These past six days have been nothing short of life changing.
In particular the first of these six days, during the time spent out in Massa Marittima, Tuscany. Not even the famous cities of Rome and Florence compare to what I experienced from two artists we met out on the Tuscan landscape.
Massa Marittima is a quaint, small, hillside town which used to be a popular mining town. I don't quite remember what it was exactly what they mined, but the hills in this area were and still are fairly rich with iron, copper, mercury and lead. When the mines were closed many people left the city, and now it is much quieter and simple. Because it is a hillside town there are lots of elevation changes and we all certainly became a little more fit from walking up and down the numerous switchbacks and steep streets. It had the cramped and confined feeling of most Italian cities though and being here reminded me of a quieter, less busy Rome. There were no street vendors, no people trying to sell you sunglasses, roses, gimmicky toys, purses, paintings or prints on every street, and people would actually say hello as you passed them on the street. I think I would take that over the city life any day. Call it heresy, but with each days we spend in Florence I like it less and less. Sure there are grander buildings, richer history and more to do, but that is not what I'm about. There are a lot of things I don't like about Florence and most have to do with the tourism, but I won't dwell on those or bring down your opinion or expectations of this gorgeous city. I just prefer the simpler, slower, kinder life. I am too polite to ever live in the city.
But what really makes me love Massa are the people. While we didn't really get to know many people in Massa, the ones we did meet were kind to us, and the artists we met were incredibly moving, each in their own way. These two individuals which changed my life there were Marco Zeno and Rodolfo Lacquaniti. Rodolfo is the one who moved me the most, and I am still processing and contemplating on what I experienced, so when I have finally comprehended what happened and can organize my thoughts I will share them with you all.
Marco is an incredibly happy individual who loves to share his happiness with those around him, in particular the ones who want to listen and learn. He is a sculptor of clay and wood as well as a painter. Listening to him describe his art and what it means to sculpt was moving in itself. He explained concepts that might have been summed up in one word, such as passion, understanding, sharing and love, but chose instead to describe them artistically and in detail with many words, really explaining what those concepts meant to him. He was a beautiful combination of insight, wisdom, happiness and fun. He explained what it was to mold clay, how it is an extension of one's self, as all art is, but also showed us this fact. He really showed me how to mold clay with feeling, not just technique. He showed me how to let go of the perfectionist I am and be free and simply have fun with the clay. There was no pressure to be perfect but to complete the work. He said that this was the lesson he taught to children who first touch the clay, and some of us there were touching clay for the first time in our lives. He would encourage us to create and idea and then create that in the clay, and he was so happy to help each and every one of us with our works and give us pointers and make us laugh. He was so incredibly happy to talk about his passion, share it with us, and guide us along our own works, and it was evident in everything he said and did.
I found it a bit strange though, that while he went around to every single one of us and asked us what we were doing, what we needed help on and gave us assistance, when it came to mine he would look at me and basically just "check up" on me. He didn't ask me what I was doing, I never had to explain my idea, and I wasn't looking for ways to improve my piece, he simply would walk by and give me a questioning thumb up as if you say "you good?" I would smile and nod, and he would go onto the next person. I don't mean to say that he didn't want to help me, or that my piece was so bad that it never got around to the detail stage, or that I am somehow special and he seemed to think I knew what I was doing; it's none of these things. I was having my own experience working with the clay and was reflecting on how he viewed his art and art in general. To be dirtying my hands with the clay and being free from worrying about its perfection was liberating in itself for me, and I think he seemed to know that. I didn't really have an idea, because I was simply happy to be free forming art without the pressure that I put on myself for no reason. That was what he taught me and showed me how to live out, and that was all I needed.
The moving part though was how he was showing me how to be who I really want to be. And even more personally, exactly how I used to be when I was so incredibly happy with my life. Please, Mom, Dad and my whole family, do not think that I am not grateful for everything that you have made possible for me, because you all are the reason I am where I am today and you are the reason I am in Italy now and had the opportunity to meet these beautiful people, but the past few years at college I have let go a lot of who I was and let lesser important things dominate my life. I work hard in my classes and my jobs, and that is important, but every other moment outside of what responsibilities I have has not been spent being who I want to be. Things which are lesser, distracting, worthless, unproductive, and I wonder why I am unhappy so often. I find it ironic now, that I created a grumpy-faced man, as art being an extension of oneself, and didn't even consider it at the time. Perhaps that person is no longer a part of me now. Marco took me back to my roots of who I was and who I have been struggling to be for some time. That is what moved me the most, was the liberating and self-realizing factor, I think. He showed me his perspective of art, and in it I saw the old me and the me I want to be. Rodolfo did this as well, but his work and the journey that he took us hit home in this respect, but went much further and encompassed things much greater than myself.
But aside from all the mushy stuff, everyone loved Marco. He was a performer, truly he was. He knew how to make us all laugh and to make us all feel confident in our works, and by the end of the time we had to sculpt we did a mini showcase sort of thing and everyone got to have their work held up to the light and admired. I got lots of photos of everyone's work, so you will get to see all that we created that day. He and his family fed us a fantastic Italian lunch and he was happy to share his food, wine and beer with us all, and we listened to his stories all through a happy and fun lunch. We have officially invited him to Jacksonville, so when that happens in the future I will be sure to see him again and perhaps put on a grand meal that could hope to rival the one he shared with us.
Marco Zeno, an amazing, beautiful person, with an amazing and beautiful family. They have a son, who was only a few months old I believe when we were there. That child is going to have the greatest childhood in the history of childhoods, ever. Like, we were all jealous of that baby, and we all wanted to just be adopted by his family. Again, family I love you all very much and would never do that.
I know I am very far behind, but just know it is because I am very busy and don't want to miss a thing with everybody here. My instagram, twitter and flickr are more up to date, so follow those for more updated information. I will write on Florence and all we have done here soon, but now I have to work on photography. That's the one that is for a grade, so I gotta get to it.
Miss you all back home, I wish some of you could be here with me to see what I see, meet who I've met, and experience what I have. If everyone could, the world would be a much better place.
Buonanotte a tutti!
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Day 5: Traveling to Massa Marittima
I apologize for the delay, but I've been busy having the time of my life.
I'm sure you will understand.
After a wonderful breakfast at the Ostia hotel we quickly packed up and headed for Massa Marittima, Tuscany, for a monastery called Domus Bernardiniana. Massa is a Tuscan hillside town, 380 meters above sea level, or 1,250 feet. Like everything in Italy, this place is so incredibly beautiful, and I will have photos up soon, it is just that now that I am on the study abroad trip we have lots of things to do in the day and dinners at night with interesting discussion over wine. Lots of wine.
The town is divided into two parts: the old city and the new city (which have Italian names). It is set fairly high on a mountain/hill from back when malaria was a problem. Apparently the higher up you were the safer you were from the disease, which if you think about it translates to "bad air" (mal-airia). But so far here we have visited Massa Marittima Cathedral and the Palazzo Pretorio the cathedral overlooks. This Tuscan hilltown is, well, very hill-y, and to get anywhere you either travel up or down 10 meters, or both depending on which way you go. Dr. Murphy is very well versed in the artworks and architecture of the cathedral, but also noted that this particular cathedral is sub-par to what we are going to see later in the trip. We come here for the town and the people more so than the monuments, but the view overlooking the Tuscan valley is gorgeous. It reminds me of being in Colorado, if the towns in Colorado were build in the 13th century, and at a much lower elevation. No snow, but then again it is summer. This town used to be a popular mining town but the mines have been abandoned and the town has declined in popularity. Still it is beautiful and full of small shops to peruse and enjoy.
And the Domus is quaint and adorably old. The employees are wonderful and kind and keep the place in excellent shape. The weather couldn't be any better, with a cool breeze under a clear sky during the day, and a chilly bite at night. Watching the sunset over the mountains is particularly gorgeous. I missed the sunrise this morning, where I agreed to wake up for a run at 6:00 AM, which might not have been the best decision after sharing three bottles of wine between five people and staying up til 1:00 AM talking about art and photography. Probably wasn't the best of ideas, and probably won't happen tomorrow. I need my sleep.
And speaking of sleep, I should probably get to it now. Massa doesn't have much to see as far as famous or ancient things go, but it is still Italy and is still beautiful. I can't imagine anything that goes on in the world touching this place or affecting it in any way, it feels so removed from the rest of the world. But of course this is just my tourist perspective, I am not involved with political affairs here, but it sure would be an interesting topic of discussion if the chance ever arose. I shall practice my Italian and be on the lookout for the chance to ask about it.
Another night I am exhausted, another good night indeed. Buonanotte a tutti, e sogni d'oro. Goodnight everyone and golden dreams.
The town is divided into two parts: the old city and the new city (which have Italian names). It is set fairly high on a mountain/hill from back when malaria was a problem. Apparently the higher up you were the safer you were from the disease, which if you think about it translates to "bad air" (mal-airia). But so far here we have visited Massa Marittima Cathedral and the Palazzo Pretorio the cathedral overlooks. This Tuscan hilltown is, well, very hill-y, and to get anywhere you either travel up or down 10 meters, or both depending on which way you go. Dr. Murphy is very well versed in the artworks and architecture of the cathedral, but also noted that this particular cathedral is sub-par to what we are going to see later in the trip. We come here for the town and the people more so than the monuments, but the view overlooking the Tuscan valley is gorgeous. It reminds me of being in Colorado, if the towns in Colorado were build in the 13th century, and at a much lower elevation. No snow, but then again it is summer. This town used to be a popular mining town but the mines have been abandoned and the town has declined in popularity. Still it is beautiful and full of small shops to peruse and enjoy.
And the Domus is quaint and adorably old. The employees are wonderful and kind and keep the place in excellent shape. The weather couldn't be any better, with a cool breeze under a clear sky during the day, and a chilly bite at night. Watching the sunset over the mountains is particularly gorgeous. I missed the sunrise this morning, where I agreed to wake up for a run at 6:00 AM, which might not have been the best decision after sharing three bottles of wine between five people and staying up til 1:00 AM talking about art and photography. Probably wasn't the best of ideas, and probably won't happen tomorrow. I need my sleep.
And speaking of sleep, I should probably get to it now. Massa doesn't have much to see as far as famous or ancient things go, but it is still Italy and is still beautiful. I can't imagine anything that goes on in the world touching this place or affecting it in any way, it feels so removed from the rest of the world. But of course this is just my tourist perspective, I am not involved with political affairs here, but it sure would be an interesting topic of discussion if the chance ever arose. I shall practice my Italian and be on the lookout for the chance to ask about it.
Another night I am exhausted, another good night indeed. Buonanotte a tutti, e sogni d'oro. Goodnight everyone and golden dreams.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Day 4: Meeting up with the group and touring Ostia Antica
Today I said goodbye to central Rome and hello to Ostia.
My three days of roaming Rome by myself are now over. I said goodbye to Stefano and thanked him for
all he’s done and how much help he has been in the past few days. I asked if there was anything from the United
States he wanted or something that I could do for him, and his only request was
that I write him a review of his B&B.
It is the very least I can do.
Five stars, across the board for his hospitality and kindness, I know
that if I am ever visiting Rome again I will be going back to My Guest Roma to
stay. Maybe the Panini shop workers will
remember my face.
I took the bus to Termini, Rome’s central train
station. From here trains go everywhere
and to all the big transit centers, like Fiumicino Airport, which made it real
easy for me to get there. What wasn’t
easy was finding the train. I wrote down
in my phone what the electronic signs said regarding the airport, but in the
end it was a stroke of luck that put me on the right train. I was walking down the right side of the
rails (there is about five rows to walk down) trying to find a match to the
numbers I had took down from the signs, when a train passed that read
“Fiumicino Aeroporto.” I asked someone
who was about to board if this train went to the airport, just to be sure, and
he said that it was. How lucky that was,
especially as I felt the pressure of time beginning to set it with an hour till
11:00 AM, the time I aimed to be waiting outside baggage claim for my class.
Now, it was my understanding that a metrebus roma ticket was
good for 1 metro/train trip, even says those exact words on the back of the
ticket. I was told to board a train at
Termini by Stefano, but not told that I needed to buy a train ticket as
apparently the airport is OUTSIDE of Rome.
As the ticket checker came around the train I asked the man across from
me if this was what I needed, and he nodded and said it was. My worries were lifted and I let out a sigh
of relief. So when I confidently handed
my ticket to the ticket checker, I felt like a straight dumbass from the look
he gave me. Apparently my ticket
wouldn’t work on that train, since it travels out of Rome, which I was
completely unaware of. I thought Rome
encompassed the airport but apparently not.
So today I am €64,00 poorer (roughly $90.00). Such bullshit. Funny thing, I didn’t feel the gravity of the
cost until I made the conversion to USD, and then I was aggravated. Makes sense I guess, not being used to this
form of currency. Lessons learned the
hard way.
Anyways, that wasn’t the end of my stresses though. I arrived at the airport to realize I had no
idea what terminal to wait at. And there
were six terminals. With haste I ripped
my laptop out of my bad and waited impatiently for it to boot up so I could
check the excel spreadsheet with everyone’s flights on it. But it told me nothing of real use. The best I got was that Dr. Murphy was flying
out of New York, as denoted by NYC, but I had no idea what CLT stood for. And even more frustratingly, the wifi at the
airport, the one labeled “Fiumicino free,” wouldn’t connect to anything for
shit. Pardon the profanity, but
remembering my frustration makes me relive the stress and frustration I had. By now it was 10:30 AM and the flights were
close to landing or had already landed.
From the sign just off the train, the one of five that was for arrivals,
I saw that New York flights were arriving at terminal 3. So with a somewhat doubtful decision I headed
that way.
And then it took me a while to figure out that arrivals were
on the first floor. I was on the
second. But when the elevator doors
opened I found myself in the same place I arrived at. So I walked to the boards over there, saw
that New York flights had landed, and hoped that they would come out of this
terminal. I was stressing hard, as I was
unsure if I had the right terminal. It
was 11:00 AM by now.
But then I saw a familiar face! Katherine-Ann was waiting nearby for the same
reason, and at that moment my stress dissipated away, knowing now I was in the
right spot. And after 10-15 minutes of
chitchatting, professor Trice walks right on by, along with 10 other familiar
faces. The relief I felt was enormous,
finally finding my group. After another
30-45 minutes Dr. Murphy joined us with the rest of the group and we got on our
bus and headed to the Ostia hotel.
Ostia is much different than central Rome.
Not nearly as many people and the lines on
the road are still visible. I liked Rome
better, I liked all the people, the buildings, the city aspects. I could walk around forever there and be
surprised at something new. Here it is
less developed and there are less people, but it is still Italy and I still
love it. I just like Rome more.
After a lovely lunch of pasta, salad, fruit and sparkling
water we boarded the bus and headed into the ruins of Ostia Antica. It was comical how many people didn’t know
what the ticket was for when Dr. Murphy handed it to them, some people even
came to me to ask how this whole thing works.
Silly Americans, hahaha. Oh wait… Anyways the ruins were interesting and we had
the opportunity to walk around and in them.
It would have been better with an audio tour I think though, so that one
could differentiate between the buildings and what their intended purpose was
way back in the day. I got a lot of
photos, but it wasn’t really a photogenic site for the most part. I will have to rely on my panoramas and photo
editing skills to make these work. It
was just really nice to have American company and people to talk with as we
perused around. We stayed for about two
hours before heading back to the hotel.
Dinner at the hotel was nice as well. The servers started us with a sort of
vegetable soup, but not with a tomato-based broth like I am used to. Afterwards the servers brought around ketchup
and mayonnaise packets to the tables. We
couldn’t imagine what they would be for.
On the mayo packets were a picture of french fries with mayo on them,
which was a bit bizarre. Shouldn’t they
have been on the ketchup packets? And
what again were these for? Turned out to
be french fries, served as a side with turkey in some sort of sauce. It was comical, to get french fries with our
dinners way out here in Italy. That
can’t be a typical Italian side. And for
desert we had a delicious tiramisu served in fine glass dishes with tiny little
spoons to go along with it. Now that was
truly something delicious.
The rest of the time was spent hanging out and around with
everyone. A few of us trying to take
advantage of the scant trace of a wifi signal which seemed to only exist in the
lobby watched this crazy game show that looked like an Italian version of Deal
or No Deal. We couldn’t understand what
was going on or what was being said, but if we had it probably wouldn’t have
seemed so random and crazy. There was
dancing, singing, a phone which rung randomly and seemed to dictate the future
of the contestant, an aquarium with fake fish, and instead of suitcases there were
boxes with certain euro amounts. The
show concluded fairly anticlimactically, which just added to the randomness of
it, but we all had a lot of fun trying to figure out what was going on and
laughing at the sheer randomness of it all.
Did I mention it was really random?
I didn’t get a chance to work on photos today, but perhaps I
will have some time tomorrow. I took 500
more today so expect maybe 50-75 out of that.
Wifi is barely passable and I don’t know how it will look in the coming weeks
so bear with me on blog posts and flickr updates.
As always these are wonderful and adventurous days, and now
will be even better with people to talk to and share work with. Still loving Rome, even if I am €64,00
poorer.
Buonanotte a tutti!
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Day 3: More exploring Rome and walking all the way back
Really, really, REALLY glad I brought comfy shoes to Rome.
As I learned to do yesterday, I planned my sightseeing route a little better, ahead of time, and used two maps to make sure I didn't get lost. I did get lost once though, and all I needed to do was turn around to find that I was too busy eating my gelato to notice I had passed the street I needed to venture down.
So today I had another wonderfully simple and delicious breakfast at 9:00 AM, a croissant with cherry jam, cherry tomatoes and espresso. Two espressos actually. Always two. It was funny, the first time Stefano asked me if I wanted coffee, he then asked me "American coffee?" I replied,
"No thanks, I would like something Italian." And with a skeptical expression he said,
"I don't know if you would like our coffee. It is a bit.... small, compared to what you're used to." Then I told him,
"I'm tired of American everything, I want to know how you guys do it." To be honest I like it better. It is a tiny thing, the espresso. Comes in a tiny cup, and only fills the cup about half way. You typically just add sugar, I think. The way it is served, in such concentration and in such moderation forces you to sip on it and enjoy it, less you be overwhelmed by the strength of the taste. Such a foreign concept, for someone from a country that preaches materialism and screams "MORE IS MORE!" It is a refreshing contrast.
Afterwards I worked on photos and updated the blog posts from the last two days with photos. Pictures along with the words help illustrate the journey for all those who can't be here with me. This has been my morning routine, and it is intensive work, so ya'll better appreciate this stuff!
Around noon I went out into the world. I went to the tabacchi shop across the street to buy a bus ticket only to find that it was closed for the day. I had to remember that it was the weekend. The date certainly does get away from me when I no longer run on a schedule. So I decided to mull over what to do over lunch, and went to my favorite shop just down the street for a sandwich. Turns out, I can buy metrebus tickets there too! I bought my ticket and what I hesitate to call a burger. I hesitate because it was swimming in grease when he cooked it up, had ciabatta bread for the bun and a nice layer of mozzarella cheese. I think it's a disgrace to call it a burger, but I don't know what else to call it. Anyways, I took it and my water down to Villa Torlonia and sat in the grass and the sun and enjoyed my lunch. While I was there I got some more photos of the villa, a whole side that I hadn't even seen before, and stayed for a little while to listen to a live band play Italian pop/rock music as well as some American songs as well.
So it was around 1:30 PM by the time I actually got on the bus and headed into Rome.
I wasn't anxious about using the metrebus this time and knew exactly where I was going. The monumental Altare della Patria was once again the first thing I shot. I can't help it's so damn majestic and colossal. I walked around to the right side instead of the left this time, right to Piazza del Campidoglio. I wasn't missing out on walking up the long staircase and fully taking in everything in the piazza this time. Too bad I can't tell all the people to go away, I would have loved to have shoot that place without the congestion, but I'm sure every photographer there was thinking that same thing. Perhaps I will go to into downtown Rome tonight and see these places lit up. Probably not though, and the reason will be apparent soon.
After Campidoglio I headed towards the Pantheon, passing on my way a few places Stefano had suggested I go see on my map. On the way I passed Santa Maria in Campitelli (or Santa Maria in Portico, a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, if you're into that sort of thing. Was still very beautiful), Piazza Mattei, Area Sacre (an ancient ruins site which was the home to a bunch of cats, how bizzare), and a street called Via Florida (and stupidly forgot to get a photo of the street plaque...).
The Pantheon was very busy, as I should have guessed would be the case on a Saturday. I asked someone if tickets were required to enter, and he responded "I don't speak English." So I asked another person, and they told me that tickets are not required, but that there was some sort of mass going on. It seemed odd to me that a mass would be held in a building which was built in dedication to the gods of Roman mythology and literally translates from Greek to mean "all the gods." The crowd outside was quite large and no one was getting in, so I took photos from the outside and decided to save going inside for another time. There will be other chances to visit in the coming weeks.
I then ventured over to Piazza Navona and enjoyed a street performing comedian. Dr. Murphy, our faculty leader on my study abroad trip, wasn't kidding when she said look out if you stand close to the edge of the circle, as he pulled maybe 5-6 people over the course of his act. But he was really funny and barely spoke during the performance, everything was acted out and done with props. The children he volunteered were great because he would make them run around or do stupid things. I want to explain everything he did, but I know that my recount of it wouldn't be nearly as good as seeing it in person. He was hilarious though, so if you are ever in Rome take the time to watch these street performances, they are well worth your time. Not like I had anywhere I needed to be anyways!
While in at the piazza I went into Sant'Agnese in Agone, a beautiful 17th-century church which contains the skull of Saint Agnes within a shrine. There were many beautiful sculptures and paintings, created by many different people. The alters, except the high alter, have marble reliefs dedicated to various martyrs depicting the circumstances of their deaths. Bernini's protege also did some of the paintings in the church. It was extremely beautiful, I wish I could have gotten a few snapshots, but I didn't want to get thrown out or in trouble for sneaking a photo.
Afterwards I continued along my path, stopping by some more places Stefano had suggested. next up was Piazza San Pantaleo and Piazza della Cancelleria, where I bought my first gelato since being in Italy. I had a most of terror when I almost dropped it right off the cone, which would have been sad. Luckily I caught it on the side of the cone and managed to lick it back into place. And in all of this I walked right on past the street I needed to go down to reach Campo de Fiori, which was the only time I got lost today! The campo was largely a market, something I wasn't interested in, but I did manage to get some shots of the Statue of Giordano Bruno. Next I ventured to Palazzo Farnese and Palazzo Spada and then headed back to Piazza Venezia to head on back, having walked my route and gotten around 600 photos.
Throughout my adventure today I noticed large pockets of Carabinieri and Polizia di Stato in various parts of Rome.
At first I thought they were just there because it was a tourist area, but there were many places where there would be 2-3 cars or trucks and between 8-10 armed law enforcement officers just hanging around. If you tried to ask them anything they all responded in perfect English "I don't speak English." I didn't do it, but I saw it happen 4 or 5 times today. It was peculiar, but I just assumed it was business as usual.
But when I returned to Piazza Venezia I realized why. There was a demonstration, or a protest going on where lots of people had flags and banners, and leading the way was a very loud car blasting music and giving voice to what appeared to be the voice of the movement. There were various sorts of flags and there appeared to be more than one group of people walking together, like a parade. I was able to ask one person what was going on, and he said that the people were voicing their disapproval on matters like oil in the oceans, lack of money given toward public works, and a few other social issues I can't remember. The law enforcement was there to block off certain sections of street and direct the movement as they paraded down the streets. So I had a field day with what room on my camera I had left photographing the protesters and the police.
Unfortunately, some of the places the police had blocked off were the entrances into Piazza Venezia, and so there were no buses coming in or going out. The only way I knew to get back to where I was staying was officially cut off. My options were to take a taxi or find the bus outside the barrier. So I started my walk back, trying my best to find and follow the main roads the buses drove on. After a while of not seeing my bus (#60, the only one I knew would take me down Via Noventana), and not even having a bus ticket in the first place, I kept on walking. And walking. And walking. All the way till I got back to the room. I have routed the path that I took on Google Maps, and in total I walked 4.9 km, which is roughly 3 miles. It felt like more though. Rome's huge buildings made me feel like I walked much farther than the same distance from my apartment to the UNF campus, but hey I didn't invent distance. I can say that I have a greater appreciation and better understanding of the size of Rome now. Those water spout things sure did come in handy, you can in fact drink the water!
So, again, I am very exhausted.
But it has been yet another fulfilling and adventurous day. I'm glad I have been able to get a full three days out of my pre-study abroad time in Rome, the city is lovely and I'm glad that when the study abroad trip starts I will not be completely new to Italian culture.
Alright, I've had my panini for dinner and got started on this blog entry early so that I can actually get to bed in a reasonable time. Tomorrow I meet up with my study abroad group at the airport, so it is a bright and early day tomorrow. Photos will have to wait for a little while, probably within the next few days I will be able to work on them, or tomorrow evening, I'm not sure yet.
I hope everyone's summer is going well and that everyone is having fun. I miss my friends back home and in the Bahamas, and wish a few of you could be here to see all this with me.
Buonanotte a tutti. Goodnight everyone.
As I learned to do yesterday, I planned my sightseeing route a little better, ahead of time, and used two maps to make sure I didn't get lost. I did get lost once though, and all I needed to do was turn around to find that I was too busy eating my gelato to notice I had passed the street I needed to venture down.
So today I had another wonderfully simple and delicious breakfast at 9:00 AM, a croissant with cherry jam, cherry tomatoes and espresso. Two espressos actually. Always two. It was funny, the first time Stefano asked me if I wanted coffee, he then asked me "American coffee?" I replied,
"No thanks, I would like something Italian." And with a skeptical expression he said,
"I don't know if you would like our coffee. It is a bit.... small, compared to what you're used to." Then I told him,
"I'm tired of American everything, I want to know how you guys do it." To be honest I like it better. It is a tiny thing, the espresso. Comes in a tiny cup, and only fills the cup about half way. You typically just add sugar, I think. The way it is served, in such concentration and in such moderation forces you to sip on it and enjoy it, less you be overwhelmed by the strength of the taste. Such a foreign concept, for someone from a country that preaches materialism and screams "MORE IS MORE!" It is a refreshing contrast.
Afterwards I worked on photos and updated the blog posts from the last two days with photos. Pictures along with the words help illustrate the journey for all those who can't be here with me. This has been my morning routine, and it is intensive work, so ya'll better appreciate this stuff!
Around noon I went out into the world. I went to the tabacchi shop across the street to buy a bus ticket only to find that it was closed for the day. I had to remember that it was the weekend. The date certainly does get away from me when I no longer run on a schedule. So I decided to mull over what to do over lunch, and went to my favorite shop just down the street for a sandwich. Turns out, I can buy metrebus tickets there too! I bought my ticket and what I hesitate to call a burger. I hesitate because it was swimming in grease when he cooked it up, had ciabatta bread for the bun and a nice layer of mozzarella cheese. I think it's a disgrace to call it a burger, but I don't know what else to call it. Anyways, I took it and my water down to Villa Torlonia and sat in the grass and the sun and enjoyed my lunch. While I was there I got some more photos of the villa, a whole side that I hadn't even seen before, and stayed for a little while to listen to a live band play Italian pop/rock music as well as some American songs as well.
So it was around 1:30 PM by the time I actually got on the bus and headed into Rome.
I wasn't anxious about using the metrebus this time and knew exactly where I was going. The monumental Altare della Patria was once again the first thing I shot. I can't help it's so damn majestic and colossal. I walked around to the right side instead of the left this time, right to Piazza del Campidoglio. I wasn't missing out on walking up the long staircase and fully taking in everything in the piazza this time. Too bad I can't tell all the people to go away, I would have loved to have shoot that place without the congestion, but I'm sure every photographer there was thinking that same thing. Perhaps I will go to into downtown Rome tonight and see these places lit up. Probably not though, and the reason will be apparent soon.
After Campidoglio I headed towards the Pantheon, passing on my way a few places Stefano had suggested I go see on my map. On the way I passed Santa Maria in Campitelli (or Santa Maria in Portico, a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, if you're into that sort of thing. Was still very beautiful), Piazza Mattei, Area Sacre (an ancient ruins site which was the home to a bunch of cats, how bizzare), and a street called Via Florida (and stupidly forgot to get a photo of the street plaque...).
The Pantheon was very busy, as I should have guessed would be the case on a Saturday. I asked someone if tickets were required to enter, and he responded "I don't speak English." So I asked another person, and they told me that tickets are not required, but that there was some sort of mass going on. It seemed odd to me that a mass would be held in a building which was built in dedication to the gods of Roman mythology and literally translates from Greek to mean "all the gods." The crowd outside was quite large and no one was getting in, so I took photos from the outside and decided to save going inside for another time. There will be other chances to visit in the coming weeks.
I then ventured over to Piazza Navona and enjoyed a street performing comedian. Dr. Murphy, our faculty leader on my study abroad trip, wasn't kidding when she said look out if you stand close to the edge of the circle, as he pulled maybe 5-6 people over the course of his act. But he was really funny and barely spoke during the performance, everything was acted out and done with props. The children he volunteered were great because he would make them run around or do stupid things. I want to explain everything he did, but I know that my recount of it wouldn't be nearly as good as seeing it in person. He was hilarious though, so if you are ever in Rome take the time to watch these street performances, they are well worth your time. Not like I had anywhere I needed to be anyways!
While in at the piazza I went into Sant'Agnese in Agone, a beautiful 17th-century church which contains the skull of Saint Agnes within a shrine. There were many beautiful sculptures and paintings, created by many different people. The alters, except the high alter, have marble reliefs dedicated to various martyrs depicting the circumstances of their deaths. Bernini's protege also did some of the paintings in the church. It was extremely beautiful, I wish I could have gotten a few snapshots, but I didn't want to get thrown out or in trouble for sneaking a photo.
Afterwards I continued along my path, stopping by some more places Stefano had suggested. next up was Piazza San Pantaleo and Piazza della Cancelleria, where I bought my first gelato since being in Italy. I had a most of terror when I almost dropped it right off the cone, which would have been sad. Luckily I caught it on the side of the cone and managed to lick it back into place. And in all of this I walked right on past the street I needed to go down to reach Campo de Fiori, which was the only time I got lost today! The campo was largely a market, something I wasn't interested in, but I did manage to get some shots of the Statue of Giordano Bruno. Next I ventured to Palazzo Farnese and Palazzo Spada and then headed back to Piazza Venezia to head on back, having walked my route and gotten around 600 photos.
Throughout my adventure today I noticed large pockets of Carabinieri and Polizia di Stato in various parts of Rome.
At first I thought they were just there because it was a tourist area, but there were many places where there would be 2-3 cars or trucks and between 8-10 armed law enforcement officers just hanging around. If you tried to ask them anything they all responded in perfect English "I don't speak English." I didn't do it, but I saw it happen 4 or 5 times today. It was peculiar, but I just assumed it was business as usual.
But when I returned to Piazza Venezia I realized why. There was a demonstration, or a protest going on where lots of people had flags and banners, and leading the way was a very loud car blasting music and giving voice to what appeared to be the voice of the movement. There were various sorts of flags and there appeared to be more than one group of people walking together, like a parade. I was able to ask one person what was going on, and he said that the people were voicing their disapproval on matters like oil in the oceans, lack of money given toward public works, and a few other social issues I can't remember. The law enforcement was there to block off certain sections of street and direct the movement as they paraded down the streets. So I had a field day with what room on my camera I had left photographing the protesters and the police.
Unfortunately, some of the places the police had blocked off were the entrances into Piazza Venezia, and so there were no buses coming in or going out. The only way I knew to get back to where I was staying was officially cut off. My options were to take a taxi or find the bus outside the barrier. So I started my walk back, trying my best to find and follow the main roads the buses drove on. After a while of not seeing my bus (#60, the only one I knew would take me down Via Noventana), and not even having a bus ticket in the first place, I kept on walking. And walking. And walking. All the way till I got back to the room. I have routed the path that I took on Google Maps, and in total I walked 4.9 km, which is roughly 3 miles. It felt like more though. Rome's huge buildings made me feel like I walked much farther than the same distance from my apartment to the UNF campus, but hey I didn't invent distance. I can say that I have a greater appreciation and better understanding of the size of Rome now. Those water spout things sure did come in handy, you can in fact drink the water!
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| The route I took walking from Piazza Venezia to my room. 4.9 km which took about 1 hour 45 mins to walk. |
But it has been yet another fulfilling and adventurous day. I'm glad I have been able to get a full three days out of my pre-study abroad time in Rome, the city is lovely and I'm glad that when the study abroad trip starts I will not be completely new to Italian culture.
Alright, I've had my panini for dinner and got started on this blog entry early so that I can actually get to bed in a reasonable time. Tomorrow I meet up with my study abroad group at the airport, so it is a bright and early day tomorrow. Photos will have to wait for a little while, probably within the next few days I will be able to work on them, or tomorrow evening, I'm not sure yet.
I hope everyone's summer is going well and that everyone is having fun. I miss my friends back home and in the Bahamas, and wish a few of you could be here to see all this with me.
Buonanotte a tutti. Goodnight everyone.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Day 2: 4-5 hours of nothing but Rome!
Well, I'm glad I packed some comfy shoes.
But regardless of that my feet and legs still hurt. Whether it is the still getting acclimated to being six hours ahead of the east coast or how much time I spent perusing the streets of Rome, I'm glad that I am actually getting tired around an appropriate time.
Today I figured out how to use the metrobus system! Now I know that figuring out the public transit system might not seem like a big deal, but in Rome it is a bit more complicated than back in the states. The metrebus system is comprised of both buses and metro trains. Here it isn't free and you have to buy tickets which vary in type depending on what you plan to do, and you have to validate the ticket when you get on the bus. Well, I say have to, but the ticket validation part works on the honor system. Lemme esplain.
So to buy a ticket you have to visit the tobacco shops and purchase one in there. You can also find tickets at a ticket machine, but I don't know what those look like, and can't read the Italian anyways. Luckily there is a tabacchi right across the street from where I'm staying, so that made things easy. You have a couple of choices. From what I understand, one option is a single-trip ticket, another is a daily ticket. The first costs €1,50 and the other costs €6,00 euro. There are also other tickets available for purchase which last a few days, a week and a month, but I wasn't interested in these, as soon I will be traveling with my study abroad group. Although the single-trip ticket sounds pretty straightforward, you can get multiple uses out of this type of ticket. Once you validate this ticket on the bus you are cleared to use the metrebus for the next 100 minutes, regardless of how many transfers to other buses you make. However, it is only good for one metro trip only. So to get the most out of your ticket, it is best to use the buses first to get to a metro that will take you to your destination, after which you ticket is invalid. Stefano was very helpful explaining this system to me, but I still had to look up some of this stuff online. The daily ticket lets you ride the bus or metro up until midnight of the date you purchased it on. Since I planned on going into Rome and back again, I saved €3,00 and just bought two single-trip tickets.
The whole thing works on the honor system. The driver doesn't check to make sure your ticket is valid or that you even have one. Rome is much too busy and so many people use the metrebus that checking every single person is impractical and wastes too much time. However, from reading about this online, there are ticket checkers which sometimes will be on the bus and if they suspect that you haven't the proper validation will demand to see you ticket. The fine is either €50,00 on the spot or about €100,00 if you chose to pay later. I think I stand out being American, so I wasn't going to risk it. Once on the bus you pop your ticket into the validation machine, which are bright yellow and located in two places on most buses, and it time stamps it and spits it back to you. From there the clock is ticking.
But single-trip tickets do usually work for a single trip. To get into Rome it took me nearly 15-20 minutes, but leaving at around 5:00 it took upwards to 30-40 minutes. Rome is a bustling city and tourist center, so traffic does slow things down.
After I arrived at Piazza Venezia, a huge piazza where most all buses passed through one way or another, as it is pretty much in the heart of Rome, I went into to shutter-bug mode. The first thing I shot getting off the bus was the obvious one, the Altare della Patria, or Alter of the Fatherland. It is a huge, monumentally enormous, beautiful pure white marble structure which was built in 40 years (1885-1925) to honor King Victor Emmanuel II, who was unified Italy's first king. It is 440' across and 230' high, not including the statues atop it, which are also beautiful. After I was down gawking in awe and taking photos, I ventured around the beast and walked south along Via dei Fori Imperiali, along a route that Stefano suggested I take. The Colosseum lies along this route, but I wasn't interested in visiting it quite yet, as I know it is very, very, very packed with tourists pretty much all the time and I know my study abroad group will be making an excursion there at some point. Instead I ventured around Foro Romano and Piazza del Campidoglio and took photos of all the old Roman architecture and structures.
I was more interested in simply walking around and seeing everything I could, and I didn't realize that I was standing in Piazza del Campidoglio when I was today. In fact, I didn't even notice the huge plaza with it's symmetrical design and only got photos of some of the sculptures in front of one of the Palazzo Senatorio. I realize where I was now that I am looking up info on all these places, and am sad I missed out on truly appreciating where I was standing. Tomorrow I will have to plan better and do research beforehand, but today was a great day just wandering around, the only thing to guide me being a crudely drawn path. After about 45-60 minutes of walking around I finally found where I was on the map near Cicro Massimo and continued my route to someplace near Piazza Cavalieri di Malta, which Stefano had marked on my map. He told me that in that spot I could see clear over Rome to St. Peter's Basilica. The path led away from the bustling part of Rome and soon it was very quiet. It was a nice contrast from how many people were in central Rome. I don't think I quite found the place Stefano marked though, but I was able to see St. Peter's Basilica from wherever I ended up, so I considered it a success. I'm sure had I found Piazza Cavalieri di Malta, or if I noticed it as I most likely walked right by it, I would have gotten a better view.
And here I got lost again, trying to find a bridge called Ponte Sublicio to cross the river which runs right through Rome, the Fuime Tevere. Since I was on higher ground to see the Basilica, I had to walk quite a distance before I found the water and then I followed that to the bridge. After I crossed, I got lost again... and wandered in what I thought was the way to Ponte Garibaldi. I eventually recognized an intersection on my map and was back on track to the next bridge to bring me back to the heart of Rome.
It was when I found my way again I began to pass a great many people as the sidewalks I traversed turned into streets of their own which no cars drove on. This was near Piazza Sidney Sonnino, but not quite there. I stopped here for lunch at a small pizza parlor. It's simplicity and small size lured me in, a contrast to mostly restaurants or busy cafes I had passed up to this point. Lucky for me the clerk, server, I don't know what to call them, spoke English well, and I chose a pizza which I thought only had tomatoes and olives on it. I began eating to discover that there was a distinct fishy taste and smell, which I assumed was anchovies. It wasn't half bad, however I chose not to keep them on for what pizza I had left. It was too strong of a taste for me to keep them on. I have never had anchovies on pizza before, but if there was any place in the world to try it for the first time, I would think it would be Italy.
Afterwards I continued across Ponte Garibaldi. As I looked at my map I noticed that the Pantheon was nearby and decided I wanted to go there. Yet somehow I managed to get lost again, and before I knew it I was staring at Piazza Venezia again. From here the Pantheon seemed much too far to travel after the four hours I spent walking and getting lost again and again, I simply didn't have it in me to make the journey or figure out the metrebus to get there more quickly. I decided to call it for today.
I went to the place the bus originally dropped me off in the piazza. After waiting about 10 minutes it arrived, and I traveled a whole 50 yards before it stopped and everyone got off. What I thought was a bus that ran a single route in circles all day wasn't so. Turns out that when this bus finishes it route at the piazza, you have to board another bus, with the same number, to run the route back the way I came. Heheh, I feel like such an idiot, I sat in a seat near the back for a good 15 seconds with the bus driver looking at me the whole time before he motioned for me to get off the bus. Good thing I'm a tourist. I waited at that stop and waited for the next #60 bus to come around.
This bus got packed, fast. I chose not to take a seat, which was a horrid mistake. After the first two stop I didn't think we could fit any more people on it. People were so close to the door that they were moving just barely out of the way for it to close before pressing themselves up against it. We were shoulder to shoulder the whole ride back, and I was paranoid that someone would pickpocket me and I kept checking my pockets to make sure everything was where it should be. I didn't carry my money in my wallet, but I still had my ID in it and was not looking forward to having that replaced later. When what I thought was my stop arrived (turned out to be 2 stops too early, my aching legs!) I didn't think I would make it to the door before they shut again, but somehow I managed to squeeze on out. I carried my tired self to my room, began the photo transfer, and then passed out for a hour.
So today was a good, busy, wonderful, wandering adventure of a day!
If I made it sound like I didn't enjoy it in the text above, it is probably just because I am recounting this now at 12:16 AM and am very tired and want to finish typing this. In all honesty it was truly a wonderful day, I must have had a stupid grin on my face 90% of the time today. The weather was perfect, the air was cool, the sun was behind a mild overcast and it didn't rain too! This city has so much history and the culture is so rich. I love it here.
I have finished uploading the photos from day 1, and will probably work on the ones from today tomorrow morning before venturing out again. I want to return to Piazza del Campidoglio and see and photograph it fully tomorrow, as well as visit the Pantheon. From where I go then I will either figure out tomorrow morning or just venture off like I did today. It will be another adventure.
Alright, good night everyone. Once again I am exhausted, but it is a wonderful feeling to finally have again NOT at 3:00 in the morning (as is usually the case back in Florida).
Buonanotte everyone.
But regardless of that my feet and legs still hurt. Whether it is the still getting acclimated to being six hours ahead of the east coast or how much time I spent perusing the streets of Rome, I'm glad that I am actually getting tired around an appropriate time.
Today I figured out how to use the metrobus system! Now I know that figuring out the public transit system might not seem like a big deal, but in Rome it is a bit more complicated than back in the states. The metrebus system is comprised of both buses and metro trains. Here it isn't free and you have to buy tickets which vary in type depending on what you plan to do, and you have to validate the ticket when you get on the bus. Well, I say have to, but the ticket validation part works on the honor system. Lemme esplain.
So to buy a ticket you have to visit the tobacco shops and purchase one in there. You can also find tickets at a ticket machine, but I don't know what those look like, and can't read the Italian anyways. Luckily there is a tabacchi right across the street from where I'm staying, so that made things easy. You have a couple of choices. From what I understand, one option is a single-trip ticket, another is a daily ticket. The first costs €1,50 and the other costs €6,00 euro. There are also other tickets available for purchase which last a few days, a week and a month, but I wasn't interested in these, as soon I will be traveling with my study abroad group. Although the single-trip ticket sounds pretty straightforward, you can get multiple uses out of this type of ticket. Once you validate this ticket on the bus you are cleared to use the metrebus for the next 100 minutes, regardless of how many transfers to other buses you make. However, it is only good for one metro trip only. So to get the most out of your ticket, it is best to use the buses first to get to a metro that will take you to your destination, after which you ticket is invalid. Stefano was very helpful explaining this system to me, but I still had to look up some of this stuff online. The daily ticket lets you ride the bus or metro up until midnight of the date you purchased it on. Since I planned on going into Rome and back again, I saved €3,00 and just bought two single-trip tickets.
The whole thing works on the honor system. The driver doesn't check to make sure your ticket is valid or that you even have one. Rome is much too busy and so many people use the metrebus that checking every single person is impractical and wastes too much time. However, from reading about this online, there are ticket checkers which sometimes will be on the bus and if they suspect that you haven't the proper validation will demand to see you ticket. The fine is either €50,00 on the spot or about €100,00 if you chose to pay later. I think I stand out being American, so I wasn't going to risk it. Once on the bus you pop your ticket into the validation machine, which are bright yellow and located in two places on most buses, and it time stamps it and spits it back to you. From there the clock is ticking.
But single-trip tickets do usually work for a single trip. To get into Rome it took me nearly 15-20 minutes, but leaving at around 5:00 it took upwards to 30-40 minutes. Rome is a bustling city and tourist center, so traffic does slow things down.
After I arrived at Piazza Venezia, a huge piazza where most all buses passed through one way or another, as it is pretty much in the heart of Rome, I went into to shutter-bug mode. The first thing I shot getting off the bus was the obvious one, the Altare della Patria, or Alter of the Fatherland. It is a huge, monumentally enormous, beautiful pure white marble structure which was built in 40 years (1885-1925) to honor King Victor Emmanuel II, who was unified Italy's first king. It is 440' across and 230' high, not including the statues atop it, which are also beautiful. After I was down gawking in awe and taking photos, I ventured around the beast and walked south along Via dei Fori Imperiali, along a route that Stefano suggested I take. The Colosseum lies along this route, but I wasn't interested in visiting it quite yet, as I know it is very, very, very packed with tourists pretty much all the time and I know my study abroad group will be making an excursion there at some point. Instead I ventured around Foro Romano and Piazza del Campidoglio and took photos of all the old Roman architecture and structures.
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| Alteare della Patria "The Wedding Cake," Piazza Venezia. |
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| Statues on Alteare della Patria. |
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| Panorama of Foro Romano (Roman Forum). |
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| A sculpture outside Palazzo Senatorio in Piazza del Campidoglio. |
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| The view of St. Peter's Basilica from where I was standing. |
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| Fuime Tevere. |
Afterwards I continued across Ponte Garibaldi. As I looked at my map I noticed that the Pantheon was nearby and decided I wanted to go there. Yet somehow I managed to get lost again, and before I knew it I was staring at Piazza Venezia again. From here the Pantheon seemed much too far to travel after the four hours I spent walking and getting lost again and again, I simply didn't have it in me to make the journey or figure out the metrebus to get there more quickly. I decided to call it for today.
I went to the place the bus originally dropped me off in the piazza. After waiting about 10 minutes it arrived, and I traveled a whole 50 yards before it stopped and everyone got off. What I thought was a bus that ran a single route in circles all day wasn't so. Turns out that when this bus finishes it route at the piazza, you have to board another bus, with the same number, to run the route back the way I came. Heheh, I feel like such an idiot, I sat in a seat near the back for a good 15 seconds with the bus driver looking at me the whole time before he motioned for me to get off the bus. Good thing I'm a tourist. I waited at that stop and waited for the next #60 bus to come around.
This bus got packed, fast. I chose not to take a seat, which was a horrid mistake. After the first two stop I didn't think we could fit any more people on it. People were so close to the door that they were moving just barely out of the way for it to close before pressing themselves up against it. We were shoulder to shoulder the whole ride back, and I was paranoid that someone would pickpocket me and I kept checking my pockets to make sure everything was where it should be. I didn't carry my money in my wallet, but I still had my ID in it and was not looking forward to having that replaced later. When what I thought was my stop arrived (turned out to be 2 stops too early, my aching legs!) I didn't think I would make it to the door before they shut again, but somehow I managed to squeeze on out. I carried my tired self to my room, began the photo transfer, and then passed out for a hour.
So today was a good, busy, wonderful, wandering adventure of a day!
If I made it sound like I didn't enjoy it in the text above, it is probably just because I am recounting this now at 12:16 AM and am very tired and want to finish typing this. In all honesty it was truly a wonderful day, I must have had a stupid grin on my face 90% of the time today. The weather was perfect, the air was cool, the sun was behind a mild overcast and it didn't rain too! This city has so much history and the culture is so rich. I love it here.
I have finished uploading the photos from day 1, and will probably work on the ones from today tomorrow morning before venturing out again. I want to return to Piazza del Campidoglio and see and photograph it fully tomorrow, as well as visit the Pantheon. From where I go then I will either figure out tomorrow morning or just venture off like I did today. It will be another adventure.
Alright, good night everyone. Once again I am exhausted, but it is a wonderful feeling to finally have again NOT at 3:00 in the morning (as is usually the case back in Florida).
Buonanotte everyone.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Day 1: Flights and getting situated
*On the flight from Orlando to Gatwick Airport*
Well the journey to Italy has begun.
I have never flown over the Atlantic towards the East before, but man is it bizarre. Time seems to speed up. I took off around 5:45 and found myself staring at the sunset an hour later. Night was soon upon us and I felt I should sleep with three hours to go. When I woke up two hours later, it was day time again. The night lasted literally 4 whole hours. Ridiculous! I woke to the sound of everyone opening their breakfast packs, wrapped in plastic, which sounded like popcorn crawling up the cabin. So quickly time seems to move, and everyone aboard seemed to operate along with it like it was nothing special. I can’t keep up with these brits.
I have never flown over the Atlantic towards the East before, but man is it bizarre. Time seems to speed up. I took off around 5:45 and found myself staring at the sunset an hour later. Night was soon upon us and I felt I should sleep with three hours to go. When I woke up two hours later, it was day time again. The night lasted literally 4 whole hours. Ridiculous! I woke to the sound of everyone opening their breakfast packs, wrapped in plastic, which sounded like popcorn crawling up the cabin. So quickly time seems to move, and everyone aboard seemed to operate along with it like it was nothing special. I can’t keep up with these brits.
I swear I haven’t heard one person with an American accent
on my flight so far. And I love it.
And now tea is being served, at 6:30 AM local time. How splendid, I love it! The earl grey smells so incredibly
lovely. Heh, already I am using key
words of their vocabulary and I have only been around them for a few
hours. A few seven hours to be
precise. I probably shouldn’t be typing
this out with it on my laptop, but what the heck is a warranty for.
We are about an hour out now. Local time is 6:30 AM, and the time on the
east coast of the United States is currently 1:30 AM. Such a difference, I can’t believe it. But there have been so many things I can’t
believe so far. Every time I look at the
map which routes our journey, I smile at the fact that I can think to myself “I
have never been here before.” Even if it
is just ocean, I don’t care. The fact
that I am about to be in Great Britain is still something I can’t quite
believe.
Ah! And the true
excitement is setting in. I literally
can’t stop smiling. Everything is so
different and I haven’t even gotten off the plane yet.
So let me go enjoy my tea now.
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| Snow capped mountains, somewhere over Europe. |
*Sitting in my room at the B&B completely exhausted*
It the title didn't tip you off, this isn't going to be a very long post.
The jet lag or whatever has caught up to me. It is the first time I have been tired at 9:30 at night in a long time. I was going to go out and see Rome at night and how alive and lit up it is or isn't, but right now sleep is calling my name, as soon as I move these photos over and clear my camera for tomorrow.
Breakfast is at 9:00 AM and the owner of this B&B, Stephano, has been extremely helpful with getting me settled here in Rome. He said he was going to look into when the museums open at the Vatican tomorrow, because apparently they aren't open all the time or something. Italy is a very confusing place if you have never been before, and here I am for the first time since I was a baby/toddler setting foot on European soil. Or rock. Like how New York is called the concrete jungle, I would call this place the stone jungle. It is a city, as grand and busy as some in the United States, but Rome has been around waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy longer than anything in the US and is crafted by the Italian and many European cultures. It truly is a beautiful city.
On this first day I didn't stray too far from the B&B (I'm just gonna call it a hotel from now on), perhaps an hour walk through the streets and another hour around two different parks. The first park I visited was one Stephano recommended, called Villa Torlonia. I perused around for a while longer, got yelled from across the street to stop taking photos of a stoplight (they were in military uniform, so I assume it might have been an embassy of some sort they thought I was photographing), wandered around another beautiful park and then grabbed a authentic Roman panini on my way back. I'm still getting used to barely hearing any English spoken regularly and buying things with euros.
Photos should be up by tomorrow. It is my effort to make a blog posting each of the three days I get to have before the study abroad group arrives, but when the summer semester begins I am unsure how frequently I will be able to keep ya'll updated (I've had to remove that word from my vocabulary around here). Photos will get posted as soon as I finish editing them as I go.
Have fun everyone, I know I am! Good night Floridians and Bahamians, where the time is currently 3 fricken 30 in the fricken afternoon. This is gonna take some getting used to. Good thing I get the time to before everyone else get here, so I'm ahead of the game.
Ciao ciao!
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| An obelisk in Villa Torlonia. |
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| The museum at Villa Torlonia. |
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| Villa Torlonia itself. |
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| This was the photo I was taking of the stoplight when I was yelled at to stop by the military. You can see their camo truck across the street, between the stoplight and streetlight poles. |
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| It followed me here! |
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
The FCC and the "Open Internet" Proposal
I will not pretend to know everything about politics,
or that I am an expert on what is going on in Washington, but you may have heard of something that is going on regarding the FCC and a proposal which they are intending to implement which will put Net Neutrality six feet under. I've been doing some research into what is going on and why it is important, and it turns out that time is running out. This Thursday the FCC is unveiling this proposal which will allow internet service providers (ISPs) to charge content providers and internet entities (such as Facebook, Netflix, Youtube, etc.) for a "fast lane" on their Internet connections.
While this might sound good when the politicians talk about it, it is simply a lie, a twisting of the actual concept to make it sound like a good thing. The difference between labeling something as 75% lean and 25% fat.
In reality, this "fast lane" is the Internet connection as it is already. The illusion of the "fast lane" is created when those Internet entities which won't pay for this privilege are slowed down by the ISPs. It is discrimination in an open and neutral Internet, which has been the backbone of all online innovation. And while the big entities might be able to pay for this privilege, smaller businesses and entities will be at an extreme competitive disadvantage. What if a service such as Netflix had emerged under these conditions? If they were unable to pay for this "fast lane" access, video streaming would be so obnoxiously slow that it would not be worth the trouble to use the service, and the business would fail. It is because of Net Neutrality that online businesses and services have emerged, grown and prospered as they have, because of a open, neutral and indiscriminate Internet. What the FCC is proposing to do stifles innovation to generate more profits few and the detriment of those of us which rely on or use the Internet every day.
To help explain this a little more
here are some links to some articles and videos which help sum up what is really going on with this "Open Internet" proposal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtt2aSV8wdw (3:33 mins)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAxMyTwmu_M (11:02 mins)
Calling the FCC and your representatives in Congress help fight the battle. A recent reddit blog makes this act simple and easy enough to do, and you don't have add anymore than your stated opinion unless you want to. I have included a copy of this procedure below. Their offices close at 5:30 PM, so if you cannot reach someone, press 1 at the end of step two to leave a message. I recommend saying it once or twice to yourself before making the call.
Call FCC - *please be courteous
1. Dial 888-225-5322
2. Push 1, 4, 0
3. A person will answer
4. They will ask for your name and address. You can just give them a zip code if you want.
5. "I'm calling to ask the FCC to reclassify Internet Service Providers as Title Two Common Carriers."
6. They'll ask if there is anything else you would like to add.
7. "No, thank you for your time."
8. Hang up.
You can also send a message to your representatives in Congress here.
I urge you to take action.
There may be another battle around the corner about the same issue, phrased in another way, hiding in another proposal or bill, but doing nothing is surely to admit defeat. If you believe in democracy, then you have to participate in democracy. Otherwise they will walk all over you and twist this world with money and greed until the image of what America is and is meant to be is nothing but a chapter in the history books.
I urge you, make your voice heard and take action.
or that I am an expert on what is going on in Washington, but you may have heard of something that is going on regarding the FCC and a proposal which they are intending to implement which will put Net Neutrality six feet under. I've been doing some research into what is going on and why it is important, and it turns out that time is running out. This Thursday the FCC is unveiling this proposal which will allow internet service providers (ISPs) to charge content providers and internet entities (such as Facebook, Netflix, Youtube, etc.) for a "fast lane" on their Internet connections.
While this might sound good when the politicians talk about it, it is simply a lie, a twisting of the actual concept to make it sound like a good thing. The difference between labeling something as 75% lean and 25% fat.
In reality, this "fast lane" is the Internet connection as it is already. The illusion of the "fast lane" is created when those Internet entities which won't pay for this privilege are slowed down by the ISPs. It is discrimination in an open and neutral Internet, which has been the backbone of all online innovation. And while the big entities might be able to pay for this privilege, smaller businesses and entities will be at an extreme competitive disadvantage. What if a service such as Netflix had emerged under these conditions? If they were unable to pay for this "fast lane" access, video streaming would be so obnoxiously slow that it would not be worth the trouble to use the service, and the business would fail. It is because of Net Neutrality that online businesses and services have emerged, grown and prospered as they have, because of a open, neutral and indiscriminate Internet. What the FCC is proposing to do stifles innovation to generate more profits few and the detriment of those of us which rely on or use the Internet every day.
To help explain this a little more
here are some links to some articles and videos which help sum up what is really going on with this "Open Internet" proposal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtt2aSV8wdw (3:33 mins)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAxMyTwmu_M (11:02 mins)
Calling the FCC and your representatives in Congress help fight the battle. A recent reddit blog makes this act simple and easy enough to do, and you don't have add anymore than your stated opinion unless you want to. I have included a copy of this procedure below. Their offices close at 5:30 PM, so if you cannot reach someone, press 1 at the end of step two to leave a message. I recommend saying it once or twice to yourself before making the call.
Call FCC - *please be courteous
1. Dial 888-225-5322
2. Push 1, 4, 0
3. A person will answer
4. They will ask for your name and address. You can just give them a zip code if you want.
5. "I'm calling to ask the FCC to reclassify Internet Service Providers as Title Two Common Carriers."
6. They'll ask if there is anything else you would like to add.
7. "No, thank you for your time."
8. Hang up.
You can also send a message to your representatives in Congress here.
I urge you to take action.
There may be another battle around the corner about the same issue, phrased in another way, hiding in another proposal or bill, but doing nothing is surely to admit defeat. If you believe in democracy, then you have to participate in democracy. Otherwise they will walk all over you and twist this world with money and greed until the image of what America is and is meant to be is nothing but a chapter in the history books.
I urge you, make your voice heard and take action.
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