Mom and Dad flew out Thursday morning, then I met them at the hotel. Within a few minutes, my brother arrived (coming from Milan), and we grabbed some lunch. I then showed them Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and Piazza Nivona with Bernini's "Fountain of the Four Rivers". Hot and tired, we went into studio early for the air conditioning and to see the showcase. Because they knew I had the dinner that night, they went back to the hotel for the night and I went to spend one last night with the kids that I had gotten to know over the last two months.
Friday morning, I met my parents in front of the Emmanuel Monument, also known as the "Wedding Cake Building". We were going to start with the Roman Forum, but it was closed for a strike, so instead we walked next door to the Colosseum before it got too hot or crowded. We went back to the Roman Forum and listened to a Rick Steves audio tour and imagined the ruins we couldn't immediately see.
I then took them to see Pope Julius II's Tomb Monument made by Michelangelo, and Santa Maria Maggorie for Bernini's tomb and a painting believed to have been done by St. Luke. We wandered up to S. Maria della Vittoria to see Bernini's "Ecstasy of S. Teresa", which was one of the sites mentioned in Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons'.
We then went back to the hotel for some lunch before I had to get back to studio to pick up some things, then went to the apartment and moved all my stuff out to the hotel, as I'd be spending the night there instead of at the apartment. I got back to the hotel with barely enough time to drop off my stuff before we had to leave to the Borghese Gallery.
Afterwards, we had a quick bite in the Borghese gardens before going to Piazza Popolo to find the church, Santa Maria del Popolo, already closed for the day. We grabbed a bottle of wine on our way to the Spanish Steps to watch the sun set, then found our way to Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon before calling it a night.
Saturday morning was spent in the Vatican Museum into the Sistine Chapel and then into St. Peter's Basilica. We grabbed some lunch, then I took them to see the river (though it looks cooler at night), up to the Bone Church (Dad was creeped out, but Mom and Chris thought it was cool in a disturbing way), and then back to San Luigi so they could see a few Caravaggio paintings and some of the paintings I had written a paper on.
We then grabbed another bottle of wine and watched the sun set at the Colosseum.
On the bus ride back to the hotel, Chris almost got pick pocketed, but exchanged some words with the gentleman and he got off at the next stop.
Sunday morning we got on a train for Cinque Terra, where we would spend the next few days.
About Me
- SM
- Des Moines, IA
- Many people don't realize how much effort goes into a production before it appears on the stage. This blog is to write about those efforts and help give the audience a greater appreciation for what they see. It's also meant to be educational, so if you have a question about anything, please don't hesitate to ask!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Final Week
Sunday and Monday was spent finishing projects and studying for our Art History final exam.
Tuesday morning we had the Art History exam, then went up to the studio to continue finishing projects.
Wednesday we went on a field trip with Brenda and Ferro to Villa d'Este, a mansion that had been turned into a museum with an incredible garden in the back.
Thursday was spent getting ready for our open house/ showcase that was that night. When it was over, we went to a nice, traditional Italian dinner that was paid for using left-over funds.
All we had to do on Friday was clean up from the open house and pack as most people were going home on Saturday.
And that was it. After two months, the program was over. But just because we were going home doesn't mean that we would ever forget our time in Roma, Italia....
Tuesday morning we had the Art History exam, then went up to the studio to continue finishing projects.
Wednesday we went on a field trip with Brenda and Ferro to Villa d'Este, a mansion that had been turned into a museum with an incredible garden in the back.
Thursday was spent getting ready for our open house/ showcase that was that night. When it was over, we went to a nice, traditional Italian dinner that was paid for using left-over funds.
All we had to do on Friday was clean up from the open house and pack as most people were going home on Saturday.
And that was it. After two months, the program was over. But just because we were going home doesn't mean that we would ever forget our time in Roma, Italia....
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Milan
Lindsey and I woke up at about 3am to get to the bus stop to get to the train station. We arrived at the Termini train station about 4am, then caught a bus to Ciampino airport for a 6:50 fight to Milan. In Milan, we took a bus to the Milan train station, then walked around for a few hours. We went past the church that holds the "Last Supper", but they were sold out so we couldn't see it. We couldn't even see the regular part of the church because it was already closed for siesta. Oh well.
We then found a castle that had been turned into a museum. We took a few pictures of the draw bridge, then continued through some gardens where we found another museum. We went into one of the exhibits where you could interact with the things on display.
We then went around to the Duomo
Before hitting up the shopping center.
The story of the bull is that if you put your heel in the whole and spin around, it will bring good luck.
We walked to our hotel, which was located by the train station, to check in and rest our feet. We went back to the Duomo for dinner and to watch the sun set, but wanted to be back to our hotel before it was too late.
The next morning, we went to a villa and walked around some gardens
By this point it was time to get back to the train station to catch a bus to the airport. We finally got back to our apartment between 9:30 and 10pm that night.
We then found a castle that had been turned into a museum. We took a few pictures of the draw bridge, then continued through some gardens where we found another museum. We went into one of the exhibits where you could interact with the things on display.
We then went around to the Duomo
Before hitting up the shopping center.
The story of the bull is that if you put your heel in the whole and spin around, it will bring good luck.
We walked to our hotel, which was located by the train station, to check in and rest our feet. We went back to the Duomo for dinner and to watch the sun set, but wanted to be back to our hotel before it was too late.
The next morning, we went to a villa and walked around some gardens
By this point it was time to get back to the train station to catch a bus to the airport. We finally got back to our apartment between 9:30 and 10pm that night.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Art History
For art history on Wednesday, we went to Piazza Nivona and talked about Bernini's "Fountain of the Four Rivers", then over to Trevi Fountain, and ended at the Spanish Steps. Because I had seen all these either wandering around or with another professor, I don't have any new photos.
On Thursday, the class went to the Borghese Gallery. We saw Bernini's "Apollo and Daphne", paintings by Caravaggio that showed when he was just starting out to when he was most famous, and a piece from Michelangelo's first Pieta (the one that is currently in St. Peter's is the second one). They didn't allow pictures, so I don't have any images to go along with the stories- sorry!
On Thursday, the class went to the Borghese Gallery. We saw Bernini's "Apollo and Daphne", paintings by Caravaggio that showed when he was just starting out to when he was most famous, and a piece from Michelangelo's first Pieta (the one that is currently in St. Peter's is the second one). They didn't allow pictures, so I don't have any images to go along with the stories- sorry!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Book Workshop
Today we had a guest come in and teach us how to make books. Sounds boring, I know, but not when you realize the materials we used. For the front and back covers, we had plywood. We covered part of both to make the first layer of the binding. We then decorated both outside covers with... well, anything. Fabric, sea shells, rocks, and jewels were most common, but there was a palm tree, moss, and a spoon. The inside was next, and most used fabric to keep it small.
Michelle (L) and Sarah:
We then created pages out of different types of paper- music sheets, cardboard, construction paper, etc, just about any type of paper you could get at an art store.
My book:
All of this was held together with two types of glue mixed together. We let them dry for the next few days before taking them back to our apartments. Overall, it was a lot of fun and I'm glad we did it.
Michelle (L) and Sarah:
We then created pages out of different types of paper- music sheets, cardboard, construction paper, etc, just about any type of paper you could get at an art store.
My book:
All of this was held together with two types of glue mixed together. We let them dry for the next few days before taking them back to our apartments. Overall, it was a lot of fun and I'm glad we did it.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Capri
Saturday morning, Lindsey and I woke up at 4am to catch a night bus to Termini Train Station. We arrived about 5:20 to catch the 5:41am train down to Naples. Once there, we booked it over to the Bay of Naples where we caught a 9:30 ferry to the island of Capri.
Looking back at the port, there was this castle:
There were a LOT of cruise ships around. Lindsey ended up sitting next to two guys who worked in entertainment for the one pictured below. They said that they worked two days/ week, then got the rest of the time off-- THAT'S the kind of job I want!
View of Capri from the ferry:
We decided to do a boat tour around the island, hoping to go into Blue Grotto, only to find out that the sea was too rough and it was closed. Trying not to let our disappointment get to the best of us, we did the boat tour anyway.
The entrance to Blue Grotto:
Green Grotto, so named because of how the water reflects off the rocks:
White Grotto:
The Lover's Arch:
We then went up to Capri Town. This is the view from the top of a 5 minute tram ride:
We then walked around Capri Town for a while, looking at a variety of shops, many of which were high end like Louis Vuitton and Gucci. This is the view from the tram on the way back down:
We laid on the beach for a little bit to dry off after going into the surprisingly warm water, caught the 4:30 ferry back to Naples, then slowly made our way back to the train station. Arriving there, we saw that there was a cheap train to Rome leaving in 5 minutes, so we bought the tickets, then ran to the train. Turns out it didn't leave for another 15 minutes, but we're glad we made it.
We got back to Rome about 9:30, finally getting back to our apartment around 10pm. It was a long day, but totally worth it. So far, Capri is one of the most beautiful places I've been to not only on this trip, but in all my travels.
Looking back at the port, there was this castle:
There were a LOT of cruise ships around. Lindsey ended up sitting next to two guys who worked in entertainment for the one pictured below. They said that they worked two days/ week, then got the rest of the time off-- THAT'S the kind of job I want!
View of Capri from the ferry:
We decided to do a boat tour around the island, hoping to go into Blue Grotto, only to find out that the sea was too rough and it was closed. Trying not to let our disappointment get to the best of us, we did the boat tour anyway.
The entrance to Blue Grotto:
Green Grotto, so named because of how the water reflects off the rocks:
White Grotto:
The Lover's Arch:
We then went up to Capri Town. This is the view from the top of a 5 minute tram ride:
We then walked around Capri Town for a while, looking at a variety of shops, many of which were high end like Louis Vuitton and Gucci. This is the view from the tram on the way back down:
We laid on the beach for a little bit to dry off after going into the surprisingly warm water, caught the 4:30 ferry back to Naples, then slowly made our way back to the train station. Arriving there, we saw that there was a cheap train to Rome leaving in 5 minutes, so we bought the tickets, then ran to the train. Turns out it didn't leave for another 15 minutes, but we're glad we made it.
We got back to Rome about 9:30, finally getting back to our apartment around 10pm. It was a long day, but totally worth it. So far, Capri is one of the most beautiful places I've been to not only on this trip, but in all my travels.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Pompeii
On Friday, Lindsey, Tyler and I went to Pompeii with another group from Penn State. The bus ride was long and cold, but it was nice to have goosebumps rather than sweat covering my body (ew, I know, but it's true).
The guide took us around, starting with the Forum where we saw an altar that would have been used for sacrifices, a few columns that at one point made a temple to Juno, and the walls of a basilica:
We then made our way over to the theater:
Before going to the brothel:
Mt. Vesuvius:
We saw the House of Mysteries, which has a surprising amount of surviving walls:
I wish we had been able to spend more time walking around, but the ride back was full of stories told by us as well as the Penn State group, which helped the ride back go much faster than the one down.
The guide took us around, starting with the Forum where we saw an altar that would have been used for sacrifices, a few columns that at one point made a temple to Juno, and the walls of a basilica:
We then made our way over to the theater:
Before going to the brothel:
Mt. Vesuvius:
We saw the House of Mysteries, which has a surprising amount of surviving walls:
I wish we had been able to spend more time walking around, but the ride back was full of stories told by us as well as the Penn State group, which helped the ride back go much faster than the one down.
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