Is It Week Four Already?!

We are rapidly approaching week 5 of our 12 weeks here in Italy, and I have to say that week 4 has been one of the more interesting weeks.

We all arrived in Ariccia safely on Sunday (some from Ischia and some from Sorrento) and I think on Monday we were all glad to be able to relax and watch a movie at Dr. Bradbard's house. We watched "My House in Umbria" the popular HBO movie about a terrorist attack in Milan that brings some of the survivors to stay in a house in Umbria. It was an entertaining and relaxing afternoon.

Tuesday was our big day of the week. We were joined by Francesco Petrucci. We were all so thrilled to have Francesco join us because he is so humorus and is so knowledgable about art and architecture. We left Ariccia at 8:00am and headed to the medieval town, Bracciano. Bracciano holds one of the most beautiful feudal residences in Europe, Odescalchi Castle. We call it the "TomKat Castle." This was the castle where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were married in November of 2006.





The whole group with Francesco at the Odeschalchi Castle

The Castle had beautiful views of the town and the Bracciano lake. We took a tour and learned all about the way the Orsini Family lived. It was interesting to see some of the secret passageways. There was one where the princess tricked many of her lovers to going into a secret door and they would fall down a hole and land on sharp spikes and die. We were all surprised to learn about this because it sounds like something that only happens in fiction.

After Bracciano, we departed on the bus and headed for Montefiascone. We were all happy to reach this city becuase we learned about a traveller who was known for his excessive drinking of the local , now called called Est Est Est. The story is that previous travellers would write "est" on the doors of the local inns where good wine was to be had, and it was this town where the inscription was repeated three times. We all had the chance to try this wine at lunch. This white wine has more of a dry, elegant taste and a soft, delecate scent.

After lunch, unexpectedly, we were able to go to Saint Margherita's Cathedral. This Cathedral was really interesting becuase downstairs lies the corpse of St. Lucia Fillipini, the founder of the Fillipini order of nuns. She was mummified and preserved in a glass casket. We were all taken back becuase we all had never seen anything remotely close to this before. I am really glad we got to see this famous Cathedral even though it was not on the schedule.

Our last stop of the day was Civita di Bagnoregio. This unique town was situated on a plateau overlooking the Tiber Valley. The only way to reach Civita is to walk across the footbridge and at one point in the 20th century, it had a population of 15 residents. There is a church in the center of town, a wine cellar, and some more Etruscan caves. The views from atop this plateau was so beautiful. Some of us called it the "Grand Canyon of Italy." It was so amazing to feel on top of the world and explore such a unique city.





Katie, Ashley, and Gretchen (me) walking up to Civita

Thursday we learned all about the difference between the Mediterranean diet and the US diet. The Mediterranean diet consists of many vegetables and fruits, a low intake of red meat, a moderat intake of wine, and the main source of fat comes from olive oil. From this lesson we learned that American diet is a large part of the obesity problem.

This week I was able to learn a lot that related to my major. I am a Hotel and Restaurant Management major. Learning about the Mediterranean diet was really interesting becuase I want to own my own restaurant one day. I also liked learning about the Est Est Est wine. I want to learn anything and everything there is to know about food and wine while I'm here in Italy. I think that the Italians have those two areas perfected so I am a sponge for the 12 weeks I am here.
Tomorrow we are taking a field trip to Deruta for the ceramics factory and then off to Assisi!

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Putting Our Traveling Lessons to Test

For six of us this weekend was our first solo adventure. After quizzes on traveling, suggestions from professors about places to visit, and lessons on which trains and buses to take we decided to put our knowledge to the test. While the rest of the group enjoyed a refreshing group trip with Cinzia in Ischia we decided to go “camping’ in the picturesque Sorrento. From Sorrento we could see Vesuvius, a volcano we studied about all week.




After an amazing day visiting Pompeii and going to Naples, we were dropped off at the train station and began our trek. At little nervous on the inside, we began the adventure with full strength. There were a few setbacks…ie…the ticket machine ate my ticket…twice and the track number changed four times in a matter of five minutes, but we prevailed. Within ten minutes of walking through the train gates we were on a train on what we hoped was heading to Sorrento. An hour later we were nestled snuggly in our bungalow named Milena. For dinner we sautéed some artichokes, zucchini, and eggs and ate them on sandwiches with some wine to wash it down and some cookies to chase after. It wasn’t too long before we crawled into bed and passed out.




{The view from our room}

The next day we woke up and opened all the shutters and let fresh air fill the bungalow as we got ready for the day. We cooked ourselves some lunch and headed out for the day. With no map or guide we just started walking. We walked around Sorrento for all of the afternoon, passing trees filled with oranges, old men sitting on benches looking out across the sea, children in their carnivale costumes throwing confetti, and a dog that resembled a lion who loved to lay in the sun. We also came across a gelateria frequented by the Pope and whose pastry chef is in the Guinness Book of World Records.




{A couple enjoying the ocean}




{Enjoying Gelato in Sorrento}


{Molto Buono!!!}

We toured the streets that night and had a delicious dinner together with a sweet old man that offered us Limóncello after we had already paid our bill. On our way back to the campsite we found our friendly Sorrento lion from the morning lying across the piazza’s crosswalk as if he was watching over everyone making sure they behaved.




{The Sorrento Lion}

On Sunday our ability to travel on our own was put to the test. We woke up, checked out of our sweet little weekend adobe, and started on foot to the train station. Not entirely sure of exactly how to get there, we went with our instincts. Within 10 minutes after our coffee break we got to the station, bought our tickets, and the train rolled out right as we got situated. Once we got to Naples the real test began. We made our way from the city trains, upstairs to the main station, purchased our ticket from a man who spoke no English, figured out the track number, went into Naples for lunch, and then rewarded ourselves we some ice cream before we headed to Rome. On the train we got to see the beautiful cities between Naples and Rome. The train ride was peaceful and a nice end to the whole weekend.
Shortly after getting to Rome our train for Albano came and we hopped aboard yet again. The moment we got of the steps in Albano and walked to the hotel we all had this pleasant feeling inside of “We did it!”

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Ostia Antica and Etruscan Tombs!!!!!!

So this week definitely got off to an interesting start. Many of us were still recuperating from our exciting weekend in Roma (see previous post) so we used Monday as a day to relax and listen intently to the wise words from our professors. However, we didn’t have much time for rest because the majority of the lectures were preparing us for our next trip to Ostia Antica! The lectures definitely serve their purpose to educate and get us excited for our trips. Learning the history of what we’re about to see really makes us appreciate the sites when we do see them and the staff here is so unbelievably brilliant. It fascinates me how much they know and their passion definitely rubs off on all of us!
So the lectures this week focused on the history of the Etruscan people and their significance and impact on the Roman culture. It’s impressive to me the amount of technology they had for living so many centuries before Christ! They understood so much more than I do, even now! Such as architecture, design, and the importance of a good foundation (which is clear since that is what still remains today!). After hearing all about them, we were eager to get there. So the 19 of us, plus our handy “guida” Cinzia loaded up the bus bright and early on Tuesday morning and headed out. And let me just say that we were not disappointed! Ostia Antica is gorgeous and the ruins of their ancient city oddly remind me of home. You can see so many remnants of how they went about daily life, from where the houses were, to where they shopped, and where they bathed! We even got to see a really ancient bar where I can imagine they would relax after a long day (maybe that’s just in my mind!). It is amazing how well preserved the city is, even down to its original mosaic floors.




(above: A glimpse of Ostia Antica)
(below: the original mosaic floor on the bath floor)





After Ostia Antica we loaded up the bus again and headed for a quick bite to eat down by the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the frigid temperatures it was beyond breath taking! We got delicious food and ate it on the boardwalk while listening to some delightful music played by a local. A few of the girl’s and I even took our shoes off and played in the sea…Needless to say it was freezing and hence didn’t last too long, but it was fun nonetheless!




(above: brrrr! Katie and I in the "Med")

Then we went on to my favorite part of the trip…the tombs! You would think that, being a bunch of girls, we would run and hide from the mere thought of hanging around some ancient moss covered tombs like fifth grade girls at a slumber party playing with a Ouija board. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the excitement and curiosity that we all had. The tombs are also very well preserved, with the exception of a few that were slightly flooded.



(above: one of my favorite tombs!)
We learned in class that many of the hut-like tombs contained families and that they were meant to mimic the floor plan of their houses. So it was fun to imagine how they went about their daily lives in that scenario. We also learned the differences between the “beds.” The ones with semi-circle or square head stones were reserved for men, while the ones with a triangular one were for women and were meant to look like a house (like in the picture below).



This was definitely an eerie, yet gorgeous place. I would recommend this to anyone!
In regards to my future career/major I think that all of this history can’t hurt! Learning about any culture, past or present, can only help me relate to others and understand why things are the way they are. This culture, though no longer existent, can definitely serve as a learning experience!
Well, that's about all for now! Ciao tutti!!

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Will you be my Valentine Romulus or Remus?

{Group Picture in Rome}
Our adventures for week two were fast-paced, exciting, and full of new experiences. We are improving our conversational skills with Mary Lou and her delightful South African/English accent, learning how to order delicious food with Jessica, exploring the Palazzo Chigi with Francesco and his entertaining narrations, studying logic with Rosella, learning about tasty treats from Dr. B, random facts from Maurizio, and gaining multitudes of street smarts under Cinzia’s guidance. Each day I find myself discovering something new about the Italian culture, language, design, and architecture.

{The Saint to Celebrate}

From Ariccia

Monday was quite enjoyable because we had a chance to truly appreciate the town of Ariccia with the morning market and the afternoon celebration of Santa Apollonia, the patron saint of dentistry who had all of her teeth removed before she was burned alive. We were invited by the mayor of Ariccia and we all enjoyed complementary dinner with the locals, a bonfire, and fireworks.

One of my favorite things about living in small town Ariccia is the connections that we make while trying to use our limited Italian vocabulary and using Rick Steve’s as a reference for learning new phrases. We have been able to make friends with our hotel staff, our favorite porchetta stand man, the Chigi Palace staff, our teachers, other hotel guests, the bakery lady, and other passing friends.

We’re using today (Monday 16 February 2009) as a recovery from “Rockin’ Rome with Rom. & Rem.,” our trip from Thursday to Sunday in Rome. It was such an awesome time that we enjoyed as a group exploring everything Rome, completing our scavenger hunt, staying in a hostel, enjoying the cuisine, and appreciating life in a big city with ancient history.

{Watch a short slide show from our adventures in Rome.}

From Movies

Here are a few things that we learned as a group:
- Monuments are best when you discover them unexpectedly around a corner or off of the metro.
- Don’t take pictures with the Roman soldiers unless you are willing to fork over the Euros.
- Be aware of pigeons overhead. Some consider them the rats of the sky and an annoyance to the earth.
- No flash photography, water, or seat sharing in the Shelley & Keats Museum. The British guide will promptly remind you of her displeasure.
- Youth Station Hostel has a helpful staff, a great location, and a good rate.
- When in doubt about the train schedule, do not hesitate to ask because it is very unreliable.
- Strikes can cause many activities to change, monuments to close, and transportation to be disturbed, but they often sound like more like a celebration.
- Eat gelato everyday. Our favorite place is beside the Trevi Fountain. It has clean restrooms, great service, and also has affordable pizza by the slice and folded like a panino.
- Try your best to see everything during the day and lit up at night, as well.
- Appreciate the small things, enjoy the intricate details of design, savor the cuisine, taste the wine, and try not to be in a hurry.

{INDS group picture in Rome}

From My first trip to Rome

Like our t-shirts say: “We Came, We Saw, We Crawled” but by Sunday afternoon it was so nice to be back in small town Ariccia where the hotel staff gave us each heart pins (as a day late Valentine's gift) and complementary dessert during our dinner.

Che Vita!

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12 days in Italy!!

We started our time in Ariccia with an introduction to the course we would be taking, our professors we would have each day, and the area we will call home. We took tours of the Chigi Palace and even a few field trips around the Castelli Romani. One day we went to Castelgandolfo, Nemi, Frascati, and Marino. One of our first trips was to Genzano. Genzano is home to a huge festival in June called the "Infiorata". One of the streets of the old town is covered with carpets of flowers and the women of the town wear medieval clothes in a masked parade. It was interesting to see the town and how built up it is considering that over 90% of it had been destroyed during World War II.


Sarah, Amanda, and me (in the middle) in Genzano.

It was a rainy day but Emily, Amanda, Sarah, and I were not ready to head back to Ariccia with everyone so we stayed to explore. We wandered streets, looked in store windows, and even walked through a park. We had our first gelato of the trip (there will be many, many more) and stopped at a fruiteria to buy some fresh fruit. It was a very fun time, and we decided to walk the thirty minutes back to Ariccia since the rain had stopped. The view on the way back of the surrounding valleys was so beautiful that Sarah had to warn me to look out for trees I was about to walk into because I was so distracted.


Rachel, Ashley, Bailey, and I are tossing our coins in the Trevi Fountain.

Rome on Friday was amazing minus the rain, and I would have spent more time there had my pants not been wet up to my knees. This weekend we all slept a lot, and I think finally all got used to the correct time zone. We had many first this week. We had our first class with Francesco, we watched our first movie at Dr. B’s villa, we saw our first SNOW in Ariccia, and we had our first overnight trip as a group. We have an Ancient Rome scavenger hunt to work on, and we figured it would be best to spend the weekend in Rome to really explore the city. We are staying at the Youth Station Hostel, and ten girls with one bathroom, I’m sure, will be a very interesting experience; I can’t wait.


Church of Assunta in Ariccia with the snow.

My major is hotel and restaurant management, and throughout the many classes I have taken my interest in local restaurants and the food businesses have increased. Seeing that restaurants and shops work in similar fashion in Italy to how they work in the United States is interesting to me. It is obvious that some restaurants really value their customers here and want to make them happy so that they will come back again, which is similar to our America view.

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First week in Italy!

Ciao!

I’m so glad that we are all finally here and settled! It has taken all of us a while to adjust to the time change and the pace of Italian life. There were definitely a few nights where some of us woke up at three and four in the morning (which is dinner time back in Auburn) and couldn’t go back to sleep. The staff at the Hotel Villa Ariccia has been so wonderful and accommodating to us. They have also helped us with our Italian, which I feel has already improved a lot since we have been here. This past week we have been to the surrounding areas of Albano, Genzano, Frascati, Nemi, and Rome.



The group in Frascati

I really enjoyed visiting all of these places but my absolute favorite place that we visited was Rome! We began our adventure in Rome at the Spanish Steps in the Piazza di Spanga. They are the longest and widest set of stairs in Europe and they lead up to a church. There is a fountain at the base of the steps called La Fontana della Barcaccia (The Fountain of the Old Boat) designed by Bernini, who also designed the Chigi Palace. The reason the fountain is named this is because the square was once flooded and when all the water drained out there was a boat in the middle of the square. Then we went down the Via del Condotti, which has many high-end shops and the Antico Caffé Greco, the oldest coffe shop in Rome. Some of the other places we visited in Rome were the Campo di Fiori, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Piazza Colona, Piazza del Popolo, Via Margutta, and Via del Corso. I really enjoyed the Campo di Fiori where they sell flowers, spices, fruit and dried fruit. A couple of girls got dried kiwis, and I must say that they were so delicious! My favorite piazza is the Piazza del Popolo or piazza of the people. It was the place for public execution until 1826. My favorite part about it is that it is so open, and the twin churches are so beautifully breathtaking. If you walk up to the Villa Borghese there is a great view of the Piazza del Popolo. Piazza del Popolo

One of my favorite places was the Trevi Fountain. It is so intricate, and it was a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be.



Sarah, Maria, Emily, and Lauren throwing coins into the fountain wishing to either 1) return to Rome 2) meet an Italian and fall in love or 3) get married to an Italian in Rome.

I’ve found that interacting with people who don’t speak my language has increased my patience. I think this relates to my major because I want to work with kids and to work with kids I absolutely must have patience. I have also found that I’m not that different from the Italians. We both value family, friendship and life. Even though we may dress differently, speak differently, or have different unspoken social rules, I feel that we are fundamentally the same. I’m excited to learn and grow as this trip continues. It will be interesting to see how I have changed at the end of it.

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