Not much time to write

Quick update -- it's hotter here than it's been all year. that started the day we arrived, of course.

The work is not getting easier, but I guess I am shaping up a bit...doesn't seem as strenuous. We have found some coins, and one of the other groups found another infant amphora burial today, and we all got to check it out. Of course it was very interesting, and it is good to know that the site is rich!

In other news, our dig director Enrico (he is a young assistant professor, only 33)and two of his students, Max and Massimo, took some of us out dancing at a club on the beach last night and it was lots of fun. It's good to get to know the Italians, as the more friendly we all are the easier the work is (at least mentally). He is taking me on a tour of the Medieval churches in town this weekend, as it is what he did his PhD dissertation on, and I'm very much looking forward to that! Our group is also planning on doing something for the 4th of July and inviting all of the Italians. We have to get our hands on some fireworks...

So wish us luck and hopefully I will update soon!

Take care,
Candace

Hardest thing I've ever done

So we made it to Ravenna, although we missed our connection in Bologna and had to catch another train at a later time. Who could have forseen how hard it would be to get 12 people with tons of luggage through a train station that requires you to go down underground to get to the other side of the tracks, but has no elevators or escalators? I am really nervous about making my way back to Rome alone with luggage, but hope to jettison several pounds of stuff before then. And based on what I experienced today, I will probably be throwing most of my clothing away by then.

We are staying in a sports complex which is very interesting, but very hot. I'm sleeping on the top bunk of an IKEA bunkbed which is about as wide as a two by four and sits out from the wall by several feet, so I'll be lucky if I go a month without having a fall, which woudl be very embarassing. Our room is also very hot, especially on the top bunk. But that's actually heaven compared to the dig itself.

First day: pick axe, shovel, wheelbarrow, repeat. Pick axe, shovel, wheelbarrow, repeat. Pick axe, shovel, wheelbarrow, almost throw up, repeat. Lunch. Repeat for four more hours.

Our site has not shade and it is HOT out here! Despite all of our most valiant efforts at reapplying sunscreen we have all burned, but luckily everyone was wearing hats, so no face sunburns. It is impossible to dig in long pants because it is so incredibly hot, although several of us trie dtoday. Luckily I had on the rockclimbing-type pants that can zip off into shorts, and was able to convert when we stopped for lunch, otherwise I probably would have passed out at some point. The Italian women are digging in bikinis, and it is starting to look like a good idea.

The site may end up being interesting, though, and the work may not be so demanding once we clear the first few layers. Today was just sheer grunt work, clearing the brush and breaking up rocks and digging down through about 2 feet of topsoil. I was frankly amazed at how much dirt we were able to move in one day. There is something kind of soothing about the work, once you start to more or less float away from your body because of the heat, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, we seem to have found some sort of building already, and hit a wall, so when we get back tomorrow we will start there. It was exciting to find something so quickly. Now we just have to wait as it emerges to find out what it is...it may be a storehouse, because we found lots of amphorae sherds (handles from pots, etc.), as well as several pieces of worked bone. The director thinks it may be a bone-working workshop actually. However, it could also potentially be a house, as the structure next door is. The Italian team has been excavating it for several months and have found some interesting things, including two large amphorae (the tall, slender jugs) with the skeletons of small children in them.

So that's basically what I have to look forward to tomorrow. I don't feel like I did too poorly today, although I did really think I was going to be sick once. I think we all did. I am in terrible shape apparently, but hopefully that will change over the next few days. Plus, Taco says that my wheelbarrowing technique (we are required to call them "chariots" at the site) is charming. That running start thing really works!

And now the bad news...I was able to get to in internet point to write this by walking into town about 20 minutes and working some sort of deal with a guy who owns the bar next door to where I am now...it's an internet point that's closed during the summer, but our dig director was able to talk us in. I don't know how frequent access will be, but I'm thinking not very, so please forgive long absences on my part. Also, I have no real phone access so any calls to any of you will be few and far between. I will try to get an address for the complex we are staying at to my mom sometime soon, though, if anyone wants to send mail.

Everyone else is done internetting, so I should sign off as they are waiting on me to walk back to the hotel.

Hope everyone is well and staying out of the sun!

Ciao,
Candace

Mini post

Well, we leave for Ravenna tomorrow and I still have to pack (again -- long story) and attend a farewell dinner at the PResident's house (of the Academy that is), so I don't have time to write a real entry. Unfortunately I have no idea what our internet or even telephone access will be like in Ravenna, so I can't promise a continuation of this blog, but I sincerely hope I will have access. we are staying at an Olympic training facility outside of Ravenna about 20 miles, so if we don't have internet there I will be able to get to it only sporadically by riding into town.

But here are some notes, kind of a placeholder for myself so I won't forget what I eventually want to write about: Friday -- Medieval Day -- a tour with our excavation supervisor, who specializes in Late Antique and Medieval archaeology (my area -- yay!). Two churches (San Clemente and the other one whose name I forget right now). Medieval houses in the Forum of Nerva. Missing the Crypta Balbi. The best Gelato in Rome. Trevi Fountain -- a good story. Palazzo Altemps. Santa Maria sopra Minerva. Chiesa Nuova. Back to the Forum at night.

Saturday -- Moving into the President's house (really, really good story here). Tiber Island. The weirdest coffe house in Rome, Santa Cecilia (again).

Sorry for this very informal info. Maybe it will pique interest in some of you. Hopefully I can continue fairly soon.

Everyone take care and I will post as soon as possible. also, please think of me and all my manual labor next week. It will probably be the most difficult physical thing I have ever done in my life. We asked our dig director about the weather in Ravenna and he said "well, it's hotter than rome...but it's more humid!" Maybe "but" means something different in Italian, but he said it like that would make it BETTER. Guess I'll just have to wait and see...we're all nervous about getting there and what we will be expected to do.

Have to run.

-candace

June 23 -- No clever title

So you guys are probably thinking that I must have lots of extra time on my hands, since I have been keeping up with my blog daily, but that is not the case. I am just afraid if I let it stack up I won't be able to finish before leaving for Ravenna on Sunday morning, and I don't know what internet access will be like there, so I don't want to leave it until then!

Today we had a morning lecture on the collections held by the Academy which was interesting, especially because we were able to handle the artifacts, but after the things we get to play with at the Getty it was nothing earthshattering for me (I guess I'm very jaded about these things).

Afterwards I took a Mental Health Day -- went off on my own for the first time. I was hoping to see the Palazzo Corsini collection, which is a small but quality collection of mostly Renaissance art, but found out when I arrived that you can only get in at specific times of the day, and only if you have a group of 13 or more. Very annoying for someone who might be traveling alone, but I guess when you are privately owned you can pretty much make your own rules.

Next I got lost (intentionally) in Trastevere, the neighborhood our Villa sits on the hill above. It has retained much of its Medieval character and is very picturesque and quiet in spots. I actually saw a British nanny pushing two children in a pram. Not that that was the high point of the day, but I did feel like I was in a European country for a change.

My goal was Santa Cecilia, which Celia wanted to see while she was here (for obvious reasons), but she and I were unable to find it. After the last three weeks in Rome, though, I was better able to navigate the neighborhood and did find the church although I should say for the record that it is quite well tucked away. Unfortunately, it was closed for a wedding, but I will try to make it back before I leave Sunday, and get the pictures Celia wanted.

Next I walked to another church, Saint Frances a Ripa, which was also closed. Are we detecting a pattern here? I was frustrated, but vaguely remembered hearing or reading something about some churches closing between 12 and 4, so I hung around in the neighborhood until 4 and the priest did come and open the church. It is a small but pretty church, and houses a Bernin sculpture of a saint in ecstasy. It's not his famous Saint Teresa, but is very similar to it, if you are familiar with that piece. It was quite scandalous, and I guess still is, because of the pose and expression of the woman depicted. I'll let you guys look it up and draw your own conclusions.

But the main attraction of the church is tucked away up a couple of floors in the bell tower. I asked the priest about it and he agreed to take me there. It seems that in the 13th century St. Francis of Assissi did visit the church and stayed for several months in a penitent's cell. He was taking me up to see it when another woman and her mother asked where we were going and if they could come along, which was fine. It actually turned out to be very useful because St. Frances a Ripa is the seat of the Mexican Catholic church in Rome and the two women were from Mexico City. the priest spoke Italian and Spanish but no English, and the younger woman spoke Spanish and English but no Italian,but between the three of us we were able to converse, so I got all of the information on the cell. He even let us touch the stone that St. Francis supposedly used as a pillow during his stay.

A little Church gossip also...the priest told us that the Catholic Church is starting the beatification process of John Paul II next Thursday at the Lateran. If I were still going to be here I would go see the opening ceremony, as I doubt I will ever have such an opportunity again. But of course I will be gone by then.

Next I rode the bus back up to the Villa, where I was planning to catch another bus to the other side of the hill to go to the wax museum, which is something everyone had laughed at me for being interested in. At the stop I ran into Jen, who was upset because someone had stolen her mail at home and used one of those stupid checks the credit card company send you for cash advances and charged $3600 on her credit card! She was annoyed and wanted to get out for awhile so she came to the musem with me. It was very odd. The first two tableaux were Mussolini and his entire Fascist cabinet, and Hitler and Himmel. Then there were dinosaurs, an electric chair, and Sleeping Beauty, all in the same room. Plus some apparently famous Italian rock band dressed like the Beatles on their Sargeant Peppers album cover. I got some really good pics of those and so much more, if anyone is interested in the future.

On the way back to the villa we stopped at St. Ignazio, a church which ran out of money before building their dome, so they had Borromini come in and paint a fake dome over the crossing. It is incredible. From the door to the middle of the church the dome looks real and very impressive, but once you pass the midpoint of the crossing and look back it flattens out and distorts. Very impressive. I'm not sure photos will do it justice, but I tried.

Guess that was about it for today. Taco is waiting on me to go get a coffee before bed (counterintuitive, but what they do around here), so I had better sign off.

Hear from you guys soon!

Candace

The City Dump -- June 22

So yesterday we spent a thrilling morning at the Roman city dump. The ancient one, that is. We climbed Monte Testaccio, which is a hill that is just as tall as the 7 official hills of Rome, but is manmade. It is composed completely of broken amphorae and other pots, covered with a thin layer of dirt and vegetation. Apparently when early Imperial Rome was importing huge amounts of oil for free distribution as a part of its welfare system, they could not find enough reuses for all of the pots it was shipped in (you cannot reuse oil jars because the remnants of the old oil will turn the new oil rancid), so they began breaking them and stacking them up,using whole jugs to form the sides of this massive hill, and over the years it grew to epic proportions. It is an interesting site for archaeologists, of course, and can enable us to trace the trade routes and understand the Roman economy better, since each piece was stamped by the producer (probably of the pot), then later by officials at various checkpoints along the administrative line of the welfare system. We can often tell from the stamps the origin, weight, contents, date of shipment, destination, etc. Plus there was a great view of the city from up there! Not exactly something that will make the Top Ten Sites of Rome handbooks anytime soon, but interesting nonetheless.

We did get quite a bit of the afternoon off, though because let's face it -- there's only so much productive time you can use at a trash dump, and boy does it ever get hot on top of all of that pottery! Taking advantage of our time off, Taco and I visited Nero's Domus Aurea (Golden House), which I mentioned before is under the baths of Trajan. It was a massive dwelling that he built for himself and is an architectural marvel. only small sections of it are open at any given time, and you have to take a guided tour because otherwise people would probably get lost in the maze and wander around until they died of hunger or something. It's not actually THAT big, but the guides have to assume that everyone is stupid, so we had to take the guided tour. IT wasn't bad, except we weren't going to pay for the stupid headphones tour, and the "guide" was not a guide, just a guard that led us around, so we ended up standing for 10 or 15 minutes in whatever rooms the people that made the taped tour thought were interesting, then rushing through the ones we had come to see just because the tourists' little headphones didn't go "bing" while we were in them! I really wish places like that would offer more thorough tours to people that want to know more than what the crazy parties Nero threw were like.

So the format was annoying, but the site was amazing! Thankfully the famous octagonal room was open -- it's in the center of the complex and involves a complex system of windows and a large oculus in the ceiling, so the room itself gets direct sunlight and the rooms around it get filtered ambient light. It's very attractive, even in its centuries-old state. I was able to take pictures and video of quite a bit of it, which will also help in my classes in the future, hopefully. Having only read about and seen plans and drawings of the building previously, I was unprepared for how huge it was, how high the ceilings in all of the rooms were, etc., and am glad to have some images now that convey that fairly well.

AFterwards we went back to the Baths of Diocletian to see the sculpture collection, which was randomly closed when we went last Saturday. First we stopped in the epigraphic collection (big mistake), and by the time we got to the entrance of the sculpture collection it was once again randomly closed. That's Italy for you I suppose. The bath buildings themselves are still very interesting, although this was the third time I had seen them this trip so I wasn't overly enthusiastic. The only new element we saw that I had not been through before was the Michelangelo Cloister, the cloister of the church that is built into the baths, for which we have preparatory design drawings by Michelangelo. It's very pretty, and has bizarre animal-head statuary "growing" out of some of the bushes.

In the afternoon we had a lecture on pottery by Archer Martin, the archaeological director of the Academy. Not much new info for me, having had a fairly extensive Greek Vase Painting course, which included a section on the making of the vessels, but he is a good contact to have, so we all were glad to become acquainted with him.

Nothing went on in the evening really, we were all so tired (I think that will be the theme of the rest of the trip more or less), but I did have one interesting experience. taco and I went to get a gelatto (fancy Italian word for ice cream) at a famous gelatto place down the street from our Villa. If you buy a large enough cone, they dip it in chocolate for you and top it with whipped cream, so of course I had to go for that! Three scoops of gelatto, chocolate, whipped cream, nuts...it was just an accident waiting to happen. I ate it as fast as I could, but of course it was disintigrating the entire time and I ended up sitting on the curb with ice cream on my face, hands, feet, hair, pretty much everything within range. (Don't worry, Taco stole my camera and took pictures). It was embarassing enough as it was, but in the middle of it this beautiful Italian woman comes walking out of the shop with exactly the same cone, curly blonde hair, perfect manicure, high heels, expensive sunglasses, etc. etc. and proceeds to eat the entire thing, WHILE TALKING ON A CELL PHONE without creating so much as a drip! So there I am crouched on the curb like a scene from some National Geographic special about an indian tribe who had never been exposed to civilization and is suddenly given an ice cream, and meanwhile she is standing beside me like the Barbie that comes with a plastic ice cream cone as an accessory. Taco kept saying "see, that's how you're supposed to do it." I think Italians must be born with the gelatto-eating gene or something. But boy was that ice cream cone good!

Today will hopefully be an easy day in terms of our group meetings, and I hope to get some more sightseeing done. We're running out of time here in Rome, and there's so much I haven't made it to yet! Hope everyone is well and I will hear from you guys soon.

Ciao,
Candace

Hot hot hot -- June 21

Something out of the ordinary happened to me today, and everyone in the group was interested and, I like to think, a little jealous...I got a postcard! I have to say that I've never RECEIVED a postcard while out of the country, and it was a special one, with a beautiful picture of Texas Bluebonnets, which I shared with Taco since he doesn't know much about America yet outside of Manhattan. So thank you so much, Paul and Millie, for thinking of me and getting my address. It's very nice to hear from home!

We had such a busy and tiring day today that everyone has called it quits at this fairly early hour of the evening, which is why I get to do two consecutive BLOG entries in as many days, which is obviously rare. The funny thing, though, is that not much of what we did today will translate very well into any kind of interesting entry. It involved an awful lot of standing around in the very hot sun. My upper body is now officially ten shades darker than my legs, and if I don't make an effort to do something about that soon I think that it will be out of control by the time we get to the beaches by Ravenna. The other result of the deeping tan on the arms and face is that everyone has now begun to suspect (correctly) that my hair is not naturally red. Kudos to Jonathan, my hairdresser, for convincing them this far. But that's not what you guys sign on to read about, so I'll move on...

We visited a couple of active archaeological digs today. The first was at the baths of Trajan. This is a major site...a huge bath complex built, as some of you know, over Nero's famous Domus Aurea (Golden House). the dig is not open to the public and is actually about to reach a stopping point while they make it safe for the public to visit, which may take as much as 10 years here in Italy, or so our professor tells us. We may be the last people who have the privilege of seeing it before it is shut down at the end of this season, so I am glad we got in. It is especially interesting to me because we use it in our undergraduate classes as the example of Imperial grand-scale public architecture, but I had only ever seen plans of it. Now I will be able to explain it much better of course.

The dig is very interesting because not only is the Domus Aurea below the baths, but in the process of digging over the past few years the team has uncovered other, earlier structures, one of which is a frescoed wall from roughly the time of Nero, but no one is sure what the wall was a part of. the fresco is very interesting, and represents a city surrounded by water. No one has been able to identify the city either (I'm not convinced it is supposed to represent a real place), but very few people have had the privilege of viewing and photographing it, so maybe some of you in the field will be looking forward to seeing my pictures when I finally get them up.

After lunch we went our second site, located on the slope of the Palatine closest to the Arch of Titus. It is primarily a training site for University of Rome students, but is quite interesting because it is the site of the Meta Sudans, an Augustan and Flavian fountain (the Flavians rebuilt it much larger than Augustus'). It is something of a mystery because of its strange spindle-like shape, and there has been much debate as to its meaning and possible ceremonial function. We had a full tour of the site, but I didn't follow much of it because it was once again in Italian, loosely and intermittently translated for us. Plus by that point we were all hot and tired and a little freaked out watching the work that was going on, and realizing what we are in for for the next four weeks. I saw an image of myself in a small girl that was moving dirt. They had set up a large area for the accumulating dirt, and laid boards up it so that everyone could walk their wheelbarrows to the top to dump them. This girl, about my size, kept having to back her wheelbarrow up completely across the middle of the site and then get a full running start to build up enough steam to get it up to the top, and even then she was struggling. at least I know a trick now, I guess. I should be in very good shape by the time I get back.

The day seemed to go on forever, and by the time we were done there was no time for sightseeing. Everyone just went back to the Villa, but I hopped back on the bus to run down to the bottom of the hill because I had noticed last week that there was a Triumph store (a brand of British motorcycles) and thought I might be able to pick up a Roman souvenir for my friend Bill who drives one of them. they didn't end up having anything I could afford, but the place was amazing. It was built into a big tunnel (maybe quite old) and was just filled with hundreds of motorcycles. It was like a big motorcycle maze. I really want a motorcycle now.

Anyway, I know that this was not the most thrilling of blog entries, but to make up for it I will relate a funny experience that happened last week that I forgot to mention, but want to make sure I have a record of for when I am looking back over this blog as a kind of diary. When we were standing outside the Museo Civilita last week, a very odd thing happened -- the museum alarm started sounding and a very well-dressed, handsome middle-aged man in an expensive pinstriped suit, carrying a black briefcase, walked briskly out the front to his waiting moped, opened a luggage shell on the back, deposited his briefcase, put on his sunglasses, and drove off. It may not sound like much to many of you, but I guess I have seen one too many heist movies. I just know he stole something. Although why anyone would steal something from a museum that has nothing but replicas, I can't really say. But I'm still watching for it to show up in the papers. Like I would even be able to read it.

So I guess I will close with that and actually get some sleep tonight. Maybe I will have time to write again tomorrow, but I promise at least one more entry before we leave for Ravenna on Sunday. I hope all is well and that I will hear from some of you in the comments section or otherwise!

Love from Italy,
Candace

Tons and tons of things -- June 17 through 20

So I guess I never finished that last post...and by the way, Celia, the "real Italian dessert" turned out to be chocolate cake. I wanted to find some panna cotta, but every restaurant we went to said it was "finished" by the time we got there. So I went down and, of course, back up an impossibly steep hill just for a piece of chocolate cake. Such is life.

Anyway, after our visit to the Roman fora on Friday, four of us (Taco, Jason, Melissa and I) took off for the Piazzo del Popolo, my favorite of all Roman piazzas, to see a Leonardo da Vinci exhibit. It was not an exhibit of his art, but rather an exhibit of many of his devices, which had been constructed by the museum using his notes and sketches. You could play with most of them, which was neat, but the coolest ones (i.e. the Air Screw, a sort of proto helicopter) and the weapons were off-limits for obvious reasons. Still, all in all it was very interesting.

Then we headed on up the hill over the Piazza to the Villa Borghese which is a massive park that is home to several museums. We were on a quest to get tickets to the hugely popular Borghese Gallery, and were lucky enough to get some for the next day.

Everyone was supposed to go out Friday night but most people turned out to be too tired and so the dessert idea was hatched and our evening ended up being very mellow, which was alright because I ended up needing a lot of energy for the rest of the weekend.

On Saturday Taco and Jen and Genna and Melissa and I had a very rare opportunity to take a tour of the Auditorium of Maesenas, an ancient site that is not open to the public. Actually, everyone had the opportunity but we were the only ones who took advantage of it. The caretaker of the site had tipped our prof off that someone was going to be there that morning and that anyone who showed up would be let in and given a tour. he neglected to mention that it would be entirely in Italian, but luckily Taco had carried along his eminently useful Claridge (the essential source on ancient Roman architectural sites), so we were able to decipher most of the site. It was either an auditorium in which Maesenas' rhetoric students recited their work, or a large underground fountain. See how much we know about Roman architecture? Regardless, it was very interesting.

Afterwards Taco and Melissa and I walked over to Santa Maria Maggiore, another of the four most important Roman churches, and very interesting to me because of the Medieval mosaics located over the archway above the altar. We teach them in the Medieval art undergraduate class, but the only slides my prof has are from a book, with a big page division down the middle, so she should be happy to have my photos. It was a beautiful church, but not one of my favorites so far.

Next it was on to the Baths of Diocletian, where we had actually been during our first week, but had not seen the museums. We rushed to the church to try to catch the noonday sunbeam falling on the meridian line, but missed it by a few minutes. It also turned out that the museums we were interested in were closed for no reason (how very Italian of them). Taco and I were so depressed that we decided the only thing that could cheer us up was a Big Mac. I know, I know, but sometimes you just have to have the Micky D's.

After lunch he and I toured the Palazzo Massimo, one of the ancient sculpture branches of the Museo Romano. We were hoping to make it to the other branch later in the day, but the bus lines did not cooperate. There was much to see in the Massimo, however, including one of my favorites, a Dying Niobid. Again, I will post pictures at some point when I get back if anyone is interested in perusing them.

By this time our appointment at the Borghese Gallery was upon us so we hurried back to the top of that hill, across town, to see it. It was absolutely, without a doubt, one of the best museums I have ever been in. If you are ever in Rome you cannot miss it. I have never been a fan of Bernini particularly, but his Apollo and Daphne and Rape of Persephone are unbelievably beautiful. It's not often that I stand for more than a few minutes in front of any artwork, regardless of how much I like it, but those two statues are spellbinding.

They also have several Caravaggios, including one of my personal favorites, the David with the Head of Goliath. His stuff is so powerful.

Saturday night, again, was supposed to be a night to go out and party, but once again everyone lost steam ahead of time. Taco and I ended up wandering off to the city center, because I had been saying I wanted to see the Forum at night and could never seem to get the entire group geared up at the same time. It's much easier to navigate with just two people. Another sight that is not to be missed. There was some creepy art exhibition (if you can call it that) going on across from the Colosseum though. There are large arches holding up the hill that the Temple of Venus and Rome is built on, and a passageway underneath, and someone had set up projectors so that they were projecting images of fluttering greenish material, very ghostly, on the inside wall of the passageways, and some sort of speakers playing ghostly muttering voices, some Italian, some English, some Latin, that occasionally would get loud enough to hear a distinct phrase like "Are you ready?" It was actually quite disturbing.

Sunday was another museum day...first the Gallery Spada which is a so-so painting collection. the main attraction there is the outdoor hallway/gallery designed by Borromini. It appears to be quite long and have a large equestrian statue at the end, but when someone walks down it, you realize that it is actually a very short hallway designed to give the impression of length. The statue at the end is only about 3 feet tall, and an average (American) man would be taller than the columns at the end of the hall. Sort of a very sophisticated funhouse I guess. Quite impressive.

After the gallery we visited the Palazzo Barberini. Much of the collection is under wraps right now because of some work being done on the building, but were were able to see the four Caravaggios, including his Narcissus which is gorgeous. I don't know how many times I can use that word without sounding trite, but I don't know what else to say about it. We also visited the private apartments of the Barberini family, which houses their personal collection, and I was excited to see that they had two pastels by Rosalba Carriera, a female Venetian artist that I had worked on two semesters ago. It was the first time I had seen her work in person.

Next Taco and I stopped in at a site that is nearby, the one that I sent several people postcards from, but don't want to describe on this blog until I know they received them. All Taco said was that he thinks that the people who put it together were seriously mentally disturbed. I disagree, but I'll leave that for a later entry. I promised Mom I would eventually tell about it so that Grandmother Weddle can read it, but I'll wait a while.

Then it was off to Piazza Novona for some gelato, and I happened to mention to Taco that there are two churches within two blocks of the Piazza which have Caravaggio paintings in them. He has been complaining the whole trip about my dragging him to see the Caravaggios, but this time he asked if we could go see them (I had already seen them, with Celia). Of course I wasn't going to say no, but now I get to tease him because he has actually started enjoying the churches and the Caravaggios, a big change from last week when he grumbled about being forced to see anything besides ancient stuff and even asked me why I was even on the trip if I was interested in this "other stuff." I guess you could say he's been converted.

A few of us went out for a really good pizza that night, and then called it a day.

Today was quite busy as well. First we visited the headquarters of the Commune, the government office responsible for cataloging all of the local archaeological sites. We had a crash course on their mapping system which is interesting, but far too complicated to get into here. It should be sufficient to say that it is highly accurate and very precise...in theory you could view a map of an area, focus on a particular tomb, and zoom in even to a particular set of bones, even to a particular crack on a particular skull (provided that the images were in the database) and there would be no distortion or pixillation of the images. Cool, huh?

After being wowed by that system, we went to the Circus Maximus, which our professor had seeded with bowtie macaroni. I know it sounds like a gradeschool art project or something, but the plan was to let us practice Fieldwalking, where you spread out in an evenly-spaced chorus line and slowly walk and look for deposits of objects. It was a very hot day to be doing it, but interesting all the same. We were also providing a spectacle for the tourists, who seemed to think that we were doing something very important. Kind of makes you wonder who IS really doing something important and who is just playing with macaroni.

Afterwards, Taco and I spent quite a bit of time hunting down what must be the smallest museum in Rome, the Museo delle Anima del Purgatorio, the Musem of Spirits in Purgatory. We ended up finding it in a church and had to ring the bell to be let in the gate. It was all very Gothic (actually, it was...maybe the only real Gothic church in Rome, complete with flying buttresses), but the "museum" turned out to be about 10 photographs on a wall, all examples of handprints, fingerprints, or faces supposedly burned into objects like psalm books by deceased individuals attempting to communicate with those still living. Interesting but not overly convincing.

Guess that was about it for the last few days. someone else needs to use this computer, the only one with a scanner, so I will leave it at that and return another day soon. Hope everyone is well and had a good Father's Day, if applicable. Everyone take care and write a response if you have a minute!

Ciao,
Candace

Roman Fora and Villa Borghese

Well, today was the first genuinely uncomfortably hot day we have had since I got here...or at least since Celia left! We visited the Roman Fora...the forums of Trajan (with the famous column), Augustus and Nerva, as well as the Forum Transitorium and the Altar of peace. It was quite an interesting day because only very limited sections of these sites are open to the public, but we were given a tour by the head archaeologist and so got to see more than is normally experienced. The main problem with the setup is that she spoke no English so most of the day consisted of standing in a very deep hole in the ground (no breeze) in the blazing hot sun during the hottest hours of 11.30-2.00 listening to someone speak a language none of us understand very well, then having our professor translate very briefly what she had said. It was quite uncomfortable, but still interesting.

In addition to the Roman materials they are still uncovering at this very important site, they discovered a Medieval Carolingian building on the way down, the only non-religious Carolingian building that has ever been found, and it was of course of great interest to me. We also became some of the first people to hear the newest theory on the location of the "missing" temple of Trajan, which is a hot topic in Ancient Archaeology. It has been debated for decades, and now this researcher thinks her team has the answer, and we were privy to it.

Woops, looks like the rest of the group is waiting on me to go out...we're going to have a real Italian dessert and night on the town, so I'll have to come back soon to finish this post.

Take care everyone!

Ciao,
Candace

Churches and Catacombs -- June 14-16

Sorry I haven't been completely disciplined about keeping up the blog. I think the lack of good sleep is starting to wear on me and coming in to the Internet Cafe at 11.00 at night just seems like such a chore! I would rather sit in bed and write postcards, which I have been doing a lot of, so watch those mailboxes.

My brain is so tired right now, and so much has been going on, that it is difficult for me to think back to Tuesday to remember everything that went on, but I'll give it a shot...

Actually, I just had to ask Taco (he's in here doing email as well) and it took both of us a few minutes to come up with the answer...that should tell you something about our state of mind.

anyway, on Tuesday we visited the Palatine hill, which is the hill overlooking the Roman Forum which became the place for the Imperial palaces starting with Augustus. As some of you may know he kept his house fairly simple by patrician standards, preferring to put out the message that he was not a dictatorial emperor, merely a leader among normal men (yeah, right). anyway, his house and that of his wife Livia were joined into one large but modest dwelling -- we have examples of other rich houses of the period which are larger. The two houses are not open to the public, but we were able to visit them. When Christina and Dan and I visited with Baylor back in 1997 Alden was able to get us a quick tour, but this time I was able to go in and really take my time looking around. Also, much has changed since last time I was there...they have roofed the house of Livia, so walking in it is now like experiencing an actual Roman house...rather dark, but pretty impressive.

There are beautiful frescoes preserved on the walls, as well as some of the lead water pipe system, which of course was the root cause of the declining Roman population...lead in the water caused sterility in the women. the pipes are stamped with Livia and Augustus' names, which makes the identification of the houses fairly certain. Unfortunately, part of Augustus' house eroded off the side of the Palatine into the valley (sound familiar, Southern Californians?), but it was still an interesting visit.

Afterwards some of us milled around the Palatine Museum, which is not that great, then Taco and I took off to the Baths of Caracalla again, hoping that they would be open this time. We were not disappointed. These baths are not one of the major tourist sites in Rome, although I argue that they should be. They are incredibly massive (the biggest ever built) and fairly overwhelming. In the absence of crowds of tourists they have been taken over by many kinds of birds and it was downright creepy to walk through the massive abandoned ruins with birds calling to each other across it. I am sure they were upset that we were there, as many of them have nests in the ruins. Anyway, I highly recommend the site if you are ever in Rome.

The next day was an Art History day for us. We visited the Museo Montemartini Centrale. Again, I highly recommend this site. It houses excellent examples of Roman sculpture and mosaics, and it stored in the old electric powerhouse of Rome (from around the 1950s). The juxtaposition of the graceful sculpture against the massive iron machinery was pretty impressive. Not much to say that pictures can't say better, though.

Today was another museum day, although far less interesting in my opinion. We took the train out to the section of town called the EUR, which is the section built in the late 30s and early 40s when Germany was slated to host the world's fair in 1942. Obviously that did not happen, but the area remains the best example of integrated Fascist architecture. If you know anything about the architecture of the Fascists, you will understand how interestingly bland the whole neighborhood really is.

The museum we visited is the Museo Nazionale Civilta Romana. All of the art in the museum are plaster casts of Roman pieces. The exhibit was done by the Fascists as an attempt to educate the Roman people of their noble heritage, and to set Mussolini up as the new Augustus. I guess it is a good place to see a lot of works at one time that are separated in reality in museums in many different countries, but it just did not interest me all that much. The one thing that was interesting, though, is the scale model of Augustus' Rome which I have a photo of, nicely framed, hanging on my living room wall. I had no idea it was so massive. Again, pictures, including humans for scale, will have to tell that story.

After the museum Taco and I took a bus out the Via Appia to see some of the catacombs, which is something I have been wanting to do for years. We were only able to end up seeing one of the catacombs because of time -- St. Sebastian. This is supposedly the catacomb to which the bodies of Saints Peter and Paul were moved for safekeeping for awhile, before Constantine had them moved back to their original tombs after the end of the persecution of the Christians. Its hard to convey the experience of being in the catacombs...they apparently go on for miles and miles and this one in particular housed 60 - 70,000 burials, mostly Christian. I intend to go back and visit more of the catacombs another day, but our exploration of the Appian Way was rained out so we had to head back to town. The only other monument we were able to see was the tomb of Caecilia Metella, a huge mausoleum built for an apparently very important Roman woman in about 60 BC, then converted into one side of a Renaissance fortress at a later date. It is interested in a very crumbling way.

I guess I should cut this off for this evening and rejoin the group at the Villa (doesn't that sound fantastic -- way more fantastic than it really is), but I will try to write again very soon.

Hello to everyone back home. I miss you guys!

Pompeii among other things -- June 11-13

Well, the very cool temperatures we have been having seem to finally have broken today, and it was quite warm, although the swallows have been flying very low and I hear that means more rain to come (apparently the pressure caused by impending thunder storms causes the insects they eat to fly lower, and so the birds come down as well) so we will see what the rest of the week brings.

I think I mentioned in my last post that I was going to Pompeii on Saturday. I did, with Taco, Jason and Melissa, and it was amazing. The weather was perfect -- about 70 and breezy, which it almost NEVER is in Pompeii! We saw everything we wanted to see and it was not crowded, another anomaly. It was also awesome to see the site with people of different specialities -- Jason does geology as well as archaeology, so he could tell us what types of building materials were used for which structures, and what that told us about dating them in relation to each other. Taco is an ancient historian which is useful for obvious reasons, and Melissa and I are both art historians, so we were able to contribute as well. we all picked each others' brains and had really interesting discussions and debates.

Afterward we walked a few blocks from the train station in Naples and had some completely amazing pizza. Celia and I had been last week to the place in Naples that is supposed to have the best pizza in the world, but it could not hold a candle to this place! I think they brushed the crust in butter!

We were pretty tired the next day, but Taco and I decided we could not waste a day in rome sitting around (although I did have to get some laundry done), so we went to the Mausoleum of Hadrian, which is now the Castel Gondolfo. Much of the original burial structure is still visible, and you have to walk through it (a massive winding ramp) to get to the upper portion of the castle, which was built for and used by the popes as a fortress. It is connected by an underground passageway with the Vatican about a half mile or so away.

Many of the rooms are frescoed and are quite amazing, and it also houses many examples of medieval weaponry, plus the view from the top is incredible -- it looks out over the Tiber and old Rome. Taco was a little disappointed because we could not get up to the very top section of the tower, which is the setting for the closing scene of Toscana, his favorite opera, but it is not open to the public.

Afterwards he and I hunted through winding streets for Santa Maria in Trastevere. It is the oldest church in rome, built in the 3rd century when Christianity was still a minority cult. It has been redone extensively since then and made much bigger, especially in the 11th century. We had to sit outside for awhile because some special service was going on. They seemed to be giving some kind of blessing to the children, but I couldn't exactly figure out what they were celebrating, so if anyone knows please fill me in!

We finally got inside and were able to look around for awhile. There is a nice 7th century painting of the Madonna and Child, but it has darkened quite a bit with time. Still, it was an interesting church to see, and the neighborhood is very quaint and attractive (and very easy to get lost in).

When we got back to the hotel we met some friends for dinner and decided to go out for a very un-Roman meal of Thai food, which was just what we needed!

Today (Monday) we had a rare opportunity -- a lecture by a very famous archaeologist and classicist, Professor J. Packer (I don't know what J. stands for!). He has been studying the Theatre of Pompey for years, and excavating when he can get permits, which he has for this year. There are no visible above-ground remains of the Theatre, which was the first major public entertainment complex in Rome, built in about 62 BC. It included a new meeting-place for the Senate, which was later the site of the stabbing of Julius Caesar. We went in and out of many buildings, apartments, restaurants, and clubs, to get at what can be seen of it now. It was a bit like a scavenger hunt, and I am not sure I understood most of what he was saying, but it was an excellent example of how archaeologist cannot just go in and do the research they would like to. No one wants to see the neighborhood, which grew up in the Medieval period literally over the theatre, torn up to get to the remains, so they do what they can in basements, etc. Dan and Christina surely will remember eating amongst some of the ruins on our last night in Rome back in 1997, and that was one of the restaurants we visited again today.

After we broke for the afternoon Taco and I tried to visit the Baths of Caracalla, which was quite a hike and was closed for basically no reason when we got there, so we will have to try again on another day. We will have to be extra careful though, as Professor Packer is nursing a sore leg from being bitten by something poisonous there about three weeks ago!

Since the Baths were closed and museums are closed on Mondays, Taco agreed to visit some more churches with me, which is really not his area of interest. We found San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains) which supposedly houses the chains that fell from Peter when he was miraculously freed from prison in Jerusalem. More interestingly to me, though (since I don't believe most of the relics are legitimate in these churches) was the famous Michelangelo statue of Moses which was really very amazing. We stood and contemplated it for quite awhile.

Next we spent a lot of time and energy finding San Giovanni in Laterano, the Lateran, which is the official basilica of Rome. It was built by Constantine in the 4th century and has some excellently preserved Byzantine mosaics, especially in the baptistry.

Also, I have been told by Catholic friends that if you visit St. Peter's, Santa Maria Maggiore, the Lateran and St. Paul Outside the Walls (which we have yet to find) all of your sins are forgiven so that if you were to die in that exact moment you would get to skip Purgatory. Of course I am not Catholic, but since I am halfway there anyway I figure I will see the other two just to say I completed the famous pilgrimage. I could spend weeks just seeing the churches here.

Well, I have to get some sleep now -- we have an early day tomorrow as we have an early-morning appointment to see the house of Augustus, which is a site that is not open to the public, although Alden bribed our way in when we were here with Baylor so I am probably the only person in the group who has already seen it. But I am sure I will get different info this time.

Hope all is well everywhere with everyone!

Ciao,
Candace

June 9 and 10 -- Stratigraphy and Cats

Well, I never did get around to posting yesterday, so I have a lot of ground to cover today...I'll have to be somewhat quick because I am getting up very early to take the train to Pompeii tomorrow with a few friends...

Yesterday we visited an Early Republican site that is not much more than foundations of a few temples...not the kind of place a tourist would go for a look around. There we discussed stratigraphy and analyzing the layers of an archaeological site in relation to each other. It may sound very dull (and parts of it definitely were) but there is something neat about knowing the kinds of stone that the Romans used at various periods, and being able to date structures just by recognizing the rock and how it weathers.

During our free afternoon several of us went to the Capitoline Museum, where many of the most famous Roman statues are housed including my personal favorite, the Dying Gaul. I spent a lot of time taking pictures of famous works from odd angles (the back, from below) so that I can give my students in the future a better idea of what they really look like than they get from silly textbooks.

The museum also has an extensive painting collection, including two Caravaggios (my personal favorite), and some Reubens, etc. There are SO MANY museums I need to visit during this trip, I don't think I will possibly make it to all of them. And Romans also like to make things more difficult for art lovers by spreading important pieces out in churches, etc. It's more or less like a scavenger hunt.

Today was quite enjoyable...we visited the Largo Argentina on the Campus Martius, which some of you might know as the site where Julius Caesar was stabbed (not the senate house, as Shakespeare leads you to believe). Others of you know it as a cat sanctuary. I had never been down in the ruins, which consist of four temples, labeled with much imagination as temples A, B, C, and D. Each of the temples was rebuilt at some point, some as many as three times, so we got to practice finding and identifying the various levels. Pretty dry stuff, but useful.

One cat took a particular shine to me and followed me around all day, occasionally nipping my heels or legs (when I was sitting down) if I did not pay him enough attention. I think they were thrilled to have so much human company, instead of people just standing around a story up and taking photos of them.

We also visited a few other Campus Martius sites such as the Theater of Marcellus, but there is nothing really remarkable to report about them, especially without the use of pictures.

Afterwards Taco and Jason and I went to the Vatican so I could mail some postcards that I had stuck Vatican stamps on without thinking about having to go back there to mail them. Jason had never been in St. Peter's, so it was fun to see him experience it for the first time. Even Taco, who is from the Netherlands and is an atheist, said that the first time he walked into St. Peter's was one of the most remarkable experiences of his life. It is impossible to convey it in words or pictures, but everyone should make an attempt to see it at some point. There were very few people there today, which is rare, and we were able to go down to see the tomb of Pope John Paul II. Since he requested to be buried in the earth, there is not much to see...a simple marble slab engraved with his name and the date. Other popes have rich sarcophagi topped with portrait statues of themselves, but John Paul wanted something simple to reflect the simplicity with which he lived his entire life. I thought that it was very appropriate and moving.

That's pretty much it for the past few days...I am tired and a little cranky, but some good rest tonight should do the trick.

I would like to answer a few questions from the comments...yes, Christina, the American Academy gives Rome Prizes for musicians. I heard a vocalist warming up out in the garden yesterday, and the piano in the Salon is reserved for Fellows. You should get on their website and see what the process is...I am sure you have to have a project in mind that specifically needs to be carried out in Rome, so start thinking about it.

And about the weather...this may come as a surprise (I know it did to me), but it has been chilly here this week. We had a big thunderstorm Monday night that blew in a massive coldfront. Prof. Terrenato says that in the 30 years he lived in Rome it was never this cold in June. I am not at all prepared for it in terms of the clothing I brought. We all shiver through our fieldwork, especially in the mornings. I decided when packing that a sweater was an unnecessary use of suitcase space, as was an extra pair of jeans (that I don't mind getting dirty). What I wouldn't give for them now! I have borrowed a sweatshirt from Taco, which is nice, but I don't have any warm pants, having packed mostly shorts, capris and light wind-pant type garments to dig in, thinking it would be extremely hot. Very strange.

So I'm also not getting as much sun as I had expected, which is probably good. What I do get, though, is only on my hands, lower arms, and face (even though I wear a hat a lot), so I will definitely have a strange-looking tan when I get back. Prepare to make fun of me.

Send news from home if you have it, and watch for postcards if I have your address! I have mailed quite a few, but the Italian post is so notoriously slow I have now idea how long they will take to get there!

Everyone take care and let me hear from you.

Ciao,
Candace

June 8 -- A REAL Archaeology Day!

So I really feel like I have done archaeology for the first time. We made the trip to Cerveteri (Caere) today to see the Etruscan tombs. I had been there before with Christina and Dan with Baylor (see the picture on Nonnie's refrigerator), but this time was special. Not only did we visit the tombs, we surveyed one of them. I learned how to make to-scale drafts of the tombs using triangulation, which was something I had never had the oppotunity to learn before. I feel like I've really been in the field now!

I did learn something new about Italy, similar to the two lessons I listed at the top of an earlier post (toilet paper optional and toilet seats optional). Apparently toilts period are optional. And I don't mean out in the middle of nowhere, where you expect it. I mean at the public site of Cerveteri. I went to use the restrooms, which I had obviously not done last time I was there, and was greeted by a porcelain hole in the floor with two slip-guard foot prints on either side. I'll let everyone just picture that for a moment and figure it out. Totally new experience for me.

To answer a couple of questions...no, Dan, none of the painted tombs are open to the public, and our professor did not ask if we could go in, except to peek into the Tomb of the Reliefs, which was good because it is one of the ones I teach.

Mom -- the food at the academy actually is yummy. we get to see the menu ahead of time and decide if we want the regular or vegetarian entree. they are all three courses...a pasta (tonight it was risotto with cheese and mushrooms), a meat dish (veal this evening, so I opted for vegetarian, which was a quite good vegetable omlette), and dessert, usually fruit, although occasionally a pastry. The bread is also good, and salad is plentiful, so we aren't doing so badly in that respect. The pack lunches they make for us to take into the field, on the other hand, are pretty bad. Every day the same thing (get ready to laugh, those of you who have been here) -- mozarella and tomato sandwiches. I don't know if I can eat them every day for 7 weeks, but I will definitely try. Having the food provided has been great -- I have barely spent any money since being here!

The Academy had a reception for us tonight, as well as for the participants in the paleography and National Endowment for the Humanities summer program (they are studying the history of fascism). The Fellows were also invited, those scholars who have won the Rome Prize and are invited to live for a year at the academy, actually in buildings in the apartment, to further their research or art, or music, or whatever they are doing. the President of the Academy spoke to us all and not-too-subtly informed us that most of the Prize winners were participants in the summer programs in previous years, and encouraged us all to apply in the future, so I'll definitely think about that.

I really wish I could send pics of us getting dirty. We look quite silly really, but it's so exciting to finally be learning how to actually DO something in the field! We also all took pictures of each other laying down on the carved beds in the tombs, just for fun, so I'll make sure that those who are interested get to see those at some point when I get back.

By the way...I don't have a good physical address to receive packages here, as many have asked, because we are only here in rome for 2 and a half more weeks, and Italian post is famously slow, but I don't know our address in Ravenna yet. too bad, because I would obviously be getting goodies if I did, based on how many people have asked! But for those of you who have not given me your home addresses, post it here or send it to cleopatravii_1@hotmail.com to receive a postcard!

Love to you all.

Ciao,
Candace

June 7 -- Roman Forum

Hello to everyone again. Its been so nice to log on here and see the responses from everyone.

First of all, congratulations to Christina on her big news. I definitely think that change is good, and I know you will have a great time in your new position. for those of you that have no idea what I am talking about, make sure you are reading the comments for each post. If you dont know how, all you have to do is click on the number of comments listed at the bottom of each post, and they will all open. Theres some really interesting stuff there!

As far as my day went, there is not a lot to report...we visited the Roman Forum and were there for several hours, but absolutely everything Prof. Terranato told us was new to me, which was very exciting! He lectured on the earliest history of Rome and told us how the valley that the Forum is in used to be far lower, and helped us envision it before human settlement, then described how the Romans reclaimed it from multiple yearly floods by filling the bottom in with sediment scraped from the sides of the towering hills above. From there he went on to describe what we know about the various levels of human construction in the area, beginning with wattle and daub huts and coming through past the Roman period of the buildings as we see them now and considering the later MEdieval structures that were sadly destroyed by archaeologists interested only in the Imperial periods of Rome.

After the lectures several of us went wandering around the Forum on our own, and a very amusing thing happened...three of us were considering an inscription put up by Augustus to his sons Gaius and Lucius Caesar, and discussing the grammar of it, etc. A woman came up to us and said "Im a guide if you have any questions." I very politely told her thank you, but we didnt need a guide (she of course would have expected money for it) and she got very annoyed and said "Oh yes, I can tell you dont need a guide...I heard you just making it up as you go along" then stormed off. It was a little annoying considering that the combined academic backgrounds of the three of us (a Latin epigrapher, an ancient historian, and an ancient Art Historian) was obviously more than sufficient to understand the inscription. I also thought it was a bizarre tactic for someone that lives off of convincing people to use their service. As Nonnie would say, you catch more flies with honey than with
vinegar.

Afterwards, we visited the Forum Boarium, walked the length of the Circus Maximus, and went to the Capitoline to see Michelangelos piazza and the statue of Marcus Aurelius, all on our own. Then another yummy 3-course meal at the Academy, and now we will all convene on the roof of our Villa for some conversation and that will be that! Tomorrow is the visit to Caere (Cerveteri) the Etruscan necropolis and yes, I will watch out for killer rabbits, Dan!!!

Hope you are all well and I hope to hear from you soon!

Love from Italy,
Candace

June 6 -- First Official Day

First, I thought I would respond to a couple of questions that popped up in the comments section...

I am staying at a Villa on top of the Juniculum hill, the hill closest to Vatican City. We are next door to the building where all of the priests who come to study at the various universities in Rome stay. Pretty safe neighborhood, Id say...unlikely to get mugged by a priest, or by someone who is afraid to mug a priest.

The weather is beautiful. It hasnt been too terribly hot (by Texas standards) and is pleasant in the evenings. But it is about to get very hot for the rest of the summer, so I hear. It actually rained a little today, and Jason and Taco and I tried to race over to the Pantheon to see the rain come in through the oculus in the roof, but if any of you have ever tried to race anywhere in Rome, you know how successful that must have been.

Someone also wanted to know who Joshua is, and Joshua wanted to know why no one knew who he was, so for those curious parties, he and I went to high school together and just became reacquainted last weekend at our high school reunion, just in time for me to take off for foreign lands, and for him to enter an intensive training period to prepare to work with youths\young adults at a church in the Fort Worth area. You wont see him show back up on here for awhile because he has committed to 30 days of no contact with the outside world while he studies scripture and spends time in meditation. Those of you who are praying for me, which I appreciate, he could use some support as well.


Today I had my first introduction to the Academy. It is an amazing place with a fantastic library, very quaint, with the ladders around the shelves, etc. and dark wood panelling, like I have always wanted in my house. Extensive gardens as well, and a lovely central courtyard with fountain around which we will eat all of our meals, community style at long tables mixed in with all of the various scholars working here. Everyone I have met so far has been quite nice, and we are all having fun getting acquainted.

A few of us, as mentioned above, took off this afternoon after our History of Italian Archaeology introductory lecture, and went to see the Baths of Diocletian, over by the Termini, the main train station. I had seen them from the outside every day last week when Celia and I walked by, and they were visible from our hotel, but I had no idea the extent of the interior that was open (or we would have gone in also). About a quarter of it was converted, in the 16th century I believe, into the church Santa Maria degli Angeli, Saint Mary of the Angels and Martyrs. It is absolutely beautiful, and is also famous for the presence of a sundial at an angle through the sanctuary, lying directly on the meridian line that passes through Rome (15 degrees latitude). There is a small pinhole opening on the side of the church that produces a beam of light on the floor that at exact high noon each day falls on the sundial. If you are interested in seeing pictures, I am sure there are plenty to be found online through Google, etc.

At this point it started raining and we tried to make it to the Pantheon, as I mentioned earlier, but by the time we got there it was no longer raining. But it is still an amazing building and since it is Jasons first time in Rome Taco and I gave him the whole tour, which was fun.

It then took us forever to get back to the Academy because we stood at a bus stop for about 20 minutes before a local kindly stopped and informed us that the bus route no longer comes that way. Thanks for not taking the sign down, city of Rome! But we did eventually make it back and even though we were 20 minutes late for dinner, they served us anyway, so all is well for the time being.

I guess thats about all I have to report for today, thrilling I know. Oh, I did find out one interesting thing that I have in common with a fellow participant though. Taco, who is from the Netherlands (where apparently the name Taco is quite common) used to play bells when in college, as did I. The only difference was that he actually pulled on the ropes like you see in movies, while I played from a console. But still he is the only other carilloneur I have ever met outside of school.

Guess thats it for now. I hope everyone is well!

Oh, and yes, Christina, I will pick you up a figurine. Which would you rather, the Tower, the Coliseum (or do you already have one of those?) or St. Peters?

June 5 -- New Friends

Not much to report today but seeing Celia off to the airport and getting settled into the new digs (Villa Bassi on top of the Juniculum hill, overlooking, well, everything). I have met half of the 12 people in the program, and six of us had a wonderful pizza dinner in a quaint little piazza at the foot of the hill. Tonight will probably be an early night, and tomorrow bright and early we find out what will be expected of us for the next two months!

Oh, I almost forgot...I saw the pope today. He gave his periodic blessing in St. Peters, from his apartment window. I was lucky enough to be standing by an American priest in the crowd, who translated his remarks to me. I also had some things blessed...actually, anything in the square with me at the time was supposedly blessed, although the priest said I had to actually concentrate in the right frame of mind for it to be official. Some of you may be getting blessed postcards soon, so watch those mailboxes!

How does this thing work?

I just realized that the blog may only show the last entry I make on the screen when you log in. You have to navigate by the toolbar on the right to see other posts. I have been dividing them by days, so there are actually four new posts (not counting this one) since I got here. I know you guys wouldnt want to miss a single moment of my ramblings, so be sure and collect them all!

June 4

Today we took it mostly easy...saw the Piazza Novona, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and the Cappuchin crypt. I dont want to say too much about that because I am sending out some postcards from there and want them to be a BIG surprise!

No big adventures today really...just a lot of pretty architecture in the way of churches (such as San Lorenzo, off the Piazza Novona, which houses a couple of Caravaggios, my favorite artist of all time). We stopped in a church for the 7.00 mass in the Piazza del Popolo and heard some Gregorian chants, which was nice.

Weird...it sems like there was more to it, but I guess not...I wonder if the daily surprise is yet to come? If so, I am sure you will read about it here soon!

Actually, I just remembered something...Celia got attacked by a cat. We went to the Cat sanctuary which is located in a section of the Campus Martius. Its quite picturesque, with all the cats lounging among the remains of the ancient temples. we went down to visit the indoor hospice and check out their giftshop. Celia tried to pet one of the cats and it went a little crazy on her. Nothing major, just a few nasty scratches, but the only injury of the trip so far, thankfully! And slightly funny, if you were there.

I miss everyone and am happy to know that some people at least are reading this. Its really really nice to be in touch with everyone back home, and I wish I could pack all of you up and bring you over! Not at one time though.

Lessons from Rome

1. Toilet paper in public toilets is optional.

2. Toilet SEATS in public toilets are optional as well! Quite shocking for us ladies.

So last time I wrote I had caught up to yesterday, so Ill pick up from there...

Yesterday was the most exercise I have had in...well, ever really. Celia and I took of for St. Peters and the Vatican Museum which, not incidentally, is the largest museum in the world and quite confusing, as some of you know. There are hordes and hordes of people, all marching like zombies towards the Sistine Chapel, which is of course located at the end of the museum.

Anyway, we decided to start with the basilica. On our way in we were waylaid by a tour guide group working for some sort or cultural ministry, who offered us a free tour of the basilica, with an optional paid tour of the museum afterward. We were going to have to stand in the massive line to get in anyway (by far the largest I have seen, many there to see the new tomb of John Paul II), so we stood with the tour group and went through with them. The guide was a very nice young man, although not all of his information was correct. We decided not to do the museum tour, though, after I talked to him about what we would see on it. I wanted to know what of the ancient art we would see (they have SO MUCH important, famous stuff) and the guide said "oh, none of that...just the important stuff." That was enough to convince me that the tour was not for us (especially at $20 in addition to the museum entrance fee).

So we set off on our own and entered the museum, only to find that almost all of the ancient collections were closed, as was the picture gallery. Not a good year for Italian museums apparently. But we were still able to see my favorite ancient piece, the Laocoon, which is housed in an exterior courtyard. We also saw Raphaels School Athens in the Stanza della Segnatura, and of course the Sistine Chapel, which was quite different from what Celia expected. If youve ever been, you probably understand.

After these several hours of extensive walking tours, we decided to really go for the gold and climb to the dome of St. Peters. This was not possible last time I was in Rome, as there was some sort of construction going on at the time. They were probably installing the stairs-slash-torture devices. Because we were incredibly tired already, we decided to pay four extra Euros over the price of the entrance to ride the lift. Money well spent, we assumed. What we did not fully realize was the magnitude of the statement "Advisory for the elderly or infirm...there are 392 stairs to the dome in addition to the lift ride."

So there we were, climbing 392 stairs. That is a lot of stairs. A lot. Especially when they keep getting narrower and narrower, and then the roof eventually starts leaning in to form the dome, and you are climbing at an angle. The last bit is actually straight up and down, and so narrow there is no room for a handrail...a rope suspended from the ceiling is all you get to haul yourself up. and let me tell you, by that time your legs are so worn out that using your arms is preferable. But we did make it to the top and when we stepped out, the view was breathtaking. The dome is the tallest point in Rome, and no taller buildings are allowed to be built. You could see everything. I wish I could attach pictures here, but just try to imagine the panorama of Rome, and hopefully many of you can see pictures later.

Oh, and between the section with the lift and the terrible stairs, we walked out onto a catwalk around the inside of the base of the dome. Mass was being said at the time 15 stories below, and the monks were doing Gregorian chants. It was one of the most phenomenal church experiences I have ever had.

Also of note...there is a gift shop on the roof of the Vatican. Who would have thought? It is staffed entirely by really old nuns. They must live up there, or all have cyborg knees or something, because I cant imagine them taking the stairs every day. But truth be told, it is without a doubt the best giftshop in the Vatican.

Anyway, we made it down alive but incredibly sore, and rode the subway back to our neighborhood, and walked back to the hotel. When we got there we got in the lift. Its one of those old-style elevators with the doors that open out by hand, and the gate beyond that. We climbed in, shut everything, and pressed our floor. The lift went up half a floor and stopped. We thought we would just open the door and climb down the six feet or so, but quickly realized that the safety override means that we cannot open the door between floors! We didnt know how to yell for help in Italian, although any loud noise would probably have helped. But luckily it started agains hortly and we went back down those six feet and got out.

Of course then we realized that we would now have to climb STAIRS to our room! So on top of the 392 to the dome of St. Peters we added another 125. We barely wanted to leave for dinner, dreading the climb back up, but hunger drove us out.

And that was another entire adventure! We walked around for awhile trying to settle on a restaurant, and finally picked one directly across from the hotel (Murphys Law). Celia ordered roast pig and when it came she said "Candace, this is a piece of pig." I thought "Of course it is. Duh." But then she said "No, really, its a PIECE OF PIG." Sure enough, they had just cut a slice right off a pig (in the alley in back?) and roasted it up, skin and all. It was like one of those dissected slices you make in high school when you cut right through the middle. Meat, fat, skin, HAIR! Luckinly for me, the massive Coke I had ordered was big enough to block my view of her plate. She had a bunch of potatoes and two desserts. Lesson learned.

Disaster Day

OK, OK, it was not really a disaster...it was an ADVENTURE!

Celia and I had planned for weeks to make this our day to visit Pompeii, which was right at the top of the list of things Celia wanted to see in Italy. We had purchased our train tickets weeks ago and were looking forward to the trip down to Naples and then on out to Pompeii.

The train trip was a little over two hours, and was pleasant. Visions of Hogwarts danced through our heads (for those of you who know what that means). The countryside was beautiful, etc., etc.

After arriving in Naples, we went to the basement of the Termini (train station) to catch the smaller train to Pompeii. At the ticket window, we were informed that Pompeii was closed! I had carefully checked the schedule before buying train tickets, but we thought maybe they had forgotten to list the closing because Thursday was a national holiday, Republic Day...the celebration of the end of WWII in Italy. But I had to ask why it was closed, and the ticket guy, who did not really speak English, just kept saying BOMBA BOMBA (I can't figure out how to do quotation marks on this European keyboard, so bear with me..quotes in all caps). We finally found someone who DID speak English, who told us that, ironically considering the holiday, they had discovered an unexploded WWII bomb close to Pompeii and had to close the site.

Of course we were glad not to blow up, but were very disappointed. I suggested to Celia that we go instead to the site of Herculaneum, which was a city on the other side of Vesuvius which was covered in mud during the eruption. It is much smaller than Pompeii but actually better-preserved in some ways (for example wood has survived here but did not at Pompeii). It is also obviously far less famous and usually not crowded at all, but was packed to the gills with people diverted there from Pompeii by tour guides who did not want to lose a day's revenue.

Anyway, at the train station we were approached by an Australian man who was looking for someone who spoke English, and was wondering what was going with Pompeii. I told him about Herculaneum and he asked if he could join us. Of course we were glad for the company, so we all set off together. His name was David and he was really pleasant and spent the whole day with us.

Herculaneum was great...I highly recommend it, even if you CAN get to Pompeii.

AFter that we went into Naples proper to see the Museo Archaeologica Nazionale, the largest archaeological museum in the world. Celia said if we couldnt see Pompeii, we could at least see the art and artifacts from it, since they are housed here. If you have been paying attention to our streak of luck this far, you will not be surprised to find out that the Pompeii wing at the museum was closed also! Cleaning or something. I tried to act important and tell them I needed access for research purposes, but they said we coudl only get in if we sent them a request by fax first because Italy is very bureaucratic. I suppose we could have gone to a store somewhere and done it, but we decided not to bother.

The one great thing about the museum, though, was that they have now opened a room that was closed to the public for many years...the "Secret Chamber." You still have to make an appointment, but they were not too busy so we were able to get in. Its the room that has all of the naughty art, mostly from Pompeii and Herculaneum. If you have ever seen photos of the Pompeii brothel, you will know what I am talking about. It was interesting to see, because most of the artifacts have not been displayed previously, and I had only seen them in pictures.

surprisingly, some parents had the very bad judgment to take their young children in (which I think should be prohibited). It was a great insight into parenting choices. For example, one 10 year old (or so) boy kept telling his mother very loudly "Mom, that man sure has a big good luck charm!"

Anyway, the museum was great, and afterwards David took us out for what is supposed to be the Worlds Best Pizza. It was no Papa John's, let me tell you!

We were super tired, and ready to get the train back, so we went to the station, where we waited and waited and our train never came. Finally they posted it up on the board as being 30 minutes late (this was 30 minutes after it was originally supposed to leave). We waited the 30 minutes, and suddenly it was listed as an hour out. At this point we decided to spend some Euros to upgrade to the high-speed train since we had no idea how long we would wait. But for some reason, because of the holiday probably, the high-speed crept all the way back to rome and we got back about 4 hours later than we had planned. But we were safe and had made a new friend, one who wisely chalked everything that day up to Travel Adventures.

Day 1

Wednesday was Ancient Day. Celia and I went to the colosseum, the Forum Romanum, the Imperial Forae of Augustus and Julius Caesar, the Palatine (which was quite welcomingly breezy after the burning searing heat of the forum below), and Trajan's column. We also visited the Mamartine Prison, which is the prison where Peter and Paul were kept before their executions, and is the setting for the Biblical story of the conversion of the Roman centurion. there is an eternal spring that springs up from the floor of the prison, from which Paul (if I remember correctly) took water to baptize the jailer. No one knows why the spring is there, but it was the spot where the Romans threw high-profile prisoners, as well as Vestal Virgins who had been caught doing non-virgin things, and left them to starve to death, a particularly cruel end since there was plenty of water to prolong their agony.

After taking in these very important sites, we decided to go see the Bocca della Verita, of Roman Holiday fame. Armed with our trusty maps we set out on foot to what we thought was the site, a church whose belltower we coudl see in the distance. It was, of course, the wrong church. Once we had established that we decided to walk on to the correct site. It was at this point that we learned a very important lesson: you will always go the wrong direction on a Roman street. Every single time we made a turn it was in the completly opposite direction from where we wanted to be. After about two hours of extremely hot and tiring walking we decided to learn to navigate the bus system. Having by this time given up on seeing the Bocca, we only wanted to get home. Which is when we learned a very important lesson: Roman buses do not work on a circuit=type route. they go from point A to point B and stop at the end. Since our destination was on the beginning of the route, we rode for a long time only to have the bus stop and the driver throw us out. we were finally able to catch another bus back the other way, but we had to retrace the entire route, passing the point we had started at halfway.

We did manage to have a nice dinner at a litte family=type place in our neighborhood that night, which helped put us back in good spirits, which was really nice because we were going to need all of our patience for the next day, which I will call Disaster Day! (see next post)