Recuperation

I am now home from the Jan Gadeyne Death March. It was nice, and I will give you the full blow-by-blow (which may take a few pages to write)...but tomorrow, or the next day. Right now, I need to sleep, crash, pass out...

Pictures and stories soon...I promise...

ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
RomanTraveller

Travelling...

So besides Rome, here are the places I will be visiting on my various breaks from my school work:

October 19-22: Athens, Greece

November 29-December 2: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

I am still looking into where I will be from October 23-October28 which is the second part of my "Fall Break." Any ideas? Let me know. But we do know the following are OUT: London (too expensive--1 pound=like 2 Euro=2.5 USD); Paris (Lauren--who's coming in the Spring--will probably want to go there, and it's pretty far); Israel. Here's what's a possibility (because I know people going): Cairo/Tunisia; Barcelona/Berlin-Munich; Croatia; Budapest/Berlin; Prague/Barcelona. OR my plan may be to just stay put, enjoy having the room to myself, and explore Rome and her hill-towns more in-depthly.

Ciao,
RomanTraveller

"The Jan Gadeyne Death March"

Please don't be offended by this title. My Flemish-Belgian Classicist/Classical Archaeologist/Art History Professor, Jan Gadeyne, so terms the up-coming weekend excursion.

Just so you know, here is where I will be this upcoming weekend (expect pictures only if I ever have enough energy to press the flash button):

FRIDAY, 28/9/2007
6.45: Meet at Buss
9.00 Arrive in Sperlonga. Breakfast (20 minutes) and visit to the Villa of Tiberius and the Archaeological Museum.
11.00 Leave Sperlonga to Baia. Lunch on Road
13.30 Arrive in Baia. Visit to Archaeological Museum.
15.00 Leave Baia to Pozzuoli.
15.30 Arrive in Pozzuol. Visit to Serapeum and Amphitheater.
17.00 Leave Pozzuoli to Pestum.
19.30 Check into hotel. Dinner.

SATURDAY, 29/9/2007
7.30 Breakfast
8.00 Leave Paestum to Pompei.
9.15 Arrive in Pompei. Visit Ancient City.
16.30 (7 hours later, no lunch or pee breaks) Leave Pompei to Stabiae. Visit Villas of S. Marco and Arianna.
18.00 Leave for Paestum.
19.30 Arrive in Paestum. Dinner.

SUNDAY, 30/9/2007
7.30 Breakfast
8.00 Depart for visit in Paestum.
10.00 Leave Paestum to Naples.
11.30 Arrive in Naples. Visit Archaeological Museum
13.15 Lunch in Naples (Pizza for 10 minutes). More tour of Naples.
14.45 Leave Naples to Rome.
18.00 Arrive in Rome.

His only advice (besides to bring good walking shoes, two notebooks, three pens, and something for the rai)? Pee before 6.45 on Friday because we won't be stopping to pee until we get back to Rome.

What a hoot!

See you all on Sunday Night, if I survive!

Sorry 'Bout That

The Vatican pictures are where they should be now. In "The Vatican" album.

Sorry 'Bout That...

Ciao,
RomanTraveller

There Up!

The Pictures are loaded at Photobucket. Look into my account for the following albums:

"The Vatican" and "Whats That The Aurelian Wall."

Ciao,
RomanTraveller

The Vatican

So, here's a great tip for all of you planning a trip to the Eternal City anytime soon: if you're going to go to the Vatican, go after 1630 any day of the week. I went on Saturday about 515 or so. There are virtually no lines, and very few people between you and whatever you want to see. I'd tell you a story, but there's very little to tell: a friend and I went to the Vatican, walked around, they rang a bell to say they were closing (one down-side to going after 430pm is that they do close at 7pm--but it's plenty of time) and then we came home and ate dinner.

I'm going to post photos soon at Photobucket. Be warned, though. Even though you have seen these pictures, go to the Vatican yourself. Walking into the Basilica is described be one Tour-Guide writer (Rick Steves if you've heard of him) as one of (if not THE) great "WOW!" experiences in Europe. And it is. Photos do not do it justice.

Ciao,
RomanTraveller

The Wall Walk

Temple University Rome has a wonderful (if deadly) tradition: The Jan Gadeyne Wall Walk. Jan Gadeyne is a Classicist and Classical Archaeologist. He teaches at several programs in Rome, but important for this story, he teaches at least two classes per semester at Temple in Rome. This semester I am lucky enough to be taking both of his classes: Latin Writers in Translation, and Art and Culture of Classical Rome.

Anyway, The Jan Gadeyne Wall Walk is a 13 mile, 8 hour, all-day walk around the Ancient Wall of Rome--The Aurelian Wall. I found it very informative, and interesting to see parts of Rome very much off the beaten path where most tourists don't even know exist! However, I do have my battle scars: three blisters. Ah well, it's the price we pay. There will be photos at Photobucket soon. I'll let you know when they're up. The Album will be called "What's That? The Aurelian Wall." Just know--since I know right now--if a photo does not have a title or caption, it is because the wall is in it, and that's that only focus of the picture. Look for the wall. It shouldn't be too hard to find. Because, even after 8 hours and 13 miles, the wall still looked like the wall.

Ciao,
RomanTraveller

Pictures!

There are pictures from Todi at photobucket!

There are no pictures of the feast at Titignano because my camera ran out of batteries. However, I will have them next semester!

My Schedule is as Follows (remember, if you are going to try to call me during my off times, I am 6 hours ahead):

Italian Language 1001: M T W R 1300-1400
Literature of the Italian Renaissance: M W 1500-1630
Latin Writers in Translation: M W 1800-1930
Art and Cutlure in Classical Rome: W 1630-1800 and R 900-1200

Ciao!
RomanTraveller

"...revision in the text!"

Just wanted to let you all know that there is a definite reason there are no overweight people in Todi. And, I'm guessing they all have thighs of steal. I woke up this morning and could barely stand up. Great exercise, though, so I'm not necessarily complaining. I think they do Todi before Titignano for two very good reasons: (a) We'd never feel like climbing up the mountain after twelve courses; (b) We burned off the fat we added back on at the meal.

Pictures still to come!

Classes start today. My earliest Monday class is at 1 (poor baby, right?). I then go until about 1930.

I'll send out my class schedule and pictures of Todi before I got to bed today...

Ciao!
RomanTraveller

What a Day!

So last night was White Night in Rome. And that is a whole other story which I do not want to go into right now (it is somewhat lengthy, and a very touchy subject right now).

This morning I got up and went with the rest of my friends to the buses waiting in the local square and got on bus headed for Todi, a hill town about two hours north of Rome in the Ubria region of Italy (Rome is in Lazio). It was a lovely day (though a VERY long hike up a mountain to get to). Coincidentally for any of you who like Zefferelli's Romeo and Juliet, Todi is the town in which the public areas, at least, were filmed. I will have the pictures up tomorrow of the square and it is readily recognizable as the square for the famous "Do you bite your thumb at me, sir..." schpeel. After shopping at the flea market, and looking at the local churches (of course), we headed back to the buses to take about an hour ride to Titignano.

Titignano is a medieval castle/fortress which has been restored and made into a sort of resort. Here, he had a fantastic (and quite long--3 hours) meal. The menu follows:

IN ORDER:
a. Various pizzas and crustini in the square--with acqua fizzante (sprakling water)
b. Cheese and salame and prosciutto (from local products).
b2. Cheese/crust melty thing
c. Risotto with asparagus
d. Pasta (not sure on the name, but wide and long) with Boar sauce
e. Venison and green beans
f. Grill of Chicken, Venison, Lamb, and/or Boar with roasted potatoes
g. Salad
h. Tramisu (with ALOT of kahlua)
i. Vino Santo (sweet white dessert wine) with biscotti for dipping.
j. Peaches and Strawberries.
k. Caffe (NOT cappuchino--NEVER drink cappuchino after a meal, very much un-Italian)

Don't worry, I bought a bottle of the Vino Santo and some biscotti and amaretti cookies to remember the meal--although lucky me, I get to do it all again next semester!

Ciao!
RomanTraveller

More Pictures!

So last night, after our dinner (salame and cheese and bread and olive oil for appetizers, fresh pasta and sauce from scratch for entree, some packaged Italian cookies for dessert), a few friends and I decided to go see an event at the Colosseum. I can't tell you exactly what it was because I don't we actually ever got there. Someone said we did, but since it was over we left. Later, someone called us and said they were still at said first event. Anyway, we walked around the Colosseum (about midnight), walked to the Pantheon (about one o'clock), and then to the Trevi Fountain. We then decided to take a bus back since we were SEVERAL Piazzas away from home (about thirty-forty blocks--New York Style). We sat at the bus stop for about twenty minutes before getting on a bus we weren't sure would take us anywhere and being told to transfer at the hub. Which we did and found the bus was actually needed. Be proud of me...I knew it all along.

Anyway the pictures in my album from the night-time walk are of some of the sights we saw. I took a lot of the Trevi Fountain. This is for several reasons: (1) There was NO ONE there, as you'll be able to see. This is a rarity. Ths is one of the great art/fountains in Rome, and always crowded. We got right up to it, took pictures, sat on the steps. We even got to throw our coins in without having to push our way to the front of the line. This is the fountain where throwing coins originated. Tradition says, if you throw a coin (backwards, over your left shoulder) into the Trevi Fountain, you will return to Rome. Two coins (the same way) and you will return to Rome and fall in love. Three coins (the same way) and you will return to Rome, fall in love, and have a child.

Enjoy!

Ciao!
RomanTraveller

More Photographic Updates

I have included two new albums at my account one which is my WALK HOME after a WALK AROUND ROME on 5/9/2007. The latter is just the highlights but I'm sure there will be more later.

Ciao!
RomanTraveller

Photographic Update

I am quite sorry that an update took so long. I started the other night to update after my walk around and when I realized how long it would take (and how late it was--0030!) I decided to wait until I had an afternoon (now) to update y'all on my adventures.

I tried to upload to my blog here, but it was sort of a disaster and very much a jumble of randomness. So, I created a photobucket account and you can view my photographs there.

Check it out. This will be updated as best I can when I update the blog. So look here for stories, and then look at the pictures (if there are any--I'll say in the blog updates whether there are picture updates).

I'm sorry for the confusion, but, believe me, this is far easier than trying to figure out the pictures I posted in my blog!

Let me know if you have any problems, and maybe I'll try a different supporter for my photos!

Much Love,
RomanTraveller

I'm Here!!!!!!

Okay, so everything was fairly uneventful. Although having four people (even though promised a triple) in our room, we do have a nice large room, and a HUGE balcony (larger than all but one that I have seen) with a table, basin/running tap, and clothes lines (there are only three washers for our four buildings (eight floors each) and no dryers...so looks like I'll be going back a little to do laundry like the locals.

here is a picture of the campus (as seen on our walk across the Tiber river). Yes it's that building with a Temple "T" billowing in the wind. And yes, we're right on the Tiber.

Gotta go, we have lunch and a meeting at campus...

I'll have an address soon!

Ciao!

JCM