Stretch Hummers.. in Roma?

Normally, I'm used to seeing mopeds and Smart cars all throughout Rome. There just really isn't room for cars bigger than that size. For example, when I see a minivan here, it's weird. At home, it would be equally as weird to see some one driving a Smart car down the highway. However, I saw the biggest car I have ever seen in Rome since I've been here (besides the double-decker tour buses.) Last weekend, after Rome won the World Cup, I saw a stretch Hummer drive by on the road in front of my apartment! There were people hanging out of the sunroof and the windows jamming out to music that I think was rap. They were videotaping everything going on around them, and seemed to be pretty intoxicated. I really couldn't tell if they were Italian, or some other nationality. Regardless, to be driving a stretch Hummer down a crowded highway full of cars that are about 1/10 the size of your own is pretty intense!

Prada on the Bridge

My classmate Courtney and I were walking home from a field trip to La Sinagoga di Lungotevere de'Cenci, which is a synagogue in the old Jewish quarter in Rome. We were walking over the Ponte Fabricio (the bridge we cross to get home) when I noticed a street vendor. He is normally on this bridge about two or three times a week in the mornings. He always has a bunch of knock-off Prada purses on display on a large towel that he puts on the ground. As we were walking by, Courtney and I stopped because I wanted to look at one that I always stare at on my way to school in the mornings. As soon as we stopped, the vendor ran up to us and asked if we wanted to know the price of a specific one. I pointed to a cute little square shaped yellow one. The conversation then went as follows:

Vendor: Twenty-five Euro
Me: Um.. I don't have any money on me right now
Vendor: OK.. twenty Euro
Me: Are you going to be here tomorrow? I seriously have no money
Vendor: OK.. fifteen Euro
-At this point it was clear that this man had no idea what I was saying to him-
Me: Uh.. I have no money?
Vendor: OK.. ten Euro!
Courtney: Here Allison, just buy the purse!

I honestly had no money on me, that's why Courtney let me borrow ten Euro. It was hilarious because apparently we have amazing haggling skills and we don't even know it. Although the purse was clearly made in China, I wouldn't trade in this experience (or the purse) for anything!

Internet at the Apartment

It's difficult for me to tell if the internet is horrible in our apartment, or just in Rome in general. Every time that I am in my room in my apartment, I get kicked off the internet about 60 times in a row. This seems to happen whether there are a ton of people home and on their computers or if I'm here practically by myself. Each floor here at Santa Maria in Cappella has it's own source of wireless internet, and none of them work for me. I've noticed this happened at our classroom, the Sede di Roma also. That's why I kind of think that this is just a problem with the internet in Rome in general.

Paninis, Peroni and the Pantheon

During class today, our professors gave us an assignment that was to sit at the Pantheon for an hour and just observe. Not only people but sounds and scenery too. My classmate Courtney and I decided that because we had a pretty trying day at class, we needed some lunch and a beer. We got a panini and a bottle of Peroni at a bar that is on our way from the classroom to the Pantheon on Via Piè di Marmo. We took our nice little lunch over to the Pantheon and sat under some of the columns enjoying our lunch. We had a chance to observe all of the sites and sounds going on around us. One of my favorite things was the pigeons that were going crazy around us. Some of them were puffing up and trying to scare away other pigeons. Some were brown and looked a lot different than the typical gray pigeons. Some were really nervous and kept running away any time we moved. It was a really interesting thing to watch!

Moped Parking

Parking in Rome is somewhat an art form. If you can't fit in the space longways, and your car is short enough, you just back into the spot. However, mopeds fall under a different category. Because they are so tiny they are able to pack in right next to one another. It honestly looks like they're on top of one another. I don't know how they actually get OFF the moped after they park. I noticed on my walk to class this morning a long line of mopeds. Believe it or not, this picture of them actually shows a shorter than normal row of mopeds. By the Capitol there are rows that look nearly 50 or 60 mopeds long! Sometimes I wonder if someone accidentally hits one on the end and the whole row goes down like dominoes...

Policia Booth

I know that I mentioned in an earlier post that there are police officers all over the city. Some of them (the Carabiniere) are posted in various locations around the city. All they do is sit in a car and watch people while there is some sort of semi-automatic weapon (very scary) around their chest. However, there are some Carabiniere that are posted in little booths around the city. I'm not sure exactly what their official duties are, but from observing a booth for about five minutes, I saw the officer receive a phone call. Not sure if it was official police business, but at least he was doing something. Also, I saw some people stop by and talk to him. He opened the door to the booth and talked to them so I think they were friends, not looking for help. I've posted a picture of the officer in the booth. Enjoy : )

The Girls' Apartment

Because one of my themes for this blog is my apartment, I figured that I should tell you a little about how it's set up. We have six bedrooms that are shared by 13 girls. We all have to share three bathrooms. This means that some of us don't always get hot showers. We also have a small kitchen that is nice to use when we actually cook! We also have a large common room that can be used for doing work or eating. There are three refrigerators total, two in the hallway by the kitchen and one in the common room. Overall, I really like our accommodations. I share a large bedroom with two of my classmates, Ilana and Nicole. The room is beautiful and we have two large windows, one with a view of the Tiber River. The only unfortunate thing is that our building is right on the Porta di Ripa Grande. This is a very busy road in Rome and the traffic never stops, not even in the middle of the night!

I've posted a picture from our family dinner we had one of our first nights in Roma. You can kind of get an idea of what our common room looks like!

Carabiniere Band

After seeing the huge police celebration last week, I was interested in learning more about it. Was it a band that just happened to be made up of police officers? Was is a long running tradition? Turns out the band has been around since 1820! According to the official Carabiniere site, the band became popular in 1916 when they began traveling around and playing for injured allied soldiers. Today, the band performs anything from military to classical to contemporary music. The website also states that the Carabiniere Band has 103 members. They are truly amazing to experience! I've posted a shot of the band from the celebration after they were done marching.

Day at the Beach

Today, my classmates and I decided to take a trip to the beach. It was so much fun! All we had to do was pay one Euro to take the metro to Lido di Ostia. As soon as we got off the stop, there was a bus that everyone was running to. We think it took you to the public beach. My classmates and I however followed some Italian teenagers to see where they went. We ended up going to a nice sea-front restaurant type place where you could rent umbrellas, chairs and a room to store your stuff all for one flat fee. The Meditterranean Sea is very different from the Atlantic Ocean. There is no "ocean smell" like at home. Instead, the water just smells really salty once you get into it. Another thing that is different is that the sand is brown. Even though everything was really different, I got a nice tan and really enjoyed myself!

Colosseum and the Forum

Today, a few classmates and I decided to go on a field trip of our own. We bought passes for 11 Euros that allowed us entry into the Colosseum, the Forum and the Palatine (we didn't get to the Palatine.) However, we began our field trip by going into the Colosseum. My guidebook states that the Colosseum was built as an ampitheater that was used to host gladiator battles and animal fights. It could hold over 50,000 people! However, most of the Colosseum has slowly decayed because the interior (including the seats, awning and floor) were made out of materials like limestone or wood that didn't stand the test of time. However, in the Colosseum, a reconstruction of what the floor would look like has been built. It is interesting to see how all of the chambers underneath the floor were like a intricate maze that could hold anything from animals, trees or even people. They were able to be raised and lowered from the floor by a system of pulleys. We also decided to go to the Forum. My guidebook says that this was the center of political, judicial and commercial life in ancient Rome. We saw many amazing things such as the Temple of Julius Caesar. The guidebook says that this was erected in memory of Caesar on the spot where his body was cremated after his assassination. We also were able to see the Temple of the Vestal Virgins where priestesses of the Temple of Vesta lived. It was a very peaceful place with some sculptures still intact and a pond with lily pads and frogs in it. The thing that I was most excited about seeing was the Rostra which is where speeches were given to the Forum. It was amazing to see the remnants of a structure where so many public speeches were given. As a Communication Arts & Sciences major, this is a very important place for me. Public speaking was basically born here. The art of persuasion had to have been used in all of these speeches so that the people were able to convince others of making changes in ancient Rome. The history of this place is amazing to me and I'm glad that I was able to experience it.

Pope Cops

In my recent trip to the Vatican, I noticed that although the Vatican has normal security guards and police patrolling around Vatican City, they also have something called the Papal Swiss Guards. Wikipedia.com says that "Swiss Guards is the name that has been given Swiss mercenary soldiers who have served as bodyguards, ceremonial guards, and palace guards at foreign European courts from the late 15th century to present day." I actually got to experience these guards first hand because while I was there, I wanted to exchange cash for Euros and mail out some postcards. Unfortunately, all of these types of buildings were closed in Vatican City. I asked one of the Swiss Guards why. Thankfully he spoke decent English and was able to tell me that it was because of a festival, which I'm thinking he meant that it was a feast day so everything was closed. I'm posting a picture because I feel like everyone needs to see these uniforms. Don't they look like the Joker from a deck of cards? In a totally kind and respectful way though!!

Chillin with the Pope

The class went to the Vatican today. It was really easy to get there from my apartment, all we had to do was follow the river North. I unfortunately got horrible blisters on the walk there because I decided to not wear good shoes. Smart on my part. We went in to the Vatican around 10:00 and there was hardly a line. When we came out, the line wrapped the entire way around the Piazza San Pietro! When I first walked into the Vatican, it took my breath away. This is something that, as a Catholic, I have always wanted to see. It was such a spiritual and emotional experience that it was almost overwhelming. One of the first pieces of art that I noticed was the Pietà. My guidebook states that this amazing marble sculpture was done by Michelangelo in 1499 when he was only 25. In 1972, a disturbed man walked in to the Vatican with a hammer and began destroying the sculpture. After it was restored, it was put behind glass for protection(you can see the reflection from the glass in this picture.) The next place that I went was a sanctuary that holds the Tabernacle. My guidebook says that this was made by Bernini and is made of gilt bronze in the shape of a temple. This amazing chapel was so peaceful and prayful. I actually prayed there and it was moving. You also were not allowed to take and pictures so I don't have anything to document this moving place. The next amazing work of art that I noticed was the Baldacchino. My guidebook says that this was made in 1624 and is a huge extravagant canopy. It truly is beautiful and holds an amazing altar underneath. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go near the Baldacchino because there was some type of service going on. I still got some great shots though! There were a lot of chapels and altars to different saints, too many to list here. I will include the picture of the Altar of the Transfiguration of Christ. This was one of my favorite paintings because it portrays Christ in such a moving and powerful way. I enjoyed the artwork in the Vatican and I plan on going back soon so I can visit all the museums and the Sistine Chapel!

Santa Maria sopra Minerva

I know that this post is a little late, but I was all posted out yesterday! We actually not only went to the Pantheon on our walk, we also went to a church called Santa Maria sopra Minerva. This means Mary on top of Minerva because this church was built on the ruins of a Temple of Minerva. My guidebook says that this is one of the few churches in Roma to have Gothic Architecture. This church, along with the Pantheon, are located in the Piazza della Rotonda which is about a block away from my classroom. In the front of the church is the Obelisk of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. This is an interesting sculpture that was found in the garden of the monastery of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. The obelisk itself is a giant elephant with a tower on top of it. It was originally intended to decorate the Palazzo Barberini as a joke. Santa Maria sopra Minerva has many extremely beautiful works of art. One of the more famous is the Risen Christ by Michelangelo. Something else that is truly amazing at this church is that the body of St. Catherine of Siena is entombed at the front of the church under what looks like an altar. One of my classmates was doing research and said that the tomb contains everything except her head, which was taken back to Siena where they thought she wanted to be buried. The church is amazing and eerie all at the same time. I loved the architecture and the stained glass windows. Enjoy the pictures : )

Mopeds in the Rain

Because it's been raining for the past three days in Roma, I've been noticing that the attire changes drastically for moped riders. I saw a man wearing a full on tarp/blanket made out of some sort of water resistant material while I was walking past the gas station near our apartment (Santa Maria in Cappella). I also noticed that many people who are on mopeds in the rain have what looks like a water resistant jumpsuit. It almost resembles a snowsuit that I would wear in the winter, but less bulky. This attire is necessary so that these people don't get soaked while they're riding to work. I'm sure that they have a change of clothes in their bags or in the storage unit that are on some of the mopeds.

Dangerous Sidewalks

I know that mopeds are a little intense in Roma. They are always trying to get where they need to go as fast as they can, which is understandable. However, some moped drivers take it to new levels. Today I was walking on a few back alleys on my way home. There are always mopeds zipping up and down these which is fine because they are roads. However, when I was walking on what was CLEARLY a sidewalk running alongside of V. Arenula, I just happened to turn around and look behind me. Just as a turned around, a moped was zooming up behind me, STRAIGHT FOR ME! He was using the sidewalk as a makeshift on-ramp to the main road! I understand that driving is a little different here, but really.. isn't that pedestrian endangerment or something?

Pantheon

Today, we took a field trip to the Pantheon today which is actually about a block or two away from our classroom in the Piazza Della Rotonda. Although I had already been to the Pantheon when we first got to Rome, I was exited to check out some of the things that I hadn't known about before. For instance, the artist Raphael is buried at the Pantheon. There is an entire shrine to him on one part of the wall. I also noticed something pertaining to my theme of police at the Pantheon too. I noticed today (but not the first time I was there) that there were posted gaurds at some of the shrines around the Pantheon. I don't know if they were actually police or just hired security, but I found it interesting that there was a need for some type of policing at this historical site. I didn't get a picture of the gaurds, but I did get a picture of Raphael's tomb.

Palazza Doria Pamphili

I found out a little more information about the woman who used to own my apartment (Donna Olimpia Pamphili.) Apparently she used to own the building that our classroom is in too! It's called Palazzo Doria Pamphilj. I don't know why the last letter is a "J" but I have seen this last name written with both a "J" and an "I". According to our guidebook, the old parts of this building date back to 1435. There are two courtyards and a gallery inside. The gallery holds over 400 paintings from the 15th to the 18th century. There is also a portrait of Pope Innocent X and the sculpture of Donna Olimpia Pamphili that I posted before. I definitely want to look at that gallery for myself and get some of my own pictures of that sculpture!! I'm posting a picture of our building that I found online at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Pigna_-_piazza_Collegio_romano_e_palazzo_Doria_Pamphili_1000422.JPG. Our classroom is on the left side on the first floor. It looks like there are white things in the windows. Those are actually shutters that are on the inside. They use those instead of blinds or curtains. I think it's really interesting to learn about this woman and what she did during her time in Rome. I feel like that will give me a better understand of my apartment.

Fontanella del Facchino

I randomly was skimming through my guidebook today and happened to notice a page that had a picture of the water fountain that is at the end of my road by the school (see previous post for more info!) It turns out that this fountain used to be in the Corso and now is in the wall of the Banco di Roma which is the building next door to us. It was created around 1590 and as you can see, the fountain is actually a porter holding a barrel that is putting out water. Yet another beautiful, old work of art that is right outside my door : )

Reading up on Mopeds

I wanted to learn a little more about mopeds in relation to Rome so I decided to check out what our Eyewitness Guide to Rome said. One of the most common types of mopeds is a Piaggio Vespa, which means 'wasp' and is named for the sound mopeds make. The book said that these mopeds are great for getting through traffic, which I have witnessed firsthand! At a red-light, the mopeds often times will weave their ways through cars just so they can get to the front of the line. Sometimes they don't even wait for the light to change to green before they take off... they just make sure no one is in there way! The book also said that it is required by law to wear a helmet here while on a moped. I can honestly say that I have not noticed one person NOT wearing a helmet. It's probably because driving them here is so dangerous!! The picture that I posted is of a Roman on a moped whizzing by on the street that is below my window. You can tell he's wearing a helmet!!

Policia Helping Citizens

I had to walk to the Capitoline Museums on Saturday morning for a field trip. On the way there, we went a different way than we normally go to class. This way included crossing about three or four VERY busy roads. While we were risking our lives, I noticed that there was a police officer (Municipal I think) in one of those booths along the road. As soon as he saw that there was a large group of girls trying to cross the road, he quickly rushed out of his booth. He had on a blue uniform and a white helmet that looked like a construction worker's hard hat. As soon as he came out, we were able to cross the road so he didn't need to help us, but it was really nice to see that the municipal police are ready and willing to help you get across a busy and dangerous road. After we crossed, I turned around to try and take a picture, but some people had stopped him and were showing him a map so I figured it wasn't the best time!!

Donna Olimpia Pamphili

So I was talking to one of my professors today in class and I learned a little bit more about the woman who used to own our apartment building/old convent. The woman's name was Donna Olimpia Pamphili. She was known as the "Mistress of the Vatican." Apparently this woman caused a TON of controversy in the Vatican. Her husband, Cardinal Gianbattista Pamphili, was the late brother of Pope Innocent X. She was known as the Mistress of the Vatican because of her influential power over the Pope, the cardinals and the church in general. When Pope Innocent X came into power, many of the people in Rome and Italy were outraged. They knew that this meant that Donna Olimpia would be ruling the Vatican. They went so far as to call her Pope Olimpia I and portray her in pictures as the Pope with the keys of St. Peter and Innocent at her side looking like a woman in a bonnet and curls. This is one of the most interesting things I have learned about a place that affects me so much here in Rome!

*All of the information in this post came from http://www.mistressofthevatican.com/shock.htm . I strongly encourage you to check out this site!

Acqua Minerale Naturale

So I know that I have mentioned them before, but the water fountains here are SO COOL. I can't believe that present-day Romans are still using the water system (aqueducts) that the ancient Romans built thousands of years ago. All over the city, there are marble or stone fountains that are constantly putting out fresh, drinkable water from the mountains. Everyday, I fill up a water bottle before class at the one that is at the end of our street. Also, I think that it is funny that even though there are so many sources of clean water all over the city, restaurants still find it necessary to CHARGE 3 Euros for water. This is a picture of the water fountain by my school.

Three Types of Cops

I looked up some information on the police in my "Eyewitness Travel Guide for Rome." Apparently Rome has three different types of police. The first type is the vigili urbani, or the municipal police. Their most common job is to direct traffic. I also think these might be the cops that sit in the booths that I was talking about before. The next type is the carabinieri, who are the military police that "do everything from dealing with fine-art thefts and traffic violations". The third type is la polizia, who are the state police. The book doesn't say exactly what their job is, but all three types are willing to help you when you visit Rome : ) I'm going to post a picture of one of the police cars that I saw at the police celebration yesterday.

History of my Homestead

So I've been doing more research on the place that I'm living, Santa Maria in Cappella. Turns out this place DOES have a pretty amazing history. According to Wikia.com, "The church was built about 1090, and was used by the merchant community of the port. In the 15th century, it was taken over by the Guild of Barrelmakers". I can't believe that this place is literally hundreds of years old. I mean, I guess it makes sense because we're in Roma, but still.. it's crazy.


Also according to Wikipedia, "The garden behind the church was turned into a riverside playground in the 17th century by Donna Olimpia Pamphili, Pope Innocent X's sister-in-law. In 1860, her descendants decided that a home for the elderly was more needed than a garden. This was first home for the elderly in Rome, and still functions as this today". It's just crazy to me that the same courtyard that I can see from our terrace was used for hundreds of years. Oh yeah.. the old people here are pretty cute.

Covered moped

Although there are probably thousands of mopeds through Rome, there are a certain kind that I have noticed. These unique mopeds actually have a cover over them to protect from rain or bugs (I'm assuming). Unfortunately all of the mopeds like this that I have seen have been whizzing past me at a million kilometers an hour. Luckily, today I was able to see one parked on an alley near our home, Santa Maria in Cappella. It's interesting to see a brand of automobiles here in Rome like we would see in the US. This moped is a BMW. I've also seen Fords and Mercedes. As you can see, this moped also has a large storage bin on the back so the owner is able to carry groceries, luggage or anything they need to transport. As you can see, it looks like this moped can probably only fit one person. However, most mopeds in Rome are able to carry two people. It's funny to me to see two guys on a moped in really nice Italian suits driving to work in the morning on a moped.

Police Celebration

After the Marble Faun walk,we headed over to the Piazza Borghese. Here, we actually saw a huge police celebration. They were celebrating the 156th anniversary of the police force (I think). I got a lot of good shots of the police officers in full uniform. When they were off duty, they were actually really nice about getting their picture taken.


I also got a video of the police band marching away from the celebration. I'm not sure exactly why there is a police band. It might just be officers who play. Regardless, they were good!

My Place

The third thing that I've decided to talk about for this blog is the place where I'm living, Santa Maria in Cappella. It's in Trastevere, which is one of the oldest sections of Rome. Also, my building specifically used to be a convent. There is still a room on the bottom floor that has a huge concrete vat that was used to wash clothes. And there's a huge picture of Jesus behind glass right next to it. I need to research this, but allegedly, this place owns the largest privately owned green area (our courtyard) in the city. Pretty nice : ) Pictures of my place will be coming soon!

My Second Theme

I decided on my other theme. I want to do mopeds. There are insane amounts constantly driving around the city. I think that it's interesting to see the difference in the modes of transportation compared to at home. Here, mopeds are definitely the mode of choice. I've actually seen a lot of different kinds of mopeds and some even have roof coverings! It seems like you can find a variety of people driving mopeds. I feel like the stereotype for a moped driver is a young male. Actually, many young females drive mopeds here too. Also, middle-aged men and women (most times in business attire) are driving mopeds too. I'm sure they all love the gas mileage!

Marble Faun walk

Today the class went on a walk where we went to some of the places that were mentioned in The Marble Faun by Nathaniel Hawthorne (a required text for class). The first place we went to was the Trevi Fountain which is the ending point of one of the aquaducts the ancient Romans built. It's amazing to me that present-day Romans are still using the water systems that the ancient Romans built thousands of years ago. It is said that if you throw a coin into the fountain over your shoulder, you will come back to Rome... so of course I did!! After that, we went to a place that still had bullet holes in the walls from WWII. After that, we went to the Crypt of the Capuchins. This was the eeriest place I have ever been in my life. It's a crypt housing over 4,000 bodies (mostly Capuchin monks). The bodies aren't just laid out though. They have been disassembled and the different types of bones are used to decorate the ceilings and walls in intricate patterns (DEFINITELY Google this!!!) When we were done there we headed over to the Spanish Steps. This is an area that was actually considered Spanish territory during the 17th Century.

Welcome to my Blog : )

Hey everyone!

Welcome to my official Rome blog! Just to let you know what this blog is, it's a class assignment and a personal documentation of my trip all rolled into one. A few times a week, I will be posting on this blog about the different things I am experiencing around Rome. If I go to a specific historic site, if I eat at an interesting restaurant, if I get lost in the city.. all of it will show up here!

Also, there will be classroom-oriented postings. The actual assignment is to pick three different ideas (places, themes, etc..) and post about each idea twice a week. This means that some of my postings may seem a little obsessive about a certain idea. That's only because I'm trying to fulfill the assignment.

With that in mind, I've already decided on at least one theme that I want to cover: the police. When I first got to Rome, one of the first things that I noticed was that there were police EVERYWHERE. Not like sirens blaring chasing bad guys.. just like hanging out on the street directing traffic. Also, there are booths set up all around the city that have posted police officers in them. I'm not exactly sure what these are for, but I think they are there to give out information or just to help people when they need it. I'm going to try and get some pictures of the booths as soon as possible. Also, I need to learn how to ask "May I take your picture" in Italian.. don't want to get arrested!