Goodbye to Rome

Today is the day that I leave Rome. I absolutely cannot believe that my time here is already up! I still distinctly remember my first day here, the first time I got lost, the first people I met, the first "real" Italian I spoke...they are things that I will never forget. My time here has been amazing, stressful, and crazy all rolled into one. Rome is an extraordinary city, one that I still don't understand, and doubt I ever will. You can hate it or love it, and most of the time I hate it AND love it, the people, the public transportation, the everything. I know I didn't experience everything to offer here, but who could? This city is a secret to even those who have lived their whole lives in it.
As sad as I am to leave, I know that I will be back, and that keeps me going. I have to come back, to continue experiencing and attempting to understand just a little more what makes this amazing city "tick". Despite that, I am ready to go home. And excited to see friends and family!! Also, the use of simple appliances would be nice (like a dryer, microwave, or toaster for starters)!

“When we have once known Rome, and left her where she lies, like a long-decaying corpse, retaining a trace of the noble shape it was, but with accumulated dust and a fungus growth overspreading all its more admirable features, left her in utter weariness, no doubt, of her narrow, crooked, intricate streets, so uncomfortably paved with little squares of lava that to tread over them is a penitential pilgrimage, so indescribably ugly, moreover, so cold, so alley-like, into which the sun never falls, and where a chill wind forces its deadly breath into our lungs, --left her, sick at heart of Italian trickery, which has uprooted whatever faith in man's integrity had endured till now, and sick at stomach of sour bread, sour wine, rancid butter, and bad cookery, needlessly bestowed on evil meats,-- left her, crushed down in spirit with the desolation of her ruin, and the hopelessness of her future, --left her, in short, hating her with all our might, and adding our individual curse to the infinite anathema which her old crimes have unmistakably brought down,--when we have left Rome in such mood as this, we are astonished by the discovery, by and by, that our heart-strings have mysteriously attached themselves to the Eternal City, and are drawing us thitherward again, as if it were more familiar, more intimately our home, than even the spot where we were born.”

-Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Marble Faun

Goodbye Roma! It has been an unforgettable experience.

And Ciao all! Thank you for reading all semester!

My Last Weeks in Rome

These last few weeks have been such a whirlwind! I know I promised I would update you all on the goings-on in my time in Rome a bit ago, so here it is!


Floor bricks we separated at the dig and put in formation



When I came home from the vast adventure of Fall Break, I really needed a little me-time, so I decided to go to the new Van Gogh exhibit that was showing at the National Museum in Piazza Venezia (right near the Coliseum). My school (University of Richmond) reimburses me for "cultural events" that I clear in advance, so I basically "booked" myself some time there. It was so interesting to see all of Van Gogh's work in one place! Well, almost all of his works. Starry Night was missing! That was a bit of a let down, but other than that it was really kind of...grown-up to go to a museum by myself. I know that sounds corny, but thats how it felt. The exhibit was amazing, with so much that I had never seen by him, from paintings from Van Gogh's time in the Netherlands, to the complete change in artistic style when he moved to impressionistic Paris.

Despite an extremely boring start to my internship, things got pretty fun and interesting in the last few weeks of my time there. Of course, a lot of the best stuff came after I had already turned in my field journal for the course that went along with the internship itself, but oh well. We finally were able to power-wash the pottery, which made things go A LOT faster, both the time and the actual work itself. It was also pretty amusing. I was also taught how to label the individual pieces of pottery, bricks, and miscellaneous pieces of clay using a fountainpen (sooo hard to write with), making sure to keep the material from different parts of the dig separate. I also learned, along with two other interns Sam and Rosalie, how to separate how different kinds of building materials, and we were entrusted with placing them in different containers, and making new labels, and putting together possible formations of them. When you think that these materials, like stone from floors, and different kinds of tiles for roofs, were buried within the Mausoleum (which itself was built 2000 years ago), it just makes things all the cooler, and makes it so much more important. If we know what they were using at the time of building the Mausoleum, we can use that information to date a lot of other construction materials that have been found at other sites just like ours. There really is so much we can learn from them.

  A friend of mine from school who is studying in Perugia (about 3 hours by train from Rome) this semester came to Rome on a class trip a few weekends ago, and I was able to spend a little time with her. It was so crazy to think that we were in Rome hanging out! It was also nice to get out of my routine here--it is so easy to think "home-school-grocery store-home" and not get out of that mould, so when people visit, it really is the best. We ended up going to the biggest Jewish temple in Rome, and going on a tour of the Jewish Museum. The history of Jews in Rome is a long and sad one, and it felt good to finally learn more about the people that make up a pretty significent portion of the city population. I've shared this city with them, so it was about time I learn a little bit more about how they came to be in the situation they are in, or have been in.

Thanksgiving in Rome was so much fun! While it was sad not be with the people I am normally with during this holiday, it was good nonetheless. We made a makeshift Thanksgiving dinner with about 13 of us, a mix of Americans and Italians. I cooked apple crisp (a first for me, it was actually pretty good!), there was turkey and all of the fixings, candied yams, asparagus, and of course, pumpkin pie. It was great to get together, and really appreciate our time in Rome, and be thankful for everything I have been able to do during my time here.

I'm not sure if Italy's current political state has hit the new stations in the United States, but yesterday was an absolutely crazy day in Rome. Berlusconi, the Prime Minister and pretty much the head of government, had a vote of non-confidence called against him by people from his own party. The vote was yesterday, and ended in him winning "confidence" by 3 votes. THREE VOTES. The final count was 314 against 311. Really, Italians? Immediately after the vote, there were aleady allegations that Berlusconi had bought votes, which is pretty easy to understand and accept, but I'm sure that will never be proved. While there have been protests throughout Rome and Italy (but mainly Rome) against new education bills that the government is trying to pass these past few weeks, yesterday there was a demonstration of more than 50,000 people already planned to protest against the current government. When the news the Berlusconi had somehow passed the vote, and that the government would not fall as some had hoped, the protests turned into violent riots, and the center of Rome was pure mayhem. My school, which I was thankfully not at, was vandalised amidst the rioters (as students were blocked inside) by protesters with baseball bats. They ended up breaking the front door, and painting graffiti all over the building, along with a lot of buildings in that area. Piazza del Popolo was locked down after a couple of cars were set on fire. There was tear-gas, 1,500 police, and angry protesters who were absolutely out of control. Just another day in paradise, right?

Despite all that, I will always love Rome. How could I not? Maybe just not Berlusconi...

I wish I had more pictures for you guys but the upload process is taking forever! Ciao and see you soon!!

Grenoble with my French Family!

Two weekends ago I visited Grenoble to see my grandmothers brother (Pascal) and his wife Martine. I was a little nervous going into the weekend--my French is not as good as it once was (it never really was that good anyway) and it was the weekend before my Italian finals, so I was already a little stressed. But I am so glad I went!



My Sleeper Cabin...my bed was on the left!

I left Thursday evening, on a night train to Dijon Ville, France, where I was planning on buying another ticket for a quick train to Grenoble in the morning. Easy, right? Wrong. France ended up getting hit with a pretty big snow storm, so my already 12 hour train ride turned into a 15 hour train ride, forcing me to miss my connection, and beginning one of the longest days of my life! I was blessed with a good family in my sleeper cabin--a group of 5 Italians on their way to Paris, who were very conversational and funny. That helped. Also, a gentleman I met while getting increasingly annoyed with train security (after they said it would be a half hour to the train station, 2 hours later we were still sitting on the tracks...) who spoke Italian and French and was able to help me onto a train to Lyon (and then I would change to Chambery), which was absolutely amazing. Of course, things couldn't actually go as planned, again, because at Lyon I was stopped because of MORE snow, with more and more trains delayed and cancelled. By the time I made it onto my train to Chambery, I was still working on getting ahold of Pascal, and because my French is so bad, he couldn't understand a thing I was saying! Thankfully, a girl sitting across from me spoke French and English, so she was able to talk with him on my behalf. Once I got to Chambery, the snow was still so bad that I had to take ANOTHER train to finally get to Grenoble, since Pascal could no longer drive on the roads that far to get me. What time did I finally find Pascal and Martine at the Grenoble train station? 6 pm Friday. Twenty four hours it took for me to finally get there.

EVERY TRAIN WAS LATE.



All was forgotten, however, when I was able to sit down and eat a real meal with Pascal and Martine. A real meal! One that wasn't based around pasta, or cous cous (a specialty of mine now...), with a main course, cheese, and dessert, a.k.a. so exciting! That night, Pascal brought out old family photographs, and I was able to see pictures from when I visited them when I was barely three years old (with my parents of course). It was actually a lot of fun to look through. To top it off, I was able to use Pascal's free long distance to call my step-mom on her birthday, which I'm pretty sure she enjoyed.

The next day, we all went with Nicolas (Pascal and Martine's son) and his girlfriend to Annecy, a small town about an hour by car away from Grenoble. Annecy is easily one of the most awe-inspiring, beautiful places I have been (and that is saying a lot). The Alps frame the most picturesque lake, and with the snow having just fallen, it was out of a storybook. We ate lunch at a great restaurant, where I ate pate and other foods that I'm not all that interested in actually knowing (I would rather not...), and we went to a Christmas Market where Martine bought me the cutest little stuffed lion that is filled with lavender and can be heated up in the microwave. So sweet! All in all, it was an amazing day.



Annecy, France



On Sunday, we walked into Grenoble and went to the local market. It was gorgeous out, and reminded me so much of Vermont! The Mountains are literally right on top of the town, which was pretty intense, and the snow and slight chill just made the sunshine feel even better. That afternoon, I unfortunately I had to leave, after such a short time visiting! I left at around 2 and arrived back in Rome around 10:30 the next morning, just in time for three classes, and an Italian oral presentation to start off the week.

Forty-four and a half hours I spent travelling to see my family, and I don't regret any of it--it felt so great to finally "meet" them (despite having seen them before). Now I desperately want to go back! It's my mission to practice my French so that I will be able to actually talk with Martine (who doesn't know as much English as Pascal, and Pascal doesn't know a huge amount of English to begin with), and really spend time with them. They are such great people! Also...they had coca cola in their fridge--if it had been Diet Coke, I never would have left!

Me, Martine, Nicolas, and his girlfriend, in Annecy!







Geneva and Athens!

Ciao tutti!


Statue group outside the International Red Cross Museum



The past two weeks have super busy, with classes starting to wrap up and two trips that I had planned a long time ago with friends from Richmond. The first was Geneva, where I met up with Hannah and Briana, friends that I was also able to see during my Fall Break. The first day there, it was raining, but luckily on Saturday, the day we did most of our sightseeing, it was absolutely beautiful out. On Friday, while Briana and I waited for Hannah's flight to get in, we went to the Palace of Nations, home to some key functions of the United Nations. We were able to get a tour of the building, after going through some pretty crazy security (wherein I realized I forgot my passport and Briana had to "pledge" that I would be under her watchful eye during our entire visit!), and saw the main meeting areas. The building is so interesting because it is made up of "gifts" from member states of the United Nations...throughout the tour, the guide would point to the floor, the columns, the paintings, in a specific room and say "so and so country gave this to the UN, this artist painted this for the UN...". Very interesting, like a hodge-podge of objects "pledging" allegiance to the membership established through the United Nations.



View from our walk around Geneva



The next day, we visisted the International Red Cross museum, and learned about how it was created, and the different activities it is involved with. We ended up spending most of the day in the Vielle-Ville, or Old Town of Geneva, which was built on a pretty high hill above the newer town of Geneva. This area was so beautiful! Of course, it was bit of a hike getting up there, but it was well worth it. We ate at a crepery, were able to look around the St. Paul Cathedral in the center of the Old Town, and ended up at the cutest tea shop for a little afternoon snack. The amazing thing about Geneva is that it is so walkable, and the only time we used public transportation (which was free for us, staying at the Geneva Youth Hostel) was to get to the Palace of Nations, and International Red Cross, but it really wasn't necessary. We took a water taxi that night, which was about a 5 minute ride across the lake the Geneva is on, and it was such a cool experience! The locals actually use these "taxis" on a daily basis, but had so much fun just sitting on it for the quick ride and back. That night we tracked down a restaurant that would serve us chocolate fondue (amazingly hard to find!) and ate every morsel, and walked around the city. We came across this amazing "band" of men, that attracted such a huge crowd of people, little kids running up and dropping tips in their guitar cases. There was so much energy to them, we stopped for a bit to enjoy the atmosphere. The video below is of this fun band.

The weekend was over as quickly as it came, and we left the next day, after spending an enormous time of the week just spending time relaxing in the company of great weather and great friends.

This past weekend I flew to Athens, meeting Briana there for our last trip travelling together (so crazy!). My flight was at 9:10, and I had to take a 30 minute train to get the airport from my area in Rome, so I was planning on waking up at 5:30 to get ready and finish packing, and then head out with plenty of time to spare. Did that happen?? No. I woke up at 7:45, and after looking at my phone, flew into a sheer panic. I through the rest of my things in my backpack and literally RAN out of my apartment and to the tram stop, and then to the train station. The automatic ticket machine was broken, which made me miss the 8:06 train to the airport, and the next one wasn't until 8:21. My flight was to begin boarding at 8:40, so you can just imagine my panic. The second my train pulled into the airport station, my feet hit the ground running, and I was "that girl" SPRNTING through the airport, arriving at security panting, and begging people in Italian to let me pass them, hands shaking. Luckily my gate was the very first after security, and somehow managed to get to it before it closed. The women at the desk just looked at me, and said "Emma?" and I nodded, not sure if it would be good or bad news. And then they said the magic words: "You're the last to board". YES! I was so excited, and exhausted before my trip even began.



Me in front of the Parthenon!



Briana and I spent the first day, as always, just wondering in the area around our hostel, which was conveniently almost next to the Acropolis. It was such an amazing sight to see that night! Almost unreal. I would post of photo of it, but none of them came out. We ate a traditional Greek meal of Greek salad and Moussaka that night, and still could not believe that we were in Athens.



Caryatids, part of the Erechtheium, Acropolis



The next day we got up early and beat the crowds to the Acropolis, and it was absolutely an unbelievable sight. The day was just getting started, the sun shining, and it was obvious it was going to be beautiful. But the sight of the Parthenon on the edge of the Acropolis, the Erechtheium with its famous Caryatids, and the Temple of Nike, was even more beautiful. I just learned about Greek Archeology in a class last semester, so it was exciting (and still is, as I write about it) to see all that I had learned about, laying in front of me. We walked around the top for a while, and then walked on the slopes of the Acropolis for a large part of time, and it almost felt like we were mountain climbing at some points, the terrain and "paths" being in rough shape. We also saw the Temple of Zeus, the Ancient and Roman Agoras, and the Parliament Building. Despite staying close, more or less, to our hostel, I had an amazing weekend in Athens. My "giddiness" at the archaeology remains there was comparable to how I felt when I first arrived in Rome, and it reminded me just how lucky I am to be here, spending my semester doing the things I have. I hope I never forget that feeling.

That is all for now, my friends, I will blog soon to update you guys on my life in Rome the past few weeks, including some fun stuff I did at my internship!

Hope your Thanksgiving's were amazing!

Fall Break, aka the Best week of My Life



"John Lennon" Wall, Prague




Hello all! Again, I have to apologize for not posting sooner, after coming back from my trip, I was so exhausted and then that exhaustion was consumed with dealing with classes/internship all week. But here I am! As I start to think about how to describe my trip to you, I am quickly realizing just HOW much I did last week. That being said, I am going to try to describe key points to you guys, and hopefully this wont be (too) long.                                                                          

First stop, after meeting up with my friend Briana in Milan, was Prague. We flew there on Friday, and after a bus, a tram, and a bit of walking, we found our hostel. It was a bit stressful trying to figure out how much money we need for the 2 days we were going to be there (in Prague they use the Czech "crown", which exchanges to about 100 czk to a little less than 10 euros), and then buying tickets to take a bus into the city center. That beginning stress did not translate into the rest of our trip, though, thank goodness. I absolutely fell in love with Prague. If you've talked to me since I've been back, I'm sure you know this, but I just cannot get over the calm beauty of the city, which, combined with the history, makes me jealous of anyone who has been able to spend more time there than I have. The first day, we decided to walk around and learn how to get around the town a bit-by the end of our time in Prague, we could walk home without having to pay attention to street signs, which just adds to how much I love this city! That night, Briana and I ended up going to an organ concert in Old Prague (which is where we spend most of our time), which featured the biggest classical organ in Prague, a soprano singer, and a violin. Together, they played 15 amazingly beautiful songs, and despite the cold (the cathedral the concert was in was not heated), the concert remains to be a highlight of my entire trip. The next day we spent at Prague Castle, and the surrounding buildings, and in the Old Town Square. Prague Castle sits on, as far as I could tell, the highest point of the city, and offers a 360 degree view of the whole area.



Cathedral, Prague Castle, Prague



Prague was so comfortable, walkable, and I've missed it since I left. The foliage on the hills next to the Vlatava River were so picturesque, and actually reminded me a lot of Vermont. And the little quirks, like the hot wine and czech sausage ("must-haves" apparently) just made the experience better.

Next stop was Vienna, Austria, where we met Briana's friend from highschool Lucy, who is studying there for a year. It was really nice to have a sort of guide who spoke almost fluent German to show us around. It rained for most of the time while I was there, but the rain couldn't take away from the majesty of the buildings in Vienna, or the equally amazing history that can be found in royal palaces. The first night we were there (Sunday) we spur-of-the-moment decided to try to get standing room tickets at the opera house. We didn't realize it, but it was the premier of a new ballet that night, but we were actually able to get tickets! Standing room, is...well, standing, so it by the end we were ready to sit in a restaurant, but the overall experience was unbelievable. When I thought of what I was doing, attending a ballet at the opera house in Vienna, I almost couldn't believe it, like I was completely dreaming. I still can't believe that I was actually there.

The next day we toured all around Vienna, and then a bit out of the city to see Schonbrunn Palace, and saw most of the rooms there. If it had been a nicer day, we would have toured around the gardens that stretch far behind the Palace itself, but unfortunately it rained that day too.


Schunbrunn Palace, Vienna



From Vienna we flew to London (Tuesday), where it was STILL raining! But we found our hostel pretty quickly and ate at a good ol' British pub, so we were both pretty happy. After going to be bed extremely early Tuesday night, Wednesday we spent ALL day out in the city. We went to Buckingham Palace and unfortunately missed the changing of the guard by 5 minutes! So upsetting. We walked to Westminster Abbey, saw Big Ben, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, and the London Tower and Bridge. By the end of the day, we became pretty proficient at using the Tube, with our Oyster Cards and all! The highlight of the day was going to the London Eye at night, realizing it was wayy too expensive, but then seeing the most beautiful view across the Thames: Westminster Abbey and Big Ben lit up, the nighttime glow of the city behind them.

Leaving London behind, we took a night bus to Edinburgh, Scotland, to visit another good friend from Richmond, Hannah. She is studying there for the semester, and it was so nice to finally meet up with her (part 2 of our travels will take place this weekend, when all three of us travel to Geneva!). Edinburgh was so breathtaking! The architecture, the hills, and the overall atmosphere of the city were utterly incredible. Here, again, we had a guide in Hannah, and it was great to finally see the places she talks about, and the people she has met. We drank a lot of tea (now I'm addicted...) and visited different castles, and took in the views from the high hills of the city. Again, stunning. And the weather was actually pretty nice there! It drizzled here and there, but overall it was really nice out.

After a few days in Edinburgh, Briana and I reluctantly flew back to Milan, where I spent another night there, and then I came back to Rome by train last Sunday. I have to say, as sad as I was to leave it all behind, it was kind of nice to arrive in the train station in Rome, knowing that I was finally back to a slightly slower pace. The week of traveling was amazing, but it was also stressful, and time-consuming in planning, but I am so glad I did it.

Back in Rome, I've started up classes again, and my internship is well under way, and I spent a relaxing weekend here, still resting up from my travels. I've been trying to get out and see more of the city now that I can actually feel the end of the my time abroad ending. Just 5 more weekends before I am home! I remember when I first arrived, and time seemed to pass so slowly. Now, I can't make it slow down! All I can do is make the most of the time I have left here, and hope it goes a bit slower from here on out.



Trafalgar Square, London



Westminster Abbey & Big Ben, London





With Briana & Hannah, Edinburgh





Buonanotte!

(Ps...sorry that the pictures at the end are kind of dumped there, they werent working with me very easily!)

Siena and Pisa

So, this past weekend a good friend from school came down to Rome to visit! It was so exciting to see a familiar face in this crazy (but amazing) city. She flew down on Friday and we set out for a quick-paced 5 hour tour of the monuments in Rome. It was so exhausting! I'm glad she was able to see everything, but man! By the time we got to our hostel for the night (my apartment doesn't allow me to have guests overnight) we were dead-tired, and easily went to bed well before midnight. The next morning we took a train to Siena, where we stayed Saturday night. Despite the usual--we got to the Rome train station super early and then were at the wrong gate and ended up full out sprinting to our train, then the train decided it would take its sweet time pulling out so we were 15 minutes to the station where we need to change trains (with supposedly 10 minutes to spare), and then when we finally got into Siena, we couldn't find where the hostel was, and ended up walking in both directions away from the train station before giving up and taking a 5 minutes taxi--Siena was amazing.
Our hostel was this little house run by an older woman who was so cute. She left us a little bag with our key and notes on where our room/batheroom were since she wasn't able to meet us. The shower was interesting...with just an expandable curtain standing between me and the rest of the bathroom itself--quite an experience. What made the hosel even better was that it was literally right next to one of the many "doors" into the historic part of Siena, which is where we spent out entire time. Since we had most of the day left when we got in, we immediately walked over to the historical section and started seeing the sights. We ended up getting a pass to let us into the Cathedral, Baptistery, the Oratory, an amazing Panoramic view of Siena, and the Crypts. It was so much fun! The Cathedral was stunning. Despite having just toured St. Peter's Basilica the day before, I was still astounded by the interior of the Church, and almost liked it a bit more. The next day, we decided to just walk around in the morning and hope we found something a bit new-and we did. We ended up finding the oldest fountain in Siena, and a whole other church that wasn't part of our original tour! What made the morning better, of course, was the amazing breakfast the woman who ran the hostel made us! There was so much food, we almost didn't know what to do with ourselves.


Church in Florence



At midday, we took a train over to Pisa, and AS USUAL got lost. I feel like my time in Italy can only be defined as that: being perpetually lost. But oh well. We finally found the tower, after taking the longest route there possible, and of course took some pictures. We didn't have much time in between our trains, so we headed back to the train station and headed in our separate directions. It was such a great weekend though! It was also a nice break from the reality of midterms.



Ceiling in St. Peters Basilica



Ohhh midterms. They are thankfully done now, but it was a long two weeks. I finally worked with pottery at the excavation on Tuesday! For my shift, I worked on cleaning marble and travertine fragments (which are most definitely NOT easy to clean with so many crevices and punctures) and then began working on pottery fragments, which will mostly be my task for the semester. The archaeologists, and the other people who work at the site are so friendly! Communicating, we use a mix of English and Italian, since we both a know a little of the other language, so it works out pretty well. I go back today and I'm looking forward to it. The site keeps my mind off school or travel stress or any of that, and it's fun!

Well I'm going to have to jet--after work I'm leaving for Milan to start my fall break! I'm visiting Prague, Vienna, London, and then ending in Edinburgh with another friend from school. So expect amazing stories when I get back (and probably multiple posts)!

Ciao!

The Week Italian Killed Me

Of course...sliiight exaggeration with my title here, but seriously came VERY close to being true. We have (unbelievably!) hit the halfway point in my semester in Rome (sadness...), which unfortunately also means I have two weeks of midterms. The first of which, I just finished with. Italian was...an experience. Yesterday, we had to give an oral presentation, in the form of a play based on the life of Emperor Hadrian (emporer of Rome 117-138 AD). These ranged from histerical to historical, but all in all pretty interesting. I, of course, was freaking out, because not only do I dislike public speaking in English, I really REALLY don't like it in Italian. I was the narrator for my skit, which meant I had to memorize paragraphs of Italian, but it went okay. Apparently, a bunch of the teachers in our hall could hear our skits going and were pretty enthusiastic about them (which meant they were standing at our classroom door listening...not stressful or anything...). The funny thing about midterms, especially those for Italian, is that every single person in my program here (about 150 students total) have them on the exact same day, so everyone had their oral presentation yesterday and everyone was studying like mad for their midterm today. Needless to say, the atmosphere in the building was a bit...tense.
After the oral presentations, my Italian Contemporary Politics and the Italy and the EU classes visited the Italian Senate while it was in session. It was such an amazing experience! It was a little stressful for the guys, because they had to wear a suit and tie (and apparently none of them thought to bring those..), but despite that, it was incredible. Granted, not a lot of members were present, since it was not a mandatory session (since they were really only complaining about the economy and the new budget), but what I really loved about it was that (of course) the entire thing was in Italian and I somewhat followed it! Yay!
Today's midterm was possibly okay-I've given up trying to guess on these things, but I can't change anything so I'm not too worried about it. What is overshadowing any worries I might have is the idea of seeing my good friend from school, Briana, tomorrow! She flies down from Milan in the morning and we are touring Rome and then going to Siena together for the weekend. So excited!! (Be excited too...there will be pics asap!) After the weekend, there is just a week of regular midterms and then I'm on fall break, so I'm getting really anxious for them to be over with!
This past Tuesday, my International Peace and Conflict Resolution teacher took us on an impromptu field trip to an Inter-religious peace conference, with speeches by a key leader in Obama's administration, Josh Dubois (I got to meet him...he told our small group to "drop him a line" if we are ever in DC...umm YES). It was unreal being in the same room as religious leaders from all over the world, and other delegates. Our group of maybe 15 students talked with both the American and Israeli Ambassadors to the Holy See (The Vatican), shaking hands and sharing names with them. And of course the food at the conference was, well, what you would expect it to be to feed said Ambassadors and delegates! These are the reasons I love Rome so much. I just can't get enough of this city.
In other news, I finally started my internship today! We walked down to the excavation, and my professor gave us a better rundown of what the excavation has turned up, and I could actually see what he was talking about. Officially, I start my actual "intern tasks" on Tuesday, but I got a good idea of what we will be doing for the semester, and now I'm even more anxious to start on in it! While cleaning and sorting Roman pottery may sound a bit boring, to me it seems like searching for that perfect puzzle piece, finding the one clue to link everything together, to "solve" something we didn't know existed before. Lame, maybe, but nevertheless I'm ecstatic about finally getting underway. Once I have some fabulous pictures of the site, I will post them.

No pics this week, just so much happened I had to share!
Miss you all!!

Florence and the Parentals!



Climbing the Tower next to the Duomo



I just finished a week filled with fun, family, and (finally) some relaxation! My Dad and Debbie flew in last Thursday, and after some harried moments (the traffic was HORRIFIC from the airport to their hotel, and I had to doctors appt to get to--more on that later) I was finally able to have a great, reallly rushed reunion with them. Since I had the appointment and classes to get to, I sort of...threw them into Rome, which I feel a bit bad about since they had just flown the red eye into the city to see me. That night, though, I was able to stay over with them at their hotel (so swanky!) and then we left for Florence the next morning.



View of Ponte Vecchio and Florence



Florence was amazing. I know I say that about everywhere I visit (and will continue saying that), it was. The Duomo was almost unreal in its beauty, and the view from the tower was breathtaking. We went on a Chianti Wine Tour, which was very nice, because it didn't just include the wine tasting, but also a dinner and tour around a lot of villages in the area. They were so cute, with amazing mountainous views. The next 2 days we toured around Florence, practically stumbling upon Michelangelo's Piazza, almost as high above the city as the Duomo, which was really fun. Unfortunately, I had to leave to get back to school, as I had classes Monday, so I left my parents in Florence Sunday night. I saw them again Wednesday, though, and was once again able to spend the night at their hotel, and then give them a tour around some of the monuments in Rome.

They left early Saturday morning, and while it was sad to see them go, it was so nice to see them during the week that it kind of overshadows it. But of course, now, I am forced back into the reality of midterms for the next two weeks...great.

Okay-so back to the doctors appointment. I am now officially declared "physically able" to work on an excavation, which would normally mean I would already be working on said excavation. Not so much. Unfortunately Italian bureaucracy has kept me and the other interns from getting anywhere near the site, and its getting so aggravating! It is already halfway through the semester and I have not done any work there, and I just feel like I'm missing out on an amazing opportunity. Hopefully (fingers crossed!) we will be able to start this week. Of course, that means I have less time to study for my exams, but oh well. It had to happen at some point.

Freshed-squeezed Grape juice!



This past Friday I visited Bomarzo, which is a town about an hour outside of Rome, for a grape harvest and visit to the famous Park of Monsters there, where I had to give an oral presentation on one of the statues there for my Italian class. The day was long (and SUPER early for a day we usual have off--8 am) and involved a lot of walking, but was an amazing experience. The park was so pretty, and the statues were works of art, literally...The grape harvest was really cool, we got to both harvest the grapes and then drink fresh grape juice from those same grapes! To top it off, it was a beautiful day, so you couldn't help but be happy with the day.



Outside the Uneven House



Inside the Uneven House at the Park of Monsters...
so crazy!





Hope to blog soon, ciao for now though!

Basically...Cinque Terre!

Riomaggiore--the 1st Village of Cinque Terre

Ciao all! My apologies for not writing in a bit, I had hoped to blog earlier in the week but classes went crazy in the homework side of things, which put that idea to rest for a bit. Hope all is well wherever you are.


Cinque Terre (where I went this past weekend) was absolutely the most beautiful place I have ever been to. The five villages that make up the area are breathtaking, tucked away in the coastline mountains, almost unaware of their profound beauty. Due to heavy rain Friday we were unable to hike between the villages on Saturday, since most of the trails were too dangerous to attempt, but regardless it was an amazing day. The weather could not have been more perfect-almost the entire day was void of any clouds in the sky. Not only were the views amazing, but it was so nice to bond with the other students in my program. We tend to get stuck in a rut of only seeing/hanging out with our apartment-mates, and kids in our classes, that we don't really get to know everyone else. It was great to have the time to make experiences with new people, and have stories we can laugh about when we run into one another in the halls at school.

View at the end of Via Dell'Amore (Lane of Lovers) between
the first two villages. The locks symbolize the eternal
love of the couples who place them there and throw
the key into the ocean. So romantic!

Now that classes and travel are finally getting underway, it feels like the weeks go by too fast! Of course, I look forward to every weekend, as anyone does, but I don't want my time in Rome to go by so quickly! I just realized that I have been in Rome, officially, for more than 4 weeks. Four weeks! That number astounds me. The first week I was here, it seemed like an eternity, encountering new expriences every time I stepped out of the apartment. Now, looking back, I absolutely cannot believe that I have already been here for a month! I don't want to think about how fast that means the coming months will, considering I still have not even started my internship; I have not even hit my busy schedule yet. It's just best not to think about those kind of things right now.

Every day I feel a little stronger in my Italian, trying more and more to speak in class and with my ISC. They are my best audience--if I can't speak with them, I will be forever useless when it comes to locals who don't want to be patient with me. It's all I really want--to be able to understand and take part in conversations with TRUE Italians. Here's hoping!

Lately, I've noticed that the traffic here in Rome has become almost unbearable--as the Romans come home from summer holiday the city is almost overcome by cars and people, not to mention tourists. But today hit an all-time high. I was walking home from class (I absolutely LOVE my new route-so quick!) and was walking on the sidewalk next to the river. All of a sudden, five Vespas come roaring toward me--ON the sidewalk! They had gotten so fed up with the bumper-to-bumper traffic, with the traffic police manually switching the lights from red to greeen (so they can be sure that ambulances can get through the overwhelming traffic jams) that they decided to skip the line! It was crazy, pedestrians were hugging the wall as close as they could to avoid being hit. Definitely something I can't see myself experiencing in Virginia, let alone Vermont.

Tomorrow is extremely exciting (albeit amazingly busy) because my Dad and Debbie fly into Rome! They are visiting Italy as a part of their 10 year wedding anniversary, and moved up their trip to coincide with my semester abroad. We are visiting Florence together this weekend, which I am definitely looking forward to. Considering I moved in alone, it will be nice to share with them my home for the semester, and then experience something completely new and extraordinary.

That is all for now, will blog soon I promise!

Buona notte as always

Getting to know the "creepy" side of Rome



This was on the front of the church, in Latin,
meaning somewhere along the lines of
"me today, you tomorrow"...yikes!

This past week has been so busy! Between classes gearing up and trying to make some concrete plans to travel this semester, I feel like I've barely had any time to breathe. But it's all worth it, right? I'm definitely enjoying my classes--even Italian is starting to be interesting. The theme of this weeks classes for Italian was along the lines of the "grotesque" and Baroque period in and around Italy, which entailed us reading A LOT about different palaces, parks, and churches that are a bit more...creepy in construction. Despite the amount of translations that were necessary (basically my life revolved around them...), the material itself was interesting as I delved into the history behind the "Park of Monsters" in Bomarzo, Italy, and why the doors and windows of Palazzo Orsini (also near Rome) are in the shape of the mouths of monsters. Crazy, right? In conclusion to the week, we went on a mini-field trip during our class period today, and went to a church that was about a 20 minute walk away from the school.



The front door of the church...



This church is known for its actions during the Middle Ages, where it would perform a sort of mass-funeral for poorer citizens who didn't have family to honor them after their death. The crypt, which we "luckily" were able to go into, contains an unimaginable amount of skulls and human bones, all "used" as a sort of decoration for the crypt itself. Out of respect, I'm not going to post pictures from inside the crypt, but no worries, you can still see the outside of the church, which is adorned with cement skulls above the door. Not exactly what comes to mind when you think "Rome Architecture", but still extremely interesting. It was nice to get a bit off the beaten path, and explore the streets of this amazing and mysterious city a little more.

The Coliseum "on fire"

Earlier this week, my ISC and I attempted to attend a free gallery night at the Palazzo Barberini, which was showing some beautiful art that I had wanted to see. Of course, as always, I couldn't find it. But we ended up going to the Coliseum that same night, which was holding an event to bring to the attention of the public how the amphitheater is truly becoming "ruined", and in desperate need of money to save it. The exhibition used screens put up inside the Coliseum, which projected the image of flames, to make it look like the Coliseum was on fire. It was almost fearful, and one could almost imagine what this amazing monument would look like were it actually on fire. While I've already showed you a few pictures of the Coliseum, I thought I'd include another, to try to give you an idea of what I saw. It was much more powerful in person. I was also happy to see that there was a HUGE crowd around the Coliseum, both taking pictures and merely taking in the image itself, and hopefully (fingers crossed!) something will be done to save what I consider to be a main image of Rome. I'm currently making my way through a book called "Roman Imperial Architecture" (very VERY slowly) and I came across a very poignant quote from the Venerable Bede (the so-called Father of English History from around 700 AD) that said, "While stands the Coliseum, Rome shall stand; When falls the Coliseum, Rome shall fall: And when Rome falls--the World." The Coliseum is, in my opinion, an immense part of what defines Rome, and Italy in general, and I love how this exhibition brought notice to that point.

Tomorrow I leave for the Liguria region of Italy, where I'll be visiting La Spezia, hiking through Cinque Terre (the Five Lands), and going on a tour of an amazing vineyard. I'm so excited!! What I also love (and can't get enough of) is the fact that I don't have to pay for anything except for one lunch. The trip is sponsored by my program here, as a sort of field trip for the 20 of us that chose to go on it. Unfortunately, it looks like it will be raining the entire weekend we are there, but regardless I can't wait to experience it. I will upload (hopefully breathtaking) pictures when I get back!

Arrivederci!

Some Amazing Finds!



Artists Market in the Piazza Navona



This past week has definitely been one for the record books--not only has it been blisteringly hot, but I learned how to make espresso on our gas stove by myself! Big news. I also found a quicker route to school, since I'm trying to walk here as much as I can before the rainy season starts, and it takes about 15 minutes off that walk, which is AMAZING. The new route is also a lot more pleasant, since its mostly in the back parts of where I lived (Trastevere), with cute little cafes and restaurants, and real people, not as many tourists as on my other, longer route to school. So, not only do I walk with more of a perk in my step, I am now learning my way around the less tourist-y parts of Rome, which I'm definitely loving.

Speaking of walking, yesterday I walked for about 3 hours, attempting to find a bookstore that I have already found before, yet this time I just couldn't seem to locate it. Of course, it was beautiful out so I didnt really mind getting lost. I'm not quite sure how I did it (as I never do) but I accidently came across the Piazza Navona (after looking at my map, I realized I was wayy off from my intended destination). There was some kind of artist's market going on in the piazza, with tons of booths with paintings, sketches, and cartoons of Rome and the people of Italy. From the Piazza Navona, I decided to head over to the Spanish Steps, since I hadn't been to them yet, and I knew the bookstore I was trying to find was somewhat near there. Well, once I got to the Steps, I found the Forum Romanum, the Fori Imperiali, and the Coliseum. Basically...every tourist-y place I havent had a chance to really enjoy. The Coliseum, of course, I've gone on a night tour, but it was just as dazzling seeing it during the day, when you can really see what is around it. As a Classical Civilizations Minor, I about died when I saw the Forum Romanum and Trajan's Column. I have learned about these two archaeological landmarks in class, but seeing them in person, and not just in pictures, was amazing. Being right in the middle of an important of Ancient Rome really puts what I've learned into perspective. If you can imagine the road without cars, tour buses, and tourists, you can almost see what it would have been like with the monuments were in their prime. Breathtaking.


Part of the Forum Romanum



Classes went well this week, I am already enjoying them, and despite teaching myself to actually do my homework, it has been pretty easy getting back into the swing of the semester. The act of doing my homework, slightly difficult back home with my friends, Crew, and tv to distract me, here I have, you know, ROME to keep me from sitting down and doing it. I hope I never get used to the fact that I can walk down the street and see ancient ruins, go on my run in the morning and pass ancient fountains and temples. That is not something I want to get used to, because it is just so amazing to think about.

I forgot to tell all of you the best news of all! I found out this week that I got the internship at the excavation at Augustus' Mausoleum, and should be starting soon! I am beyond excited, but of course I have to complete some more bureaucratic procedures first, like getting a doctor to clear me as "physically able" to work on an excavation site. Oh Italian Law, how I love you so.

Also, I've begun planning trips with friends here at my abroad school, and with fellow Richmond-ers abroad in Europe. I really want to take this chance to see as much of Europe as I can, since I don't know the next time I will be able to get here again (but I WILL be back-that is for sure). But of course, I will keep you all updated on my travels!

Wishing you could all be here with me, Emma

Vatican City, Trip to Orte (almost), Classes Begin...

St. Peters Basilica at Sunset

So this past week has been filled with more or less menial tasks (as menial as they can get in Rome!), like waiting 3 hours outside a post office to turn in my Permission to Stay paperwork (apparently applying for a visa is not enough), and meeting with advisors. Luckily, I survived the Intensive Italian week! After finishing our first quiz, my Italian class, along with the more fluent Italian speakers in the 400-level course, attended a lecture by a gentleman who was a child in one of the Jewish Ghettos in Rome in the 1940s. It was an extreme honor to have the opportunity to attend the presentation, and despite it all being in Italian, I was moved by his experiences. Slowly, but surely, I am coming to understand the language better, and hopefully by the end of the semester (sooner would be better though!) I'll be somewhat fluent. Being immersed in the language and culture helps a lot.

My attempt at photographing the Sistine Chapel

Friday night my roommate Becca and I went to the Vatican City Museums, and attended a rare, night tour of the galleries and grounds. It was spectacular. I cannot think of other words to describe it than that. The Galleries were beautiful, some filled with art and sculpture I've studied in courses at my school, others I wish I knew more about. Walking through the halls filled to the brim with art, I was once again reminded of just how lucky I am to be in this country, to be able to experience all that I have been able to. The crown jewel of the night, of course, was sitting in the Sistine Chapel, and looking up at the paintings that are still so vibrant as the day they were finished. It was breathtaking, and despite attempting to sneak a few photos of the ceiling (it is against the rules, but come on...its the Sistine Chapel, people!), I know I will never be able to replace that feeling. It is better than the pictures online; it is better than anyone could ever imagine.

After being in the Sistine Chapel, everything else we saw just couldn't compare. Since the Vatican is about an hour walk away from my apartment, and it was such a beautiful night, we left early from the Museums, ready to take on the weekend.

Inside the Vatican Museums

Saturday, my ISC was going to take us to the Medieval Festival in Orte, a town about a hour outside of Rome. Of course, not everything goes as planned, as Saturday night saw Becca and I sitting outside of the train station in LOWER Orte, waiting for our ISC who got on the WRONG train, unable to find the festival (apparently because it was in UPPER Orte, a simple busride away from the trainstation--did we know that? nope!) Upside of our turn of events was being able to finally eat Italian pizza (soo goood!) and learning how Rome Termini (the main train/bus/metro terminal in Rome) works, for future trips. So at least there is that...

Today was the first day of classes, which was pretty exciting...Only having Italian has been a bit boring, so I was looking forward to bringing some change to my schedule, and learn a new routine. I wasn't disappointed. I had three classes today, and already have a small heap of homework, though all interesting. I am taking Contemporary Italian Politics, Italian Travel Literature, International Peace and Conflict Resolution, an Archaeology Seminar (for my internship, hopefully!), and of course, Italian. As much as I hate to admit it (though I don't really...) I'm excited to start learning again! Yes...lame, but oh well.

I won't wait a week to write again, so hopefully I'll have something to say in a few days! Ciao!

Free Time at Last

This past weekend was amazing--it was finally nice to have some time (more than a few hours) to get to know the vast city I am in, though I doubt I will ever fully understand Rome, with its winding cobblestone roads, somewhat nightmare-ish public transportation, and immense building structures. But I definitely made an honest effort to do just that this weekend. Saturday was the first day I didnt have to set an alarm, so I woke up at 9 (not at leisurely as I had hoped) and finally went for a run in my area! And this time, I actually found the Villa Doria Pamphilj, which was just breathtaking. There were so many people out, running, walking, and biking, it was great. After getting ready, I decided to walk to the area around my school (about a 40 minute walk and very easy), to locate different places I needed to be going to. Its a beautiful area, very tourist-oriented, though, with St. Petes Basilica about a 10 minute walk away, the Castle of Saint Angelo across the street, and the Coliseum nearby. I finally bought some food for my apartment, so I'm no longer just living off cereal, which is great!

Saturday night I had a thrill visiting the Coliseum during one of its rare night tours offered through my program here. Only 20 of us were able to go, as spots were limited, and I was so glad to be one of them. All I can say is, the Coliseum will never look as beautiful to me during the day as it does as night, especially under the false full-moon lighting that was set up in the Coliseum specifically for the night tours. Along with the special lighting, those of us on the tour were able to go onto the main stadium floor that they have constructed partially over what is considered the "backstage" of the gladiator games. This is something they only allow to occur during the night tours, and it was awe-inspiring. From that point in the Coliseum, one can almost imagine the adrenaline pumping through in those original Gladiators as the began their "games", just trying to survive.

Sunday morning, I went to a market with my roommate called Porta Portese. Porta Portese is Rome's largest flea market, and one of the largest in Europe. We arrived just a little after 8, which we soon realized was the perfect time to get there-by 9:30 the place was PACKED. The place was massive, as if being the biggest flea market in Rome is saying that enough. I still have no idea where the end of the market was, since my roommate and I walked around for close to 2 hours and didn't find it. Luckily, it is right around the corner, so I plan to hopefully visit the market again soon-it was exhilarating to try to bargain with the stall owners and not spend more than 1 euro on a skirt!

Today was the first day of our intensive italian courses, and while it was nice to be in a class again, learning, it was stressful and I already have homework! I'm excited to start using the language a bit more with the locals, as I've gotten through the last week with a handful of "grazie"s and "prego"s, and not much else. I also had a meeting with an internship coordinator today, and will hopefully find out in the next week if I have an internship at an actual excavation this semester! I decided on applying for the archaeology internship with the Department of Antiquities of Rome because it would give me more of a chance to interact with Italians, and therefore bring me closer to actually understanding this amazing language and city. Fingers crossed, though!

It has been a crazy first week in Rome, and I've loved almost every second of it. The mosquitoes (something a guide book doesn't tell you about) have been increasingly annoying--forcing me to wear bugspray in my own apt!, the sometimes confusing public transportation that I've come to love and hate at the same time, and now the intensive Italian courses, are probably not my absolutely favorite parts of my time here, but regardless, I am loving it. Miss you all!