Things I'll Miss About Roma I

The past four months of my life were incredible. I wouldn't give them up for anything in the world. I learned so much about myself between living in Italy and speaking zero Italian, travelling on low-cost budget airlines around Europe by myself, maneuvering my way around in strange European cities with my friends, reading maps, catching trains, living on an extremely tight budget, managing an unmanageable workload in an extremely limited time period, trying new foods, and finally truly understanding another culture. Being able to live in another country so different from America was an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life. It has given me the opportunity to reflect on everything I love so much about America, but take for granted, and an opportunity to see another culture's way of dealing with the things that irritate me in America. These are the things I will miss about Rome.

Travis

1. Cappuccinos: Italian coffee is the best in the world… There isn’t a single Starbucks in the country and to-go cups are very hard to come by. I will miss having a cappuccino standing, with one brown sugar, at the bar on the special mornings I woke up early enough. I will even miss the espresso and cappuccino machine at Temple Rome. But be careful! You'll be laughed at if you order a cappuccino after 10 AM; stick to espresso for your late afternoon java kick. For just 30 cents, you can get a mediocre espresso without leaving the building. Very clutch during midterms and when I am up all night writing a paper or when you need something to warm you up after getting soaked in a torrential down pour. 

Naples

2. The food. Even though I picked the worst possible country to study abroad in as a Celiac, I was still able to enjoy my fair share of Italian cuisine! Proccuito and melon or a caprese salad were my go to lunch and dinner options. The mozzarella in Italy is like nothing I have ever tasted before in my life. For starters, it takes NOTHING like the mozzarella we have in the states. The real thing comes from water buffalos (not cows) in southern Italy; when you slice into your ball of fresh mozzarella at dinner, out comes fresh milk, almost as if the cheese were a sponge filled with as much buffalo milk as possible for maximum flavor... yummmy! The Parmigiana is also UNBELIEVABLE its that GOOD. My roommate and I would literally buy a brick of it a week. We used it on everything. I also swear that the tomatoes in Italy are different than at home. They just taste so much fresher and sweeter. Although I cannot comment on the pasta and pizza dishes, I can say that based on my friends reviews and reactions, they are quite delectable. 

3. Gelato. On another note, now that I have had the real, Italian gelato, I will never eat anything else. It is not like ice cream, or frozen yogurt, or sorbet, or anything in between. Its not too heavy and creamy and its not too sweet and rich...its totally indescribable. You'll know what I'm talking about once you try it. Its perfect. My favorite gelato comes from Old Bridge Gelateria, right across from the Vatican Museum entrance. Stracciatella (also one of my favorite Italian words to say), Nutella, and Ananas taste fantabulous together.


4. The Italians and their Culture. Ooohhh how I wish I was Italian! Italians are the epitome of effortless class and flawless beauty. From their mannerisms to their style, everything is perfectly polished. Their makeup is perfect; the would never dream of leaving the house with wet hair; ponytails are unheard of; flipflops are strictly for the beach; shorts are rare, but increasingly a topic of interest as are fair skinned, blonde haired, blue-eyed girls...  hello alien status! To have the effortless grace of an Italian! My thirty minute walk to school in the morning proved to be a prime people watching period: men and women on their way to work. For Italians, appearance is the number one, most important quality. I am pretty sure they spend more time getting ready for work, school, dates, and interviews than they spend at the activity itself.  The men always sport pristinely polished loafers (Ferragamo) and perfectly tailored custom high end designer suits by [insert: any expensive high end Italian or French designer]. This is how you can separate the real Italians from the tourists and the immigrants. No one dresses more perfectly than an Italian. I made a game out of this on the metro, but it quickly became boring once I realized how easy it was to spot a real Italian in a crowd. The women wear leather heels, flats if they are above the age of 60, and they are usually a perfect match to their leather handbag, with the exception of the fashionista, who tends to be a bit more daring with her wardrobe choices. The shoes and purse (briefcase for the men) is always a high-end Italian or French designer. 


5. The matrimonial bed. By the beginning of October, my adorable roommate Isabel and I were inspired to push our twin-size beds together to form a "matrimonial bed" by some of our friends in Temple who had done so earlier. The term "matrimonial bed" was coined by the maids at our Residence, who did not understand why two girls would want their beds pushed together if they weren't dating or married. Each day for the first month we pushed our beds together, the maids would push them back apart when they cleaned our room. But for Isabel and I, there was no turning back. The matrimonial bed was revolutionary!! Instead of struggling to fall asleep in our prison-like separated beds, while awkwardly straining our necks to watch season one of Modern Family on my laptop each night that was set up on a chair in between our beds, we decided we'd be much happier snuggling and watching television with our beds pushed together. Definitely a major highlight of my semester. It made late night philosophizing sessions, snuggling, movie nights, naps, and even waking up in the morning a billion zillion times better! I highly recommend the matrimonial bed for all of you future study abroaders. 


6. Walking. Since I've been back in America, I have realized how little we walk. I can get through an entire day barely even walking a half mile. Granted, I am home for the holidays and posted up in the 'burbs, but I think its slightly oxymoronic that we walk almost nowhere on a day to day basis and make up for it by sweating profusely for two hours 3-5 times a week at the gym. How much time does driving everywhere really save us? I understand the connivence of having a car but perhaps we wouldn't need to spend so much time destressing and burning off all those extra calories (gosh darn Starbucks Mocha Frapps are killin' me!) if we just walked everywhere! In Rome, I grew to genuinely looked forward to my walk to and from school everyday. It was relaxed, peaceful, and I could rock out to some of my favorite beats on the way to class. Couldn't ask for a more perfect start to the day! 

Check back soon for Part II! 
xx, E

Rome Series: Famous for No Reason

The following is a list of the overrated sites in Rome. These tourist traps, as I will call them, are only famous because of their massive size, location, or presence in American popculture. They have absolutely no historical significance in the grand scheme of things, especially in such a culturally relevant epi-center of the great humanities. Just incase you ever find yourself wandering around the eternal city, wondering why one of these seemingly-important sights is famous, here's all you need to know.

1. The Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain is the most famous fountains in all of Rome. It's recurrent role in various Hollywood movies over the years has undoubtably contributed to its popularity. The Trevi Fountain has appeared in Fellini's La Dolce Vita, Roman Holiday, The Lizzie McGuire Movie, and When in Rome (2010). 


According to Wikipedia, the Trevi Fountain is the "largest Baroque fountain in all of Rome". As a Baroque scholar, I can tell you that this is not entirely true. Originally, Pope Urban VIII hired Bernini, the most famous Baroque sculptor in the world, to build a new fountain on the other side of the piazza so that the Pope could see it out of his window in the Quirinal Palace. Bernini and Pietro da Cortona were responsible for the design of the original Trevi Fountain, but was later torn down and replaced with a different design. Bernini's only lasting impression was the new location in the piazza, while Cortona heavily influenced the layout and design of the fountain. In 1732, Alessandro Galilei won a competition to redesign the fountain. Galilei used Bernini's location, Cortona's Late Baroque classical layout, and incorporated his own Rocco stylistic elements into the iconography. The various depictions of Triton taming the waters and the naturalistic rock formations are Rocco elements, while the overall Classical design comes from the Late Baroque. A triumphal arch in the middle (compare to the Arch of Constantine near the Forum and the Colosseum). The repetition of the tritons and horses adds symmetrical balance to the composition. 


The Trevi fountain make absolutely no advancements in art, it is simply a large, obnoxious fountain that makes an average 3,000 euros a day off of the coins tourist throw in. I am not telling you to skip the Trevi Fountain when you visit Rome, because it is beautiful and definitely something you need to see. Just make sure you visit the fountain as an informed tourist!Bernini was most influential and revolutionary Baroque sculptor in the world, after all the Rome is the most important city in the world for Baroque art! Galilei doesn't even make a blip on the Art Historian's radar. 

2. The Spanish Steps

The Spanish Steps are another one of the most popular gathering places in all of Rome. It was not until my last onsite class for Baroque Art in Rome this semester that I finally understood the (un)importance of this tourist sight. First, the name "The Spanish Steps" has nothing to do with the actual monument, it is simply the title that everyday people informally gave to the steps because of their proximity to the Spanish Embassy. A more appropriate name for the steps would be "The French Steps" because they were actually paid for by a French Diplomat. 


At the top of the steps, the building with the two tall towers behind the obelisk, is a French church. The French diplomat requested the large sum of money be used by the church to build something lavish in the empty space below the church to make it look more important. The architect of the steps is unknown and the project was not completed until around 1730. Today the Spanish Steps are a large gathering place for tourists, street performers, artists, and pick-pocketers. Fontana della Barcaccia, located at the base of the steps, was a collaboration between Lorenzo Bernini and his more famous son, Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

3. The Wedding Cake

The Wedding Cake a.k.a. Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II is abhorred by Romans alike. The monument was completed in 1931, as a celebration of the unification of Italy's city-states under the late king. The reason it is so hated is because is built entirely out of an awful, harsh white marble, not the Travertine marble the rest of the Eternal City is built out of. Mussolini, the Fascist dictator and Hitler ally, oversaw the construction of the Wedding Cake, making the monument serve more as an ever-present reminder of a dark moment in Italy's history, rather than a symbol of national pride. 

The facts and descriptions of the monuments listed above are representative of carefully recorded thoughts and opinions of Roman's I have spoken with and the historical facts were diligently researched. 

xx, E.

Packing Tips for Study Abroad

When I was packing my two large duffle bags up to travel to Rome in August, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to bring and what to leave behind. My program didn't give us a list of things to pack beyond the basics- medications, adapters, laptop, warm clothes, a couple pairs of shoes, and our passports. Packing for the three months is overwhelming. I remember wishing I had someone to answer all my questions and give me some tips. The most important thing to remember when you are packing for study abroad is that you can buy almost everything after you get to your destination, with the exception of a few very important items. 


What to bring:
-Clothes. Don't bring anything too nice. All of the clothing I brought could either be washed by hand or needed to go to the dry cleaner around the corner from the residence (she only speaks Italian eeeek!) The washing machines were a huge let down and destroyed a lot of my clothes, so I resorted to hand-washing everything in my bathtub or bidet. It is next to impossible to keep your whites white unless you put the time in to bleaching them. The Italians (and all Europeans) dress up  A LOT. If you go outside with wet hair, in sweatpants, a tee shirt, workout clothes, or sneakers that aren't trendy (Converse, those fancy Nike Dunks...) you will get more than a few disgusted stares. 


-Walking shoes. You'll be walking everywhere, in the city you're studying in and in each new place you visit. Your new and tightened student budget probably won't permit you to 'cab it' out every night. Exploring European cities by foot is also the best way to take it all in. I went through several pairs of flats in the past 3 months. Its a good idea to bring a pair or two of comfortable flat boots and at least one pair of flats. I basically lived in my motorcycle boots and knee high flat black leather boots. Flip flops are a no-go unless you are wearing them in the shower at your hostel or at the beach. Bring dressier sandals for warmer weather. DO NOT FORGET BLISTER BANDAIDS!!!! They don't exist in Europe.


-Layers. Bring clothes that can be layered. The weather can change drastically from day to day and space is limited. Better to be warm than cold. You will wear tights and leggings all the time. Tights and shorts are a big trend in Europe and the combo comes in handy when all of your clothes are dirty. Bring dresses and tops that you will be able to wear throughout your entire time abroad mixing and matching. Its best to bring lots of skinny jeans, jeggings, and leggings that don't take up much space and can easily be tucked into boots, instantly dressing up any outfit. 


-Coats. Bring a few coats of different warmths so that you have options when you travel. While it might only get to the mid-40s in Rome, if you are planning on visiting friends in Paris or Prague where it snows a lot, you will want a warmer coat. Also, check the average temperatures for the months you will be the city and pack accordingly. 


-Backpack. I forgot to bring one of these (not sure what I was thinking). I had to buy a 120 euro backpack from the North Face store in Rome my first week... Definitely don't make this mistake. You will use this all the time, during your weekend and overnight trips. Especially if you are flying on budget airlines like Ryanair where you are limited to only 1 carryon.


-Hygiene products. If you are particularly brand loyal when it comes to certain products, I would suggest that you bring a large enough supply to last until your parents visit and can bring you more because they have completely different products in Europe, brand availability depends on the country you're in. For example, in Italy, they do not sell Neutrogena anywhere, but you can find it all over France. You also might want to bring some over-the-counter medications from the US such as Advil, Zyrtech-D, or Tums.


-Makeup. Again, much more expensive in Europe mostly because they include the 14% VAT in all the prices already. Don't worry, you will be able to find brands like Chanel, Lancome, Clinique if there is an emergency (try la Rinascente or Sephora in Rome), but its best to bring enough makeup from home where your parents can pay for it and it won't deduct from your abroad budget.


-School supplies. In Rome one pen costs anywhere from 1.50 euro to 4 euro. They don't sell cheap pens in large packs for 99 cents in Europe, so I'd recommend bringing a few from home. Highlighters are even more expensive and notecards don't exist. If you are planning on passing your foreign language classes, you might want to pack some of these babies.


-Plastic bags and tupperware. They don't exist in Italy, I can't speak for other countries. You'll want them for travelling and for packing snacks for school. 


-Protein bars. If you eat them, they are much more difficult to find in Europe. If you do find them, they will probably be expensive and funny tasting.


Things to leave behind...
-Workout clothes. Pack an outfit or two, just incase you go hiking or something, but you're not studying abroad to get in good shape or maintain your physique. You're studying abroad to experience other cultures, try new food in each city you visit, and of course, sample the local wine, limeonciello, beer, and vodka. You'll be so busy travelling, hanging out with friends, and doing school work, that working out like you do in the US is simply unrealistic.


-Heels. If you don't already live in them, you can definitely survive without them, especially in Rome where walking on cobblestones is quite challenging (even in flats!). If you insist upon bringing heels, it is best to bring wedges. Limit yourself to one pair.
I hope this helps! 
xx, E

And It Comes to an End...

They say all good things must come to an end. I just finished my last final of the semester at my study abroad program in Rome and I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I am ecstatic to be done with school. I was slammed with work the past three weeks; I guess we had to make up for the whole lot of nothing we'd been doing since we got here in order to get credit for the classes back home, but getting hit with a mountain of work when you are used to going on vacation every one of your four (or self-proclaimed five) day weekends is nothing short of marathon. Trying to smush an entire semester's worth of information into your brain two days before the final, hah! Its so impossible, its actually comical. I can't wait to go home and see my family and dogs, sleep in my own giant bed, and upgrade from a bathtub to a washing machine, but I will miss Rome. 


After living in Rome for a fast four months, I still can't say I've even come close to seeing half of the art and culture the city has to offer. There are so many museums, so many paintings, frescos, sculptures, monuments, churches, buildings, and ancient ruins in Rome- and so many more being cleaned and rediscovered or dug up every day, that it just may be impossible. Its like what they say about New York, there are so many restaurants that even if you ate at a new one everyday for your life, you couldn't eat at them all!


I was lucky enough to be able to take Baroque Art in Rome, High Renaissance in Rome, Italian, and International Trade this semester. My Baroque and High Renaissance classes each met on site once a week for three hours where we would visit different museums, palazzos, piazzas, and churches all over Rome. It was an incredible opportunity to learn about some of the most influential pieces in the history of Western art. Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling, Bernini's Ecstasy of St. Teresa, the Belvedere Torso, Raphael's Transfiguration, the Colosseum, and St. Peter's Basilica just to name a few.


Today is the feast of the Immaculate Conception and everything is closed in Italy. This afternoon the Pope is making a pilgrimage to Piazza Mignanelli (the piazza to the right of the Spanish Steps) to say a prayer and leave a floral wreath infront of the Madonna statue in the square. I am going to try and make it to see this since I haven't seen the pope yet since I've been in Rome. Traditionally, the feast of the Immaculate Conception marks the beginning of the Christmas season in Italy, which only means one thing... I've got lots of shopping to do tomorrow when all the stores open back up!
xx, E

Bernini's Elephant

Bernini's Elephant Carrying an Obelisk is one of the most curious monuments in Rome, despite it's small size. The Egyptian obelisk was found in the garden of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (behind the monument) during the reign of Pope Alexander VII. Fascinated by the obscure inscriptions, Alexander VII hired Athanasius Kircher, a famous Egyptologist and Jesuit scholar, to interpret the symbols. Kircher found that the inscriptions referenced sunlight, and Bernini was hired to erect a monument in front of the church, incorporating the obelisk. It was completed in 1667. This was the last work Bernini and his assistants undertook for Alexander VII.

The small Egyptian obelisk rests on the back of a nearly life size baby elephant who stands still on a tall, narrow pedestal. The elephant's trunk reaches back to touch the elaborate saddle that carries the obelisk. In 1630, the first elephant in 100 years visited Rome. Bernini was able to conduct a careful study of the creature. It is because of this experience that Bernini was able to sculpt such a realistic elephant. Elephants were extremely rare in the West during the Seventeenth century, most people only knew of the animals through stories. On top of the obelisk are the symbols from the Chigi family crest, the Tuscan hills and the Chigi star, topped with by the Cross of Jesus Christ. The tapestry draped on the elephant's back also bares Alexander VII's crest.

Alexander VII considered the monument a glorification of his reign. The elephant is a traditional symbol of wisdom and strength, while sunlight symbolizes divine enlightenment. The elephant (wisdom and strength) carries sunlight (divine enlightenment) on his back as a gift to the Pope. Alexander VII believed that the re-discovery of the obelisk during his reign was a symbol of his divine enlightenment. This monument is filled with contrast. There is a contrast between old and new; the ancient Egyptian obelisk and the rare, oriental elephant. There was a fascination with elephants during the Baroque because they were a new discovery that came from the East. There is also a clash between the Pagan and the Christian. A pagan obelisk is topped by Pope Alexander VII's crest and a cross; further the entire monument consisting primarily of an obelisk and an elephant, both non-Roman and non-Christian symbols, is located in the piazza of a church. 

Bernini conjures up incompatible contrasts to make a fluid statement: as a whole, the Elephant Obelisk Monument is a symbol of Pope Alexander VII's wisdom, strength, and divine enlightenment. It is a propaganda piece, commissioned by the Pope himself. It glorifies Alexander VII and implies his triumph over paganism. Obelisks in Rome typically serve as a link between earth and heaven, creating a powerful witness of spirituality. Together, the symbols in Bernini's Elephant Obelisk communicate the strength and enlightenment of the Pope. By using an elephant in this version of an equestrian monument, Bernini makes a radical rejection of our customary idea of triumph up until this time. The docile, subjugated, noble giant serves as a pictorial reminder of humanity's highest virtues. 

xx, E

Farm Fresh

I bought these before my High Renaissance class met onsite in Campo de Fiore all the way back in September for about one euro. They were easily the most delicious strawberries I've ever had in my entire life!

xx, E

The Taste of Chianti

Napoli

Naples, Italy is not a typical touristic destination. On a good day, Naples is best known as the homeland of many Italian-American immigrants and the birthplace of Neapolitan pizza. Try Solania's for the best pizza in the world!! This all according to my friends of course, since I cannot chow down on the gluten-filled delicacy [insert sad face here]. Naples is best known for it's crime, garbage lined streets, and as the city most heavily bombed in all of Italy during WWII. Typical of Southern Italy, Naples is a free-spirited, colorful, energetic, cultural mishmash.


As one of the most important cities for Renaissance and Baroque art, Naples was an obvious destination for my Baroque Art History at Temple University taught by Ana Tuck-Scala. As we pulled up to our first stop at Palazzo Capodimonte, Professor Tuck-Scala announced that we should be extra cautious about our belongings today because there would be many school children around. It was a Friday and all the Neapolitan public school children, frustrated with lack of government funded, decided to go on strike. A transplanted native, my professor explained to us that this sort of thing is very common in Naples. Hmmphh wonder who got the idea first, the Neapolitans or the French?

I won't bore you with all the details about the museums, so here are the highlights:

• Caravaggio's Seven Acts of Mercy in Pio Monte della Misericordia which is a personal Caravaggio favorite
• Caravaggio's Flagellation of Christ in Palazzo Capodimonte
• Caravaggio's last known work, The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula in Galleria di Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano
• Guiseppe Sanmartino's stunning sculpture Veiled Christ in Chiesa San Domenico Maggiore
• Certosa di San Martino- an old Carthusian monastery that houses some of the most beautiful Baroque paintings I have ever seen. In the church there is also a painting that some believe to be one of Caravaggio's missing works. Not a popular tourist destination, but one of the best stops on the trip. Situated on top of a hill, overlooking Naples, it offers a fantastic view of the city (see below).

View from San Martino

Gesù Nuovo

Although it is not famous for being one of Italy's must visit city's, Naples is definitely worth a stop if you are on your way to the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, or Sicily. Downtown Naples has decent shopping, cheap prices, and even more knock-off designer goods. Check out the Galleria, its an exact replica of the Galleria in Milan.
xx, E

A Weekend on the Amalfi Coast

I woke up Friday morning slightly hungover from the night before, threw a swimsuit, jean-shorts, sunglasses, and a tee shirt into my backpack and headed off to the Amalfi Coast for the weekend with 15 of my closest friends.

We opted not to book our weekend getaway through the overpriced, overcrowded, ultra cheesy Bus2Alps tour group. We left the residence Medaglie d'Oro at 1:00 PM to catch a train out of Termini to Naples where we then took the local train, emphasis on the local (there wasn't an inch that wasn't covered in graffiti, no AC, windows that went all the way down, and lots of Italians who don't believe in deodorant), to Salerno. After an hour an a half and a few, due to a few navigational mistakes that doubled our journey, we caught a SITA bus from the seaside town up, up, up into the mountains where our hostel, Beata Solitudo, was situated. The hostel was located directly in front of the very last bus stop.

We were really in the middle of no where... 

A heard of sheep crossed through while we waited for the bus from the mountain town to Sorrento at early Sunday morning

We ventured out to find some much needed nourishment at a nearby hotel where we were treated to an amazing meal and free limoncello shots (much thanks to Colin) we finished the complimentary limoncello. Perfect start to a perfect weekend.

The next morning we woke up bright and early, took the hour long bus ride down to Amalfi and caught a ferry over to Positono and spent the day lazying around on the beach-- relaxing, drinking beers, catching some rays, and floating in the uber salty Mediterranean.

Positono

The girls and I hiked up into the town and found a cute place to get an American breakfast for our late lunch. This was definitely a highlight of the whole weekend... Italians only have "uno cafe e uno cornetto" for breakfast. Three weeks into being abroad, I was craving eggs and bacon!!

View from the top:

Me and the girls

If only I could spend every weekend on the Italian Riviera, my life would be perfect!

xx, E

Guidos in Italia

Guidos across the pond.