Week 1: Orvieto and Roma

I can hardly believe all the things I have seen and done in only one and a half weeks here! There are two things I would like to talk about a little. One is school and the other is...drum roll please...ROME!!

SCHOOL:

Classes are going well. Each week we have four classes: Studio, Seminar, Italian Culture, and Italian Language. Studio has been fantastic, because our first project is making a detailed map of Orvieto, which means class is spent exploring this beautiful city. There are ancient Eutruscan tombs, wells miles deep, nature walks, cliffside views, ancient churches, cobblestone streets, and so much more to discover just by wandering around.

In seminar, I have been very blessed. My teacher offered the opportunity to spend the semester studying symbolism in religous architecture as well as analyzing what makes a space sacred. I am really interested in this subject, since someday I hope to design temples for my church, and because it will allow me to better understand meaning in architecture and history.

Italian Culture is taught by a historical genious, Marco. He is very passionate and knowledgeable about history, which makes the class a joy to take. He says that architecture should make people go "WOW" (picture that in an Italian accent hehe).

And Italian Language is taught to me by Serena Croce. She is fantastic!! I think she is a great woman and a great teacher, and I am eager to speak better Italian for two reasons. First of all because it sure would be nice to be able to communicate what I want to say to people here, and two because it is a beautiful language which I respect.

ROMA:
Oh, there is so much to say about Rome, so I will say it mostly through pictures. Marco took us on a tour to show us the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Michealangelo's Stairs, the World War Two Jewish Ghetto, the Pantheon, and many, many other sites. He was able to add a lot of extra information to the sites, which was so interesting! Did you know that many of the stones used to build the Colosseum were later taken by the ancient Romans and recycled to build other sites? The Colosseum is all over Rome! That's just one example.

The Colosseum was just as large as imagined. It is made out of three different types of stones.

The Roman Forum, which displays an extensive site filled with ancient Roman ruins currently being excavated.

Part of our class with an ancient Roman statue

Anyway, after the tour, I spend the rest of the day wandering around with two great girls, Berta and Melissa. We were able to see the Spanish Steps, the Vatican, the Trevi Fountain, and lots of churches and obelisks.

I think I will illustrate the rest with pictures. Anyway, consequently, I can hardly believe this is all happening to me. Seeing these things has been so much more amazing than I imagined, and I am so grateful to experience this; to be amazed!

I made a wish at the Trevi Fountain! Shhh, the wish is a secret!

Some of my pictures take a long time to load, so more to come later. Miss you all in the states

Ciao!

The Beginning

So i have successfully made it to Orvieto, Italy Many things are the same and many things are different here. The town is cliche Italian, and very beautiful. Italian houses and shops line the narrow cobblestone roads, and arched bridges periodically span overhead. The buildings are tall and  it is easy to get lost in the maze of roads. The people are happy when we try using our mediocre Italian, but many switch to English (if they know how) when we stumble on our words.

To back up, the arrival into the Rome airport was suprising. The signs arround the airport are in English often, and for quite a few miles the stores are 'Marriot' 'McDonalds' 'Toyota'. There was also lots of grafitti, a lot in English including the words 'hot boys' a lot. Luckily, as we drove away Italy's rolling hills appeared and picturesque villas dotted our view.

The first impression of Orvieto is magnificent. The Duomo (the large church in the picture), is HUGE...I cannot even describe the scale of this building. When I stand next to the door, I am not even as tall as a third of it! The Duomo is so intricate and beautiful. Very few buildings exist with this much detail and care in America - it is inspiring as an architect to witness this.

The apartment I am staying in is much more than I could have hoped for. The ceilings are beautiful wooden beams and we have a kitchen, control of the heat (something rare here), unlimited hot water and a waterfall shower, wifi, and we are close to many ammenities in town. The windows are so cute, they open out right onto the street so we can see all the hustle and bustle of the cute little Italian town. Think of a squished together town from Beauty and the Beast...that's us!

The market is one of the best parts. Lots of stand fill the piazza and a man walks around filling the space with accordian music. There are all kinds of fresh vegitables, cheeses, and meats as well as clothing, jewlery, and many other goods. "Ciao! Ciao" the people say as they pass one another. I use that word a lot.

Ciao!

Every day, my roomate and I wake up early to watercolor. We figure, with one a day, soon we will be experts! I enjoy experiencing the city as it bustles early in the morning, and I enjoy getting new experience with a skill I am inadequate at. Watercolor, sketching, all of these are relaxing and allow me to see the world around me with a more critical eye. Perhaps it is something you can try too? For me, I am getting much better already. Here is an example of one of my early ones.

During the day we mostly explore the town. It is such a unique experience to walk the cobblestone streets surrounded on either side by old Italian buildings many stories high. Everything here is so beautiful.

Really, the most impressive sight in all the city is the view from the edge of the city wall. Orvieto sits high atop a hill, an only a 3 foot stone wall divides onlookers from the steep stone cliffs leading down below. For miles in the distance, one can see rolling, green, Italian hillsides.

Ok, well there is soooo much more to tell, and I want to show you tons of pictures to illustrate what I am saying, so I think I will just upload pictures with captions to the picture tab of this blog.

Feel free to check those out for an even better feel of Italy!

Ciao!!

Come Fly With Me

January 17th - the magical day when I travel across the Ocean to live and learn the Italian way. For four months I will visit ancient (and some modern) architecture, shop and cook with Italian foods, attempt to speak the Italian language, and take classes in an Italian town. I will be living in a small town called Orvieto, which is an hour North of Rome. From here I will travel all over Europe. 
Feel free to follow my adventures here - fly away to Italy with me!