“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.”

At the top of the Basilica

Part of the idea behind studying abroad is to open your mind up to new experiences and to gain new understanding and perspective from it. This quote by Seneca encourages the belief that traveling and studying abroad can truly be a life-altering experience, in an incredibly good way, that is. 

Side note: I have updated my photo album, although they are slightly out of order: https://picasaweb.google.com/100853123413362137278/LaDolceVita?authkey=Gv1sRgCI6NoeLsqoHy_QE#

This weekend involved another jam-packed three days of sight-seeing and exploring the beautiful city of Rome. Thursday night (with no classes on Fridays) was the start of the weekend and found my friends and I craving a simple girls-night-out with some dessert and vino. We ventured to Trastevere (a part of Rome known for restaurants, cafes, bars, and its night-life) and found an adorable restaurant with tiramisu and a fruit torte that were delicious. Between the dolce food and a bottle of wine, it was a wonderful night!

Friday was set-aside for a day of exploring, with a few general destinations in mind but no set plan. This has been a goal of mine since arriving. I’d like to just take a map, head into the city, and start walking the streets randomly, stumbling upon unique places and discovering everything that Roma has to offer. We got downtown and headed in the direction of the Pantheon. It was a perfect, sunny day in Rome and the center of the Pantheon was not roped off (as it had been on the cloudy/potentially rainy day when I had been there before), so we were able to stand underneath the opening directly. There is a large hole at the center of the roof that lets in the light. While I’m not sure of the exact history behind this, I would imagine that it has something to do with providing an opening for God to enter or a window up to Heaven- but don’t quote me on that! Regardless of the reason it is there, it’s beautiful.

After the Pantheon we started in the general direction of the Spanish Steps, one of the few “touristy” areas that I had not been to yet. I have to say, while it is beautiful, it is in fact just a very large staircase. However, there’s something incredible about climbing to the top and looking down at the sprawl of the city before you. By the time we arrived at the Steps, it was also at least 60°F and very sunny, meaning we couldn’t help but to just lay out on the steps and sunbathe. It was truly wonderful.

At the top of the Spanish Steps

After the Steps we set off to find somewhere to sit down for lunch. We wandered around for a while, eventually walking right up to the Trevi Fountain as if it were a small landmark that gets passed everyday on the way to work. No big deal, just the Trevi Fountain. Except that, to me, it never ceases to be a big deal. Anyway, we passed some friends eating at a restaurant a block away from the Trevi (what are the odds that in this huge city we keep running into people from school) and they told us that the restaurant was amazing and that we had to eat there. We decided to try it, being seated by a charming Italian man name Marco who also spoke fantastic English. The reason behind this: he lives in Chicago! We started talking about home and how he runs two restaurants there but came back to Rome to start running this one. After chatting, he came back to take our order, then paused and said, “Just tell me what you like. You like chicken? You like pasta? I take care of it, don’t worry.” He took our menus and off he went, leaving us anxious for what amazing creation he would bring. Marco presented us with a refreshing piece of bruschetta for an appetizer, a perfect way to ignite our appetites. As he took our plates, we had a little conversation regarding the heartbreak of the Bears losing to the Packers- how wonderful to be in the company of a Chicagoan! Our entrees came out as our jaws dropped. A huge tour of pasta was presented in front of me, prompting my to pull out my camera and capture the work of art. The noodles were a soft marigold, like the color of my favorite yellow sundress. They were coated in a delicate veil of cream sauce, just enough to provide flavor but not so much that the noodles were drowning in it. Scattered throughout the stack were pieces of chicken and scallions. This was truly pasta perfection. While I usually don’t finish my entrees at restaurants, Italians never seem to take home any food, so in true Italian style, I cleaned my plate. When in Rome… Finally, Marco topped off the meal with a delicate cream dessert. He called it tiramisu cream and served it in a small espresso glass topped with cocoa powder and a small butter cookie. The cream reminded me of the cream filling in a doughnut, the kind that you would love to just suck out of the doughnut and eat it plain, except that it’s not socially acceptable to be seen scooping out the fillings. Marco and the chef behind this ingenious creation had achieved socially acceptable cream perfection. It was rich, creamy, and yet lighter than air. He was attempting to get us to ask the school for a meeting so that he could set up a discount for students, so he buttered us up by giving us the bruschetta and dessert for free. We permitted this happily! He bid us farewell with a kiss on each cheek and sent us on our way with about a dozen business cards and a promise that we will return. I fully intend to keep that promise. After such a large meal we headed home to book travel plans for Venice! I am excited to be heading to Venice for two days during Carnival. This will be my first trip out of the city and is sure to be a memorable one!

The delicious pasta

All of that happened on Friday, and Saturday was reserved for a trip to the Vatican. We started this adventure with a 7:00 a.m. wake-up to ensure that we would be there early enough to meet the wonderful tour guide who had been so great at the Coliseum and Palatino. The tour with him (or what wound up being with his wife instead) included admission to the Vatican Museum and a 3-hour tour, after which we were allowed to stay in the Vatican as long as we wanted. Let me start by saying this: The Vatican is amazing! Never in my life have I seen such an impressive, enormous, or moving display of art and history. It feels like stepping back in time. Not only that, but you are allowed to touch almost everything, so it is like touching a piece of history.

Unfortunately, I do not remember all of the historical details of everything I viewed, nor did I see everything the museum has to offer. According to our guide, if you spent one minute looking at everything in the museum, it would take 13 years to see everything they have in their collection. There is somewhere around $40 billion of collateral that makes up the entire estate. The only word I can think of to even come close to describing it is “grand.” Well, maybe “opulent” would work too.

Our tour of the museum included the “highlights,” involving sculptures, frescoes, paintings, mosaics, and everything in between. Everywhere you turned there was a work of art. I felt bad for spending so long with my neck craning to see the ceiling when every floor was a masterpiece in and of itself, often consisting of exquisite marble or intricate mosaics. While many of the historical and religious references were involving people and stories that I was not familiar with, I was thrilled when one painting featured a person I learned about in my Italian Culture class- I expected the class to apply to things I would see in Rome but I can’t believe that after only one class I’m already finding things that enhance my experiences.

The frescoes were absolutely incredible. For such a pain-stacking process, it truly does result in magnificent works of art. We entered a hallway full of painted maps of Italy, but all I could do was look at the ceiling, as it was entirely covered in paintings, moldings, and gold. There was another room consisting of tapestries which depicted religious scenes. One of the tapestries is one of the oldest recorded examples of experimentation with perspective, as Jesus’ eyes truly follow you as you move past him. It is eerie, to say the least. We finally arrived at the Sistine Chapel, the focal point of every person’s visit to the museum. I will be honest, I expected it to be bigger. However, regardless of size, it is the most jaw-dropping, inspiring, and magnificent room I have ever been in. There is not an inch of that chapel that is not exquisitely painted. While it is a true homage to the Christian religion, I believe that it is a meaningful experience for anyone who enters. Regardless of what you believe, no one can deny the emotion behind these paintings. Interestingly enough, the ceiling is the work of forced labor, as Michelangelo refused to paint it and was coerced into doing it by the Pope. The masterpiece left him crippled for years with his arm above his head, as he spent so long painting over his head (he was not laying on his back, as most people think). But don’t feel too bad for him, Michelangelo left three different insults to the Pope immortalized in the frescoes. Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed in the Chapel. There are guards everywhere saying “No photo, no photo please.” That didn’t stop everyone from clicking away, holding their cameras over their heads in a very obvious fashion. I would feel bad if the pictures were a risk to the art, but it is a copyright issue. When the ceiling was restored it was entirely paid for by a Japanese television company which now exercises copyright ownership and prohibits pictures. Really? Copyright issues keep people from taking their picture in front of the most beautiful paintings ever? Ridiculous if you ask me. I may or may not have quietly snapped a picture…

The museum's courtyard

After the Sistine Chapel we grabbed a quick lunch in the food court (an odd American lunch of a “hamburger” and French fries for €9- some things don’t matter if you are in the U.S. or Rome, museum food is always overpriced). We then ventured around the museum and saw more statues before heading to the Egyptian wing, as close to Egypt as I’d like to be right now. While this was very interesting, it was slightly underwhelming after the grandeur of the rest of the museum.

The next stop required us to leave the museum, leave the country, and re-enter Vatican City by St. Peter’s square. After countless pictures around the square, we couldn’t wait any longer and entered the long line for a climb to the top of the Basilica. A short elevator ride and 320 very steep and narrow steps later, we reached the top of the Basilica, truly a breathtaking moment. This is the highest I have been in Rome and provided me with a stunning 360° view of Rome and the Vatican. I couldn’t help but take pictures of everything. I kept telling myself, “Stop taking pictures Julie, just look at it.” Then I found the “sunset mode” on my camera, and all hope was lost. Words don’t do this view justice. The 611 pictures of the day might.

After a fun dinner with friends at a local pizzeria, I crashed in my apartment, completely exhausted from an amazing, inspiring, and moving day.

Another thing I am truly enjoying in Rome is the weather. It is warm and sunny, with average temperatures this weekend somewhere between 60-65°F. This morning I decided to go for a jog in the park near my apartment, Villa Pamphili, the largest park in Rome. It was about a mile walk to the park, and then I jogged for a half an hour, getting both lost in its beauty and actually lost. Everyone was out with his or her dogs, children, spouses, bikes, and running shoes to enjoy the day. I ran past soccer games, children playing catch, a little girl dressed up as Woody from Toy Story, and many couples reading the newspaper and enjoying each other’s company. There was also a lake with swans and ducks, fountains, fields, statues, and gardens. It was a picture-perfect day. Plus, I got to practice my Italian: “Buongiorno! Scuzi, dove Via Donna Olimpia”… “Good morning! Excuse me, where is Donna Olimpia [the street that takes me back to my apartment].” Italians are so kind and friendly and helped me find my way back. Grazie mille to them!

The rest of the day has involved homework and working on this blog post. A simple dinner of hash browns (if only I had some barbeque sauce!) and a mix of peppers, spinach, and green beans in a white wine butter sauce with a blood orange for dessert have topped the day off perfectly. While the Super Bowl is on tonight, I won’t be venturing to an American bar to watch it- the Green Bay Packers are not worth losing sleep over in my book!

Buonasera to all of you who I love so dearly!