Rome-ing Around

Hi! I just wanted to give some brief updates on things I have been doing in Rome.

While in Rome, I have visited quite a few museums, such as Galleria Doria Pamphilj and the Vatican Museums, where I saw famous works, including the Sistine Chapel and The School of Athens. Other museums include:

• Capitoline- I was really excited to see the giant foot of Constantine, since I had seen the sketch below over and over in class. Of course, I jumped on the opportunity to recreate it.

The Artist Moved by the Grandeur of Ancient Ruins

• Centrale Montemartini- An old power station which was turned into a museum to store antiquities. Conceptually, I really like the idea of the juxtaposition between industrial machinery and ancient art. However, I was not a fan of the actual execution. At some points in the museum, I felt as if the exhibit was covering its industrial background, rather than working with it.
• Hendrik Christian Andersen Museum-  This house museum stores exaggerated statues, which the artist planned to use to decorate his imagined world city. I think I would have enjoyed this museum more if there had not been the temporary exhibit of a more modern artist. With this combination, some of the newer masks obscured the original statues. I  hope to return to the museum once the exhibit has ended.
• Galleria Borghese- I was not particularly excited about this famous museum. When I went, I was at the point where I thought if I saw another marble statue, I might go mad (there are so many in Rome)! However, the collection was simply amazing. Ironically, I liked Bernini’s statues in particular. The  detail he was able to create using such a medium was breathtaking. I was particularly impressed with the seemingly simple, but incredibly detailed grip of Pluto’s hand on Persephone's thigh in the Rape of Persephone. 

Photo taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Rape_of_Proserpina_1_-_Bernini_-_1622_-_Galleria_Borghese,_Rome.jpg

I was really excited to see the Roman Forum and Coliseum! I won’t bore you all with a history lesson that you could find a better version of on Wikipedia, but I will share a few photos.There was also a cat hanging out in the Coliseum which was quite adorable!

Coliseum Cat!

I also made a stop by the mouth of truth, which I am sure many of you have seen in Roman Holiday. For any of you wondering, I still have both hands!

Throughout Rome there are fountains constantly running. The water is safe for drinking, but birds have found another, rather charming, use for them. They use them as bird showers! (I suppose there aren’t enough bird baths in Rome.) I have even seen to birds fight over the spout!

I took this photo in Venice, where I first noticed the showering birds. 

For research for my political science class, I have attended a few of political rallies. I found it very interesting to note the types of people who went to each rally and how they reflected the ideals of the party whose rally they were attending. Berlusconi’s party, which is center- right, drew crowds who dressed and acted in a business casual way. On the other hand, Grillo's movement, a populist party which claims to be neither left nor right, shows the party’s foundation as a social as well as political movement. Heineken seemed to be the drink of choice for most ralliers, while others  donned V for Vendetta masks. Overall, being in Rome for the elections was a great experience, and I learned a lot about the political system in Rome.

Berlusconi rally in Piazza del Popolo

I was also lucky enough to be in Rome during the papal elections. One rainy day, I ran out of the cookies that I am currently addicted to (chocolate and hazelnut), and I had to run to the grocery store to get some more. I went in with no cookies, and when I came out with the cookies, bells began to ring through Rome. I thought this must be God’s way of telling me he approved of the cookies ;) As it turns out, it was actually a signal that the new pope was elected. I walked back to my apartment, and on my way there, I saw about 10 of my classmates running to the Vatican. After I put my groceries away, I decided to join in. It was packed! It was nearly impossible to hear or see what was going on. Still, we heard people say “Argentinean” in Italian and we knew who had been elected. 

Florence and Venice

Better late than never! About a month ago, I went on a trip to Florence and Venice. Unfortunately, I had midterms and then spring break right after, so I never got around to posting.

I had a fantastic time during the weekend trip! Florence is a beautiful city that is so rich in art and history. Of course, we did the normal tour around, exploring some of the major sites.

Make a wish!

While I was there, I visited the Uffici and the Accademia. Both house some of the most famous pieces of art in the world, and I managed to take some sneaky shots of a couple I am sure you all will recognize. 

Leaving high culture all together, we also made a stop at the pizza shop where the cast of Jersey Shore worked. Even though none of us are fans of the show, someone who lived in Florence said it was the best pizza he had ever had, so we decided to give it a try. In my opinion, it was nothing special. 



The markets of Florence are rich with Italian leather. I was in search of a nice messenger bag, but I did not find one that really loved. There is also a jewelry market where the shops are built into an old bridge called Ponte Vecchio. Moving into the jewelry market was a big step up for this bridge, as it used to be occupied by butchers. There is a historical rumor that this bridge was saved from WWII bombings due to explicit orders from Hitler who was supposedly quite fond of the bridge and Florence in general. While this would be an interesting story, it seems to untrue. Hours of painstaking research on Wikipedia suggest that the bridge was spared simply because access to the bridge was obstructed at the time. 

Much to my excitement, we were in town during a 10 day chocolate festival. This was actually one of the best parts of the trips. The chocolate was not only delicious (they were not stingy with samples), but also presented very nicely! My favorite stand was Cioccolateria Marino. Their display contained random chocolate flavors, including everything from rice to cannabis! They also had some more traditional pairings like melon and other fruits. However, what made it so distinct was that the each thing tasted like its flavor with a hint of chocolate, rather than chocolate with a hint of the flavor.

I was craving fruit, so I went for chocolate covered strawberries. Delicious!

Ever since I discovered the floating city of Venice in 2^nd grade, I have wanted to visit. It was just as beautiful as 2^nd grade Marlena thought! Sadly, there did not seem to be much else beyond beauty. Unlike other cities which have monument after monument to visit, Venice was not as site oriented. When we researched what things to do while there, everyone told us “just get lost and explore.” For the most part that is exactly what we did. The gondola ride was also a lot of fun, although it felt somewhat unfulfilling without someone playing the accordion haha.

We went to Venice during Carnival festivities. I thought this would make the trip even more fun, but honestly, it was more of a hassle. While I loved admiring the beautiful costumes and masks, The streets were packed! Some smaller main streets were so trafficked that it took abut 5 minutes to walk down them and police had to patrol the sides and keep order.

I hope all is well in the US! I have so much more to post (including political rallies, the Colosseum and Forum, and spring break). I will try my hardest to catch up on these posts!

I wanted to do a post updating everyone on my last couple of weeks! I am listing some of the main details:

• So far think that I will like my classes, but it is way too early to say for sure. One thing that I am not a fan of is my schedule. On two days, I start class at 9am and end at 8pm, with a 3 and 5 hour break in between. It really eats up the day and doesn’t allow me to do much else. Additionally, it has been a pain trying to communicate with Penn about which courses I will get credit for. I even had to miss out on what would have been my first gelato trip to stay at home and communicate with my adviser. Nevertheless, I am happy to say that it seems as if everything has been worked out, at least for now.

• My roommates and I have been trying to cook some homemade pasta dishes. Our goal is to try one each week. Our first was was a pea pasta. We completed the meal with homemade garlic bread and “complementary" wine. While the dish was excellent, the wine clashed with the garlic in the meal and left a biting sensation in the mouth. Speaking of garlic, we have been cooking with actual cloves and not garlic powder. Since I am always the one to cut it, I feel like I am in a permanent state of smelling like garlic!

Pasta Piselli

• We made the Italian broccoli (broccoli romanesco) with another meal! It smells and tastes very similar to the broccoli we are used to. That was a bit disappointing, but it still looks really cool!

• The weather has been much nicer than it was during my first week, and with my free time  have been able to explore some more of the city. I slowly feel myself getting more comfortable with my surroundings. I am also starting to realize what a great location my school and residence are in. Campus is close to attractions like Piazza del Popolo, Via del Corso, and the Spanish Steps, while my residence is blocks away from the Vatican Walls. 

View of St. Peter's Basilica

Castel Sant'Angelo

• I suppose one might say a high point was an 8 hour walk around the ancient walls of Rome, although most would probably say that it was the point of insanity. It was a really unique way to get familiarize myself with the city. I saw many beautiful places and learned a lot about the history of Rome. 

Anita Garibaldi riding a horse with a baby in one arm and a pistol in the other. (How can I be homesick for South Carolina with statues like this around?)

• I went to a couple of National Museum of Rome sites where I got to see art and architecture from antiquity. Palazzo Massimo alle Terme had classic sculptures and beautiful frescos and mosaics from villas. One room was designed to contain the fresco which lined the walls of the subterranean dining room of Livia. 

An ancient mosaic, which looks so modern to me. 

Another ancient mosaic. This was so large that it would not fit into my camera shot. 

• After Palazzo Massimo, we headed over the Baths of Diocletian, which were once an important part of Roman social life, as well as a way of showcasing wealth. I thought more of the bath complex would be intact. Unfortunately, much of the original design no longer exists or has been built over. 

One of the main chambers of the Baths of Diocletian (which is now a basilica). 

• For the first time, I watched La Vita è Bella (Life is Beautiful). What a wonderful movie! If you are up for a sad yet comedic film, I would highly recommend it. 

• I also went to Artena to visit a professor's archaeological excavation site of a villa . While I enjoyed the informational part of the trip, the view alone would have certainly been worth the hike. 

A pony got into the excavation site! 

• Perhaps my favorite visit was to the Capuchin Crypt. The bones of around 3,700 people have been worked into grotesquely beautiful art. I managed to take a few sneaky shots, but unfortunately they did not come out so well. I am sure a google image search will show much better photos!

Note the clock in the bottom center. 

Note the winged skull in the bottom right corner.

• On the other hand, my favorite visit might have been to a gelato shop. I have visited two famous gelaterias in Rome so far: Old Bridge and Giolitti. Out of the two, Giolitti was my favorite. I had the nutella flavor which tasted just like actual nutella! Interestingly, this flavor was a much warmer temperature than most gelato.

Nutella and tiramisu with whipped cream.

Well there is a brief summary of what has been happening in Rome! Ciao for now.

Sun setting over Rome