Night Tour of Rome

So tonight we decided that after being cooped up in the apartment all day with nothing to do, we'd go out and see some things. We started with dinner around 8:30-8:45 and that lasted until around 10:00 because well, it's Italy. By the time we had paid and were leaving most of the girls were tired and wanted to get some rest for the big game (which is tomorrow not Monday as was originally thought). Anyway it ended up being one roommate and I that were still wanting to go out so we did. We took a bus to Piazza Venezia and that started our tour. 

Vittorio Emanuele II Monument

 This monument is really distinctive and as I've said generally disliked by many Romans. Italians have fun opinions on monuments several are widely disliked however famous they might be. This particular one is really useful though because it is so unique and it is a good landmark. If you can see this, you can usually tell roundabouts where you are. It's relatively close to the Colosseum and to the rest of Ancient Rome, It's also next to the Capitoline Hill, and It is located right near Piazza Venezia (a big bus stop). These are all good things to know when you're in Rome.

A wedding shoot.

 LOTS of people can be found in this area taking pictures for their wedding. It's really really popular and for obvious reasons.

Roman Forum

We walked by the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine, but for some reason I didn't really take any pictures. I'm sure I'll have another chance though. We couldn't go in to the Forum because it was too late, but we could look around at the outside. The Roman Forum is really beautiful, but it is a little hard for me to distinguish the different buildings and what they were. I guess I got used to seeing images of what they would have looked like.

Roman Forum

 And again, the Roman Forum, this is looking out from Via Fuori Imperiali and you can't quite see the Via Sacra in this picture. But it led from the Colosseum to the arch of Septimius Severus. And many trophies from Roman conquests would have been brought up that street. 

Prison of Apostles Peter and Paul.
Mamertinum

We ended our tour after viewing Capitoline hill which I also neglected to get pictures of. Being a tour guide either requires more confidence or a bit more studying, although the girl who went with me seemed to appreciate it. We took a night bus home since it was around 12:30 when we finished. Between getting gelato and waiting for the bus it took us awhile but we got home around 1:00-1:30.

Campo Di Fiori & Italia's Win!

We took a walking tour of Rome that wasn't really too impressive if you've actually studied any of the major landmarks of Rome we saw. But it's starting to feel like I won't be here forever. One day I won't be able to just walk over to Piazza Navona, Piazza Venezia, Piazza del Colosseo, or any of the other impressive monuments that are here.

Piazza Navona.

 Piazza Navona was built on top of the Stadium of Domitian. The large church you see on the left (part with towers) is dedicated to St. Agnes. Who was allegedly martyred there after refusing to marry the Prefect's son during Diocletian's reign. (There's more to the story but you can Wikipedia it if you feel the need to know the rest.)

Piazza Navona again. 

Piazza Navona is filled with people and artists and tons and tons of people illegally selling silly toys that I'm sure break extremely easy. And the toys don't seem like that much fun anyway. You just throw them on the ground and they squish... I don't see the fun, but some little kids really like them.

A different view of some ruins.
Part of the stadium of Domitian.

I'd seen these particular ruins several times walking past the other side of the building, but never from this side as they're usually closed off. It's from the end of the Flavian era, very late first century AD.

And again.

 If you didn't know, the street level of Ancient Rome is about 20ft lower than that of Modern-Day Rome. This is due to floods, fire, and lack of care when rebuilding things (instead of clearing rubble they just flattened it).

Pantheon

 It's super cool, and a marvel of engineering, but it's a little boring the 7th time. Although this time there was a "nice" incense smell that gave me Catholic School Flashbacks. Also it says it was built by Agrippa during his third term as Consul, but really this one was built by Hadrian (second century AD) some years later. There was an original built by Agrippa (during Augustus' time - late 1st century BC to early 1st century AD) but it was heavily damaged and had to be re-done. It also would have been facing the opposite direction.

Spanish Steps

 The tour ended at the Spanish Steps. Which I've spent too much time around in my opinion. They're impressive to be sure, and they're one of the most famous landmarks in Rome. But they're not one of my favorites. Also just a random fact I haven't shared before, The Popes decided to put obelisks in front of many of the most important churches in Rome.

They're tiring, but we didn't walk up them.

There was some discussion about where we should eat and watch the soccer match (Italy vs Germany - Semifinals). We ended up going from the Spanish Steps to Campo di Fiori with only a minor uncertainty in direction once or twice. We made it there within 30 minutes and proceeded to try and find a place to eat. Everywhere inside the square was either too crowded or too expensive, so we walked off to the side where a guy told us we could sit in the air conditioning, and watch the game. The prices weren't bad so we said sure! I had a pizza margherita (not feeling too adventurous at a new restaurant). And we watched the game.

The most commonly screamed phrase was Vai Vai VAI VAIIII! (Go Go GO GOOO!) It was really fun listening to and watching the Italians rejoice and complain about different things happening in the game. Italy was up 2-0 in the first half! And they played very well for the rest of the game. The end score was 2-1, Italy advancing to the finals vs Spain on Monday night. Tuesday we all might be a little late for class...

After Italia scored.

After the game, the crowds went a little crazy. Some of the girls got a drink at a close-by american bar. And we headed home shortly afterword thankfully not having to find and take the night bus. We caught what must have been the last 62 bus of the night, and it took us on a detour to Termini which was a little nerve-wracking for me because I knew we were headed the wrong direction, but couldn't figure out if the bus would still be going by our street. It did, thankfully, and we all got home safely.

There were slightly fewer kids outside our apartment (I assume they were all at Piazza del Popolo where things were supposed to be crazy). But there were still people honking and yelling and using air-horns all night. It's fun when you're celebrating, but annoying when you want to sleep.
Today is the combined feast day of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. They are two of the most important Saints in Rome. So as a result most things are closed. Which is slightly annoying since I was gonna go do some stuff. But oh well, it can wait. I think the Italian attitude of everything working out when it works out is starting to take root with me. It's pretty fun, and not very good when combined with a heavy dose of procrastination. Although I don't really have anything important to do right now so it's kinda ok.

Rome, July Semester!

So, the last two of my roommates got here today. (4 girls in an apt meant for 6 = awesome) Their flights were both delayed a lot, I think they were both planning on being here about 24hrs prior to the time they actually arrived. So now we're all in Rome together!

Today we started orientation, everything was pretty much a review for me, but that wasn't the worst. I mostly used today to get to know everyone and refresh some stuff, ask important questions, point things out. Generally I've been trying to be helpful. And really trying not to seem like everything's super easy because I was confused when I started, and yeah, a lot is easy to pick up on the first week or so, but it's easier if someone helps you. It's also sometimes easier to ask a fellow student than a professor or administrator. (Although I really love all of the people who work at CEA Rome! They're really nice and try very hard to make you feel welcome and at home here.)

This is what campus looks like..

Also, tonight I think we'll be cooking a roommate meal (penne pasta), with the supplies CEA left us, and tomorrow we're going on a tour of the neighborhood we're living in... Yay... Ah well, maybe there's something that I never knew I never knew about this Piazza.

And as a follow-up to my previous side-note, today, as a part of my Activity book, I got a crossword puzzle and a Wikipedia challenge (like, get from Bicycle to Ants in less than 11 steps using links inside articles). So I'll be busy for awhile. And there's more to come! Best boyfriend ever award? I think so.

Fiorenze -> Firenze

I decided to take this chance to post all of the (1) random pictures I've taken on my phone when I didn't have my camera handy.

A fountain on the way to class... Turns out it's in the Borghese Villa.

Saturday I traveled to Florence all by myself. It was only a little stressful, but it was totally worth it. Unfortunately I left my camera at home, so lots of phone pictures. (also the title of this post is the old Italian name of Florence and the new) Now, in Italy there are very few places that have air conditioning, and even fewer places that use it. Churches are one of these exceptions. So while I was in Florence Saturday I decided to cool off in various churches and pull out my Kindle and read for awhile. It felt a little weird at first, but then I decided whatever, I paid 3.50 to get in, I might as well enjoy and make the most of my time there.

So Saturday I sat and read in Santa Maria Novella
 for about 1.5 hours today.

Ha! It says: Today's rich and powerful are unfortunately
not as tasteful as the Medici.

I went and got lunch at a small cafe, and paid extra to sit down. Unusual in my neighborhood at home, but quite expected in Florence. I sat and read while waiting for my food. One of the waitresses saw my Kindle, and exclaimed something in Italian speaking much too fast for me to follow what she was saying.
Her friend came over and said (in Italian), "It's like a little computer right? Like an Ipod?"
I quickly recovered myself and agreed and then added, "Well, it's only for books, but many books."
She replied, "Oh, how do you get them on there do you scan them?"
"No, you download them from the internet"
"Oh then they cost money?"
I thought about how to say it for a second and said, "Yes, some, but very old books are free. Only new books cost money."
She asked "How many books does it hold?"
Now, I have no idea how many books a kindle holds, but I figured a guess would be fine. "I'm not sure, more than 100."
She said, "Wow, you're German, no, English?" Which seems to be everyone's guess on meeting me. I guess I look rather German, but have an accent that reminds them of English. I also assume many Americans that come to Italy don't take the time to learn the language, whereas British people seem to know at least one other language. I told her I was from Texas, of course (because Texas is better than America). And that was all of our conversation until I left when she said, "Ciao bella!" and I felt like I'd made a new friend. It was pretty fun.

And a blurry picture of Basilica di San Lorenzo
where I read for another 2 hours.

I also spent a lot of time walking around generally being a little lost, but I had a map and was confident enough that I would be able to make it back to the train station by simply asking anyone I saw "Dov'è Santa Maria Novella?" My mediocre knowledge of Italian is very very handy in those sorts of situations. It really doesn't take much command of the language to ask that though (or so I've tried to convince my CEA roommates). However it was unnecessary as I was quickly able to find and orient myself on the map I had been given on my previous trip to Florence.

Some fun chalk artists.

Every time I go to this market, the one by il Porcellino, I buy one thing at least. First it was a purse, then some gifts for other people, and I almost bought a scarf, but didn't feel like haggling. And I know 18Euros is WAY too much to pay for a scarf, even a nice one. The fun thing about this is, I now really know about the right price to pay for things, where you can haggle, and where you can't. It's really fun learning all of this, because it makes me feel like I'm really, well not a native, but at least like I'm fitting in.

Il Porcellino! I love that market!
There's so many fun things to buy!

I love street art! It's so much fun!! Although Florence doesn't have quite as much as Rome, and not nearly as much politically oriented art, it's still interesting. The political things are the most interesting to me. I love propaganda because It's just so interesting. How it works on people, what works in one culture, and what doesn't in another. I may have mentioned this before, but I'm taking a class on Propaganda and Dissidence in the fall and I'm really excited for that class, I'm sure it will be a lot of work, but it's also sure to be fun.

I had a picture of one of these from the first time
I went to Florence 3 years ago, and I thought
it was cool someone's still putting them up.

This next bit doesn't particularly pertain to Europe so, if you're only interested in my adventures, you can stop here. But otherwise feel free to continue if you wish.

I've refrained from mentioning this in my blog because I feel it's not really the place, but today I can't help it. Background: (My best friend told me he liked me two days before I left for Europe. Terrible timing right? But he's my best friend and my favorite person ever and so we started dating. We try to talk a lot, every day if we can. And I just can't wait until I can see him when I get back.) So anyways he's pretty awesome, and knows that I get bored a lot. So he made me an activity book of sorts. I'm saving most of it, so that it will be a surprise. Today I opened the first page, and it is a word-finder puzzle-thingy. The words I have to look for are either Roman Emperors, fantasy things (like from Lord of the Rings) or other things pertaining to Italy. It's so much fun, because it's custom made from a list of my favorite things. And I'm just too excited to not tell everyone ever about it!!

Fun Classes & Hot Weather

     So this week we've gone to museums and churches for the most part in both of my classes. It's been pretty fun. And very convenient since they are both usually air-conditioned and it's in the high nineties around here. My room however is not air-conditioned, and I don't have a fan.. So that's less fun. Having the windows open only helps when there's a breeze and today there was none... I'm considering finding a church or museum or something to go study in.

     My Art and Archaeology class visited the catacombs under the basilica of St. Agnes today (where she was actually buried). It was pretty cool, and conversely to what movies and stories tell you, Christians did not hide in these catacombs during their persecution. First, they couldn't have survived the air down there for more than twenty minutes. And second, the Romans actually sold them the land and recently following the opening of the catacombs, Christianity was made legal by Constantine in 313AD. Anyway, the catacombs were interesting to see, most of the ones we saw were from the 4th Century AD (Constantine's reign.) It was a little creepy, seeing all the "shelves" where people were buried. But there were only 4 skeletons and they were behind glass. It was interesting to see just how small they would have been, maybe 4-4.5 feet at the most, and weighing only 150-170lbs. Crazy.

(viewer's discretion advised, description below.)
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     Photography class went to several churches including a church/museum with an area that was decorated entirely with bones of monks who were found nearby. It was kind of funny though because we weren't allowed to take pictures there, and we went there for a photo class. But it was still really interesting to see. A lot of the people in the program are anxious to see everything they possibly can, so I feel a little lazy, but I have another month to see some of this stuff, and My next Art&Arch class will be taking us to a lot of other churches and museums so I'll get to see even more stuff.

      So anyway finals are tomorrow meaning I'd better get back to work. (Although I am slightly farther along than I'd originally expected to be.)

Oh, No, Finals...

     So it's officially finals week for me. And I'm a little frightened. But I'm fairly confident it will be ok in the end. This weekend I haven't done much as far as leaving the apt goes, mostly just gelato, pizza, and grocery runs. I've been catching up on some homework, and working on my final project for my photography class.

I love Roma!

Main Synagogue in Rome.

Bridge... Near the Forum & Jewish Ghetto.

Moooooore locks. One of them had a Kiwi bird on it.

     We have to make a portfolio of our favorite pictures and some clippings and writings and stuff. I'm not super excited about this project, but I think it will be ok. I don't super hate all of my pictures so it will probably work.

     For my Art & Arch. class we just have a normal final which is nerve-wracking enough. But I did ok on the midterm, so the final shouldn't be that terrible. I'll just be spending most of the week studying.

Poster supporting Palestinians.

Inside a church... Not sure which one...

An old Roman temple near the Mouth of Truth.

     That being said, I will be really happy when I get to sleep forever on Friday. But hopefully not too late so I can still wake up on Saturday for my 8AM Train to Florence! I'm really excited to be spending the entire day there. I love Florence more than anywhere else in Italy (right now). And I just can't wait to go back and leisurely walk around the city. This will also be the first time I'm really travelling by myself.. So that's a little scary for me, but I'm pretty sure it will work out.

Picture of part of the group on the docks of Sorrento.

Me at the Mouth of Truth.

The Vatican!...So many times...

Sorrento, with one of our Admins, Andrea!

     Orientation doesn't start until Tuesday, and so I have plenty more time to travel/relax/explore Rome. I've been toying with the idea of visiting Milano, Bologna, Assisi, or Sicilia. I'm so torn, they all have their own merits. Milano - Architecture and shopping. Bologna - History, and architecutre. Assisi - peaceful, beautiful, different. Sicilia - (apparently) completely different culture & food, interesting social aspects, and just a different area of Italy altogether. But there are some problems with each, Milano - expensive for a short amount of time, Bologna - earthquake (2-3 weeks ago, left 17 dead), Assisi - have to deal with difficult transportation issues, Sicilia - need a flight, short term travel is impractical. So I'm thinking about just staying around Roma and visiting all the parks I've skipped so far. Anyways these are just my favorite options and their problems.

I probably won't have time to post anything until I finish with finals, but I'll put pictures of how my project turns out up here, I'm hoping it turns out well.

F is for Florence!

First, I'm just terrible about updating this if I have any school work that needs to be done. And I had to write a research paper. So, there haven't been many updates because I was spending 70% of my free time on that.

Yay sunsets and Domes!

(The rest of these pictures were all taken when it was dark, with different camera settings.)
This is part of the Roman Forum.

And again, with my highest ISO setting.

My favorite ISO setting of the night (around 200-400).
Il Colosseo is in the background.

Blurry, not on purpose pictures always turn out
better than blurry, on purpose  pictures...

Temple of Saturn and I forgot the long one... Julius Ceasar's Basilica?

Where Peter was held prisoner.
Walking photos at night are usually terrible.

Look, Cobblestones... They're so... "Fun."

Column of Trajan, so beautiful!

Markets of Trajan.

But on to the main points, we did some night photography Wednesday evening, which was surprisingly fun since my camera's pictures weren't as terrible as I'd expected. We met at the Vittorio Emanuele 2 monument at 8:30pm, and walked over to the Capiotline Hill and looked out at the Roman Forum then went to the Markets of Trajan and then went home because it was about 10:30.

Today I went to Florence with CEA. I've always liked Florence for some reason, maybe it's just that the time periods that it was at its best are my favorites, or that I just have more knowledge about it in general. I'm not sure, but whatever the reason, I love it, and today was just beautiful. We saw Il Duomo, the Doors of Paradise, Michelangelo's David, Il Porcellino, Ponte Vecchio and much more. I love the city, but since it was planned in the Middle Ages, it's a little easy to get lost. I ended up buying a scarf for 5 Euros, and a large purse for 55 Euros discounted from 68. I probably could have gotten a better deal, but didn't want to haggle over it. Only one other girl and I were returning to Rome this afternoon, so we headed back to the station around 4:15. I only got a little lost, and considered asking directions, then as soon as I had decided to do so, I realized where we needed to go, and we went. We arrived at the train station 3 minutes early, and got to talk to two of the CEA admins who had come with us on the trip. They were really great, but they told me that next semester I'm going to have to speak to them only in Italian... That'll be fun... But really the practice would be good for me. Upon arriving at Rome, each of them offered to share a taxi with each of us, very convenient since that would be able to drop us off closer to our apts, and was on the way for them. We gladly accepted, and went our separate ways.

The most beautiful church in Florence.
(At least on the outside.)

The Medici Family!

Their "palace" it's quite beautiful for how simple it is.

Basilica di San Lorenzo

The dome, 6 ft bigger than the Pantheon.

The doors of Paradise. - Nickname given by Michelangelo.

Palazzo Vecchio.

Markets by Il Porcellino

Ponte Vecchio

So now I get to read, and smell my new purse. (Are there people who don't love the smell of leather?)

My new Purse, big enough to hold a textbook or two!

My scarf, side 1.

My scarf, side 2.

I think I might go to a market tomorrow, or read, or do nothing... I haven't decided...