Food and Churches= Italy
Ah Rome. La Dolce Vita.
Seriously though, being in Rome is amazing. Knowing that I've got four months to discover as much as I can is even more fantastic. The funny thing is, even with four months I still feel rushed. There's just so much to see here, I don't know of you could do it in four years or even in a lifetime. I'm just going to content myself with making the most of all the time I do have here, and packing in as many amazing experiences as I can. That way, when I come back I'll still be discovering new things. (Did you catch that subtle note of optimism?)
By the way, thanks to everyone who is reading my blog and commenting! I love hearing from all of you! Getting notes from family and friends while I'm here is better than candy. :)
I moved into my apartment on Tuesday. I really love it. We've got a lot of space for 3 people, and the terrace is gorgeous. Also, we get a maid who comes every day and cleans the floors, the bathroom, the kitchen, and makes the beds. I'm going to be so spoiled when I get back to the US. :)
So as for my activities since my arrival, I've mostly been going along with the school's orientation schedule, which means a lot of boring paperwork and setup stuff. BUT, we did have a great presentation yesterday on cooking and eating in Italy. We got a recipe book, and I've decided that I'm going to perfect my Italian cooking skills. Luckily for me, it seem like everything is pretty simple (no strange ingredients that I've never heard of), but it's all about getting the right seasonings and cooking for the right amount of time. I'll try out some of the authentic recipes that they gave us, and if anything turns out edible I'll post it here!
One awesome thing I have done is to visit the St. Peter's square at night. The square is amazing. It is encircled by two enormous arms that are held up by massive columns. Truly, I can't get over how much bigger everything actually is than how I perceived it to be in pictures and slides. It was exciting to walk by the walls of the Vatican, and try and orient myself to that map that I've studied so many times. I was trying to figure out where the library is, the Raphael rooms, the Sistine chapel. Also, the square at night is really impressive. I think the Italians must be well-practiced at providing impressive lighting for their many monuments and ruins, because it was lit exactly how you would want an enormous plaza of stone columns and fountains to look. It's lit subtly, so that there are still dark areas, but well enough so that everything is visible. (Unless it's super foggy, like it was when I was there. Michelangelo's dome couldn't be seen at all.) In the middle of the square, the life-size nativity scene and the Christmas tree were still up. (Note to Mom - the Vatican still has their tree up! No Fair!) I got some pretty good pictures of the square, considering the low lighting and the fog.
I've got a bunch of pictures, but right now I can't upload them, so I'll be adding them to the entry later. Ciao!
Seriously though, being in Rome is amazing. Knowing that I've got four months to discover as much as I can is even more fantastic. The funny thing is, even with four months I still feel rushed. There's just so much to see here, I don't know of you could do it in four years or even in a lifetime. I'm just going to content myself with making the most of all the time I do have here, and packing in as many amazing experiences as I can. That way, when I come back I'll still be discovering new things. (Did you catch that subtle note of optimism?)
By the way, thanks to everyone who is reading my blog and commenting! I love hearing from all of you! Getting notes from family and friends while I'm here is better than candy. :)
I moved into my apartment on Tuesday. I really love it. We've got a lot of space for 3 people, and the terrace is gorgeous. Also, we get a maid who comes every day and cleans the floors, the bathroom, the kitchen, and makes the beds. I'm going to be so spoiled when I get back to the US. :)
So as for my activities since my arrival, I've mostly been going along with the school's orientation schedule, which means a lot of boring paperwork and setup stuff. BUT, we did have a great presentation yesterday on cooking and eating in Italy. We got a recipe book, and I've decided that I'm going to perfect my Italian cooking skills. Luckily for me, it seem like everything is pretty simple (no strange ingredients that I've never heard of), but it's all about getting the right seasonings and cooking for the right amount of time. I'll try out some of the authentic recipes that they gave us, and if anything turns out edible I'll post it here!
One awesome thing I have done is to visit the St. Peter's square at night. The square is amazing. It is encircled by two enormous arms that are held up by massive columns. Truly, I can't get over how much bigger everything actually is than how I perceived it to be in pictures and slides. It was exciting to walk by the walls of the Vatican, and try and orient myself to that map that I've studied so many times. I was trying to figure out where the library is, the Raphael rooms, the Sistine chapel. Also, the square at night is really impressive. I think the Italians must be well-practiced at providing impressive lighting for their many monuments and ruins, because it was lit exactly how you would want an enormous plaza of stone columns and fountains to look. It's lit subtly, so that there are still dark areas, but well enough so that everything is visible. (Unless it's super foggy, like it was when I was there. Michelangelo's dome couldn't be seen at all.) In the middle of the square, the life-size nativity scene and the Christmas tree were still up. (Note to Mom - the Vatican still has their tree up! No Fair!) I got some pretty good pictures of the square, considering the low lighting and the fog.
I've got a bunch of pictures, but right now I can't upload them, so I'll be adding them to the entry later. Ciao!