Retrospective

My last seven weeks in Rome have been the most memorable, exciting and educational ones in my life, thus far. Although I was aware of the amazing achitecture and history that is present in the eternal city, I couldn't have prepared myself enough, for what I was able to retain and observe about the different culture change, and every day life in Rome.

These blogs have helped me express my daily encounters and interesting personal experiences that have happened during my stay. I picked my first theme, about panini's, immediately because of my first day at the snack bar, where I had a new appreciation for sandwiches. Although my blogs were not centered entirely around the sandwich itself, I found it interesting to actually take in account the different places and panini's that are offered all over Italy. I found that panini's were the most popular in Rome, which probably explains why they are found at every basic bar or stand. I will not only miss the delicious, warm, fresh panini's of Rome, but I'll miss the bars and the people I have met during my quick lunches and snacks.

My next theme was focused on street entertainers. I'll never forget the first day I walked the chaotic streets, as a stranger to the city. The first street entertainer that I noticed was an older, frail man producing music from an antique, beat up accordion. I was intrigued by both the music and the man. When I continued on, I noticed another man, slowly and desperately playing a violin. Since I had already been observing these entertainers, I knew it was going to be beneficial to continue my observation into a blog.

The last blog I chose to focus on was piazza's. Although my place first started as Campo de'Fiori, I continued to expand my knowledge of piazza's by visiting Campo's neighbor, Piazza Navona. The different settings that take place during the day at Campo de'fiori has probably been the most interesting aspect to witness. Beyond the changes, I have been educated about the history of the markets, square and the center statue of Giordano Bruno. I really enjoyed visiting each piazza daily to observe my surroundings and the variation of both. These assignments have encouraged me to step outside of my element and allowed me to immerse myself into the Italian culture and the city of Rome.

4 Colonne Ristorante

Since it is our last week here in Rome, Brooke and I decided we deserved a nice, hearty, expensive meal to celebrate our trip. She had her eye on one particular restaurant for the past three weeks, called, 4 Colonne Ristorante which was conveniently located at the southern end of Piazza Navona. The restaurant is hidden away, in a back alley away from the busy restaurants that surround the Piazza. When we arrived, a man in a tuxedo politely guided us through the freshly modern, all white furnished restaurant. My excitement and hunger for dinner soon turned to confusion when I opened the large menu, only to find that I could not comprehend one word on the menu. We both stared, as though it would miraculously switch to English if we stared hard enough. With nothing to lose, I asked the waiter what was molto buono (very good). After pointing to a few dishes, describing the food in Italian, his eyes lit up and pointed to a pasta dish and said “fish.” I was convinced, and agreed to order the fish, not knowing what I was in for. A couple of minutes later, I saw our waiter come from the kitchen with a large, bright red lobster that was anything but dead. He held it in front of me to explain that it was what I had ordered. We were both impressed and satisfied with our surprise dishes that we ended up ordering.

This was a perfect example of how you should never eat at the first restaurant that you see. All of the piazza’s in Rome are filled with an abundance of restaurants that offer the usual pizza, pasta and meat dishes. But, it is always important to keep in mind that if you walk away from the center of a piazza and step away from the chaos, you will most likely find a cheaper and more unique menu.

American Music

While I was enjoying a beautiful evening on the Spanish Steps last night, I witnessed a new type of street entertainment, which has come to be my favorite. It was not the usual sight of a homeless man playing a violin or accordion with a money basket begging for spare change. It was a group of about ten Italian men in a circle, freely strumming away on a guitar, singing at the top of their lungs. Although the men we’re not particularly “talented” in respects to their voices, the emotion and passion that they put into their singing was entertaining. To add to our experience, all of the songs that were performed were popular American songs, by artists like James Blunt, Aleisha Keys, R.E.M and the Beatles. I enjoyed listening to the older men, with their tight dark jeans on, belting out the lyrics to Aleisha Key’s high-pitched song, “No one”. They had no open guitar cases, hats or a basket for change. They were purely playing their music for pleasure and their own satisfaction. It was terribly amusing and fun to see how American music is so alive and present in Italy.

Final days at the Snack Bar

As my final days in Rome are quickly approaching, I keep thinking in my head "this is the last time I'll walk this road, this is the last time I'll go into class, and this is the last time I'll order an espresso, the last time I’ll eat a panini at the Snack Bar" and so on. When I began my final walk to Sedi de Roma, the sweat began to pour down my face, and I knew it was going to be another torturous, hot and sticky day. The thought of ordering an iced vanilla latte from Starbucks to cool down made my mouth water. An espresso shot did not seem appealing by any means. But, as I came closer to the small Snack Bar that has conveniently provided me energy and cheap lunches all semester, I couldn't help but stop on the way to class. The same tall skinny man who has greeted me with a large smile each morning, and quickly hands me my espresso's was waiting for us behind the counter. He set down the mini spoon and plate, with a pack of sugar, to prepare me for my espresso. His co-worker, who is a jolly man, with a thick mustache continually, tries to teach us Italian whenever we order a croissant or panini from him. I realized that this daily routine that I have gotten used to for the past seven weeks was finally coming to an end. It feels like just yesterday when it was the first day of class and Mike recommended that we checked out the small snack bar down the street which had some flavorful egg plant panini’s. I still remember the feeling of helplessness when all I could do was point at the most appetizing panini, to place my order.

Although I thought my morning encounter would be the last time I would step foot into the snack bar, I couldn’t help but return for a panini only a few hours later. The bushy mustache man looked at us and smiled, pointing to his watch, showing that we were early. It was only 10:30 am, and he was used to us coming sometime after noon. I sadly ordered my last panini, as I tried to explain to the man that it was our last time at the bar. He smiled, nodded, not knowing what I was trying to communicate to him. We exchanged the usual “grazie” and “prego” and I went on my way. Although the language barrier made it impossible for us to have lengthy conversations, the smiles, waves and “ciaos” always seemed to be enough for us. The men at the snack bar have definitely made an impact on my experience in Rome, and I don’t think it will ever be forgotten!

Botanical Gardens

Our walk through the Botanical Garden, located in our very own neighborhood, Trastevere was a nice change from the chaotic streets of Rome.  The minute we stepped on the stone path that was surrounded by green trees I felt a sense of serenity,which I have not experienced since being in Rome.  Although many of the 7,000 plant species in the botanical gardens were either dead, or had not bloomed yet, I still enjoyed my time exploring.  The greenhouse contained a variety of exotic and colorful cacti that I never knew existed.  The wildlife, including fish, frogs and a family of ducks made a home in the small pond located in the center of the garden.  I was also intrigued by the forests of sturdy, green bamboo.  Despite the heat, we hiked to the top of the hill, which gave us a glimpse of the city, through the trees and leaves.  It was definitely a well spent afternoon, and I would recommend this place to anyone!

Markets on the move

After previously making the observation about Piazza Navona's calm and unhabited space in the morning, I have found some new and interesting information about the history of the square. It's odd, long, skinny, oval space was once used as a site for an ancient Roman circus. Here, people would gather around to watch atheltic and theatre events. The bizzare shape outlines the circus and horse tracks that took place in the piazza many centuries ago.

In the 15th century, the Piazza was then turned into a city market, which was transferred from the Capitoline Hill.  The same market was then moved to Campo de'Fiori in 1869.  I have not been able to find any information, discussing the reasons for why the market was moved from Piazza Navona to Campo de'Fiori.  Although Campo de'Fiori is a smaller square, maybe the oval shape of Piazza Navona was not suitable for a market, as it became more popular, and the crowds grew larger.

Information obtained from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_Navona
http://www.romainteractive.com/pznavona.htm

National Museum of Musical Instruments

Since I have dedicated one of my themes to be focused on street entertainers throughout Rome, I thought it would only be necessary to include some information about the National Museum of Musical Instruments. If you have been to many churches, art museums and galleries throughout Rome and want to explore more, the National Museum of Musical Instruments might just be the perfect change for you.The museum holds a large collection of instruments that were collected by the Italian lyric tenor, Evan Gorga. Although he was only able to keep about have of his collection, due to economic trouble, he was still able to leave about 3,000 pieces to a convention, which agreed to pay off all his debts and financially support him for the rest of his life. The instruments were then gathered into a museum, in 1974.
You will also be given the opportunity to see Barberini's enharmonic harp, which dated back to the 17th century. The museum not only holds instruments of the western music collections, but there is also a section that is devoted to instruments of ancient cultures.
If you are interested in going to the museum, or would like to find out more information please click the link below:

http://www.galleriaborghese.it/nuove/estrumentiinfo.htm

Taba

I have to admit, I have been slightly disappointed with the shopping in Rome. I was excited to come home with unique and unusual clothes that had a "European" look to them. But, the bright colors and patterns that are often seen in the stores have never been appealing to me.
However, my random walks around Rome have finally paid off. As I was walking through Campo de' Fiori yesterday, I found the kind of store that I had been looking for. Oddly, it is placed along the perimeter of the piazza, where most of the cafes and restaurants are found. The style at the boutique, Taba, is a mix of bohemian and vintage. The unique hand made bags, belts, shoes, sandals and jewelry are beautifully crafted. They have a variety of colorful hair bands, pins and accessories. The ethnic, contemporary music that softly plays in the background gives a great atmosphere to the small, closet boutique. Although the prices are not necessarily cheap, I would recommend anyone to take a look into the store.

Information obtained from:

http://www.tabashop.it/home2.html#

pizza, wrap,panini?

I had the most interesting sandwich while traveling through Venice. Although I am insanely addicted to panini's, I think I may have over indulged, and spent my first month in Rome consuming too many of them. Although, this has lead me to try new and interesting sandwiches. The other day, I went out of my comfort zone and ordered a wrap, which appeared to contain lettuce, tomato and mozeralla. I figured I would play it safe, while ordering something other than a real panini. To my delight, it wasn't a wrap at all. It turned out to be pizza crust, with tomato sauce, lettuce and mozarella, tightly wrapped. I was slightly dissapointed with my selection, because had I known it was just pizza wrapped together, I would have ordered something different. Nevertheless, my tastebuds and stomach were pleased, so I left with no complaints.

Piazza's and Entertainment

I have chosen three different piazza's to go to, during one walk. I have combined my two themes, which are street entertainers and piazza's so one is able to explore and take away different things from each place on the walk. By starting the walk at Piazza Maria in Trastevere, you can check out the small square that is surrounded by local restaurants, bars and an octagonal fountain that was built in the late 17th century. In the evening, you are almost guaranteed to see a variety of entertainers, including magicians, jugglers and many vendors. This is not one of the three places; I just think it's a bonus, if you start at this fun little piazza.

Depending on the time of day that you visit Campo de' Fiori, you will have many different experiences. If you decide to take a morning walk, the food market that takes over the piazza during the morning and early afternoon will likely amaze you. However, if you happen to stroll along through Campo in the evening, or nighttime, the square is filled with numerous violinists and entertainers who may even put on a show for you will you enjoy a nice dinner outside. Here you will also find the statue of Giordano Bruno, who was burned to a stake in middle of the piazza.

Piazza Navona is a rather lively place, where you can find three beautiful fountains. Bernini designed the one fountain, Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. Fontano di Nettuno is found at the northern end of Piazza Navona, which was sculpted by Giacomo della Porto, who also first sculpted the Fontano del Moro. However, Bernini ended up remodeling the Fontano del Moro. In addition to the fascinating fountains, the center of the piazza is always full of talented vendors who sell their artwork of portraits and landscapes.

At the final stop of the guided walk, you will find yourself at the Piazza della Rotonda, where the Pantheon is located. The Pantheon is one of the Rome's best-preserved ancient temples, which holds the tomb of Raphael. It is a very busy piazza, which is surrounded by restaurants and cafes. There are always a lot of people but beware of the vendors who will consistently ask you to buy cheap and annoying toys. I hope you enjoy this fun and historic walk! Remember to save at least two or three hours, to be able to see and appreciate everything you may stumble upon.

Guided walk: Piazza's and Street Entertainment

To begin your walk, start at the Santa Maria Church, located in the Santa Maria Piazza in Trastevere. Begin walking on Vic del via Benedetta, that will take you through a the small Piazza San Giovanni della Malva. Continue walking, until you reach the Tiber River, where you will turn left, until you reach the small bridge called Ponte Sisto. Cross the main road, Lungotevere dei Vallati, and go straight on Via die Pettinari. Take a left onto Campo di Ferro road, and follow it until you reach the first stop, Campo de' Fiori. After enjoying your time at the square, head towards Corso Vittorio Emanuelle II, by walking through Piazza della Cancellaria until you come to the main road. Cross the road, and walk straight on Viccolo Leutaria, following the road that will guide you to Piazza Navona. You have successfully made it to the next stop! To finish the walk, cross the main road, Corso Del Rinascimento and get on Via Giustiniani, which will take you straight to Piazza della Rotanda.

Campo vs. Piazza Navona

One thing that I love about Campo de' Fiori is that it is so close to the popular and upbeat square, Piazza Navona. It takes only a couple of minutes, and a walk across the street to get to Piazza Navona from Campo de' Fiori. The piazza's couldn't be more different.

While Campo is usually chaotic and busy because of the popular market that invades the square in the morning, Piazza Navona is completely deserted. Just last week, I took a stroll through the market, which led to my mouth watering due to the delectable fruit selection. Although it was only past 8 o'clock in the morning, the area was already packed, as the stands lined up side by side offering various fresh fruits and vegetables. But, as we continued our walk and approached Piazza Navona, I was astonished by the tranquility that filled the air. There were no vendors in sight, no paintings for sale and no restaurants or shops open. Besides a few locals who passed by with their dogs, the stone region was bare.

At first, I was bothered by the unusual silence. But as I sat on a bench that allowed me to see the entire piazza, my bothersome soon turned to peacefulness. I have gotten so used to this busy city always being crowded, especially when I visit the popular sites and monuments. It was a great feeling to sit and enjoy the true essence of the piazza. Unfortunately, not all areas in Rome will ever clear out, like Piazza Navona does in the morning. If you find yourself overwhelmed in this city, take a stroll through Piazza Navona in the early morning and appreciate the peacefulness.

The Villa Farnesina

The Villa Farnesina, a Renaissance villa is located in the central district of Trastevere. The villa is known for it’s spectacular architecture that is embellished with Raphael paintings. I am most interested in visiting the unique villa, because of Raphael’s painting of The Triumph of Galatea, which is located on the wall by the entrance door of the Loggia of Galatea room. It sounds interesting, because it is Raphael’s depiction of female perfection, as he uses his many lovers as the main characters in his artwork. For only five euros, you can visit a true Renaissance villa that holds the famous work of Raphael, Sebastiano del Piambo, Giulio Romano and II Sodoma.

Information obtained from:

Rome Eyewitness Travelguide. DK publishers

Galleria Doria Pamphilj

Located between Via del Corso and Via della Gatta, Galleria Doria Pamphilj presents over 400 works that have been collected by the Pamphilj family from the 15th to 18th century. The Roman family, Doria Pamphilj, still holds ownership of the palace, which is home of the art gallery. For just eight euros (five for students) the gallery not only offers a wide collection of beautiful artwork, but also allows you to see the extravagant rooms of a typical palace in the 18th century. The many rooms in the palace, including a ballroom, drawing room, dining room and a family chapel are delicately decorated with elaborate gold furniture, extravagant crystal chandeliers and numerous family portraits. The most prominent painting within the collection is the famous portrait of pope Innecenzo X by Velazquez.

Information obtained from:

Rome Eyewitness Travel Guide. DK publishers

Family of Boys' Town

Probably the most surprising, yet heart warming aspect of Boys’ Town is the unique interaction and affection each boy shows to one another. When we first arrived I was eager to meet the citizens who successfully ran the small town. We were fortunate enough to meet a young man named Najib, from Morrocco, who happened to be the mayor of the town as well. Although quite shy at first, Najib had a bright white, welcoming smile, and a sparkle to his eyes that made everyone smile in return. When he was joined with two other citizens, it was obvious how close the boys were. One of the boys was seventeen, the other; the youngest of the group was thirteen. They constantly leaned on each other’s shoulders for support, and patted each other on the head and back numerous times. Najib put his arm around the youngest, laughing around and joking. It was obvious that they consider each other family. Most of the boys do not have a family outside of the town, so the boys are like brothers to each other. It was such an amazing feeling, to witness the interactions between the boys, who were all so different and came from all different cultures, and from all over the world.

Boys' Town of Italy

An Irish priest, Monsignor John Patrick Carroll-Abbing set out in 1945, in hopes of helping the starving and homeless children, by giving them a second chance to become responsible and successful citizens. Boys’ Town of Italy was incorporated in 1951, and interestingly is an American charity. There are sixty childcare centers spread throughout Italy. I was amazed that the “citizens” of Boys’ Town are from all over the world. They are not only from Italy, but Albania, Kosovo and other parts of the former Yugoslavia, the former Russian Republics, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, Southern and Central Asia, South America and North Africa.

The boys are given the opportunity to get an education, prepare for their future, while growing and learning through their experiences in the community. I think this is an incredible opportunity, for me to see how the young boys work together, to run a town on their own. I know this will be a heart warming, yet eye opening experience, that I will never forget.

Information obtained from:
http://boystownofitaly.org/

Baths of Neptune

Ostia Antica was one of ancient Rome's main port. Today you can see the ancient ruins of the docks, warehouses, apartment flats, mansions, shopping arcades and baths, which was once occupied by more than 60,000 people.

Along the main road in Ostia, there is a viewpoint that you can look out over, to see the exquisite mosaic tile floors, of the Baths of Neptune. The intricate mosaic artwork is a picture of Neptune riding four horses through the rapid sea. The unique mosaic, which is 55 feet by 36 feet, was just one out of twenty bath complexes. These baths were used often, because it was common that many homes did not have their own private facilities.

Information obtained from:

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destination/italy/ostia.htm

Piazza San Marco Music

After a romantic gondola ride to San Marco, in Venice, I was excited to check out the popular piazza which Napoleon once called "the drawing room of Europe." I immediately fell in love with the lively, and open spaced area. It was a little past nine o'clock at night, so the square was lit up which added to the dynamic of the environment. As we made our way through the crowds of pigeons that were swarming around for food, I noticed a small congregation of people standing infront of an orchestra. We continued exploring our surroundings, until we found ourselves among the same crowd, watching and listening to the orchestra.

The variety of instruments, including a violin, piano, clarinet, cello and accordian, simultaneously playing together was a nice change from the street entertainers I have gotten used to hearing. The performance is on a stage, facing a crowd of tables which are part of the restaurant, Quadri. Here you can have a romantic dinner in the center of San Marco, with the background music of a live orchestra chiming in. If you aren't in the mood, or willing to spend about sixty euro a person, you can still enjoy the entertainment by standing or dancing nearby the stage.

Campo Changes

Tonight a couple of girls and I decided to go for a walk to enjoy the warm evening breeze. We decided to wander off towards Campo de' Fiori, and Piazza Navona, since we had never visited the areas during the evening. I was pleasantly surprised to see how different Campo was, compared to the morning, mid afternoon, and nighttime.

My experience has confirmed my hypothesis that Campo has many different personalities, and serves for many different purposes through out the day. We arrived around 7:30 in the evening to a rather calm and serene atmosphere. Although there were many people strolling around the piazza, it seemed as though no one was in a rush. Probably the most shocking aspect was that there were no vendors in sight. Many of the restaurants were only half filled, and some of the bars weren't even open at this time. I found it rather relaxing, as I took a minute to take it all in. The sun was setting, and the air was fresh.

It is incredible how one area can change so much in a matter of hours. If you have the time, I would recommend visiting the Piazza at different hours of the day. I can only hope that you appreciate the everchanging square as much as I have.

all shapes and sizes

When we arrived in Venice in the early morning, I was on a mission to find the nearest cafe that served anything edible. After visiting numerous cafes that were along the roads, I let my sense of smell lead me to a small restaurant that appeared to serve breakfast food, along with salad and sandwiches. As I walked into the foreign cafe, the tiniest glass of white wine, sitting on a nearby table caught my eye. I inched closer to the glass window, which contained the only options for my early lunch. To my surprise everything was tiny. The panini's were no bigger than three inches in diameter, and contained only a slice of meat or cheese in between the tiny circles of bread. They were definitely not the average six inch, thick bread panani's I was used to. But I was desperate, and figured anything would do. They reminded me of the bite size candy bars you get during halloween...only they weren't chocolate! I ordered the first thing I saw, which was the salami sandwich. I felt like a giant as I took a bite out of the sandwich, which was nearly half of my meal. To my surprise, I was quite pleased with my mini panini. The bread was fresh and the salami was flavorful. The advantage of the small panini's is that you can order two different kinds, while still only paying two euros, since each one was only one.