Four Months in Rome, Part Ten

Saturday, September 25, 2010:

Monday and Tuesday we taught Brenda’s painting and mixed media classes. When we got back from the Galleria Doria Pamphilj art collection on Monday, Cheri found out that an official from the “permit of stay” department had stopped at the school to speak with her. He left an urgent message saying they needed to speak with her immediately! Pia called the office and a meeting was set for Tuesday morning. 

I took Brenda’s mixed media class to sketch Michelangelo’s Moses at the Basilica of Peter in Chains. From there, we stopped to draw at the Forum where the group got pretty spread out since it is so big. I took the opportunity to take a few photos! One thing I think is kind of unique is that there are columns from the ruins laying on their side that people can sit on to rest. I guess I’m a little hesitant about sitting on something that old but my legs were tired from hiking up all those steps to see Moses, so I sat down. An older woman was sitting one column over said something to me (I thought in English) so I got up and sat down beside her. She was German and didn’t know any English, but for some reason I could understand most of what she was trying to tell me… at least I thought I did! She was with a tour group from Berlin, but she was resting because she had one foot that was swollen from all the walking. I tried explaining that I was with a group of students, but she just kept shaking her head no at the words student, pupils, education, and university. I was just about to give up when I said the word ‘scole’ which is Italian for school. She perked up with that and seemed to understand that I was with a group of students, but I found out that ‘schule’ is school in German and that’s probably what she thought I said. As I walked back through the back streets of the Ghetto to get back to the studio, an elderly woman with a map in her hand approached me asking directions (I’m guessing) in Polish.  When she realized I didn’t speak Polish, she was a little embarrassed. I was just surprised she thought I was Polish! It must be the blond hair.

A card from Amanda reminded me that I have been living in Italy for one month now. It actually feels like a lot longer simply because I have seen so much and have been to so many places. This week was a whirlwind with teaching every day, plus having Primo and Deanie Angeli here to conduct the packaging workshop. Primo is a renowned graphic/packaging designer that has led a packaging workshop for the students for the last four years. The workshop started Tuesday evening with Primo giving a presentation of his work to the students. Wednesday morning the students gave their presentations to Primo on the food product/company they were going to redesign. Cheri and I went to lunch with Primo and Deanie at a restaurant Pia recommended that is on the north edge of the Jewish Ghetto, “Gino & Antonio’s.” The owner, Gino, recognized Primo from two years ago, asked Primo if we would like to start with appetizers, Primo said “of course” and the food never stopped coming. It was the most amazing meal that never ended. The food server kept bringing plate after plate, course after course... we never saw a menu. The owner came out several times to check on us. He'd pick up empty plates, and if there was a plate that was almost empty, he'd put the food on our plates before taking it away. I sat across from Primo, so my plate got extra food a lot. We were full, more than full, so Primo asked for coffee. Our food server looked shocked and said, "not before cheese!" in Italian of course. She didn't speak any English. She brought out four plates with eight different slices of cheese and two kinds of jam on them. Once that was gone, she asked if we wanted dessert. Primo put on a show (talking with his hands) telling her we were too full from all the food and had no more room. She was insistent we have dessert, so he said one dessert for the four of us to share. She came back with one plate that had one slice of a spice cake along with a good-sized portion of fruit... and a plate of cookies! There were four kinds of cookies, four cookies of each kind! We split the cake four ways and ate a little fruit and a few cookies. Primo asked for coffee again and our server said, shocked again, "not until the fruit is gone!" We were laughing, we knew the owner wanted to "show off" his best cooking to Primo and we didn't want to insult him, so we, or I should say, "I" finished the fruit so the three of them could have coffee! I told them I was taking one for the team, and they just laughed. But I have to say, the apples in this mixture of fruit were the best apples I had ever tasted. It must have been the combination of fruit and the way the juices mixed and soaked in, but they were delicious! When the server came for the coffee order, I was trying to get the point across to her that we only needed three coffees. I think Primo told her I didn't drink coffee, but when the coffee came, she brought one regular coffee, for Primo's wife Deanie, and three espressos! I just looked at mine, then looked at Cheri and told her, "I guess you get to drink two!" We were there for over two hours. Primo and Deanie went for a walk until they were to meet with the students again, and Cheri and I went back to the studio. It was an experience I'll never forget!

Good thing we had lunch with Primo and Deanie on Wednesday, because the Jewish Ghetto was closed on Thursday. This is the third Jewish holiday this month!  This one is called Sukkot, where they celebrate God shielding them from dangers and discomforts as they traveled through the desert for fourty years. They build temporary huts, sukkots, to provide shade and they pray and eat in the sukkot.

Cheri and I tagged along on the mosaic tour with the art history class. They went to the Basilica Santa Prassede and the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. 

At the Basilca Santa Prassede are beautiful mosaics on the floor and ceilings and walls. Santa Prassede also houses a segment of the alleged pillar upon which Jesus was flogged and tortured before his crucifixion in Jerusalem.

 

I'd been to the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore before but I didn't realize that it is the largest church in Rome that is dedicated to Mary and that there is a chapel that houses the presumptive relics of the Nativity crib.

I didn’t think anything could top the lunch we had on Wednesday, but Thursday night, Pia had arranged for a dinner party for seven at a restaurant in the Campo di Fiori area. Everything was pre-arranged, so we didn’t have to look at menus. We started with appetizers (who knew there was Italian sushi) and by the time our first course, which is always pasta, arrived, we were all pretty full. Pia asked a server if it was too late to cancel the second course, but it was almost ready to eat. We had two kinds of meat. I had no idea by looking at them what we were eating. I figure I should just eat it first, and then ask. We had beef and lamb. I didn’t realize Italians ate so much lamb, but this was already the second time this week I’d eaten some. Everyone ordered dessert, and everyone sampled everyone’s dessert. Besides Pia (the director of the Rome Studio), Cheri, Primo, Deanie and myself, we had invited Ferro Trabalzi (art history) and Gary Tarkatov, a retired ISU art history professor who is in Italy doing research. It was a very enjoyable evening. We were at the restaurant for over 3 hours. The walk home was much needed.

Friday morning all of the students and myself had that last of our meetings for our permits of stay. It wasn’t the most convenient time, but you go when the Italian government says go. As soon as all of the students made it back to the studio, they gave their final presentations to Primo and Deanie. The Angeli’s are such gracious people and very down-to-earth. They have invited Cheri and I to come to their home for a weekend sometime before we leave.

 

It would have been nice to sleep in today, but I was up earlier than I usually get up to go to the studio! Ferro had made a contact that might make a great project for the graphic design students next year. We were on the 8 am train to Cassino, Italy where a friend of Ferro’s picked us up, and we drove another hour or so to San Potito, Italy; which is in the mountain province of Caserta. It rained most of the day. We were met by Franchesco Conte, a young (late 20s) man who loves his home town and is energetically attempting to put San Potito “on the map” along with twenty other small towns in a 40 mile area. San Potito has just less than 2000 citizens, the majority of which don’t want to see any change to their community, but the younger generation is concerned that these small towns will die out if nothing is done to prevent that from happening. The overwhelming majority of young adults leave the area to find work. Franschesco lives and works in Rome, but has a vested interest in helping his family keep their farm. 

They have turned their home into a “bed & breakfast” or maybe a conference center would be a better description. Their dining room can hold close to 100 people at one time. They have a separate house next to the main house, which has guest rooms in it. I’m not too sure how many people can spend the night. San Potito has hosted art festivals to bring people to the community that might otherwise never travel there. The Conte family opened their arms and their home to us for the day. We had lunch in their huge dining room with eight members of their extended family.  We had fried zucchini and fried zucchini blossoms and champagne for appetizers. Fried eggplant, green beans and roasted lamb, with red and white homemade wine were on the menu for the main meal with homemade pie for dessert.  Grappa and coffee followed. Julianna explained that the entire extended family ate together as often as possible. It was an experience of what life in a real Italian family is all about.

Four Months in Rome, Part Nine

Saturday, September 18, 2010:

Friday was the beginning of Yom Kippur, and the Jewish Ghetto was the place to be! From what I understand, they must have a day of feasting and a day of prayer and fasting (atonement). Let’s just say the Jewish community in Rome knows how to feast! I was still awake at 3 am; and even with all of my windows closed tight, I could still here the partying. My 6 am alarm came rather abruptly.

   

                                                 

We went to Assisi today on a day trip with 68 students. It is a beautiful town with beautiful churches and quaint little shops, set on the rolling hills in the heart of Umbrian countryside. I thought it seemed almost mountainous (like the Rocky Mountain foothills). 

The city was founded around 1000 BC and remained within the confines of the Roman walls until the 13^th century. Now, close to 30,000 people live in and outside the walls. It was the birthplace of St. Francis (1181) and St. Clare (1194) who both have churches built in their honor: 

the Basilica of Saint Francis and 

the Basilica of Saint Clare. 

Two devastating earthquakes hit Assisi in September 1997, but the restoration has been remarkable, although much remains to be done. Massive damage was caused to many historical sites, but the major attraction, the Basilica of Saint Francis, reopened less than 2 years later.

We ate at Cheri and Brenda's favorite restaurant. Brenda always orders an appetizer "to share" and I was really full after eating that; so when my meal came, I didn't even eat half of it. I just figured I'd take it home, had even said that out loud; and when it came to the end of our meal, I asked the food server for a "porta via" and she looked at me like I'd just said some nasty word out loud. She was so shocked... I said in English, "you know, a box".  She turned and headed to the kitchen, Cheri and Brenda look at me and tell me they have never taken food with them from that restaurant, that no one leaves "with food", that it was probably the first time anyone had ever asked for a porta via in the history of the restaurant. I just said, "well, I'm not leaving half of my meal here for them to throw away. I'm taking it home and eating it later." She brought out a plastic bowl... that was it... a bowl... no lid of any kind, so when our main server came back with the capachinos Cheri and Brenda had ordered, I asked him for a lid. He came back with two napkins! With the different shops we had been to, Brenda had a small plastic bag, so I just slid the bowl and "napkin lid" into the bag and tied the handles tight. I'm sure they were talking about that crazy American that asked for a take-out box.

Sunday, September 19, 2010:

Brenda, the painting professor from ISU, found out her mother had passed away on Saturday. She had been very sick all summer. Brenda flies back to Oklahoma on Monday for a week. Cheri and I met her for lunch today. We came up with a plan of action for Cheri and I to take over her classes until she comes back. We spent the rest of the day together, she needed the emotional support of friends and is basically already packed and ready to leave in the morning. I'm exhausted, and now, wouldn’t you know, I can’t fall asleep! It will be a busy week this week with Brenda’s classes and the arrival of Primo Angeli, who owned one of San Francisco's oldest and largest design studios and is coming to lead a packaging workshop for the graphic design students. He and his wife live in Italy now.

Four Months in Rome, Part Eight

Sunday, September 12, 2010: continued:

I guess I can’t go a full day without taking any photos! I had found a “walk” on the internet (when I first arrived) that was through the Jewish Ghetto, and I thought I should learn more about my neighborhood. I pulled it up this morning to read it again. There were several things in the article that I didn’t think I’d seen yet, so I wrote them all down, grabbed my camera and bag, and out the door I went. The “walk” started at the Ponte Fabrico Bridge (Bridge of the Four Heads) built in 62 BC, and also know as “Jew’s Bridge” because in ancient times foreigners, immigrants, and Jews were not allowed to live in central Rome and had to commute across this bridge to get into town. Some 30,000 Jews lived in a thriving community in Trastevere across the Tiber River. The name, Bridge of the Four Heads, comes from the statues of the four-faced pagan god Janus mounted on the bridge wall. You can see the statues of the 'Four Heads' on both sides of the bridge walls. This bridge is for pedestrian traffic only.

 

I didn’t start at the bridge since I live in the Ghetto, so it was like a scavenger hunt, trying to find everything mentioned in the article. Some of the places I’d seen and photographed before, others were new. This area of Rome has such a history of oppression by others, strength of spirit and faith, and survival. By the bakery is an ancient marble depicting a lion attacking a gazelle. By the restaurant, Bar Toto, you'll see a slot in the wall—a ghetto-era charity box for orphans that still accepts donations for worthy causes. Just north of the Piazza Costaguti is a white-columned structure, which was part of a former Carmelite convent. A Catholic convent and school in the Jewish Ghetto; a way the Catholics tried to convert Jews. There was also a story of a poor old woman who refused to sell her land and now owns a priceless bit of real estate that includes an ancient arch (#25 by the Portico d'Ottavia).

 

In the 16th century, Pope Paul IV forced the Jews to reside within a walled ghetto. In the center of this four-square-block area was a synagogue. When Italy became unified in 1870, King Victor Emmanuel II granted the Jews of Rome full citizenship and most of the ghetto was demolished and replaced with the modern blocks seen today. Via del Portico d'Ottavia is the name of the main street through the Ghetto. It is the best preserved of the original streets and the only surviving line of building fronts (north side only). Via San Ambrogio is a very narrow street that intersects with Portico d’Ottavia and is the only remaining original street. It is only for pedestrian traffic it is so narrow. The restaurant on the corner sets up tables in this street to give them more outdoor space. 

 

As the ghetto population grew to nearly 5,000 people, the apartments were made taller and closer together, blocking air and light. You can see, on Via della Reginella, where the original ghetto ended, because the buildings go from six floors to three floors. There are also several Jewish artifacts on the wall at the Jewish Cultural Center. This street, too, is pedestrian traffic only.

I found Largo 16 Ottobre, which is a square named for the day Nazi trucks parked in this spot in 1943 and threatened to take the Jews to concentration camps unless the community came up with 110 pounds of gold in twenty-four hours. Everyone, including non-Jewish Romans, tossed in their precious gold, and the demand was met. The Nazis took the gold, and later, they took the Jews. 1,035 of the 1,060 Jews rounded up were sent to Auschwitz. This is a site I have photographed several times because it is the location of the Portico d'Ottavia, built by the emperor Augustus in honor of his sister Octavia in B.C. 32. In the eighth century, the Portico became incorporated into the (Christian) Church of Sant'Angelo in Pescheria. For centuries, this church was packed every Saturday with Jews — forced by decree to listen to Christian sermons.

 

Just before reaching the bridge, a Catholic church, the Santa Maria della Pietà, stands at the south gate of the Ghetto. When the ghetto was a walled-in town, Catholics built churches at each gate to try and entice Jews to convert. There is a Hebrew script under the crucifix. It quotes the Jewish prophet Isaiah — "All day long, I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and faithless nation that has lost its way" (Isaiah 65:2) — but the quote is taken out of context to give it an anti-Semitic twist. On the west side of the intersection stands the new Synagogue of Emancipation. In 1870, Jews were initially offered better real estate for their synagogue, but chose instead to rebuild on the original site. The new "Synagogue of Emancipation" was built, remarkably, in three years (completed 1904) with the enthusiastic support of the entire Roman community. It has a unique square dome. This is where Pope John Paul II made his historic visit in 1986.

The Tiber River used to overflow its banks and flood the Jewish Ghetto. It wasn’t until the late 19^th century that a retaining wall was built. As I crossed the bridge to Tiber Island, a young man was selling watercolors. They were remarkable, so full of detail. I asked him if he was the artist, and he said yes. He didn’t seem to know too much English, but more English than I know Italian! After asking him how much the watercolors were, I told him I’d be back after I had finished my walk around the island. I’m sure he’s heard that before, and when I returned he said, “welcome back.” An Italian couple started looking at the watercolors while I was. I was curious as they were negotiating, how much they would pay for theirs. At one point, the young man told me I could by two for €25 if I so wished. The Italian couple bought two watercolors, a little larger than the one I had decided on and paid about €35, so I figured the price he had given me was the price he gives everyone. I gladly paid him €15 and headed home with my first souvenir. (I know there's a method of printing that can create the look of watercolor, but no two were alike and the only way to know for sure is to drop water on them and see if the paint runs. I'll just believe they are real!)

I walked through the Ghetto to pick up something to eat. There are many kosher restaurants proudly serving carciofi alla giudìa (fried artichokes), bakeries, coffee shops, the “Dollar” store, and a souvenir shop. I stopped in on my way home to look at a Pinocchio; Italians are big on Pinocchio, and I found myself buying one. I had thought I’d get one for my grandbaby, but wasn’t really going to buy one today. This 80+ year-old grandmother was working (I’ve been told you don’t cross Italian grandmothers!) and she didn’t want me to buy the small one I first picked up. She, instead, picked up a larger one, turned it over to show me it was made in Italy (I’m guessing the small one wasn’t). She asked if I was English. I told her I was American—teaching at the university at Cinque delle Scole. She seemed pleased with my answer. Pinocchio’s arms, legs and head all moved. I told her it was for a “bambino”, guessing on my Italian. At the word baby, she threw one hand up in the air, the other hand over her heart, and went on and on in Italian how this would be the perfect gift for a baby (I’m guessing)! Anyway, she thanked me over and over for stopping at her store, and told me to come again. That I could understand. I thought she had told me she would sell it to me for less than it was marked, but I wasn't sure until I got home and looked at the receipt. She did. 

Catacombs with Ferro and Cheri                                                                   Monday, September 13, 2010:

Yesterday, Ferro, Cheri and I went out to the Catacombs as sort of a "dry run" for Thursday.  Ferro has a conference to go to and he asked me if I would take his art history class out there (because you get a guide for the tour anyway).  I said sure and told Cheri about it, she wanted to go too because she had never been out there, but we were a little concerned about getting "lost!"

We took the most direct way out to the Catacombs (we didn't go in, we just checked ticket prices, etc) then started walking on the grounds toward home. When we got to the north entrance of the place (we entered through the east entrance) there was this church and Ferro says, "hey, this church is very interesting... it has the feet of Jesus in it."  This church is built of top of the road where Jesus met Peter.

The Church of St Mary in Palmis (palmis refers to the soles of Jesus' feet), better known as Chiesa del Domine Quo Vadis, is a small church southeast of Rome. It is at this spot that Saint Peter traditionally met Jesus when Peter was fleeing persecution in Rome. According to the apocryphal Acts of Peter, Peter asked Jesus, Domine, quo vadis? (English: Lord, where are you going?) Jesus answered, Eo Romam iterum crucifigi (English: I am going to Rome to be crucified again).

The two footprints on a marble slab at the center of the church (copy of a relief conserved in the nearby basilica of San Sebastiano) would be the miraculous sign left by Jesus.

We ended up walking the majority of the way home, but we got to see the best-preserved portion of the ancient city wall of Rome and Circus Maximus (a little disappointing because it’s just a big oblong depression in the ground). They are doing some excavating on one end of it where they are finding some bleachers and other things.  Rome still uses the depression for outdoor concerts, political rallies, and major gatherings. We walked along the backside of Palatine Hill and I saw the rest of (back of) Augustus’ home. It was much larger than I thought from where the frescos were. We walked down by the church behind the Temple of Janus and a wedding had just ended. I kind of felt like “wedding crashers” but Ferro just kept going to show us the church. Ferro told us that “back in the day” a family built their home on top of the Temple of Janus! Each corner of the temple is hollow and there is a staircase that leads to the top of the temple. I can’t remember which emperor ordered the house to be removed.

As we walked through the Jewish Ghetto towards the school, I asked Ferro if he could show me the brass bricks he had told me about that had the names of the families taken to Auschwitz engraved into the bricks. I had been looking at the walls by #2 Via della Reginella, but instead the brass bricks were in the street in front of the doorway to the residence.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010:

I didn’t get much farther than the studio today. A short trip to the market for lettuce and tomatoes, but came home with a jar of pesto and a quarter of a watermelon, saw a woman feeding the pigeons (right out of Mary Poppins!), stopped at the supermarketo, bought a sandwich at my favorite sandwich shop, and made a quick detour through the Ghetto thinking the noon sun would be best for the photo I wanted to take. Yesterday was the first day of school for the elementary children. They were all huddled around the entrance to their school while I was in the ghetto. Today, I wanted to take a photo of the kids with the school building behind them, but a plain-clothed security guy came up to me and said, “no photo.” They are very protective of their children and have every right to be so. I did find out that the heavy police presence (all the time) in the ghetto is due to the bombing attack of the ghetto in 1982 by the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Just some observations I’ve made about Italians… they are very proud of the quality of water in their city and there are public fountains everywhere, where the water just continually flows and is very cold­—but you have to buy water at a restaurant, and they only sell bottled water (mineral or “with gas” bubbly water – I think only Americans think the “with gas” part is funny!) It is a little awkward the first time a food server asks you if you want “gas” with your water! 

Italians don’t like pennies. When you owe €8.53, they will often give you back change for €8.50, just as if you should receive €8.53 in change, you may only get back €8.50. I saw a guy argue with a cashier for shorting him a few pennies in change, but I think the cashier won. I don’t argue with them… I’ve always been treated very nice when it comes to making change – except the one time I paid for a €1.99 purchase with a €10 bill. It was the smallest bill I had and the cashier was not happy. The students have said the same thing when they pay for items with a €50. Their response is always, “if Italians don’t like making change for a €50 bill, then the ATM machines shouldn’t hand them out!” One thing that is really nice is that no matter what you buy, it the ticket says it cost €4.99, then it cost exactly €4.99. There is no additional tax when you get to the cash register. Why don’t we do it that way? 

Lastly, Italians love their dogs. They take them everywhere: to work, on the bus, to a restaurant – everywhere. I noticed a sign at the restaurant below my bedroom window the other day that said, “No Dogs”! I knew it was a high-end restaurant. The white tablecloths at noon time were one clue, but the food servers at noon time wear white dinner jackets as well! I think it’s probably out of my price range, but they don’t have a menu posted outside like most outdoor restaurants do, which is probably another clue it is high-end… if you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it.

Four Months in Rome, Part Seven

Friday, September 10, 2010:

I think our Friday schedule of working from 9-noon must just be a suggestion because we have yet to leave by noon! Cheri and I finished working with students at 2 pm. She had some things she thought she needed to do, but I still had my pass for the Roman Forum (which was still good today) and we (the art history class) didn’t have time to go down into the Forum yesterday. So, Cheri told me to go to the Forum and enjoy. We had plans to meet Brenda at 5:30 pm to go to the American movie theatre and see an English-speaking movie!

  

The Roman Forum was very interesting. Of course, there are a lot of ruins there! LOL! They must be stingy with maps, because I didn’t get one at the gate. I was halfway through before I found a interpretational map to let me know what I had been taking pictures of! 

The altar where Julius Caesar’s body was cremated is in the Forum. People still leave flowers and notes on top of the spot. 

The Temple of Vestal Virgins is there; it’s really neat, but there wasn’t a way to get a good look at it. I think I’ll actually have to go back! I might see it better from up high on Paletine Hill. In the ancient Roman religion, the "Vestal Virgins" were priestesses of Vesta, goddess of the hearth. The College of the Vestals was regarded as fundamental to the continuance and security of Rome; they tended the sacred fire that could not be allowed to go out. The Vestals were freed of the usual social obligations to marry and rear children, and took a vow of chastity in order to devote themselves to the study and correct observance of state rituals that were off-limits to the male colleges of priests.

There were many areas I just didn’t have time to check out, like Circus Maximus, but I did make I it to the Stadium of Domitian or hippodrome (photo of the hippodrome on Thursday’s blog). The Roman Emperor Domitian (51-96 AD) had a passion for sport. He implemented the Capitoline Games in 86 AD, which were similar to the Olympic Games. The games were held every four years and included various athletic events, chariot races, and Gladiator fights, including ones between female and dwarf gladiators. I think we can still watch that on TV! There’s just so much to see; you could spend an entire two days looking at the three “attractions” – the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum.

I grabbed a sandwich to eat on the way to Brenda’s apartment. We took a bus to the theatre, but the bus took us on more of a “scenic” view, than a direct route! With all the years Cheri and Brenda have been here, I just follow them and figure they know what they are doing! As soon as the bus turned by the Spanish Steps, they thought “uh oh, we should have gotten off” but the next stop was so far away from where we wanted, we just stayed on and enjoyed the ride! We passed by the American Embassy, which is right across the street from the Hard Rock Cafe. Then, the bus travels through the Villa Borghese park, which is the largest park in Rome and called the “Park of Museums”. We ended up stopping at what everyone on board decided must have been the end of the route. We all got off and started walking down hill in the direction of Via del Corso (the name of a street), which is a big shopping area. We were headed to the movie, The American, starring George Clooney. The movie was set in Italy, which made it kind of fun. We ended up at the top of the Spanish Steps. I know I’ve walked down the Corso before, and I don’t know how I could have missed the Spanish Steps, but I did. There are tons of people around, so I was probably looking at where I was going and not paying attention to what was around me. One rule to follow in Rome: always look up! You never know what might be up there! 

  

The Spanish Steps were amazing and the church at the top of the steps, the church of the Santissima Trinità dei Monti, was beautiful. The piazza at the bottom of the steps was packed with people. We headed down the street to the theatre. We had missed the movie we had planned to see, but it was showing an hour later, so we stopped and had a bite to eat at a sidewalk café near the theatre. The movie wasn’t at all what we expected, but it was still good. The theatre had assigned seating! I’m so used to just sitting wherever I want, but we had to find our row and seat number. There were lots of people sitting in the wrongs spots that had to move right before the movie started. It was a little cool once the movie let out. Everyone was wearing jackets and sweaters, but I thought it felt good. I did get a chill when we boarded the bus (yes, we took a bus home!) so I put my wrap on that I always have tied to my bag. Best thing – the bus we boarded took us straight home! 

Sunday, September 12, 2010:

I’ve spent a lazy weekend. I woke up Saturday morning and my body was sore. I do have a very hard mattress (I’ve been looking for something to put on top of it!) but with all the running around I’ve done, I think I was just wore out. So, I decided to “be selfish” and stay home… and do homework! It was such a gorgeous day outside, I almost felt I had to go do something, and I really did feel like I was being selfish staying home! I did go to the Campo di Fiori Market to buy fruits and veggies. Once I got home I did a load of laundry, started sorting photos (by subject matter), then went to the Ghetto for lunch. Back upstairs to start another load of laundry, work on photos, tried to call a few people, and took a nap! 

   

I did make it back to the Campo di Fiori Market later that night so I could photograph how the space is used at night. It was a lot of fun, and it was filled with people, but I didn’t stay too late, so it wouldn’t be too dark by the time I arrived home.

So far today, I’ve cleaned my apartment. I realized a few days ago that a lot of “soot” and dust and sand were blowing in through my bathroom window. That window doesn’t have shutters like the rest do because it is inset into the building. The dust is so fine, it is hard to sweep it all up, but I have a “Swiffer!” I decided I was going to have to close that window, at least on the really windy days. Earlier in the week, one of the students said they woke up to find a pigeon in their kitchen! It had flown in their kitchen window. I know I was sitting in my living room once when two pigeons landed on my window ledge, but they flew away when I started towards the window.

I see it's just 6 am Iowa time, so I'm going out into the world now!  Been inside long enough; worked on homework long enough; haven't looked at my thesis, but it will rain some day! I found a "tour" of the Jewish Ghetto on line and it talked about some things I haven't seen, so I'm going to the hunt for them. The Ghetto is filled with people today; it should be fun!

Four Months in Rome, Part Six

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

I was a little startled this morning when I walked into my kitchen… out the window I could see the legs of a worker (from the knees down to his shoes)! They must be cleaning the side of the building… they put the scaffolding up yesterday, but I was surprised they were already started by 7 am.  The Italians do keep their city of Rome clean! The street cleaners are always out, and yesterday when I was out in the morning, they were cleaning the monuments. You could smell the bleach! I know the air quality is compared to LA, but you never see smog here… the skies are always clear and blue.  But, you can see the pollution build up on the buildings.

There is so much to see here, and so much you can see without paying an admittance fee. I have the luxury to go back to places over and over at different times of day if I don’t feel the natural lighting is at the best angle for photos. Yesterday, I decided I wanted to walk over to the Colosseum in the morning, just to see it in that light. If I had just walked there and back, I would not have been “late” for work. Technically, I wasn’t late… we really weren’t meeting at a specific time, and we didn’t have class. But, as I walked to the Colosseum, I realized I was walking past the Capitoline Hill area and had to check it out!

  

The view of Rome from on top of the hill was breathtaking! I did eventually make it to the Colosseum and was surprised at all the tourists there on a Monday morning. I guess it doesn’t matter what day you are in Rome; it will always be busy. I had two Roman Gladiators (and there were many all over the place) who wanted to take a “sexy” picture with me. I told them politely no, but maybe when my kids are here visiting. Their response was, “No, not with the kids!” The one reminded me of the guy with the long hair on the cover of all the romance novels! After Cheri and I finished working (we’re still figuring out the north field trip), she took me to see an area called Bocca della Verita, which is one of the sites the students can use in their identity/signage project. The “Bocca della Verita” or the “mouth of truth” is on the outside corridor of a church there, which is featured in the movie, Roman Holiday, with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. This is very close to the Capitoline Hill area, so we went up there too because this morning the sun was so strong I didn’t think photos would turn out well. It was later in the day than I had wanted for photos, but I took some anyway. I decided I’ll just have to come back some day we don’t have class in the early afternoon.

I was asking Ferro today where his class was going tour on Thursday morning. As we were talking I found out that the Italians don’t give group discounts to American groups, only to European groups! I don’t know if Canadians get discriminated against too, or if it’s just tourist from the USA, but I was certainly offended. For a city that has millions of tourists every year, I wouldn’t think they could afford to offend anyone.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010:

It rained for the first time today. It really came down hard for awhile and the wind picked up, but we were in the studio. Hopefully, it won’t rain tomorrow as the Art History classes start their “walks” and I am going with the class going to the Forum. I had class all day, 9-6 so I’m spending my evening at home. It was 6:45 pm before we left the studio.

The Jewish Ghetto is partying hard tonight! Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, started at sundown. The ghetto was packed with people all dressed up and there were so many cars double and triple parked in my little piazza area.

Thursday, September 9, 2010:

I met one of the art history classes at the Colosseum for their tour. I cut through the Jewish Ghetto to take a short cut to the Colosseum. I didn’t think about it when I left my apartment, but there were barricades blocking part of the Ghetto, and several police officers standing at the barricade. I asked if it would be ok for me to cut through, one officer asked to look inside my bad, and then they let me through. I found out later that “back in the day” people (I’m going to guess Catholics) would throw bombs into the Ghetto. To this day the Jewish community still posts guards at the entrance points. Back to the Colosseum, I think this is the bargain in Rome. For €12 I bought a ticket to get inside the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum; plus the ticket is good for two days. I probably would not have purchased a ticket after finding out how Americans can't get group rates, but I had already told Ferro I was going and Cheri told me to get used to it... Americans can't get group rates anywhere in Italy.

 

Ferro is a wonderful story-teller, so he was a great tour guide. The third level of the Colosseum has a modern support on both ends (that blend in so well with the ruin I would never have noticed them if they hadn’t been pointed out) to keep what remains of the third level from falling. I hadn’t really thought about why the interior of the Colosseum looks as it does today… it isn’t from age and exposure to the elements; it ‘s because after the fall of the Roman Empire, the Pope’s and heads of churches “stole” the marble in the Colosseum to build their churches. It was stripped of everything of value. Kind of like when a really old house/building in the US is going to be demolished and someone goes in and removes everything that can be salvaged and re-sold.

 

From the Colosseum we walked to Palatine Hill. Rome was built on seven hills, and the Palatine Hill is the central hill as well as the site for one of the oldest parts of the city. It is in a cave here that (legend says) Romulus and Remus were suckled by the famous she-wolf. Romulus founded Rome once he grew up – so this hill is not only extremely well-known but also revered in Roman mythology. The Palatine Hill overlooks the Roman Forum on one side and the Circus Maximus on the other. The buildings on the hill once included the palaces of Augustus, Tiberius and Domitian. We went into the House of Augustus, which is where the ceiling fresco still survives. As you can imagine, this place is huge, and we spent so much time there, it was noon before we even made it to the Roman Forum. Several of the students, and myself, had class at 1 pm, so we had to leave. I hope to go back tomorrow after class and walk around the Roman Forum.

As we approached the Jewish Ghetto, it was filled with people all dressed up in their best clothes. When I got to the studio, I looked out one of the windows toward the largest Jewish Synagogue in Rome and the street was packed with people. 

We were in the studio until 8 pm tonight. It’s been a long day. I’ll sleep hard tonight.