Day 47

The Coliseum at Night

Day 47- Monday, February 22^nd, 2010

Today was my first official day working in the print room on the third floor of the school. The print room is located in the studio next to our studio. I spent the first hour of my 2 hour shift working with Simone- he taught me how to work everything and installed the print drivers on my computer. It is going to be a very easy job, and I get 6 euros an hour for it- which is equivalent to $9/hr. and all I have to do is print stuff. That is, if there is stuff that needs to printed. Because is was kinda early in the morning (9AM) and we don’t really have any final work that is due, I didn’t have to print anything. I spent the last hour doing homework and getting ready for class at 11.

In forces that shape cities today, we visited Palazzo Davanzati, which is an early Renaissance palace belonging to a family clan of about 50 people. We learned a lot about domestic life and lifestyles during this time- there were about 4 floors all fully furnished. My favorite room was the kitchen- the instruments they used for cooking was quite interesting. After class I went back to the school, grabbed my stuff and got a calzone at a small shop nearby. I went to SWAN with Bryce and worked out, took a shower there, and worked on homework for a little bit. I went over to Collins later and worked on my sketchbook that was due tomorrow and looked at pictures of Rome with Cassie, Katy, Steve, and Collin.

Rome Day Four

The Trevi Fountain

One of the many structures in the Roman Forum

The Tomb of the Lost Soldier

Rome Day Four- Sunday February 21^st, 2010

Today we woke up around 9:00, got ready and ate the same breakfast again, then headed out to Piazza Navona to go on a Baroque tour around the close boundaries of the piazza. I did not think the tour was as good as the Roman Forum tour, but regardless, the man was well-informed. He had a british accent and he couldn’t stop smoking cigarettes. He probably went through a whole pack of cigarettes in the short 2 hours that he was giving the tour. We went to two different churches and a piazza which were all within about 10 minutes from one another. One of the piazzas was designed by Michelangelo, which was kinda interesting. Right after the tour, Brandon, Jackie, Melanie, Tommy, Jessicca, and Ian went to the Millennium Church by Richard Meier.

The Millennium Church by Richard Meier

One of the leading examples of contemporary architecture in one of the world's most historic cities, the Jubilee Church sets an important precedent in international church design. Richard Meier's third ecclesiastical building, reinforcing the firm's commitment to accessible civic architecture and responsive urban design.

The project features concrete, stucco, travertine, soaring glass skylights and three dramatic shells or arcs evoking gliding white sails. Unprecedented in Richard Meier's work, the concrete arcs are graduated in height from 56 to 88 feet.

The Jubilee Church combines modern formalism with a respect for historical integrity, thus transforming the traditional house of worship. Six miles east of central Rome, it will serve the suburban S. Silvestro Papa Parish, led by Father Gianfranco Corbino.

Getting to the church was the hardest part. We took a bus- which we had trouble finding at first, to a metro, then back on the bus before we finally got to the church. We were only on site for 15 minutes before we had to get back on the bus to get back to the hotel to leave at 4:00 to head back to Florence with the group. Luckily, the church was closed (most are from 11-4:00 on Sundays) so we didn’t go inside and waste more time and miss the bus- I jumped the fence anyways to take pictures of the interior. The church was very impressive- I loved the design. It was very modern and contemporary- what I liked the most was the curvilinear forms and the curtain walls that emerged from them.

When we finally got back to Rome at 4:00 we grabbed a quick bite to eat at McDonalds- which was right across the street from the Pantheon (I spent 11 euros on McDonalds!) haha! We got on a bus that was far too packed for my liking; then when we arrived at the train station we had an hour to spare before our train departed- so I shopped around at the bookstore, glancing through the many architecture books, tempted to buy at least one, but I didn’t. We left around 5 and got back to Florence around 8. I unpacked and stayed at the apartment for the rest of the night, reflected on my amazing weekend in Rome, anticipating going again with my parents when they come here in the middle of March!

Rome Day Three

The Trevi Fountain

Ara Pacis Museum by Richard Meier

Ancient Roman Ruins

Music Complex by Renzo Piano

Rome Day Three- Saturday, February 20^th, 2010

Today I woke up and had breakfast (same thing again) and headed out with the group to visit the Vatican and San Pietro. Wow, today was a big day just thinking about everything I did. I really crammed a lot in.

San Pietro and St. Peters Cathedral

The basilica originally was built in 324 at the request of Constantine on the site of the tomb of the Apostle. For more than a thousand years it was the center of Christiandom, until in 1452 Nicholas V decided to have it rebuilt. This rebuilding, however, was was not begun until 1506, under Julius II. He gave the task to Bramante, who made a plan in the form of a Greek-cross with a large central vault and four small domes. In 1514, the year of Bramante's death, the four large central pillars and the large arches supporting the vault were finished. The work continued under the direction of Antonio da Sangallo, until in 1546 Michelangelo took over and created a basilica in the shape of the Greek cross, with a grandiose and imposing appearance, conceptualizing a new dome that would constitute the dominant element of the entire structure. At the death of Michelangelo in 1564, Giacomo della Porta followed the plans of the master. In 1605 Paul V wanted to transform the plan of the Greek cross to a Latin cross. He assigned the task to Carlo Maderno, who prolonged the nave so that it reached what is now Saint Peter's Square, adding three chapels per side and finally erecting the façade.

The piazza is enormous. The Vatican is its own country, with its own institutions as well. Vatican City is a city-state that came into existence in 1929. It is distinct from the Holy See which dates back to early Christianity and is the main episcopal see of 1.147 billion Latin and Eastern Catholic adherents around the globe.

Walking into St. Peters was an experience I will never forget. The massive Cathedral is the biggest ive ever been in, and I don’t think ill ever be in a Cathedral bigger than St. Peters. Like Notre Dame, the Cathedral is decorated with frescoes and mosaics, sculptures and relics, tombs, paintings, and artwork to the extreme. It is so stunning and it took me a couple minutes to walk from the front to the back of the church. Words cant describe this experience. It was breathtaking.

St. Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, holding 60,000 people. It is the symbolic "Mother church" of the Catholic Church and is regarded as one of the holiest Christian sites. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world" and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom." In catholic tradition, it is the burial site of its namesake St. Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, first Bishop of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession.

Tradition and some historical evidence hold that Saint Peter's Tomb is directly below the altar of the basilica. For this reason, many popes have been interred at St Peter's since the Early Christian period. There has been a church on this site since the 4th century. Construction of the present basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began in 1506 and was completed on November 18, 1626.

After we went to St. Peters I headed over to the Vatican museum with Jen, Jackie, Ashleigh, and Lucas. The Vatican Museum is enormous as well, to no surprise, and it includes the Sistine Chapel, which we were most excited about.

The Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration which has been frescoed throughout by the greatest Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini, and Sandro Botticelli. Under the patronage of Pope Julius II, Michelangelo painted 12,000 square feet (1,100 m²) of the chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512. He resented the commission, and believed his work only served the Pope's need for grandeur. However, today the ceiling, and especially The Last Judgment, are widely believed to be Michelangelo's crowning achievements in painting.

We then got dinner at a pizzeria: I got spaghetti, garlic bread, coke, french fries, and ice-cream all for 10 euros. After dinner we stopped by the apartment and headed out to the Coliseum shortly after.

The Coliseum

I have a video of me walking up to the Coliseum to the inside, but it really doesn’t show my feelings I had. The Coliseum was everything you thought it would be and more. You really gain a sense of depth when you are actually there. Im surprised at how much of it was actually preserved. Besides the many tourists on site, it really has been my favorite structure thus far.

The Colosseum or Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre is an elliptical amphitheater in the center of the city of Rome, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman Architecture and Engineering.

Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespacian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign (81–96). The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" derives from both Vespasian's and Titus's family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia).

Capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. As well as the gladiatorial games, other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine. It has been estimated that about 500,000 people and over a million wild animals died in the Colosseum games.

Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and its breakthrough achievements in earthquake engineering. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.

After the Coliseum we went back to the hotel finally and ate dinner. A group of us went on a walk around Rome and explored for a little while- we visited the Trevi Founain and the Spanish steps, where you can see the Vatican, as well as Piazza Venezia. Rome was alive at night, every single street corner and piazza was filled with people- something much different than Green, Ohio. Haha

Rome Day Two

Trajans Column

Palazzetto dello Sport

MAXXI Building by Zaha Hadid

MAXXI Building

Rome Day Two- Friday, February 19^th, 2010

Our free breakfast this morning included croissants, muffins, bread and jam, coffee, and juice. I devoured about 3 of each- I was so hungry. The first place we went to today was the Ara Pacis Museum by Richard Meier, which I was looking forward to:

Ara Pacis Museum by Richard Meier, 1995-2006

The Ara Pacis museum complex employs the most up-to-date exhibition techniques and media. It is designed to be permeable and transparent with regard to the urban context of the Augusteo. In addition to the public exhibition areas, there is a small auditorium, a museum shop, office areas, and storage facilities. We spent a very long time here- for there really wasn’t that much to see. I spent most of the time in the museum shop reading a book about Frank Gehry and his firm.

The Roman Forum

After Richard Meier’s building we grabbed some lunch and headed over to the Roman Forum, where we were given a tour from a professor from Cornell University and a couple other elite universities. He was very well informed and a very fast walker. I was very intrigued by him, because by the end of his tour he had memorized all of our names. Perhaps he memorizes names so he can work on his memorization, I don’t know, but he was very smart. When he talked he closed his eyes, as if he was recalling information. However, at the same time he would point to where he was talking about, as if he had the sight memorized as well.

“The Roman Forum, located between the Capitoline and Palatine hills in the centre of Rome, was the main focus of the Roman Republic and the later symbolic heart of an empire that stretched from England to Carthage. The religious and political institutions, law courts, shops and markets would have bustled to life, and the temples and imperial monuments were architectural triumphs. Today, it requires a certain amount of imagination to picture the Forum in its former glory, as the ravages of history have not been kind. Fire, invasions and general decay have all player their part, and most recently, in 1932, the Italian fascist dictator Mussolini ordered a main road to be built straight through the site, bulldozing the narrow alleyways. Among the best-preserved monuments are the triumphal Arch of Septimius, eight columns of the Temple of Saturn and the rectangular House of the Vestal Virgins- where six virgin priestesses devoted thirty years of service to attending the sacred flame in the Temple of Vesta, the Roman goddess of the hearth.”

This exert from our ‘Reading Cities’ handout probably doesn’t accurately describe what its like to walk through the Roman Forum. The Roman Forum was the center of Ancient Rome. Period. Enormous structures, Palaces, Theaters, and Buildings were all erected in the Roman Forum. Walking through it you literally feel like you are in ancient Rome, it’s totally awesome! There are ruins everywhere: stone from columns and buildings, and ruins liter the Roman Forum, it is truly an unbelievable sight.

After the tour we went back to the apartment and took a nap. I got dinner and groceries at a market down the street. Tonight we visited the Trevi Fountain, which is perhaps one of my favorite structures in Rome:

The Trevi Fountain

The Fontana di Trevi or Trevi Fountain is the most famous and arguably the most beautiful fountain in all of Rome. This impressive monument dominates the small Trevi square located in the Quirinale district. The Trevi fountain is at the ending part of the Aqua Virgo, an aqueduct constructed in 19 BC. It brings water all the way from the Salone Springs (approx 20km from Rome) and supplies the fountains in the historic center of Rome with water.

What I love about the Trevi fountain is how it emerges from the nearby building: the fountain literally becomes the building and forms the structure overhead. What I don’t like is how tight the site is composed. The boundaries of the fountain are reasonable, but the piazza around it almost feels too dense and contained. Tourists and people walking past from street to street are more so clustered and contained rather than presented to the site: I think the architect should’ve worked on the approach a lot more.

Tonight we stayed in the common room and played card games and talked about Rome. My friend Ducco bought a gladiator helmet for 120 euros and my friend Lucas, whom I was going to go to Greece with, and I still owe 75 euros to, bought a sword for 80. There were about 20-30 people in the small common room in our hotel. We got kinda loud playing cards, but it was very fun! Tomorrow we will be visiting the Coliseum, which is on the far end of the Roman Forum, im so excited!

Rome Day One

MAXXI Building

Dome of the Pantheon

The Pantheon

Piazza Navona Fountain

Rome Day One- Thursday, February 18^th, 2010

Today we woke up early and met at the train station at 7:45 to board a Eurostar train to Rome. The train was very nice- the seats were comfortable and each set of seats had a table in the center and shades on the windows, headphones- lets just say its much better than what I’m used to. We got to Rome in about an hour and a half and took a bus to our apartment- which was 2 blocks away from the Pantheon. The apartment was very nice- there were about 5 rooms that each fit about 3 people joined together by a common space. I roomed with Tommy and Justin in a 3-person room. We had our own bathroom and mini frig and even a flat-screen HD TV with BBN so we could watch the news in English! After we got settled in we walked around to look for food. We got pizza and coke from a small shop and then went to Piazza Navona to sit down and eat.

Piazza Navona

The Piazza Navone is one of the most famous and arguably the most beautiful of Rome's many squares. The large and lively square features no less than three magnificent fountains. The piazza is very large, with many statues and a couple fountains in the center. This is the first place we went as part of our ‘Reading Cities’ class. We spent about 20 minutes in the piazza sketching and drawing, taking pictures, admiring the site, looking at the artwork from the many artists there, and listening to music from the musicians. As you can tell, the piazza was very lively and crowed during the day.

The Pantheon

The pantheon, one of the architectural wonders of the world, was built by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome; rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in 126 AD. The building is circular with three ranks of huge granite Corinthian columns under a pediment opening into the rotunda. The most amazing aspect of the Pantheon is the by far the coffered, concrete dome with a central opening (called an oculus) overhead. Even though its been almost 2000 years since its been built, the Pantheon’s dome is still the worlds largest un-reinforced concrete dome. The diameter of the inner circle of the dome is 43.3 meters, and it is one of the best preserved Roman buildings. Its function since the 7^th century has been a Roman Catholic Church and it is informally known as “Santa Maria Rotunda.”

Walking into the Pantheon is an eye-opening experience. I literally stood at the entrance for a couple minutes before I actually walked in. The dome is just so massive. I couldn’t help but stand and stare. We spent a long time learning about the Pantheon in our architecture history classes in previous years, so I already knew a lot about the Pantheon and how large of a scale it was- but it really doesn’t mean anything until you actually go there..

MAXXI by Zaha Hadid

The 1998 international competition- which included 273 submissions, was awarded to Zaha Hadid (a woman architect from Baghdad) for “her convincing and skillful integration within the urban context, the result of an innovative and highly creative architectural solution. The final design confirms the idea of an urban campus, where the traditional notion of building is broadened beyond the interior spaces of the museum to include the entire city.” We didn’t get to go inside the building because it wasn’t open to the public yet- but we did take pictures of the outside. I was intrigued by the building- the many steel columns and curvilinear façade was perhaps what stood out the most. But the irregular concrete cubical that jetted out from the top of the building seemed out of place.

Palazzetto dello Sport by Pier Luigu Nervi, 1956-57

Opened in 1957 and built for the 1960 Summer Olympics, it has a 3500 seating capacity and is constructed with prefabricated ribbed concrete. The dome stretches 61m in diameter and is braced with concrete flying buttresses. The dome was erected in 40 days due to the whole structure being prefabricated, and it hosted boxing among other sports.

Auditorium and City of Music by Renzo Piano, 1993-2002

The Roman Auditorium is not simply an Auditorium, but a complete city of music: with three halls, an open air amphitheatre, large rehearsal and recording rooms. Renzo Piano is one of my favorite architects. I did a lot of studies on him and his buildings- but never this one. And it is not a surprise that I didn’t. I didn’t like the “City of Music” as they call it- it more or so looks like three giant beatles looking at one another with an amphitheatre in the middle. I was not impressed. Regardless, we spent an unnecessary long amount of time on the site- which we entertained ourselves by playing at the playground and playing hacky sack.

So while we were at the Pantheon today, and I was lost in thought, a buy came up to me and was like “Hey man?! Are you from Kent State?! Are you looking to party tonight!!?” Right away I knew he already talked to some other architects; he gave me a flyer promoting the ‘Coliseum Bar Crawl’- which included a happy hour with free drinks, a new club or bar every 1-2 hours with a free shot at the door, and a free t-shirt blah blah blah, so of course when it came down to deciding what to do tonight in Rome, we chose the bar crawl. That wasn’t a good idea to say the least… they didn’t provide us with a way to get back home, so for most of the night we were jumping on buses and waiting for buses to take us back- it was fun, yet miserable at the same time.

The City of Rome is much bigger than Florence. The streets are more packed and there are much more tourists roaming around, haha. I also found it to be very Americanized- it had many mcdonalds and American food everywhere- and almost everyone spoke English. But that’s okay- im looking forward to being able to venture on the outskirts of Rome and experience Roman ruins where the city isn’t so dense.

Day Forty Two

Hiking through Cinque Terre

Wednesday, February 17^th 2010

Today I went to Italian Art at the Duomo.. I have to miss class tomorrow because I will be in Rome.. yay! We discussed the Cathedral complex in Florence and we went inside the Duomo. I got lunch at the OK Bar right next to my apartment and then took a nap. I worked out at SWAN and went to Ashleigh and Melanie’s apartment after to read a little and take a shower. I ran a 5K today! When I got back to the apartment I made pasta and cleaned before I went to the school to Skype- its my dad’s birthday tomorrow! We leave for Rome tomorrow at 7:45 AM! It is our first field trip for our ‘Reading Cities’ class.. I can’t wait!

Day Forty One

Tuesday, February 16^th 2010

So today I had a fingerprint screening at the police office in Florence at 7:45. A group of about 30 of us went and waited around for about 5 hours before we could get our fingerprints taken, as required by law in Italy. After the screening I went back to the apartment and made lunch and headed off to Urban Design class at 2. In studio we had a site visit and we actually got to go to the inside of the fort this time. We took pictures and walked through the fort for about 2 hours before our Franchini took us to a café to get coffee. I went to get a kebob instead with Luke, Ashleigh, and Justin. It was so good! So, of course, we don’t have any studio to do- and we don’t have class on Thursday, so I don’t have any studio to do for a week.. awesome! Shortly after I got back, I worked out with Bryce and then went to Co-op and then Ashleigh and Jackies apartment to celebrate Jackies 21^st birthday. About 15 of us were their to celebrate her birthday- we all dressed up and ate dinner and took a lot of pictures before we went out to Naima and Twice. It was a very funny night, and the weather was great! Sunny during the day and warm at night!

Day Forty

Hiking along Via dell'Amore

Monday, February 15^th 2010

Today I woke up around 9:00 and went to the school to meet with Simone about working in the print room. In ‘Forces that Shape Cities’ Frantoni gave one of the best lectures that I’ve heard thus far. He talked about architecture theory and the Renaissance- the rebirth of antiquity and “The Vetruvian Man” by Da Vinci. I would love to go into detail about “On the Dignity of Man” and Alberi’s “Ten Books of Architecture”, the role of the architect in the Renaissance and designing ‘the perfect city’, but doing so would be like re-writing Frantoni’s lecture. After class, two and a half hours later, I went up to studio for an hour or so before I worked out at SWAN and ran 4-5 miles. After I ran I made dinner- pork chops and salad, and went back to the school and skyped before I went back to my room to get some shut eye before the fingerprint screening tomorrow.. ugh. Why I can’t be somewhere else… like Cinque Terre or Paris?!

Cinque Terre Day Two

Looking back at Manarola

Sunset in Corniglia

Cinque Terre Day Two- Sunday, February 14^th 2010

Today we woke up at the crack of dawn with the sunrise shining through the curtain wall in front of us- little did we know that the view of the city scape and the sea out from our window would be this amazing. So amazing, that I didn’t want to leave. Regadless, we all took showers and cleaned up the room before leaving at 10:00 and heading out to the trail to Vernazza, which is the fourth village of the five. The hike there was long and tiresome- but it was nothing we couldn’t handle. And again, the views from the mountainside were amazing! When we arrived to Vernazza we got pizza from two different pizzerias and ate it on the beach. We stuck around for about an hour or so and got wine and gelato before we headed back out to visit our last and final destination. During the middle ages Vernazza was a harbor city ruled by 3 different families until it was finally owned by the Republic of Genoa in 1276. It has no car traffic because cars are inaccessible in this region and it remains one of the truest “fishing villages” on the Italian Riviera. More refined architecture are present, such as loggias, porticoes and decorated portals.

The hike to Monterosso Al Mare was definitely the most challenging. With the path being very narrow, and the slopes being very steep and winding through switchbacks and mountainsides- we found ourselves taking many breaks and struggling to keep ourselves going. I found the experience to be very enjoyable- a hike doesn’t feel complete without a little struggle to keep going. It was probably the most scenic path as well. I cant possibly describe the sights we saw- neither can the pictures. You would have to be there. Only when you’re there will you feel the shoreline hundreds of feet below you, the ocean thousands of feet in the horizon and the mountain-side hundreds of feet to the left and right of you- in relation to your friend who is a couple of feet next to you. To give you a perspective, I was at the base of a Cliffside overlooking the Mediterranean sea, thousands of feet below me, standing on a small terrain with little space to do anything but sit down and eat a meal. I took a rock and threw it as far as I could into the sea. Nearly 8-10 seconds later it finally hit just outside the shore and made but a little ripple on the oceanfront. Only when I did this did I really gather a sense of height and depth- we truly were on the edge of the earth.

When we finally got to the last city, Monterosso, we stopped by the harbor to rest and took a couple pictures before I finally pitched by bamboo hiking stick and boarded the train back to La Spezia then Florence. Cinque Terre was by far one of the best trips ive been on in my entire life- and to think just two days ago I was on the phone with my mom asking her if I should go to Cinque Terre or not. It makes you think just how much is out there and how small you really are. Who would’ve known that 5 small villages along a mountain side would create one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life? All I can say is that the trip was worth more than I could possibly describe- I only wish I could’ve experienced it with more people, or rather, more people could experience Cinque Terre the way I did. Ill never forget what Tommy said in the midst of the trip “Brandon, we’ll never be able to design a place like this. Man is not capable of creating this view- no now, not in the future, never.” As architects, we are taught to work hard ‘at designing a city to the measure of man’. Rationality and reason, able everything else, must govern the way we design- architects are responsible for controlling the way people circulate and live on a daily-basis. But for some reason, when you look upon a view like Cinque Terre, not only the occasional tourist, but even the architect thinks that this area was designed by God and God alone, and that no matter what man does, he will never be able to create or design something as beautiful as this.

Cinque Terre Day One

Sunset over the Mediterranean Sea

Hiking the Via dell'Amore

On the Shores of the Mediterranean!

Cinque Terre Day One- Saturday, February 13^th, 2010

Today we woke up around 9:00 and got ready for the next two days in Cinque Terre. We missed our train to La Spezia at 10:57 by literally 2 minutes so we had to board a train in an hour that stopped in a city about 2 hours in and board a second train to La Spezia- once we were in La Spezia, we took a train to Riomaggiore which is where we began our hike.

Cinque Terre, or “Five Cities”, is declared a patrimony of mankind by UNESCO; characterized by the extended presence of terraces and by five villages hidden in small coastal inlets between Punta Mesco at the West end and Capo Montenero at the East end. The five cities that make up Cinque Terre are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso, and we hiked and stopped at every city, which I will go into detail further on. “The Cinque Terre is noted for its beauty. Over centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible "modern" development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach it from the outside. It is a very popular tourist destination.”

When we first arrived in Riomaggiore we had to pay five euros to hike the trail- and the only pathway leading up to the cities was a stairway that lead up alongside a building right next to a small ticket booth near the train station. We were a little uneasy about what the journey entailed, as I had done little research beforehand, and we didn’t know if they were just trying to take out euro to walk down a path. Regardless, we paid and followed the steps up to the side of the mountain.

What we saw when we turned the corner was one of the most extraordinary sights of my life, and this is only the beginning. Keep in mind I am a backpacker- or at least I used to be for a couple years. I have been to New Mexico, Tennessee, WV, North and South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia on backpacking trips- I have seen many great views and hiked up many mountains and overlooked ‘7 states’ in Rock City, Tennessee, I went up Mt. Phillips in New Mexico- in a 2 week long hiking adventure to reach an altitude of over 16000 feet. An yet, this view to which I only had to climb a couple hundred feet to get to, was breath-taking in itself. The way the mountains peered out from the sea and created the many rocky shorelines, the many terraces, especially how the small villages emerged from the mountainside and base of the mountains- was what Cinque Terre was known for. Its what makes it so popular- one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful place in Italy. I remember telling myself that oneday I will fall in love with somebody and propose to them along the Cliffside of a mountain in Cinque Terre, overlooking a sunset in the Mediterranean Sea and the small villages that emerge from the mountains- of course, this is just a dream at this point.

Riomaggiore, the first city we went to (where the train dropped us off at) is a commune in the province of La Spezia, known for its historic character and its wine produced by the town’s vineyards. With one or two main roads where the town socializes, the city is also famous for having numerous aquariums and zoos.

The path we went on, Via dell’Amore, connected Riomaggiore to the next city: Manarola, which is the smallest town of Cinque Terre as well as the oldest. The church, San Lorenzo, dates from 1338 and the city is known for its fishing and wine-making. Most of the houses are bright and colorful and the city rests at the base of the mountain. I found this city to be my favorite amongst the five. While in the city we went to the shore and took photos of ourselves on the rocks and watched the waves hit the rocks. We weren’t in a rush to hike the trail- we knew we were going to stay the night in Corniglia and hike the whole next day. Via dell’Amore was a nice pathway- it was wide and stone, usually with a handrail on either side. Once you pasted through Manarola the path became more narrow and less user-friendly. In fact, as you continue to hike all the way to the fifth city it seemed as if the trail became more challenging- steeping, longer, and narrower. Which I thought was better- it would be a huge shock if we were climbing up a mountain on a narrow path with no handrails one step away from disaster in the very beginning of the hike.

I thought the smallest town was Corniglia. We got there right when the sun was setting- we were able to get some pictures of the sunset and it was unbelievable! Corniglia is situated along the mountainside, and it has a more rural setting than the other cities. When we arrived to Corniglia we immediately began looking for a hostel or someplace to stay. It was rather difficult- not only did we have trouble speaking or reading Italian, but almost every shop and eatery was closed- and it was a Saturday night! In fact, the way we found a place to stay was rather ironic. A man noticed we looked a little confused- trying to read a sign that actually said “Hostel- rooms available.” He told us to ring the door bell (in italian of course). So we did, and right away a lady swung open a set of shutters above us and began yelling in italian. After much “No Parlo Italiano” and much confusion we eventually walked around the building into a side door and up two flights of steps into the ladies apartment. Then, she began talking to us in Italian. I don’t think she knew one word of English in fact. We found out that she had no rooms available and she was going to call her friend. Keep in mind this lady was about 70-80 years old, very short and chubby- not to say she was ‘an old fat lady’, but she seemed pretty alarmed that a group of American Students were looking for a room in Corniglia on a Saturday night. Finally, her friend Tomma appeared on the street- another old lady who had trouble walking. The lady in the apartment directed us to her, and after a couple laughs and a little bit of confusion we left her and met up with Tomma. Tomma then took us to a hotel, or should I say cottage, about 100 meters away. We had to help her walk the way- she was very old, yet very cute to say the least. After she gave us the keys and showed us the apartment/hotel/cottage we paid her and walked her home. The experience was definetly worth the 25 euros we each paid- she made us feel at home, and spoke in a lovely Italian accent, and when she walked the town everyone greeted her with a warm welcome- just by her presence you could tell she had lived in the town for a long time, and that everyone knew her. You could really tell just how small the town was. Our room was very “homey”. Situated by a small alley in the middle of a hillside, the room was fully equipped with a kitchen and bathroom, a full bed and couch and a fold-out bed. The bathroom had towels which was a plus, and the room was very warm and comforting- something that not a lot of hostels offer in Europe. It was definitely good enough for 4 college students from the snow belt in Ohio. After we got settled in, we walked around for a little, stopped by an old café down the street and bought some chips and a coke and watch futbol before heading back to the room for the night. All in all, it was a great experience- everything from the cities we visited to the mountains we climbed- it made us feel so far away from the busy streets of Florence and the demanding semesters at Kent- a trip like this was definitely something we all needed- some time away from the city scene and developments. Tomorrow we will be hiking the two longest trails between the cities before heading back to Florence in time for school on Monday.

Day Thirty Seven

Chapel inside Siena Cathedral

Prayer Room in Siena Cathedral

Piazza del Campo

Siena, Italy

Day Thirty Seven- Friday, February 12^th, 2010

Today I woke up late, made lunch- pizza and fries, worked out and ran, and went to Billa to buy groceries. I made pork and salad for dinner and read a lot. In short, it was a productive day- I got some homework done and planned a trip for this weekend. We’re going hiking in Chinque Terra tomorrow and staying in a hostel tomorrow night. I hope to go to an orange fight in Torino on Sunday but we’ll see how that goes. I TURN 21 IN TWO WEEKS!!

Siena

Inside the Siena Cathedral

The Siena Cathedral

Under the Dome in the Siena Cathedral

Siena- Thursday, February 11^th 2010

We woke up today around 10:00 and headed to the train station to catch a train to Siena, Italy around 11:00. I got McDonalds for lunch at the train station with Jackie, Melanie, Tommy, and Justin. The train ride was a little less than 2 hours- and it was raining when we got their. We hiked to the Piazza del Campo- which is the biggest piazza ive ever seen (yes, its even bigger than the piazza outside the student center in Kent). We didn’t go to the bell tower because it was somewhere around 12 euros- but we did go to the Duomo (The Siena Cathedral) which was pretty cool. The inside seemed similar to Santa Croce- many capels lined the perimter of the aisles and tombs were located across the nave and apse of the church. The altar was pretty cool, as well as the statues and Doric columns that extended to the coffered dome and vaulted ceilings above. Out of all the cathedrals ive seen in Europe, this one ranks as one of the best. I was looking forward to seeing the Heaven and Hell painting by Giotto which used to be located above the altar- but apparently they removed it and put it in a museum somewhere- so disappointing!

When we left the duomo it was snowing- first time I saw snow in 5 weeks! The walk back was miserable- and the group separated into Jackie and I- we made the 5:18 train back to Florence. I thought Siena was a cool city- the architecture was mostly masonry compared to Florence which is mostly stone and brick roofing. The streets aren’t as dense- and Florence is known for is large overhangs and narrow streets. Siena still has its thick fortified walls that contain the dense city itself- where the cathedral and the piazza is located. I guess I would’ve enjoyed the city a lot more if the weather wasn’t so bad.

Day Thirty Five

Chocolate Festival in Florence! (Above and Below)

Wednesday, February 10^th 2010

If there’s one thing leaving in Italy teachs you how to do- its how to cook. Italy, let alone Europe, as far as im concerned, doesn’t use microwaves. Because eating out is relatively expensive, you are almost forced to cook every meal everyday. It is safe to say that I mastered making pasta and pizza- ive also made steak, pork, chicken, burgers, the list goes on. When in doubt, sprinkle some oregano and pepper on it, and its sure to turn out fine. Haha just kidding

Today I didn’t have class, in fact I should be in Greece, but instead I slept in and worked out, cooked dinner, and ran a 5k. I went to Melanie and Jackies new apartment right down the street from their old one- its very nice. We hung out most of the night and I got a Mesopotamia Kebap with everything on it- which everyone should have at least once in their life- it was so good! Later on I went to studio with Colin for a couple hours and visited some ID friends and worked on some homework. Pretty boring day- but I was exhausted most of the day.. Tomorrow im going to Siena!!