Hey y'all -
I was going to work on my papers before writing this post, BUT then I went to go get lunch, and I'm not quite ready to start work yet. It'll be fine... I have one paper done (just have to edit a little) and the other outline is started. It shouldn't take me that long. Anyway...
This past weekend was so amazing. Friday started with an early class. It was our first lesson with Dr. Arya. We went back to the Roman Forum and got to talk to this archaeologist who is in charge of restoration of a St. Maria church in the Roman Forum. He was really interesting and talked to us about ways that the process of restoration in that building. He was really knowledgeable and it was cool to see how much work goes in to preserving the buildings that have lasted thousands of years.
After class, a group went to the Colosseum to see the inside structures. As a class, we had already visiting the Arch of Constantine (next door) and seen the Colosseum from the outside. However, the day that I went to see the Colosseum from the inside, I accidentally deleted all the pictures on my camera, so I decided to join the group and go again to get pictures. It was beautiful and amazing and HUGE. I can't believe structures like that have lasted for so long. Also, one of my papers due tomorrow is written on the Colosseum, so it was interesting to see the inside again after doing a lot of research on the subject.
Stephen, Vicki, Apu, Ishanee, and I walked around a bit taking pictures. It was pretty crowded since it was the middle of the afternoon, but still really fun!
After the Colosseum, we took the metro back to our apartments. There, we got a quick lunch and then packed for our weekend trip. Meagan and I went to the internet point near our apartments for a few minutes to check email. Then, at about 2, the group (10 of us) met up and we took the metro to Termini.
We bought train tickets and headed to Florence at around 3. We took a train that made a LOT of stops (I think like 20-something) to keep it more in our budgets. So, we ended up getting to Florence at about 7. Then, we walked to our hostel. I had never stayed in a hostel before, and I was really surprised by how nice it was! It was beautiful, and it was really cool to meet people our age from all over the world.
We ended up getting two rooms at the hostel. The hostel where we stayed had a small dance floor, a really cool light-up colors pool, a sauna, a workout room, a restaurant, and all this other cool stuff. It was definitely worth the money that we spent to reserve rooms.
The group wandered around the hostel for a bit and then headed out to dinner. We went to go get some Bistecca Florentina. It was absolutely delicious. We also shared some bottles of a wine for which Florence is famous. (I don't remember the name.) I'm no wine connoisseur, but it was absolutely delicious. Dinner got really expensive, but it was totally worth it. It was an experience that I'll never have again in my life, after all. Dinner was really fun because the group really bonded together, and I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time. (Hey Roma group, I know that most of you read this, so I just want to say that I adore you all.)
After dinner, we went to go get some gelato (of course) because Florence is apparently really famous for great gelato. It was delicious.
We wandered around the town a bit that night, too. We saw the Duomo piazza area, and it was magnificent. The cathedral is so HUGE. It's almost impossible to take a picture of the entire structure.
The group headed back to the hostel to relax for a bit, and then we walked around Florence some more. We saw some interesting things... including a man using the street as a restroom. Other than that, Florence was really classy.
Then, we went to bed because we woke up really early Saturday morning. I rolled out of bed around 7.40. I met up with Alex, Stephen, and Apu in the hostel lobby. Then, the four of us decided to go see the Uffizi in the morning before the line got outrageously long. After eating a really good, European breakfast (croissants and cappuccinos), we got to the Uffizi around 9.00. The four of us waited in line for about 40 minutes, and then walked around the museum seeing really cool, famous art for about 2 and a half hours. Some of my favorite pieces were "The Birth of Venus" and a lot of depictions of the Annunciation of Mary.
After the museum, we got really delicious paninis from a place a few blocks away. Then, we went to Duomo where we climbed all 493 steps to get to the top. The staircases were really curvy, and we couldn't stop laughing, which made it really difficult to climb stairs. Eventually, we made it to the top of the dome, and the view was absolutely incredible (I will upload pictures hopefully this week.)!! We ran into four other guys from our Roma group and some other UT people on top of the Duomo. [Oh, and Travis! Now that I know you read this (you creeper), we also ran into a guy from Stanford. But, he didn't know you. His loss.] The group relaxed there for a long time... about half an hour. Then, we climbed alllll the way back down the 493 steps. Then, the group of four (Alex, Stephen, Apu, and I) went to go see the inside of the cathedral. It was amazingly beautiful.
[Mu Epsilon Theta girls! I will send an email soon, but I'll write it here, too. I lit a candle and said a prayer for Mu Epsilon Theta in the cathedral. Then, I gave an offering of three euros from us. (One for the Father, one for the Son, one for the Holy Spirit.) I just wanted to let y'all know that prayers were being said for us from Europe. So, YAY!]
After the cathedral, we went to go see where the tombs of Michaelangelo, Rossini, Galileo, Machiavelli are located. The church was beautiful, as are most in Italia.
After seeing the tombs, the four of us got some gelato from a different place than the night before (it was delicious). Then, we walked across Ponte Vecchio bridge. The entire bridge is filled with pedestrians all looking into the jewelry shops that line the street. The jewelry was SHINY and beautiful. I was seriously contemplating buying some. It's probably a good thing that I didn't though. :)
The group wandered around Florence some more, and then headed back to the hostel. Then, we went swimming in the pool there. The pool area was really cool! It sounds silly, but the water changed colors. Even though the water was cold, we all had a really good time. We met two guys from Monterrey named Arturo and Juan, and I told them that two of my best friends were named Arturo and Juan. They didn't think it was as cool as I did, but they were really nice. We kept sitting in the sauna and then jumping in the pool (which was absolutely freezing).
After the pool, we went to go get changed, and then hung out in the hostel with all the people in the Plan II group. We played pool and danced for a bit, and we also met some really interesting people from Maine.
Then, we headed to bed.
I'm going to go work on my papers for a bit. I'll write about Sunday and Monday when I'm ready for another break. :)
I love you all!
Ciao,
Ashley
Monday, June 8, 2009
Safe in Roma
Hey y'all -
I have two papers due tomorrow, but I just wanted to drop a note to let y'all know that I am back home safely (in Roma). I'll update my blog with details from this AMAZING weekend soon, but I do want to get my papers worked on a little bit. (One is written, and just needs to be edited. But, the other one is in its beginning stages...)
Anyway, I love you all, and I hope to hear from you soon!
Ciao,
Ashley
PS - Roma got HOT today. Oh, joy.
I have two papers due tomorrow, but I just wanted to drop a note to let y'all know that I am back home safely (in Roma). I'll update my blog with details from this AMAZING weekend soon, but I do want to get my papers worked on a little bit. (One is written, and just needs to be edited. But, the other one is in its beginning stages...)
Anyway, I love you all, and I hope to hear from you soon!
Ciao,
Ashley
PS - Roma got HOT today. Oh, joy.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
I feel like I'm on vacation...
Hey y'all!
Last night, I started working on the two 5 page papers that we have due on Tuesday. I've gotten a lot done so far, and that's good since we're going to Florence this weekend. I also took a walk to see the hotel that Mom, Kimberly, Chris, and I will be staying at when they arrive after my program. It's quite nice, and really convenient to a lot of the amazing sites around Roma. Last night was a beautiful night to walk around, and it's cool to be able to navigate through the city by myself.
This morning, we woke up really early to ride a bus to Turquinia, a city that has a lot of well-preserved Etruscan tombs. (Most of us got in about an hour of napping on the bus.) It was really cool to see because we studied them in Art History classes. They are much cooler in person than in a book... :)
It was a beautiful day (it hasn't gotten hot at all yet...), and the views from the hills were AMAZING! After visiting the tombs for a few hours, we went to a museum that had more tombs and pottery and artifacts displayed.
Then, we got some delicious pasta lunch and really strong espresso. Yum! Plus, the AIRC paid for our lunch, which is always a plus. Free lunch > not free lunch. Also, Alex and I got REALLY hyper after drinking espresso. It's really strong here, and we couldn't stop laughing about silly, stupid things for about an hour.
We got back on the bus and headed to another museum. It was pretty interesting because it was in a castle! During the bus ride to the second museum, we passed by the beautiful ocean for a few minutes! The water was glorious, and I'm really excited about going to the beach for a day this weekend. After the museum, we got some gelato, and then boarded the bus for home.
On the way home, I talked to Dr. Galinsky, and we decided on a topic for my presentation here in Roma. I'm going to study Isis (and her cult) and research how many of her characteristics were absorbed by Mary in the Catholic Church. It's in a few weeks, and it's a really interesting topic. So very cool.
When we got home, we all separated to work on our papers for a bit, and now we're at the AIRC "doing research." I need to get some work done with access to the internet, and hopefully I'll get a lot of writing done tonight.
We leave for Florence tomorrow afternoon, and we'll be there until Monday morning. There's so much to see, but some other people in my group (thanks, Vicky!) are helping plan a lot of stuff for us to do! We're also going to be at the beach for a day this weekend (I think Sunday).
I love and miss you all!
Ciao,
Ashley
PS - Have I missed anything exciting in America?
Last night, I started working on the two 5 page papers that we have due on Tuesday. I've gotten a lot done so far, and that's good since we're going to Florence this weekend. I also took a walk to see the hotel that Mom, Kimberly, Chris, and I will be staying at when they arrive after my program. It's quite nice, and really convenient to a lot of the amazing sites around Roma. Last night was a beautiful night to walk around, and it's cool to be able to navigate through the city by myself.
This morning, we woke up really early to ride a bus to Turquinia, a city that has a lot of well-preserved Etruscan tombs. (Most of us got in about an hour of napping on the bus.) It was really cool to see because we studied them in Art History classes. They are much cooler in person than in a book... :)
It was a beautiful day (it hasn't gotten hot at all yet...), and the views from the hills were AMAZING! After visiting the tombs for a few hours, we went to a museum that had more tombs and pottery and artifacts displayed.
Then, we got some delicious pasta lunch and really strong espresso. Yum! Plus, the AIRC paid for our lunch, which is always a plus. Free lunch > not free lunch. Also, Alex and I got REALLY hyper after drinking espresso. It's really strong here, and we couldn't stop laughing about silly, stupid things for about an hour.
We got back on the bus and headed to another museum. It was pretty interesting because it was in a castle! During the bus ride to the second museum, we passed by the beautiful ocean for a few minutes! The water was glorious, and I'm really excited about going to the beach for a day this weekend. After the museum, we got some gelato, and then boarded the bus for home.
On the way home, I talked to Dr. Galinsky, and we decided on a topic for my presentation here in Roma. I'm going to study Isis (and her cult) and research how many of her characteristics were absorbed by Mary in the Catholic Church. It's in a few weeks, and it's a really interesting topic. So very cool.
When we got home, we all separated to work on our papers for a bit, and now we're at the AIRC "doing research." I need to get some work done with access to the internet, and hopefully I'll get a lot of writing done tonight.
We leave for Florence tomorrow afternoon, and we'll be there until Monday morning. There's so much to see, but some other people in my group (thanks, Vicky!) are helping plan a lot of stuff for us to do! We're also going to be at the beach for a day this weekend (I think Sunday).
I love and miss you all!
Ciao,
Ashley
PS - Have I missed anything exciting in America?
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Spanish Steps
Also, I forgot to write about something that we did on Monday night. It's been like my favorite thing I've done so far, so I can't believe that I forgot about it.
On Monday evening, I went to go see the Spanish Steps in the Spanish Piazza with Adam, Daniel, and Royce. Then, on the way back to our apartments, I ran into Stephen, Harvey, and David who were on their way to the Spanish Steps. I liked the Spanish Steps so much that I decided to go back with them. The Spanish Piazza is my favorite place in Roma so far! It's so beautiful and a cool place to just sit and hang out and people watch. (That isn't supposed to sound creepy.) It's a really cool place because John Keats lived next door to the piazza and wrote some of his best works while being inspired on the Spanish Steps. There are a lot of tourists there, but a lot of young Italian people hang out there, too.
It was also nice to get to know a lot of people from my program that night! :) (If y'all are reading this, you're awesome!)
Anyway, I can't believe I forgot that....
Ciao,
Ashley
On Monday evening, I went to go see the Spanish Steps in the Spanish Piazza with Adam, Daniel, and Royce. Then, on the way back to our apartments, I ran into Stephen, Harvey, and David who were on their way to the Spanish Steps. I liked the Spanish Steps so much that I decided to go back with them. The Spanish Piazza is my favorite place in Roma so far! It's so beautiful and a cool place to just sit and hang out and people watch. (That isn't supposed to sound creepy.) It's a really cool place because John Keats lived next door to the piazza and wrote some of his best works while being inspired on the Spanish Steps. There are a lot of tourists there, but a lot of young Italian people hang out there, too.
It was also nice to get to know a lot of people from my program that night! :) (If y'all are reading this, you're awesome!)
Anyway, I can't believe I forgot that....
Ciao,
Ashley
Day Two of Class
Hey y'all!
Today was our second day of class, and the first day we met for class with Albert, one of our professors for our Humanities class. We studied the Imperial Forums, and it was one of the most interesting classes I've ever had. I absolutely adore Albert because he is so sweet and so knowledgeable about Roma! It was really interesting to learn about the five Imperial Forums, and it's crazy to see how much of it is still standing, despite modern excavations and building.
We had to wake up pretty early at 745, but I went with Alex and Stephen to go get a cappuccino to wake up. The group found this amazing place near the AIRC to get cappuccinos for one euro. They are delicious, and so convenient. I ordered in Italian for myself and two other people this morning, and I felt very excited when the man actually understood what I was saying. :)
During class, we went through this really amazing museum that used part of Trajan's Market. I guess I've never really thought about it before, but all these ancient buildings were HUGE. The museum had a bunch of pictures showing the ancient structures to scale, and the temples and Forum buildings were enormous. And very beautiful. There was one exhibit that had just the pointer finger of one of the statues from Augustus's Forum, and the finger was about as big as half of my body. It was insane!
After vising the Imperial Forums, the group went to go visit the Coloseum, where Adam gave a report on it. It is really crazy to be walking up the street toward the Coloseum on just a regular class day. Also, I really love the Arch of Constantine which is right beside the Coloseum, so it was very cool.
After the Coloseum, I walked back to our apartments with Alex and Stephen. I ate a delicious sandwich and peach for lunch, and then walked back to the AIRC.
Now, I should be writing my paper. Instead, I'm just relaxing and talking with the other students in my group. It's been a relaxing afternoon, and I just keep looking out the window at Trajan's Column thinking how cool it is to be in Roma this summer!
I am starting to miss TexMex, but the gelato here makes up for it.
I love you all!
Ciao,
Ashley
Today was our second day of class, and the first day we met for class with Albert, one of our professors for our Humanities class. We studied the Imperial Forums, and it was one of the most interesting classes I've ever had. I absolutely adore Albert because he is so sweet and so knowledgeable about Roma! It was really interesting to learn about the five Imperial Forums, and it's crazy to see how much of it is still standing, despite modern excavations and building.
We had to wake up pretty early at 745, but I went with Alex and Stephen to go get a cappuccino to wake up. The group found this amazing place near the AIRC to get cappuccinos for one euro. They are delicious, and so convenient. I ordered in Italian for myself and two other people this morning, and I felt very excited when the man actually understood what I was saying. :)
During class, we went through this really amazing museum that used part of Trajan's Market. I guess I've never really thought about it before, but all these ancient buildings were HUGE. The museum had a bunch of pictures showing the ancient structures to scale, and the temples and Forum buildings were enormous. And very beautiful. There was one exhibit that had just the pointer finger of one of the statues from Augustus's Forum, and the finger was about as big as half of my body. It was insane!
After vising the Imperial Forums, the group went to go visit the Coloseum, where Adam gave a report on it. It is really crazy to be walking up the street toward the Coloseum on just a regular class day. Also, I really love the Arch of Constantine which is right beside the Coloseum, so it was very cool.
After the Coloseum, I walked back to our apartments with Alex and Stephen. I ate a delicious sandwich and peach for lunch, and then walked back to the AIRC.
Now, I should be writing my paper. Instead, I'm just relaxing and talking with the other students in my group. It's been a relaxing afternoon, and I just keep looking out the window at Trajan's Column thinking how cool it is to be in Roma this summer!
I am starting to miss TexMex, but the gelato here makes up for it.
I love you all!
Ciao,
Ashley
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Italian Independence Day
Happy 61st Birthday, Unified Roman Republic! Also, thanks for a day of no class.
Last night, the group got together at the boys' apartment to play some card games. It was really fun, and we found out that we can get wireless internet in this random spot in a hallway in the guys' apartment. So yay!
Today, the students in my program and I went to the AIRC to watch the parade celebrating Italian Independence Day. It was really cool, with a lot of military flags and men in uniform. The highlight of the entire parade was probably the Italian female nurses who we originally believed to be nuns. Also, six jets flew over us making clouds the colors of the Italian flag. Very cool.
After that, I went with five other students in my program to relax in a pretty park for about an hour. Then, we headed over to the Termini via the Metro (I love the Metro) where we met up with the rest of our group. Then, we took another Metro line to a train station where we caught a train to go to Tivoli. It's a beautiful town that is about a 40 minute train ride from Roma. Anyway, they have a beautiful garden/fountain area there, so we walked around the gardens for a few hours. It was amazing. And beautiful! The views were amazing. Then, we got some gelato and headed back to the train station. Somehow, we ended up getting a free train ride back to Roma... no idea how, but no complaints! :)
After the train ride home, we all did some of our reading for class tomorrow. Now, I'm just catching up on Facebook and email. We're probably going to play some card games before heading to bed.
By the way, if y'all ever make it to Italy, try the watermelon gelato. It's amazing.
I love y'all!
Ciao,
Ashley
Last night, the group got together at the boys' apartment to play some card games. It was really fun, and we found out that we can get wireless internet in this random spot in a hallway in the guys' apartment. So yay!
Today, the students in my program and I went to the AIRC to watch the parade celebrating Italian Independence Day. It was really cool, with a lot of military flags and men in uniform. The highlight of the entire parade was probably the Italian female nurses who we originally believed to be nuns. Also, six jets flew over us making clouds the colors of the Italian flag. Very cool.
After that, I went with five other students in my program to relax in a pretty park for about an hour. Then, we headed over to the Termini via the Metro (I love the Metro) where we met up with the rest of our group. Then, we took another Metro line to a train station where we caught a train to go to Tivoli. It's a beautiful town that is about a 40 minute train ride from Roma. Anyway, they have a beautiful garden/fountain area there, so we walked around the gardens for a few hours. It was amazing. And beautiful! The views were amazing. Then, we got some gelato and headed back to the train station. Somehow, we ended up getting a free train ride back to Roma... no idea how, but no complaints! :)
After the train ride home, we all did some of our reading for class tomorrow. Now, I'm just catching up on Facebook and email. We're probably going to play some card games before heading to bed.
By the way, if y'all ever make it to Italy, try the watermelon gelato. It's amazing.
I love y'all!
Ciao,
Ashley
Monday, June 1, 2009
Monday, June 1
Hey y'all!
I'm sitting a computer at the American Institute of Roman Culture where our program is centered. It's really exciting because it's the first time I haven't had to pay for my internet in Roma. :)
Last night, I tried to start my reading for our first day of class which was today. I ended up falling asleep and taking a little nap before dinner. We got pizza for dinner and then got some delicious gelato. In the gelato store, I saw a guy wearing burnt orange and so we asked where the group was from and they were with the UT Volleyball team! It was crazy. And the girls were crazy tall. It was such a coincidence and all I have to say is that it's a crazy small world.
After dinner, we hung out at the guys apartment for a bit and then all decided to try to read for class. I finished my reading and then took a cold shower. Both of the showers I've taken in Italy so far have been really really really cold. The hot water always seems to go out in our apartment right before I take a shower... Oh well, hopefully I'll have better luck tonight when we get home.
Today, we woke up at 8 (I, of course, snoozed until like 8:17) for our orientation with the AIRC. We went through a lot of paperwork here and then headed out for the Roman Forum and Paletino (I think that's how you spell it...). It was raining really hard, but it was still really amazing to see the great ruins.
After about 2 and a half hours of class, I went with 5 other people in our group to get a quick lunch. I had the most delicious pasta in the world. And then, we went to the Coliseum where we got to walk around inside and take lots of pictures like crazy tourists. :) Everything that we saw was absolutely amazing and pictures will be posted soon.
Right now, we're hanging out at the AIRC just waiting for a meeting at 5 to finish some paperwork. Then, we're going to head to the supermarcato to pick up some groceries and cook a small dinner tonight.
Haha, really funny story. There are a bunch of gladiators outside of the Coliseum who always ask to take pictures with tourists and then ask for a whole lot of money. Anyway, one of the gladiators asked if I wanted to take a picture, and I just laughed and continued walking. Then, he YELLED really loudly "YOU HAVE A-VERY NICE-A LEGS-A" (add an Italian accent). He then loudly asked "Where is your boyfriend-a?" so I linked arms with my friend Chris who then put his arm around me as we continued to walk. Then, the gladiator called after us that Chris was a "balogna boyfriend" and that I should come back. Haha, it was really hilarious.
We have no class tomorrow because it's Italian Independence Day. We're going to come to the AIRC where we'll have a great view of the parade as it passes. Then, I think a group is headed to some gardens east of here for the afternoon.
I love you all!
Ciao,
Ashley
I'm sitting a computer at the American Institute of Roman Culture where our program is centered. It's really exciting because it's the first time I haven't had to pay for my internet in Roma. :)
Last night, I tried to start my reading for our first day of class which was today. I ended up falling asleep and taking a little nap before dinner. We got pizza for dinner and then got some delicious gelato. In the gelato store, I saw a guy wearing burnt orange and so we asked where the group was from and they were with the UT Volleyball team! It was crazy. And the girls were crazy tall. It was such a coincidence and all I have to say is that it's a crazy small world.
After dinner, we hung out at the guys apartment for a bit and then all decided to try to read for class. I finished my reading and then took a cold shower. Both of the showers I've taken in Italy so far have been really really really cold. The hot water always seems to go out in our apartment right before I take a shower... Oh well, hopefully I'll have better luck tonight when we get home.
Today, we woke up at 8 (I, of course, snoozed until like 8:17) for our orientation with the AIRC. We went through a lot of paperwork here and then headed out for the Roman Forum and Paletino (I think that's how you spell it...). It was raining really hard, but it was still really amazing to see the great ruins.
After about 2 and a half hours of class, I went with 5 other people in our group to get a quick lunch. I had the most delicious pasta in the world. And then, we went to the Coliseum where we got to walk around inside and take lots of pictures like crazy tourists. :) Everything that we saw was absolutely amazing and pictures will be posted soon.
Right now, we're hanging out at the AIRC just waiting for a meeting at 5 to finish some paperwork. Then, we're going to head to the supermarcato to pick up some groceries and cook a small dinner tonight.
Haha, really funny story. There are a bunch of gladiators outside of the Coliseum who always ask to take pictures with tourists and then ask for a whole lot of money. Anyway, one of the gladiators asked if I wanted to take a picture, and I just laughed and continued walking. Then, he YELLED really loudly "YOU HAVE A-VERY NICE-A LEGS-A" (add an Italian accent). He then loudly asked "Where is your boyfriend-a?" so I linked arms with my friend Chris who then put his arm around me as we continued to walk. Then, the gladiator called after us that Chris was a "balogna boyfriend" and that I should come back. Haha, it was really hilarious.
We have no class tomorrow because it's Italian Independence Day. We're going to come to the AIRC where we'll have a great view of the parade as it passes. Then, I think a group is headed to some gardens east of here for the afternoon.
I love you all!
Ciao,
Ashley
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