Just Rome-in' Around

In the Park of Monsters with Jessica and Hillary

As promised, I am going back in time to catch up on all of the exciting things I've done in the past couple of weeks.  In this entry I'll go back to the weekend of March 2nd.  Although I didn't make any lengthy trips out of Italy, it turned out that there is plenty to do right here, even after having seen most of the main tourist attractions.
On Friday, I traveled with my program just a few hours outside of Rome to the little village of Bomarzo.  This village contains Italy's Park of Monsters, a park full of statues of mythical Roman creatures.  We visited the park on a beautiful sunny day and the atmosphere was surreal.  It was like walking into a huge playground.  After spending a few hours there, we enjoyed one of CEA's famous "more than you can eat" lunches out in the countryside.  Lunch was followed by a nap in the warm sun in an orchard of olive trees...talk about a surreal experience!

Ostia- a few hours outside of Rome

On Saturday, I ventured to the beach in Ostia, a coastal town only about 45 minutes away from Rome.  Coming from San Diego this may not have been the nicest beach I've ever seen but the sand and salt water were just what I needed.  Although it was a little too cold to swim, there's something about that ocean breeze and seeing the sun set over the ocean that makes me feel like life is good...a little beach gelato didn't hurt that sentiment either!  What a lovely way to spend an evening in Rome.

The Pope's Sunday address

On Sunday I woke myself up early to climb to the top St. Peter's Basilica.  320 stairs to the top gave me an incredible view of the city of Rome on one side and a view Vatican city- of which I had never really even seen pictures.  I could see the perfect image of Bernini's embracing arms leading the way to the church and forming the shape of a key.  This was certainly not an experience to forget.  Upon reentering Saint Peter's Square, I noticed that it was even more crowded than it had been when I arrived.  There had to be something going on.  It suddenly occurred to me that it was Sunday and almost noon...I had showed up just in time for the pope's Sunday address!  After waiting only 15 minutes, sure enough the pope opened up his window and spoke to the crowd below.  He spoke first in Italian and then spoke a few phrases in at least six or seven other languages, including English.  How lucky that I turned up at the right time and in the right place to witness his presentation.

View from the Top of St. Peter's- Bernini's Arms of the Church

Journey to Switzerland

View from the top of the Swiss Alps

Alright, so it's been just a little too long since I last updated my blog.  Unfortunately my immune system is not adjusting to Italy quite as well as I am- I've been sick on and off for the past three weeks!  But that certainly did not stop my traveling!  I'll start catching up by going back to the weekend of February 24th.
At 8 PM on Friday night, I boarded a charter bus along with about 60 other college students--can you imagine the chaos??  We spent the next 12 hours driving north...north to the Swiss Alps!  By the time I awoke after a very uncomfortable night's sleep, I was surrounded by snow covered mountains.  A few hours later and our bus pulled up to Balmer's Lodge, the cozy little hostel where we would be staying for the weekend.  The temptation to go back to sleep was outweighed by my curiosity to explore the

Spinning restaurant at the very top!

mountainous region and the knowledge that I would only have the next two and a half days here.  Along with a couple of friends, I decided to break off from the majority of the students who were going skiiing and snow-boarding, and make the long journey up to the top of the mountain to the town of Grindlewald...and I'm not kidding when I say long journey!  It must have been 2 buses, a train, and 5 different gondolas.  All the while we were snapping photos on the way up, mesmerized by the spectacular view each mode of transportation provided us with- each more incredible than the last.  When we finally made it to the top of the mountain, the view was well worth the almost 2 and a half hours it took us to get there.  <Trivia fact: this part of the mountain is where parts of the first James Bond movie were filmed!> After admiring the mountains' beauty, we headed into the one restaurant at the tip of the peak which to our surprise was spinning, providing its diners with an aerial view of the peaks.  After a wonderful Swiss-German lunch of a traditional stew, we began the just as long trek back down the mountain.

disclaimer: this is not a fake backdrop!

Upon reaching the base of the mountain, the adventures of the day were far from over.  Next comes one of my favorite parts...the Swiss chocolate.  They sure don't exaggerate about how delicious that is.  Nestled inside of a hotel cafe was a chocolate factory where I attended a lesson on how chocolate is made.  I saw every ingredient from the cacao bean to the milk powder, and then was allowed to "sample" the different types of chocolate produced.  Mind you, I was allowed to "sample" as much chocolate as I wanted so by the

Chocolate men!

end of the presentation, I had quite the full belly!  After seeing how chocolate was made, we next learned how the shop made different types and shapes of chocolate candies.  We saw molds of different animals and learned how they were used and even got to try it out ourselves!  At the end of the demonstration, I was given a voucher for ten swiss francs worth of chocolate and was able to pick out whatever I wanted-- right, because all I needed at this point was more chocolate!  But twist my arm and you can always get me to pick out more chocolate.  With my little assortment of goodies to save for later, I headed back to the hotel to rest before dinner.
After a brief nap, my friend Meghan and I headed to the restaurant of our hostel where we discovered we could have a Swiss fondue for dinner.  We enjoyed a beautiful fondue meal with swiss cheese, bread, and potatoes.  Within less than 24 hours of being in the country, I had already experienced the alps, the chocolate, and the cheese-- in my opinion, it's three most important aspects.

View from bell tower in Zurich

The next day, Meghan, Carly and I took a day-trip to Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland, which was only about 2 hours away.  Feeling a little bit under the weather, I wasn't quite up to my normal standards of adventuring but somehow succeeded in climbing to the top of the bell tower to get the incredible view of the city down below.  From the tower I could see the lovely pond, buildings down below, all with beautiful steeples, and the rest of the city.  I spent the next few hours wandering around the streets of Switzerland where Carly and I found its oldest church and a lovely little park, among other things.  Our intentions of shopping were reconsidered when we found out just how expensive the city could be... 5 Swiss francs just for a cup of tea... that's more than 5 American dollars!  But just exploring the streets turned out to be entertaining enough on its own.
The name "Interlaken" means between (inter) lakes (laken) in German.  The city is literally situated between two lakes.  So on Sunday morning, our last day, we decided to catch a glimpse of one of these famous lakes before heading out of town.  It only took us about 30-45 minutes to walk to the lake.  The
town is so small that after the first 10-15, we seemed to be walking down a trail through the wilderness.  All the while we had a view of the majestic mountains which only got more incredible by the step.  We
followed a river to where it opened up to the lake which was surrounded by mountains, one of the
most beautiful sites I have ever seen.  The clear blue of the water contrasting with the green of the

The lake

trees around it and the backdrop of snow-covered mountains was incredible.  We didn't have long to take in the view before the freezing rain started and we were forced to start the walk back to town in the cold and wet weather...a not so ideal ending to such a wonderful trip.  But by the time we reached the town, the rain had just about stopped and we decided it was time for a little souvenir shopping.  We headed into a little shop where Carly and I purchased our first Swiss Army knives...better watch out!  Before long, it was time to get back on the bus and come "home" to Rome.  Another 12 hour bus ride later I found myself back in my apartment at 1AM, getting in my bed only to wake up for a day of school the next morning...I can't believe this is my life.
                                         

Beautiful sunset in Interlaken

Roman Catacombs

Hallway of Bones

This weekend I visited the Roman Catacombs of the Capuchin monks.  These catacombs had four rooms, each wall completely covered in bones of monks.  Each room had a different specialty-- one would be covered completely in skulls while the next was covered completely in pelvic bones.  The ceilings were covered with elaborate designs made out of vertebrae.  Lanterns hung in the hallways made entirely of bone.  In one room, two perfectly preserved arms made an X in the center of the wall.  Each room was not complete without the mummified body of at least one monk... and on some, I could even see their faces!  This had to be one of the creepiest yet coolest experience I've had thus far.  Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what I saw.

Mummified monks surrounded by skulls

Mummified arms and room of skulls

Vertebrae decoration on the ceiling

Venice for Carnivale!

Last weekend, despite the freezing cold temperatures (and I mean wind chill 15 degrees!), I braved the cold and ventured to Venice, the center of Italy's Carnivale celebration.  During the two weeks of Carnivale, people come from all over and fill Saint Mark's Square to celebrate. The weekend's celebration included music, masks, a wine fountain, and tons of crazy costumes...most of which were Renaissance but some of which were just plain crazy!  Being there to celebrate one of the biggest Italian holidays with people from all over the world was quite the cultural experience and definitely worth the cold.
Here are some of my best shots!

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Snowmen of Rome

Which one do you like the best?                                                  Can you tell which one is mine?

Snow in Rome!

Good morning, Rome!

Finally checking in for blog post number two and this past week has been quite the adventure!  Last Sunday was "free day" at the Vatican Museum so I made the trip over there...along with every other person within 10 miles of Rome.  But working my way through the crowded museum was totally worth the wait and the crowds.  From the Greek and Roman sculpture to Raphael's frescoed rooms, I worked my way through the museum, marveling at one ancient piece of art after another.  It's hard to believe that so much history and beauty is all housed within the same building.  Finally I made it to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel where I must have spent 30 to 45 minutes of my time.  Every inch of this giant room was covered with fresco from floor to ceiling.  This was yet another breathtaking experience to add to the growing list I'm compiling while here in Rome.

Snow Ball fight at the Arch of Constantine

After a rather uneventful Monday through Thursday at school (amazing how even in Rome, the days of class all seem to blur together), we were scheduled to have our first make-up day on Friday.  However, Thursday night's weather suggested otherwise.  Temperatures dropped below freezing and classes were cancelled.  I awoke the next morning and looked out my window to see something very foreign to a Texas/California girl.  Something white was falling from the sky...Snow!  It continued to snow for the rest of the day and into the night until

The Roman Forum

everything was covered in a beautiful white blanket.  This weather breaks records of 25 of 30 years here in Rome!  Saturday morning's persisting weather forced us to cancel our trip to Siena so I spent the day instead seeing the sites of Rome covered in snow... and what a day well spent this turned out to be!  Romans seem to be much like Texans or Californians in the snow: they don't quite know how to deal with it.  Almost all public transportation had been shut down and pedestrians were taking over the streets!  What an experience... just goes to show you that even when your intended plans get cancelled, the day might turn out even better than expected.  But after seeing snow on the streets for the rest of the week, I'm definitely ready for some warmer weather!

However, this snowy weather lasted long enough to get our Monday classes cancelled as well which allowed me to stay up Sunday night for the super-bowl.   Never having been a big football fan myself, I have always enjoyed the atmosphere and company of the super-bowl parties so Sunday night we headed for Scholars Lounge- one of the few places that would be open until 5AM when the super-bowl ended.  Finally I was surrounded by English-speaking people!  It was almost as if I were back in the US, watching the game.  This definitely turned out to be a well needed break from the culture shock of Italy!

The Adventure Begins!

The Trevi Fountain

So I've been in Rome for three weeks now and have finally decided to start my first blog to make sure I don't forget any of the experiences I'm having here and to share them with everyone back home!  Given that I've taken three weeks to get started I'm going to do my best to update on that large chunk of time and then update more regularly in the coming months.

I arrived in Rome on Tuesday, January 10th a little nervous and extremely excited.  My first night I hardly slept at all partially due to the jet-lag but mostly due to the excitement of the days and months ahead.  I awoke early the next morning for my first day in my new home.  These next three days would be spent in orientation, trying to get to know the city as well as seeing all of its major attractions.  Our tour of the sights of Rome was an incredible whirlwind.  Around one corner I found myself face to face with the Pantheon and around the next, with the Trevi fountain.  I can't fathom how one day all of this will become commonplace and I won't even blink an eye.  

The Pantheon with Jessica

Learning my way around my own area of Rome was a different story and completely overwhelming in a different way.  Everything here is different...from public transportation to groceries.  Understanding the Italian bus system was a struggle at first but within three weeks of using it, I can honestly say I've grown to love it.  Walking into a grocery store, it was difficult to find something I immediately recognized.  Preciutto, agnello, and gnocci are among the items found in the typical Italian grocery store...along with shelves and shelves of pasta (that I recognized)!

Beautiful Roman Park

After a few days of orientation a few of us were ready to adventure out into the city on our own and stumbled upon a beautiful little park.  It's amazing what little things pop up even when you're not looking for something.  I can't wait to put on my running shoes and hit this park to start burning off all of the pizza and pasta I've been eating.  

Speaking of food...it has been just as incredible as one would imagine.  Although I have to admit I have not yet mastered the Italian grocery store, I am definitely a master of the Pizza and "tavola calda" (a restaurant where you can find hot foods like pasta, 

chicken, etc) stops for lunch!  I can't say I've had a bite of pizza or a taste of pasta here that I didn't absolutely love...let's just hope it doesn't show when I come back home in May!

Margherita Pizza! 

The weekend following orientation, I started to explore the night life of Rome, beginning with a five course traditional Italian meal hosted by Andy Steves (Rick Steves' son) accompanied by the sacred "vino" that anyone who has been to Italy raves so much about.  I've only been 21 since November so I don't have much to compare to back home, but the Italian night life is definitely something to experience.  This first weekend we ventured to Campo di Fiori- a popular hangout for Americans and other foreigners.  

The next week marked the beginning of classes.  I'm enrolled in classes at two universities- CEA (about a 15 minute walk from my apartment) and John Cabot (about a 45 minute bus ride away, in Trastevere).  They include Italian 102, The Social History of the Italian Mafia, The History and Theology of the Papacy, Cognitive Psychology, and Social Psychology.  The long commute between campuses turned out to not be such a bad thing after all.  Located just a short trek away from the Vatican, the Colosseum, and from the Trevi Fountain, Trastevere has proven to be a wonderful area.  The area itself is one of the oldest in Rome, containing the oldest church in Rome.  The cobblestone streets and ancient architecture are a constant reminder of the history that surrounds me with every step I take.

Kitty sanctuary in the Roman ruins!

Also not far from John Cabot University is the spot where Caesar was supposedly killed- an area now familiar to me as "Argentina."  In the center of this bustling square you can find a bit of a surprise- uncovered ruins from ancient Rome.  And even more surprising (and to my delight!) was the cat sanctuary that has taken up residence here!  Cat lovers, rest assured, I will be doing my volunteer work here sometime in the near future!  

Needless to say, this week was the most exhausting.  Grocery shopping and public transportation were no longer my greatest concerns.  Now I had to try and figure out how to communicate with the locals.  Unfortunately my one semester of Italian hadn't taught me to understand what the old woman in the middle of the street was screaming, or the helpful 

San Gimignano

directions that kind strangers tried to give me upon seeing my looks of desperation in time when I was lost.  But needless to say, I pressed onward and learned something new every step of the way.  This culture is still fascinating to me.  While I have not yet grown accustomed to some things like the lack of personal space, I'm beginning to love the friendliness of the familiar faces I see and the help that people are willing to give when I make even the smallest attempt to show appreciation for their culture and language.  

After getting through this first week of classes, we took our first adventure outside of Rome, to the beautiful region of Tuscany.  We stopped first in a small Tuscan town called San Gimignano.  I was surprised to see the town mostly deserted due to the lack of tourists in this time of year.  The quiet streets were just the opposite of Rome and the city was bursting with mediaeval architecture and beautiful views of the countryside.  We spent only a few short hours here before continuing to our destination, the beautiful city of Florence.  We arrived after dark and had a lovely dinner before a night out on the town.  It wasn't until morning that I saw Florence in daylight and saw the famous statue of David, and the enormous cathedral and "duomo."  Following our tour, I liked up the 400+ steps to the top of the duomo to find one of the most spectacular views of my life, rivaling that from the Eiffel Tower.  From the top of the dome I could see the entire city of Florence.  I spent the rest of the day exploring the city.  There was so much to see that one day couldn't cover it all but I saw several impressive churches, incredible architecture, and did a little shopping at the famous Florentine leather market.

The Duomo

My photo hardly does justice...

One day in Tuscany was enough to awaken the travel bug inside of me and get me excited for all of my future trips around Italy and a few out of the country.  Florence is only one of many places on my bucket list to visit before I end my time in Europe!

My next week of classes brought even more surprises.  On Wednesday, I made my first trip to the Vatican with my History and Theology of the Papacy class, but didn't make it to the the inside of St. Peter's...instead we ventured underneath into the necropolis.  Little did I know but I was about to venture into a place that only a select number of visitors are allowed in order to best preserve the area.  We began the journey into ancient Roman streets that had been uncovered.  The streets had been dug up accidentally, as is custom in Rome.  Its 

Assisi

ancient inhabitants would build layer on top of layer in this city so that now, when excavators begin to dig into the ground, they never know how many layers of history are lying beneath the dirt.  Thanks to the careful preservation of the area, I was able to walk down these ancient streets and peer into rooms that held numerous ancient tombs.  Some of the earliest Christian art was visible on these walls.  However, our guide saved the most astounding part for last...we followed her into the area that has strong evidence of being Saint Peter's tomb.  From where we should she showed us where we could see his actual bones!  Although there's no way to be 100% certain if these are truly his bones, there was enough evidence for me to believe it.  This was truly an experience I will never forget.

Following this week of class, my friend Maya and I decided it was time for another adventure, this time to the town of Assisi, where Saint Francis is from.  Being out on my first real adventure, without a huge group of American tourists to hide amongst was such a rush.  This town is infinitely smaller than Rome and moves at a much slower pace, which was a well deserved break from the hustle and bustle of my new home.  While in Assisi, I saw several incredible Gothic churches including the Basilica of Saint Francis which if I'm not mistaken 

Franciscan monks?

is among the ten largest churches in the world!  Despite its small size, the city had so much to offer.  I doubt I'll ever be tired of the mediaeval architecture of these small towns or the friendliness of their inhabitants.  The leisurely stroll through the town allowed me to see it all: the churches, the beautiful views, and movie set of a move about Franciscan monks and the life of 

Saint Clare.   ...Rewind! What was that last part?  That's right!  Following the signs for the church of Saint Stefano, we stumbled upon a group of men clothed in Franciscan robes, wearing jeans and tennis shoes and smoking cigarettes!  I wondered what could possibly be the purpose of this strange religious practice.  Only minute later, I noticed a film crew around the corner and with the help of 

Maya, I soon 

The Basilica of Saint Francis

discovered that these were not true members of a Franciscan order but actors!  What a surprise!  After leaving the scene (look out for the movie, maybe you'll see a few accidental appearances of someone you recognize!), we headed for the Basilica of Saint Francis.  It was even more massive than I could have imagined.  The lowest level contained the tomb of Saint Francis, a breathtaking sight.  One level up from this, main section of the church, where services would be held.  The each apsidal chapel could have been its own tiny church, they were each so large and highly decorated.  To my surprise, this was only level one.  Level two was an equally impressive, fully frescoed section of the basilica.  Attached was the rest of the structure which I could not go inside but could sense the remainder of wonder that lay hidden in the basilica.  I spent almost an hour inside before I was forced to leave to catch a train back to Rome.