Today was a nice day. The weather has cooled down so much here- which I love. It was sooo disgusting when we first got here- so I'm thankful that it's starting to turn to fall weather.
After class this morning I went the to the produce market (the one closest to my apartment, on my street). Well first I had quite the experience trying to pay today...because I realized i didn't have any money on me! I had already picked out everything- and the guy weighed it and rang everything up. oops! I tried to explain through more or less charades (italians talk with their hands anyway!) that I was going to go, run back to my apartment, get some money and come back. So I pushed bag back towards him, showed him empty wallet and pointed down the street. He insisted that I leave and come back with the money, and so I left after he "blew me a kiss" ha! So I just ran home, and ran back...it was crazy...but because I go there all the time they knew who I was...and trusted me with leaving without paying.
Anyways I made two produce purchases that i was really excited about...snap peas and strawberries. The snap peas are, no lie, a foot long! They are sooo good! And they had the freshest looking strawberries ever. I enjoyed those after my lunch with a lil' nutella on the side! sooo good! They were so juicy though and my hands and face were red afterwards...I felt like I was six again and on the farm! But I really think that they were the best berries I've had since Strawberry Hill days :) I am getting so spoiled on fresh produce...
I went over to the Vatican area this afternoon, because I had to pick up the film I dropped off on Monday for my photography. So after I picked that up and I decided to do my drawing homework and some reading in the piazza in front of St. Peter's. I was there for a couple hours- it was so nice!
Oh and I bought my first spoon today...it's of 'le colesseo' and it's pretty!
Showing posts with label St. Peter's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St. Peter's. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
San Pietra and such
So this morning we went to campus at 11am for a Barbeque and club sign up- we all signed up for the cultural club...whoo hoo! From there we got the bus to the Vatican. It really was not that long of ride and we actually had walked a lot of it in the day(s) before so it was great to recognize a lot of the area.
It was amazing walking up towards St. Peters...from the main street, before entering the Piazza, it looks so small and so close. But this is thanks to Bernini who through his curving collonade, successfully created many optical illusions, and this is one of them. So as you walk closer to the front is definetly becomes larger, but without anything (like a person) to compare scale to, it would be extremely easy to think that the columns are only 20 feet tall whereas they are well over 100 (It may be way more, but I'm not sure off the top of my head). Another optical illusion is that when you stand at the center, near the obelisk, the curving collonade, appears to be straight, because all of the (four rows) of columns line up exactly. Which makes it seem like there is just one long straight wall of single columns...crazy! (And to think this is before 'technology')
Once we got inside (after going through security and bringing a scarf along to cover my shoulders!) it was yet again breathtaking. A photo will never ever do it justice. It is absolutly huge and still hard to comprehend.
After walking around in awe, both inside and out, we headed outside San Pietro to walk around the neighborhood. We actually walked quite far and made it to a bridge (the first bridge ever built to cross the Tiber river) and crossed to the other side en route to the Spanish Steps. We casually walked through small side streets and actually first stumbled upon a Richard Meier building, definetly looks out of place, but I suppose it has a certain beauty in its own right. But because it is super contemporary is it the object of much hatred for the Romans.
We finally got to the Spanish steps and by this time we were starving...so we climbed quickly in order to find some gelato!!! I picked three flavors: melone, fragola, e mango....Melon, strawberry and mango. amazing! From here we continued to walk back down towards the tram station...which actually was quite a walk...but we got to pass the Pantheon on our way again so that was great! (Third time in three days!) So we just took the tram back to our street and before getting to our apartment we stopped at a Pizzeria across the street, where Lindsay and Sarah did an excellent job of ordering a pizza with eggplant, zucchini, and spinach for only 5 euro! It was actually quite small and we would have easily ordered a second if we knew how much it would cost!! We definetly worked up a well deserved appetite from walking (again) all day long!
As I mentioned yesterday tommorrow we are doing a Wall Walk with Prof. Kirk...we have to meet at school at 10am and we probably won't be back till 6 or 7 pm! We can't wait! It's going to be the most educational hike I have ever been on. (too bad I didn't bring my 'water backpack' hehee)
Oh yes and please check out my roomate, Leah's, photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/Lkacanda. She has posted quite a few and she will continue to update- so check often!
It was amazing walking up towards St. Peters...from the main street, before entering the Piazza, it looks so small and so close. But this is thanks to Bernini who through his curving collonade, successfully created many optical illusions, and this is one of them. So as you walk closer to the front is definetly becomes larger, but without anything (like a person) to compare scale to, it would be extremely easy to think that the columns are only 20 feet tall whereas they are well over 100 (It may be way more, but I'm not sure off the top of my head). Another optical illusion is that when you stand at the center, near the obelisk, the curving collonade, appears to be straight, because all of the (four rows) of columns line up exactly. Which makes it seem like there is just one long straight wall of single columns...crazy! (And to think this is before 'technology')
Once we got inside (after going through security and bringing a scarf along to cover my shoulders!) it was yet again breathtaking. A photo will never ever do it justice. It is absolutly huge and still hard to comprehend.
After walking around in awe, both inside and out, we headed outside San Pietro to walk around the neighborhood. We actually walked quite far and made it to a bridge (the first bridge ever built to cross the Tiber river) and crossed to the other side en route to the Spanish Steps. We casually walked through small side streets and actually first stumbled upon a Richard Meier building, definetly looks out of place, but I suppose it has a certain beauty in its own right. But because it is super contemporary is it the object of much hatred for the Romans.
We finally got to the Spanish steps and by this time we were starving...so we climbed quickly in order to find some gelato!!! I picked three flavors: melone, fragola, e mango....Melon, strawberry and mango. amazing! From here we continued to walk back down towards the tram station...which actually was quite a walk...but we got to pass the Pantheon on our way again so that was great! (Third time in three days!) So we just took the tram back to our street and before getting to our apartment we stopped at a Pizzeria across the street, where Lindsay and Sarah did an excellent job of ordering a pizza with eggplant, zucchini, and spinach for only 5 euro! It was actually quite small and we would have easily ordered a second if we knew how much it would cost!! We definetly worked up a well deserved appetite from walking (again) all day long!
As I mentioned yesterday tommorrow we are doing a Wall Walk with Prof. Kirk...we have to meet at school at 10am and we probably won't be back till 6 or 7 pm! We can't wait! It's going to be the most educational hike I have ever been on. (too bad I didn't bring my 'water backpack' hehee)
Oh yes and please check out my roomate, Leah's, photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/Lkacanda. She has posted quite a few and she will continue to update- so check often!
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