History. And Food. My Favorites.

Hello!

So....good news!  I survived my first week of classes!  Although, I will admit that school is kind of getting in the way of my studying abroad.  Actually, compared to Hope, the workload here is nearly laughable.  I think I will only have one or two "major" papers, which is kind of unheard of for this girl.  

One thing that I am really liking about IES is the fact that we have lots and lots of field studies (I will have at least one a week).  Last week, my class on ancient Rome met at the Capitoline Museum, which is a complex of beautiful buildings perched on one of the two hills that made up the beginnings of Rome (to get to the top there is this stair/hill combo that's kind of mean).  While we were there I got to see some incredible frescos, the remnants of statues of Constantine, and a crumbling half-wall that was once a magnificent temple to Jupiter (the head god--comparable to Zeus in Greek mythology).  Our tour ended up on a balcony that overlooked the Roman Forum.  It was stunning. 

The Roman Forum.  I chose the right place to study.

Another great thing about studying with IES is the fact that we don't have class on Fridays.  Many people who have internships put in a lot of their hours on Friday and some professors will schedule all day field trips.  This Friday, however, we were all free, so a group of us took hold of the glories that only a long weekend can hold and took a trip to Firenze (Florence, for those of you in the States).

*Disclaimer:  This is a highly summarized version of the weekend.  If you want all  of the details, you'll have to call.  :)

First of all, let me just say that if I didn't hate Amtrak before, I certainly do now.

Our lovely, clean, sunny, normal smelling train pulled into the station around 12:30, so we headed to our hostel and dropped off all of our bags.  I know what you're thinking (ok, that's completely a lie--you could be thinking about switching brands of toilet paper for all I know); hostels are dangerous places where creepsters seize you in the night and sell you into a prostitution ring or you leave with bed bugs.  Not so, my friends!  Hostels in Western Europe are phenomenal.  As long as you do your research, hostels are clean, the staff is really helpful, and aside from some Asian tourists who decide that they need to pack their suitcases with plastic bags at 5:45 am, a great deal.  

We had a while to kill before we had to be at the Uffizi Museum (pronounced "you-feet-see," emphasis on the "feet"), so we got sandwiches at this awesome place (roasted peppers, salami, sundried tomatoes, and pesto on toasted focaccia-yum!)  We meandered toward the museum and soaked up the beautiful sunshine.  Here are just a couple snapshots:

Houses along the Argo River.

So beautiful.

We got to the Uffizi at 2:30 and got to see some crazy cool stuff.  This museum was once the home of a highly affluent family, the Medicis.  Now, I'm no art history major, but I got to stand in front of paintings created by Leonardo da Vinci, which is pretty incredible.  The man is such a huge figure in history and I was not 3 feet from where his hand had pulled a paintbrush across canvas.  I also got to see The Birth of Venus; I nearly passed out.

After staring at so much art and being on our feet for several hours, everyone was feeling a significant dip in blood sugar, so we did one of my favorite things to do in this country and stopped for gelato.  Have you ever experienced the lusciousness of a perfectly ripe pear?  It's juicy but not overly sweet and has that almost gritty texture?  Ok.  Now add just a few more ingredients to make it even more delicious and then freeze it.  Are you drooling yet?  Pear gelato is scrumptious.  Trust me on this one.

A guy that I go to school with here (Roma) has a friend who's currently studying there (Firenze), so he brought us to one of his favorite places for dinner.  I feel awful for this, but I don't even remember the name of the restaurant, which is such a shame.  The entrance was on a side street and wasn't really marked, and then we had to walk down two small flights of stairs into a brick basement.  We were handed wooden menus that had the dishes printed on white paper and taped to the inside--a humorous juxtaposition.  

Dinner, for me at least, started with garlic cannellini beans and cabbage on toasted bread.  Then, for the main portion of my meal, I had pappardelle noodles with a ragu made with wild boar.  Yes folks, that's right.  I ate wild boar.  And enjoyed it.  A lot.  I finished with a shared slice of chocolate torte.  So. Good.

One thing that I am really enjoying about beautiful Italia is the eating style.  In the States, there is a quick turnover rate--you sit, order, eat, pay, and leave.  Here, they won't even bring you the check until someone at the table asks for it.  We spent nearly three hours in this mafia basement restaurant talking, laughing, and eating off of everyone else's plates.  I know it's not always the most practical for our lives there, but next time you eat with friends, take your time.  You will love them even more.  I promise.

Ok, are you ready for the highlight of my trip?  The duomo!!!!!  In Firenze there is a massive cathedral called Basilica do Maria di Fiore.  This cathedral has a dome on top (the Duomo) that is open to the public.  Now, I'm not afraid of heights; however, stairs make me a bit nervous (stairs > 4 year old Hannah's wrist).  All of the stairs are carved from stone and start out with longish straight flights, progress into dizzying spirals, and end in the narrowest of steps with a slanting ceiling--not for the claustrophobic.    Finally, we made it to the peak and the view was nothing short of spectacular; we could see for miles over the city.  Behold:

The best way to view Firenze.

Beautiful.

The group on top of the DUOMO!

Gemma and myself.  Very happy campers.

I'm sorry this was such a long post!  I hope everything is well with you.  Love you!

It May Be Valentine's Day, but There's No Massacre

Happy Valentine's Day!

I started classes today and they seem pretty interesting, except for Italy and the European Union which I am going to drop if at all possible.  There is a mock EU involved.  Enough said.  One of my classes, Monotheisms: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam is pretty small.

There are two of us.

Two.

Anyways, yesterday Gemma and I went to Piazza Popolo where a women's rally was being held.  I don't know how much any of you know, but the current Italian leader, Berlusconi has recently been receiving criticism for hiring an underage Moroccan belly dancer to sleep with him.  Mostly everyone is upset that she's underage; the fact that she's a prostitute is just kind of insult to injury.  Berlusconi is kind of like JFK, except he doesn't have an adorable family, tons of voters supporting him, or a Hollywood smile.  Ok, so actually, he just really likes sex.  

So, Gemma and I attended the rally and it was pretty cool.  I was surprised because it almost seemed to be more of a family event--there were a lot of women there, but there were also a surprising number of men and children in attendance as well.  They had a stage set up where different women spoke and it appeared that the highlight was a song played over the loudspeakers called "Power to the People."  It was in English, which I found funny and a bit ironic.

These signs say "Basta" which means "enough."

"He robs us of money, culture, and dignity."

So cute.

There were so many people there, this is nowhere near half.

"If this isn't the hour, when?

These rallies were happening all over Italy and Berlusconi apparently responded by saying, "I make all women feel special."  Yeah.

I also thought that today I would give everybody half of my apartment tour.

This is my building!  Via Natale del Grande 12.

Just after I enter the front door...

There is a courtyard.  Since no one here has dryers, everyone hangs all of their laundry out the window.

 

There is no roof on the courtyard.

Then I go through these gates and walk up two flights of stairs.

Love you!

Mini Monsters

Hello!

There's not too much new that's going on around here, except that everyone is sick.  It seems that the IESers are just handing this cold off to each other.  I had a monster climb down into my throat on Wednesday morning and flex open its protective spikes.  I thought it would just go away because I usually don't get a sore throat for two days, but alas.  My lovely new pet clawed its way up into my sinuses, nestled in, and fell asleep.  I'm thankful that it's not the flu (especially like the one I had over Christmas), but it kind of dampens everything.

Classes start on Monday, which I am (mostly) looking forward to.  I will be taking The Jews in Rome: A History of the Diaspora, Monotheisms: Children of Abraham (which is about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), Italy and the European Union, Ancient Rome: History and Myth, and Italian.  I feel so blessed that Hope is going to recognize all of these classes and when I come home I will only have to take my Senior Seminar and my history major will be complete!  They have been so gracious and accommodating; another reason to love my beloved school!

As far as small victories go, I got to and from school alone this week!  I know I sound like a 13 year old craving pseudo-independence, but I feel like adapting to this foreign environment, I have to celebrate the little things.  I'm not the biggest fan of public transportation-I love love love the idea, but at least to me, the idea is better on paper.  I also tend to stress out about it being on time, getting off at the right stop, etc (I know you are all so surprised).  Add to that stress the uncertainty of city layout and a language barrier.  I may treat myself to some Nutella tonight! 

Oh wait......I would probably do that anyways....

Next weekend my friend Gemma and I are taking a trip to Florence, which is exciting!  We will be staying in a hostel both Friday night and Saturday night.  We already bought tickets to the Ufizzi Museum which boasts works of art from Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Raphael, da Vinci, and Botticelli.  I'm certainly no art history major, but this is some heavy stuff.  We are also thinking ahead for a trip to Naples.  Gemma's host mother, Anna, said that if we go in May, it might be warm enough to swim in the Mediterranean!

 

Since I haven't had any crazy adventures since I last updated, I will leave you with a picture of Il Coloseo at night.

Strangest Week of My Life

Hello!  

How are you?  I miss you!

One week ago, at this time, I was sitting on a plane on my way to JFK airport.  The trip to the airport already seems a lifetime away. 

If you know me, you probably know that I am not the biggest fan of orientation-type activities.  When I have to go through a mass orientation, I always kind of wish that I was one of those people who could blow off activities and feel no remorse.  But if you know me, you also know this; I am not one of those people.  I always, always attend.  On Saturday morning, after two days of traveling and three days of long meetings and an attempt at settling into this strange episode that is to be my life for four months, I found myself sitting in the IES auditorium waiting for my team assignment for the Amazing Roman Race Scavenger Hunt, trying my hardest not to be too cynical.  Luckily, we assigned by area, so I was with my apartmentmates and a friend that I met at the airport, Gemma.  Our leader was to be an ISC (Italian Student Companion), so we had some semblance of direction.  And off we went.

And off we went quickly.  Our ISC, Milania, was walking with a pace that would make a professional speed walker proud.  We were all scurrying along behind her, trying to keep up even though the sidewalks were crowded and we were crossing lots of streets.  After we lost half of the group (No, I'm not kidding, and when we told Milania, she didn't seem to care.  At all.), we booked it around the Vatican, only to hear Milania say that she wasn't feeling well.  So, she called the center and went home.  They offered to let us join another group, but seeing as none of us cared to be part of this "amazing" race, we declined and were freed for the afternoon.

So instead of running around this city like tourists on speed, we stopped at a sandwich vendor's cart and ate lunch on the steps of the Vatican and soaked up the beautiful sunshine. 

This was my view during lunch.

It was lovely.

We wandered all afternoon and our tour of Rome ended up being about two hours longer than the planned tour.  We had gelato (chocolate this time-so good!), saw the Pantheon, tossed coins in the Trevi Fountain, looked at the pseudo-dome at the San Ignacio cathedral, and sat on the Spanish steps.

The builders of the cathedral in honor of St. Ignatius ran out of funding, so they hired an artist to paint the ceiling to make it look as though there is a dome.  It's astounding.

Looking up the Spanish Steps.

A building next to the steps.

Last night, several of us ventured across the city to an Irish pub that was showing the Super Bowl.  While my beloved family and friends were settling in for a few hours of delicious snack food and couches around dinner time, I was trekking past the Colosseum for a 12 am kickoff.  The bar was packed and I am happy to report that most of the attendees were Packer fans (at least for the night); I even saw a couple of T-shirts.  

I was chatting with a girl as the game was starting and she asked me who I was rooting for.  I told her that I was cheering for the Packers and that I was from Wisconsin.  Usually people here just say, "Oh." and then something about my accent (I didn't realize it was such a big deal...), but this girl, Claire, asked me where in Wisconsin.  I told her, as I tell most people, that I am from the southeast corner, about 20 minutes south of Milwaukee.  Claire, bless her heart, looked at me and said, "Oh!  Have you ever heard of a town called Racine?"  I nearly hugged her.  Apparently, her mother's side of the family hails from our small piece of paradise and she spent a lot of holidays there.

I didn't stay for the whole game, but left in the middle of the third quarter and got home around 3:15 am.  I was a bit nervous as the Steelers had pulled ahead a bit, but I just couldn't stay until 5:00 am.  Besides, my brain had been kind of numbed by that abysmal half-time performance.  

There was hardly any room anywhere.  It was hot.

At one point people were chanting "Go Pack, Go!"

And it begins!

It was certainly an experience!  

Let's talk soon?

The Beginnings of an Interesting Semester

Ciao tutti!

(Hello all!)

 In some ways, it's hard to believe that I've only been in Rome for a few days.  The days have been long and full of instruction, walking, exploring, and an attempt at name-recall.  The jet-lag still has a hold on my ankle, but I'm shaking it off as hard as I can.  I am living in a an apartment in Trastevere, which is an older district in Rome.  So far, it is has been a great place to be.  It's populated by a lot of younger people and has an underground art scene.  It's about a 25 minute walk to the IES Center, or a 15 minute tram/bus ride.  The walk is kind of nice--it's chilly outside, but it wakes me up and I get to see the Tiber River as I cross over it.

A few things have surprised me since I've been here (ok, well a lot of things, but these are some big ones):

1.  All of the buildings here really are warm "Tuscan" hues.  Facades of buildings are yellow, gold, orange, salmon, pink, and shades of red.  I always though those structures were surrounded by corporate offices, but everything here has character--there is beauty in every corner.

2.  There is no semblance of an organized road system here.  All of the roads in my neighborhood are side streets and there are so many small, twisty roads, I don't know how people navigate.  The roads are so unbelievably narrow, but drivers drive where they fit.  On the larger roads, there aren't even lines on the road.

3.  Apparently, I have a heavy Wisconsin accent.  I kind of figured that I have a bit of a Midwestern tint to my voice, and once I was told by someone from Miami that the way I pronounce my a's is funny (apple, Antarctica, etc), but I have had three people from my program comment on how heavy my accent is.  I don't know whether to be proud or feel like a hick.

4.  There is so much American music here!

Last night, I went with a group of friends to this music hall called Big Mama, where a Doors coverband was playing.  It was great.  The lead singer was not overly talented; he began tipsy and was not very good, then knocked back a few drinks at intermission and got better.  He may have been singing American songs, but he looked like an Italian, dressed like an Italian, and danced like a stereotypical Italian man who thinks he's got it.  It was certainly an experience.

Today, we were all separated into groups and took a tour of a different part of Rome.

My first Italian meal.  I was too exhausted to really look for something unique.

This is the view from the top of a villa we  explored yesterday.  It was beautiful in all directions and makes you understand (to an extent) why people built hills to build estates on.

Why yes, those are doll heads.  Why do you look so surprised?

This was an area where one the circuses was held.  There is a fountain in the middle and a race track around the outside where chariots raced Ben-Hur style.

It was also the plaza where Saint Agnes was martyred.  She was murdered because she wanted to serve God instead of marrying.  You can read her story here (I like to keep the sources classy): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Agnes

The Pantheon

Standing outside of the Pantheon.