So What Does It All Mean?

As I sit here, putting the finishing touches on my blog before final inspections, I am reminiscing. The infernal question, "So what did this mean to me?" keeps popping up into my head. I suppose I can try and answer it, but I have a small feeling that I will never be able to fully answer that question because this trip was too much, it overwhelmed. I experienced so many new things, fulfilled several of my life-long goals, and simply saw so much that I don't know what it can be reduced down to.

However, I do know that this trip has reaffirmed my need, no perhaps thirst is a better word, for traveling. For seeing the world. For not being satisfied with what little I have seen in these measly 19 years of my existence. Experiencing Roma and Firenze and Pompeii has only made me more parched for the rest of the world, the rest of the cultures, the rest of the architecture, the rest of everything that rests just on the edge of the horizon.

I do know that my love of architecture has significantly grown during the 8 days I was in Italia. Now, more than ever, I will be able to learn from the past and incorporate in the future. I am completely fascinated with the idea of a piazza inside a building, and Roma has only made that itch worse. The fact that Pompeii and Ostia Antica and Hadrian's Villa still stand speaks volumes about choice of building material and sustainability. As a student of architecture I must take what I see and use it later on.

I do know that I will be going back to Italia. Whether it will be in the next 5 years (perhaps my final co-op?), or in the next 50 years, I have to go back. There is no other option, I've fallen in love with Roma, and I only saw a small glimpse of it. I have yet to experience half of what that magnificent city can offer.

I do know that this class, as a whole, has helped me to be a more brain-storming student, rather than a by-the-book student. I have learned to think more analytically, which will help me in both of my majors.

All in all, I cannot simply reduce this trip to a "once in a lifetime" event, because that sounds cliche and used. Not to mention that it doesn't truly express what I felt for this trip. It was also mind-expanding, ego-shrinking, and quite simply amazing. Words don't work here. So let me end this post with the a few quotes, they aren't exactly what I want to say, but they come really, really close.

"O Rome! My country! City of the soul!" -Lord Byron

"In tears I tossed my coin from Trevi's edge... I gave to Rome my rendezvous and pledge. " - Robert Underwood Johnson

"Rome is the city of echoes, the city of illusions, and the city of yearning." - Giotto di Bondone

Day 8 - Tivoli and Hadrian's Villa

(Tivoli)

The last day was ours to do with what we pleased. I joined up with two other students who were majoring in architecture and we decided to go to Hadrian's villa in one of the (ancient) posh suburbs of Roma. We grabbed the metro to Termini, from Termini to the train station, and grabbed a train to Tivoli.

Now, let us remember that Roma is a huge tourist town. In Roma, many people speak some English (to be fair, most Europeans are bi-lingual), and are willing to speak with you if you make some effort to first speak in Italian. Going to Tivoli was a huge leap of faith in our ability to navigate, as well as to be able to speak good Italian. We found out the hard (hilarious) way, that outside of major tourist spots, no one speaks English. We ended lost while looking for the bus station, and only found our way over to the right dock after talking with 6 or 7 people in our very broken Italian. Now don't get me wrong, I loved it. I thought it was hilarious. And Tivoli itself is very, very beautiful. However, it was nice to know that we were heading in the right direction. After taking the bus down the mountain we walked the remaining 1/2 a mile to the villa's entrance.

(The scenery was just too perfect)

Let me give you some small background information on this place. Hadrian was an emperor of Roma. Among us he was called the "Architect Emperor" of Roma due to the fact that he was the one who designed (or at the very least took credit for) the Pantheon. Hadrian designed this villa to be his retreat away from the stress of work because anyone who's anyone had a villa outside of Roma (Catallus for one) (bonus points if you know who Catallus is and can say his name correctly!). This "villa" was laid out over 300 acres (Pompeii... the city of Pompeii only had 90 acres), had over 25 buildings (including several baths, a full theatre, an olympic size pool, etc), and was to house only himself and his slaves. Sadly, (or perhaps ironically or better yet poetically) Hadrian never lived to see his villa complete, or even enjoy its lavishments because he died before living in it. This place was an architect's dream. Heck, it was anyone's dream.

(We thought that view was great, but imagine this over a thousand years ago with no buildings)

Even in it's semi-ruined state, one can appreciate the grandeur of this villa. As we said numerous times throughout this trip, "Hadrian knew how to live." Everything was so picturesque, so perfect. From the trees down to the ruins, it was placed with such precision one couldn't fully comprehend it. We walked through the pool, the track, up to the baths. We rented one of those earpieces that gave you more information on the sites, but I was content just simply strolling through the grounds taking in what I could, capturing with photos what I could, and trying to somehow breathe in some of Hadrian's artistic, architectural skill. We walked by more baths, the slaves quarters, by another pool. I honestly cannot remember everything we walked through, so instead I'll show you pictures.

(One of the ruined baths, complete with ocular)

(The ruins of one of the many buildings)

(One of the most famous aspects of the villa - the Nile Pool)

(From atop the dome above the pool)

Day 7 - Ostia Antica

On day seven we took a train to Ostia Antica, the old port town of Roma. Back in Roma's hay-day, Ostia would be the port for all the people and goods to come in from off the Mediterranean sea. However, as history tells us, after much flooding, looting, and sacking, Ostia became a no-man's land. It is only recently, through the hard work of archaeologists, that we have rediscovered Ostia Antica (which in Latin reads as "Old Mouth", appropriate for a port city, don't you think?) (actually, Antica was added later on).

We were split up into groups, and David ended up being the tour guide for ours. Below are some pictures, because I believe it would be better to see what is left of this old city rather than me talking about it, because, to be honest, it was in pretty old shape.

(A nice scenic road in Ostia Antica)

(The theatre in Ostia)

(Arches near, what we thought was, the forum)

(Pedico above an old house)

Day 6 - Firenze

We started off the morning on the bus off to Firenze (aka Florence). The bus ride was beautiful and I took several photos while on the bus. What caught me the most was how cities, well towns really, were built into the hills. It was quite amazing, from an architectural viewpoint, as I could not picture any town I have ever seen in America doing that. I've seen houses on hills, but never whole towns.

After getting off the bus in Firenze we walked down the cobblestone roads to the Basilica Santa Croce. The church itself was one of the last great cathedrals of Italy, dating back to about the 1200s, but the outer facade is actual of the 19th century. If you're facing the church to your left is a large, grimacing statue of Dante Alighieri, author of the Divine Comedy. I am a fan of Dante's work, and could picture him staring me down in marble, but it was unnerving none the less.

(Dante Aligheri outside the basilica)

After walking into the church the first thing I noticed was the ceiling: it was made of wood. Yes, wood. Wooden beams and trusses. It was a moment of pure awe. Here is a cathedral full of stone that must weigh thousands of pounds being supported by wood. Architectural genius, I believe I must have taken at least ten pictures of the ceiling alone, but here is one of the better ones.

(Wooden beams and trusses)

The church was unlike the churches we saw in Roma, not only because they were more dome orientated while this church was Gothic (as in it has a t shape, or a cross shape with niches on either side), but because it wasn't overbearing in its decoration. Yes, this cathedral was decorated to the nines, but to me it seemed so simple. What I mean is that the decorations seemed in place, they weren't doing more than being inspirational, and they were not being, at least in my opinion, ostentatious like some of the other churches I saw in Roma were. The other aspect I loved about the cathedral was the enclosed garden. The garden/piazza was enclosed rectangular and reminded me of an old picture of a Roman hotel I once saw. Very picturesque.

After finishing the cathedral we grabbed a quick bite in the square which was hosting an international flea market of sorts. I grabbed a true German sausage (complete with spicy brown mustard) and then browsed the wares (doing a bit of quick Christmas shopping) before rejoining the group of the cathedral's steps. From there we walked over to another church, the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. This cathedral is most famous for its immense dome, constructed by Brunelleschi.

(The Basilica of Santa Maria)

The exterior is somewhat like the Basilica Santa Croce, but the interior was so much different. I didn't spend much time in the inside of this church because I opted to climb to the top of Brunelleschi's dome (a steep 463 steps... 926 roundtrip). While the climb to the top was not blog-worthy, the views were worth the effort, if you ever have the chance to climb, do it. Even if you're afraid of heights, just do it, you'll be glad you did. Words cannot express the beauty of what I saw from the top of the dome, so instead I'll just show you some pictures.

(The far-off hills of Firenze)

(A panoramic from the top of the dome - click on it for full effect)

(A view of Firenze)

After the dome we made our way to the Galleria Nationale which houses the famous "David" sculpture. I'd like to point out how big this sculpture is. I thought it would be about 15 feet tall, but no, it must have been at least 25 feet tall, maybe taller. Pictures were not allowed so I have none to show you, but it was amazing.

We left the Galleria and headed back towards the bus which was waiting for us on the river. A few of us broke ranks and sprinted down the river to the Ponte Vecchio, the bridge of gold. It is a bridge over the Arno river that houses nothing but jewelry shops. As we turned the corner to walk down it we were suddenly enveloped in a cloud of gold light. Now, I am not a fan of jewelry, but this bridge was breath-taking. Everywhere you looked was gold, silver, and more gold. We got a few ok pictures, but we didn't have much time and we had to run back to catch up with the group.

(Ponte Vecchio)

I loved going to Firenze. It's slow pace and natural atmosphere was a nice compliment to the hustling city atmosphere of Roma. I will have to return to Firenze soon, because I feel as though the entire trip was rushed and I would love to experience it more.

(The Arno River in Firenze)

Day 5 - Churches and Villa Borghese

We awoke to a deluge of rain. After breakfast Professor Goldman led us around to a few churches so we could see the insides of them. He told us that this was a precursor to the churches we would be seeing in Florence. They were all really decorative; gold, brass, and marble was everywhere. I couldn't get a lot of great shots because my flash is very diva-ish and temperamental and the lighting in the churches themselves just weren't conducive to my beginning photographer mentality.

After seeing this churches we walked north from the hotel to the Villa Borghese. Well, what we thought was the Villa Borghese. Our leaders led us astray twice, but the gardens were still gorgeous to look at, even in the monsoon-like weather. We found our way to the actual Villa and made our way inside. We were not allowed cameras, so please don't go asking for them. We saw rooms upon rooms (which, were beautiful by themselves) of sculptures and paintings. It was very overwhelming. The one sculpture I found the most intriguing was the one with Apollo chasing after Daphne, the wood nymph. In case you don't know or remember the mythology, allow me: Apollo (the god of music) was in love with Daphne, a wood nymph. He chased after her, but she did not return his affection. In the end she asked her father (I can't remember who he was exactly, I want to say he was the god of the local river in the forest where Daphne lived, but don't quote me), to turn her into a being that would not bring about Apollo's affection. Her father then turned her into a tree.

Picture this if you can: a man desperately clinging to a woman who is literally turning into a tree. Her feet have disappeared, her torso is metamorphosing into a tree trunk (complete with bark) (the bark was SO intricate, I couldn't imagine the hours taken to achieve that effect), and leaves all around her. This piece really made me stop and look.

(The Villa Borghese... now the Borghese Museum)

After going through the art galleries we went off to lunch. I cannot remember what we did between lunch and night, however I do know that it was that night that we had a dinner on Dean Newrock. The food itself was superb but what really stopped me was the service. We had 5 courses, each a small dish, and each served so promptly. It was a brand new type of dining experience for me and I was happy to have another chance to try some new Italian on the waiters.

After dinner we walked back to the hotel and prepared ourselves for Florence!

Day 4 - Pompeii

We took a charter bus to Pompeii. Due to the acclimate weather (it was raining), there wasn't much to see outside so I took a short nap and listened to my iPod. Upon arriving to Pompeii we had lunch in nice restaurant that I'm sure would be booming come tourist season in the spring and summer). From there we drove the last few miles to the actual site of Pompeii. For Pompeii we had hired a tour guide and he was simply wonderful. He knew so much about Pompeii, and more than just what you could read in a book.

(Pompeii)

Our guide first talked to us about how Pompeii erupted. First there were the earthquakes which came months before the first actual eruption, then came the eruption. However, the eruption was not practically instantaneous as some people believe, but rather happened over many hours. Our guide told us how some people were able to evacuate and then return to Pompeii to save more of their belongings. We were able to see several of the plaster moldings of the people who had been frozen in the ash. I was amazed at how emotional they were, you could truly feel how horrified these people were not only through their body language, but also by the lines in their face.

We went through the basilica and the market places.

(Brick columns in the basilica at Pompeii)

We passed several temples. Our guide informed us that Pompeii was a very liberal town in terms of its religious tolerance. Pompeii allowed everyone to pray to whomever they chose because they saw how lucrative it was. We moved through the alleys (Pompeii had sidewalks, complete with places to tie up your horses), and into the baths. Pompeii was said to hold many baths, all of which were highly decorated and furnished. We even saw a tub that had "So-and-so paid for this" written in gold.

We moved through the baths and into several houses. The houses all had a similar pattern: an open front room, followed by a small garden, and rooms off the center garden. The houses we went into were all of middle to upper class status and were kept in pretty good shape. We were taken through one house, the largest house in Pompeii. Our guide told us how many square feet it was, but I could not remember. What I recall was the extremely large garden in the center of the home.

(Mt. Vesuvius)

From the large house we walked down the alleys to one of Pompeii's numerous brothels. On a side note, I took Professor Holt Parker's "Sex and Gender in Ancient Greece and Rome" 300 level seminar last spring, so I was really, really excited about this. As we made our way through the brothel I didn't hear just our guide's voice, but the voice of Professor Parker as well. The doors with the pictures painted above them. The phallus on the doors. Perhaps this reads as a bit odd, but I don't care. I loved that class, and managed a 110% (beating out most junior classics majors I might add), and learned a lot of information.

From the brothel we made our way down the street to the theatre.

(The theatre at Pompeii)

It was a nice place to conclude the tour and the walk back to the museum presented us with several stunning views of Napoli and the Mediterranean Sea. All in all, seeing Pompeii was a once-in-a-life time experience. It was really interesting to see how much archaeologists have found and were able to preserve.

(Looking down one of the many streets of Pompeii)

Day 3 - Colosseum and Roman Forum

Day 3 of my Roman Holiday began with taking the metro down to the Colosseum. One thing I love about the Roman metro stations is how well their entrances are planned. You come right out of the Colosseum exit of the Roman metro and there it is, just right there, blocking out the morning sun, in all of its ruined glory. Thankfully, the group stopped so we could take some good pictures before walking across the street. We were supposed to have had a tour guide waiting for us at the Colosseum, however he/she was no where to be found so we made do with Professor Suckarieh and the Colosseum group. I took a moment to stop and take a few pictures of the outer concourse of the Colosseum before following the group up the stairs to the second tier. It reminded me so much of my previous ideas for our second PBL (the one where I was to create a new stadium for our new nation). If I could sum up the Colosseum in one phrase I believe I would call it 'calculated simplicity'. I say this because when the first thing you think when you see this giant stadium is "Wow"; you're in pure awe. The next thing you think of (well, at least I thought of), is how simple it all seems. It's basically arch after arch and the Romans are known for their arches so really, it should have been simple construction. However, then you really start to think about the construction and the math and architectural structures behind it (that is if you're an architect or architect major), and you realize how intricate it is, all of it. It's really calculated simplicity

(The Colosseum)

The group dissipated as we made our way around the Colosseum. I took some great photos, including some good panoramic ones.

(A panoramic of the interior)

The most interesting aspect of the Colosseum was the exposed catacombs. Historians and archaeologists alike still debate over aspects of the inner workings of the Colosseum, especially if it could actually flood itself. While the underbelly I saw couldn't answer any of my questions, it was impressive to see none the less.

(The catacombs of the Colosseum)

I also took several minutes to look at what recent actions have been taken to stabilize the Colosseum (aka the buttresses and the marble stones placed on top). Going back to what I said earlier about the calculations and math of the building, it was very nice to see that we could save and preserve this stadium by using simple construction methods.

After a walk (hike) to the Piazza de Navona and lunch we collected everyone outside the arc near the Colosseum before moving on to see the Roman Forum. Inside the Forum we were broken up into groups, with each group getting a member of the Forum PBL team. Our group ended up with Philip and he led us through the Forum. We saw the Basilica (which is the city seat, not a church), the temple of the Vestal Virgins, the Arc of Titus, and several other key areas. However, unlike the Colosseum or Baths of Caracalla, there isn't really anything left, so it is very hard for anyone to decipher what is what or if stuff is gone or not; basically, there is no definite blue print. However, the Forum was interesting none the less. The one thing I found the most interesting was the marker in the middle of the Forum that was the measuring point for all roads out of Rome.

(The temple of Romulus, founder of Rome)

(Arc of Titus)

(The basilica)

After the Forum we were done for the day. After heading back to the Hotel I joined a group that was headed to the Spanish steps to see the Christmas tree. We took the metro over. The tree was actual a bunch of electric lines made into a cone-like shape. Sometimes all the lines were the same color, but sometimes they alternated colors. It was very festive, even though it was very different.

(The Christmas tree at the Spanish steps)

It was nice to see the Spanish steps and the piazza, even though I'm not a shopper (I took some pictures of the Dior and Gucci windows for my sister who is a shop-a-holic). After grabbing some dinner we then rode the metro across the river to the Vatican to see their Christmas tree. It was huge, of Rockefeller-size proportions. Although it wasn't lit, it did have tiny glass bulbs on it that reflected the light of St. Peter's square and basilica. Also, it was slightly drizzling so the bulbs really sparkled in the rain, it was so pretty and very tranquil.

(St. Peter's Basilica)

After the Vatican we made our way back to the Hotel at which point I went to bed. So ended the third day.