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!

Exploring my neighborhood

Fontana di Gianicolo

The past two days have been full of new adventures, of (partially) getting lost, lakes, and food. Yesterday, we had to take our Italian placement exams--all of us who have a few semesters of Italian under our belts were stressed, sitting before the testing with our notebooks and study materials, trying to cram what grammar principles we could into our already exhausted brains. After the written and oral exams, we had the rest of the day to ourselves, and since it was absolutely beautiful out (and has been since I got here!), it was great to have some time to explore. After my last experience of the streets of Rome, I decided to stick closer to my neighborhood, to at least soften the eventual blow of getting lost on my self confidence. I looked up some directions on Google maps to get to the Villa Doria Pamphilj, which, according to the map, should only be about a 25 min walk from my apartment. Well, I either took a wrong turn, or didnt go far enough, but I (of course) didnt end up there. Instead, I stumbled upon the Chiesa di San Pietro in Montorio, a beautiful church, up a hill around the corner. And once I passed the church, I also found the Fontana di Gianicolo, an almost half-piazza right across from the Spanish Embassy. Next to the Spanish Embassy? Men with guns. So....I looked PASSED  the Spanish Embassy to see an ecompassing, breathtaking view of the area I am living in, Trastevere. I walked a bit further, but ended up turning around after a bit, worried I wouldn't be able to find my way back.

When I got home, my ISC, Illaria, and I met up with a few other ISCs and their IES students (there ended up being 5 us of Americans) and we all went to an apperitivo (and Italian equivalent to Happy Hour in the States) at a pretty popular restaurant in our area. Of course, Italians love their food, so for 6 euros you got whatever drink you wanted and food-and as much food as you wanted. It was a nice, relaxing night, as we took our food outside and sat on the steps and just chatted. After that, we walked over to the Isola Tiberina, a very small island in the middle of the Tiber River, where an Italian Cinema festival was going on, and where other bars and restaurants were having apperitivo functions. It was a warm night, so being right on the river was wonderful.

Today, IES ended our orientation week with a trip to Lago Martignano, about a half hour outside of the city (of course it took about an hour to get there because we had to drive THROUGH the city), where there were sailboats, paddleboats, canoes/kayaks, grasss to lay on, and fresh cheese/meat/bread for lunch. The day turned out to be amazing, especially since there was a chance for rain. I went out on the paddleboat with a few people I've met and it was fun, just talking relaxing in the sun. It was a great capstone to a long-albeit exciting-week.

Neighbors, new friends, and no-man's land

Today was our first day of orientation, and while it wasn't too stressful, it seemed to drag on in an auditorium with maz AC and a malfunctioning microphone. Lunch was catered, though, and I met a lot of people in my program, signed up for a few day trips, and attempted to learn my way through the public transportation. We got out around 430ish, and after arriving back at my apartment, I decided that I wanted to/needed to buy a converter for my computer, as it was beginning to die, so I asked my ISC for a place to go. While she looked it up for me, I sat in my bedroom, unpacking the material we had received during the seminars. I  went to the window, snacking on a few grapes that a roommate and I bought at a local market and heard A LOT of music coming from my neighbors. Not only do we live next to what sounds like entire marching band in our building (we heard them practicing), but we also live across from a shirtless, Italian DJ, who keeps his windows open as he practices his DJing. Lovely. The sound, though, was nothing compared to the nightlife that we attempted to fall asleep to last night. Italian apartment buildings are thin EVERYTHING. Thin walls, floors, doors, etc. So the conversation between the family above us? Heard it. The baby crying down on the street 5 (or so) stories below? Heard it. The lift (elevator) door that slams shut right outside our door? Definitely heard that. Coming from 1. a quiet town in VT and 2. a (mostly) quiet campus in VA, it will take some getting used to the Rome city noise, but hopefully not too long!

Back to the converter...my ISC tracked down a place that was probably a 15 min tram ride, plus a 15 min walk from the apartment, near Ospedale Fornalini. Easy right? Wrong. I made it to the hospital fine, it was only 7 stops away. But that was where my good luck ended. I immediately asked for the direction in which a road I was looking for was, either right or left of the hospital, in Italian, and a gentleman pointed, spoke rapid Italian and thought I had understood him correctly. Well, about 20 minutes later I realize I have missed my turn. I walk into the first electronics store I can find, hoping that they will have what I am looking for. When they didnt they would point me further down the road, telling me to look for a sign that says "Materiale Elettronica". Again, this seemed simple enough. And again, I was wrong. When I felt like I was just plain going the wrong way, I caught the tram back to the hospital, and started the directions over. It was beautiful out, so I didnt mind walking, even if I continued to get myself lost, and didnt want to give up just yet. Round two and I asked directions for Via Virginia Agnelli again, and some more rapid Italian later and a different gentleman actually walking me to my turn, I found a road that would eventually become the road I wanted. (Apparently the Italian mapquest had left that tiny bit of info out). What seemed like ages passed, and I more or less found where the electronics store was supposed to be. But I still absolutely could. not. find it. By then I was tired and had been thirsty since going back to the hospital, so I was beginning to lose hope in finding that specific store so went into another one randomly and found a converter (hopefully the correct one, I havent tried for fear I short out the fuse). When I came out of the store, I realized that while I had finally found a converter, I still had absolutely no idea where I was. I began walking in a direction I believed to be the correct way, but as usual was unforgivably WRONG. This road brought me to another road, one that had neither bus nor tram stops on it. Great. Then I began to backtrack, asking for the direction of Viale Trastevere every 5 minutes (there are tram stops on that road...where the hospital was, so I knew once I found Trastevere I was more or less home).
Losing daylight became my biggest concern, so I picked up my pace, looking for any bus stop I could find. The first one had no one at it, and I really needed help in finding out which number line to take, so I kept going. Thankfully the next one had an Italian family whose older son also spoke English-finally! He helped me and then we chatted for a bit, but thank goodness the bus was close because I was still pretty worried about the dark coming quikly in a city with tall buildings, and since it is still about a 10 min walk from the tram station to my apartment building, I just wanted to get back ASAP. All in all, I got lost about 3 times (maybe more-I have no clue!), turning my maybe hour and a half roundtrip into about a 3 hour jaunt around parts of Rome that I still have no idea how to get around, but I made it back okay, right as night began to set in, so all is good.
More orientation later this week, and a bunch of trips this weekend that I fill you all in on soon!

Buonanotte!