Ah, Venice

In the immortal words of Indiana Jones, I share my deepest emotions upon the subject of The Most Serene Republic of Venice, "Ah, Venice." It is literally the most relaxing/ relaxed city I have ever been in. The weird thing about Venice is how it translates onto the silver screen, it's very photogenic. Don't get me wrong, the city is absolutely spectacular and everyone should see it once, but it looks so much more majestic and regal in films like Casino Royale or The Italian Job.

But back to the topic of Indiana Jones, My roommate and I had the pleasure of finding the church/library from The Last Crusade. How amazing is that. Its cleaner and the Campo di San Barnaba is much less crowded, but the church is actually converted into a library. We knew we wanted to find it weeks before we actually got to Venice, and we were happily surprised when we found out that it was right behind our hotel!

There are a few curiosities about Venezia. There are absolutely no cars, bikes, or vespas. There are no guardrails on any of the roads, so don't text and walk or you will find yourself swimming in a canal. That would definitely not happen in America, too many liabilities. Also, there are almost no native Venetians, people there are either tourists or business owners. If you go to Venice in the winter, bring tall boots, the campo's and piazza's will flood at high tide. They do have sidewalks on stilts for that reason (not a joke), but if you stay on those you could be walking for ten minutes before you make it to the other side of the piazza. One of the fun things is that because there are no cars or bikes of anything, there are really tiny and windy alley, but you can find some of the best shops and restaurants in there. Two things that can be interpreted as con's: first, pigeons. You would not believe the number of pigeons in that city. Second, they're not lying when they say it smells weird. I went in January, I can't imagine what it would smell like in certain parts of the city in the summer heat. No. Gross.

There is no shortage of tourists or of tourist shops. We went to Venice and saw the opening night of Carnevale, nothing too special as it was the first night, but masks are a necessity. Shop around for masks, you can find them at really good prices, I bought one to wear that was 2.50 euro, then one to keep that is hand painted and says "Venezia" on it for about 15 euro. Don't buy from the first shop you see, shop around and find the best one, the shops that don't allow you to take photos of the masks are usually the best. Do not buy anything in the Piazza San Marco. Don't do it.

I can say with all honesty that I liked Venice more than any other place I have ever been-- except Rome.

Getting Sick Abroad

... is horrible. Unfortunately, because of the hours spent in a metal tube with circulated air/germs (try not to think about it too much--- it's too gross) sickness is almost guaranteed. I have fallen victim to some form of plague that made my throat feel like I swallowed three bottles of hot sauce, which resulted in me using a combination of charades and sign language to communicate with Italians and Americans alike. I also used more boxes of tissues than I thought was possible... gross. Thankfully, I didn't get homesick, but I hear that that is really common for abroad students. Ultimately, after putting it off for about a week, I had to go and visit a doctor. I went to a clinic/doctors office where the doctor barely spoke any English but she did find out what was wrong with me and diagnosed me in English... sort of. So now I am on a steady dose of antibiotics. Also, the pharmacy's here are awesome, c'mon, America, why can't you do this?!

Unfortunately, the height of my illness came when Roberta was here! I hung out and did touristy things with her, Hannah, and Elizabeth. But I could barely speak to them and  I only got to see them two nights. :( No worries though, my time in Ireland will come soon enough!

Ciao for now.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and the Pantheon, and the Colosseum

 This past weekend my room mate, a friend, and I took to the city to tour some of the most famous places in Rome

 On Friday night, we went to the absolutely stunning Trevi Fountain. It was amazingly beautiful, nestled into a little square between the Piazza di Spagna and Piazza Barberini that you would never find, unless you were really looking for it. We went just before dinner when it was lit up really beautifully and all proceeded to take ridiculously tourist-y, yet satisfying pictures of each other.

The legend of the Trevi Fountain is if you throw a coin into the fountain backwards, you are guaranteed to return to Rome, so obviously I had to do it.












Then, early Saturday morning, we made our way into the city once more. This time we made many stops at beautiful and historic churches that we just happened to walk by. One of the churches we made a special stop into was the Pantheon, the oldest Catholic Church in Rome. The pantheon's name means 'many gods' because it was originally a pagan temple devoted to all of the Roman gods. It was changed into a Catholic Church and you can still go to a mass inside, although there are very few pews and very noisy visitors.

The show-stopping feature in the Pantheon is its oculus, a giant hole in the roof that provides natural light to illuminate the building. There is a legend that says it never rains inside the Pantheon, despite the gigantic whole in the roof. The Romans are lying to you. After a typically soggy January week, the floor in the middle of the Pantheon, just below the oculus, was housing some significant puddles. I loved it there, every detail was so beautiful and rich in history. 

Inside the Pantheon you can visit the tomb of the famous artist Raphael Santi. It is located on the left side of the altar and is really, very pretty.

Then, we mad our way to Rome's Imperial Forum. The forum is located between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills. It was the heart of Ancient Rome. It housed everything from judicial basilicas to market vendors. Now, the forum is a site of ruins and also an active 'scavi' or excavation site.

Although, once inside, The Forum can look like a glorified park, there is so much history, quite literally lying around. There are a few columns still standing, but the majority of them are not. However, the detail of each column is that much closer and easier to appreciate. Intricate designs of patterns, plants, and flowers are skillfully applied to each marble block. 

Lots of people just sit on the thousand+ year old columns and eat lunch, or plan their next site visit, or pose for pictures.

Finally, we went to what is possibly the most famous sit in Rome, the Colosseum. The site of countless deaths, suffering, and panem et circenses. The first thing we saw when we entered the Colosseum was a huge cross. I believe that there are stations of the cross during the Triduum in the Colosseum.

The Colosseum is really amazing to stand inside of and is a testament to the awesome engineering power that the Romans possessed. It had a retractable roof, a basement to house the animals and the gladiators, three sections of spectator seating, and was able to be flooded so that they could have ships inside of the building.

They have a recreation of part of the floor so that visitors can see what it would have looked like on part of the building.

The hardest part of getting around in the Colosseum was climbing the craziest, oldest, steepest steps I have ever seen. Nobody ever tells you about that part of the Colosseum.

It was a really lovely weekend, I appreciated Rome so much more because of this weekend. I loved every second of walking around and seeing little treasures around the city as well as Rome's statement pieces. I can't wait to explore some more in this really lovely and ancient city.

Study Abroad Kids Do Homework?

Indeed, we do.

This week has been the first full week of real coursework, and HOMEWORK, for my five classes.
Five page theology papers? Check.
Literally more than one hundred pages of readings? Check.
History Journals? Check.
Italian Midterm? Check.

Yes, you read that last one right, a midterm in the middle of January. The reason is that Italian class is intensive, a.k.a. the wost thing ever -- could be considered a form of torture, and is complete on February 1st.

The cool thing about going to class in Rome, besides being in Rome, is that we aren't stuck in a classroom all day, everyday. For example, in my Roman History class we go on a site visit during every class. Last week we went to the Palatine Hill and this week we will climb the weirdest steps ever to get to the museum on top of the Capitoline Hill.This coming week in Theology we will have site visits on both Monday and Wednesday in the heart of the city.

This coming Tuesday, in English, we will be visiting the Non-Catholic cemetery in Rome where authors Shelley and Keats are buried. This is particularly exiting for me because I absolutely LOVE John Keats' poetry. Its amazing, unbelievable, and awesome. If you have time to read any of it, do it.

Whoops...

You know that sinking felling you get when you realize you totally forgot to do something you were really excited about... well, jeeze. I was really excited at the idea of spending part of my Spring Break with my friend, Roberta, in Vienna and Budapest. The icing on the cake was the plan to see Mumford & Sons in Budapest that Saturday before returning to Rome. My heart sunk this week when I realized I hadn't bought the tickets and their European tour is completely sold out.

Whoops!

I really wanted to see them, and I'm a little disappointed. Especially because they'll be in NJ for TWO shows in February... But now I have a bit more freedom in planning for spring break. Hopefully I'll be able to see them soon. I'll just keep listening to their albums until then.

Anyone is welcome to buy them for me as a gift if/when they announce their next tour @ mumfordandsons.com.

Catatonic Classrooms

So... Classes. They started on Monday with Italian. We meet for Italian everyday at 4pm, for three hours. I have no idea how I am going to survive that class. The only positives about Italian class is that, because it is intensive, it only lasts until the first week of February. Also, I have to walk by the beautiful Spanish Steps everyday to get to class.

 I started my English class yesterday as well. Its all about English and American authors and how their experiences in Italy influenced their writing. We started Byron and Shelley in class and our assignment is Daisy Miller by Henry James. I already read that my first semester, but hopefully I get more out of it now that I'm in Rome. One of our class excursions is to go to the non-catholic cemetery where my favorite poet, John Keats is buried. I have to go to the Keats Shelley house by the Spanish Steps, especially because I pass them everyday to go to Italian class.

This morning, I had my first Theology class with Msgr. Irwin. It was lovely. He's really personable and  knowledgeable and is going to take us on fascinating trips into the city to meet people, go to different churches, and experience liturgical celebrations. We already received our first homework assignment, a 5 page paper due next week... oi. I have another Theology class with him tomorrow as well, hopefully there will be even more interesting excursions and guest lecturers. Friday's class is Roman History. I'm pretty sure we will be having trips to the Forum and the Colosseum as well as places like the Pantheon, but we'll see.

Now, I am going to clean up my room and watch homeland whilst I prepare to venture to Italiaidea for the longest Italian class ever... boo.

Ciao.

Today's the day!

I made it! It took awhile, but I finally made it. Two plane rides with absolutely no anxiety and even less sleep. It took me a few days to warm up to the city, and also to realise that I am no longer in America. I am the foreigner, the alien, and everybody knows it. I've spent three full days in Rome so far, the first days were tough. Adjusting to the time change, customs, and rhythms are going to take the entire semester, but it is going to be really fun figuring them out. The director of the study abroad program, Dr. Dawson, said that we should treat every challenge as an adventure and make sure to do things that make us uncomfortable. I hope to adopt that attitude during my time here and embrace the city, rather than sinking under some kind of a security blanket.

The most shocking thing hasn't been the language, or the weather (although it is about 60 degrees in the afternoon as opposed to New Jersey's 30 degrees) Its the people in the city. The pace is slower, the people are really warm and friendly-- but I've already witnessed an attempted pick-pocketing... oi.

The ruins, monuments, statues, and obelisks are so much more beautiful than any picture makes you think. The city itself has a character that I didn't expect it to have, the buildings are all bright, cheery, and old. Getting my bearings in the city has been pretty challenging. The street signs are hidden on the sides of buildings, many streets look the same, and the city isn't a grid like I'm used to in D.C. There are corners, alleys, and most especially piazzas where the whole neighborhood gathers during the day. And, of course, the food is delicious, everything is better than I have ever had it in America.

In all of my research before coming to Rome, everyone said that it was pretty hard to navigate Rome because it is such a big city, to European standards. In reality, Rome is smaller than many American cities, especially within the Aurelian Walls. All of the ancient city is relatively small, the forum, Colosseum, and all of the biggest tourist destinations are in walking distance of each other.

Two days ago, the school was split into groups and we went on a scavenger hunt throughout the city, it was amazing. We got so lost and stumbled onto things that I'm sure I never would have seen if it weren't printed on the task sheet. The Villa Borgese was phenomenal, so pretty. Its next to the Spanish steps and has one of the most beautiful views of Rome that I have ever seen. I loved it. It was funny to see all of the church steeples.

Yesterday, we had tickets to the Epiphany mass at St. Peter's church in the Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI said the mass and ordained 4 bishops during the 3 hour mass. The mass was crazy! People were standing on chairs and getting wild to get a glimpse of the pope. The basilica itself was really beautiful and there was something new to see every time you looked around. I don't think I am ever going to forget it.

Now, the rest of the dorm students and I have been adjusting to our new home away from home at St. John's University's campus. The dorms are new-ish with a beautiful courtyard and settled into a lovely neighborhood that's only about a 10 min walk from the heart of The Vatican. It all seems unreal, I can't believe I'm here.