When in Rome...
Trip Start
May 19, 2008
1
7
20
Trip End
Jul 21, 2008
Rome,
Lazio,
Italy
Saturday, June 7, 2008
So I haven't had a chance to blog lately, because we've been running around pretty crazy. In the few days that I haven't blogged, we've visited a criminal court, we got to see the Palazzo Vecchio. I started getting used to Florence, knowing where I'm going, and finding my favorite place to get gelato. We had a pot luck dinner last night where everyone had to bring a dish. We had all kinds of pastas and appetizers. I made a strawberry dessert with pudding and chocolate, and it was delicious (Sweet Retreat: Florence Style). It rained really hard so we had to move the potluck inside of our hotel in one of their rooms. It still worked out really well and we were all stuffed by the time we were finished. The Duke gave us all a gift at the end as an "interim graduation" present. It was just a poster rolled up with a red ribbon tied around it, but it was very sweet. Last night was just fun altogether
Sweet Retreat - Florence Edition
. Day One:
Today, we had to get up and go to early classes, because we were leaving for Rome in the afternoon. We suffered through classes, and then went home. On our way home, Amber and I stopped at the bus station to buy our tickets to Venice for Sunday (another day trip, yay!). We got home, and packed for our three days in Rome. After a few hours of a boring bus ride, we finally arrived in Rome. Rome is beautiful. I got to see the Coliseum!!!! We got to our hotel late tonight, and immediately settled in and tried to find something to eat. After grabbing some delicious pizza at a typical Italian eatery along the road, we went to see a quick view of the Coliseum in the dark and a few other really cool buildings that I don't know yet. We have plans to see them later this week. We returned to our hotel after a quick walk and some gelato because we have to wake up early in the morning.
Our hotel is crazy. The hallways are long and very maze-like. It's crazy just trying to find our rooms. We have to turn down dozens of turns, and follow all kinds of signs just to get to the elevator. I feel like I'm in some kind of horror movie or something
Graduation Day
. Weird. So we finally find our room and open the closet...oh wait, that was our room, and not the closet. We have three beds that are really cots. Our bathroom is a comparable size to our closet (a.k.a. our room). We were super excited to see the quality bathroom, huge bathtub, and don't forget the bidet. We finally have a shower that we can turn around in! This is obviously super exciting since our elbows and knees have been bruised from banging them against the walls and doors of our shower in Florence. Amber is the first to shower, and soon after bursts out of the bathroom door in frustration explaining the negative qualities of the seemingly good bathroom in a highly intensive voice and attitude. Apparently, the bathroom floods from the shower head spraying out of the side up and over the shower curtain and half way across the room all over the floor. The shower didn't turn out to be as high quality as we thought.
It's not bedtime, and I will post the blog as soon as I get internet again. Our hotel in Rome doesn't even offer internet here even though the website claims that we can get it free. A few of us think that we are being cheated just because we are Americans. We'll figure something out soon though. I'll write again when I can!
Potluck.
!Day Two:
So, internet in Europe is very elusive. We don't have it at our hotel, even to purchase for an exorbitant amount. I am currently writing my blogs in a word document so I can copy and paste them when I do get internet and still be able to catch up on everything.
Today was our first full day in Rome. We had class early in the morning at the UNIDROIT. It definitely wasn't a classroom setting. We didn't have any desks or a place to put our instruments of learning. However, the guest speakers were good, at least the one that I could stay awake for.
In environmental law, we talked about Global warming and the Kyoto Protocol. As you can imagine, it was an awkward class for me. The professor presented one side of the argument and then, as usual, asked if there was anyone who thinks differently. Normally, I would take this up as a challenge. However, in a room full of science majors, I wasn't about to start. I just kept my mouth shut and learned about how we are all going to die from "climate change" (global warming) because America won't sign the Kyoto Protocol
Coliseum - night view
.After class, we returned to our hotel, tricked the front desk guy into giving us a second key for our room. Apparently, one key to a room here. So weird. I guess its so that when we get trapped in the maze, we can't spread out to find our room. After we went to the hotel, ate some dinner, we went on a trip around Rome. First we went to Vatican City. We almost got swindled into buying a tour from a sketchy tour guide, but the police came to break it up before we got anywhere. So we waited in line and went to see St. Peter's Basilica. It was huge and gorgeous, as expected. I didn't know what I was looking at most of the time because I don't have a Catholic background, but it was still pretty.
After wondering around St. Peter's square for awhile, and realizing that it was too late to visit the Sistine Chapel, we walked around Rome until our feet hurt. We got to see the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, and a bunch of other old and cool buildings. They were amazing sights. It was an amazing feeling to stand in the middle of buildings that were a big part of history. The architecture is gorgeous and the city is just amazing. The Italian people are still rude, but Rome is still fun. Tomorrow we go to the Italian Constitutional Court early morning, so its bedtime
The Pantheon
!Day 3 1/2:
I'm on the bus back to Florence. We have a long trip (almost 4 hours), so I have some time to catch up. I had no internet for over 36 hours. Still none on the bus, but at least I got to take a short nap and use my computer for a bit.
Thursday, we left the hotel early to visit the Italian Constitutional Court (the highest court in Italy - comparable to the US Supreme Court). One of the judges of the Constitutional Court spoke for a few minutes to us and then gave us an opportunity to ask him questions in a question and answer session. He was one of the best speakers we've had so far. After learning about the Italian court/educational system, we went on a tour of the building. Very cool.
We had a few hours before our next class, so we hurried back to the hotel and changed into more comfortable clothing. We stopped for lunch in the train station right across from our hotel, and then headed for the Coliseum. The last time I only got to see the outside at night, but this time I actually got a tour of the inside
Mussolini gave speeches here.
. We paid a few extra Euros to jump to the head of the ticket line and get a quick tour of the coliseum. It was an amazing site. It was breathtaking to imagine what it was like back then and actually stand inside the building that I've learned so much about and heard about since I was young. The Coliseum was incredibly massive and majestic. But, we only had a few hours so we kept going because we wanted to see as much as possible. Our tickets also gave us access to the archeological site and the Forum that was beside the Coliseum. The was the old site to the homes of the rulers of Rome and such. This site was also breathtaking. It was amazing how the structures could last for so long. We tried to see as much as possible, and then hurried off to class for a couple hours. Since it was still light out and the Forum didn't close until 7, we went back to see if we could finish going through the area. We walked so much!!! But, it was all worth it. At around 7, we headed back to the hotel very exhausted. Amber and I tried another restaurant across the street from our hotel, because we were somehow given the impression that we could get free internet there. This was not the case, however. Instead, we ended up eating overpriced steakhouse food that isn't even close to the quality that it is in the states. After dinner, we did a little more walking, and hanging out at the hotel with some friend, and then turned in for the night
me at the Trevi Fountain
. What a long day!!In the morning we got up early again, because there was still more to see. Amber and I met in the lobby for breakfast with Becca and Jenna, and then we were off for the Vatican again. This time, we were determined to see the Sistine Chapel. The line was a little long, but it moved fast so it wasn't a bad wait. We got inside, and it was crazy. We were herded down these long hallways like cattle. There was artwork and statues everywhere. We kept getting taken into different halls and rooms on our way to the Sistine Chapel. We got a whole tour of the Vatican Museum on the way to see the Chapel.
After what seemed like forever, we finally reached the chapel. I'm not going to lie, I may have built up some big expectations in my head, because I was a little disappointed. After seeing all of the Duomos in all of these cities and the huge buildings that are so gaudy, I was expecting a huge chapel. The room wasn't that big. All of the walls and ceiling were painted and very impressive, but still not the picture that I had in my head. I actually had to look for that one picture that is sold on postcards everywhere - the one with God reaching down to man to touch his finger who is holding it out like E.T. For some reason, I assumed that since that was the picture that was reprinted so much, it must have been a bigger part of the artwork
Me and the Spanish Steps
. However, it was the same size as most of the other panels. So, now it makes me wonder why we've picked that one out to reprint on postcards and books everywhere. After the Sistine Chapel, I felt like my legs and feet were just going to give out underneath me because they hurt so bad from all the walking, but we had more to see so we kept on keeping on. Becca and Jenna hadn't seen St. Peter's Basilica yet, so we went back over there and Amber and I toured the tombs of the Popes and met Becca and Jenna afterwards. The tombs were a little weird for me. I wasn't really sure how to feel about going under the chapel to walk down these halls to see where all the dead popes were buried. Of course, the busiest tomb was Pope John Paul. There were few people kneeling beside his tomb praying, and some of them looked like they were about to cry. I just wanted to say, "Dude, this was a person, not a god."
Overall, the trip to Rome was fantastic. It kept me moving fast, and I got to see so many beautiful things. On the bus ride home, another student let us borrow Rocky Balboa and Anthony and I watched it on my computer. It made the bus ride go so much faster. Florence for the night and Venice in the morning!
Comments
Coward
Alina, Great stuff. Good pics. Since when do you back down from an argument? What does being a science major have to do with anything? Global warming isn't based on science. Rush takes on the whole of science academia with no competition. Remember the Sistene Chapel was painted 500 years ago. Michelangelo had his work cut out for him without any automatic lifts. He had to climb the scaffold & lay on his back to paint the ceiling. Your dad was in court last week too. He was there for 4 days and finally got a shoplifting case. He had to take control of the jury deliberations and tell them all how a criminal thinks. Why he knew this guy preplanned the job. Anyway, they convicted him. We are on our 4th day of 90 plus temps & they are supposed to last all week. A great summer so far.
Love, Mom
Re: Coward
Alina those 'scientists' (I will use that term loosely) Now may never get a clue. Because you did not give them a dissertation on the transfer of wealth from one individual (or country) to another. All in the name of global warming. It has nothing whatsoever to do with science or preservation.