A Study Abroad Journal

Carolyn '09 - Rome Italy

Oct. 11, 2006

Ciao!

My name is Carolyn Maltby and I am currently a sophomore at Saint Mary's College. My hometown is Kalamazoo, MI - not too far away from school! I am currently planning on majoring in Humanistic Studies and completing at least a minor in Italian. I'm e culture.

I was so excited when we first arrived in Italy. We immediately left for Assishoping that living in Rome for the year will help me improve my knowledge of the language and thi for our orientation. It was a good way to get over jetlag, meet the other people in the program, and to start speaking Italian (or at least try!). After a few days there, we finally made it to Rome!

My first impressions of the city and program were great. We stay at a really nice place called the Hotel Tiziano. My roommate and I love our room. All of the workers are really nice and they helped us to feel at home. It's great that the library, classrooms, and offices are really close to the hotel. You really only have to cross a street to get there!Also, the place where we eat a lot, Pascucci's, is on the same street as our classrooms. They have great food, and the people that work there are really friendly as well.

It's officially been two weeks since I've arrived in Italy. It's been really crazy so far jumping right into school and trying to get settled into a schedule. This semester, I'm taking art history, intermediate Italian, archaeology, and contemporary moral issues. The classes are interesting, especially because a lot of the things that we talk about are right here in Rome.

The way of life here is really different than what I'm used to back home. One of the first ones that I noticed is the way that they eat. They usually eat pretty light in the morning. The big meal is in the middle of the day, with a lighter meal at night. People seem to walk everywhere that they can. No one really just jumps into a car to drive somewhere that is five minutes away. It seems like a lot of people here drive scooters and motorcycles. Another major difference is what is sold in the grocery store. A big thing is that peanut butter is extremely difficult to find! Also, wine seems to be cheaper than pop.

Anyways, the pictures that I have are from Assisi and Rome. Last weekend we toured the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum, so a lot of pictures are from that excursion.

Oct. 17, 2006

So far school has been really great.

I enjoy all of the classes that I'm taking. All of my professors are friendly and very knowledgeable about their class materials. My art history and archaeology classes are closely related, so a lot of the same topics are discussed in each class. It's neat because each class you take here will most likely help you understand the other classes that you're taking. Last Friday we went to the Villa Giulia museum to look at Etruscan artifacts, and I saw some things that we were just studying in both art history and archaeology. Seeing the things in person definitely makes it easier to remember the information, and it gives you an overall better understanding about the material.

The schedule that I have this semester allows me to have a lot of free time in the day to wander around the city. Some days I don't have class until after 2, so I can go see sights, shop, or do homework. Almost every day I go to Pascucci's to get breakfast. The food there is really good and the workers are so nice. They see us at least twice a day so we always get greeted by our names when we go in to eat. It's also a good opportunity to try and speak Italian. They're patient, listening to us try and piece sentences together and they also correct us to help improve our speaking skills.

Monday through Friday we have one meal served at the Hotel Tiziano. The food there is amazing! I think it's safe to say that everyone on the program looks forward to eating there. We even have a dining room just for the people studying here.

So far I haven't really had a chance to travel independently. On some of the weekends we have scheduled excursions. This past Saturday was free for us, so a lot of girls went to Florence. I decided to stay in Rome and to wander around the city some more. There are some places that my friends and I are planning on traveling to, so hopefully we'll make it there!

This past Sunday there was a canonization mass for four saints in Saint Peter's Square. Most girls went to the mass, even though it was a couple of hours long; it was really packed, as you'll probably notice in the picture. This weekend we're going on an excursion to Tarquinia and Cerveteri so I'll probably have a bunch of pictures.

Oct. 27, 2006

I love chocolate cornetti!

I love chocolate cornetti! They might be the best breakfast food besides cereal. Pascucci’s makes amazing cornetti that are warm in the morning; they go really well with a cappuccino. I have yet to be disappointed with a meal in Italy. Sometimes my friends and I will go to the deli to get sandwiches on the weekends and even those are really good! I’d have to say that my favorite food here is Nutella, a creamy chocolate spread. My friends think I’m crazy because I go through it so fast. Luckily, there are several good grocery stores located all around us, and we go there to buy drinks, cookies, fruit, and just about everything else.

Besides shopping for food, there are a ton of good clothing stores. There is the famous Via dei Condotti which is fun to window shop at, but too expensive for me to actually buy anything. Another popular street is the long Via del Corso. Some popular places there are the Puma, Zara, and large department stores.

It’s really fun living in the heart of such a large and busy city. We are located on one of the main streets. Every morning when I walk out of the hotel to go to class I am always surprised at where I am. There immediately are a lot of people walking, traffic, and noise. It is exciting to walk outside everyday and realize that you’re actually living in Rome! It never gets boring here.

On the weekends, my friends and I will usually go to a nice restaurant outside and have a good meal. We also like to go out at night. There are a lot of bars near the hotel, and it is good to have the weekend to go out and socialize with your friends and other people. It is also a good chance to get to know the people you are studying with outside of the classroom.

This weekend was really fun. On Saturday morning we left to go to Tarquinia. When we got there, we were able to go into a lot of the Etruscan tombs. It was neat to see the paintings and the structure. It was good timing, too, because the previous week we were learning about them in our archaeology class, and we also touched on them in art history. After looking at the tombs, we headed into the city to grab some lunch. We went to the Tyrrhenian Sea and had time to relax for a while. Some girls went swimming, while most other people just waded. After that, we headed to Cerveteri and looked at more Etruscan tombs. The structure of these, as compared to those in Tarquinia, were different but had many similarities. Everyone had a lot of fun climbing into and wandering around the tombs. On Sunday, a large group of us went to the soccer match (football in Italian) between Roma and Chievo. I was really excited to go, especially after watching the world cup last summer. The fans were just as entertaining as the match!

So far time has been flying by here. Everyone seems taken by surprise that midterms are approaching quickly. It’s hard to believe that we’ve already been here for a month!

Nov. 2, 2006

Another great weekend in Italy!

Another great weekend in Italy! This weekend for our excursion we went to Palestrina and Tivoli. In Palestrina, we saw the ruins of a very large sanctuary; built into the hill, many buildings were incorporated around it. We had perfect weather and clear skies, so the view from the top of the city was amazing. We were able to go into the sanctuary’s museum and see some artifacts from the city, as well as a large mosaic. Afterwards, we headed to Tivoli to see Hadrian’s Villa and the Villa d’Este. There was a lot to see at Hadrian’s Villa from the Maritime Theater to the ruins of an old bath. The grounds were very extensive so we covered a lot. At the Villa d’Este we had free time to wander around the grounds. There were several beautiful fountains and large pools of water. It was a fairly warm day so it felt refreshing to get the cool breezes off of the water!

On Sunday we finally had a day to really relax. I think most people, including myself, didn’t get to relax too much because we had to study for our first midterm on Monday! Some of us have also been busy preparing for onsite presentations we give during the tours. I am supposed to do one in Pompeii, which is coming up soon, so I had to work on that.

Besides schoolwork, everything else here is great. Living in a four star hotel definitely has its perks. We get fresh sheets and towels every week! It saves us a lot of time, not having to wash them ourselves. Our rooms are cleaned every week, too, so it’s really nice to walk in from class and find that everything is clean once again!

Now that we are more into a routine, some students attend the weekly mass offered for Saint Mary’s. We use a chapel that is on the same street as the classroom building (along with everything else). I haven’t had a chance to go yet, but a lot of girls have been taking the opportunity. There are also girls that go to other churches in the town during the week either in the morning or evening for mass. There are a numerous churches everywhere, so if you wanted to go to mass you wouldn’t have any problem finding a place.

I’m still continuing to make good friends here on the program. I’ve met new girls from school, and I’ve gotten to know others better that were only acquaintances last year. I didn’t know my roommate going into this year, but we get along really well and are already planning trips together. We just booked tickets the other day to go to Barcelona on our first free weekend, and we have also made plans to spend Thanksgiving in Berlin. A lot of girls have been booking tickets and planning trips lately. There are so many things to see that it is really hard making decisions about where to go and when to do it!

Nov. 11, 2006

There’s no place like Rome...

The southern Italy trip was great, but it feels good to be back “home” here. We did so many things on the trip this past week. On Tuesday we set out early in the morning to spend our day in Pompeii. It was really interesting to see all of the old ruins of the houses, the amphitheaters, temples, and the forum. It was a perfect sunny day with clear skies to enjoy the city. We basically toured the city for the whole day, and a lot of on-site presentations were given. For the whole trip, we were stationed in Naples; we were within walking distance from the main part of town and the beach. On one of the days we headed to the National Archaeological Museum that holds many famous paintings and sculpture (once again, ones that we have been studying in class!). We ate breakfast at the hotel but were able to eat out on our own for lunch and dinner. Pizza Margherita was invented in Naples, so that was pretty much all I ate for lunch and dinner. It was really good, and it probably tasted even better because it was the cheapest thing on the menu!

During one of the days, we took a scenic drive along the Amalfi coast. It was a beautiful drive along the coastline, right next to huge cliffs. We had some free time in Amalfi to shop and grab some lunch. Just as we got on the buses, it started to rain! We continued driving to Paestum, where we saw three well-preserved Greek temples. We stayed in the museum there for a little bit, then headed back to Naples. My favorite day was when we took a boat to Capri for a free day. We were able to walk all around the island and do a lot of window-shopping. Some girls and I walked down to the water; the beach was really pretty and the water was so blue! We also had great weather that day-it was a little chilly, but it wasn’t bad with all of the sunshine. There were so many good views throughout the island that I ended up taking a ton of pictures! Going to Capri was definitely a great way to end the trip.

Now that we are back in Rome it is hard to be serious about school work again. There are still midterms this week so everyone is busy studying. This weekend for us is free, so a lot of girls are planning on traveling; I have plans with some girls to go to Barcelona on Thursday night. We’re all really excited to go!

Nov. 15, 2006

I survived my first weekend of traveling!

I went with three other girls to Barcelona, Spain on Thursday and came back on Sunday afternoon. Getting to Barcelona was a process in itself. We couldn’t land because of fog, so we were rerouted to France! It was unexpected, but kind of neat to say that we went to two countries in one weekend. We finally got to our hostel very early in the morning but still got up early the next day to go sight seeing. The first thing that we visited was La Sagrada Familia, a huge church that has been under construction since 1882. It was the first work of the famous artist, Antoni Gaudi, that we saw. We also saw a building called La Pedrera while walking down towards the Gothic center of the city. We did a little shopping, and stopped by the Placa Reial and the Gothic Cathedral. We strolled down Las Ramblas, a famous street there, and we looked at the people who were impersonators or who were just posing. We went out to dinner at this great restaurant that was hidden in a side street and all really enjoyed our meal there! After dinner, we went to a bar that we read about in a guide. I don’t remember the name of it, but it had big trees growing in it, running water, a cave, and part of it looked like a house with some wax figures.

The next day we took the funicular up to one of the hills of the city. We walked around they Olympic stadium, the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, and the Placa d’Espanya. We headed over to the Picasso museum, which was one of our favorite things of the trip. I really enjoyed looking at his sketches, paintings, and the different styles that the artist used. After the museum I went with a friend to Guell Park, designed by Gaudi. There were a lot of pretty mosaics, arches, and interesting architecture. Because it sits on a hill, we had a great view of La Sagrada Familia, the rest of Barcelona, and the sea.

We went to bed late again that night, and we only really got 2 hours of sleep before we had to leave to go to the bus station to catch our plane! It was somewhat of a relief to be back in Rome and to be in my own bed again. It was fun to do a weekend trip though. It can be hard to plan a trip for the weekend, but it’s an accomplishment in itself! It’s amazing that you can travel for an hour and a half and land in a different country with a completely different language and culture.

Spain is a great country to see. I had been there a couple of years ago and traveled around the country more within the middle and southern regions, but not to Barcelona or the region of Catalonia. Being in Catalonia was a huge difference because Spanish really isn’t the main language spoken. Many people speak it as well as a little bit of English, but Catalan is used more frequently. The food was amazing, and I was very excited to eat Spanish omelets and drink sangria once again! This weekend I am staying in Rome and am hoping to visit a museum of two that holds several works we have studied so much! I’m also hoping to catch up on sleep!

Nov. 22, 2006

This past Friday our group took a mini day-trip to Ostica Antica...

...an ancient port city near Rome where there are a lot of ruins, old houses, and mosaics. It was a great place to visit, and there are many comparisons that could be made between this city and Pompeii. I had to give my final oral presentation there, and it was definitely a relief to have it finished!

I stayed in Rome for the rest of the weekend. Saturday was fun because a group of us went to our archaeology professor’s house to pick olives. It was a chance to get out of the city and into the quiet countryside. We learned how to pick the olives, as well as some of what goes into olive processing. There are actually places where you can take your own olives to make them into oil. On Sunday I finally made it to the Capitoline Museum. I have wanted to visit it for some time because we have studied so many of the art works there. You can easily spend hours in the museum without realizing it!

So far, there have been a lot of learning opportunities in Rome. Besides academic learning, I think that everyone here has grown in different ways and degrees. Living in this large city in a foreign country has definitely made me become more independent. When we travel on the weekends, we are completely on our own. It forces us to make decisions that used to be made for us. There are also a number of girls on this trip that are using their own money. I am one of them, and I know that I have to budget (or try!) my money so it will last me the whole year. All of these things have helped us to become more responsible and mature. This weekend is an extra long weekend for us. Even though no one really celebrates Thanksgiving over here, we are having a Thanksgiving banquet at the hotel. A lot of family members have flown in this past week to come and visit, and several people are taking the opportunity to travel this weekend. I am leaving for Berlin and will be staying there for a few days!

Nov. 30, 2006

The Thanksgiving banquet at the Tiziano was amazing!

We were served multiple courses with seemingly endless amounts of delicious food and wine! The turkey was really good…almost as good as the ones that my grandmas make. It was fun to have a chance to sit down for a while and eat good food with the girls in the program. The Tiziano did a wonderful job with the food and the decorations. Everything was really fancy!

Right after the meal my roommate and I headed to the airport to catch our plane to Berlin. The city was great fun to visit! There was so much to see, and so much of the city’s history to learn. The people were unbelievably friendly, and it helped that they spoke English because I can’t speak any German! It also felt good to feel like I fit in with the people-for once my hair didn’t give me away!

On the first day there we saw several things: we went up in the TV tower, walked the Unter den Linden, saw the Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag (their Parliament building), Potsdamer Platz, part of the Berlin Wall, and Checkpoint Charlie. The second day we headed to see the Saschenhausen concentration camp. It was something that we both felt we had to see because of the massive impacts that it made in history. It was terribly sad, but also frightening to think that something like that happened not too long ago. After that day we were exhausted but were very happy to get a German dinner. We both got bratwurst, sauerkraut, potatoes, apple strudel, and of course German beer. I think I lived off of bratwurst that weekend! The last day we were there we visited a church that had been affected by bombings of World War II, the East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie again, the Olympic Stadium, the Pergamon Altar museum, and did some shopping. I would love to go back there someday!

This next week is going to be busy. I think that everyone here has at least one paper to write, but the workload has definitely not affected any of our traveling plans! I’m very excited because this weekend a friend and I are going to Shannon, Ireland. There are some places around there that we both want to see, so it will be great to finally go!

Dec. 7, 2006

This past weekend my friend Jill and I traveled to Ireland.

Besides actually being there, a highlight was that we stayed in a hotel and not a hostel! It was a nice change. We only had one full day there, but we thoroughly enjoyed it. We took buses to the Cliffs of Moher, something that we both have wanted to see for a long time. It was the windiest weather that I’ve ever experienced. It was raining sideways! We were able to go inside the visitor’s center and do some gift shopping, and luckily the skies completely cleared up and we got to see the Cliffs in the sunshine. The rest of the day was spent in a small town called Ennis. It was really charming, and we got to do a lot more shopping and wandering around the town.

The next day we headed to Limerick, a town that wasn’t too far from where we were staying in Shannon. We went to St. Mary’s Cathedral, a church that is over 800 years old. I loved the way it looked inside because it was fairly simple, especially compared to many churches in Rome, but I think that is why it was beautiful. Close by to the church was King John’s Castle. It was fun to wander up through the towers and to see some of the things set up inside, like a catapult. We had to leave that night, but we were both so happy to have made it to Ireland! It was great to get out of a large city and jump from one small town to the next. The countryside in Ireland was beautiful! We saw tons of ruins, sheep, and even rainbows! Just as in Germany, the people were very welcoming, helpful, and pleasant and enjoyable to talk to. I’m planning on going back there next semester!

This weekend I’m staying in Rome, and I am really looking forward to it. It’s so much fun to go on a weekend trip, but I’m excited to see things in the city that I haven’t gotten around to yet. I also will probably have to start studying this weekend for exams as they are just around the corner. It’s been busy lately with classes wrapping up. As much as we’re looking forward to Christmas here, it’s bittersweet because the semester is almost over. I’m still excited for it to come though because my family is coming right after my exams are done!

Dec. 13, 2006

All of the Christmas lights and decorations have been going up around the city...

...and are finally starting to light up at night! The city looks beautiful and all of the lights make a good substitute for the snow that isn’t here. There are strings of blinking lights down a lot of main walking streets. Many churches have also begun to set up their nativity sets. Shops and restaurants also decorate the interior and exterior, each one different from the other.

Last night the Tiziano had two real evergreen trees for us to decorate, one in our dining room and the other in the entryway. We put the lights on and hung the tree with a bunch of ornaments. Here in Italy they put cones on the tops of the trees instead of an angel or a star. They are really pretty! Decorating the trees was a lot of fun, and a lot of girls came because many won’t be able to decorate one. The grocery stores also have a lot of Christmas food for sale. My favorite, Nutella, now has Babbo Natale (Santa Clause) on the jar. There are also a lot of cake type foods and of course a ton of chocolate. I got this awesome Kinderegg Nativity set. For those of you that don’t know, Kindereggs are these hollow chocolate eggs that have a little toy on the inside you can assemble. The set I got had 9 eggs, each with some character from the Nativity. The box that it comes in also doubles as the manger. Of course I’ve already eaten the whole thing, and it is fully assembled sitting on my desk.

This week is our last week of classes, the first exam on Saturday. We’re all busy with studying this week, as well as wondering how we’re going to cram everything we’ve bought into our suitcases! It seems like a lot of girls are excited to go home and see their family and friends, but sad to leave Rome at the same time. It’s been such a fun semester that it’s hard to believe it’s over. It’s sad to see it end! I stayed in Rome this weekend and it was so relaxing! Check out my pictures to see the Aventine Hill, Colosseum, Theater of Marcellus, pyramid, a fun fountain, and the Vatican through a keyhole.

Dec. 19, 2006

Exams are halfway done!

It has been an overwhelming week so far, wrapping up the semester and studying for exams. I’m really excited because my family is arriving in Rome this Saturday. We are staying here for a week then we are going to Belgium to visit some family friends. We are going to Paris for a little while, and probably Germany as well. When my family leaves I am going to stay in Belgium for the rest of the break and do some traveling with one of my good friends throughout England and Scotland. Afterwards, I will probably travel more, but otherwise I will just hang around in Belgium. It seems a little weird not to go home, but I have been looking forward to this vacation all semester!

Jan. 29, 2007

This past month has been unbelievable!

I can’t remember the last time that I had so much fun! I stayed in Europe for my break, and my family came to Rome for the week of Christmas. I was excited to show them around the city, the Hotel Tiziano, the offices and classrooms, as well as some of my favorite hangout spots and restaurants. It was also a good time for them to come since I just finished my exams and all of the information about the Roman ruins and history were still fresh in my mind! Besides seeing the normal things that tourists see in the city, we also headed out to Ostia Antica. I was excited to go back because I really enjoyed it when we toured it during the fall semester. Besides touring, my RA was able to get my family tickets to midnight mass at the Vatican. It was really crowded but definitely a memorable experience.

After our week in Rome we flew to Brussels, Belgium and were thrilled to meet up with our good friends, the Mannix family. Both parents, Aggie and Dan, are members of the SMC and ND community. Their oldest daughter, Mary Kate, is a sophomore at Notre Dame, Patrick is in high school, and Meg is in junior high. We stayed with them along with another family from back home. It was so much fun to be in a big group!

The day we flew in we saw the city of Brussels and had a nice lunch. We later went to the small town of Monschau, Germany. It was really picturesque, and of course had amazing food! The next day my family took a train to Brugge. It was a beautiful city with canals running throughout the city; all of the buildings were so pretty. We also went to a church with a Michelangelo sculpture-it was strange to see one outside of Italy!

After celebrating New Years my family and I headed off to Paris. We went to Notre Dame, climbed the Arc d’Triumph, went to the top of the Eiffel tower, visited museums (The Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, Musee de l’Orangerie, Rodin), visited San Chapelle, and a lot more. I think my favorite part about the city was the art. I was really impressed with Monet’s paintings; they were more vivid and dramatic in person. After a few days we headed back to Belgium to do other side trips and just relax.

On the day that my family headed to go back to the States, Mary Kate and I were on our way to London by train! We got to spend a few days there. I can’t remember the last time I walked so much! We weren’t there for long and we practically saw the whole city. I was really excited to go because I’ve always wanted to visit London. We saw Big Ben, went in the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, the British Museum, Piccadilly Circus, Carnaby Street, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, St, Paul’s, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, the Globe Theater, and pretty neighborhoods while even managing to squeeze in some shopping. It was expensive so lunch was usually at a pub, but at night it was great to get a curry!

After a few days there we took a train up to Glasgow, Scotland to meet up with Aggie. We were fortunate to meet up with her cousin who lived there. We also got more great Indian food. The next day we rented a car, which was an experience in itself as it was a manual car and the driver sits on the other side. We drove to a small town of Blantyre where Aggie’s mother was born. We also drove throughout the countryside and managed to make a stop in Stirling to see the castle and also St. Andrews on the opposite side of the country. We were tired after the trip so it was nice to go back to Belgium to relax and watch movies!

While there were fun days of just hanging around, we also did more trips! One of the days we did an excursion to Luxembourg because Meg had a basketball game. Aggie, Mary Kate, and I walked around Luxembourg City, but also were able to go to Germany and France before the game started!

Finally, on the day before I left to come back to Rome, Patrick and I did a day trip to Amsterdam. My favorite thing was the Anne Frank house; I read the book a few years ago, so I was glad I was able to see the real thing. The museum was put together really well, and it helped me have a better understanding of what it would have been like to be in hiding. Other than that it was a nice day outside so we just walked around the city and got a good understanding of the culture. Amsterdam is definitely a unique city!

Although I was excited to come back to Rome, it was really hard to leave Belgium. It was so nice to be in a home and actually help with the cooking or clean-up after dinner. I never thought I would miss something normal like washing dishes! I loved every minute spent with the Mannix family and I can’t thank them enough for letting me stay with them for the rest of my break.

I am still getting adjusted to being back in school. Starting the spring semester was more challenging than I anticipated. It is really great to see the girls from last semester, as well as meeting all of the new students that just arrived on Sunday. It is still a little overwhelming making the adjustments with the new classes and schedule, so I am relieved that I am not jet-lagged!

Feb. 2. 2007

This semester looks like it is going to be more challenging than the last!

I am taking 17 credit hours versus the 14 I took last semester. I am taking Philosophy, Italian, Lives and Times, Music Appreciation, and Mythology. So far the classes have been interesting, especially Mythology and Lives & Times. I am excited to be taking two of my classes from Professor Vacca, a teacher that I had last year for a class. I really enjoyed her class then and I know that this semester won’t be a disappointment.

So far it’s only been a week into classes and the new and old group have been blending together pretty well. All of the returnees have definitely become closer. It has been fun to sit together with them at meals and to see familiar faces. I think that we have done a pretty good job in welcoming the new group and helping them adjust to life in Rome. It’s been great meeting people and making new friends, as well as talking to people that I haven’t seen since the last spring semester on the home campus!

Feb. 16, 2007

Two weekends ago I made a day trip to Florence by myself...

...I took an early train into the city and headed straight to see the David at the Galleria dell’Accademia. I was expecting to wait in line for a long time, but there were no crowds and I was practically the only one there admiring it! I probably could have stared at it all day long, but after a while I decided it was time to move onward with the day.

I walked down to the Duomo next. The outside was exquisitely decorated so I was surprised when I walked inside and saw mostly plain walls except for the painting in the dome. I walked around town more while headed in the general direction of the Galleria degli Uffizi. I loved this museum, especially the paintings of Sandro Botticelli. It was overwhelming to see the amount of art in the museum, especially so many famous paintings.

After seeing both museums, I walked around the town, going in and out of churches and piazzas. I crossed the famous Ponte Vecchio to a much quieter side of town. It was so relaxing to be in an area where there was hardly any traffic! It was the first time that I had heard birds chirping in a long time. I later hiked up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, which had a magnificent view of the entire city. It was perfect weather -warm and sunny. After walking all day my feet hurt, so it was nice to be able to sit down and look at all of the buildings and the river. With time to kill before my train left I walked down the side streets and did some shopping. I was so glad that I finally made it to Florence!

This past weekend was fairly rainy, so I decided to see some museums in Rome that I hadn’t visited yet. My favorite one was the Museo Nazionale. It contains many pieces that I had studied last semester in my Art History class and even some things that we touched on in Archaeology. I was pleased that I still remembered the important facts about them! While I was in the area I also went to Santa Maria degli Angeli. It is a church formed out of the ruins of the Baths of Diocletian. I was surprised at the enormity of the building! I also stopped in the churches Santa Susanna and Santa Maria della Vittoria, famous for its Bernini sculpture. After taking a bus back to my side of town, I visited the Palazzo Altemps and the Palazzo Braschi museums. There are still so many things that I haven’t seen or done in Rome yet that I’m already thinking about what to do next weekend.

March 9, 2007

This past week we took our trip to Northern Italy!

We left early in the morning and headed straight to Ferrara. After a long bus ride, we finally made it. Our first stop was the Jewish Cemetery where we listened to some student presentations. Afterwards, we stopped in the Palazzo Schifanola to look at some detailed paintings on the walls. We were glad to drop off our things at the hotel after a tiring day. I roomed with my friend, Liz, in a really neat room. Our hotel room had three different levels! We had big beds so we were comfortable the whole week!

Each day we ventured out to a different city. Our first excursion was to Mantua. In this city we went to the Palazzo Te as well as the Palazzo Ducale. Both of these places had very impressive paintings. My favorite was the Palazzo Te because they had a room that showed all of Psyche’s labors, something that I have been studying in my mythology class. After our free afternoon for lunch, some friends and I wandered around the beautiful city. I loved the cathedral there because it was so massive. It would have been great to have spent more time there as all of the streets were so picturesque.

The next day we headed to Ravenna-this was one of my favorite days. We went to both Sant’Apollinare in Classe and San Vitale. I was excited to go to these churches that I studied last semester in my art history class. I love mosaics, so seeing churches with brightly colored and highly detailed mosaics is something I enjoy. We also stopped at Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, another pretty church with mosaics. I ate cresconi with my friends for lunch, a typical dish of the area that is kind of like a pizza pita. The highlight of my day was renting bikes for an hour with some friends. We had so much fun riding around the city. We had perfect sunny weather, so it was a great way to pass time in the afternoon, as well as see the city. At the end of the day, we were able to make a quick stop at the Adriatic Sea on our way back to Ferrara.

On Friday we went to Padua for most of the day. The city had a great atmosphere with so many young people there. It was really crowded! We saw the amazing basilica dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua; the decorations inside were very impressive. We were also able to go right up to his tomb. On our way to the Scrovegni Chapel, we walked through the Mercato delle Erbe that seemed to have endless amounts of fruits and vegetables. I loved seeing the Scrovegni chapel. It was painted by Giotto, one of my favorite painters. We saw his work in Assisi, so I was glad to see more of it. From Padua we went to Vicenza to see the Teatro Olimpico. The stage scenery was interesting because it used illusion in art and stage design to make you feel like you were really looking down city streets.

On Saturday we headed back to Rome, but stopped for a few hours in Bologna. This was one of my favorite cities with many porticoes and tall towers. We went to the Piazza Maggiore and saw the large church there. We stopped in another church close by that had very impressive terra cotta statues, and also spent some time at the church of San Domenico. When there was free time, I climbed the huge tower-it was a long climb on narrow steps that were rather worn out, but the view at the top was well worth it with a beautiful view of the city in all directions! The huge piazza looked tiny from up so high, and we were able to see the surrounding hills around the city. After climbing down, many of us did a lot of shopping! One of my dreams came true that day when I found a place called the “Nutelleria” which serves various kinds of food with Nutella. I’m obsessed with this chocolate spread and had a delicious Nutella pizza. It was hard not to order everything on the menu, but we had to make it back to the buses on time.

I loved the Northern trip and had so much fun. But like always, it felt great to arrive back in Rome. Now it’s a busy week with midterms. A lot of us are trying to figure out the rest of our Spring break plan, as well, which starts at the end of the month! For me, not everything is finalized yet, but a friend and I are going to Egypt for the first week. We’re both really excited to go! After that, I will be meeting up with the Mannix family, the people I stayed with over my Christmas break, and we’ll be staying in Tuscany for the week. Their daughter Mary Kate will be visiting me in Rome next week so I also can’t wait for that!

March 26, 2007

I can’t believe how quickly the last week has gone by!

Just a week ago my friend, Mary Kate, came to visit me. We had a lot of fun going to see a lot of things and places, and just walking around the city in general. We had perfect weather, so we were able to be outside all day long! It was sunny and warm every day she was here- a good break from the South Bend weather! I was happy she was able to stay with me in my room at the Tiziano. She got to meet my friends here and get a glimpse into what it’s like to live here.

Other than that, I have been really busy with school lately. I have some papers and tests the next week that I’m trying to work on and study. Spring Break plans are still in the making, but I know it will all fall together by the time we leave!

April 20, 2007

It’s a miracle that we all survived Spring Break!

We all had to move everything out of the Tiziano, and were on our own for two whole weeks!

On Friday morning, my friend Natalie and I left for our big trip to Egypt. Nothing really seemed to go as planned there, and we had some problems with our hotel reservation. Although we did plenty of reading and research before we went, Cairo was unlike anything we anticipated. It was a huge culture shock for both of us. Everything runs completely different there and seemed so backwards to us.

On our first full day, we went to the Pyramids. I rode a camel, and Natalie rode a horse on our tour in the desert. It was pretty hot with intense sunlight, and I got a bad sunburn. There were nine pyramids in the one location we visited just outside of Giza. We rode up to the main one which looked so different up close. Looking up at it, it looked as if the pyramid were completely crumbling and all the stones would just slide off the side. It was gigantic! We went inside of it, which ended up being pretty exhausting. The tunnel leading inside was tiny, and I had a hard time moving around inside since I’m tall. I felt like I was walking with my chin to my knees since we were crunched down so much. It was extremely hot and stuffy in there! At the end there was just a large room, but it was nice to stand up straight. We then rode down to the Sphinx, which is a lot smaller than I always imagined. It’s still impressive since it has survived so many years. These sights were amazing to see, but it was difficult to appreciate them because we were constantly being asked if we wanted to buy a drink, some kind of souvenir, a “taxi” (meaning a camel or horse), or just asking other questions. We left at a good time because the wind started to pick up and the sand was blowing around us.

After touring that area, we went over to Saqqara to see the Step Pyramid. There were also other smaller ones in the area, but they looked mostly like big piles of rocks. There were other pyramids in the distance, including the ones at Giza. We went to Memphis afterwards and found a mini outdoor museum. We were exhausted from the day, and went back to our hotel. When we got back we realized we were completely covered in sand and dust.

Being Americans brought us some problems, and it was annoying that people were constantly trying to rip us off. We felt extremely unsafe in Egypt, so when we found out that our parents got our flight switched for the next day we were beyond relieved. In the meantime, we went to the Egyptian Museum for a while. Nothing was labeled, so it was hard to appreciate what we were seeing. We both left feeling disappointed but excited for the following day. We celebrated by going to the buffet lunch at the Hilton, which was really good. The day did get better when my family friend Aggie Mannix called the hotel and told us that she had booked Natalie and I a flight to Brussels for the next day.

The next day was all traveling, but landing in Rome and in Brussels was one of the best feelings in the world. Most of the Mannix family was at the airport when we arrived and I was so happy and relieved to see them. They really came through for Natalie and me and there is no way I could explain how grateful I was that they were letting us crash at their house!

From that point on, things were definitely looking up! After eating some really good food we were happy to sleep in comfortable beds. It was nice to be in a house and do normal things again, like taking the dog for a walk or cooking. One of the days Natalie and I went into Brussels with Meg. Nothing made us feel better like a Belgium waffle. We walked around the city for a little bit. On another day a big group of us drove up to Amsterdam, and this time I got to see the Van Gogh Museum. The city was much prettier in the springtime compared to the last time when I went in the winter.

Natalie left a few days later to go back to Rome for Easter. Only Aggie, Meg, and I were driving down to Tuscany for the week because Patrick broke his ankle and Dan was going to stay home with him. We were pretty close to Switzerland when we realized not everyone had their passports! It would have been too long to drive around Switzerland, so we turned around to go back to Brussels. We did stop for a little bit in Baden-Baden. It was a beautiful town to walk around, especially since all of the trees had blossoms on them. Upon returning to Brussels, we decided to stay in Belgium and not make a second attempt.

There were some side trips though! Dan, Meg, and I drove to Germany and went to see the Burg Eltz castle. It was really cool to see! It was situated in a valley, and the scenery around it was beautiful. After touring around, we drove through German countryside until we got to Rothenburg, one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe. We wandered around and spent the night there. It was good to eat German food again! We stayed there for a little bit the next day and did some shopping before heading back to Brussels. We stopped in Heidelburg for lunch and ate in a large square. The last trip was to Ghent with Dan for a day trip. I enjoyed touring the Gravensteen Castle there, which houses different kinds of torture instruments that were used a long time ago. It was a pretty city with the cathedrals and canals.

I almost spent two weeks in Belgium and it flew by! I loved seeing the Mannix family again. They saved my life by letting me stay there! On Friday they dropped me off to the airport and I flew to Venice. This was a city that I had been planning on going to all year but kept pushing it off. It was so beautiful there. I took a water taxi to the stop that was close to my hotel and spent two days there wandering around for hours without really having any destination. There were many small sidestreets with little bridges going over the canals. I did go to the Galleria dell’Accademia to see the paintings, and San Marco. On my last day in Venice I visited the island of Murano to see the glass making for which the island is known. Other than that I thought that riding on the water taxis was a good way to see the city up close and from afar.

On Sunday I took the train back into Rome. It felt so good to be back! Spring Break was a surreal experience. I still can’t believe how far I traveled and what happened! Going back to Rome felt like going home, and I was excited to see my friends and hear all of the things that happened on their trips. Exams are coming up soon and I should start studying, but I’m trying to enjoy every last bit of Rome!

April 26, 2007

I can hardly believe that I am leaving Rome in just one week...

Things have been so busy around here. Exams start on Saturday! Everyone is scrambling to get all of their work done, begin to study, and to cram in the sight-seeing that hasn’t been done yet.

There are still some things that I need to see and do before I leave, and it’s been difficult squeezing it into my schedule. I did want to go back to Ostia Antica and see what it was like in the springtime. Luckily, two of my friends were planning on going. On Saturday we headed out and spent a few hours there just wandering around the ruins. We had a lot of fun exploring and wandering off the beaten track. After a while, we decided to go to the beach. Even though it is only April, there was a good amount of people there for it being late in the day. The water was a little chilly but felt refreshing! We were pretty tired from walking in the sun, so we just sat on the beach for a while.

This week we did some walking tours for my Philosophy and Humanistic Studies classes. We got to see where our Philosophy professor worked and lived, along with more of the Jesuit sites around Rome. For Humanistic Studies, we got to see different settings of the book “The Marble Faun,” which we are reading in class right now. I also got a chance to visit the churches San Clemente and Santa Croce, which I have been meaning to go to all year long.

Yesterday evening was the last opera that our music class attended. Although I’m not a huge fan of opera, I really enjoyed “La Traviata.” The performers were extremely talented and the crowd kept shouting “bravo!” It was fun to sit in our boxes! Everyone seemed to enjoy it and had a great time.

It’s been really hard to think about leaving Rome after living here for so many months. It’s going to be difficult when I’m home and I won’t be able to see my friends everyday, or just to walk around and enjoy the city. There are so many wonderful memories from my time here and it is sad to see the year come to an end. I’ll never forget all of the things I’ve learned in my time abroad, the experiences, as well as the friends that are like family to me. I haven’t left yet, and I’m already looking forward to the next time I come to Rome.

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