Non c'è abbastanza tempo...

As the end of my third week of school approaches, I have realized just how quickly time is flying over here. In two weeks Mom and Dad will be visiting, then school ends shortly into May, and at the end of July it will be time to return to Cali!

Things have certainly calmed down quite a bit since regular classes have started (a.k.a.- we all came to the cruel realization that we are here for school and, ergo, must study and attend classes). However, these classes are much more intriguing that I had hoped. In addition to a continuation of my Italian language course, I am taking three 5 unit courses: Ancient Roman Art, Renaissance Art in Rome, and Rome: The Age of Baroque. My favorite so far is Baroque simply because Rome really was the center for this amazing artistic style. Almost every class is an on-site lecture, meaning we meet for class at a certain place in the city and actually stand in front of whatever piece of art we are being lectured on. This teaching style is completely new to me, but for art history, it is quite appropriate. It can be hard to concentrate but, thankfully, my professor is amazingly knowledgeable and listening to him speak for two hours (even when standing in a chilly church) is not a chore at all. All I can say is thank you to the ASC for graciously donating a clipboard to my academic endeavour, taking notes without it would be terrible! J

Villa Borghese- my first site visit for my Baroque class!

Piazza del Popolo- the northern gate to the Eternal City

Apart from school, I have taken a day trip to Ostia Antica (one of the port cities of ancient Rome) and Naples. When I told my roommate’s (Italian) boyfriend we were going to Naples for a day he made a joke about Naples being in the bagno (bathroom)… shows what most Italians think about Naples. Although the city was quite dirty the bay was beautiful and the pizza- other worldly!

Ostia Antica

City of the Dead

Words are not necessary

Dolci!!

Inside of Naple's Duomo

Naples graffiti-art

Castel dell'Ovo

The Bay of Naples (obviously it looks quite different now)

We were pretttty high up...

Between my classes, weekends, and blind exploration I am quickly learning that one could live in Rome for an entire lifetime and still not know it completely. As my Art History Professor says, Rome is a city of mysteries. 

Ciao!

Back from Ireland!

After spending a week in Ireland I am happy to be back in Rome! It’s exciting to me that this place finally seems like home. Although I cannot deny that the idea of teleporting back to Crestwood Drive for a night or two, experiencing the wonders of DVR and a bowl of Mom’s chili, is extremely attractive, I have not experienced much homesickness at all.

The group outside the cafeteria at Trinity College

Being able to spend time with my dear Christine in Ireland was amazing! My roommates and I arrived in Dublin quite late on Friday night. The whole travel experience was kind of a bummer because I had woken up that morning with a cold, then had to go take my Italian final (including an oral examination which my poor voice did not appreciate), and catch a flight directly after. Following a delicious (not) fast food meal we decided to just head to the hostel and hit the sack. The next day we walked around Trinity College with Christine and her two friends (one from her university in Cork, the other a student at Trinity) and saw the Book of Kells! The volume was breathtakingly beautiful and the Old Library commanded such a prescence that we scarcely feel in univerisities on the West Coast. 

My roommates and me outside of the Guinness Factory

After Trinity we (of course) toured the Guinness Factory. The museum was very well done and the student admission price was pretty reasonable considering at the top of the building everyone enjoyed a pint of Guinness free of charge (delicccccious). The Gravity Bar also offered a panoramic view of Dublin which, although the weather was less than perfect, was beautiful. 

Within the next couple of days we visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Kilmainham Gaol, and the famous Grafton Street. Of course at night we frequented Irish pubs, and even caught a good part of the Superbowl in one near our hostel! Very American  but oh well. My roommate, Courtney managed to score free tickets to a show at the National Concert Hall in Dublin on Sunday night. The show was called "'Puttin' on the Ritz," based on the famous 1930's musical. The piece featured a singer named Lance Ellington as well as dancers. It was an experience I certainly never expected to have on my trip to Ireland but I'm glad I got the chance to see the Concert Hall and do something off the grid of normal tourist activities!

The National Concert Hall in Dublin

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Kilmainham jail cell- not my idea of a good time clearly

After my roommates departed Tuesday morning I had the day to myself. I spent a good chunk of the morning walking around St. Stephen's Green, a beautiful park just a couple of blocks from the hostel. After that it was good-bye Dublin and on my way to Cork!

The bus ride took about four and a half hours but it weaved through some smaller towns along the way, as well as a good deal of countryside. I had to admit, it was a nice change from overwhelmingly urban Dublin. Christine met me at the bus station and we walked to her nearby apartment. She has three roommates and they all have their own bedrooms AND bathrooms, lucky ducks. 

Full Irish breakfast- once you get past the idea of congealed
blood it was really quite tasty :)

That night we went Christine's favorite pub in Cork and listened to her housemate play the fiddle with Irish musicians. The music combined with the awesome Irish decor of the pub provided a real authentic experience! 

One of the more surprising things about Ireland was that I found the food to be terrible! However, I was thrilled to see french fries (chips) all over the place, and Christine and I had a full Irish breakfast one morning that was delicious. And if that wasn't enough, one night Christine's two French roommates cooked an amazing meal for everyone. Guinness floats for dessert of course!

Kissing the Blarney stone- kind of frightening

During my stay in Cork we visited the Blarney Stone (I am sad to say that by kissing it I do not believe I have been given the gift of gab...) as well as the grounds surrounding the castle which were gorgeous. 

The grounds surrounding the castle

One of the most cool things I got to do in Cork is walk around the University College Cork campus. I even sat in with Christine for her literature class!  

All in all, I had a wonderful time in Ireland and was very sad to leave Christine at the end. It was nice to be around English speakers for a week (although I'm sure my Italian professor would not approve) and travel to a country I have always wanted to visit. I am quite glad to be back in my Italia however, and even more excited to start school tomorrow!

I begin Ancient Roman Art, Renaissance Art in Rome, and Rome: the Age of Baroque this week, in addition to a continuation of my Italian language course. I'm very excited because all of these classes have multiple site visits including the Vatican Museums, and even a day trip to Pompeii next month. It's hard to believe that I've been here for a month now, I am really starting to see that this time is going to fly by and I had better make the most of it!

Ciao!

Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao!

Well, I’ve been in Rome for almost two weeks now, but it feels as though I’ve been living here forever. The city is so beautiful and diverse. I love that there is so much history mixed in with the contemporary, very different from California. Today my roommates and I visited the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum. A lot of walking (in the rain no less) but well worth it.

Only 1/3 of the original structure remains but at it's prime it could hold 50,000 people

"Magna Mater"- she brings life and fertility to the Roman people

I would have put up a picture of a Cypress tree but I didn't want to rub salt in your wounds, Dad :P

Apparently Romans don't care too much for this building because it was commissioned by Mussolini :/ 

Yesterday I walked around the corner from our apartment (literally- around the corner) to the Church of Santa Maria in Tastevere. The interior was gorgeous with a huge mosaic scene above the altar. The experience was surprisingly relaxing, a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of the city. And to think, this fourth-century church is just around the corner from where I live… kinda crazy.

Last week we visited the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, cliché tourist spots but impressive none the less!

I absolutely love my roommates, they are all really cool and easy-going. We are going to stay at the apartment in Florence next weekend so that’s our next adventure, and hopefully I’ll be spending my first break next month with Christine in Ireland!

All in all I am really enjoying living in this huge city. There’s always something to do and the walk to school is never boring- ah yes school. Sometimes I forget I’m here for school and not to travel! Right now we have Italian class for three and a half hours every day which is semi-brutal but I feel like I’m learning a lot. 

Also I've been cooking a lot which is kind of a big deal for me, my roommates are teaching me. I made this the other night!

Ciao!

Salute!

It’s my second day in the Eternal City and I already feel a great deal more comfortable in my surroundings than I did as I stepped off the plan yesterday morning. After about eight hours of flight time and a couple of gourmet meals only United knows how to provide, our descent was announced and I experienced my first profound sense of excitement. Before this I was neither sad nor excited to leave but as we touched down just as the sun was rising behind the rolling hills of Italy’s Lazio region, I felt exhilaration.

It took days to collect my bags which, mind you, at about fifty pounds each (both of them), proved extremely difficult to maneuver by myself. Luckily the walk from the baggage claim to the taxi was short, and I found a girl I knew from UCSB to share a taxi with into the city. The taxi driver drove like a maniac and spoke no English but was kind enough to point out all the sights we passed.

Once we arrived at the study center (located in the Piazza dell’Orologio- about two blocks from the Piazza Navona) I learned that this girl and I were also housemates. It was nice to have someone I knew to share the terrible experience of lugging one hundred pounds of clothes up some very steep marble steps into our apartment.

Our three-bedroom dwelling is located in the Transvestare neighborhood, just a block away from the Tiber River and a fifteen-minute walk from school. I absolutely love the neighborhood. There is a grocery store right next door to the building (literally- the next door to the right) and there are several restaurants and “bars” on our block. A bar in Italy of course is not like a bar in the states, it’s more like a café, mostly serving coffee and pastries.

While the apartment is not luxurious in any way it has all the necessary amenities and of course, “location, location, location.” Today we had orientation and on the walk home my housemates and I stumbled upon a much bigger grocery store than the one downstairs. Ergo, I am now enjoying my first home cooked Italian meal: fusilli pasta with pesto sauce.

Stairs of death (scale delle morte)

My street!

Entrance to my school

Bridge over the Tiber

Tomorrow is more orientation and a group photo (shoot me now) but hey, I’m in Rome so I guess I can’t complain…