Sleepy Sunday

Sunday – Day 14

After our potluck last night I woke up extremely tired and a little sick.. I went out to lunch at Pizza Ré but quickly left after getting my pizza to go back home and sleep some more. I rested till late in the afternoon and ate the rest of my pizza for a snack. I went to the lab to work on my journal entry for class and turned it in with a bunch of pictures. I still have to finish a poster for tomorrow so that should be fun to work on tonight. I got a sandwich and gelato during the work session at the lab and continued working. I can’t wait to go to sleep!

Oh I also ran out of money today.. and figured out how to add photos in a new cool way to my blog.

Hoo Rah!

Friday – Day 12

The day started off early with a group meeting at 7:00am in front of the UWRC. The Law, Societies, and Justice Program met our program here and then as a group walked to where our bus was waiting. It was a short walk and everyone was on the bus and ready to go by 7:30am. Many students began to fall asleep on our road trip to our first stop of the day, Sacro Bosco – Bomarzo. After a short delay to get inside, we all entered into a giant wooded forest park filled with large statues of monsters, creatures, and a few buildings. The park was created by Vincino Orsini for his wife on his estate around 1552.

After our time was up at the park we hopped back on the bus towards the small town of Orvieto, which was only a 15 minute drive away from Bomarzo. Orvieto is located on the top of a large hill and is accessible by railway trolley up the side of the hill or by driving around the twisty roads up to the top. As a large group we piled into the small trolley car after the bus dropped us off towards the bottom of the hill and were carried up to the main town. Once we got to the top we had no schedule to follow so we were allowed to explore on our own. I decided to use my time to take many pictures of all the different doors, windows, signage, and buildings around the town. One of the reasons why the town was founded and continues to attract tourists is the Duomo Cathedral. The church was founded after a priest passing through Boslena (a town a few miles away) doubted that the bread used in communion was really the body of Christ. During mass the bread bled and stained the cloth it was held in. The cloth was brought to the Pope where he claimed it a miracle and declared that a church needed to be made on the hilltop where it resides today in Orvieto.

We all made it back to the bus around 2:30pm where from there we drove to our final destination of the day, Civita de Bagnoregio. The small hilltop city was almost a mile walk from the main town but well worth the trip. It is currently home to only 15 residents who live in the beautiful city that seems like it has remained unchanged since it was built. This place has the best olive oil and bruschetta in the world! After eating 2 slices each, we were given the chance to buy some of the olive oil to bring home. Everyone lined up immediately and started buying as many as they could. I purchased 4 bottles and can’t wait to make my own bruschetta. When we were back on the bus we made up a chant instead of doing role like the LSJ students. We all shouted Hoo-Rah when Chris asked if we were all present on the bus.

Saturday – Day 13

After a busy week we all needed some rest. Saturday was not a very eventful day. All of us guys to the chance to catch up on sleep and woke up extremely late. We then walked around and got some sandwiches and gelato and then started working in the lab until around 6:30pm. At 7 we had a small potluck with some of the LSJ students and some students from our program. It was a lot of fun and Yoon made some excellent muscles!

Ahhh no internets!!

So we’ve been without wireless in our apartment since thursday morning so no late night blogs..

I’ll try to catch up on everything that i’ve missed out on up until today (saturday) but there might be some missing details. Especially since I never finished tuesdays and wednesdays.

Thursday – Day 11

Content

(PICS)

Day 10

Wednesday

Woke up after a fun night of partying and pub crawling with everyone from design and made it to the group meeting at 8:30 with no problem.

More to come… I’m tired.

Update:

We started off the morning by walking through the Jewish Ghetto and observed some of the shops and old buildings on our way to the other side of the Tiber River. On the other side was a smaller, less touristy, more italian town. This day was full of walking all over. It was a lot of work. We walked

Time’s flying by..

Tuesday – Day 9

Woke up late again, after editing photos late and posting on the blog. Made it to the group meeting just as everyone else was walking up. I grabbed a toasted mozzarella and ham sandwich and a coffee for breakfast downstairs at Cafe Joe Rivetto and ate it while Chris was talking about where we were going.

We took a short bus ride as well as a train ride to get all the way to Ostia-Antica which is on the west coast of Italy. I brought along plenty of camera supplies, extra lens, tripod, battery, and extra memory cards. I also brought a towel, flip flops, and my suit so I could hit up the beach in Ostia after our exploration of the ruins.

A little self portrait action on the train. Woot.

You have to press this button when it lights up to open the doors on the train.

Francis, mid-presentaion. Haha. JT also went today and both did a good job.

The new way to take photos!

Mel

On top of the train station is a house. Close up of Italians kickin it.

The beach panorama

More to come.. I’m tired.

Middle of Monday

Since I didn’t feel like catching up on last weeks events since we did so much and it takes so long to blog, I will do a full recap through pictures sometime in the near future. Since it is the start of a new week, I decided to start things off right: full recap. Enjoy..

After last nights class potluck I was so full of food and wine that when I arrived home I took a nap on the couch in our main room. I awoke at around 3:30 am to all of my roommates still working hard on their blogs and the project that is due later today. I got up and got out of my sleepy daze and began to work on my poster. I finished it a while longer after trying a few variations. I decided to do my first impression about hanging out in the Campo Di Fiori and people watching.

SUPPLIES

WALKING TO THE POTLUCK

WHAT NAOMI AND I CONTRIBUTED TO THE POTLUCK

I went back to sleep after finishing and then woke up to everyone saying that it was 8:20 and we had to meet our teacher at 8:30! I wasn’t that tired so I jumped into the shower really fast, got ready even faster, and then ran out the door. Somehow I didn’t forget anything. As soon as I got down to the Campo everyone was ready to leave so we walked to the bus stop and caught the 70 towards our first destination.

MY POSTER

We arrived at the first church of the day, Santa Maria Maggiore, which was stunning. The ceiling was made of the first gold taken from North America when it was discovered by Christopher Columbus as well as the home to the Crib of Christ. The church was constructed after Pope Liberious had a dream where a virgin told him to build a church upon the place the he saw snow. The next morning in 356, there was a freak AUGUST snow storm where the majority of snow fell on Esquiline Hill. What a miracle it must have been to have snow here in August. It has been so hot that even walking around at night you get sweaty. The church wasn’t done being constructed until 90 years after the miracle.

STAINED GLASS OVER ENTRANCE, SMALL VIEW OF GOLD CEILING

PAULINE CHAPEL WITH DOME

THE CRIB OF CHRIST

STATUE OF POPE LIBERIOUS (I BELIEVE)

The second church, Santa Prassede, was closed when we went to see it. So we’ll have to return on a later date to get pictures of everything. It was said that the remains of 2,300+ martyrs are buried under the alter after their bodies were brought there by Pope Pascal when they were killed for being Christian. This church also houses the column that was used when Christ was beaten just before his crucifixion.

The last church of the day was San Pudenziana. It was a small church that was hidden behind a gate and well below street level. It housed remains of 2nd Century Roman structures and stamps of dating proving that the church was constructed around 384. Originally the church sat 8-9 meters above street level with streets leading up to it, but with time and bombings, the city has been built up around it, all the while it has remained in the same spot. This church was established by the Apostle Saint Peter. It is the oldest Christian church in Rome.

SAN PUDENZIANA DOME WITH MURAL

STAMPS OF PROOF OF DATING

ALTAR WITH CHRIST AND APOSTLES

After the last church we took the 64 bus back to Campo Di Fiori where we hit up our favorite sandwich shop and gelato shop directly across the street. I got a salame, pomodoro, lettuce and mozzarella sandwich with water and coconut, peach, and watermelon gelato all in a cup. These are the best spots since they are so inexpensive and the best quality. All of lunch came to a total of 7 euros!

A.D. | thinking.out.loud | photography

Rome through a Nikon lens..

A recap of the week through photos.. Enjoy

A.D. | thinking.out.loud | Photography

At the end of a relaxing Saturday..

After an eventful week full of eating, drinking, and walking around Rome it is Saturday night. I finally have a good chance to sit down and get caught up on editing my images and a time to recollect what has occured during the week. Its surprising the first week at the Campo Di Fiori is almost at an end. As a class we have visited the Roman Forum, Arch of Titus, Arch of Constantine, Palatine Hill, Circus Maximus, the Market, Santa Maria delgi Angeli, Museo Nazionale Romano / Termi di Dioclesiano, the Pantheon, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, and Crypta Balbi.

Hello world!

This is my first time ever having a blog. I decided this would be a great way to keep in contact with friends and family while traveling in Europe and studying at the University of Washington Rome Center, in the Campo Di Fiori, right in the heart of Rome, Italy. I will update with pictures, video, and text whenever I get the chance.

Enjoy, Andy