Ostia Antica

I met up with friend at Pyramide station one afternoon to take a train to Ostia Antica. This city was the first harbor for Rome and perhaps its first colony. Located at the mouth of the Tiber River, Ostia was founded by the 4th king of Rome in 7th century B.C. Over the centuries, the river shifted its course more north thus pushing cargo up the coast away from Ostia. As a result, the city became ghost like and was forgotten. The buildings that exist there now have been untouched since Christ times and are slowly eroding and being restored by archaeologists. Ostia Antica is three times larger than the ruins of Pompeii and are much closer to central Rome.

My friend and i spent a few hours wandering through the ancient city. We imagined what the buildings were once used for and what life was like before Christ. Difficult we decided. I may not have visited Naples and Pompeii this trip but i think i got a flavor for them. In addition to seeing an ancient city, i also went to a pizzeria the other day for Napoli pizza. This city is known to have created pizza and the pie is characterized by a thicker crust. It honestly was the best pizza i have ever had. Prosciutto, fresh mozzarella and basil - it was really delicious!

Musvei Vaticani

I was fortunate to enter the Vatican Museum at last for free! Usually 14 euros, the museum is free to the public the last Sunday of most months ( i say most because i wanted last month and it never opened). This time however, the line stretched far into Rome and the wait was about 1.5 hours. I entered at 1220p just ten minutes before they stop letting people in before closing at 2pm. The museum is a maze of rooms and gardens. My first priority was the Sistine Chapel and it took an hour (all the time i had) to reach it! On the way I saw wonderful tapestries, marble statues, paintings, and exquisite furniture. I really liked a hall dedicated to paintings of parts of Italia and a round table inlaid with several different colors of marble. There is so much gold in the Vatican i bet it could feed a few impoverished countries for decades. It is almost too ornate. Vatican city has its own post office, radio station, and the most beautiful gardens. I was not allowed into the main section but from the windows of the museum I saw it was exactly where i wished i could be.
I had about 1.5 hours in the museum and was very content with that. It is another world within the Vatican walls.

Civitavecchia

This weekend I spent a lot of time with my German colleagues. We did dinner and the movie WANTED one evening, and the beach followed by a house party another day. There are a few theaters that show movies in their original language here so I was able to see Wanted with Morgan Freeman and Angelia Jolie in English. The movie is high action, great cinematography, but really bloody. I have a hard time with that so was closing my eyes about every 7 minutes. Its has a interesting twisting plot as well so I must say in spite of the gore, i enjoyed it. I especially liked the car chasing scenes (they used an old mustang!) = )
The beach we went to is near the town of Civitavecchia and is located about an hour north west of Rome. I had to take a train there and had a bit of confusion purchasing my ticket. I had to take one headed for PISA actually and just get off sooner. I did find the right one in the end and one of my friends joined me on the train a few stops away. We descended at Marina di Certerveri where our colleague lives and was waiting to pick us up. The sea was beautiful there! It was bit more wild, fewer people, and a great breeze to keep up cool. We spent a few hours swimming and sunbathing and then went to a Winery or 'cantina' to purchase wine for the party. The wine here was so inexpensive! The highlight was the 'petrol' station wine fill up. People bring their own jug, fill it up from a spout like a gas station and then pay for it. It is brilliant and good for the environment= ) For dinner, we prepared tomato and fresh mozarella salads followed by proscuitto and melon. This is a very common meal for italians in the summer time and so refreshing! Our beverage was the most common sort of italian champagne called Prosecco - we could start drinking early because we took public transport to the party.
One of my German colleagues friends was throwing a party to say goodbye to his current flat. He works for a international development firm in Rome. Thus the party was full of international development folks, was a mix of many nationalities, and backgrounds. I met an Australian, French, African, Italians, etc. The party was on the rooftop terrace of this building in San Saba, one of the wealthier neighborhoods in Rome. It was a beautiful night. There was a lot of great Italian food and wine and the conversation was very interesting due to the diverse people there. I thought i definitely could get used to mingling in this crowd. So expats are one thing (like the Irish and American club) but expats who work in your field are quite another!

Florence Part II

I broke for lunch in another piazza where restaurants boasted tables under tents (and spraying things like the super market!) to keep us cool. I had pasta bolognese and 'Coke Light' as i watched the world go by. It was delicious and just the burst of energy i needed for the second part of my day. After i had digested, I meandered down a pedestrian street full of shops to the Palazzo Vecchio. Once a government building for meetings and city council members lodgings, it now is a favorite for tourists because it is surrounded by Neptune fountain, replicas of famous marble statutes, and has an underground tunnel to the Uffizi Art Gallery next door. Nearby is the Ponte Vecchio which is the oldest bridge in Florence and the only one to survive WWII bombings. Centuries ago it held butchers that dumped pig pieces & blood into the river, but now the bridge is lined with diamond cutters and jewelers. I spend about an hour here window shopping and dreaming about all the gorgeous jewels. I know what my engagement ring is going to look like after that experience! It was really fun.
My last stop of the day was the Uffizi Art Gallery. This museum look almost an hour to get into because it has over 45 rooms of beautiful paintings and drawings, hallways full of marble busts and sculpture, and shows works from the most famous artists in the world. I really enjoyed the drawings and might take drawing classes in the near future, but my favorite part was the huge surprise I had. I walked into a room full of people and saw Botticellis Birth of Venus! His other famous painting 'Primavera' was in the same room and they both are so amazing in person. I had no clue they were there. The gallery also has works from DaVinci, Michaelanglo, Caravaggio including Bacchus, Raphael, and so many painting of madonna and child ( i was getting tired of that). It took me a few hours to get through the gallery but wow, what an experience. What a day really. I had to catch a train in the early evening so my last hour in Florence was spent shopping in the open market for gifts, eating a panini and gelato from street vendors, and thinking so THIS is why people fall in love with Italy. I had a great day in Florence and feel truly lucky to have such a wonderful experience.

Florence, Firenze, Florens

Well I think I have discovered my new favorite Italian city, Florence. In an effort to forget my terrible weekend prior, I escaped to Florence early Sat morning via the 1.5 hour train. There is a calmness in the city that is so much more enjoyable than the feel of Rome. As i walked to the first art muesum I found an open air market near Piazza S Lorenzo where people were selling leather, scarves, italia gear, and household goods. I wanted to peruse but i knew i would have wait so i hurried along. Just before 10a I arrived at the Galleria dell'Accademia and passed my 40 min wait by talking to Minnesotan law students. When i got inside, most of the artwork is from churches and convents. Paintings on wood or canvas with gold inlay were the general theme. But then as I entereda new room, I saw marble statues along the walls leading to the infamous David by Michaelangleo at the end of the corridor. He is BEAUTIFUL and HUGE (17 feet)! This piece of marble is really mesmorizing and NOT because its of a nude male but because of the detail Michaelangelo included. You can see veins sticking out of his hands and behind his knees and he seems alive. Michaelangelo is known to have said that he 'released' figures out if living stone. Also interesting about the David is that Michaelanglo made his head and hands proportionally bigger so that the viewer from below would perceive a normal body. This guy was talented.
After that I headed to the Duomo or cathedrale of Florence. This church reminds me of candy land for the outside is decorated in light green and pink stone. Nearby, there is an octangonal structure and a tall bell tower with similar decorations. The octogon is called the Battistero and is where supposedly Dante was christened. I went into the church for about an hour to rest and to pray. This church (until the ones in Rome) is simple on the inside and seems more for its original purpose. In the basement, there is an archeological dig going on which i didnt check out. The Duomo was really something though, I have really beautiful pictures to share.
More in pt II coming up!

My Churches in Roma

So there are a lot of churches here. Too many to possible visit in a lifetime Id say. So im going to highlight two of them that I have had some experiences with. First, St. Pauls within the Walls.

In France, I found a great international church in French that instantly became a favorite part of my weekly routine. Due to that great experience, I sought out a similar church here in Rome. St. Pauls Within the Walls is located near the Piazza Repubblica and holds international services on Sundays at 15h. I went for the first time last week and was amazed at all the nationalities present. The service is nondenominational, welcoming all outsiders regardless of core beliefs. The pastor speaks in English (and sounded quite American) and it is translated on the spot into Italian. It was rather powerful to be sitting in this BEAUTIFUL Church in Rome with people from all over the world, praising God and praying together. Quite the moment.

Another great experience occured in St. Peters Basilica. Officially known in Italian as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano and is one of the most well known churches and is located within the Vatican City in Rome. It occupies a "unique position" as one of the holiest sites and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom." In Catholic tradition, it is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, was the first Bishop of Antioch, and later first Bishop of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession. (Wikipedia)

St Peters Cathedrale can hold up to 60,000 people is now the stomping grounds of Pope Benedict XVI. I left at 7am to attend a 930a mass and just barely got in (so i think we were at capacity). After an 1/2 hour wait outside, I approached the metal detectors and a man yelling -Advanced ticket holders only! TICKETS? I was not aware you need a ticket to go to church. Considering the pile of people milling about, I decided to chance it and see if I could get in. I avoided all eye contact, stuck in gob of people as they checked tickets and got in problem free! I did feel rather guilty sneaking in to THE church of the entire catholic world but hey I did not want to wait for nothing (and the museum in contrast to the guidebook was closed and therefore not free). So I was seated to the right of the alter, thus able to see the left profiles of Pope Benedict and his large entourage of ArchBishops during the 2.5 hours mass. The service, in a mix of languages as usual, was quite bizarre in my opinion. I felt as though I had wandered into a sporting event by accident. The Pope would say something then a group of the crowd would stand and cheer, then he'd switch languages and another group applauded, and on it went. The Bishops received honors of some sort and people would cheer for them as well. First of all, growing up WELS you do NOT clap in church. So that in itself was weird but honestly i half expected the Pope to start doing acrobatics or something to really earn recognition! = )
The entire crowd was offered communion in the end- and I thought oh my Lord this is going to take forEVER. But with that many archbishops and other men of the cloth around, it went pretty quickly because after all catholics only receive the bread and not the wine. After the Pope blessed the cup and bread (followed by bells respectively) the bishops took their positions and feed the hungry! It was nearing 12p at this point. So we all were herded out after a blessing for the entire group and giving 'Peace be with you' greetings to those around us. I took some great pictures on the way out. So I went to Catholic mass in the most famous church in the world. Its a shame I couldnt understand most of it.

Castel Sant'Angelo - A castle in the heart of a city!

I had the afternoon free and decided to instead just look at the outside, I should see the inner chambres of the imfamous castle. It was a great way to beat the heat too!

The splendid fortress of Castel Sant'Angelo was originally built as a mausoleum for the Emperor Hadrian in 139 CE. In the 10th Century CE it was transformed into a castle, then, 500 years later, into the elegant residence of Pope Alexander VI Borgia. Michelangelo designed the marvelous main court for Pope Leo X and many of the rooms inside are decorated with frescoes of great beauty. It is also been used to house prisoners, including the sculptor Benvenuto Cellini. The terrace offers a fine view of the river Tiber and opera lovers will know that this was where the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Tosca (1900) took place. The building is now a museum with a fine collection of suits of armor. There wasnt too much to look at in terms of museum quality collectibles but the feeling you had in the castle was well worth the entry fee. There was a lovely snack bar at the top with tables available under a trellis of plants. The view from the terrace was really beautiful - you could see most of the major monuments of Rome from there. I am already designing my country home..

The Adriatic Sea

No doubt about it - i must live near the ocean! I am feeling particularly refreshed after this weekend. As a result of my down and homesick week, I decided to get a change of scenery and visit an old friend in Pescara, Italy. As luck would have it, Pescara is located on the eastern coast of Italy on the Adriatic Sea about 2.5 hours from Rome by bus. I left early Saturday morning and was welcomed by my Italian friend Licia, her family, and her boyfriend Paolo. Even though it was pouring, we found a way to visit the city, the nearby village of Ortuno, and the beaches and ports. The sea was brillant color blue and the coasts have lovely cliffs that reminded me of Senegal. People from all over Europe flock to Pecsaras beaches for holidays. The water so warm-like bath water! I found a silver cross necklace on the beach that day- i think my luck is changing... In the evening, they took me to a restaurant for local food. We had beef kebabs, fries, and beer - i felt right at home! After dinner we strolled along the boardwalk that follows the coasts eating ice cream and discussing all good things Italian and American.
The following day was beautiful so we headed down to the sand right after breakfast. We stopped to see all the yachts in the tourist harbor and strolled in the glorious sun. I was really happy to have spent a lovely weekend seaside with a now good friend. I spent time with her italian family and that is always a great experience to see how the locals live. I didnt want to come back to Rome at the weekends conclusion, but i did.

Piramide, FAO, and San Gio - Who?

So work was slow one day and i wanted to check out the Food and Agriculture Organization (cuz i might work for them one day) to visit their English library. The structure isnt so interesting and sadly I arrived when the library was not open to the public! I thought I didnt come all that way for nothing, so i snuck in past the guard and saw i must say a pathetic library compared to the ones at UW-Wisconsin. After a quick stroll through the building, I realized i had a bit of time so decided to see why one of the metro stops was called piramide. Was there in fact a pyramid? YES THERE WAS! The pyramid was included in the Aurelian Walls, and is close to Porta San Paolo. The pyramid is a funerary monument built about 12 BC as a tomb for Caius Cestius, a member of one of the four great religious corporations at Rome and is made out of white marble. The Roman Empire had conquered Egypt a few years before, in 30 BC, and the ancient culture of the new province became fashionable for a while; at any rate the tomb is unique among ancient Roman monuments. It was a nice surprise after a tough week.
Earlier this week, i had another nice surprise. I was wandering in a new part of the city and came across a beautiful church! Later i looked it up and discovered it was the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano - the oldest and ranks first among the four patriarchal churches of Rome; it is the head of all churches throughout Rome and the world. Originally the palace of Constantine, it was later adapted to serve as the church of the Pope. Not a bad discovery i must say! http://rome.arounder.com/san_giovanni_in_laterano/index.html

First Impressions of Roma

Milanos train tracks led me to Roma Termini, my new home, and my new roomate. I arrived in Rome friday evening to a smiling italian girl named, Stefania. She is a friend of a friend who offered to be my roomate this summer for a tidy sum. After we came to the appartment, I feel like its a steal! The place is super modern, chic, and I love it. There is a common area colored with red and black (ei the kitchen cuboards are all dark red), one large bedroom for us to share, a balcony, and a nice sized bathroom. Its clean, bright, and im happy to have it. My roomate is absolutely adorable too. She comes from southern italy and has worked as an architect in Rome for four years now. Her hospitality has been wonderful. She made us dinner my first night and helped me figure out the transport system to my job. She even went grocery shopping and bought my ticket for the metro for me. I am really lucky to have such a caring person around - especially since when i speak italian, its really hard to be understood. This language is all about intonation - so if you dont stress the right part of the word, no one understands you. So frustrating.
Yesterday, Stefania went to her parents place due to an Italian national holiday June 2. Therefore, I had my first weekend in Rome all on my own. The first day i didnt do a lot. I took care of my bags, spoke to my only french speaking italian friend on the phone, and walked around the neighborhood trying to memorize it. It seems if i need anything from a pedicure to a new pair of glasses - its all within a few blocks. After a lazy evening in eating Swiss chocolate, watching MTV Cribs in English, and talking online, I turned in early because Sunday i had some serious plans. Sunday morning, I went to town to find out where my office was located. So taking Stefanias advice i first took the bus, then the metro and then another metro to le Piazza Spagna (Spain Square). It turns out i will be walking by the infamous Spanish steps everyday i go to work! The WHO office is nearby in a large yellow bland building. After i found the place, I visted the Fountain of Trevi often seen in movies and ate my lunch there surrounded by tourists from all over the world. I dont know how many languages I heard! After lunch, I wandered back to the metro and decided that for the rest of the day I wanted to see the Coloseum.
As I came out of the metro, my eye caught the historical Coloseum and at that moment my breath was taken away! There is nothing like seeing it in person (you all have to visit rome). I stumbled upon a guided tour that left minutes later so i was immediately shuffled inside ahead of the long line of visitors. I visited the site with a group of enlish speakers and heard about the numerous uses of the coloseum (originally called the Flavian Ampitheater) and restorations over the years. The coloseum could hold over 50,000 spectators. Once entirely covered in marble, it was stripped during the Renaissance of its precious materials included marble and bronze. Gladiators and wild animals were the stars of the spectacles and water battles were also showcased here by flooding the lower levels and bringing in ships through the arches. Do you know that men and women were not allowed to sit together? Due to the sexual freedom of the day, women were seated in the fourth tier to avoid any public displays of ..... The coloseum was truly a sight to behold and pictures do not do it justice. After that, I went across the street to visit the Roman Forum - the origin site of the birth of rome, and Palatine Hill known to be the place where emporers built their palaces. These two sites were incredible, a bit eery even. Some of the marble walkways are still there from over 2700 years ago when Rome was born. The ruins of the senate house, emperors palaces, and chariot racing stadium made me wonder what life was like for royalty back then. Fanned by slaves, hand fed grapes, watching the best roman soldiers battle each other and exotic creatures. Rough, im sure = ) You know that saying 'all roads lead to rome'? Well i saw the road that ends all roads to rome. The original street is believed to still exist in the forum. Hows that for creepy?

The trek to Italia- Milano per favore

After a week of gluttony and relaxation, i continued my travels to the fashion capital of the world -Milan! It was about a four hour trip by train from my corner of France to Milan. Luckily, I arranged to have an old jolly man waiting for me at the station there. My grandpas family on my dad side is originally from Milano and came to Monroe Wisconsin in the 1950's to make parmaesan chesse. Some of our relatives still there and so I arranged to meet and stay w/ them for 2 days. My distant relative Sandro met me at the station. Sandro used to work for UPS in public relations. His English was impeccable and he had so many wonderful stories about traveling the world and opportunities he took advantage of. For example, he drove an indy car in Indianapolis and sat in the Air Force's F4 Phantome jet! Anyway, Sandro took me to there 3 story house in the suburbs where I met his mother-in-law Rosie (my grandfathers 1st cousin) her two daughters, Fluvia and Nella, and all four of their children, Robert, Stefano, Laura (30), Marta (23), Stefanos girlfriend Vanessa, and Lauras boyfriend, Masssimo. I had a 4 course meal with them that night including pasta pomodora, proscuitto & melon, pineapple, and apple cake. We drank regular and sparkling red wine, strong italian coffee, and sambusca - an famous anis flavored liquor in Italia that knocks your socks off! The conversation was a mix of English and Italian. Only the three young girls, Nella and Sandro knew any english so it was a comedy of errors. I was so happy to have the experience of our cultures mixing, to laugh with my cousins, and to discuss the worlds problems from a European and American viewpoint. American film, tv shows and music are universal, therefore we compared favorite singers and actors, and declared our desire to see the new Sex and the City movie. I felt really comfortable and at home. That night, i stayed in the same flat with Rosie who does not speak a word of English. We had some trouble communicating, but bear in mind that people are people no matter what they speak or where they live. With a little respect, patience, and lots of gestures, we actually became close by the end of my second day. Rosie gave me the best gift ever for my train trip to Rome. She gave me a huge box of Lindt Chocolates! How she knew that is my favorite is beyond me, but we had a connection it seemed and I felt a twinge of sadness leaving her. I think she even said the next time i come, hoping it would be for my honeymoon, she might not be there....
Early the next day, Sandro took me to the station where i deposited my bag, and then to down town Milan to explore. I first discovered the Costello (castle) Sforzesco where Da Vinci had his studio at one time. It is one of Milans best known monuments and was damaged in WWII and was orginally built to defend against the Venetians. I only took a look before going to the Duomo. The Duomo is the second largest church in Italy. It was inspired by the work of Michaelangelo and has beautiful views of the city from its rooftop. So i took the elevator to the top and took some amazing snap shots! The flying buttresses were so beautiful - i cant wait to see the photographs. After the church, I wandered in the fashion district of Milan near Teatro (theater) alla Scala (a very well known opera house) and to a galleria (covered outside mall) of shops like Prada, Louis Vuitton and to street via Monte Napoleone where shops like Cartier boast extreme prices and beautiful wares. Needless to say, I didnt buy anything but enjoyed window shopping among some of the most expensive brands in the world. My day in Milan ended with lunch in the public park and walking back to Milano Centrale, the train station. Although my stay in Milan was brief, i feel i was able to experience the best it has to offer. Between a day with my family and a day in the center I was able to get a good feel of what the place was about. Industry. Fashion. Somewhere that I dont think I would want to live but maybe will visit again someday.