Instead of Studying..

Ciao! I just got back from my Italian Oral Exam and I think it went pretty well. :) I am just relieved that 1 out of 3 finals are done! Instead of studying all day, I decided I would quickly recap my last weekend in Rome.

So, our last 'sabato sera' I went out for a nice dinner at a restaurant called Gusto. It was delicious and I'm glad I finally got to go out to a legit nice restaurant instead of cooking my simple pasta dish again. We then all hung around Campo de Fiori for the last time! So sad. :( Here is a picture of us from that night. I will definitely miss the atmosphere at Campo de Fiori. It is more American and I have just had a lot of fun when we get to go out around there.

The next day, we went to Ponte Milvio. Here is a link to an article about Ponte Milvio: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/06/world/europe/06rome.html?_r=1 . Basically, couples go there and write their names on the padlocks, lock it to the chains around the bridge and throw the key over the bridge for good luck. It is super cute, even though it has become a tourist attraction. Here is a picture of me on the bridge! I definitely enjoyed going there and feeling the romance. :) I am so cheesey! I would like it.

On Monday after class, I went with Lizzie to San Pietro in Vicoli to see Michelangelo's Moses. It was pretty cool to see even though I am definitely sick of seeing basilicas. Here is a picture of me on our way back from the church passing the Colosseum. I will miss being able to walk around the corner and seeing historical monuments like this. It is crazy that all of these things have been literally in my "backyard" for 2 months.

Last night, Lizzie and I had dinner in the Jewish Ghetto at a restaurant called Giardino Romano. We were requested to try the fried artichokes and they were actually pretty good! I also tried suppli (fried rice and cheese with sauce) and it was delicious! I had tagliolini pasta with shrimp and zucchini! YUM! I will miss the pasta here but I am definitely overloaded on carbs. Can't wait to get back to a normal diet! Besides the gelato. I still would want to eat gelato every day!!

I have been busy preparing for the oral exam and attempting to study for my finals tomorrow. I'm a little worried, obviously, but I know they will be fine. I started to pack today and it is a mess! I'm literally shoving stuff in my luggage.. Let's hope I get everything home!

Thinking about it more and more, it's crazy that there is only more 2 days until I come back to reality. (Sort of. I won't have school so that's a plus. And I'm not working. So, basically, it's nothing like reality. It's just summertime in Chicago. For me, that means sitting by the pool and reading. YAY!) Tomorrow - finals. Friday morning - 9 hour flight! It's outrageous! AHH. Allora, I should probably be studying now. (Even though most of you would disagree ;) ).

A venerdi! :) Ciao Ciao!

One More Week

Ciao a tutti! The past week has been pretty low-key. I have just been going to class, field studies, and hanging out in Rome. We had a field study this week to the Galleria Borghese. It was probably my favorite museum to go to! The Galleria Borghese has a lot of Bernini's masterpieces and they are just amazing! I never really understand statues, I would usually just walk by because I don't know anything about the person they are resembling, etc. However, the Bernini statues actually tell a full story and they are so cool! We weren't allowed to take any pictures while we were inside the museum but, believe me, these statues have so much movement and I definitely was able to appreciate them. They are meant to be seen from many angles which is awesome; It is amazing that you can create these intricate portrayals with one block of marble!

We also had our first, and probably only, field study with our Italian class. We went to Villa Borghese and rented bikes! It was a lot of fun to bike around the park, but my butt was definitely sore! I have not been on a bike in years and my legs were definitely tired for the hour we were there! (It didn't help that the bikes were old and crappy..) It was a good time, though, and the park is really spacious and beautiful. I also took a walk in the park near my apartment and took pictures around that area so I can remember my jogging path. :) It has been way too hot here the past couple of days for me to run. AHH. :(

Last night, we went on the Spanish Steps Pub Crawl. (One last big night out before our finals!) Although not as crazy as our first pub crawl experience, it was definitely still a blast. How could it not be! Here is a picture of us hanging out on the Spanish Steps before the pub crawl. Tonight, we are seeing the opera Tosca. It is outside, which should be pretty cool, but I know I won't understand a word of it!

I'm not really sure what else I'll be doing this weekend, my last in Rome, but I am definitely getting kind of sad to leave. I know that I will totally be ready to get on the plane in ONE WEEK but it will be weird at the same time to be at home in Chicago.. lots of mixed feelings! I just wish that we had finals earlier and could spend a few days here without having to worry about class! Finals are for sure already stressing me out a little, but I'm sure it will all be OK.

This will all be over in one short week! Can you even believe it has been that long? I'm not sure how much more I'll be posting on the blog since I will just be studying for finals and packing up to go home! This has definitely been an experience I will never forget! But, I can't wait to see every one at home! 7 days and counting.. Tanti cari senti e a presto!

The Beauty of Venice

Ciao! I just got back from my LAST weekend trip to Venice! It was absolutely beautiful there: I LOVED it! Everything ran very smoothly (for once!): our flights were on time, we landed safely and figured out how to get to our hotel easily. On Friday, we got in around 9 AM and were still pretty exhausted. So, all 8 of us napped in our one open room for a couple hours (definitely a sight to see sharing twin bunk beds). Around 11:30, we then headed to lunch (which was the best pizza I have had all trip!), and walked around S. Croce, S. Polo, and finally made our way to S. Marco. We just leisurely walked around the city, admired its beauty, and shopped! (Definitely the MOST I've shopped all trip!) It was so relaxing to not have a strict itinerary (did I just admit that?!) but it was like our own vacation away from our vacation in Rome. :) Here is a picture of me at the Grand Canal! Isn't it pretty! Ah! There are tons of shops, restaurants, and gondola rides around this area and it is just so amazing! Even though Venice is probably "touristy", it is like Florence in that it is small and seems so much less crowded and busy than Rome. It was such a relaxing trip and, shockingly, I loved just aimlessly walking around Venice and even getting lost! Some times the best stuff is found in those back alleys!

I could not help myself from literally walking into every glass shop in Venice! The Murano Glass is VERY big in Venice (obviously) and so there are glass stores, legit, every where! Depending on the area it gets pretty expensive, especially in S. Marco, but I seriously am in love with the glass and couldn't get enough! The pieces are all so gorgeous and so unique. I can't wait to, one day, come back after I'm married and pick out cool glass pieces to decorate our house!! My dream! HAHA. Here is a picture of these specific glass pieces that I honestly wanted so badly: they are called "eggs of life" and I think they are just gorgeous. I was too worried about getting them home and they were pretty pricey, so I didn't get one. Shoot. :( But, how freaking amazing are these! I wish I would have gotten to see how these are made! That would have been sick!

We also went inside S. Mark's Basilica on Saturday, which was pretty cool. I am kind of "churched out" but it was still cool to see. Night life is kind of quiet in Venice but we went to a really nice dinner by the Canal on Friday (I had baked lasagna and veal! YAY!) and we went on a Gondola ride on Saturday night which was very exciting. I can definitely see how gondola's can be very romantic, but it was just nice to relax on the boat and view the scenery. We were on the boat for like 25 minutes, starting at the Grand Canal, through some back streets, and then making our way back to the canal. Here is a picture I took on the ride: I think it's a pretty cool picture if I do say so myself. :) On Saturday night, I REALLY was not feeling well so I went home early to try and lay down and rest. I'm kind of disappointed to have missed out on what I heard was an eventful evening in Venice. Apparently, 3 of the girls on the trip ended up swimming in the canals of Venice (obviously, not in the right state of mind). I heard it was hilarious, but I can only imagine! They came back soaking wet and smelled like swamp water. I would NEVER have done that so I guess I didn't really "miss out", but I'm sure it would have been hysterical to watch.

I'm so glad we had this full weekend in Venice: it was gorgeous and relaxing and perfect. I'm now back in my apartment, slightly tired but can't really fall asleep (hence, writing this post!). This is my last full week (13-17th), with a weekend in Rome to see an Opera, and then the following week I have my projects and final exams! The summer is almost over!! But, I'm hoping to "live up" these last 12 days in Rome. I feel like I have seen pretty much all the sights in Rome that I wanted to, but maybe I'll explore more of the night life in Rome this week and the next! :) Maybe I'll treat myself to some nice dinners, too! I'm going to try and rest for a little, maybe take a leisurely walk in the park later. Talk to you (and SEE you) soon!! 12 Days will go by fast!!

Capitoline Museum and The Vatican

Hey! I guess this week was full of tours! (Which is a good thing considering I have been here EXACTLY a month and finally made it to the Vatican!) On Tuesday, my art history class went to see the Capitoline Museum. Lucky for us, it was open. Today it was closed because Michelle Obama came to Italy! :) Anyway, the museum was really interesting and it is the house of many famous statues. It was the first public museum so it is of great historical important for Rome. Here is a picture of the original bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius. The marble copy is what it is outside in Campidoglio Sqaure. The museum also has the remains of a colossal statue of Constantine and the She-Wolf statue. Our tour was cool but it was really long! I was definitely museumed-out. Or so I thought..

Today, we had a guided tour of the Vatican. It was a 2 hour tour through the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. We literally sprinted to find the entrance; we were definitely going to be late and had no idea where to go! Probably one of the most sweaty days in Rome.. but we made it! It was really amazing to be inside the Vatican and see first hand these amazing works of art. I could definitely upload a zillion pictures from our tour, but it would get too over loaded. But, here is a picture of the Vatican. It is honestly HUGE and the Vatican is it's own country! The smallest one in the world! To go through what I saw (briefly): we first entered a courtyard which was very pretty. We made our way into a gallery of statues and into another octagonal courtyard that holds the famous Laocoon statue and Apollo del Belvedere. We then saw the, also famous, Belvedere Torso statue which is supposed to show "perfect form" and was the inspiration for Michelangelo. It was really cool to see many of the frescos; ones that looked like reliefs (3D) were actually painted! It was amazing!

We also went through a gallery of tapestry and it was so ridiculous: one of the tapestries was of Jesus and his eyes follow you as you walk past it and the table beneath him switches sides! How did they make an illusion in a tapestry! AHH! We then went into the room's of Raphael and saw all of his famous pieces like the School of Athens. We then headed to the Sistine Chapel and I tried to sneak some pictures, but they don't turn out that well without the flash. Here is a picture of Michelangelo's The Last Judgment. It took him 4 years to make it! It was seriously mind-blowing to be inside the Sistine Chapel. I still don't understand how it is possible to paint on these huge walls with such detail. But, it was beautiful and highly decorated and I really enjoyed being there. I am glad I learned a little bit about all the statues and the paintings history and hopefully will continue to learn more about them.

We made our way to St. Peter's Basilica and that may have been one of the best parts. We almost didn't go in but we would have definitely missed out! It was so large, overwhelming, and so beautiful! I run out of adjectives so I know I sound repetitive, but I really don't even know how else to describe it! Here is a picture of me inside the Basilica. I have also attached a video. It obviously does not capture the view beauty of it that I was able to see, but, it will do. There is a statue of a man, I'm not sure of who it is portraying, but apparently people rub his right foot for good luck. So, of course, I did. The marble statue is changing shape (you can't even see the lines of the foot anymore) due to the amount of people that rub its' right foot: it is crazy! I am going back to the Vatican again tomorrow with my art history class, but now I feel much more prepared to see it. It was DEFINITELY worth the 30 euro to get a tour of the Vatican. I would not have known ANYTHING and would have walked right past tons of important statues, frescoes, tapestries, mosaics, and paintings.

I am leaving on Friday morning for Venice! It is my last weekend of planned traveling; I can't believe the summer here is coming to an end! It has been a month, even though it feels longer, but time is going by very quickly. I only have this weekend in Venice, one more weekend in Rome (I am going to see an Opera!), and then the last week with finals! Maybe next summer I will study abroad some where else? Just a thought! ;) Arrivederci!

Cinque Terre, Florence, and Pisa

Hey everyone! I'm just settling back in the apartment in Rome after a long, busy, and sometimes stressful weekend in Cinque Terre, Florence, and Pisa. Let's just get right down to it..

Thursday July 2nd: First stressful event. After class, we went to Termini Station to catch our 6 PM train to La Spezia. After reading numerous signs, asking various people, and checking multiple platforms, we realize our train was cancelled. Bummer. They eventually sent another train, which we got on, but the train didn't go all the way to La Spezia because of some kind of accident. It went to a city called Livorno. After getting off in Livorno, it was another 2 hour bus ride to La Spezia so we finally arrived at midnight. At this point, we couldn't get our shuttle to our 'campsite' for the night, so we had to search for a random hotel in La Spezia. It turned out fine, the manager of this particular hotel was very nice and we were able to stay there. So we were finally headed to bed after a long day of traveling in order to prepare for our next day early wake up. :)

Friday July 3rd: We woke up really early to catch the first train out from La Spezia to Vernazza (one of the 5 fishing villages of Cinque Terre). Once in Vernazza, we began our estimaed 2 hour hike from Vernazza to Monterosso. It was absolutely gorgeous to see Cinque Terre - it was so natural and beautiful and I was so glad we got to hike at the National Park. It was the most stairs I have ever and probably will ever walk up (or so I thought). It was pretty hard at first, with all the stairs, but then the trail finally hit its peak and it was smooth sailing from there. Here is a picture of Vernazza - isn't it beautiful!? I have a lot of pictures (obviously) but nothing really can show how clear the water is or just how cute the village is. It was really cool to hike and I probably would have hiked more but the heat was killer and after baking in the sun at the beach, my body definitely would not have made it. I would love to come back to the coast and stay here longer than one day (maybe see all 5 villages!), but it was super relaxing and an amazing site to see. Here is a picture of me on the hike, all sweaty and disgusting, but I'm in Cinque Terre so it's OK!

We got on our train to Florence and thought everything was running according to plan. However, to our surprise, when we got to the hotel we booked online there was a sign on the door saying it was not in operation. Second stressful event, but to spare you all the creepy long story, here is the short version. A man told us he had arranged us a new hotel to stay in. We got there and it was a hostel, with not enough rooms for all of us to stay and in a very shady area of town. We were totally uncomfortable and obviously not paying for anything less than what we originally planned, so we walked around until midnight to find a new hotel to stay at. We sent a nasty e-mail to Hostel Bookers for still allowing individuals to make reservations at a non-operating hotel, so we are getting our money back which is good. But, after that we were all exhausted and sacrificed a night out to get some sleep for tomorrow's fully packed day of sight seeing.

Saturday July 4th: We had a reservation at the Uffizi Gallery at 8:45 AM. I wish I knew much more about art and art history before going to the museum, but regardless, it was very cool to see as it holds much of the major works of art of famous Italian artists. My favorite room was the Botticelli section, especially the Birth of Venus painting. After the gallery, we went to see the Duomo and decided it was well worth the 8 euro to climb to the top! I can't decide which had more stairs: the hike in Cinque Terre or the Duomo. The Duomo has 463 stairs with no lift and the staircase is super narrow, claustrophobic, and dark. However, the view from the top is definitely well worth the sweat! Here is a picture of the Duomo and a picture of me at the top! You can see all of Florence from the top; it is spectacular!

We walked around the markets in San Lorenzo and Ponte Vecchio; the leather in Florence is all over and very nice quality! After some browsing, we went to the Academia Gallery to see Michelangelo's famous David. I was rebellious and snuck some pictures of it, even though you're not supposed to. It is amazing how it is so deatiled and realistic: I feel like Italian artists were so talented then and no artists now even compare! (This goes for statues and paintings in the Uffizi). It is just mind boggling how these artists can paint such realistic and huge pieces of art or even sculpt something like the David out of a block of marble. Crazy!!

We went out for a nice dinner right along the river called the Golden View. I had a delicious meal: crostini with pomodoro e mozzarella and a tagliolini pasta con zucchero e pomodoro. :) Afterwards we had to go out for the night in Florence and celebrate the Fourth of July! It was definitely a fun night except I was thinking a lot about true American food on the 4th and watching fire works. But as much as I missed it, undoubtedly, being in Florence tops it.

Sunday July 5th: After checking out of our hotel, we went to the train station to make a quick visit to Pisa to see the leaning tower. We were honestly in Pisa for an hour and a half, but it was worth it to see the Tower with my own eyes! It was so cool! I obviously attempted to take cool pictures with the tower, although I'm not sure mine really turned out that great. I also have been attempting to increase my photography skills so starting in Florence, I took some black and white pictures which I think will eventually be printed and hung up in my apartment next year. :) Here is a picture of the Tower!


Although a rushed and crazy weekend, with only one day in each city, it was a weekend trip I will never forget! I absolutely adored Florence and am for sure going to have to come back there some day. It is much smaller than Rome but the feel of the city is much calmer and less touristy, which I liked. I could definitely see why people choose to live there. I loved it!!

I definitely need to get some rest tonight and catch up majorly on sleep. My Italian midterm is tomorrow morning and I still haven't really studied, but I think I should be OK for that. Sorry this post is so long but I just did so much and this doesn't even do the weekend justice! I hope every one had a great 4th of July! Buona Notte!

Midterms

Hello! I'm currently studying for my Art History midterm and, let me tell you, it is NOT going well! I just need to pass so I'm hoping I can pull it off. I obviously have been in class and paying attention but I just don't know how specific the test is going to be. I definitely know all of the monuments, since I am interested when we talk about those, but knowing the historical background of Rome gets tough.

I had my first presentation in class today, presenting the Forum of Augustus at the Imperial Forum. I actually think that went well so maybe this test will, too. I had to put together the project last minute so I was a little nervous (obviously, since I never do that at school!) I have my Italian midterm on Monday when I get back from a long weekend trip to Cinque Terre and Florence so I'll probably have to study for that on our train rides. GRR and I'm having some trouble "packing light". I just don't know what to wear! I love having options but I guess I'll have to figure it out and "make it work". I just wish I could spend all of my time here traveling and sight seeing instead of worrying about school!! I don't really have any motivation or reason to care, but I can't bring myself to NOT study. It's silly, I know.

I'm really really really excited for this weekend. I have only heard amazing things about both Cinque Terre and Florence! :) We are staying the the Cinque Terre National Park and camping out in tents (what an adventure this will be) and then staying at the Hotel Spagna in Florence. So many places to see, so little time!! (And, hopefully I find some good shopping in Florence! I'm ready to splurge!) The time has been going by pretty quickly now that we have started to travel! Soon enough, I'll be complaining about packing for home.. I definitely think I am going to miss this life in Rome! I'm sure I'll have a lot to say after this weekend so, be aware that a long post is coming soon!

Avere un buono fine settimana!