Second to last day of walking

So for today's post we are supposed to think about what Rome means to us.  This is a tricky question because over these past three weeks I have learned so much and experienced so much in this city that it would be hard to narrow down what Rome means to me. I think that since coming on this trip I definitely have a different perspective on Rome and a new appreciation. Before the trip I would have told you that Rome is very significant in human history and then I might have listed off a few monuments and sites that are important. After taking this trip though I have learned more about Rome than I even expected to. There were so many days on this trip where I would look at the schedule and have no idea where these places were that we were going, but after the day I would come away with a new appreciation for that site and I would have another piece of the puzzle of Roman history. It has been really amazing being able to experience Rome in a class setting because of the detailed history that we get to learn about every site. As I think I have said before, I am very glad that this class has been my first experience with the city of Rome.

One of the biggest things that I took away from my visit to Rome is how this city is a massive mix of ancient and modern. Every where you go within the city there are reminders of it's ancient past, but you are also surrounded by crazy traffic and flashing lights from the cafes and restaurants that line the streets. I think the greatest example of this for me was when we visited the Pantheon. As we were walking down a street filled with cafes and vendors, the street opens up into a big piazza and then you are staring at an incredible building that is nearly 2000 years old. The city of Rome is a perfect combination of old and new.

Today was our second to last day of this trip and it was our last full free day. Some of us from the group decided to get out of Rome and we took a train to the city of Florence. When we arrived we didn't really have a plan for the day but we thought we should try and get the museums and Duomo out of the way first.  We made our way to the museo de academia where the David statue is located. Once we found it some of the group decided not to go in because it was kind of expensive to get in. I figured I probably won't be back to Florence in a while so I might as well go in. When we got in the museum it was awesome to see the David statue, which was sculpted by Michelangelo.  It was way bigger in person than I thought it would be and it was very impressive. After the museum we went to the Duomo which was absolutely amazing. The outside of it is so intricately made and it is quite the spectacle. We went into the church and I also climbed to the top of the bell tower which required climbing up 414 stairs. We were all out of breath and sweating at the top but the view was worth it! When we finished with the Duomo and the museum we grabbed lunch and then split off into smaller groups to go shopping. Florence is known for their leather so I obviously had to get some. I also bought myself an Italian soccer jersey to add to my collection of soccer jerseys from places I've visited. We ended the day by having dinner as a group and then heading to the train station. It was an awesome day in Florence and the city was beautiful. I would definitely go back if I had the chance.

This will be my last blog post for this trip and I can't believe it is almost time to go home. My time here in Rome has gone by so quickly and I have enjoyed every minute of it. This will absolutely be a trip that I will never forget and I am so thankful for the things I have learned and the memories I have made here.

Ciao!

Walking through the Vatican

This morning we headed off to the Vatican Museum. As we approached the walls of Vatican city it was amazing to see the top of St Peter's Basilica and the tall walls that surround it.  When we got near the museum entrance there were hundreds of people in line and it looked pretty overwhelming. Luckily we had our tickets ahead of time and were able to skip the line and go right in. At the entrance of the museum you would think you are going through airport security with the metal detectors and bag checks. They do not mess around with security in the Vatican.

Tourist head set

Rome is a very tourist populated city and you can see tourist groups almost anywhere you go. I noticed early on during this trip that most groups have headphones that they have in and the leader of their group is talking into a microphone and carrying some sort of flag so the group can follow. I can't remember where it was at but I jokingly asked Aaron at one of the sites why we don't have these staple tourist accessories. He explained that we are trying to be a class not a tourist group. So I was left disappointed that we didn't get to look like a ridiculous group of tourists.  However, today my dream became reality and at the Vatican museum if you have a group that is to large you are required to wear the headphones and have a microphone. Today we became real tourists.

Obviously I am joking, and I did not want to look like a group of tourists. In fact that has been one of my goals on this trip is to try and fit in with the Romans as well as I can. It has been really cool being immersed in Roman and Italian culture and I think I have done a reasonable job of not sticking out like a sore thumb.

Our tour through the Vatican museum was amazing. They have countless amounts of statues and artifacts from all over the world. You could literally spend several days in that place and probably not see everything they have to see. We made our way through part of the museum and then tried to get to the Sistine Chapel.  On the way to the chapel we passed through several rooms with amazing paintings and sculptures. I think one of my favorite parts of the museum was the hall way that was filled with giant paintings of maps. I couldn't tell where most of the maps were of but there were a few that I knew and it was cool to see them painted in detail. After lots of walking through winding hallways filled with art we arrived at the Sistine Chapel. It was incredible to see the work that Michelangelo had done. The detail and precision that he painted that giant space with is remarkable. It was really cool to be able to see such an iconic piece of art in person.

Painted map of Italy

By the end of my time at the Vatican I was very ready to leave. Like I said there are tourists everywhere in Rome but the Vatican was a whole other level. The halls were jammed with people and tour groups and the tour groups always seemed to stop and talk about something at the most inconvenient places. I have absolutely loved the city of Rome and its people but I think I am just about ready for a slower paced less populated city. We have two days left in Italy and tomorrow we are going to Florence for our free day. I am hoping this will be a little change of pace from what we have been doing and I am really excited. I am also looking forward to spending a few days after this trip on the island of Majorca, Spain where I plan to completely unwind from this crazy and amazing adventure!

St Peters Basilica

Ciao!

My feet hurt from walking

We are now on the final stretch of our journey here in Rome. It is getting hard to keep the days straight and when I try looking back the days seem to blur together. With that said I will try to give a little recap of my weekend.

Pantheon

On Saturday we met up around 9 AM and headed out to the Pantheon. I was extremely excited to see this building because I had heard so many amazing things about it and it was also what I had to research for my presentation. As we were walking to the Pantheon we came around the corner of a street that opened up into a piazza and I am pretty sure my mouth dropped open from the view. I could have never imagined the size of this building from just seeing it in pictures. Seeing the Pantheon kind of through me off before my presentation because I was speechless at how amazing this building is in real life. 

Oculus

The Pantheon is one of the most well preserved buildings from ancient Rome and was constructed in 125 AD by the emperor Hadrian. The original purpose of the Pantheon is still unknown but it was a temple dedicated to all of the Gods (Pantheon is Latin means "all gods"). The reason the building is so well kept is because in 608 AD it was given to the Pope and he turned it into the church Sancta Maria Dei Martiri. Since it was a church it was not destroyed like many of the other ancient Roman buildings. As I said before the structure of the Pantheon is amazing. The pillars in the porch area are each 39 feet high and 5 feet in diameter. Each pillar weighs 60 tons and they were all imported from Egypt. The thing that makes the Pantheon so incredible is its freestanding concrete dome with an oculus in the center. The dome is massive and it is 150 Roman feet in diameter. This means that you could place a perfect sphere of 150 feet inside and it would match up perfectly. The dome is constructed of several different materials ranging from concrete to pumis and gradually gets thinner as you get closer to the oculus. The oculus is the open center of the dome which is 30 feet across and is the only source of light for the building. It is truly amazing how the Romans could built such an architecturally complicated building and have it last for nearly 2000 years.

Oculus

I really enjoyed the Pantheon and it is definitely up there as one of the top sites from the trip so far.

Baths of Caracalla

After the Pantheon we saw the column of Marcus Aurelius and then were done for the day. The next day we headed out and went to the Baths of Caracalla and the Baths of of Diocletian which are now a church. The baths of Caracalla were amazing and once again surprised me with how massive they were. It was really cool to see what a major Roman bath would have looked like and to imagine what it must have been like to go there in its prime. At the Baths of Diocletian it was a totally different experience. As you enter you can see the outer structure of the baths but once you go through the doors you are overwhelmed with the sight of a beautiful church that was originally designed by Michelangelo.  The church's name is Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri. It was interesting to have to try and imagine a bath complex while standing in a beautiful church.

Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri

This weekend flew by and I am sure the next few days will as well. My time in Rome is winding down and I am going to try to soak up all that I can the final few days I am here! 

Ciao!



 

More Walking

Yesterday was our first free day of the trip. We did not have any class activities so we were free to do what we wanted to for the day. Not everyone wanted to do the same things so we ended up splitting up for the day. I went with Steve, Cari, Heather, and JT to lake Bracciano. This is a lake that is located about an hour out of Rome and was created by a volcanic crater. The lake is unique because it is kept very clean by the government. They do not allow motorboats on the lake except for government boats and some professional fisherman. As a result the lake is crystal clear and very clean. Before we went I did a little research and found out that one of the Popes actually created the laws about keeping this lake clean because they would transport water from the lake to the area of Trastevere in Rome. The lakes water was used as a main source of drinking water for some time. 

Once we got off the train in the town of Bracciano we were greeted with a beautiful view of the lake. The small town is set up on a hill that leads down to the lake. There is also a castle that is on top of the hill that looks out over the lake but I cannot remember the name of it. We then walked down the steep hill to the lake. It was a perfect day to be at the lake, the sun was shining and the water was perfect. It was an extremely relaxing day at the lake and was much needed after a long week or so of non stop Roman history. Not that I don't love everything we've done and seen, but a break was very much appreciated. 

Today we went to the Piazza Navona and the Forum of Trajan. The Piazza Navona is where one of the Roman stadiums was. The stadium was designed to hold foot races like the Greeks did but the Romans never really took a liking to them. So instead the stadium became a place for gladiatorial games and public executions. These seemed to suit the Romans better. There would have been three obelisks in the center of the stadium but today there is only one. It sits on top of the Fiumi fountain, which is a fountain that is supposed to represent the four major rivers that were under papal control. Today the piazza is filled with shops and restaurants that sit on top of where the seating would have been and the Fuimi fountain is in the middle. This piazza is a very cool spot to come on any night to see street performers and look at all the great shops that are set up. 

We also saw the Forum of Trajan today. The Forum is the largest of all the imperial fora and is also the last one that was built. The forum is built in a very strategic way so that as you enter everything is aligned. One of the main features of Trajan's forum is the column that depicted his victories over the Dacians.  This column is still in tact today and is very well preserved. Another cool feature of Trajan's forum is the markets that he had built into the quirnal hill. These markets were a series of rooms with arches at their entrances. There were also several levels to the markets. 

I can't believe that there is only one week remaining of this program. I feel like the time has gone so fast, but I have enjoyed everyday. It has been amazing learning about ancient Rome and being able to be at the sites as we learn about them. This last week should be just as amazing as the first two and I am excited about what is ahead.

Ciao!

Walking in Ostia.. Day 8

Day 8:

Today we went one of the major port cities of ancient Rome, Ostia Antica. Ostia played a huge role in ancient Rome by providing a way for grains, wine, and other goods to be shipped up the Tiber to Rome. Rome, being the large city that it was, required a lot of goods and since it was so far up the river this created a problem for getting imported goods to the Roman people. We learned that around 17 ships per day were needed to meet the demand of Rome. The number 17 doesn't sound like much but when you consider these larger ships were being unloaded by hand, brought into Ostia, and then being reloaded onto smaller ships to send up to Rome, the number is quite astounding.

Since Ostia Antica was a port city it would have been considered a working class community. The structure of the city that is left today is not the grand ruins and elaborate buildings that you would see in Rome, but instead is a city set up for the middle class. It has several buildings that are evidence of this; apartment buildings that would have housed several families, public baths, laundromats, and small store/market fronts.

Ostia is a really unique ancient city because of how well it is preserved. It was first used by the Roman's as a military station where they could have men patrolling the mouth of the Tiber and defending Rome from anyone trying to go upstream to attack. Once it was made into a port city it became a boom town and grew quite a bit. However, with the decline of the Roman empire, Ostia also began to decline. The town began to get swampy and inhabitable and was soon forgotten. When the city was drained and excavated we were left with a great portrayal of what a working class ancient Roman city would have looked like.

While walking around Ostia today it was really cool to see the framework of the city in the ruins that are left. So often with ancient ruins it seems that you have to try and recreate almost the entire building or monument, but with the ruins of Ostia you are left with a great understanding of what most of the city would have looked like. My favorite part of the city was the theater and temple area. It was very cool to see the theater, although reconstructed, almost fully intact. I felt that walking through the city really helped me visualize how these people may have lived when this was a major port of Rome.

After Ostia, a group of us decided to go to the beach that was only a few train stops away. Just as a little foreshadowing, today was not our best public transportation day. So to start our journey to the beach, we waited for the train for a solid 15 minutes. Once on the train it was smooth sailing to our stop at Lido Central. None of us had a real good plan for what we were doing so we all just started walking to where we thought the beach was. This ended up working out okay because we were headed in the right direction and ended up at the beach within 10 minutes. We all laid out our towels and tried our best to get a tan. It was quite relaxing except for the men walking around every five minutes trying to get you to buy beads, coconuts, blankets, or a drink. We stayed at the beach for about an hour or so and then decided to pack it up and head out. We made it back to the train station and just as we scanned our tickets the train took off and we had to wait another 15 minutes. Finally our train arrived and we got on a train that looked straight out of a horror film. It had graffiti on just about every inch and it looked pretty old. We left the train station, but a few stops down one of the conductors came into our train and started trying to shut all of the doors. I'm not sure if they were not closing all the way or what the deal was but it didn't make us feel all that secure. After about a 30 minute train ride we got to the terminal where we were going to jump on the metro. Since we all wanted to get home we thought that taking the metro over taking the bus would be faster. So we went down to the metro stop and jumped on the train. We stood on the train for about five minutes while the doors were open and people just kept piling in. Everyone was touching and it was very uncomfortable. After about 15 minutes of standing there the doors finally shut and we started to move. We only had to go three stops but it took up 30 minutes just to get to where we needed to transfer trains. We were then informed that when it rains, the metro trains all slow way down because they have to wait for the train in front of them before they can go. Being the smart college students we are we decided to just take the bus the rest of the way home! Turns out the place that we got off the train did not have any bus stops that would take us back to our apartment. So, back into the metro we went. Luckily this one was a little faster and we finally made it back to our apartment. I did not keep official time but I think it took us over an hour to get back, when it would normally take us anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes.

We were all relieved to be back at the apartments after a long day! Today felt like one of the longest days yet. I'm guessing it had something to do with the public transportation and the sunburn that is now on my shoulders. It was a very fun day though and I am looking forward to tomorrow when we go to Naples and Pompeii!

Ciao!

More walking.. Day 6

Day 6:

This day is probably the day that I looked forward to the most before coming on this trip. Our schedule for the day was to go to the Arch of Titus, the Palatine hill and museum, and the Colosseum. Admittedly, I didn't really know what the Arch of Titus or Palatine hill was before this trip, but I really like the Colosseum! I don't know if was the movie Gladiator that sparked my interest or not, but I have always had a fascination with the Colosseum, gladiators, and the Roman games.

We started the day at the Arch of Titus, which thanks to Adam's presentation, I now know is an arch that was constructed by Domition shortly after his brother Titus' death. It was built to commemorate Titus' victories, including the siege of Jerusalem. There is a relief on the arch of this victory!

View from Palatine hill looking at the Roman Forum

After the arch we moved up the hill where we looked at the Palatine hill. This hill was home to many emperors of Rome and sits high above the Roman forum and also looks out over the Circus Maximus. We had seen the outsides of the hill as we have walked around Rome and looked at other things, but once you are on top of it you truly appreciate the size of the land. There were several ruins on the hill and one in particular spanned 7 acres!
The hill is also thought to have been the place where Romulus, the founder of Rome, had set the foundation for the city. It is believed that the foundation of the hut he stayed in when he first stayed on the hill is still there today. Although, when we were there we couldn't really see it and from what we learned there is not much to see anyway.

Outside of the Colosseum

Next we were on to the Colosseum! We had walked past it a few days ago and I found myself just staring at it when we passed. The size of it is amazing. I think that going to school in the cities has somewhat desensitized me to the size of buildings because large buildings are so common. But while I have been in Rome, every massive building still makes me stare in amazement. The fact that buildings this big could be built 2000 years ago baffles me everyday. When I look at the Colosseum my mind races thinking of how they could have brought all of that building material to this spot, and how they could have laid out the design, and how they could have lifted such massive stone so high! It is an incredible structure! As I mentioned earlier, the movie Gladiator is amazing, so the first thing I did when we arrived at the Colosseum was take my picture posing as Russel Crowe (aka Maximus Desimus Meridius). Needless to say, I was entertained.

Are you not entertained?

We then went into the Colosseum and checked it out. The main floor is now gone but it would have been made out of wood and would have had around 9 inches of sand covering it. This is where the games would have been played. Underneath the wooden floor is a series of rooms and hallways that would have been used to warm up the gladiators, store the animals, and keep slaves or prisoners. The bleachers would have been made of marble and the arena could have sat around 50,000 people. It was really awesome being able to stand and look out at everything and try to visualize what it may have been like to witness the gladiatorial games.

I think that not only with the Colosseum, but with everything in Rome that we have visited, re-imagining what it would have been like in the days of its use is a huge part of your experience. If you look at some columns, or a giant stadium in its condition today and are unable to reconstruct it with your mind and place yourself in it some 2000 years ago, then coming to Rome may be a boring trip for you. So far the Rome I have walked through, and the Rome I have imagined have been amazing and I can't wait for more to come!

Ciao!

Walking days 2 and 3

Day 2:

For day two of our adventure through the city of Rome we had several stops planned. Our first stop for the day was at the Capitoline Museum. This museum is actually located on one of the smallest hills in Rome. This hill, although small in comparison to others in Rome, is one of the most important places in Rome. Ever since the Temple of Jupiter was constructed on top of the hill it has been seen as a symbol of the power of Rome. The Temple of Jupiter was finished around the time of 510 BC and some of the walls can still be seen today inside of the museum. Another major artifact  within the museum is the statue of Marcus Aurelius. On the plaza currently is a reconstructed version of the statue and the authentic one was moved into the museum to prevent further erosion. One thing about this statue that I found very interesting is that it was not melted down for its metals because people thought that it was of Constantine. It wasn't until later on when people started to question that and realized it was actually Marcus Aurelius. I find it fascinating that the only reason we have this statue today is because people falsely identified it. Once we were in the museum there were endless rooms of amazing artifacts and sculptures from throughout Rome's history. I was hard to pick out just one of my favorites! However, if I did have to choose a favorite I would have to go with the bronze sculpture of the she-wolf nursing Romulus and Remus. This sculpture really intrigues me, not so much for how beautiful it is or how well it was made, but more for the intense symbol it portrays. It was said that the she-wolf  found Romulus and Remus as babies washed up on the shore and nursed them back to health. These brothers then went on to found the city of Rome but when arguing Romulus killed Remus and therefor the city is named after Romulus. I find this story really interesting but I think something even more interesting is the way the image of the wolf and the babies has been absorbed and portrayed as the symbol of Rome. It is hard to go far in Rome without seeing this image portrayed in some way.

Another positive of the museum was the incredible view from it's terrace...

Next up for the day was the Forum Boarium. This was a forum that, before the embankments on the river were created, was a main port for ships bringing goods and supplies up the Tiber river. The forum was a place where cattle, grain, and many other goods were dropped off to be distributed throughout the city. Being in the forum now makes it hard to believe that it could have ever been a port because the water is so far away. 

After a long day of walking and being in the sun everyone was ready to go home and get something to eat. That brings me to food.. Up to this point I have not had one meal I have not enjoyed! My meal schedule for the days has been pretty consistent. For breakfast I have been going to different cafes. I usually get a cappuccino and some sort of croissant. While this is not always the most filling breakfast it is unbelievably good tasting! Somehow for lunch I have managed to have a ham and cheese sandwich 3 out of the 4 days we have been out for lunch. However, even though I get ham and cheese every time, it has been a different kind of ham and cheese each time. First I had proscuitto and fresh mozzarella balls, then I had a sandwich with just cured proscuitto and provolone on it, and finally I had a sandwich with cooked proscuitto and provolone on it. Finally for dinner I have gone out every night and have thoroughly enjoyed myself. Everything from pizza, to raviolli, to spaghetti, and lasagna, I have been trying to taste everything. So far my favorite has been the lasagna, but I have a lot of meals left to see if I find a better dish. 

I am really starting to enjoy myself now that we are all comfortable as a group and have gotten to know each other. The next couple weeks are packed with amazing places we are going to and I look forward to experiencing all of them! 

Ciao

The Walking Begins

As I am writing this I am winding down from my second full day here in Rome. I am taking a three week course in Rome, Italy called Walking Ancient Rome which takes us all around the city and describes many of the iconic sites and their significance in history.

I left on May 31st around 11 AM from Minneapolis and had a two hour flight to Atlanta, Georgia, and then around a nine hour flight to Rome. I was anticipating that getting through security in Minneapolis would take up some time so I showed up to the airport about three hours early. This may have been a little bit of overkill considering I went through security in about two minutes and I was at my gate before the flight that was leaving at 9 AM had even finished boarding. After waiting for a while I started to see people trickle in who I thought may be on my trip but I wasn't 100% percent sure. I think they felt the same way because it took us about a half an hour before most of our group was in one spot starting to make conversation. The flight to Georgia went smoothly and  we decided to wander the airport for awhile since we had a four hour layover before our flight to Rome. We were all pretty hungry so we grabbed a table at TGI Friday. I think this may have been the American in us wanting to have our last taste of home before experiencing a totally different culture. To put the icing on top we went Starbucks as well just to make sure we got all of our stereotypical American cravings out of the way.

Then it was time to board for Rome, I don't think I was nervous at this point but I was very anxious to start this trip. I do pretty well with flying and usually do not have any problems, but this was a long flight and I was definitely ready to get off the plane when we finally landed in Rome. At the airport we met up with Lisa, one of our teachers, and Chiara, our program leader from Italy. We took a bus into the city and as we drove through the many streets it was still surreal that I was in Rome. I don't know if this was because we were on a bus just going through small parts of Rome or if I was just too tired to comprehend where I was. When we finally got to the area near our apartments, Piazza Mazzini, we hopped off the bus and were taken to our apartments where we were staying. That night we were able to relax and do what ever we would like. I was exhausted from the plane and decided to take a much needed nap! We then all met up again to go out to eat. We went to Pummare which was a very good restaurant. We got to choose between pizza or pasta, and I chose the pizza. After we placed our orders the waiters started bringing dish after dish of classic Italian appetizers. There had to have been eight to 10 different items to choose from, and once we were finished with those and we thought we were full they brought us our main meal. Needless to say I was extremely full and satisfied by the end of the meal.

First Full Day:
For our first full day in Rome we all met up around 9 AM and walked to the accent center. This is our study abroad agencies building is located and it was about a 30 minute walk from our apartment. I think this is when it really sunk in that I was in Rome. Walking down the street and seeing countless historic and magnificent buildings really makes me appreciate where I am. The whole city is a piece of art and history.

Our first stop for our class was the Circus Maximus. This is where many of the big chariot races in Rome were held and it is right next to Palatine hill. This was also the place where it is said that Romulus (the founder of the city of Rome) killed his brother Remus. The size of the circus was incredible and it was much bigger than I imagined. One fact that Aaron (our other teacher) told us about that really stunned me was that at one point in time the Circus Maximus was able to seat nearly 250,000 people!

The next stop was the Roman Forum. The Roman Forum is set in a valley and is looked upon by the Capitoline hill. This Forum was host to many buildings throughout history and was known as a place of politics, business, and worship. Many buildings in the Forum, such as the Curia Julia, were where political decisions were made. The Curia Julia was the place that the senate would meet and vote on different bills and laws that were being made. It was really interesting to see how the buildings were ordered by time. The oldest and most ancient buildings were in the back near the Capitoline hill and they gradually got newer as you moved away. The Forum was amazing and was a really good representation of political buildings throughout Roman history.

After spending my first full day in Rome I think the one thing that keeps running through my mind as we wander the city is how did people build these things?? I find that almost every building I look at I am trying to figure out how humans could have built them. The grandiosity and fine detail that is put into almost every building is truly amazing!

That's all for this post! More to come on days 2 and 3 soon!
Ciao