Day 10 and 11

Days 10 and 11

Monday was a usual school day, Italian in the morning with Art History in the afternoon.  We learned about Michelangelo in Art and talked over the schedule of events for our weekend in Florence!

Tuesday, after our History class, we took our first quiz in Human Rehabilitation Studies (HRS).  The quiz explored the main ideas surrounding Human services.  This class is unique because it gives us a break from the classes based in history such as art, history and Catholicism.  While I love all my classes, the break allows our minds to switch to a different way of thinking and also allows us to notice things on excursions that normally would not have pointed out to us.  

After lunch, all of the students ventured to the Basilica which the smaller group stumbled upon on Saturday which happened to be the Arch basilica of St. John Lateran also known as the Cathedral of Rome.  This was the first legal church in Rome and serves as the only Cathedral because it holds the chair of the bishop of Rome, who happens to be the Pope.   Next to the Basilica is an obelisk which is the oldest man-made object in Rome because it was taken from ancient Egypt.  It also happens to be the largest standing ancient Egyptian obelisk in the world and weighs 455 tons. I would strongly recommend anyone traveling in Rome to walk inside the Basilica and around to the obelisk and the baptistery not for religious purposes but simply to enjoy the site itself.  For more information and a glimpse at the inside: http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_giovanni/vr_tour/index-en.html.

Word of the Day:

10: Guided Tour- visita guidata

11: chair-sedia

Place of the Day: 

10: Roma, Italia

11: Basilica San Giovanni, Basilica of St. John Lateran, Roma, Italia 

Day 8 and 9: The weekend

Day 8:  This week has been busy but I am currently in the process of catching up everyone.   On Saturday Nicole, Sarah and I went to check out a market place and ended up discovering another Basilica.  We hopped off the train at San Giovanni and walked over where we were the attention of a bunch of street vendors (a lovely fact of being a tourist: hold purse and be polite but firm).   After exploring the market which was somewhat closed, we walked through the city gates and into the Basilica of St. John Laterine.  The central section of the Basilica is home to the tomb of Pope Martin V and lining the central isle are 14 foot tall statues of the followers of Jesus.   The alter was completely covered in gold and above the alter are relics of St. Peter and St. Paul.   Later that evening, we walked through a popular night life area and got to see St. Peter's dome lit up.  Incredible day of exploration!

Location: St. John Laterine Basilica, Rome, Italy

Word of the day: bellissima- very beautiful

Day 9: Sunday was our day to get work done! We did our readings and prepared for the week ahead.  I went to a few stores and explored some of our neighborhood.   The people are mostly in their houses but the one's I did see offered a pleasant greeting and a smile.   We attended mass for a Cardinal in Italian, German and Latin which was an incredible experience in the church located in the Piazza Navona.  Pictures on the next blog!

Location: Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy

Word of the day: formaggio- cheese 

Day 6 and 7: History Class continues

Day 6: When studying in Rome there are many things to do, one of which is presentations.  I volunteered to present the Theatre of Marcellus which is partially why I ran our of hours for blogging yesterday. My apologies! Thursday is our last day of classes every week which also means it is a busy day! Three classes and we got our first passes for the Gym! These memberships are especially important to the people on sports teams because it allows us to lift and and strengthen our bodies outside of running.   I am looking forward to it!
Location: Rome, Italy--Our gym!
Word of the Day: libro- book

Day 7:  There are many classic Roman places to see while visiting this city.   The one that I have studied the most has to be the Colosseum.  Similarly to the the Colosseum is the Roman Forum, we went to both!  Our day began on the bus when we met some lovely tourists from Vermont (something quite uncommon is actually meeting tourists).   The morning consisted of walking over the Tiber and onto Tiber Island, viewing the first sewage system, viewing temples, and the Theatre of Marcellus.   We then walked up the Capitoline Hill, saw Marcus Aurelius on horseback with the Tiber and the Nile statues, and enjoyed the lovely view of the back of the Forum.   I would highly recommend the walk because it passes through the oldest, most historic lands in the heart of Rome.   Prior to lunch we walked down the back of the hill and into the Forum! I would HIGHLY recommend this site to anyone because there is something in it for everyone.  We touched ruins that were built over two thousand years ago and we walked around the building that all churches are modeled after.  For my love of politics, I saw one of the first senate buildings in the world!!  From triumphal arches to Emperor's secret passageways, the Forum is magnificent.  When we had exhausted the Forum to a certain degree, we had lunch overlooking the Forum and Colosseum.   After lunch, we made our way into the Colosseum! It was spectacular to say the least.  The arches, the detailing in the marble sculptures, and the stories behind every piece in the amphitheater are perfect.  When prompted to our own free time, Nicole, Sarah and I got on the metro back home.  Instead of switching to the normal train in the termini station, we decided to see what was outside the building.  There was a small green garden across the street which was, as we found out later, the outer portion of a National Museum of Rome.  There were benches outside with a lovely fountain so we took a small break before continuing around the block and discovering the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri ( Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs).   Exploring and getting lost in Rome is one of the most exciting things to do and even by taking a short detour, you never know what beautiful buildings and fountains you can find!   Today was particularly wonderful!
Location: Colosseo, Roma, Italia
Word of the day: rovine-ruins

Day 5: San Clemente

Today was very entertaining! In Italian class we learned the numbers, countries and nationalities.   We learned age and years as well.  For Art class we visited San Clemente, a minor Basilica dedicated to Pope Clement I.   There are three layers of building: an underground Mithraeum which was part of the main house in the 1st century, the 4th century Basilica complete with frescoes, and finally the present Basilica with the Chapel of St. Catherine.   The frescoes were so colorful! The stories behind them were fascinating and the reasons behind them are worth reading about!   The living classroom adds to my appreciation of Rome and especially to the pieces.   We have not been here a week and I already feel the growth in my understanding of what history means to this beautiful city.   Currently listening to a thunderstorm pass by; it is the first patch of rain we have gotten all week! It is so beautiful and the temperature has gone down significantly in a few hours!

Location: Basilica di San Clemente al Laterano, Roma, Italia
Word of the day: Temporale- Thunderstorm

Day 4: Here comes the homework!

As fun as traveling has been, today we got down to some work.  We had history and human services this morning followed by lunch and then theology! Looks like the family (what the students call ourselves) will be doing a lot of traveling. One of our assignments is attending 4 different church services and they range from Italian Catholic to Eastern Catholic/Orthodox to Latin. I cannot wait to experience them all!  Our professors are making a large effort to have the students learn outside the class as much as possible and I think that will be incredibly rewarding while we are living with the historic sites.  While studying abroad is fun, the educational side is definitely still an active part of the adventure.   Tonight we have homework and I am looking forward to giving a presentation on San Clemente at the actual chapel tomorrow! Lots to see and do tomorrow but I can't wait to see what the day will bring!

Location of the Day: Villino Dufault, Roma, Italia
Word of the Day: scuola- school

Picture for today is our neighboring house/ my view!

Day 2 and 3

I do apologize for being a day late in my entry so I will be adding yesterday to the blog entry for today! Yesterday we visited the Pope in St. Peter's and got to see the Sunday Papel address (Angelus). The basilica is massive and there were many thousands of people which made the experience quite brilliant.  Several country's flags were draped around shoulders and during the service, when the prayers were said, the response from the crowd took my breath away.  The experience was unlike anything I've ever seen and it put into perspective how inclusive religion can be in a world so plagued by war.   Even with the language barrier, I understood some of the Pope's message and I could follow the prayers.   After the Angelus, we made our way back to the house for lunch and after we went on a walk around the neighborhood! It was Sunday which meant that nearly every business was closed but it was interesting being able to compare the emptiness of the sidewalks to the business of the Vatican.   Later, I had my first real Italian Gelato and got to order in Italian which was quite difficult but amusing for the server.   I had limone e fragola which means lemon and strawberry--it was perfect! 

In the evening, we visited the General House and saw the magnificent view from atop the building. The view rendered me speechless which, for anyone who knows me, is not a common occurrence.   The sunset over the mountains and the entire city is something I highly recommend for anyone who comes to Rome because there is nothing like seeing the combination of nature, ancient structures and modern architecture.  The Romans have figured out how to live and it starts with what they choose to look at.   For dinner we had Pizza just to top off the magnificent day! 

Location: St. Peter's Basilica, Roma, Italia

Word of the Day: Papa- Pope

Today we had our first day of Italian and Art class! The Italian class is located in a building outside of the Vatican and when we arrived, we were showed into a room and introduced to the staff.   After the staff left, we were greeted by an Italian man, our teacher Alessandro, who told us that from then on we were not allowed to use English.  For the next two hours, all questions and most answers were in Italian.   Let the immersion begin!! I personally loved every second of it because it was engaging and challenging at the same time.   We learned how to say basic greetings and the differences between the informal and formal ways of greeting others.   After lunch, we had our Art class in which we spoke about music, art and the time periods surrounding the Renaissance. I am very excited to see what the next few months will bring because most of the class is taught on-site at the historic sites and museums!!

Location: Roma, Italia (Italiaidea)

Word of the day: Ciao- informal version of hello and goodbye, at anytime!

We made it! Day one complete!

Today we arrived in Dublin around 4:30am flew to Italy and got in around 11:30am. The house is beautiful, the climate is what I imagine Los Angeles would feel like and all the houses perfectly suit the city. We took off on an adventure after meeting the house's chef and having lunch Italian style. We took the bus to our Italian class building then walked through a market, a few piazzas, and into the Pantheon. It was breath takingly beautiful!  After we stopped to have a frozen coffee treat that was served with whipped cream and tasted just like a drop of heaven. After we walked through many streets and alley's all the way to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps. The most rewarding part about the steps is the spectacular view at the top and to anyone traveling in Rome, I highly reccomend taking some photos at the top! After we walked down a street or two, we went on  the metro and proceeded back to the house for a wonderful spaghetti dinner. I am proud to say that I am officially unpacked and organized in my room! Now it's time for some much needed rest!

Place of the day: Dublin, Ireland

Word of the day: (Mi) Scusi- Excuse me

And off we go!

Today's the day!

We went through security and baggage. I said goodbye to my family for a while and we will be off to Dublin in an hour! I'm very excited and nervous to be leaving but I know this will be a great adventure. Looking forward to getting on the flight and getting back to Ireland!

Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Italian of the Day: Buon viaggio! - Happy travels!