Friday, March 29, 2013

Roma

Before I left Florence, my advisor, Ambra - who was a pretty cool, hip, young advisor - said she was excited for me to go to Roma and live, "the capital life."

I'll admit, I was a little afraid at the time that big-city life just meant noise, pickpockets, and swarms of tourists.

As it turns out, it does in fact mean all of those things - but it also means a whirlwind of experiences everyday, a never-ending list of places to see, people to meet, and history to learn. Life in Roma lives you, as some say, and I feel as though I blinked and the past few weeks in Roma flew by.



In Roma we were graced with an absolutely incredible history class, with a fascinating and fun teacher who took us on little field trips all throughout the city, explaining each piece of history and why exactly we MUST find it interesting and culturally significant. We went to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Arch of Constantine, several medieval churches, a few early-Christian churches, the Vatican Museums, and Castel Sant'Angelo, which was originally the tomb of the emperor Hadrian. As our teacher, Tiziana, constantly reminds us, it's crucial to learn about these events and places and people that contributed to the culmination of Western culture as we know it today. To understand the way in which westerners perceive the world, it's important to know our history and the reasons we think and speak and act the way we do.

Some of the art I've encountered here is so striking that it seems to shock you despite the gap of the passage of centuries. One great example is the School of Athens in the Rooms of Raphael at the Vatican Museums. I can't explain the feeling of walking into that room and seeing the massive fresco of a concept that we covered in LEAD 101 again and again - the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle, the dichotomy between the human and the divine.





I've been lucky to have taken two weekend trips while in Roma, both of which allowed me more fascinating glimpses into life in other regions. One weekend we went to Napoli and Pompeii. Now Napoli - she's a massive, sprawling, filthy, shouting, emphatic, colorful, beautiful mess of a gorgeous city. Life is just a little more REAL in Napoli, and yet couldn't possibly be real at all. We walked down alleys in Napoli that were so dark and terrifying we went around the bend and laughed as we walked through them, too scared for anything else. Of course, we had the famous pizza at the same pizzeria where they filled Eat, Pray, Love, where a signed photograph of Julia Roberts hung on the wall. We went to a world-class archeological museum and saw the colorful citizens of the city take their evening passaggiata, and for one fleeting day we got our taste of that crazy, emotional, passionate, furious, easy-going life.

Pompeii was, predictably, absolutely mind-blowing. You go there knowing it's a whole city, but my word - it's an entire city. You could spend an entire day exploring that city like any other, except this is an ancient Roman city that's been relatively untouched since it's untimely volcanic demise. Vesuvius smolders smirkingly in the background all day, winking at you as you wind around the corners and stumble into the stark realization that these ancient Romans had everything we have, from advanced plumbing to "beware of dog" signs to fast food. It's surreal and it's strange, but hauntingly beautiful.


Our next weekend trip was to Sorrento, home of lemon groves and one of the most beautiful Mediterranean coastlines in the world. Don't stop twice to think; just go. We arrived in Sorrento and immediately grabbed gelato; the man in the shop noticed my budding Italian language skills and told me to please, sit down a moment and practice conversation with him outside. I was nearly floored - how kind, to want to help me practice! - but we had to run to catch a bus to the Amalfi Coast. Which was well worth it, because the entire bus ride balanced precariously along the edge of a cliff and looked something like this:


The next day, we went to the island of Capri, which is a famous vacation destination for everyone from Roman emperors to movie stars. You may wonder why, based on the wretched nature of my oh-so-unsightly pictures, right? When you go to Capri, the Blue Grotto is an overpriced must-see. A gorgeous boat ride around the island takes you to the grotto, and swarthy oarsmen haul you into little rowboats to lay down and squeeze into a cave. But the cave, lit from underneath by the sun, is the most beautiful blue refuge you've been inside - and if you're lucky, your boatsmen will do his best rendition of O Sole Mio. No, really. And you must also take the bus to Anacapri and ride the chairlift to the top of the island. I don't think I've experienced a more tranquil and peaceful three hours of my life than the ride up, the time spent looking out, and the ride down from that beautiful mountain.



The other night, our advisor Roberto took us walking in Trastevere, a hip little neighborhood in the south of Roma, and at the end of the evening we found ourselves sitting on the steps of a fountain in the middle of a piazza, laughing and talking and just enjoying each other's company, and I thought that maybe THIS was Roma more than any of the ancient history can "explain you," because this is what truly makes la vita bella - it's the people you come to know. Still, I write to my friend and teacher from Tuscania, and whether it's someone like that with whom I want to communicate for the rest of my life, or whether it's someone in a shop who I know for a few moments, these are the people that comprise my bella esperienza.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Habemus Papam

Here follows a few of my initial thoughts after stumbling serendipitously into the thick of this papal transition:
I moved to Rome on March 1, literally the day after former Pope Benedict XVI officially renounced the papacy (he flew out of the Vatican on February 28 in private helicopter; I'm actually visiting the Castelli Romani, near where he is currently living, next weekend). Most of Rome falls on the east side of the Tiber River - that's where the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum and all the most notable Roman landmarks are. But the Vatican is on the west side of the river, at the Ottaviano metro stop - and that is EXACTLY where I live. St. Peter's is just a three-minute walk from my apartment door.
By another stroke of luck, my roommates and I were on the metro Tuesday evening when a bunch of American students rushed onto the train, talking loudly about how if they ran to the Vatican, they would get there in time to see the smoke of the first round of voting. So my roommates and I looked at each other and silently agreed to make the mad dash - along with a rapidly growing crowd - to St. Peter's Square. As we got to the square Tuesday night, it was rapidly filling with people from all over the world (but mainly Italians), and we waited until 7:40 PM to see black smoke pouring out of the chimney above the Sistine Chapel - a sign that the cardinals had not reached a decision with this vote. It felt so cool to be a part of that historic moment, and to be surrounded by a passionate crowd just as tuned-in as you are to how momentous this moment is. It was exciting for all of us; there was almost an intangible bond between the people in the square because we were all experiencing history together.
The following evening (Wednesday, last night), we heard news that the Sistine Chapel was billowing white smoke. The new pope had been elected, and people everywhere were rushing to St. Peter's to see his first address! So my roommates and I dashed out the door and to the Vatican, falling in line among the biggest crowd I have ever been a part of in my life. People packed into the huge square, filling it entirely. Then the police opened up the colonnade surrounding the square (which is where I stood), and then the area even outside of that. There had to be tens of thousands of people there. And this was not just any crowd - this was the most excited crowd I have ever seen. People were cheering, praying, evening crying tears of joy about being a part of this moment. "Viva il papa!" was the cheer from many of the Italians present. The crowd was electric.
Finally, a cardinal came out and announced habemus papum, "we have a pope," in Latin. The crowd went absolutely wild with excitement. Then Jorge Mario Bergoglio - now Frances I - came out onto the balcony, humbly it seemed, waving. It was hard to hear, but I could understand a little bit of his brief address in Italian. One of the first things he asked was for the crowd to pray together. "Pray for me, and for the world," he asked simply. Then he led thousands of people in the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be. I can't explain how incredibly thrilling it was to hear that huge crowd reciting those prayers in unison - most people in Italian, a few in Latin, and me personally, in a blend of both (plus English). It echoed through the whole piazza, and it really did feel like we could in that moment pray for the entire world. Regardless of personal beliefs, here were thousands of people looking to this important spiritual leader as someone with power to bring some positive change to everyone on this planet, to use his power in a way that brings humanity closer together, and they prayed to grant him the courage and fortitude and faith to do just that.
Frances's address was simple and brief. It wasn't flowery, with lots of dramatic pauses and varying tones. To me, it seemed as though he spoke as though he were just having a conversation with someone right in front of him. I am really looking forward to going and hearing his public addresses and his Easter address. I didn't know before I left for Italy that I would live in Rome exactly during the time of a papal transition, but being a part of this page in history has been an unforgettable experience in my life. No matter what you believe, being in the thick of such a massive crowd that is so passionate, so hopeful, and so excited for the future of this faith is an absolutely indescribable experience. I feel so much more personally connected to this event than if I had simply watched it on the news. To me, it makes the world feel so much closer and so much more connected, and it inspires me to contribute in my own little way to that hopeful future that thousands were praying for.


Mixing it up in Belgium

Last weekend, I had the lovely opportunity to visit Maggie Pike (http://margaretpike.blogspot.be) in Brussels, Belgium, where she is currently studying abroad as well. Maggie and I are the only two Marietta College students in Europe this semester, so we figured we really ought to meet up - and it ended being a brilliant idea.

Maggie has the best of both worlds - a home-stay family and her own apartment on the first floor of the home-stay. Her family was incredible - for more about them, see her blog. But they spoke Spanish and French, neither of which I speak at all, so I spoke Italian to them... And they actually understood me! When they spoke to us, it was this seamless blend of French and Spanish that seemed almost to be a different language in itself - and I actually understood that! This made me pretty excited, having once studied Latin, the root of these romance languages - maybe I will set in on learning some French, once I nail down Italian.

Brussels itself was a fascinating city, with everything translated into both French and Dutch and sometimes a third language (usually German or English). It was so weird to see such an extreme blending of cultures and languages, but it's just the way of life in Brussels. After a while, all those different languages just started sounding like one big language with LOTS of different words. I think I understand why they put the EU in Brussels.

The highlight of my stay with Maggie was a really interesting dinner that we went to on Saturday night. An American former study-abroad student befriended us and invited us to dinner at her boyfriend's parents' house. This dinner was perhaps the most multicultural experience of my life. Bethany (the former student) was American, but spoke excellent French. The boyfriend was Belgian, so he spoke French and Dutch and English, and did his Belgian mother. His father was Russian and Lithuanian, so he spoke both of those languages, along with French and Dutch and English, and a little Polish as well - and they invited their two Polish friends over that evening, one of whom spoke a little Italian with me. Over the course of dinner, people began sharing family stories - and we all realized just how much we had in common. Turns out, parents all over the world have embarrassing stories about their kids growing up. After that whirlwind of a night, Maggie and I and her roommate walked home shaking our heads, hardly believing such a magical evening happened.

Maggie was a fantastic tour guide, and we even went to a few places that she had never been, so we both got to explore! We went shopping around the Grand Place, bought waffles and chocolate and lace, tried Belgian beer, and went to a number of other Brussels landmarks, including Mannekin Pis, the weird and futuristic Atomium and the very interesting EU Parlimentarium.







I've been really lucky to visit with some familiar faces while I've been abroad. It's nice to be able to talk to someone who cares about the same silly little things in Marietta that I miss, too. I think it was a refreshing change for both of us, and I couldn't thank Maggie enough for being my ambassador to Brussels!

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Con Affetto

Last week, we packed up our things and once again relocated - this time, driving along the coast from Tuscania all the way to Roma - the capital, the eternal city. I wanted to record a few last Tuscania thoughts before starting in on Roma.

My last two weeks in Tuscania were filled with beautiful experiences (but who's surprised?), and I started to realize just how much I would miss this little town and all of the people there who made it feel like home for me. Our advisor, Mei, took us on several outings in our last days - to an agriturismo or farm for wine-tasting and appetizers, to a cabin built in a tree, to a local shop with homemade products and the world's sweetest proprietor, to a gelato place on a lake, and finally, to the thermal baths or terme, where we stayed all day soaking in the sun!

the agriturismo
the house in the tree







We also went on two more day trips - one with our history class to Vulcii, a park with massive Etruscan and Roman archaeological excavations. We saw parts of an Etruscan wall and aqueduct, and also explored the remains of a Roman house - including the creepy crypt beneath it! 
We then went to an Etruscan museum in a medieval castle near the site. Etruscans were fascinating to study because historians are still learning about them. We haven't deciphered their writing, and we really don't know much about their way of life beyond the way that they treated their dead.

Our advisor Massimo took us to Civita di Bagnoregio, a place which seemed extra-strange and haunting due to the fog hanging around the town that day. The Civita sits atop a steep hill, and the sides of the hill are continually eroding from rain and landslides, making the Civita look ever-more precarious and interesting. When we saw it, it seemed to be rising out of the fog, and we seemed to be walking out of the clouds themselves when we came down. Massimo took us to his favorite bruschetteria, where we had amazing bruschetta, sausages, roasted potatoes, and house wine. The restaurant had a big fireplace in the back where they cooked the entire meal.

What I realized I would miss most about Tuscania, though, was the people. I was lucky in Tuscania to have three absolutely amazing (and very different) advisors, who had the time to really teach me about life in general and life in this place in particular. I will also really miss my Italian teacher, who proved to me how easy it can be to communicate with no common language between you if you simply want it enough. Some things are just universal, and friendship is one of those things. On the last day of classes, I wrote my teacher a note in Italian, and had my advisor proofread it. "How should I end my letter?" I asked her. "Con affetto," she responded with certainty. I think this is the perfect phrase to end my stay in Tuscania, too - with affection.





Even though I only knew these people for a little while, their influence on me was pretty significant. I plan to keep in contact with a few of them, which helps me practice my Italian as well. It was a little sad to leave this chapter of my adventure behind... but I think Roma will prove just as much of a beautiful lesson, in a different way.