Wednesday, June 25, 2008

My Final Blog

So here it is. My summer in Rome has come and gone. I vividly remember sitting in Vermont on March 10th with my dad and brother (we were on a ski trip) and commenting that I had exactly two months until I left for Rome. Well, it came and it went again. It is Wednesday afternoon here in Rome (Wednesday morning for those of you back home) and we have just finished class for the summer. Tomorrow I will finish packing, say my goodbyes to friends that I made and then Friday morning I board the plane at 9:45am for the 11 hour flight to Chicago. Once there I have a layover for three hours and then it's back to Pittsburgh where my brother and mother will be waiting for me. The point of this post is to remind you all again what my purpose was this summer. I specifically looked at three areas this summer and those three areas are what comprised a majority of my blog entries here. I looked at photography in Rome by showing some of my own shots, looking at other peoples shots and also looking at equipment. I also spent a lot of time on Viale di Trastevere, which is the main road in the town we live in. I checked out many different coffee shops and restaurants and reported my findings back to you all. Lastly, I spent a lot of time at the various water fountains in Rome. Whether they be drinking fountains or monumental style fountains, they were all enjoyable. This summer was full of so much excitement that I am not sure what to expect when I arrive in Pittsburgh at 6:45pm on Friday. Hopefully things will be the same as when I left. I am looking forward to sharing stories with my family and friends and we all promised that we would keep in contact with one another as much as humanly possible during the summer and the up coming fall semester. I feel like I may have made some life lone friends here, and I hope that I am right. For now I would just like to say thank you. Thanks for reading this and for commenting on it. I made a personal promise to myself that I would be back to Europe within the next five years. I hope I can keep this promise to myself. I'll see you all soon. Ciao.

Fontana del Pantheon

The fountain that is centrally located in the Piazza della Rotanda (the Pantheon) is one of the most beautiful fountains in Rome, in my opinion. The fountain was commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII in 1575, and is the work of Leonardo Sormani, the marble sculptor. It was also used as a central location for the shooting of Angels and Demons, which I mentioned a week or so ago. If you stand at a far and look at the fountain it looks amazing, but get closer. It turns into a whole new looking fountain if you walk right up to it. The details on this marble giant are great! The one downside of the fountain is that, at least while we were in town, it is always covered with large bugs. The water seems to attract them. Oddly though, I have seen them on no other fountain but this one. This is a great place to hang out on a hot day. Be sure to dip your hands in the cool water and put it on your hot, sunburned neck. It will make you feel a whole lot better. Or, grab some wine or gelato and simply lounge in the shade that sometimes (depending on the time of the day) circles the fountain. It is a hectic area, but around the fountain it gets quiet. If you find yourself in Rome, treat yourself to an evening spent at this location. You will not be let down.

Viale Di Trastevere

As I finish up my last 2 days here in Trastevere I find myself wandering the streets more and more just taking it all in. I love being able to interact with the Italians as much as I can. Whether it be something as simple as ordering coffee or something more complicated as telling a waiter that I don't want anchovies on my pizza, it's been a pleasure to have the chance to interact like we have gotten to. I am so tempted before I leave to give a few Euro to the homeless people that I have seen and said hello to everyday for the past seven weeks, but I am not sure whether that is the best idea. More specifically, I feel that the man in front of the pharmacy that I pass everyday may be one the nicest homeless people that I have interacted with in my life. He has nothing but a sleeping bag, cigarettes, and a bottle for water, but he is always smiling. Makes me want to re-evaluate my priorities. We have been eating at the same restaurant pretty much every day now, and the food keeps getting better. Whether is be sausage pizza or cold tomato, eggplant, onion, and cheese salad, it is all good because we are in Rome. I know it sounds very cliche, but when in Rome, do as the Romans. I feel that we have done our best to show Trastevere that we are willing to mold and conform to their standards as much as we have to in order to be accepted as residents of their quiet little suburb.

Piazza Navona Photography

After spending more time in Piazza Navona than any other space in Rome, I have had the chance to see some great artwork. The one thing that strikes me as interesting though is that out of the dozens of artists who have booths set up in Piazza Navona, I have only seen one that sells original photos from Rome. I strolled over there the other afternoon on my way to Kevin's apartment and found that, sadly, the photos were nothing special. The photographs that were being sold were of sites that anyone can photograph, anytime they want. Ever since the age of digital photography it seems very unrealistic to set up a booth selling photos that anyone can take with a little time and patience. I am not trying to sound cocky at all, but the photos of the Colosseum that were for sale were not of as good a quality as mine are. If I would have thought that I had a chance to make some money off of my photos here in Rome I would have set up a booth weeks ago! I do give these gentleman credit though, they are trying to use their talents to support themselves. I just can't justify spending 10 Euro on a photo that I can take by myself.

Gallery Doria Pamphilj

Last week we had the opportunity to visit the Gallery Doria-Pamphilj which is conveniently located next to our class space here in Rome. The main reason I went was to see the Carravagio paintings. After viewing the ones here I have seen all but two that are left in Rome. Considering we have only 2 days left, I don't think that I will have time to go and find them. The paintings in this gallery were his earlier works, so they did not really resemble his work that I have become accustomed to here in Rome. Nonetheless, it was good to see the progression that he had made during his life as an artist. Also inside this gallery was a chapel that is actually in the room located right above where we have had class everyday for the past 7 weeks. In this chapel are the bodies of two saints. It is weird to think that for the past 7 weeks we have been having class underneath two dead saints. If you find yourself in Rome, make sure you leave time to visit this gallery. It is said to be one of Romes best!

Villa Doria-Pamhilj

This past Monday, June 23rd, our small group went for a morning stroll through Villa Doria-Pamhilj which is located on the hill behind our apartment. Allison had the idea to take this walk, so this is exactly what we agreed on doing. We hopped on bus 44 in Trastevere and headed up to the park. It was a truly amazing place. There were acres upon acres of fields, ponds, statues, gardens and trees. It was a nice break from the hectic space of downtown Rome. The Doria-Pamphilj family still has a mansion in the villa that they live in. It was a beautiful stone mansion surrounded by gardens of roses and hedges. After we strolled through the park for almost two hours we caught bus 44, again, to Piazza Venezia and then walked to get lunch. We got pizza and sat on the wall behind the Pantheon while we shared each others company and just talked about our experiences in Rome. We then went and got gelato at Rome's most famous gelateria, Gioliti's. I had just eaten a large lunch so I passed on the gelato. I hope to get it sometime in my next 2 days left here in Rome!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Fontana dei Fiumi-Fountain of the Four Rivers

The Fontana dei Fiumi, or the Fountain of the Four Rivers, is the centerpiece of Romes largest piazza, Piazza Navona. Currently the fountain is under construction but you can still see it almost in its entirety through the glass wall around the fountain. The fountain was designed by Bernini and was erected in 1651. The fountain stands in front of the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone, and it sure is a sight to see! Roman fountains originally served many purposes such as brining water into town from the hills and also as being monuments to the Pope's that commissioned them. In the case of this fountain, it was sponsored by Pope Innocent X.
The name of fountain is meant to describe four great rivers on the four great continents of the world: The Nile in Africa, Ganges in Asia, Danube in Europe, and Rio de la Plata in America.
Most recently the fountain is one of the center points of the movie Angels and Demons, which is being filmed in Rome. Since the fountain is under construction, they are doing computer generated images of it and then recreating the whole piazza in a studio back in Hollywood. I hope it looks as good as it does in real life! Ciao!

Viale Di Trastevere

Throughout the summer we've been spending most of our time on Viale di Trastevere. It has become a main road for us to get to class every single day. Today, Thursday June 19th, we decided that instead of cooking for our meals (like we normally do) we would go out to eat. Dom, Brian, Cole, Kevin and myself found a nice little restaurant behind Santa Maria in Trastevere. They had an amazing special for lunch, so we couldn't pass it up. For a mere 10 Euro you got your choice of a drink (Coke, beer, wine, or water), bruchetta, pizza or pasta, and a cappuccino. It was a great meal! Speaking of Trastevere and food, the cafe next to our apartment is now under new ownership. The gentleman that owned it before did not seem to run it well, and it was rarely busy. Now, every time I go in there it is jammed with people all yelling for what they want to eat and drink. The food is just as good as the coffee! They know we're Americans (not sure how...just kidding) so they attempt to talk English to us. They asked us if we were from Texas because we had "Texas accents." We said no and asked why our accents sounded like that of Texas. They just said that they, unlike us, cannot tell the difference in American accents so they just named an accent they knew. It was quite funny. Also, I think it's great that we are in their country and we are trying to speak their language and they are trying to speak ours. It has led to a few mishaps. The most recent mishap we found is that if you order two drinks (one for you and one for a friend) and intend on splitting the bill at the cash register, they do not understand it. If you order them, you pay for them. It wasn't a huge deal as we explained to them that in America that is how it works. They said it was fine and split the mere 2 Euro bill for us. I am looking forward to going home next week, but it is the little things like this that I will miss. Trastevere sure has been good to me and my four roommates this summer!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

3 Sites to Photograph While in Rome

Here is some more information on three sites to photograph while you're in Rome!
1.) The Colosseum: As you may have seen previously, I got to visit the Colosseum about two weeks ago. We ventured inside and I got the chance to shoot some amazing photos from inside one of the worlds most recognizable structures. The Colosseum is the site where thousands of Christian martyrs died. Originally the structure was called The Flavian Amphitheater. Today, the structure looks damaged to due earthquakes and stone robbers, from some time ago. Construction on this gigantic structure began in 70-72, taking a great many years to complete. Today, you are allowed to tour the inside and outside of the structure. Be sure to do both, as they both hold their positives and negatives. Also, be sure to check this place out at night seeing as one of my fellow students here in Rome saw ghosts one night while he was there with some friends.

2.) Santa Maris in Cosmedin: This church was built in the 6th century on top of ruins of an ancient temple, Templum Herculis Pompeiani, or the altar of Hercules. The most interesting thing about this church is one of the artifacts that you can find near this church, The Bocca della Verita. This structure is a giant concrete face in which you put your hand in his mouth, tell a lie, and if the lie is true then the statue bites your hand off. If you walk by this area on a typical summer weekend in Rome, the line will wrap around outside the building as tourists come to test the myth. There is talks that this face was originally just a drain cover, but no one is really sure.

3.) Tiber River Island: This island, which sits in close proximity to town, was originally used to throw those who got the plague. Today, the island is a popular hangout spot for young Romans and tourists alike. There is a myth that says that island formed when Tarquinius Superbus (a much hated ruler) was overthrown, that his body was thrown into the river and soot and dirt collected around his body, forming the island. Also the island was associated with healing and health, and to this day is the location of one of Rome's hospitals or clinics.

9 Days

9 days until we leave to go back to the States! So exciting!

Photography: A Guided Walk of Rome


-Click on the photo to make it larger-
For this walk we’ll be starting out at Piazza del Collegio Romano.
-Head southwest through the Piazza until you see Via della Gatta on your left
-Turn left on Via della Gatta and continue down this street until you get to Via del Plebiscito.
-Turn left on Via del Plebiscito
-Keep walking until you read Piazza Venezia, which will be on your right.
-This is a great place to snap photos. The monument is the Vittorio Emmanuel II monument and it is a massive marble structure. A 200mm lens would offer some great shots of the winged angels on chariots that are placed on top of each side of the monument.
-Keeping the giant monument on your right, catch Via dei Fori Imperiali and walk about ten minutes until you see the Colosseum.
-This whole road offers some great shots of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, which is on your right. The Forum is a great place to snap some shots of ancient Roman architecture and ruins.
-Once you are at the Colosseum, decide if you want to go inside or stick outside. Both choices can lead to great photos. From the inside, use the sky as a backdrop and switch into black and white. From the outside, use the busy streets surrounding the Colosseum as a backdrop and shoot away.
-Next, walk to the giant arch that is located behind the Colosseum, and in between the Forum and the Colosseum. This is the Arch of Constantine. If you are lucky you will find a wedding being conducted under the arch. This can allow you to take some great pictures! Once again, black and white might be the way to shoot here. But the choice is yours.
-Next, walk under the arch away from the Colosseum on Via de San Gregorio.
-Walk until you reach Piazza Porta Capena
-Turn right, and look to your left. This is Circus Maximus
-Circus Maximus is the location of the ancient Roman chariot racing stadium
-This is a great place to shoot on a sunny day. If you’re lucky (again), Romans will be picnicking and socializing in and around this huge park type area. Snap on a wide angle lens, just to make sure you get it all in there.
-Keep walking straight, keeping Circus Maximus on your left
-At the end of Circus Maximus is Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Take some pictures of this church. It’s a beautiful structure
-Cross the street towards the river, which is directly in front of you.
-You will see a fountain just before you reach the river. This is the Fountain of Triton.
-The fountain of Triton is a great place to sit and enjoy the noises of the city. Use sun to your advantage to get some shadow photos of the fountain.
-Walk behind the fountain and turn right onto Lungotevere dei Pierleoni
-Continue up Lungotevere dei Pierleoni until you read Ponte Fabricio, which is the walking bridge that leads to the Tiber River Island.
-Once on the bridge, be sure to take some photos of up-river and down-river.
-Cross onto the island and shoot from the island looking up at the bridges on both ends.
-Lastly, grab some gelato at one of cafes on the island and spend an afternoon sitting on the banks of the river, taking it all in. Of course, take some pictures at the same time.

The Vatican Museums

The Vatican museums are some of the most famous museums in Rome, and for good reason. Inside this museum you will access to some of the worlds best art that was commissioned by some of the most influential Popes of all time. The most famous of these is Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, which was commissioned by Pope Julius II and was completed between 1508 and 1512. The main panels on the ceiling depict both Old and New Testament events such as the creation of the world and the fall of man. Also in the Vatican museums is Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment, which was unveiled in 1993 after years of restoration. The painting shows the dead rising up to face God on judgment day. Pope Paul III Farnese chose this as a warning to Catholics to stick to their faith during the reformation. There is a charge to enter the Vatican museums, and it depends on what time of the year your visit occurs. During the summer months (the tourist season) the museum is open from 8:45am to 4:45pm. Check the times before you go. The museums are free on the last Sunday of each month. If you plan to go on the last Sunday arrive early as the line will go outside and snake its way through Saint Peter’s Square.

Gallery Doria Pamphilj

The Palazzo Doria Pamphilj is a beautiful Palazzo located in central Rome and is the location of the Doria Pamphilj Gallery. The building itself dates to around 1453 with various expansions happening from 1601 and 1647. The gallery charges an admission to gain access to over 400 paintings from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Among some of the art in the gallery you will find earlier Carravagio paintings such as Rest During the Flight into Egypt. Also inside the gallery is the private apartment that was once used by the family and it still contains furnishings and art that were originals during the periods when the family lived there. Outside the gallery is the Piazza del Collegio Romano, which is where we have class at everyday, right next to this gallery. The gallery itself was noted as one of Rome’s best galleries by DK’s Eyewitness Guide: Rome 2008. This is a must visit for anyone spending any time in Rome. The gallery is open 10am-5pm Monday-Wednesday.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

All About Trevi

So throughout the summer I have been writing about The Trevi Fountain, but I never really explained what it is or how it came to be. So here we go! The Trevi Fountain is located about a 10 minutes walk from our school, here in Rome. The fountain itself is 85 feet tall and 65 feet wide and features a wide array of Baroque style architecture. Originally, the fountain was designed by Bernini but was torn down and replaced in 1762 with the current design, done by Nicola Salvi. He died in 1751 but work continued under the initial plans that were drawn up. In 1998 the fountain was refurbished and circulating pumps were installed, although a certain percentage of the water in the fountain still flows from the original source some 8 miles outside of the city. Interestingly enough, the name Trevi comes from the fact that the fountain is situated at the intersection of 3 roads (tre-vie) in a beautiful piazza. So, if you ever find yourself in Rome please visit the Trevi Fountain. Also, legend has it that if you throw a coin over your shoulder it will guarantee you a trip back to Rome. Give it a shot!

Viale Di Trastevere

I’ve been spending more and more time on Viale di Trastevere (and Trastevere itself), and for many good reasons. The weather has finally started to break here, and more and more people are coming into the city for the summer (the tourist season). Dom and I explored a new area the other day down by one of the bridges that crosses into Testachio, which is where our graduate assistants are living this summer. We picked up some gelato from the local gellateria and parked ourselves on a bench on the street corner and just watched people. I have noticed that Rome is a great place to people watch, and that Trastevere could be the “people watching capital” of Rome. There are no tourists here. I have heard from everyone (including locals) that the tourists tend to stick on the Rome side of the Tiber River, leaving Trastevere to the Roman natives. Anyways, we found a new favorite place to eat in Trastevere. It’s called Pizza Portese and it is fantastic! They have more than just pizza, they roast chickens, they sell bread, they have all types of lasagna, calzones, and many other items. The owners are great. They know that we’re American (we’ve been frequenting this place a lot lately) so they attempt to speak English as we attempt to speak Italian. In the end it all works out. After we get our pizza we go outside, lean against the wall and enjoy the authentic Roman taste as we watch hoards of Italians go about their daily, hectic lives.

Boys Town of Italy: Part II

On Friday June 13th we had the chance to visit Boys Town of Rome, which is a self-governing orphanage, located about ten miles from downtown Rome. I was so shocked at how welcoming and receptive they were to the arrival of 50+ Penn State students. At first I felt a little awkward walking around and looking at stuff, because I don’t think I would like people coming into my house and hanging out in my backyard just to witness something that, to the boys, is a part of everyday life. But this changed when we saw how excited the Mayor (a 16 year old from Morocco) of t he city was to have us in his town. They took us around the city and showed us everything from their winery to their bank to their assembly hall to their restaurant, all of which is governed and run by the boys (with adult supervision in some levels, as required by Italian law). Surprisingly their living quarters were very new looking and very comfortable. School was out for the summer but we got to tour their classrooms in which they learn computer programming, video editing, ceramics, auto mechanics, stained glass making, and many others. In the middle of our tour the boys hosted us for coffee, Coca-Cola, pastries, and other food items in their restaurant. This was a great chance to interact with the boys and learn about them and where they come. All in all this experience was extremely positive and I recommend visiting Boys Town if you ever find yourself in Rome. Ciao!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Angels and Demons

About five years ago I decided that I wanted to give video editing a try. With the help of my best friend Josh we started playing with cameras to see how they worked, and started shooting video and editing. It's more of a hobby then anything, but fun nonetheless. In 2004 my mom bought me a rather expensive (MSRP: $2,700) video camera, and off we went. We filmed everything from live music performances to weddings to church videos, anything we could shoot we would. As you all know by now, I am into photography, but still keep my video skills in my back pocket in case they are needed. I think of video editing as a compliment to my love of photography.
Anyways, while we are in Rome this summer Ron Howard is filming his new movie Angels and Demons (the sequel to The Da Vinci Code), starring Tom Hanks. They have been shooting various scenes all around our school and on Monday June 9th I got to witness them filming a scene in front of the Pantheon. They yelled "rolling" and Tom walked in front of the Pantheon (full of extras) and to the entrance, all while holding his co-stars (Ayelet Zurer) hand. They had to shoot it multiple times because people kept taking pictures of the filming and there were random flashes that kept showing up. The best part about seeing this shot was that as they neared the entrance to the Pantheon a man selling flowers walked up behind Tom and offered him the opportunity to buy is lady friend some flowers, to which he said "no." If you have ever been to Rome, then you will find this quite funny seeing as this is a very common occurrence. Other than this though, the shot looked nothing like the Pantheon would actually look on a normal day. There were nuns everywhere and everyone was quickly rushing to get somewhere, when in reality most people stand in front of the Pantheon for what seems to be hours. I wish they would have made it more realistic, but it is their movie and not mine. It was great to finally see a multi-million dollar movie being filmed, as I have been waiting for this for a while. It sure made me want to start filming again when I get back home, that is, if I'm not too busy with photography! Ciao.

Boys Town of Italy

Boys Town of Italy is an organization whose "mission is to fund charitable institutions and programs that are concerned with the development of children and youth in the United States and Italy", according to their website. The institution was founded in 1951 and is recognized as an American charity that works abroad with their headquarters being located in New York City, New York. Currently there are 31 of these towns located throughout Italy and they are solely responsible the Boys Town and Girls Towns of Rome, which we are visiting this Friday, June 13th. The town itself is run by boys from the age of 10-18, with adults overseeing all the business that is conducted in the town. They run their own town hall meetings and government functions, and even have their own currency.

All information is property of www.boystownofitaly.org

Ostia Antica-June 10th


Ostia Antica is an ancient harbor town (which now lies inland from the coast), and is located approximately 20 minutes south of downtown Rome. While we visited this archaeological site on June 10th I thought that the main focus of this area was the ancient theater which is still in use today. The theater is built in Roman Theater style and dates back to around 12 B.C. The excavations of the theater were planned to begin in the early 19th century and were finished in 1880-1881 and then again in the early 20th century. The theater is quite large with an original estimated capacity of just over 3,000 people, but after renovations was able to hold over 4,000 people. At one point in time during conflict, the arches (which were used as entrances) on the lower level were blocked and the theater was converted into a fortress. Even when we visited the theater today, the year 2008, it was still in use by a ballet company who puts on shows there quite regularly.

All information on Ostia Antica and its theater are thanks to this site: Ostia Antica Theater History

Monday, June 9, 2008

The Final 3 Weeks in Rome


The past few days I have found myself becoming more and more homesick. I know this is normal and I keep referring myself back to the “U-Curve” model that I learned about in an intercultural communication class. It says that we all start our “new culture” experience at the top of the left side of the “U”, and then as the trip progresses we move down the “U” until we reach the bottom. The bottom is where you realize how much you miss the culture from which you originally come from. After you spend some time at the bottom of the curve you realize that soon enough you will be back in your own culture and therefore you begin to appreciate the new culture that you are in. At this point you move back to the top right side of the “U”, and this is where your trip ends.
I am right now moving slowly from the bottom back towards the right side. For the first 3 weeks or so when we were here I did not really talk to my friends or my twin brother. But, these past 2 weeks I have begun to communicate with them more, thus realizing how much I miss them and spending my summer nights with them at the Yacht Club in Pittsburgh, just hanging out on the top deck of the boat that my best friend owns.
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate Rome and everything that it has to offer, but it is not America. Even after talking to those German students the other night, as much as they said they hated Americans that made me want to go home and see my family. So I have laid out the things that I want my next (and last) three weeks to be, here in Rome.
I want to experience as much as I can in the next three weeks, because who knows if/when I will be back to Europe. I want to make sure that I spend as much time as I can with my fellow CAS students, because we are all becoming such close friends. I want to continue to do my schoolwork, and do it well. I want to travel more, which I will be. In 2 weeks I will be in Switzerland with Cole and Courtney, sleeping in a hostel in the Alps. I want to try new foods and I want to spend less time in my apartment doing work, reading, hanging out, and spend more time in the parks or on a bench on the Corso, just people watching. I want to make sure that the next three weeks of my life in Europe are the best three weeks in Europe that anyone has ever had. On the 27th of June when I roll back into Pittsburgh airport at 6:45pm, I want to be able to tell my parents, and my friends that I went to and experienced Rome/ Europe.
I know that in a matter of weeks after returning home and starting work and getting my other Penn State classes done, that I will want nothing more than to be back in Rome eating gelato with my friends as we talk about where in Europe we plan on going this weekend.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Ah! Photos!

I’m getting rather frustrated with myself as of right now. I love to shoot photography. I would consider it an obsession. I came to Rome with the intent of shooting every day, all day. But this has not been the case. It is hard to lug around a large (relatively speaking) camera bag and constantly worry about changing lenses and if my shots are composed correctly, etc. It seems as if I’ve taken all the fun out it for myself. Before I arrived in Rome I read all the important articles that would help my shooting here. I bought color correction cards, and lens brushes. I was ready to shoot.
I was just sitting here looking through my photo files on my computer and they are sorted by date. The day that I arrived in Rome, May 11th, up until about May 23rd, I was shooting everyday. I was seeing new things, and finding new ways to shoot what has been shot countless times (check the Colosseum pictures below). I feel like I keep running into a wall, figuratively speaking. I even took myself on a walk today up above the Vatican, trying to find something new to shoot. You can only shoot so many fountains, and churches, and islands, and bridges before you realize you’re not doing anything new. Anything unique.
I pulled out my photo magazines for a little inspiration, and I found what I was looking for. In Popular Photography from June 2008, there is an article titled 20+ New Skills. I flipped through there again and found a few new things I need to try, and new ways to shoot what I’ve already shot. I even had a great idea for shoot to do back home, so I will hopefully post that somewhere online and link to it later just for fun.
Anyways, I learned that I couldn’t let myself get frustrated here. I can’t be jealous of the people shooting with $8,000 cameras, because it’s not the camera that makes the photos, it’s the photographer. Hopefully I can pull through and take some interesting photos in my last three weeks here that you can all, as well as I, appreciate. Ciao.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Piazza Della Rotonda-The Pantheon


Here is a piece I wrote for another class here in Rome, but I'll post it on here as well.
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Piazza Della Rotonda. Home of the mighty Pantheon, a Roman temple to “all Gods.” The whole Piazza is centered round a great fountain, one of Rome’s best. Tourists and locals alike converge here. Conversations occur in every direction, in every language.
The “click” of camera shutters signals the death of many a moment, for that is what photography is. Omnius Paratus. Ready for anything. Backgrounds differ from the mighty pillars of the Pantheon’s entrance, to the fountain at its center, and to the small cafes placed ever so gently around the Piazza, as if to invite you to sit, sip wine, and enjoy the company of those around you. A picture of The Virgin Mary hangs from a wall on the east side of the Piazza, as if to watch over those who came before, those that will come, and those that are presently there.
Birds fly in front of the large pillars, playing with human eye. The depth of field in this space plays tricks. The pillars are so large and the birds are so small. It looks as if they will simply collide with the ancient pillars, but in reality they are nowhere near one another.
The Romans stroll through the piazza on the hottest of days in full Armani suits, as if the heat does not affect them. They sit in the sun, sharing a bottle of wine with their closest colleagues and friends. Business and pleasure do not mix well in America, but in Rome they are often one in the same.
Next to the fountain a television crew sets up, shoots a story, and tears down in a matter of minutes. It is as if they did not want to mix new technology with the views that can take many back to ancient times. There surely is not better backdrop for a news story than the mighty Pantheon.
The location of this space is interesting. It is a giant among gentiles, a king among peasants. Its central location draws attention that otherwise would not be afforded to a space such as this. Would the feelings about this mighty space be the same if it were placed near the Colosseum? Surely not. It is the old among the new(er), the rich among the poor. It has proved itself time and time again, from century to century.
A young man of Indian descent plays the violin near the fountain. Singing and smiling, he draws attention from all those around him. Tourists and locals alike. Competing for this much wanted attention are young accordion players, whose skills do not match that of the young violinist. Each one plays with their own uniqueness, and one cannot help but appreciate their song.
It seems surreal. As if this space were simply dropped from the Heavens and placed in Rome. But this place would fit in no other city but Rome. The cobblestone streets act as a mosaic. Each one telling a story of a time before. Of a business affair pursued on that spot, of a life lost on the next one.
As one strolls away from this space, they can’t help but wonder at what point in the day does this space gets a rest. Without question the streets around the Pantheon are tired from years of being treaded on. Does this place ever quiet? Well surely not, the Eternal City does not sleep.

The Spanish Steps at Night


Last night, June 5th, Kevin, myself, and a few of the girls from another program headed down to the Spanish Steps around 11:00pm or so, just to see what was going on. It was a really breezy evening, and rather cool. We arrived at the steps and picked out our spot among the young Italians who had been planted there for hours playing guitar, drinking wine, and socializing as if they had never seen these people before in their lives. A while passed and a group of about 8 students came and sat on the ledge behind us. They were all speaking German and couldn't have been any older than 18. They heard us talking in English and so they began to speak in rather broken, but coherent, English. This would be the start of a rather long conversation dealing with the perception of Americans from a European viewpoint. I won't go into huge detail about the evening, because that could take hours, but they made a few points which I feel are worth sharing. They began by saying how rude Americans were. The one girl said she had studied for 6 months in The United States and had lived in Washington state with a "religious" family who wouldn't even tell her what their "religion" was. She had also traveled the east coast to cities like Philadelphia (which she thought was hilarious that we call it "Philly"), New York, Boston, D.C., and Baltimore. She said she was treated rude in every city and the only place she loved in the U.S. was San Antonio, to which we told her Texas wasn't really a part of the U.S. but it's own country (just kidding Texas).
She also thought our politics were awful and asked: If Bush is so unpopular then how did he get into office? Our answer: The younger generations were not able to vote in the past two elections, which would have allowed for a fresh of breath air in the States. She said Obama is the best candidate and that Hilary "stinks". She also said our gun laws are absurd and she doesn't understand how we can just go around "shooting each other, bang bang". We explained to her that what she's seeing about crime in the U.S. is happening in large cities, and that it is, sadly, just how it is in the cities.
As our conversation ended we said our goodbyes and parted ways. As she was walking away she looked back and told the five of us to make a change in America. We said we would, and that was our encounter with the German students in Rome. It was a real eye opener because Europeans do really have negative views of us. It's sad. A few rotten people ruined it all for us.


*The picture above at the Spanish Steps was taken previously.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

The Fountain at St. Peter's Square


A while back when I visited the Vatican I was immediately drawn to the fountains on either side of St. Peter's square. They were perfectly symmetrical to one another, and to the surrounding area of the square. The interesting thing about these two centerpieces is that, although they are exactly alike, they were built some 60 years apart and for two different Popes. As you enter the square, facing St. Peter's Basilica, the fountain on the right of the square was built first. It was constructed by Carlo Maderno for Pope Paul V (1605-1621). It was said that whenever "His Holiness walked in the direction of Paul V's great fountain his eyes continually turned toward it." To that end, Maderno's nephew Carlo Fontana constructed the fountain on the left side (south end) of the square to be an exact replica of the one on the north side. The water that feeds these two fountains comes from the Acqua Paola, which is found on the Juniculum hill right behind where my apartment is this summer in Rome. The height of the Juniculum hill and the distance from the hill to St. Peter's Square allows a large amount of pressure to be built up on the trip down the hill. This great pressure is what allows the central jets of the fountains to shoot up a magnificent sixty-four feet. As is the case with most Roman fountains (these two included), two water lines are used from each water source as to ensure a continual flow of water in the case of accident to one of the lines. For that reason, these fountains (and others all over Rome) have been flowing for very long periods of time, thanks to the amazing work of ancient Roman architecture.

All information in this Blog was found at this site: Fountains of Ancient Rome

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere


Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere is a little gem that is tucked in behind the apartment buildings and shops of Viale di Trastevere in Rome. The piazza is named for the church that stands at the piazzas west end, Santa Maria in Trastevere. We ventured to this piazza on the night of June 2nd for dinner, and we were shocked. We have been living in Trastevere for almost a month and have not been to this piazza or seen all the fun that is in this area.
As we entered the Piazza from the east side our eyes were immediately attracted to the high chapel of the church Santa Maria in Trastevere, which was built in the 8th century on the site of a private house of worship for Christians. These private houses for worship are called tituli. The frescoes of the church date to around the 12th century, which is considered a time of intense building in Rome and the surrounding area.
At the center of the piazza is a fountain by Carlo Fontana that dates to 1692. Like many of the other piazzas in Rome, this one turns into a social gathering spot in the evening with restaurants, pubs, bars, and shops that open up from what otherwise look like boarded up buildings. The octagonal base of the fountain was loaded with teenagers and adults alike, all shining in the floodlights that are placed atop of Santa Maria, as if to keep a watchful eye on the sacred piazza. The police also had a large presence in this piazza. All in all I would compare this pizza to Camp di Fiori which is located across the river.
The most amazing part of the evening, at least to me, was the accordion player that we saw on our way back out of the piazza later in the evening. He was a younger gentleman, probably around 23 to 24 years old. The thing that made him stick out from the other accordion players we’ve seen and also from the other musicians in the piazza at this time was his intense love for the music he was playing. He of course had his case open for money but his eyes never opened once while he was playing. He rocked back and forth violently and sang at the top of his lungs in Italian. I never thought that the accordion could be played this way, but I was surely wrong. He was tucked in a small corner of the piazza next to a pub, but he drew a crowd nonetheless. I would have tossed him some money, but I had nothing but large bills on me. If I see him again I will surely donate to this gentleman.
Ciao!

Photo credits: www.Sacred-Destination.com

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Termini Station to The Capitoline Museum/Campidoglio


Start out by exiting the train station and heading directly left through Piazza Cinquecento until you see Via Cavour. Follow Via Cavour until you reach Via A. Depretis and then turn right. Continue straight on this road as it turns into Via di Quattro Fontane. On your left as you stroll up this street you will see the current Presidential Palace. When you come to Via. D. Tritone, turn left. Continue down Via D. Tritone until you reach a "T", at which you turn left. This is Via Del Corso. Look quickly to your left and you will see Piazza Colonna with its huge obelisk in the center. Continue down Via del Corso until you reach Piazza Venezia. Directly in front of you is the monument to Vittorio Emanuele II. Walk straight across the Piazza, keeping the monument to your left, until you reach the large marble staircase. Turn left up the stairs until you reach the square at the top. Welcome to The Capitoline Museum and Campidoglio!

This area is the seat of the powerful local authorities in Rome. The Staircase you would have just walked up leads you to the square, which was designed by Michelangelo, with the Capitoline Museum on either side. Directly in front of you, behind the large fountain, is the Roman Forum. The best views of The Forum can be found inside the Capitoline Museum, which has balconies that overlook the Forum. Perfect for taking pictures and people watching.

Termini Station To Viale di Trastevere


To get from Termini station in Rome to Viale di Trastevere exit the station and you will find yourself in Piazza Cinquecento. Cut left and go down through the Piazza until you reach Via Cavour. Follow Via Cavour pass the magnificent Santa Maria Maggiore until you reach Viale di Fori Imperiali, which is the main road along the Tiber River. Turn right and follow Viale di Fori Imperiali. As you walk along Viale di Fori Imperiali you will notice such sites as The Colosseum and The Roman Forum, two of Romes greatest sites. Continue down Viale di Fori Imperiali through Piazza Venezia until you reach Via Arenula. Turn left on Via Arenula and cross the bridge. On the opposite site of the road Via Arenula turns into Viale di Trastevere. Welcome to Trastevere!

Trastevere literally means "across the Tiber", as that is where it is located in reference to downtown Rome. This area is full of shops, restaurants, street vendors and caffe after caffe of lovely espresso and cafe latte. Trastevere is said to the part of Rome that is not touched by tourism. By simply walking around through its narrow cobblestoned streets, you can see why so many present day Romans love to call this quaint neighborhood home.

The EUR: Esposizione Universale Roma

This new suburb south of Rome was built as a tribute to Fascism. It was constructed in the 1930's and the exhibition was planned to take place in 1942 but was delayed because of World War II. The sight was never used as it was intended but now holds several museums and government offices. Visitors today can expect to see examples of Fascist Architecture. This includes striking use of white marble, large fountains, and large scale monuments to the old style Rome. The dominating building in this space, the Palazzo della Civilta del Lavoro, resembles the style of the Colosseum. Although it is a taller square building, the Fascist architects kept the traditional style of arches throughout the structure. Another noteworthy building in the EUR is the Museo della Civilta Romana. This structure is actually two buildings linked by a portico, which is meant to represent ancient Roman history and the development of architecture. Inside the museum you will find a large model of ancient Rome, as well as a planetarium. Further to the south you will see the large Palazzo dello Sport which was built for the Olympics in 1960.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. but call ahead of time to double check and expect a moderate entrance fee.

To get to the EUR start from Termini train station. Take Linea B metro line to one of three stops. You can get off at EUR Magliana, EUR Palasport, or EUR Fermi. If you are not much for trains, take a bus. From Termini you can take the 714 bus to EUR.

Contributing group members: Brian McDonald, Shane St. Esprit, Dom Cifelli, Josie Moore, and Jenny Biedendorf

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Stockholm


Hello! Jared, Brian, and myself are in Stockholm this weekend. We arrived on Friday May 30th and will be leaving Sunday June 1st and spending Sunday in Frankfurt before returning to Rome Sunday evening. Stockholm is so much different than Rome! It is such a modern city. You know all those pictures of Tokyo that show flashing signs and very large television screens on the sides of buildings? Well, that is what the downtown Stockholm area is like! We ventured into town last night after a great (and expensive) dinner at a local restaurant. Our hotel is right next to the metro station, so after a 15 minute journey we arrived downtown. We walked around and checked out some different places, but called it an early night because we were pretty tired from flying for 4 hours and a busy week of classes. The thing about this place that interests me the most is this: Stockholm is so far north that the sun only set for 4 hours last night. When we finished dinner at 10:30, it had just barely crept below the horizon. When we returned to our hotel at 2:00am, it was rising again. I tossed and turned until 3:00 at which points the birds began singing and the sun was pretty much all the way up. It's amazing to see this considering in Pittsburgh (and the rest of the continental United States) this does not happen! I'll keep you posted on our trip. I just rolled out of bed and our hotel lobby has free espresso, so I'll be heading down there now!

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Blue Collared, White Collared..what's the difference?

In class this morning the point was brought up that the locals here in Rome seem to hold more blue collared jobs as compared to white collared, which is different from cities back in the states, at least Pittsburgh. I made the argument that Romans also seem to be much more proud of their jobs than most Americans do.
As I was walking to class this morning, Brand New playing on my i-Pod, I passed the locals vendors selling everything from shoes, to shirts, to knock-off Prada bags along Viale di Trastevere. All of a sudden a man in a white trench coat stained with blood walked in front of me. I was thrown off for a second, until I remember what I was near. A butcher shop. This young man was not ashamed that his job was to cut meat and sell it to those who could afford to pay 25 Euro for a steak. He simply walked out and started shopping, on what I assumed was a break in his slaughtering action. No shame for his blood colored clothing. When he was done, he went back in to his shop and resumed his business as usual, as if this was a normal part of his day.
Fast forward to the cafe where I grabbed espresso this morning, and the restaurant where we ate lunch today. I noticed a trend in both these places. Photographs. The workers of these shops placed photos of family and friends on the counters and walls of these shops, as if it were their own personal cubicle. These were professionally done photographs as well, with the workers of the shops in them!
I know we shouldn't keep comparing Italian culture to American culture, but it's hard not too. I keep thinking that if I walked into Starbucks on College Ave. and saw the Barista hanging a picture of her and her husband on the wall behind the cash register, I would be a little freaked out. But to these people it is normal, and accepted.
Why not show off who you love? Why be afraid to walk in the streets in your dirty work clothes, when this may show others that your job places you in a lower class than them? The lesson here? Be proud of what you're doing, because to you it's completely unique. Don't let anyone else's opinion dictate your actions. And finally, hang up those cheesy family portraits wherever and whenever you please. Why not?

It's all relative...

I'm amazed by the fountains in Rome for the simple fact that the water that is presently flowing through them is coming from the mountains some miles outside of the city center and is flowing through aqueducts that are thousands of years old.
When I first arrived in the city I felt weird drinking from these fountains, for the simple reason that my obvious infatuation with them would lead to others labeling me an American seeing as how these wells were so important to my everyday life here. This bothered me, until I started to use these fountains more and more, and I noticed something. The locals here in Rome do actually use these fountains as well.
The reason I thought this weird is that for the first week I was in town I was too concerned with my own use of the fountains to notice who else was using them, but I quickly removed myself from that perspective and noticed that in fact the locals do use these, and for various reasons.
I have seen locals drink from the fountains, wash their bodies in the fountains, and even let their animals drink from them on hot, sweltering Roman afternoons. I just figured that these people have been living in Rome long enough that the novelty of these fountains has worn off, and they stopped using them, but I was obviously wrong. I compare it to a football weekend in State College where the line for The Creamery wraps around the block to the parking garage in which people wait hours for a $3.50 Peachy Paterno (just for you dad!) cone, but to us students, the novelty has worn off. I assumed it was the same for these fountains but that is not true.
This morning, May 28th, I went to fill up my water bottle at the fountain next to our class (Buddah) and an older gentleman in a suit came up behind me with the clear intention of using the fountain, so I let him go seeing as it might take a minute or two to fill my water bottle. He threw his tie behind his shoulder and bent down and took a nice long sip of the cool refreshing spring water, stood up, wiped his mouth, dropped his tie back into place, and he was on his way. He even threw in a simple "grazie" to me for letting him jump in front to get his morning refresher. I said "prego", which means thank you, and smiled. He smiled back and we parted ways.
This early morning experience showed me that in fact the modern day Romans do appreciate what we consider to be a novelty experience, and I think we could learn from this. It may sound very cliche, but we can't take anything for granted. We must not walk by the Pantheon and just go "Oh, there's the Pantheon again." We should stop inside and take it all in because who knows when these experiences will present themselves to us again.
To this, I am allowing myself the pleasure of a double scoop of Peachy Paterno ice cream when I return to State College for Arts Fest. I guess it's the simple things that make all the difference. Ciao

"Sensing" Viale di Trastevere

To see, smell, hear, taste, and touch Rome, that is the assignment. I will use Viale Di Trastevere for an example.
The smells of this long street vary, depending on which area you are in. If, for instance, you are standing next to a dumpster then you will, for sure, smell garbage. But that’s common sense. But, travel a mere 50 yards to any café and the aroma of espresso, pastries, and other delights fill your nose, drawing you in to spend you hard earned euro. Smell is such a strong incentive to spend money, and Rome knows this, and they use it to their advantage.
To touch Rome is a little harder. But it can be done. I think of touching Viale Di Trastevere as walking on its streets, which are cobblestone for the most part. It’s such a unique experience to walk on cobblestone most every day for an extended period of time, after living in western Pennsylvania for my entire life. I am clumsy enough as it is, so uneven streets can sometimes be my worst enemy. I usually spend my summers in my backyard in a small western Pennsylvania town, walking on soft, green grass, all the while my three dogs play and roll in the freshly cut grass, as if this was cut for their pure enjoyment.
Seeing Viale Di Trastevere is an experience in itself! I have seen some weird things, but some of the action that happens on this street can have a tendency to blow my mind. Last night I witnessed a homeless gentleman washing “himself” in a fountain. I don’t mean his hands, or his hair. He was washing some very private areas, right in the middle of the street. Also, seeing the very large trams rumble by carrying hundreds of people is an awesome sight, especially going over the bridge that doesn’t look strong enough to hold one tram let alone two!
Going along the same line as seeing, hearing Viale Di Trastevere is most noted by the thunderous trams, and the trickling of water from the various fountains. It goes from one extreme to the other, and everything in between. The occasional sounds of music coming from a pizzeria are also a welcomed sound, as it reminds you that in fact these dark little places are lively and cooking, literally! Another great thing to hear is the Italian language. To me, someone who does not speak great Italian, this language makes me excited. It’s so unique! We’ve all heard of songs like “That’s Amore!” and other Italian songs/phrases, but that was in America. To hear them here is different.
Lastly, there is taste. Taste is my favorite, for obvious reasons. My three favorite tastes of Viale Di Trastevere so far are the pizza, the espresso, and the gelato. The espresso ranks up there among the best tasting coffees I have ever had. It puts Starbucks to shame! I think half the experience is the atmosphere in which you enjoy it, standing at a bar next to other Italians who are enjoying the same simple drink you are. Next comes the pizza, which is nothing like we have at home. It’s “real” pizza. The cheese is melted to perfection and the sauce is sweet and thin, as is the crust. The edges are burnt and it tastes like smoke, just like how every pizza should be. Lastly is the gelato, which makes my hometown ice cream (sorry Youngs!) taste, not so good. It’s smooth and has various chunks of other ingredients, depending on what flavor you get. I told my friend here that when you see it all piled up in the cooler, it seems as if you can just lay down and go to sleep in it. It even looks smooth and soft. Fantastic!
So what does this all mean? When we are here in Rome, we must be able to use our senses a little more wisely than if we were back in the United States. When we are home it’s routine and we don’t need to use them all to make choices, but here we do. So it’s important for us to understand this, and use it to make decisions about our every day lives.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Viale Di Trastevere-May 26, 2008

So last night after our dinner I ventured into Trastevere, but this time I went down the end of town that I had not visited before. It was a split second decision to go for a walk, and I walked out without my camera (this is at least the 5th time I have done this), so next time I will take pictures of this area. For those of you who do not know, Trastevere literally means "Across the Tiber", which is the famous river that runs through downtown Rome. The area is quaint, and is less touristy than other areas. Our apartment is situated in the section of Trastevere that is about 1/2 mile from the end of the Trastevere limits.
Anyways, the area I found last night is beautiful. The tram tracks are tree lined (unlike the other parts of the city), the buildings are newer, and the roads are wider. It reminded me of parts of Pittsburgh, such as Mt. Washington. There is also restaurant after restaurant after restaurant! So much food to try, and so little time to try it!
I'm beginning to find little shortcuts around town as well, saving me a few minutes when trying to get from point A to B. This is also a great time to find the little restaurants, shops, and markets that so commonly line the back, unknown streets of Rome.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

AS Roma!


Last night as Cole and I were walking back from the girls apartment (they have an internet connection) we witnessed the mayhem that followed AS Roma's (Rome's soccer team)win in the Italian Cup 2-1 over Inter Milan. The streets exploded with action as the AS Roma fans, scarves and all, lit fireworks, sang their fight song, and were just plain rowdy. Horns blared long into the night, even on our usually quiet little street, so sleep was hard to come by last night. Check out the full story (in English) .http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifhere.
When we woke up this morning, the streets were back to normal and Rome continued its Sunday tradition of relaxation. As if nothing had happened the night before.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Photo Website

I was checking online today for different websites devoted to photography in Rome and I found a neat website that has pictures of many of the places that we have been too. Here's the link. I am hoping to use some of these pictures for inspiration. Hopefully it works out!

Viale Di Trastevere and The Gianicolo Hill


As I walking down Viale Di Trastevere this afternoon I passed the Standa Supermarket, which we frequent a decent amount seeing as how close it is to our apartment. Anyways, every time that I pass this supermarket, and I mean every single time, I see the same homeless man. He actually seems quite nice. Every time I pass him I give a nice smile and surprisingly he smiles back, unlike the other Italians I have smiled at. Directly across the street is a small little park (maybe 4-5 benches) and there is another group of homeless people (men and women) who do not smile and seem very disinterested in my passing by. Interesting enough though, Viale Di Trastevere seems to be the hot spot for homeless people. Of course there are homeless people in other places, but more of them seem to live on Viale Di Trastevere than any other place. As I was walking by the homeless man in front of Standa today, he was lighting pieces of paper on fire and watching them burn, smiling the entire time!

On a side note, I've been doing a little bit more exploring down our end of Viale Di Trastevere and noticed that a decent amount of the fountains are not working, for some reason. The one that I really wanted to see is called Acqua Paola and it's located on top of The Gianicolo Hill (which gives some great views of the city), but it was dry when we went up the other day. As far as I could tell from reading on-line, it was working as of recently but now seems dry. They had a problem with its water source a while back but authorities said it was fixed. When it is fixed, though, I will make sure to take pictures. It's a pretty interesting looking fountain.
*Check out this map of all the Roman fountains*

Friday, May 23, 2008

The Colosseum and The Forum





This afternoon a small group of us went to tour the inside of the Colosseum. It was much better than I thought it would be. For 11 euro you get inside the Colosseum, The Forum and The Palatine Museum, three of Romes best sites. I don't think words can really describe what you see when your inside, especially when you know what happened in there. The Italians have tried their best to keep the Colosseum in great shape, and it shows. The maze of tunnels underneath what used to be the floor of the Colosseum is dark and dirty, just like what you would guess it looked like. The walls are high and look as if they are about to crumble down on top of you. It's an experience, for sure. Just imagine being thrown onto the floor, then being hunted down by a lion all while 50,000 fellow humans cheer the lion on, both thumbs in the air. It's quite chilling. The Forum is where all of Romes social, political, and judicial business was conducted from. It's located down the street from the Colosseum, and is a site in itself. Located within the Forum is the place where Marc Anthony gave his famous speech. You can sit in front of this spot and enjoy views of all the other ancient sites in this enclosed area. Like I said, words cannot really describe it so here's some pictures from the afternoon.
Also, here's a link to an album containing all the pictures from the day. Enjoy!

Switzerland!

Good morning everyone! I have been debating how much I want to travel and where I want to travel while I am in Europe. The exchange rate is not working in my favor, so I believe I will only travel two weekends. I just booked a trip from Rome to Zurich, Switzerland for June 20-22nd. I don't know if anyone else is going, but it doesn't matter. I came over to Europe with Switzerland as one of my top choices for travel, so I will stick with that. I can't wait! It's going to be amazing. If you get a chance, search Wikipedia for Zurich and look at some pictures and information on it. I'm sure I'll have some good stuff to blog about on that trip!

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Interesting Website about the Aqueducts

If you want to know a little bit more about the Roman aqueducts, then check out this site. It's a little long, and a little in depth, but it gives some great detail about what it was used for and how they were set up. A great read if you have a little time. It doesn't just talk about Rome, but also about how states like California and New York get their water. Save this for a rainy day read!

Slideshow


Here's a little video (with some music, so check the volume) of some pictures from the past week, here in Rome. Enjoy!

PS. Sorry about the low quality, it was just the quickest to upload on this internet.

The Vatican

This morning we met at 9am at St. Peters square. I don't know how it happened but I ended up getting lost because I walked by myself. I was just about to ask for directions when I rounded the corner and this is what I saw. I literally just stumbled upon the Vatican! I got there early so I took some pictures and hung out until the rest of the group got there then we ventured inside St. Peters Basilica. Once inside this is what we saw. We ventured around inside for a while and got to see all the things that make The Vatican so special. There were masses going on in various parts of the church, as well as Cardinals walking around. It was an experience for sure. Little did we know, but The Vatican is actually its own independent country. It is guarded by the Swiss Military, who happen to wear some very colorful uniforms. We also got a chance to venture into the Tomb of the Popes (no pictures allowed) and got to see John Paul II's tomb. It was controlled by secret service type agents, and no stopping was allowed in front of the tomb. Very neat to see. We ventured outside next to try and get into the Sistine Chapel, but it was closed. We'll have to do that next time we visit The Vatican, like in a week or so. Dom and I then split up from Brian and Jared and walked to the top of one of Romes 7 hills that gave us this view of Rome
All in all it was a great day. We're at the girls apartment now using the internet because the studio internet is not so good. We found one of the coolest drinking fountains in the Vatican. It was a long trough that had about 6-8 spouts coming off of it, and it was full of visitors drinking from it. I attempted to take a picture, but I failed for some reason. The fountain was tucked back in the corner, so the lighting was not so good. Well, I am going to get some work done now. Ciao!

Coffee in the Morning! May 21st



I apologize for the lack of pictures to accompany these posts, but the internet connection here is outrageously horrible, so after waiting 20+ minutes to upload a photo to here, I decided that it was not worth my time. I’ll get around to it sometime when I have a few hours to spare. Anyways, this morning it rained yet again. My typical thoughts of Rome were dry and humid. I was completely wrong. It’s been cool and rainy 7 out of the 10 days we’ve been here. The only bright part about this mornings rainy walk was the espresso that I got at the end of my journey. Our favorite little cafe is only minutes from class! It gets better and better every day. We discussed films and readings today. The discussions seem to get more and more heated every day. Tomorrow we venture to the Vatican for class. I plan on spending a lot of time there, even after the class is done. I’ll keep you all updated as often as I can, it’s just terribly frustrating having no internet in our apartment to do this, and then when we do have it, it doesn’t work. Oh well, bella Roma! Here's a picture of the Piazza that our class is in, Piazza Del Collegio Romano!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Tuesday May 20th Evening Walk


Tonight I decided to walk up the hill behind our apartment, in hopes of finding some new and interesting stuff. I can safely say that I succeeded in doing so. There are some really cool indoor markets as well as a permanent outdoor style market that, I assume, sells the same sort of things that the other outdoor markets (ex: Campo Di Fiori) sell. I also found a park that afforded me a rather nice view of the city from on top of the hill (I'm guessing one of 7 hills in the city). I thought that I was rather far away from our apartment, but within an hour or so I was back down on the main street in Trastevere and only about 5 blocks from where I had started. I was a bit shocked, but I'm guessing I just took a huge oval shaped walk. It was worth it though. Once I was back down on Viale Di Trastevere I found two smaller photo shops. I decided to compare some prices of their cameras as compared to some of our shops back home. As I guessed the prices were a tad bit higher and I am guessing that this is thanks to 2 different reasons: 1.) we are in a city and 2.) the dollar is not fairing well against the euro. None the less, this was a smaller shop and mostly sold point and shoot cameras,and no D-SLRs or higher end equipment. The second shop I stopped in (which I noted earlier that I would stop in) was actually a photo studio, so I'm guessing that galeria in Italian does not mean the same thing as it does back home. Anyways, this photographer was great! He had a wide array of wedding photos, graduation style photos, family photos, and kid photos. His work rivaled that of any photographer I've seen back home in Zelie (Yes, I know there's not many!). I was tempted to ask the photographer about his cameras and techniques, but he was busily working at his computer on what I assume would be an editing program, so I left him be. It was great to see such splendid photography work over here! After I left there I decided that I should try and find yet another market/restaurant on Viale Di Trastevere, and I succeeded once again. I was attempting to take photos of the establishment, but they spoke no english and I wasnt sure how they would feel about me taking photos of their business. This bakery/market/restaurant had prices that rivaled that of Standa (the main market) and a wider selection of breads, which are fantastic by the way! The desserts looked great as well. I'm sure I'll be back down there at some point. I am attempting to take another walk tonight, so I will fill you in on more gems of Viale Di Trastevere tomorrow!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Tuesday Morning, May 20th-Roman Fountains Story

I found this interesting story from June 13th, 2007 about the clash between ancient and modern Rome. The water fountains that I have been talking about carry water miles and miles from outside the city to fountains such as The Trevi Fountain, Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona, and the various drinking style fountains placed throughout the city. It happened in an area called the Parioli district, just outside Romes center. Workers were laying concrete for a new parking garage, when they smashed the concrete tubes that carry the water from the mountains to the city center. With the constant growth of the city, this could happen more and more. Lucky for us, the issue was fixed and the fountains still flow today.
Read the full story here.

Tuesday Morning, May 20th

This morning we met at the classroom at 10am and discussed The Pantheon and Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, which is a beautiful church that is located about two blocks from our class space. The church was constructed in the 13th century and features a wide array of Gothic art. The inside of this large church houses about 8-10 smaller "chapels", which are located on the sides of the church. I personally find it funny that in some of the smaller side chapels you must insert a euro to turn the lights on in order to see it better/take better pictures. I would have taken some pictures today, but I got all the way here and realized that I switched to a 200mm lens, which is to big to shoot in these small, dark places. Both inside and outside the church are works by Bernini, who is one of Italy's great artists. This church is also where, in 1380, St. Catherine of Siena died. She is buried here in a tomb, which you can still see today. After that we ventured back over to The Pantheon, which is right next door to this church. The Pantheon impresses me each and every time I see it. It was originally a Roman temple to all the gods, but was converted to a church through time. The oculus, or the whole in top of the dome, is still open and when it rains outside, it rains inside. The most interesting part of The Pantheon is the tomb of Raphael, who was another great artist of a long ago time. Today in the Pantheon there were "guards" who were watching the tombs of Italian Kings, and asking tourists to sign a book with their name and home country. Of course I signed it in hopes of being a small part of history. We are now sitting in studio, writing our blogs and booking weekend trips, as it thunderstorms very bad outside. Hopefully we can play some more bingo tonight!

Bingo!

Monday night Jared, Dom, Brian and myself decided to go play bingo at the parlor down on Viale Di Trastevere. Jared had went down earlier in the day and won a decently large (137,00 euro) amount of money, so we went again to try out luck. We sat at a table with two women who spoke no english at all, they even asked us how to say "yes" in english. It was pretty amazing. I had never played bingo before (in a real bingo parlor), so starting off in an Italian one was probably not the best idea. They called the numbers out at a rate I didn't think was possible. We just happened to find this place last week while walking down Viale Di Trastevere, so with nothing to really do last night what better idea than to play bingo and spend a few euro! I hadn't really thought of Rome as a place with gambling, but after walking in this place and a few others along Viale Di Trastevere, I am seeing more and more slot machines. I have pretty good luck back in the states, but I don't wanna push it here. I think I am going to venture even farther down Viale Di Trastevere tomorrow and see what other gems I can find! On the bright side, I can now count to 90 in Italian! Ciao!

Monday, May 19, 2008

Good Afternoon!

Good afternoon, or good morning for those of you back in the States! It's a beautiful morning here in Rome, a bit chilly and a little rain earlier, but it seems to be clearing up now. We just finished our first section of class for the day, and at 2:15 we have our second section for about 3 hours, then my roommates and I are going to do some much needed shopping! For those of you who got to watch the Penguins win last night, I am jealous! I had to keep updating the web browser on my phone as well as have Josh message me on the Blackberry Messenger program with constant updates. Stanley Cup 2008, it's coming to Pittsburgh without question. Enjoy your day everyone, you'll be hearing from me later! Ciao

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Photo Gallery

I know I mentioned that I would visit the photo gallery down the street from my apartment on Saturday, but something came up with my fall schedule and I had to hurry down to the classroom to fix it. Today is Sunday so they are closed, and tomorrow we have class till 6, so I don't think it will be until Tuesday that I get a chance to go down there. I did find another photography store on my way to the classroom this morning, so I can add that to my list of places to check out!

Multiple Uses for Water Fountain

So last night on my way to the Sede Di Roma (Penn States class space), I was walking along Viale Di Trastevere and I noticed something that made me stop (not for long though!) and question myself as to if this was really happening. The homeless in Rome, although nothing like New York City or Philadelphia, are very much present. They must bathe too, right? Sure. So last night I witnessed a homeless man washing a certain area of his body in a fountain. There were people everywhere, but he did not seem to care. A young lady even walked by, but this did not phase him. This is something that you would most likely not find in America. It's a cultural difference I guess. They seem more tolerant of the homeless here, unlike in New York City where the number of homeless suddenly (and very sharply) decreased when Giuliani went into office. I'm just saying.
Ciao!

You still use a Polaroid?

When we were in Campo Di Fiori the past few days I noticed that the gentleman who offer to take your pictures (as well as sell roses, souvenirs, jewelery, etc.) use a Polaroid type of camera. When I first saw this I thought it was just my eyes playing a trick on me. Who would still use a Polaroid in the days of digital-SLRs? I went back a second time and once again they were out in full force equipped with their Polaroid style cameras. It blew me away. They see thousands of tourists a day with beautiful digital cameras, and they offer to take your picture with a format that is, for the most part, outdated. I guess they do get some business though, considering they are still doing it night after night. The location they chose is key to their operation. Campo Di Fiori is a tourist trap, in a sense. They know that Americans are coming here and eating, drinking, and socializing. They take advantage of the fact that some Americans tend to drink to much and waste money on useless things when they are in that state of mind. It's a business just like any other, but the equipment is outdated. Come talk to me, gentleman, when your using a Canon EOS 1D Mark III! Ciao!

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Viale Di Trastevere



First Saturday night in Rome, which obviously means that it gets crowded. It kind of reminds me of State College on a football weekend, just add a lot more people! I say this because it's an influx of people into a specific area for a specific reason, in this case tourism. Anyways, I had to make the trek down to the classroom tonight to fix a scheduling issue for the second summer session, which I did (no worries mom and dad). As I was walking, Viale de Trastevere was bustling! Suddenly, it seemed like more street vendors decided to open up for the weekend. Everywhere I walked, something was being cooked and the whole road smelled fantastic! I did notice something that bothered me from day one, and still did tonight. I keep catching the locals staring at me and I don't mean a simple glance. I am talking that they look at me as we approach, then they turn their head as I pass and give that last little glance to make sure I know they are watching. Of course, after I noticed this the first time I started looking back to see how often it happens. This has led to a few unfortunate "eye-meetings" and a very sincere "grazie" from me. I guess that's what you get when they know that you are an American. Also, this comes along with the territory that we are in. Trastevere is, as a few guidebooks point out, the non-tourist part of Rome. This makes it all the more interesting for Brian, Dom, Cole, Jared and myself. We are living among the locals, and we couldn't be happier!

First Week in Rome Done!



Good morning everyone! It's a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning in Rome! Last night our power went out..so we hung in our apartment by candlelight and just chatted. After a while we went out and got some Gelatti and then Jared and I went back and just hung out, while Dom, Cole, and Brian rode the tram down to the city and then walked to the Colosseum. They said it was great! When we woke up this morning our power was on, Cole fixed it by going into the basement and flipping some switches. After we all got ready this morning we walked down and met everyone at the museum. It was a great time. The art was amazing, and we even got to see the original Marble Faun, which is one of the books we are reading by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I took some pretty decent pictures at the museum, so I will post a few. The view from inside the museum looking out at the Forum was great. We even got on top of the building and got the best view of Rome yet. Right now I am sitting in the school typing this, since my internet time is few and far between. I apologize if all the blog posts seem to be on the same day, but they're actually from various times throughout the week. I'll try to make sure that I specify which day is which. After this we'll be heading back and hanging out. No class tomorrow so I'm sure we'll find something to do tonight. We are going to try and watch the Penguins game tomorrow, all the other ones have been on so I'm sure this will as well. I swear Jared and I are the only Penguins fans here. Hopefully they win. Go Pens! Ciao!

Photography in Rome

I have found a photo gallery at the bottom of the hill where our road meets Viale De Trastevere. I plan on going there tomorrow (Saturday) so I will, without a doubt, report back what I find! Another great example of the photography scene in Rome!

Roman Fountains

I have discovered something so simple so yet so affective with the water fountains throughout town! The water normally flows from steel like pipe that is connected to a fire hydrant looking thing (see picture), and sometimes if you just want a drink you have to bend down and get your knees a little dirty in order to taste this great water. But the other day I noticed that about 2 inches up the pipe from the end is a tiny hole, maybe 1/4 of an inch in diameter, and I had no idea what it did. So last night as we’re sitting at dinner I see a local resident (I know this by the speech and dress) go up to the fountain, place his thumb over the main hole and voila, the water is forced up through the little hole and you have a perfect water fountain, just like in the United States. Okay, so it’s nothing like the United States cause these are on the streets, but the water is now more accessible and you don’t have to get your jeans dirty on the ground. I tried it out last night on my walk home when no one was around incase it didn’t work. Well, it worked fine, but the pressure was really high and it went all over a very nice Smart Car parked right in front of the fountain. It’s just water, so I doubt the owner would care. It needed washed anyways! Ciao!

Roman Nights

Thursday’s (May 15th) dinner consisted of 20 people in one restaurant, as you can guess this was a great idea! All the CAS students went to Campo Di Fiori to eat and socialize. It really let us all get to know each other a little bit more. After that, we hit up an American style bar for a drink and watch soccer, as usual. The walk home from Campo to my apartment takes about 50 minutes, but it was a great night for this! I hope we can do more dinners like this, but with the exchange rate this might be difficult. Ciao, for now!


Today (Friday) we visited the Cript Dei Cippucinni, which is a crypt where 3,000 monks are now “housed.” By housed I mean, theire skeletons are on display here. For 1 euro you can go in (no pictures please!) and look at the bones of these monks. Full skeletons, some with open mouths as if gasping for air, are located throughout the five or so chambers. It was pretty interesting! After that we climbed up towards the Spanish Steps where I got ripped off 15 euro by some gentleman who made me a “gift” bracelet, then charged me and refused the answer “non.” So I paid him. It’s part of the experience! You live, you learn, right? I know how to handle that situation now. After that we went to an overlook on top of one of Rome’s 7 hills and viewed the Vatican from afar. Amazing! Finally, Dom, Jared and I stopped in Giorgio Armani to look at suit prices. To us, this was entertainment. For only 1,450 euro ($2,300) you can have a fantastic suit! I don’t think I’ll be shopping there anytime soon, it’s a little out of my price range. After that we walked back and I made bruchetta and have been hanging out, reading, and enjoying the sounds of Rome right outside my apartment. Ciao!