Lump on a Log? Definitely... Maybe

Yesterday was an incredibly lazy day all around the apartments (not just ours, but the guys' apartments as well). I got up in the morning and went to the flea market, then went grocery shopping around 1:30. That was the most productive I was for the whole day.

Today we had Painting moved to the morning because it gets so hot in the afternoon that all we can think about is taking a nap. Instead, I worked on digital photography and I continue to stay ahead of the game. Most of the pictures I'm going to use have been taken and saved in the correct format, now it's a matter of writing up the statement and submitting the work.

Tonight, one of my roommates, Lindsey, and I walked around the Trevi Fountain area waiting for the sun to go down, then went back to the Fountain once it was lit up for the night.

We then went to the Pantheon,

and ended the night at Piazza Nivona and Bernini's Four Rivers.

After we had done the night at the Colosseum, she and I both realized we wanted to do it again with the other famous sites. Next time, Spanish Steps? Definitely! ... Maybe.

Week Three Already?!?

On Tuesday for Art History, we saw the Palazzo Farnese as well as the Villa Farnesina, which was built for Alexander Chigi, a Sienese banker who formed a close relationship with the Pope and was allowed to build a country villa on the Vatican side of the Tiber River where he could conduct business and have dinner parties.

On Wednesday, Ferro (a friend of Brenda's (our Painting professor) and professor for Iowa State in Rome) showed us the Maxxi, a modern art museum. It was a nice change of pace from seeing all the art from centuries past to something that was created while we've been living.

That night, one of my roommates, Lindsey, and I grabbed a bottle of wine and sat at the Colosseum, watching the sun go down. One picture (the one that actually proves I'm in Rome) is my current profile picture on Facebook, though others are posted within my Rome album.

On Thursday, we had a sketching day for Painting, meaning we went around to Bernini's 'Elephant', the Pantheon, and a few other places to either sketch or write what we saw.

On Friday for Art History, we saw Michelangelo's 'Moses', which was meant to be a corner statue for Julius II's tomb. However, when Julius II died, Michelangelo stopped being paid. Eventually, the four-sided monument was downsized to what it is today, with Moses in the middle instead of the corner in the original design.

We also went to the Santa Maria de Minerva next to the Pantheon to see Michelangelo's 'Risen Christ'. A choir was practicing which sounded beautiful as their voices vibrated against the walls of the church.

Today we went to Assisi. The church at the top of the hill was stunning, and you could go down three stories, eventually arriving at St. Francis' tomb. The amount of the frescos that have survived was incredible. Because we weren't allowed to take pictures, we sketched, which was interesting because at various points you could feel someone standing right next to you, looking over your shoulder to see what you were doing. A few people asked us who we were, but most simply observed and moved on.

Illusion of St. Peter's

For Painting, this week has mostly been a work week. We didn't go anywhere exciting for sketching or general exploring. Instead, we were working on our actual class (What?!? Weird!), which consists of two projects. The first one is a group picture. We've split up a painting ("Judith Slaying Holofernes")

into 12 pieces (3 across, 4 down). My piece is the bottom right corner. We did a charcoal drawing, lined them up, and now we're working on the canvases, using the same technique as the artist.

Art History has been much more exciting. On Tuesday we went to 3 different churches, including seeing the original foundations from the 300's.

Today we went to St. Peter's. The optical illusion inside is hard to describe but amazing to see.

Because of the scale of the space in relation to the size of the statues, the 22' tall marble people look like they're maybe 10'; the canopy of the alter appears maybe 25' tall when it's actually 10 stories! Is sounds weird (how could something that's actually so big look so small, even from 30' away?), but it's true.

We didn't have time to climb the dome or go into the museum, so there's already talk of returning some afternoon when we have some free time.

Pentecost Mass in the Pantheon

Today is the Pentecost, and because the Pantheon is still a functioning church, mass was held today at 10:30. So I (and a few others from the program) went.

We had found out a week earlier that at the Pentecost mass, a few of Rome's firefighters climb to the top of the Pantheon, and throw rose petals down the oculus. This- because it only happens once a year- was something we had to see for ourselves.

The mass was about an hour and a half, but it was worth it.

The very beginning:

All the red stuff are rose petals

people would try to grab the petals before they hit the ground

and if you have that many rose petals, eventually your floor will look like this:

Catching Up

It's been a few days, sorry about that.

On Wednesday, we went to Ostia Antica. In ancient times, this was the port at the mouth of the Tiber River, Rome's first line of defense against invasion from the sea. We saw mosaics from the bath houses and the main trading center. Because so many people were illiterate, mosaics of what the store sold would often be on the ground at the entrance to help buyers out. Fero, a professor for Iowa State that stays in Rome (I believe), was incredibly knowledgable and gave us a tour of the place.

Thursday, Brenda showed us where a good art store near the studio is in case we need stuff. We then started working on our first project, which consists of taking one painting, dividing it into 12 pieces, and each student getting a piece. Because the piece is individual, but has to match up with the surrounding pieces, it's a project I'm nervous but excited for.

Friday for Art History we met at Ara Pacis, a peace monument dedicated to Augustus. We then saw the ruins of Imperial Rome. Lindsey, Tyler and I decided to explore the area before heading back and found a variety of little shops.
That night, we ladies cooked dinner for the guys (nothing fancy, just sloppy joes with chips, green beans, and dessert), then went out.

And that brings us to today- Saturday. The construction guys are done with the jackhammer (*knock on wood*), so we're able to sleep in a little bit. Tomorrow, there's a special mass in the Pantheon a few of us are going to try and see for Pentecost. I don't want to say more in case that doesn't happen, but if we're able to, I'll post pictures!

That's all for now, time for brunch! :D

Foro Romano

Today we went to the Roman Forum. To the untrained eye, it looked like a bunch of ruble from a demolition site. However, as our Art History professor explained, we saw not only the birthplace of Rome, but also the 'belly button' of Rome (meaning, the location that determines the distance between Rome and any other city). We saw some remnants of Niro's house (busts of his family members as well as a family tree, a painting, and floor tiles).

We saw temples next to basilicas next to churches- a transition that went through hundreds of years in history.

Temple of Saturn

Church of Santa Maria

Arch of Constantine

The class ended at the Colosseum

Inside

The cages which held the animals. Lifts would raise them to the floor of the arena, which was filled with sand (this helped absorb the blood spilled-- EWW!)

Reconstructed portion of seating and the arena floor

Weekend #1

On Thursday for Painting, we walked around and saw the Pantheon (again, but it was around 9am so the tourists weren't really out yet),

Berini's Four Rivers

Trevi Fountain

and we went to a variety of churches.

Yesterday (Saturday), a group of 16 of us went to the beach. It was an adventure trying to get there, but we made it, and now that we actually know where we're going, it'll be easier the next time. The weather was beautiful, and even with sunscreen, I got a little burned. The variety of sun tan lines I have (specifically on my shoulders) is amusing.

Since we've been here, the apartment above ours has been undergoing restoration, so there's been construction workers starting at 9am every morning. This morning was a refreshing change of pace when they didn't work, and the entire apartment was able to sleep in. Around noon, Lindsey, Sarah, and I went to the flea market (I was mistaken when I earlier said it was a farmer's market) that was right along our street. And up the next street, and down another street. It was massive. A strong majority of the vendors had clothing (90% looking the same), followed closely by jewelry and electronics. A decent amount had fun trinkets and there were even a few antique dealers. Overall, it was fun to see, and we'll definitely be going again-- but much earlier to avoid the crowd next time.

The Apartment

The entryway: as you enter, to your right is the bathroom:

that has a shower instead of a sink. To your right is the main area (pictures L to R: Michelle, Lindsey, Sarah):

which has a balcony. The view overlooks a plaza, which has a farmer's market saturday mornings and a busy street that follows the river.

If you go straight from the entryway, there's a hallway. The first right is the kitchen:

and yes, the main cabinet that you see (the tall one) actually does have the fridge inside. The two doors on the left of that hallway are two out of the three bedrooms which house four of my other five roommates (Lindsey and Nicki, Michelle and Sarah). The second door on the right is the main bathroom that we all use.

Notice that there's no dryer, only a washer?

And finally, the third door on the right is the bedroom I share with one other roommate, Cecelia.

For how big the apartment actually is, it's set up in a way that makes it feel very spacious!