Next to Last Day

Wow! The time has flown by, as I knew it would.  This morning we were set on a march around the city trying to fit in the last details that our instructor thought we should not miss.  I was on my feet from around 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. My feet ached!

Group photo at Trevi Fountain

But finally we were dismissed.  I had to go to the student center to print out my paper and turn it in.  Then it was back to the apartment and off to the beach.  We took the Metro to a train and from there to just south of Ostia.  Sarah had been there last weekend and knew just where to go. It was a good 45 min or so before we were watching the waves of the Mediterranean Sea crash in on the sandy shore.

I did mention that I'm not really a beach person, right? It was about everything I expected it would be.  The sand sticks to everything, there are many people lying around in various stages of undress (and in Italy it is less than I'm used to) I worry about getting sunburned and my back starts hurting from sitting on the sand.  In addition, here in Italy, there are hawkers who make there way around the beach trying to sell bracelets or sunglasses, or paintings, or beach towels, or scarfs or swimsuits, or fresh coconut...shall I go on?

One type of vendor offers massages.  I chose to have her massage my lower legs and feet.  My feet were still pounding from all the walking of the day and it felt heavenly. By the time she was done I had happy feet and that made me happier.  Then I could enjoy the sound of the waves as they rolled into shore, I could enjoy the smell of the salt water and feel the spray on my face.  It was slightly overcast and later in the day so I didn't worry too much about sunburn.  It was very peaceful to just sit, knowing that my homework was turned in, there was no other place to be, and I could rest in the moment -- sitting on the sand near the Mediterranean for Pete's sake!

Looking out to sea.

We spent several hours there before returning to Rome and finding a place for supper.  I chose the pizza capricioso which had mushrooms, olive, egg, ham artichokes and mozzarella.  It was very tasty! We are all thinking about our favorite foods back home, though.  As much as I like pasta (and I do like it a lot) there comes a time when a person just needs some mexican or good old hamburger!

Tomorrow is our excursion to Tivoli and then we need to pack up our stuff and clean the apartment.  We have a large group dinner provided in the evening and then the following morning we will be collected and brought to the airport for the long day of traveling back home.  I don't think I'll have time to blog until after I get home and from there I will post a final wrap up.  Thanks so much for traveling with me and being so supportive.  I can't wait to see you all again in person!

Winding down

It is really hard to believe that our time in Rome is fast coming to a close.  I have been very busy these last few days writing the course paper that is due on Fri.  We've been trying hard to get it done early so we can take the half-day set aside for working on the paper and do something fun instead.  So, tonight I did the final spell-check and grammar check and I think it'll do. At least I have done what I could and I will turn it in.

We have been visiting the palazzo's of the Borghese and Barberini families, who in the 17th century were very powerful and wealthy citizens who used their power and influence to gain wealth and more power.  It was very sad to me that Scipione Borghese, a Cardinal of the church and nephew to the Pope, was such a ruthless collector of art that he resorted to plain theft -- and got away with it.  Considering that his country Villa was decorated with lewd and sensual frescoes and that seemed to be the type of art he prefered, he seems like an all around scoundrel.  I was amazed by the sumptuousness of the surroundings and the expansiveness of the collection, but I can't say I really enjoyed myself.  It was too disturbing. 

Today at the Palazzo Barberini it was a different story.  Although there was some nudity in the art, it did not seem to dominate in the same way as at the Villa Borghese.  I was sidetracked into admiring some 18th century paintings and some 16th century paintings but the instructor didn't seem to mind too much.  It was a highlight to me to see the portrait of Henry VIII by Hans Holbein.

Also a highlight and a part of our course were half a dozen Caravaggio's.  I especially admired Judith Beheading Holofernes and Narcissus. I think I could have sat in that room all afternoon, just soaking it in.

Charis and I decided to finish our papers in the afternoon and then take off, just the two of us, and have some quality mother-daughter time.  We went back to the Piazza Navona which was abuzz with activity.  We sat near the fountain and listened to the street musicians for awhile.  Then we wandered around and found a bench to sit at and watch the people, and admire the facades, and just enjoy being together in Rome. 

We then walked the short distance to the Pantheon.  I still think that's my favorite place.  It gives me such an interesting feeling just to be there looking at it.  I imagine how it must have been when it was a working temple to the pantheon of Roman gods.  I think it must have been a really creepy place.  I'm so grateful that Jesus has set us free from the fears of superstition and bondage of idol worship.

I enjoyed just sitting there, watching the play of light as the sun was lowering on the horizon and watching the people mill about.  Charis sat with me and wrote in her journal.  It was such a peaceful, poigniant time that I will always treasure. 

We found a restaurant near our apartment and had a nice meal together which we strung out long over not one but TWO bottles of water.  We are such heavy drinkers! haha!  But we were just enjoying the precious time together and did not want it to end.  We decided we needed to not be too busy back home to find those times together.

We have two more days here before we head home.  Already we are looking forward to being with family and friends.  We are thinking about making something other than pasta (although I am still enjoying it.) But we are trying not to let our eagerness to be home crowd out any enjoyment we will have in the next two days.  Once we are on the plane, then we can let ourselves go with excitement and anticipation of coming home.

Antiques and More

This was a beautiful day with partly cloudy skies and a cool breeze.  Sarah and I got up and made our way via Metro and Tram to the neighborhood of the Ponte Mulvio first Sunday of the month antique market. We figured it would be too expensive for us but I wanted to get a feel for what we could expect the prices to be.  Sarah speaks a little Italian so she understood when the vendor told her it was 1000 euro. Whoa! That was a shocker.  I congratulated her on her good taste. :)

We moved on and looked at many booths with collections of jewelry, porcelain, silver, furniture and paintings.  It was all in all a very interesting time.  We both love antques and just looking at the variety was interesting.  We tried the fresh squeezed lemonade with ginger and really enjoyed it.  I'll have to make it like that when I get home.

After collecting the others, we went to our favorite pizza place in our neighborhood.  The pizza is sold by weight.  They have already cooked varieties to choose from.  You point at the one you want. They hack off a chunk and weigh it.  Then it goes in the toaster oven to be reheated.  A chunk the size of a personal pizza costs around 3 euro.  Today I had the one with tomato sauce and salami topped with mozzarella.  Actually, I think the cheese goes on top of the sauce and the salami was on top.  The crusts are all thin and crispy and really delicious.  Some of the choices include broccoli and sausage with no tomato sauce; spinach and sausage; potato,  again with no tomato sauce just cheese on top of the crust and thinly sliced potatoes on top; mushroom and cheese with no sauce; mushroom and cheese with tomato sauce; and every little shop has their own slight variations on this theme.

We like this little pizzaria becauase it is friendly.  The girl who works there is always accomodating and friendly toward us, unlike many of the places we've been.  It is also close to our apartment and open 24 hrs and quite affordable.  So we've gone back there enough times to be regulars. :)

The afternoon was spent in writing our papers.  I am about half-done having written 7 pages comparing and contrasting different examples of Baroque painting we've seen.  I now need to get busy and do the architecture and sculpture sections.  We're hoping to get done by Wed night with our papers so we can take the half day on Thursday to go to the beach. If I had known that Charis had never been to the ocean before, we would have done that with the girls yesterday.  They all want to go back on Thursday so we'll see if we can make it work.

Buona Sera!

Saturday

I enjoyed sleeping in today and then spending some time working on my course paper.  I felt good about the progress I made, in fact I didn't really want to quit writing but Charis and I had plans to try to find the museum of musical instruments today.  The other girls in our apartment went to the beach, which is about 45 min away by bus.  Charis and I are not beach lovin people -- which to those of you who are is really incomprehensible. But the sand, the sun and the water are all wasted on us.

We navigated our way to an unfamiliar part of town and managed to pick the right bus and using our map found our way to the right building.  We had the place to ourselves -- go figure! :)  It was great fun seeing the collection of old instruments from around the world, some of which were totally inexplicable.  Something I had not seen before were instrument like a violin but only slightly wider than the fingerboard.  Also, they had a whole collection of lutes made from armadillos. The variations on the piano and organ were pretty cool too.

We felt like pros as we made our way to the bus stop and had no trouble getting back to familiar territory.  It may seem like a small accomplishment but for us it was big!

Our apartment and a couple of girls from another have been having fun hanging out together and we decided tonight was the best night to really splurge at a good restaurant.  We chose the one in our neighborhood situated in the piazza with the fountain.  It is always packed and hard to get into without a reservation.  We made reservations early in the evening and went back for dinner at 7:30.

I had an avacado-mango-palm heart salad with balsamic vinaigrette, ravioli and tiramisu for dessert.  We all agreed it was one of the best places we've eaten yet. The fountain area is always crowded with people just hanging out with friends every single night.  Sometimes someone plays music and it's always an active place.

It's a little hard thinking this is our last week here. The time has flown by and at the same time it feels like we've been here an age.  I will be ready to be home but I'm determined to just take the moments as they come without tingeing them with regret.

We're planning to check out the 1st-sunday-of-the-month antiques market tomorrow...I just have to keep remembering to keep it light and flat! Here's hoping tomorrow is a little cooler than today.  It was in the upper 80's and seemed even hotter walking on the hot cobblestones.  We do not have air conditioning in our apartment. We open our windows wide and hope for a breeze! Considering the weather we've left behind, I guess I'd better shut up about it, though. :)

Time for me to get busy with more writing before heading to bed.  See you all soon!

Never a Dull Moment

This morning began with a Metro ride to the Spaish Steps. We went early in order to have time for a croissant and espresso before meeting the class at the top of the staircase.  It was a wonderful way to start the day.  The sun was shining and a light breeze blowing and we were having caffe in Rome!

I once again climbed the Spanish Steps - albeit rather slowly.  I have since learned that that is what the designer of the steps intended.  He planned wide spaces and a rather meandering movement in order for people to enjoy the climb, and rest along the way.  We took a round about jaunt up and down the streets of that neighborhood in order for Profesore Stoughton to point out items of interest pertaining to 17th century Baroque art. 

Sarah & Charis on Spanish Steps

We came to the Casino Ludovisi where we had an appointment to see Guercino's Aurora and Tithonius with Allegories of Night and day.  This is a private residence that is open to the public on certain Fridays - for a fee.  Our instructor had told us about the very elegant Principessa who had recently married the current Prince Ludovisi. (All titles were done away with in Italy during Napoleon's time but in conversation the titles are still used out of courtesy.) This new Princess hails from Texas, USA and brought a lot of wealth into the match which it appears she is using to restore the grandeur of the old home. On a previous visit our insructor had met her and she was so gracioius and charming he was hoping we might get the opportunity as well. 

It wasn't long before she did arrive in the room we were visiting and introductions were made.  She was a vivacious woman in her 60's, tall, well groomed and very well poised.  She took us on a personal tour of the place and told us stories of her husbands ancestors. ("The Savoys became royalty because they were more vicious even though they were only dukes and not princes.") We were shown into some of the private areas that were being restored to see a Caravaggio ceiling painting and other master paintings.  Then she showed us the table at which Cardinal Ludovisi had entertained his Uncle,  Pope Gregory XV. In the next room there were the chairs they used to sit in.  She said, "Who wants to sit in those chairs? Come now, don't be shy. I'll take your picture." So we all had a turn sitting in the Cardinal and Popes chairs of state with the Princess taking our picture.  It was quite a riot! She was obviously having so much fun sharing her inherited history and having us appreciate it too.



Charis and me sitting in state in the papal chairs


From there we rode a bus across town to a church which was established in the 3rd century A.D. redecorated in the 12th century and contained an important sculpture of St. Cecilia from the early 17th century.  The final excursion was to see Bramante's Tiempietto which is a late Renaissance piece.  To get to it meant a lot of uphill walking culminating in a grueling set of stairs cut into the hill that made the Spanish Steps seem mild by comparison.  I can hardly believe I made it! I was not the only one struggling either.  Once we got up there it comanded a grand view of the city and the architecture known as Tiempietto was very interesting to see.

1st part of steps up to the Janiculum

view from the top of the Janiculum

Class was dismissed and we all went our separate ways.  Some were traveling to Florence and others to Sorrento.  We have chosen to remain in Rome instead of taking other excursions.  Instead we found the Botanical Gardens and had a very peaceful afternoon meandering among exotic shrubbery and flowers.  We trekked back to the apartment and my feet and hips were letting me know they didn't appreciate the abuse I'd heaped on them all day!  It looked like we'd get drenched before making it to the apartment because huge thunderclouds were forming and sounding threatening.  But so far no rain.

lunch at cafe

All in all this was a very interesting and satisfying day in Rome. 

Happy 150th year of the Republic

The city of Rome was on holiday today.  There was a huge parade and speeches by dignitaries which, unfortunately, we missed out on because we were in class.  On the way to school the roads were blocked off and crowds were gathering and it was tempting to cut class...but nobody did.  I figured I was letting Kim and Tabitha down but I've never cut class before and by now it's kind of late to break the mold. :)

We did get in on a military fly-by with colored plumes of smoke in the shape of the Italian flag.  We saw them through openings between the buildings and it lasted all of 2 seconds.  I tried to take a picture of the quickly dispersing smoke but it didn't come out well.  It was just one of those times you had to live in the moment.

During our lunch break today Charis struck up a conversation with the maintenance man whose name is Xavier. He looks hispanic so I suggested she could probably practice her Spanish with him.  It turns out he is from Peru and does speak Spanish.  I could understand a fair amount of the conversation and Charis was able to converse well enough to get along.  He has been in Rome for 13 years and likes taking vacation in Peru where the euro is strong and he can afford to have a lot of fun.

We had planned to take a tour of the President's gardens in the afternoon.  One day a year the President opens up his garden for the people to enjoy and this Celebration of the Republic is that day.  And in fact, the official presidential residence is only a few blocks from our apartment. We waited for quite awhile with a large queue of people but only came to find out that today they were not going to let anyone in.  It has been moved to Sunday.  We'll see if it works into our plans to get there on Sunday or not.

So we spent our afternoon resting in our apartment and then went out again for dinner around 7:30.  I'm really embarassed to admit what I had for dinner.  I just have to preface it with the disclaimer that it was totally not my idea but one of the other girls in our group really wanted to try it so we went along with it. It was McDonalds! Yeah, I know.  It's really lame.  But there was also a curiosity to know if it was the same as back in the States. The menu was very limited compared to back home but I got the Big Mac.   It tasted pretty much the same except there was no ketchup in sight.  Also, I really doubt there were onions.  I was going to just eat the onions which I would normally request to be withheld but didn't want the confusion of communication.  But they were either very nominal or non-existant.  As I was eating it I realized that I have been eating way less meat here than I normally would back home and it really tasted good. I know I'm going to get a LOT of guff for this one, but there it is -- it happened.

On the way back to our place we encountered a traffic jam with buses and taxis and motorcycles all stopped and honking.  There was a large building nearby with convenient steps to climb to see what was going on.  It turns out that the police had the road blocked in order to let many entourages of diplomatic cars through.  It was fun for us to watch but the people in traffic all seemed rather hot under the collar.  There was a lot of shouting, some rude gestures, honking of horns and incessant police sirens. I don't know how long it had been going on before we happened upon it but we watched for a good 20 minutes.  I felt like we got in on a parade after all!  I'm going to share the video Sarah took if she posts it on fb.

Now the girls are playing cards, I'm off to take a bath, and then maybe a little homework before going to bed. 

More Churches

I always used to tell Tory that I wanted to travel in Europe and go to every Cathedral and museum there was. There are plenty of places with large churches and great museums I still want to visit.  But, I seriously underestimated the number of both of those things!  In fact, I do not think we will go into every church in Rome during the 3 weeks we are here and we are averaging 3-4 per day!!  It is unbelievable!

Today we visited one which could easily be my favorite.  Although 3 out of the four we saw today could be in my top 5.  My favorite was the one called Santa Maria degli Angeli which was built by Michaelangelo in the ruins of part of the ancient Roman Baths of Diocletian.  It was built in the high Renaissance using much of what remained of the ancient architecture.  I found it light and grand with a totally different feel than the Baroque churches we're studying.

Santa Maria degli Angeli

We did a fair amount of walking again today.  I'm feeling better and better.  There is a staircase near our neighborhood that I took on one of the first days in Rome on which I had to rest part way up.  Today we went that way again and I was able to do it all in one trip.  Here's a picture.


Noni's corollary to Newton's law: "What comes down must go up."

 So life goes on. Tomorrow is an important holiday celebrating the founding of Italy as a republic in 1861. They have been preparing staging for the big parade ever since we've arrived here.  I don't know what to expect but we will be in class during the morning festivities anyway.  Arrivederci!

Roaming Rome

Today was a good day.  It was the first day my feet haven't hurt since I got here.  I think having two days to let them recover while I was sick was a good thing.  Also, my cold is almost gone and I had plenty of energy...so that meant walking around all afternoon. 

After class we meandered around back streets and found ourselves in the Jewish part of town.  We sat on a bench and watched people go by for awhile.  Then we ambled over one of the oldest bridges onto the island in the middle of the Tiber.  It was pretty cool to watch the water flowing and just relax and take in the sights.  On our way back to our apartment we took a wrong turn that led us a very long way around. But in the end we made it back in time for an afternoon nap.

We ate supper at a sidewalk cafe and visited with a couple Americans at the next table.  They were very chatty real estate people from Florida.  They were very friendly and it was fun to hear their impression of Venice and Tuscany. A gondola ride cost 100 euro for about a 30 minute ride and the water taxi to the train station was about 75 euro.  They figured out how to take the water bus for 7 euro and saved themselves the price of a good meal!  It was hard for them to believe we were staying in Rome for 3 weeks and not going anywhere else. Their trip across the whole country was only 10 days.

Dinner was ravioli stuffed with ricotta and spinach in a tomato sauce.  One of the girls ordered tripe because she just had to try something new.  I tasted a little bit and I thought it had a fishy taste to it.  Not real pleasant.  She didn't mind the flavor but the texture (somewhat rubbery) was hard for her to get past.  I loved the ravioli. 

I have not had the white pizza yet...I plan to do that when we are in the neighborhood of the Trevi Fountain.  There are so many good things to eat it's really hard to try new things when you know what you already like!  There is a little pizzaria in our neighborhood that I've tried the broccoli and sausage, prosciutto and spinach and the potato pizzas.  None of those had any tomato based sauce.  The crust is thin and crispy and the toppings are not heavy but just the right combination of flavors.  I think they use mozzarella and fontana cheeses.  Every one has been delicious!

Here are some pictures from today.  Ciao!

Sick, sick, sick

I came down with a cold on Friday night.  I was so glad it happened over the weekend so I didn't feel too badly lying around the apartment.  I spent Saturday and Sunday sleeping and reading and feeling like it's not too fun being sick away from home.  I normally don't experience home-sickness.  But those times I am physically sick and away from home I do battle homesickness on top of it.  I miss my own bed and my family and all the things familiar and comforting.

This morning I was determined to make it to class, though.  I had been planning to take the bus instead of walking the 30 minutes but we were informed there was a transportation strike planned.  Even if some buses were running, I figured they would be overcrowded.  So, we left in plenty of time to walk. 

We met the instructor at Ponte Sant Angelo which is a bridge over the Tiber River with sculptures by Bernini depicting angels at the stations of the cross.  It is a beautiful and moving walk to take.  From there we walked down to St. Peter's Basilica and spent the morning learning about the important works of art and architecture there.  It is a place that words cannot prepare one for.  The immensity of it and the opulence of it are staggering. 

So, I'm glad I didn't miss it.  I barely had enough gumption to make it back to the apartment where we all took about  2hr naps.  It felt great!  Then we walked to the small grocery store in our neighborhood to get fixings for supper.  We sauted zucchini, carrots and mushrooms in olive oil seasoned with garlic, red pepper and oregano.  This we served with pasta topped with freshly grated peccorino cheese.  Delicious!

Now it is late and I must get to bed.  Here are some pictures.  I'll maybe get around to adding captions tomorrow.

  

Churches

Amazing paintings in amazing settings was the fare for today.  We visited about 4 churches and viewed paintings by Caravaggio, Domenichino and others. The ceiling frescoes were just as amazing as the Sistine Chapel and we had them all to ourselves.  I don't know how good my pictures turned out but I'll post a couple just to give you a general idea.



Adoration of the Name of Jesus by Gaulli




Allegory of the Missionary Work of the Jesuits by Pozzo



The Inspiration of St. Matthew by Caravaggio

This was the day where we took our walking tour in the morning and had our lecture in the afternoon.  I had plenty of coffee in the morning but I was still struggling to stay awake during the lecture.  Forturnately for me the lecture was shortened because of scheduling conflicts in the student center. Yay! 

As we walk through the city, trying to follow our instructor, we are just one of many tours doing the same thing.  The streets are very narrow and I've already mentioned the congestion.  As we are crossing the street and cars or delivery vans have to wait for the long string of twenty students to pass I keep seeing the same look on everyone's face.  I finally identified it as patient impatience.  It must suck to be a native Roman and have your space overrun by tourists to such a degree. On top of that to realize that it is the tourist economy that keeps everything going and you can't afford not to put up with it!

We found another marvelous gelateria on our way home. Then took a good long rest before meeting with the class for an apertif.  It was at a bar called Fluid.  The floors were 2' tiles that had colored liquid sandwiched between a clear top layer and a white base.  As you walked on it the liquid squished this way and that making unusual patterns. It reminded me a little of a lava lamp.  The drinks were very expensive but after you bought a drink you were free to partake of the ample appetizer bar as many times as you wished.  It was a fun way to try many new types of food. Unfortunately I don't know the names of most of it.  There was different seasoned rice dishes, fruit like melon and pineapple, fried things that resembles tater tots, little slices of bread with some kind of spread I couldn't identify and different pasta.  It served as a light supper for us.

Now I'm ready for my evening bath.  At home I am usually a morning shower person.  But here it just feels so refreshing to sit in a tub of warm water at the end of a long day of walking and sweating.  I feel like I am sweating constantly from the time I leave the apartment to the time I get my bath.  I can feel the rivulets trickle down my back and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. Everyone is pretty much in the same predicament so we don't worry about it too much!

Minas Tirith

I'm a huge Lord of the Rings fan.  My dad read the books aloud to us many times as we were growing up and I love the way Peter Jackson has rendered the stories in film (for the most part.)  Being here in Rome I get flashes of the feeling that I am in that story and somehow have made my way to Minas Tirith.

Minas Tirith was the City of the Kings of Gondor.  They had an ancient history and ancient traditions.  Although, at the time the hobbits visited it was in a state of decline and not at the height of its former greatness.  So it is here.  The grandeur of the ancient dynasties is evident in crumbling statues and monuments.  The mighty cathedrals are tall and impressive but stained with moss and a history of corruption. 

I love the continuity of history I feel here. I love breathing in the air of antiquity (although Charis tells me it's just dust.) But there is a sense of sadness as well as I contemplate the history of mankind gone awry. And the history of the Church gone awry.  My soul cries out, "Come Lord Jesus, come!"

Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel

Yesterday was a big day.  We had class in the morning and then took off at a brisk trot to make it to our appointment at the Vatican.  We walked full speed for 20 minutes. I was determined to not be a straggler and kept up with the instructor the whole way.  It was a faster pace than I've managed yet but proud to have accomplished it! 

I was glad to have a guide to work out the details.  Our tickets had already been purchased.  He knew right where to go upon entering.  We just had to keep our eyes on him and keep up!  That wasn't always so easy as there were literally hordes of people.  It's also an immense place and would be very easy to get lost or turned around in.

We started by studying Raphael's paintings and tapestries.  They are AMAZING!  I have always liked looking at Raphael's work but up close and in person takes it to a whole new level.  Then we studied some ancient scuplture from antiquity that the Renaissance and Barroque masters copied. It is really ironic to me that the Vatican is home to thousands of sculptures and artifacts that used to be idols in pagan temples. The vastness of the buildings and the sumptuousness of the decoration is amazing.  But, I found it all hard to enjoy because of the huge crush of people.  On the way to the Sistine Chapel we were shoulder to shoulder through the long corridors.  Then upon entering the chapel, we were free to stay as long as we wanted, but so exhausted from the ordeal of getting there and packed in like cattle that it was rather anticlimactic.  Our instructor had warned us and told us to just pick a spot and focus on one thing for awhile and tune everything else out.  We tried but it was very hard to do.  I have to say that I'm really glad we did it but I don't think I'd go there again.

Disputa by Raphael

At the Vatican

Corridor of the maps at the Vatican, on the way to Sistine Chapel

We arrived back in our apartment around 5:30 and rested before going out for pizza and doing homework. Whew!

Today again we had lecture in the morning and then hoofed it to the Capitoline Museum.  We saw enormous sculptures of Constantine or rather dismembered pieces of them.  We also saw the bronze wolf which was said to have reared Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome.  Room upon room of sculpture portraits that were important to the ancient Romans in their ancestor worship we breezed by.  We focused on a couple of barroque period paintings -- one of which was at least 30 ft. high.  I have no idea how the artist, Guercino, managed to paint it.  It was beautiful and astounding all at once. I'll post a picture but it doesn't do it justice at all.

Burial and Resurrection of St. Petronella by Guercino

Collossal Constantine

The Dying Gaul 

Corinthian column with view of the Forum from Capitoline Museum

We arrived back at our apartment with sore feet around 3:30.  On the way we refreshed ourselves with a gelato. Today's choice was melone which just might be my new favorite. :) Although I love the lemon gelato and the caffe flavor is sublime. I haven't had the dark chocolate but our roommate did and raved about it so maybe soon. Arrivederci!

I had esspresso for the first time yesterday. WOW! It is amazing! I hear that Cappuccino is very good too but I don't even know if I'll get that far.  I think I'm in love. haha.

In fact we have not had bad food since we've gotten here.  Every night we go to another little tiny restaurant with about 10 tables, max.  Every time the food comes it is amazingly flavorful.  I had a plate of grilled sausages and spinach last night.  I would not have ordered that normally but they said it was sausage and broccoli in the menu.  I was really disappointed when it arrived to see a pile of cooked greens next to my 2 little sausages.  But I have to say, it was delicious! I ate all my spinach. Not only was it good for me, I could enjoy it too!  The flavors all seem so well balanced that one can taste all the complexities of the sauces without being overwhelmed.

I have been walking an average of 5-7 hours a day since we've been here.  I consider it a miracle that I'm able to do that!  My feet get sore but my knees and hips have been doing fine.  I am really glad I have 2 pair of comfortable shoes --  my Born sandals and my Clark's mary janes.   My feet thank me for the chance to change shoes.  I usually wear one pair for the first part of the day and the other later after I soak them in cold water and massage them for awhile.

We have taken the bus a few times and the Metro which helps lessen the walking, but we don't see the city as well. And there's not the opportunity to step into a coffee shop or gelateria on a whim.  So as long as we can dog it out we'll be walking.

It has been really fun for me that the girls all accept me as one of them.  I feel like I'm just one of the group and back in college days.  But every once in a while I remember that no, I am no longer young -- usually when I'm huffing and puffing up the hill behind everyone else.

Today we went to the largest flea market in Europe at Porte Portese market.  It was a blast.  We managed to get there early enough to avoid most of the crowd and most of the heat.  Both were getting unbearable by the time we left.  We had fun looking at all the stuff and haggling with the merchants.  It was like the MN State Fair but without the food on a stick. There weren't any sno-cones either, which was a pity. I was hot and parched and would have bought one if I had seen one.

Then we walked along the Tiber River up to the basilica which has the "Boca de Veritas." It is said that if you stick your hand in its mouth and you are not a truthful person your fingers will be bitten off.  I am glad to report that I still have all my appendages!

So now it's time for siesta and putting my tired feet up to prepare for the evening outing. Ciao!

Pictures

I ran out of time to write much but I'll post some pictures instead.



Inside apartment

 

 



Roman soldiers by Colosseum

 




Arch of Septimus Severus with Palatine in background

 


Palatine at sunset





Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi

 




View from top of Spanish Stairs. Yes! I made it!

 


Street musician




View of St Peters Basilica from below Ponte Umberto





Via Baccina -- the street where we live

 



Colosseum in early evening



The Third Day's the Charm

It is my third day in Rome and already I dislike tourists notwithstanding that I am one.  And it's not just that they are all wanting to see the things that I want to see, and get in my way, and create crowds.  It's the mentality that they are the only ones who matter. The idea that Rome was built entirely for their pleasure and they deserve to stand in the middle of the footpath to take pictures, or talk loudly in their own language, or say stupid things because they haven't taken the trouble to become informed ahead of time.  And really I say "they" but I should be saying "we."

But even more than the tourist I dislike the hawkers who pander to them and prey upon them.  It's bad enough to have to fight hordes of people all wanting to go in different directions but be in the same place at the same time, but the incessant requests for me to buy cheap, tacky items as a memento or gift, or to pay to have my picture taken or to buy overpriced inferior food because it's the only stuff available really does put me over the top.

Today Charis and I were going to walk through the Forum and Paletine hill and the Colosseum.  We walked all around it and took pictures from the outside  but chose not to buy the tickets and venture inside for all the reasons I already stated.  So, here's what you can see if you choose the path less traveled.

Pigeons scavenging for food at your feet.  We sat in a shady spot overlooking the Colosseum and the pigeons walked around within feet of us.

A friendly waiter. As we left the area of the Colosseum we walked past the sidewalk cafe we had eaten in last night.  Our waiter greeted us warmly with a "Buon giorno."
"Buon giorno." I replied.  He put out his hand.  I shook it. He raised mine to his lips and kissed it and then greeted me with a kiss on each cheek. It was a very warm and respectful greeting and made me feel like I had  made a friend.

A Gelateria and sandwich bar. After greeting the man behind the counter with a "Buon giorno" I asked if he spoke English.  "Yes" he replied. We then proceeded to order and to chat a little.  He asked if we were from California.  "No" we said "We're from Minnesota."
"Where is that"
"It's near Canada"
"That's odd" he says "you have a South American accent"
"Haha" we laughed. "It's likely because we've studied Spanish. "  Then we sat outside and ate our lemon gelato first before eating the provolone and dried beef sanwich with some delicious, peppery, fresh herb of which we don't know the name.

The Vespa Diva.  At the front of a long row of traffic waiting at a stop light was a woman  on a Vespa. This is not so unusual. But aside from the helmet on her head she could have walked the runway. She wore a long flowing silky jacket in a gorgeous shade of blue with matching slacks and silver jewelry. On her feet were stylish 4" wedge heeled sandals.  The light turned green and she was off in a flash, her flowing garment billowing behind her. 

We walked to the Museo Nationale and saw the most ancient statuary dating from 500 BC and many fine mosaics and frescoes rescued from the Farnese Pallace. Then we walked back to "our" neighborhood.  It's amazing what just 3 days will do.  Instead of it all being strange and new, now we recognize streets and places we've been.  We feel like we belong on this street -- the Via Baccina. And the adjoining streets are our neighborhood. 

Dia Segundo

Today the 4 of us felt like old pros as we walked along familiar streets to the ACCENT student center for orientation. We arrived 10 min. early and decided next time we will leave earlier because there is a darling coffee place on the way where we'd like to have breakfast.

The orientation was fine. We walked around the neighborhood of the school and found great lunch spots as well as little antique stores and Tabacchi shops where not only do you buy your tobacco products but salt and stamps as well.

Did I mention how crazy the traffic is?  Crossing the street is an even crazier proposition.  The method is to step out firmly into traffic, making eye contact with the drivers and not slowing down or stopping.  Traffic does come to a halt somehow and we get across the street.  You could wait all day on the sidewalk for a break in traffic and not get one.  But this takes as much faith as the Israelites stepping into the Jordan on their way into the Promised Land.  It wasn't until they stepped in that the waters stopped and they were able to cross on dry land.

After orientation we were treated to a fabulous pasta lunch.  I chose the vegetable pasta which was cherry tomatoes, eggplant and little balls of fresh mozzarella scattered throughout the spaghetti. Yum!! The eggplant was actually very tasty and full of flavor unlike the bland stuff I've had before.  For dessert we had tiramisu. I was stuffed!  Then a good portion of the students went to the Pantheon accompanied by the instructor for an impromptu tour.  It really was amazing!

Walking up to the Pantheon is unbelievably awe inspiring.  The immense scale of the building and the immense antiquity of it are very moving.  It was originally built as a temple to the pagan Roman gods.  Then the Roman Catholic church took it over and removed the idols and put statues and pictures of their saints in their place.  In any event, it is an astounding and powerful place. I loved soaking in the atmosphere. 

We ambled on over to the Piazza Navona and wandered among the street vendors selling paintings.  It's too overwhelming to try to choose one to buy.  But it was very entertaining.  After returning to our apartment for a rest period we once again ventured out and found a bakery to buy bread for breakfast and had to try a sample of some awesome treats.  Mine was like crispy phyllo dough filled with nutella. YUM!

We ate supper at a sidewalk cafe just across the street from the Colosseum.  Sometime this weekend we will take that tour. But just having it for a backdrop is amazing.  As I ate my tortellini and prusciutto I thought to myself, "Wow! here I am in Rome! How amazing is that!"

The First Day

The first day (which really just felt like a continuation of the traveling day) started off with the bus ride from the airport. At first it seemed like a normal ride on a freeway.  The airport in Rome is actually quite a distance outside the city.  Our housing coordinator was handing out packets showing us where our apartments would be and little maps indicating the nearest grocery store, bank, etc.

Then I decided I needed to look out the window instead of read the packet.  I could catch up on the reading after we'd reached the apartment.  I began noticing the traffic and it seemed the vehicles were in no hurry to indicate which lane they had a preference for.  They just sort of floated in and out of the lanes at will. As we got closer to the city center it became apparent that the notion of lanes was really only all in my head. It clearly was not a concept the drivers were aware of.

Then we started driving by things that were old.  I mean REALLY OLD! And they were big -- REALLY BIG! These half-tumbled down ruins of ancient buildings are still so impressive with their magnitude and what they speak of former times and people. We drove past many very old buildings that were very large and grand and not tumbled down, but plainly still in use.  The statues are immense.  The doorways are immense. And the sheer volume of it all seemed larger than life as we made our way in the bus.

We stopped at a place that looked like a town square or piazza.  I could not tell if the bus was stopped in the middle of the road or not, or whether when we were left standing there we were in the middle of the road or not.  The cobblestones covered the whole area and if there had been any street markings, they had long since faded and worn away. We were bundled into our taxi -- the four of us girls who will share an apartment on Via Baccini. And sent on our way.  Not too long and he came to a stop and indicated that our apartment was up that street there and he could not get his taxi through there.  So we tumbled back out onto the cobblestones,  paid him for the ride and began lugging our suitcases in the direction indicated.

We found a door in the wall that looked pretty much like all the other doors in the wall and the key did fit, but there was a little bit of anxiety as Sarah turned it this way and that before finally the door gave way.  We walked through a narrow tiled corridor, up ancient marble stairs two flights to the door on the left.  Again a little battle with the key,  but eventually we were in our new home. It's a pretty basic place but clean and adequate; two bedrooms for four of us, two bathrooms, plenty of desks and modular closet space.  We have views onto neghboring apartments and rooftops although we do not have a balcony.

The rest of the day was our own.  We all felt like going to bed but we needed to explore our neighborhood and become familiar with getting around.  Besides, we only wer provided with an almost used  up roll of toilet paper.  We HAD to find out where to purchase some of that before very much longer! So we hit the streets.

We tramped here and there before finally gaining the courage to actually go in a place.  We were hungry and there was a multidude of good things to eat on display but the whole procedure was foreign.  If I had been able to communicate more easily and had a clearer idea of how much things cost, I would have ordered one of the delectable looking sandwiches.  As it was, I ordered a lemon gelato and it was delicious! And I felt so victorious.

We decided to walk to the ACCENT student center where our classes will be held and find the way on foot instead of bus.  I think it must be almost 2 miles if you take a direct route.  We did not.  We had to keep getting out our map and trying to figure out where we were and what street are we looking for again? We finally did find it.  I was pretty sure I'd rather take the bus back but the rest of my young apartment mates wanted to hoof it back too.  We chose a different route back and it seemed a bit more direct.  We found a "dollar store" type shop where we bought t-p and soap. Then we navigated dinner at a nearby restaurant and made it home again. I took a hot bath that felt wonderful! I had wanted to blog before going to bed but I was falling asleep sitting up.  So I gave in and went to bed around 8:45, the sound of dogs barking, intermittent sirens in the distance and the local night life alive and well outside was my lullaby.

No (significant) events

Yesterday was a very long day.  It was actually 2 days...or if you consider that I lost 7 hours maybe it was more like 1.75 days.  If that sounds confusing to you, imagine how I must be feeling right now!

We left home just shortly after 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday the 17 of May.  The 2.5 hour trip to the airport was uneventful although we did run into some traffic before reaching it.  All the parking lots were full so my wonderful daughter, Adele (who was driving) just unloaded us at the sidewalk and was on her way.  It felt like we had just reached the top of a very long roller-coaster and were about to make our descent. We had no difficulty going thru security and getting checked in.  We had plenty of time which we used in getting to know some of the other students on the trip.

The 'profesore' collected our assignments and we were ready to board for Chicago. It was a pretty rough flight. I had taken my usual half-dose of motion sickness prevention but I was still feeling woosy.  It didn't help that just two rows ahead a young man had lost his cookies...apparently no one told him that's what a barf bag is for!  Yeah, it was pretty disgusting. I'm just glad I was not the flight attendant!

We had plenty of time in Chicago and were very hungry by that time so Charis and I found a Macaroni Grill and ate Italian before getting on the plane for Rome. After our experience with the rough flight from Minneapolis, I decided I would take a full dose of my motion sickness medicine before boarding the plane on top of the half-dose I had taken earlier in the day.  It always makes me feel very sleepy and drugged up...but I wanted to sleep on the plane anyway so I thought it might help.

We were served beverages immediately after takeoff and then supper shortly after that.  I was ready to start sleeping! I took my down blanket out of my bag and it sure was cosy. I was glad I had brought it. However, sleep was a little hard to come by.  The movie they were playing was "The Tourist" which was entertaining so I watched it for awhile.

The main problem was I was seated in the middle section of the plane on the aisle seat. There were three seats across and the girl in the middle really needed 1.5 worth of space.  That meant that each of us on either side needed to give up about 1/4 our space to accomodate her.  Not only that, she was a fidgetter.  She was either digging through her bag or getting up to use the toilet and just when I thought I was falling into some real sleep she would move and bump me awake again.  Many times throughout the night I prayed that God would give me compassion for her and that my annoyance would not overflow.  Really, since the plane was full there was nothing to be done in the situation except try to be gracious. I just closed my eyes, tuned my headphones to classical music and tried to be as still as possible -- which wasn't too difficult in my drugged state. The flight was smooth. My tummy was calm and we were well on our way to Rome!

Every so often they would display a screen showing where we were along our route.  We flew north over Canada, over the Grand Banks, across the ocean, over England and Paris and I think it was Austria. At some point our cruising "land speed" was over 1000 mph and the outside temperature was -59 degrees F. I thought that was pretty cool.

And then before you knew it we were landing in Rome.  It seemed like it could have been Arizona or any place for that matter.  The airport had its big signs with arrows pointing us toward Baggage Claim in both Italian and English.  We waited for our bags and trailed our professor through customs and out to the ground transport area. While we waited for our bus, we found an ATM and exchanged our "virtual money" for "play money." Now we're set...

Itinerary

Tuesday, May 17 is departure day -- and I still can't really believe I'm going to Italy! I thought I'd post our itinerary.  That way you can follow along and google any sights you'd like to see.

May 17   
  11:30 am -- depart Minneapolis
   1:20 pm -- arrive Chicago
   4:50 pm -- depart Chicago

May 18
  9:15 am -- arrive Rome, Italy (local time, which is 7 hours ahead of CDT)
  We are told to "find your apartment on a map and explore the area. Buy groceries for the evening meal...and try to overcome jet lag by staying up at least until 10:00 pm."

May 19
  Orientation at ACCENT (student center) followed by a walking tour and lunch provided. For the rest of the day we are encouraged to explore...suggested sites are the Pantheon and the piazza Navona.

May 20
  Continue with the exploration of ancient Roman sites - the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine or the nearby church of San Clemente. Or visit one of the most important museums of ancient Roman art, the Museo Nazionale Romano.

May 21
  Various suggestions for sight-seeing and exploring include the church of Santa Maria della Concezione, with a cemetery decorated with the bones of over 4,000 deceased monks. Or visit the Protestant Cemetery where the English poets Keats and Shelley are each buried. It is near the Spanish Stairway.

May 22
  Options include attending mass at Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza (designed by Borromini.) Or find the Porta Portese where beginning early Sunday mornings the largest flea market in Europe takes place.

May 23
  Class begins with a lecture in the morning and a visit to Musei Vaticani in the afternoon.

May 24
  Morning lecture followed by visiting Campidoglio and then Musei Capitolini.

May 25
  Morning lecture and then going to Santa Maria della Pace; Pasquino and Galleria Doria-Pamphili.

May 26
  Morning tour of Sant'Agostino; Sant'Ivo alla Sapienze; San Luigi dei Francesi; piazza Sant'Ignazio; Sant'Ignazo; Il Gesu; Sant'Andrea della Valle; Santa Maria in Vallicella and Oratorio di San Filippo Neri. Lecture in the afternoon (I must remember to have a double esspresso with my lunch so I don't fall asleep!)

May 27
  Again touring in the morning -- Santa Maria del Popolo; Piazza di Spagna; Spanish Staircase; Sant'Andrea delle Fratte; Collegio di Propaganda Fide followed by an afternoon lecture.

May 28 & 29
  The weekend is free to do what we want.  I may look into traveling to Florence and seeing the Ufizzi Gallery.

May 30
  Meet and tour Ponte Sant'Angelo; St. Peter's; La Zecca. Lecture in the afternoon.

May 31
  Morning lecture followed by touring Palazzo Farnese; Santa Maria della Quercia and Palazzo Spada in the afternoon.

June 1
   Morning tour of Santa Maria degli Angeli; Santa Maria della Vittoria; Santa Susanna; San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane; San Andrea al Quirinale; Palazzo Rospigliosi Casino d'Aurora.

June 2
  Morning lecture. Afternoon visit to Palazzo della Cancelleria; Fountain of the Turtles; Palazzo Mattei; Santa Maria in Campitelli and Santi Martina e Luca.

June 3
  Meet at the top of the Spanish Staircase. Visit Casino Ludovisi; Santa Cecilia in Trastevere; San Francesco a Ripa; San Pietro in Montorio and Tempietto.

June 4&5
  Weekend free to do what we'd like.

June 6
  Lecture in the morning. Piazza Navona; Sant Agnese in Agone; Santa Maria sopra Minerva; Elephant Obelisk; Santa Maria in Via Lata; Palazzo Doria-Pamphili (exterior) and Chigi-Odescalchi in the afternoon.

June 7
  Morning lecture. Galleria Borghese in the afternoon.

June 8
  Classroom work in the morning followed by a visit to the Piazza Barberini; Triton Fountain and Fountain of the Bees.

June 9
  Morning tour of San Giovanni in Laterano; Santa Maria Maggiore; piazza al Quirinale; Palazzo della Consulta; Trevi Fountain; Accademia di San Luca; Santi Vincenzo de Anastasio; San Lorenzo in Lucina; Palazzo Ludovisi (now Montecitorio.) Work on finishing course paper in the afternoon.

June 10
  Turn in final paper. Travel to Tivoli and spend the day at Villa d'Este. A farewell dinner is served in the evening.

June 11
  11:30 am -- depart Rome
   3:10 pm -- arrive Chicago
   5:45 pm -- depart Chicago
   7:15 pm -- arrive Minneapolis

Home, sweet home!!
 


 

Packing

I can hardly believe departure date is just one week from today!! Every time I think of it I get butterflies in my stomach! So I've been thinking about how I want to pack things.  I have my basic wardrobe of 2 black skirts, 1 black trousers, 1 black capri pants and half a dozen short sleeved blouses to mix and match, along with a black lightweight cardigan.  I'll wear my shoes and pack my sandals. I'll wear the jewelry I plan to wear the whole time. (I bought some basic silver hoop earrings and an abalone shell pendant on a silver chain because of course I didn't want to risk losing my favorite accessories!)

My plan is to pack my clothing in a small carry-on suitcase and put that inside a larger suitcase that I will check. This will give me a suitcase for bringing home anything I might purchase while I'm gone.  I will carry on a backpack with my toiletries and one change of clothes in case my luggage gets lost. Also in the backpack will be my down blanket (I never travel without it.  It is lightweight, warm and squeezes down to practically nothing,) and my travel pillow. On the return trip, the backpack will pack flat without taking up too much room.  In my handbag I will have my camera, my guidebook and an empty water bottle I will fill after going through security. The only thing is to see if the double suitcase with all my clothes will still weigh in below 50 lbs.

I washed clothes yesterday so everything is clean and ready to go.  I am able to fit all but my sandals in the small suitcase, and yes, it fits inside the large one!  And good news -- altogether it only weighs 35 lbs!  But, of course I forgot the textbook I still need to pack and my sandals (which I will wear this week) These will easily fit inside the larger suitcase around the edges. I'm confident now that my plan will work. Yay!

Background Material

Here are some of the books and movies I've been reading and watching in order to get in the mood for Italy.

"When In Rome" (2010, PG-13)
This was a lighthearted chick-flick with a view of the Trevi fountain in Rome.  I enjoyed it about as much as eating cotton candy.  There were a few laughs but nothing memorable to take away.

"Visions of Italy" (2001, documentary)
I watched this with my husband who up to this point has not been in the least interested in going to Italy.  His comment was, "No one told me there was all that water!"  He would love to tour Italy by boat (especially sailboat) but give all the art and cathedrals a wide berth.  The views are spectacular, mostly shot from the air. It's what made me panicked about getting in shape.  I knew that Italy had mountains -- I just didn't know it was ALL mountains.  Very beautiful scenery set to very beautiful music.  I highly recommend this set of DVD's.

"Angels & Demons" (2009 PG-13)
This was a whirlwind tour through many of the most famous sites in Rome. The Vatican, the Pantheon, Bernini's fountains, etc.  However I found it way too gory to enjoy watching.  Each of these places is the scene of a murder and the "good guys" are always just a few moments too late to prevent the tragedy. I picked out the "bad guy" from the very beginning even though Adele didn't believe me. So, "Ha!" Only watch it if you love suspense and don't mind the sight of blood.

"Three Coins in the Fountain" (1954 NR)
I enjoyed it even if it was pretty silly.  It had a couple hilarious moments and it was set in Rome so the view was fine! If you enjoy old films you'll probably like this one.

"The Big Night" (1996 R)
A couple of brothers from Italy are trying to get a restaurant started in New York. Tony Shalhoub (of Monk fame) is one of the brothers so I really wanted to see this one.  It is a strange movie but I really liked it.  It left me feeling satisfied and unsatisfied at the same time.  I keep thinking about it and what the layers of meaning were.  Unfortunately there was a LOT of bad language.  Except for that I highly recommend this movie.  It is an exploration of the conflict between idealism and pragmatism and what is the meaning of art (in this case artfully prepared Italian food.) If  you want something to chew on long after watching this is for you.

Banner of the Bull by Raphael Sabatini
Three stories revolving around the military conquests of Cesare Borgia in 15th century Italy.

The Shame of Motley by Raphael Sabatini
A longer story revolving around Cesare Borgia.

Eyewitness Travel ROME
One of our textbooks for the class.  It is chock-full of wonderful photos, maps, and travel advice.  If you've never thought of visiting Rome paging through this book will whet your appetite!

Art and Architecture in Italy 1600-1750 v. I&II by Rudolph Wittkower
Another of our textbooks.  One of the leading texts on the Boroque period in Italy even though it was first printed in 1957.  It is not light reading, but our main text for this class so that's to be expected.

Let me know what you think if you watch or read any of these. I'd love to hear your take on things. Or if you have suggestions of other books or movies for me, please share!


   

Simple Answers are Hard to Find

It was interesting to me to find out there is a dress code for this class. I didn't know this before but many major cathedrals have a dress code. A person is not allowed to enter unless they are covered down past their kneecaps and arms have to have at least short sleeves.  Our instructor has seen cathedral guards stoop down to knee level to make sure the rule is being kept.  A man in shorts must either not enter or buy a paper wrap provided for the purpose to fasten around  himself like a skirt. Because the weather will be "warm to hot" during our stay in Rome, we were encouraged to feel free to wear sleeveless tops while we're walking around the city, but to bring along a light wrap or sweater to cover ourselves before entering a cathedral. (Thus the need for extra space in my handbag...)

This is just fascinating to me.  I consider myself a modest person, although on several occasions I have been accused of dressing immodestly.  I will have to adjust what I wear toward more modest by putting on a sweater when I enter a cathedral only to have my sensibilities affronted by looking at artwork depicting nude people.  Because really, I am uncomfortable with public displays of nudity.  Am I a prude? And what is the thinking behind the dress code? Does someone really think my kneecaps will be distracting in the presence of the greatness of Michelangelo?

The word "prude" has come to be used as a derogatory term toward someone who is excessively concerned with propriety and modesty in both attire and behavior.  It originated from a word that meant "worthy and honorable woman."  But there were those who desired to appear more worthy and honorable than they really were and their affectations and haughty critical attitude became synonymous with prudery.

I hope to live up to the origins of the word and to truly be a worthy and honorable woman.  In that sense I would be honored to be a prude.  I need to guard against a haughty and judgemental attitude toward those whose sensibilities are different from mine, understanding that I may not live up to someone elses standards. I seek to be willing to accept correction with humility and offer grace toward others in the knowledge that there is a Judge of the whole earth and I am not He.

It's In the Bag

Rome is notorious for pickpockets.  I'm notorious for carrying an overstuffed handbag that won't even close. While that gives me quick and easy access to my credit card at a moment's notice in Target, say, it would be taken as a blatant invitation to being robbed overseas. The search is on for the perfect bag. 

Purse shopping is right on up there with shoe shopping for pure fun! I mean, who doesn't like a good excuse to buy another purse -- aside from my sister, Tasha?  Okay, the joys of searching for a new handbag may not be entirely universal so if you don't understand you'll just have to take my word for it.  The rest of you know what I mean!

One of the best things about bags is that one size fits all!  Or at least most...a cross body bag does actually have to go around one's body.  I'm not quite that far gone, thank heaven, so I don't worry about that...much.  And in fact, a cross body bag is exactly what I'm looking for.  I don't want one that is too big because I'll be carrying it all day every day for over 3 weeks. But it should be big enough to hold a notebook (this is a class after all), a camera, my guidebook, and a light shawl or sweater (I'll explain this in a later post.) If there's room for a bottle of water that might be useful too.

I began my search at Herberger's.  It's a great department store and usually has plenty of good stuff on clearance or on sale.  I really didn't think it would take me long to find the perfect bag. I searched through the mountains of gorgeous purses, not allowing myself to get sidetracked (okay one or two other styles caught my eye but I was good and put them back!)  It seems that the standard design for a crossbody bag is about 9"x9"x1" or smaller.  Not quite big enough to fit a notebook (the old fashioned paper variety-- not the computer), and definitely not enough room for a light wrap let alone a bottle of water.

Hmm, this was more difficult than I imagined.  I took the time to check out the specialty shops downtown.  There are definitely a lot of cute handbags out there! But not a single one measuring around 9"x11"x3" which is roughly what I'd determined I needed.  I even went into the consignment store.  No luck on the cross body bag I was looking for...but...there was this one...it was black leather, with shiny buckles and only slightly larger than the overstuffed bag I currently carry.  If I buy this one, maybe my everyday bag will actually close...hmm...good idea! Bought it.  But still have to find the right one for my trip.

Someone told me to look at the Baggallini bags at Trumm Drug.  I stopped in there one afternoon and I must say, I love Baggallini! They are designed to travel and have compartments for everything! Also, the zippers are oversize with charming metal zipper pulls. The clasps are very functional but very charming too.  I admit. I'm a sucker for metal objects!  Only one problem...the size was still on the small side.  I pondered and fondled for quite awhile before I decided to take one home on approval.  It just might work.  But no. It did not. No matter how much I was in love, it still would not hold what I needed it to hold. So back to the store it went.

This is becoming ridiculous! Do I have to travel out of town to find a bag?  It doesn't seem like my needs are extraordinary.  Don't other people have to carry roughly the same stuff in roughly the same conditions?  Surely someone has designed a bag for the purpose!

That's when I found out about ebags.com  They literally do have every bag on the market!  Plus you can sort them and search them by category, price, brand name and even color!  I'm sure I looked at over 2000 bags! The great thing is that you can add them to a comparison chart in order to more closely compare features between the bags you like.  I had about 10 bags in my comparison chart by the end of 2 hours of browsing.  From there I was able to select two that I had shipped to my home.  Between them, the cross body bag by Derek Alexander was the closest thing to what I had in mind.  It is far less charming than the Baggallini *sigh* but it is basic, secure, and holds all I need with no room to spare. Not only that, return shipping was free on the one I sent back. Yay for ebags.com!