, because once you go up the side of a mountain, going down is a piece of cake), and hopped back on a train that would take us to our final city: Catania.
We arrived in Catania too late to see anything, but made our way to the bed and breakfast we had booked the night before. The room, which cost 10 euro a bed, seemed fine enough until we were shown our room's private balcony. Then that price seemed like a steal. Our balcony opened onto a piazza that housed the Castello Ursino and was an amazing view to have over a glass of wine at night, or to have breakfast to in the morning.
While we made the rounds on Sunday to some of the cities attractions like the museum in the Castello Ursino, a Greek amphitheater, and the cities cathedral, we were quite pooped by early afternoon, and decided to do nothing more than sit on the stairs of a fountain and people watch (which was really fun on Sunday afternoon in the main square) until it was time to catch a bus to the airport.
Some final words on the weekend: Never have I been so glad I pack light, as we were able to put our bags down only when we slept. It was an incredible experience to only have the bare necessities pre-planned and just go with the flow. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it again, but I am glad I was able to do it once
Ciao
J
Monday, February 18, 2013
Sicilia (Part 1)
Days 21-22
This past weekend was our first scheduled long weekend here at Trinity Rome. That means we had not two, but three full days to go off on whatever adventure you pleased (assuming you aren't part of a class with mandatory weekend trips, which, fortunately, I am not.)
Not long after I got back from Florence (read: that night at dinner) I started asking if anyone had anywhere particular they wanted to go. I didn't have anywhere in particular I wanted to go, I just knew I wanted to go. Two of my friends popped up and said they wanted to go to Sicily. Thinking it sounded like fun, I agreed to join in the adventure.
Rather than immediately going and buying plane tickets, we decided to hold out till Thursday night because we heard that one of the travel websites would drop prices day of. So Thursday rolled in and the prices on flights had doubled rather than halved. Not in the least put off, we booked overnight train tickets and a flight back on Sunday, along with a hotel room for Saturday night.
That is how Shruti, Allen, and I ended up on a train, that was on a ferry, that was crossing the stretch of Mediterranean between the Italian mainland and Sicily at 7 am Friday morning.
Night trains, I discovered, are the best way to travel. You get a bed, complete with pillows, sheets, and blankets, and you get to cover ground at the same time. We arrived at the train station at 10 pm Thursday night with no plan except to get to Messina on Friday, and somehow make our way to Catania for our flight on Sunday. We had no clue what the attractions of the cities would be, or how exactly we would make the journey from Messina to Catania, or even where we would sleep Saturday night.
We were flying by the seat of our pants. It was glorious.
We hopped off the train in Messina, picked up a map, and started walking. Here is a rundown of our day:
The first day of our Simon and Garfunkel adventure was an absolute blast, and the three of us couldn't get over that we just up and left with barely an hours notice. Messina was a beautiful first stop on our weekend of impulsive action.
Ciao
J
This past weekend was our first scheduled long weekend here at Trinity Rome. That means we had not two, but three full days to go off on whatever adventure you pleased (assuming you aren't part of a class with mandatory weekend trips, which, fortunately, I am not.)
Not long after I got back from Florence (read: that night at dinner) I started asking if anyone had anywhere particular they wanted to go. I didn't have anywhere in particular I wanted to go, I just knew I wanted to go. Two of my friends popped up and said they wanted to go to Sicily. Thinking it sounded like fun, I agreed to join in the adventure.
Rather than immediately going and buying plane tickets, we decided to hold out till Thursday night because we heard that one of the travel websites would drop prices day of. So Thursday rolled in and the prices on flights had doubled rather than halved. Not in the least put off, we booked overnight train tickets and a flight back on Sunday, along with a hotel room for Saturday night.
That is how Shruti, Allen, and I ended up on a train, that was on a ferry, that was crossing the stretch of Mediterranean between the Italian mainland and Sicily at 7 am Friday morning.
Night trains, I discovered, are the best way to travel. You get a bed, complete with pillows, sheets, and blankets, and you get to cover ground at the same time. We arrived at the train station at 10 pm Thursday night with no plan except to get to Messina on Friday, and somehow make our way to Catania for our flight on Sunday. We had no clue what the attractions of the cities would be, or how exactly we would make the journey from Messina to Catania, or even where we would sleep Saturday night.
We were flying by the seat of our pants. It was glorious.
We hopped off the train in Messina, picked up a map, and started walking. Here is a rundown of our day:
- We picnicked with the dead in the Monumental Cemetery. They were a bit quiet, but we had a lovely view of the sea and the hills.
- We made it to Messina's Cathedral just in time to hear the painful sound that was the mechanical rooster on the bell tower calling the hour. The Ave Maria that followed the roosters crows was spectacular however, and the revolving automatons on the bell tower were a nice touch.
- We met some real Sicilians at a pizza place for lunch. (So much nicer than main land Italians, It must be the view they get everyday.)
- Enjoyed a scenic view at a seaside park while eating the pizza we picked up.
- I tried to convince Shruti and Allen that their childhoods were lacking because they never climbed trees. I then proceeded to try to teach them. We stayed in this park for hours. It was sunny and gorgeous.
- We checked into our hotel and had a quick nap before we went to find dinner. We ended up at Gotha Restaurant. (I ate shrimp and tomato pasta voluntarily. Anyone who knows anything about my eating habits will know what an accomplishment this was.)
- The manager loved us so much he gave us free food and drinks, invited us to karaoke later, and told us that we absolutely must go to Taormina and that he would take us there himself on Monday.
The first day of our Simon and Garfunkel adventure was an absolute blast, and the three of us couldn't get over that we just up and left with barely an hours notice. Messina was a beautiful first stop on our weekend of impulsive action.
Ciao
J
Thursday, February 14, 2013
To Ashes
Day 20
Today is Ash Wednesday. My out of character Tuesday night festivities was in preparation for today when I would return to my good Catholic Girl roots. I was, however, just as excited for today as yesterday, as the Pope normally celebrates mass at Santa Sabina, the basilica right next door to the convent. Unfortunately, with his declining health and the recent announcement of his retirement, he was not able to come to Santa Sabina.
Not to worry though, Since my arrival I have been scouting every church I pass trying to figure out mass times. Last week, on one of my many sojourns through the city, I passed a church that courteously announced it would hold an mass today in English.
The mass consisted of about 20 students, and a few older women. Our priest was an adorable little old Italian whose English was just barely passable. Not that that mattered, because his enthusiasm to have us all there was infectious.
The most interesting part of my Ash Wednesday experience was the distribution of ashes. For the past 20 years I have been accustomed to the blessing "From dust you came, to dust you shall return" and the priest marks your forehead with a cross of ashes (or a large black smudge as it often turns out). Here I received a different blessing ("Turn away from sin, and be faithful to the gospel," or something along those lines), and the ashes were literally sprinkled on top of my head. These little different experiences are one of the many reasons I'm loving my semester here.
Ciao
J
Today is Ash Wednesday. My out of character Tuesday night festivities was in preparation for today when I would return to my good Catholic Girl roots. I was, however, just as excited for today as yesterday, as the Pope normally celebrates mass at Santa Sabina, the basilica right next door to the convent. Unfortunately, with his declining health and the recent announcement of his retirement, he was not able to come to Santa Sabina.
Not to worry though, Since my arrival I have been scouting every church I pass trying to figure out mass times. Last week, on one of my many sojourns through the city, I passed a church that courteously announced it would hold an mass today in English.
The mass consisted of about 20 students, and a few older women. Our priest was an adorable little old Italian whose English was just barely passable. Not that that mattered, because his enthusiasm to have us all there was infectious.
The most interesting part of my Ash Wednesday experience was the distribution of ashes. For the past 20 years I have been accustomed to the blessing "From dust you came, to dust you shall return" and the priest marks your forehead with a cross of ashes (or a large black smudge as it often turns out). Here I received a different blessing ("Turn away from sin, and be faithful to the gospel," or something along those lines), and the ashes were literally sprinkled on top of my head. These little different experiences are one of the many reasons I'm loving my semester here.
Ciao
J
Roman Carnevale
Day 19
Have you ever read Alexander Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo or seen any of the movie adaptations? In that story, Albert goes to Rome for Carnevale and has an absolute blast before getting kidnapped by bandits.
Well today concluded Rome's 2013 Carnevale. Unfortunately, I dropped the ball last week and did not go to any of the scheduled events and the inclement weather didn't motivate me to look at for more, (Yet another reason to come back). But I did make it out tonight for the final night of Carnevale. We donned our masks and generally dolled ourselves up.
We made our way to the Piazza del Popolo, and saw the exit of the horse parade, and the final film thrown against the gates wall. There were fireworks and music, but very few other people in masks. We did not find the kind of debauchery that Albert found in Rome, be he was here before it was tamed to its current version. At least I didn't get kidnapped.
Ciao
J
Have you ever read Alexander Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo or seen any of the movie adaptations? In that story, Albert goes to Rome for Carnevale and has an absolute blast before getting kidnapped by bandits.
Well today concluded Rome's 2013 Carnevale. Unfortunately, I dropped the ball last week and did not go to any of the scheduled events and the inclement weather didn't motivate me to look at for more, (Yet another reason to come back). But I did make it out tonight for the final night of Carnevale. We donned our masks and generally dolled ourselves up.
We made our way to the Piazza del Popolo, and saw the exit of the horse parade, and the final film thrown against the gates wall. There were fireworks and music, but very few other people in masks. We did not find the kind of debauchery that Albert found in Rome, be he was here before it was tamed to its current version. At least I didn't get kidnapped.
Ciao
J
Monday, February 11, 2013
My Week in Pictures #2
As I've mentioned in previous posts this week largely revolved around my trip to Florence. However I did squeeze in a few walks around Rome as well.
Tuesday's wanderings: We pointed at a direction and started walking.
Some things we stumbled upon.
Thursday's walking tour with Professor Jan Gadeyne.
We looked at the Christianization of Rome. Translation: Churches everywhere.
Our First Weekend Adventure: Firenze!
 |
| View after climbing 463 stairs to the top of il Duomo. |
 |
| View from the Piazzele Michelangelo after the equally laborious climb to the top of this hill. |
 |
| On the Ponte Vecchio. I couldn't feel my feet by this point in the day. |
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Ciao Firenze! (Pt 2)
Day 16-17
Today I said goodbye to Florence and returned to the familiar streets around the Aventine. Our adventure in Firenze was incredible, and while I must say I like Rome better (way more free things to do/see, and more history), I will also admit I did not have enough time in that Renaissance city.
Saturday we were kicked out of our hostel at 10am and were not allowed to return until 5pm. While in theory this seemed perfect (why would I want to go back during the prime hours of the day?), by the end of the day, nothing sounded better than sitting down. In fact, at our last stop for the day, the girls I was with and I saw a bench and planted ourselves there, losing track of time. (We discovered later that we sat for 30 minutes staring at the same painting. Given it was a Raphael, so it was not a bad painting to stare at for half an hour.)
Saturdays Highlights:
I also discovered that in just two short weeks I have developed that habit of calling my home base 'the convent' regardless of whether or not nuns are in residence.
Ciao
J
Today I said goodbye to Florence and returned to the familiar streets around the Aventine. Our adventure in Firenze was incredible, and while I must say I like Rome better (way more free things to do/see, and more history), I will also admit I did not have enough time in that Renaissance city.
Saturday we were kicked out of our hostel at 10am and were not allowed to return until 5pm. While in theory this seemed perfect (why would I want to go back during the prime hours of the day?), by the end of the day, nothing sounded better than sitting down. In fact, at our last stop for the day, the girls I was with and I saw a bench and planted ourselves there, losing track of time. (We discovered later that we sat for 30 minutes staring at the same painting. Given it was a Raphael, so it was not a bad painting to stare at for half an hour.)
Saturdays Highlights:
- Climbing 463 stairs to the top of Il Duomo. (None of those who climbed had a problem with heights, but when we got back to the bottom all our legs were shaky from the effort. We were ready for a break and it wasn't even noon. Yikes!)
- Seeing the beautiful Santa Maria Novella inside and out. (Plus the chocolate market in the piazza outside.)
- Leather shopping! (Jackets, bags, and gloves, oh my!)
- Browsing the glitz and glam on the Ponte Vecchio.
- The Pitti Palace. (The Medici's residence was absolutely spectacular. Coming from someone who has been in some of the really opulent palaces [does my family remember the Saperstein residence? Also Versailles, and plenty of other French and English castles] this place was truly worth seeing.)
- Finally, (finally!), getting back to the hostel and giving our feet a break.
- Wandering alone along the Arno at 830am. (Everyone else opted for another hour of sleep. I'll sleep when I'm dead. We're in Florence for two measly days!)
- Seeing the breathtaking view from the Piazzele Michelangelo (Because I'm a masochist I climbed up the mountain this is situated on at 9am. Despite my protests that I hate hills, my track record for where I always end up proves differently.)
- The Uffizi. (Can't explain, just spectacular. Again, I've been to almost every major museum in western civilization, and this was incredible.)
- Taking a much too quick stroll around the Boboli Gardens at the Pitti Palace. (My group insisted we take the 3pm train instead of the 5pm one. I could have easily spent those extra 2 hours just wandering around these gardens. Nothing is even in bloom and it was still amazing.)
- Sprinting to catch said 3pm train. (I was already coerced into leaving the city 2 hours early, no way I was getting to the station a minute before I had to.)
I also discovered that in just two short weeks I have developed that habit of calling my home base 'the convent' regardless of whether or not nuns are in residence.
Ciao
J
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Ciao Firenze! (Pt 1)
Day 15
Today I left Rome for the first time since my arrival two weeks ago. A group of friends and I decided that, as much as we love Rome, it was time to start exploring the rest of Italy. That's not to say we have seen all Rome has to offer (not by a long shot), but weekdays offer a lot of time between classes to continue our exploration of the Eternal City.
So where to go on our first adventure outside Rome's walls? Venice would be the logical choice (seeing as it is the middle of Carnevale, and they will be partying it up before Lent hits on Wednesday). However, Trinity Rome has a pre-planned trip to Venice in two weeks (never say no to a pre-planned and pre-paid trip). So instead we decided to head to Florence!
Just about everyone of my friends jumped at the opportunity. Once the list of everyone got hammered out, we went to the travel agent and got a group ticket (20% off!) and then booked ourselves beds in a hostel smack-dab in the middle of the city. With all that done by Tuesday, there was nothing left but to sit and anticipate the weekend.
Bags packed as light as possible (my entire weekends needs fit in my regular school bag, including a towel. I was so proud), we took off for the train. Because we got the cheapest possible ticket, we all settled down for a 3+ hour train ride through the country. The trip made it clear why so many famous artists come out of Italy. Even my poor excuse for a right brain wanted to take down the vistas, even if I could only do so via my camera. And to think its only February, and everything is pretty brown. I haven't even got there and I'm already planning a return trip in a April, just for the scenery.
As beautiful as the ride was, I now understand what Oscar Wilde means when he has Gwendolyn say "I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train." The highlights from inside our railcar included Annie dancing to the beat of her own iPod, Nish doing an eyebrow wiggle whenever he took a break from his sketch pad, and Ali and Bismar making faces as they tried to pop their ears. Luckily, I really do always travel with my diary.
Ciao
J
Today I left Rome for the first time since my arrival two weeks ago. A group of friends and I decided that, as much as we love Rome, it was time to start exploring the rest of Italy. That's not to say we have seen all Rome has to offer (not by a long shot), but weekdays offer a lot of time between classes to continue our exploration of the Eternal City.
So where to go on our first adventure outside Rome's walls? Venice would be the logical choice (seeing as it is the middle of Carnevale, and they will be partying it up before Lent hits on Wednesday). However, Trinity Rome has a pre-planned trip to Venice in two weeks (never say no to a pre-planned and pre-paid trip). So instead we decided to head to Florence!
Just about everyone of my friends jumped at the opportunity. Once the list of everyone got hammered out, we went to the travel agent and got a group ticket (20% off!) and then booked ourselves beds in a hostel smack-dab in the middle of the city. With all that done by Tuesday, there was nothing left but to sit and anticipate the weekend.
Bags packed as light as possible (my entire weekends needs fit in my regular school bag, including a towel. I was so proud), we took off for the train. Because we got the cheapest possible ticket, we all settled down for a 3+ hour train ride through the country. The trip made it clear why so many famous artists come out of Italy. Even my poor excuse for a right brain wanted to take down the vistas, even if I could only do so via my camera. And to think its only February, and everything is pretty brown. I haven't even got there and I'm already planning a return trip in a April, just for the scenery.
As beautiful as the ride was, I now understand what Oscar Wilde means when he has Gwendolyn say "I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train." The highlights from inside our railcar included Annie dancing to the beat of her own iPod, Nish doing an eyebrow wiggle whenever he took a break from his sketch pad, and Ali and Bismar making faces as they tried to pop their ears. Luckily, I really do always travel with my diary.
Ciao
J
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Fresh Squeezed
Day 12
Every day the convent provides fresh picked oranges from the little grove it has toward the back. I am not a huge orange fan, but everyday I race the other students to claim at least one of these fruits. What is it about these colorful spheres that make my taste buds tingle? Mainly its that they are blood oranges and are sweeter than the variety I get back home. Oranges are growing all over Rome right now, on both private and public trees. (There are actually streets that are lined with trees that you can pick the fruit off of.) My favorite way to enjoy this fruit is fresh squeezed. Bars (read: coffee shops) often have juicers that give you fresh blood orange juice that is incredible.
As much as I love this juice, today I found something even better. During my daily wandering through the city I once again found myself in the Campo de' Fiori. At the back of the market was a man who sold fresh squeezed pomegranates! It was so good I had to commemorate the moment:
Pomegranates are one of my favorite parts of winter, and I will drink POM's juice anytime of the year. This nectar blew that bottled stuff out of the water. I watched as the man picked out two pomegranates, and cut and squeeze them into my cup. No added water or sugar, just pure sweet pomegranate juice.
I knew that pomegranates were common around here: the convent has a few miniature pomegranate trees and the neighboring building has a larger tree overhanging their wall, but the fruit on these trees have mostly dried up. Its a shame to think that if I was here just a few months earlier, I could have enjoyed a fresh picked pomegranate alongside my orange. I guess I'll just have to come back next year.
Ciao
J
Every day the convent provides fresh picked oranges from the little grove it has toward the back. I am not a huge orange fan, but everyday I race the other students to claim at least one of these fruits. What is it about these colorful spheres that make my taste buds tingle? Mainly its that they are blood oranges and are sweeter than the variety I get back home. Oranges are growing all over Rome right now, on both private and public trees. (There are actually streets that are lined with trees that you can pick the fruit off of.) My favorite way to enjoy this fruit is fresh squeezed. Bars (read: coffee shops) often have juicers that give you fresh blood orange juice that is incredible.
As much as I love this juice, today I found something even better. During my daily wandering through the city I once again found myself in the Campo de' Fiori. At the back of the market was a man who sold fresh squeezed pomegranates! It was so good I had to commemorate the moment:
Pomegranates are one of my favorite parts of winter, and I will drink POM's juice anytime of the year. This nectar blew that bottled stuff out of the water. I watched as the man picked out two pomegranates, and cut and squeeze them into my cup. No added water or sugar, just pure sweet pomegranate juice.
I knew that pomegranates were common around here: the convent has a few miniature pomegranate trees and the neighboring building has a larger tree overhanging their wall, but the fruit on these trees have mostly dried up. Its a shame to think that if I was here just a few months earlier, I could have enjoyed a fresh picked pomegranate alongside my orange. I guess I'll just have to come back next year.
Ciao
J
Monday, February 4, 2013
My Ancient Patron God
Day 11
Today as part of my Reading Ancient Rome class we took a field trip to the only island on the Tiber within the city of Rome. The story about this city is that once upon a time, there was plague throughout the city the Romans went to Greece to get a statue of the god of healing and medicine, Asclepius. The god decided that he wanted to go check out Rome so he boarded their ship in the form of a snake. When they reached Rome, the snake jumped out of the boat and the Roman decided that meant a temple should be built in that spot. But first they had to build an island to put it on.
His serpent entwined staff is still a symbol used in medicine today. I carry the symbol every time I am on call with the EMTs back at Hamilton. Here's me with my patron Roman god:
Unfortunately, somebody took a good chunk out of his visage so all that's really left is his shoulder, a wisp of hair and his staff.
Today the island houses a church (built on the original temple), a hospital, and some nice restaurants. During the summer the city hosts cultural events on the island such as film festivals and concerts. Hopefully they will start before I leave.
With any luck I wont need to consult Asclepius while I'm here, but my EMT director Diann would be proud to know my pocket CPR kit is attached to my keys and always with me.
Ciao
J
Today as part of my Reading Ancient Rome class we took a field trip to the only island on the Tiber within the city of Rome. The story about this city is that once upon a time, there was plague throughout the city the Romans went to Greece to get a statue of the god of healing and medicine, Asclepius. The god decided that he wanted to go check out Rome so he boarded their ship in the form of a snake. When they reached Rome, the snake jumped out of the boat and the Roman decided that meant a temple should be built in that spot. But first they had to build an island to put it on.
His serpent entwined staff is still a symbol used in medicine today. I carry the symbol every time I am on call with the EMTs back at Hamilton. Here's me with my patron Roman god:
Unfortunately, somebody took a good chunk out of his visage so all that's really left is his shoulder, a wisp of hair and his staff.
Today the island houses a church (built on the original temple), a hospital, and some nice restaurants. During the summer the city hosts cultural events on the island such as film festivals and concerts. Hopefully they will start before I leave.
With any luck I wont need to consult Asclepius while I'm here, but my EMT director Diann would be proud to know my pocket CPR kit is attached to my keys and always with me.
Ciao
J
Sunday, February 3, 2013
My Week In Pictures #1
It was pointed out to me that I have yet to post any pictures. While I will post all of them on Facebook, I will also choose some for here every week as a visual summary.
My first view of Rome from the orange grove next to the convent.
The Tiber's in the foreground, and that blip on the horizon is the Vatican.
The Wedding Cake
 |
| Roman Bath |
 |
| Trajan's Column |
 |
| Roman Forum |
Old Stuff Everywhere.
Churches everywhere
Me on the The Type Writer in front of the Eternal Flame
Old stuff that is now a church.
Fountains come in every shape and size.
(My friend Kelly is the one drinking in the last one. All the flowing water is good to drink around here, though not recommended from the monumental ones.)
Random amazing art that you stumble upon.
I know this place has a real name, but no one seems to know it.
Places famous people lived and you now have to pay to get into
(Caesar lived in the first and popes in the second)
And you're not really done for the day, unless you've passed the Wedding Cake one more time. (Okay, one of its official names is the Altare della Patria. I pass by this place multiple times everyday. Everywhere else I have to make an effort to go to.)
Market Day
Day 10
I find myself at a crossroads where Sunday is either the best day of the week or the worst.
Rome on Sundays is different from the rest of the week. In just about every open space there is some sort of market that suddenly pops up from the ungodly hour of 630 am to 2 pm. Today I saw the endless stalls of the Porta Portese Flea Market, an eco-friendly artisan market next to Monte Testaccio, and the mouth-watering stalls at Campo de' Fiori. (All the sites say this one is closed on Sunday, but I've now been there two Sundays in a row and it is packed.) Finding these markets and stopping at the stalls was fun and different walk through the city. Also, free samples are always a bonus.
On the downside: so many other things are closed, and get this, all the churches are closed. The doors to all the churches I have been in in the past week have had their gates and doors shut today. I assume there is someway to get in for the masses that are held, but I haven't quite figured that out yet. Also, a lot of the best small restaurants and businesses are closed, so pickings are slim if you are trying to stay close to home. On the other hand, the Jewish Quarter was the busiest I have seen it.
10 days in and I already feel like a native of the city. (Except for the whole speaking Italian thing, but I'll get there).
Ciao
J
I find myself at a crossroads where Sunday is either the best day of the week or the worst.
Rome on Sundays is different from the rest of the week. In just about every open space there is some sort of market that suddenly pops up from the ungodly hour of 630 am to 2 pm. Today I saw the endless stalls of the Porta Portese Flea Market, an eco-friendly artisan market next to Monte Testaccio, and the mouth-watering stalls at Campo de' Fiori. (All the sites say this one is closed on Sunday, but I've now been there two Sundays in a row and it is packed.) Finding these markets and stopping at the stalls was fun and different walk through the city. Also, free samples are always a bonus.
On the downside: so many other things are closed, and get this, all the churches are closed. The doors to all the churches I have been in in the past week have had their gates and doors shut today. I assume there is someway to get in for the masses that are held, but I haven't quite figured that out yet. Also, a lot of the best small restaurants and businesses are closed, so pickings are slim if you are trying to stay close to home. On the other hand, the Jewish Quarter was the busiest I have seen it.
10 days in and I already feel like a native of the city. (Except for the whole speaking Italian thing, but I'll get there).
Ciao
J
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Going the Extra Mile
Day 9
My first full week has ended, and I am already blown away by my experience here. Though as a Classicist, the first thing I always look for are the ancient ruins, it would be impossible not to quickly get distracted by everything else around me. The perfect example would be the walk some friends and I took yesterday. Though we started out in search of the Pantheon, we got sidetracked by just about every building that was open and had free entrance (that means churches). In the course of our 2 hour walk, we saw three Caravaggio masterpieces in the Contarelli Chapel, Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, and Borromini's incredible fresco in Sant'Angese in Agone. Really, by the time we got to the Pantheon it was almost underwhelming (almost, but not really). I am suddenly incredibly grateful for all those art history classes I took, and regret that I am not taking another this semester.
Everyday of the past week has included a similar excursion, and thanks to these I have found that I have a real life super power: my brain has its very own GPS and map which make it impossible for me to get lost. Though I always had hoped my superpower would have something to do with languages, this one is almost better.
For those who don't have my little superpower, I recommend the Ulmon Rome app (they also have it for a dozen other major cities). This little puppy not only gives you a zoom-in-able map of the city but also has a bunch of pre-marked restaurants, hotels, etc., allows you to search any other place you may be looking for, and allows you to drop a pin and bookmark your favorite places. Best part: it has live GPS (though it is only mostly accurate) AND it is all done offline, so you don't need Wifi or data to use it. I use my app more as a reminder of which piazza is which rather than for directions, but at the rate I'm going, I will soon have more places bookmarked than not.
Ciao
J
My first full week has ended, and I am already blown away by my experience here. Though as a Classicist, the first thing I always look for are the ancient ruins, it would be impossible not to quickly get distracted by everything else around me. The perfect example would be the walk some friends and I took yesterday. Though we started out in search of the Pantheon, we got sidetracked by just about every building that was open and had free entrance (that means churches). In the course of our 2 hour walk, we saw three Caravaggio masterpieces in the Contarelli Chapel, Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, and Borromini's incredible fresco in Sant'Angese in Agone. Really, by the time we got to the Pantheon it was almost underwhelming (almost, but not really). I am suddenly incredibly grateful for all those art history classes I took, and regret that I am not taking another this semester.
Everyday of the past week has included a similar excursion, and thanks to these I have found that I have a real life super power: my brain has its very own GPS and map which make it impossible for me to get lost. Though I always had hoped my superpower would have something to do with languages, this one is almost better.
For those who don't have my little superpower, I recommend the Ulmon Rome app (they also have it for a dozen other major cities). This little puppy not only gives you a zoom-in-able map of the city but also has a bunch of pre-marked restaurants, hotels, etc., allows you to search any other place you may be looking for, and allows you to drop a pin and bookmark your favorite places. Best part: it has live GPS (though it is only mostly accurate) AND it is all done offline, so you don't need Wifi or data to use it. I use my app more as a reminder of which piazza is which rather than for directions, but at the rate I'm going, I will soon have more places bookmarked than not.
Ciao
J
Friday, February 1, 2013
This is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
Day 7
Today I had my first walking tour for my City of Rome class. This class starts at 2 and goes till 530, or, as my professor so ominously put it, "till the bitter end." As it is a three and a half hour class during which we are constantly on our feet, you would expect that we would be moving at, if not a slow pace, at least one that didn't leave you breathless. Someone forgot to mention this courtesy to my professor who, after making sure we all got through the ticket booth, shot off at a sprint up the Palatine, weaving in and out of ancient ruins making it nearly impossible to see where he was, and only the trail of panting students gave any indication that we were still headed in the right direction. He seemed to find it highly entertaining trying to outrun us all, and openly admitted he does it to weed out the less motivated student in the class (his favorite is when it is raining on this first day, though we had a gorgeous day).
Despite his breakneck pace, his lecture was truly incredible. From the top of the Palatine, which houses some of the most amazing ruins I've yet to see, we could see almost all of Rome. The lecture was meant to cover all of Ancient Rome in a single day, and it did not disappoint. Though rapid, Professor Gadeyne knew his stuff and rattled of dates and facts without checking a single note. He has a dry sense of humor that broke up the tedium of covering multiple centuries of history in a single afternoon. However, this same sense of humor has left me and my friend Shruti wondering if we are his favorite students or if we will be kicked out of class on Monday.
Some students here have signed up for a gym membership for the semester. But based on yesterdays war games, such a thing seems highly redundant. As he sent us off at the end of the day congratulating us on having enrolled in a class that gave 2 for the price of 1: a history and a phys ed.
Ciao
J
Today I had my first walking tour for my City of Rome class. This class starts at 2 and goes till 530, or, as my professor so ominously put it, "till the bitter end." As it is a three and a half hour class during which we are constantly on our feet, you would expect that we would be moving at, if not a slow pace, at least one that didn't leave you breathless. Someone forgot to mention this courtesy to my professor who, after making sure we all got through the ticket booth, shot off at a sprint up the Palatine, weaving in and out of ancient ruins making it nearly impossible to see where he was, and only the trail of panting students gave any indication that we were still headed in the right direction. He seemed to find it highly entertaining trying to outrun us all, and openly admitted he does it to weed out the less motivated student in the class (his favorite is when it is raining on this first day, though we had a gorgeous day).
Despite his breakneck pace, his lecture was truly incredible. From the top of the Palatine, which houses some of the most amazing ruins I've yet to see, we could see almost all of Rome. The lecture was meant to cover all of Ancient Rome in a single day, and it did not disappoint. Though rapid, Professor Gadeyne knew his stuff and rattled of dates and facts without checking a single note. He has a dry sense of humor that broke up the tedium of covering multiple centuries of history in a single afternoon. However, this same sense of humor has left me and my friend Shruti wondering if we are his favorite students or if we will be kicked out of class on Monday.
Some students here have signed up for a gym membership for the semester. But based on yesterdays war games, such a thing seems highly redundant. As he sent us off at the end of the day congratulating us on having enrolled in a class that gave 2 for the price of 1: a history and a phys ed.
Ciao
J
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)