Take me back to Constantinople. No you can't go back to Constantinople!

You know the saying that everyone has a Turkish Uncle? Well I guess you can add me and the other 19 Rome students to that list. We were extremely fortunate to have met and spent time with the carpet seller who Eric knew from his first visit to Istanbul when he was a student. Ismet Odabasio is our very generous and humorous Turkish Uncle. Having people who knew Istanbul and were able and willing to take us around or help us was something very valuable to this trip. One is able to gain a whole different experience knowing locals; almost as if you become an "insider" with greater access to what the city and culture really is. You no longer exist as simply a tourist or merely an observer conditioned not partake in what is happening beyond oneself, unable to move past the glass and into the tank. Separated by an inability to understand or blocked because one exists as an outsider therefore unable to see past the layers of tourism and business and therefore blocked from being able to get a clearer view of what is the true essence of the locale.

Uncle Ismet reading my fortune from my turkish coffee grains

(Photo courtesy of Eric Jenkins)

Day 1:
We met outside our Roma housing at 11:00am and arrived at our hotel in Istanbul around 8:30pm (7:30pm Roma time). To say it was a long day is an understatement but we all arrived safe and hungry. After running up to our rooms long enough to put down our stuff, throw off our coats, and freshen up, we all headed up to the 8th floor/rooftop restaurant for our first group meal in Turkey. The food was very interesting and quite appetizing.
When we arrived there was a plate at each seat filled with different appetizers for us to sample and there was also a dish with a salad that was kind of like cole-slaw without the dressing. As we were enjoying our assortment of foods, waiters continued to bring out other foods to fill up our plates with. Our main course was lamb that was served over what looked like very smooth mashed potatoes which turned out to be some sort of eggplant/flour thing (clearly the name and what it actually was escaped me but you get the concept.) I enjoyed the plethora of appetizers but, while I generally very much enjoy lamb, the main course itself was not my favorite though I can't say I completely disliked it. We finished our meal with a carmel flan (I think it's called something else in Turkey but once again, you get the concept) along with either coffee, apple tea, or turkish tea (which is chai but chai apparently just means tea so it's referred to as turkish tea).
After being stuff full we allowed our stomachs to settle a little over conversation and admiration of the view. At the restaurant level we could look over the whole city to the water with spectacular views of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. I realized I never actually took pictures from up there but the view was spectacular and I am sure other members of the group thought to take a couple. Stephanie Cervantes and I were more than fortunate in getting a room on the 7th floor with a view almost as good as the view from the roof. 

 View of Hagia Sophia from our room window

 View of the Blue Mosque from our room window

Hagia Sophia and the some of the city

Blue Mosque

After finishing dinner, the group decided to go for a sort stroll to burn off some of the meal and to get our first taste of Istanbul (and first taste of turkish baklava as well). The night was a little cold but it was certainly beautiful. Seeing the mosques in the night all lit up is magical. 

 Hagia Sophia

Blue Mosque 

Fountain in between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque

 (Changed colors at night) 

Standing by Hagia Sophia looking towards the Blue Mosque

Day 2:

Generally when hotels have complementary breakfast you pretty much expect subpar dining complete with dry bread, generic cereal, and bruised fruit - no complaints considering it's a free meal (sort of) but it's certainly not something that motivates you to jump out of bed in the morning. Now imagine our surprise when we are greeted once again by the rooftop view, this time in the sunless day light, and a table filled with about 5 different types of honey, fresh mini croissants and rolls, fresh bread, cheese, different meat, hardboiled eggs, cereal, yogurt (2 different kinds), fresh vegetables, fruit, tea, coffee……. The honey alone made me drool. Needless to say we got out of bed every morning knowing we were going to be well fed for the day.

We started off the day around 9am, heading as a group to visit Hagia Sophia. Let me preface this first by saying, honest to God I NEVER thought I would EVER go to Turkey. Istanbul was never a place that made it on any of my lists of places to travel to or that I was knowingly even really interested in. It wasn't until I had gotten to Istanbul that I realized where I was and how much I loved it. We have studied Hagia Sophia in I-don't-even-know how many classes and I can promise you that if I had ever been told during one of those lecture that I would actually get the opportunity to see it from the outside let alone visit the interior that I would say that person is crazy and full of… Anyways, it wasn't until I was standing underneath the one of the pendentives to the central dome of Hagia Sophia that everything hit me. Something that I honestly never even considered doing, a place I had never intended to visit, a building I never thought possible for me to see… it was happening. Disbelieve and even a little confusion washed over me in that second and in that moment all I could do was stand there alone trying to catch my bearings. It was as if I can gotten the wind knocked out of me emotionally.

Class Time!

Outside of Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia Interior

Angel that has been revealed from Islamic coverup

So Beautiful

Side wall

Interior view toward the Apse

Christian mosaic uncovered

Another Christian mosaic uncovered

Central Dome 

(This is my favorite picture)

Looking down towards the altar

Interior View towards the entrance

This one's for you, mom

We enjoyed sometime in the church turned mosque turned museum to sketch and explore. After a couple hours we were supposed to meet by then entrance but Eric noticed some "X"s on the floor that corresponded with the central dome. We decided to spend sometime forming the dome by standing in the "X"s, which ended up attracting a bit of attention. At one point we got the wave going with some additional participants who were not part of our CUA family but we are grateful for their participation. After a couple photo ops we decided to depart the magnificent Hagia Sophia and continue on to the next stop. 


The next stop was Yerebatan Sarayi (Basilica Cistern) deep underground. When we entered the cistern, we had no idea what to expect and most of us were very surprised as we stumbled into the dark, expansive structure dimly lit with beautiful accent lighting. The columns supporting the structure were obviously reused from other buildings etc. because they were all different sizes, styles, etc. which made the organization even more impressive because of the perfect lines and proportions that seemed to still have been accomplished. I didn't even notice how much the columns differed until I got towards the end of the cistern when I realized that I was surrounded by massive columns with almost an hourglass shape that could have supported an extremely large load such as an elevated road or bridge. 

Entering the Cistern

Incredible

Fish and Coins

Sidewall of the Cistern

View through Cistern

Light at the end of the tunnel? 

Medusa Head One

Medusa Head Two

As the path through the Cistern ended, we made our way up the steps and back out into the freezing cold level of the street. Shivering, we navigated through the streets to the much anticipated Spice Market where we found some relief from the cold. After walking through the market from one end to the other we split for lunch on our own, free to enjoy the market. Once lunch was finished we visited the Yeni Valide Mosque, our first mosque of the trip, and spent sometime sketching inside. While the interior of the mosque was certainly more comfortable than sitting outside, it still did not provide much heat to thaw our cold bodies so in order to keep us going Eric and Marina treated us to some hot turkish tea at a local place near the mosque. Once our fingers had warmed up again we headed to the nearby Rustem Pasha Mosque, our last stop of the day as a group. Rustem Pasha was a smaller mosque than Yeni Valide and we also spent a small amount of time sketching here. When it was decided to call it a day we headed back to the hotel taking a more "scenic" root via smaller not so touristy roads with Eric as the leader. 

Yeni Valide Mosque

Rustem Pasha Mosque

Prayer Carpet in Rustem Pasha

When we reached the hotel we were given the option of going to the hammam (baths). We were all prepared that it would be a new experience and it certainly was. Details are probably not exactly necessary and in the end I was very happy I went and I would go again in a second. I will share a little story though; as soon as we found out what room we were actually supposed to go in, we were ushered in quickly by the older women who were working there. In the baths, women and men are in completely different areas and women go topless. I was planning on easing my way into removing my towel but as soon as I went over with the woman she snatched the towel right off of me in front of our group and put it down for me to lay on. A little shocked at what had just happened I thought out loud "well, I guess I'm the first one out." I had wanted to get a massage along with the whole bathing ritual but the place was so busy that we weren't sure if we could get one and in the end the massage really didn't seem necessary. Going to the baths is basically one whole pampering session and what girl doesn't love that?


After the baths a bunch of us decided to try out hooka (since it's kind of the thing to do in Istanbul). We found a place close to our hotel that is located on the top floor with a balcony and beautiful view of Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque. The man working for the restaurant told us to split one hooka per two people which turned out to be entirely too much hooka. We shared 6 for about 14 people - lemon, apple, grape, strawberry, watermelon, and melon - and I'm pretty certain we didn't finish them all. Thankfully they weren't too strong and we all had a good time relaxing for a couple hours. For those of you that are unfamiliar hooka (aka waterpipe, aka nargila) is flavored smoke essential; generally flavored tobacco, sometimes just flavored herbs (I guess?) but nothing illegal or hallucinogens etc. After a couple hours, we decided to allow our lungs some fresh air and headed back to the hotel for a good nights sleep.


Day 3:
To be continued...








Day 4:
To be continued...




The day ended in a very peculiar way. 


Day 5:
If ever there was a day where plans changed and "winging it" resulted in a completely unpredictable string of events even better than the ones that had been planned, then this was that day.


We headed out of the hotel at about 9am in the direction of a mosque we hadn't been able to visit earlier in the week but low and behold the mosque was closed. On to Plan B: wander the hans.


To be continued...






Day 6:
On our last full day in Istanbul we all woke up to the sun shining through our windows; the first and only day we had seen sun the whole trip. Prior to this morning we were beginning to think that the sun didn't shine in Istanbul and were beginning to forget what the warmth of the sun felt like. The day commenced with a visit to the Topkapi Palace. We spent the majority of our time exploring and admiring the harem of the palace. The different tiles, mosaics, and painting was exquisite and the movement through the harem was intriguing. Many of the rooms, courtyards, and hallways had information about their history and function which helped to understand the organization, use, and layout of the harem. It had a clear hierarchy that corresponded with the Sultan's favor, the need for an heir, and the allotment of power; as there existed a line of power for government, there existed a line of power in the harem from the Mother Queen down. 

Wall Tiles in the Harem

Entering the Harem

Walkway in the Harem

Ceiling in the Harem

Dome in the Harem

Stained glass window

Floor tiles in Harem

Dome in the Harem

Ceiling in the Harem

Princes' Room

Courtyard Pieces

Dome in Harem

Palace Pool

Royal Courtyard

Royal Courtyard

Pathway Sultan took through the Harem

In the Sultan's Pathway

After spending time in the harem, we ventured out to the rest of the palace which is basically laid out as a series of courtyards, each one becoming more private/exclusive than the next (similar with the Harem). Since it was quite cold, many of us took refuge in the interior spaces with exhibits including displays of clothes worn by previous Sultans and multiple rooms showing palace jewels and other valuable items (such as the 86 carat diamond originally recovered from a 'rubbish' pile and then claimed by the sultan). I think the diamond is actually 62 carats but then was surround all the way around with smaller diamonds; and by smaller I mean still multiple carat sized diamonds.

Wall Tiles in the Palace

Other Parts of the Palace

In one of the courtyards

Overlooking part of the courtyard

Palace Grounds

Palace Kitty <3

After our morning stroll through the palace we headed to Uncle Ismet's for some Turkish pizza which he generously supplied. Turkish pizza takes more effort to eat than american or italian pizza however; it's more of a pita/flatbread topped with ground meat, cheese, and spices which you then fill with fresh lettuce and squeezed lemon juice then roll/fold and eat! We had the option of spicy or non-spicy, I chose spicy which was sooo good but had to be enjoyed with a drink nearby… not too spicy though. We also stayed to look at some more carpets and carpet bags and then most of us split off to go shopping. I stopped by the spice market for one last time to pick up a variety of teas including love tea, relax tea, mixed green tea, rose tea, and a tea to help with stomach aches. After the spice market it was off to the Grande Bazaar to find little spoons for my turkish tea cup set and evil eyes to bring home to my family to ward off evil. I was looking for a specific gift for my mother which turned out much harder to find than I expected but in the end I think I purchased something that is going to look great in her new yoga room (once it's finished).

As the sky grew dark and the sun began to set, we all journeyed down to the water's edge to catch a ferry that would take us to the Asian side of Turkey.

European Side from the Ferry

From the Ferry

From the Ferry

On the Asian side we made our way to a little restaurant owned by a man who's goal is to return to/bring back traditional Turkish cuisine and way of cooking. We were seated as a group on the upper level of the restaurant and were started off with appetizer type food. Much like the first night group dinner, as we ate more food was being brought to us. What none of us realized when we started was the dinner was going to consist of multiple courses of different types of Turkish food for us to try. After the appetizers, which consisted of mostly dips, our plates were cleared and we were brought a clean one that was then filled with two different types of stuffed grape-leaves, then a dish with meat and then falafel and then… one thing after another. At one point all of us were served a deep purple drink that turned out to be fresh Mulberry juice which I now believe to be heaven in a glass (I think I shed a tear when I took my last sip). Once again our plates were cleared and this time we were brought a bowl. All of the sudden the waiters were placing multiple bowls filled with different soups and stews in front of us to share between four of us; at one point I think we have about 7 different bowls filled with more than enough food for a taste.

Couldn't even get all the bowls in the picture

So much food!!

At this point we were waving a white napkin flag in surrender; the food was too good to neglect but we were too full to even look at it.

Please no more food...

Thankfully for us the next course was desert. Thyme tea was served to each person and a dessert plate was placed on each table of four; tomatoes, olives, pumpkin, walnut (including shell), and oranges soaked in a sugar syrup until soft and saturated and then topped with thick sweet cream and pieces of walnut. Unbelievable and so delicious. I would've never guessed the tomato was just that from it's taste and I generally hate olives but I think I have 2 or 3 of the sweet dessert olives. The walnut shell had softened so much from being soaked for so long that nobody even realized that it was the shell. After the dessert plates were finished off, the waiters brought out a box of turkish delight that was much different from any I had had up to this point. They were almost more doughy but, as was everything else that we had eaten that night, delicious.

Dessert Plate!!

Thyme Tea… Interesting but good

(What you could call an acquired taste)

After dinner, we waddled our way to catch the ferry back to our side. On the way there, we were met by some small children who were begging for money and actually attached themselves to members of our group. While we were all away of the severity of the situation and the fact that the children were most likely set up to pickpocket the members of our group, we all couldn't help but laugh as we watched the spectacle before us. A small boy latch himself around Stephen Riley shouting things in Turkish and refusing to let go as Stephen gripped his wallet and cellphone from within this coat pocket. What seemed to be the little boy's sister followed the little boy's actions and tried to hug her arms around Katie Miller. Finally Eric had to step in with some stern Turkish words to get the persistent little con-artists (specifically the little boy) off of Stephen and Katie and away from our group. Humorous way to end an evening in Asia. Once we returned to the other side, friendly competition began as the group headed back to the hotel; CUArch Amazing Race in Istanbul. I can't imagine how it must have looked to see 20 American young adults and their professors speed walking/running down streets, across streets, cutting through parks and courtyards at 11 at night… It was one of those things where you probably had to be there to catch the humor and fun of it all but for us, as Andrew Laux would say, "its called making memories." (For the record, Justin and I got official first and Kelly and Speer got unofficial first.)

Enjoying our last night out

Before the running started

Day 7:
The bus arrived to take us and all our acquired turkish goods to the airport bright and early. By 8:00am everyone was on the bus sleepy eyed but ready to go. By the end of the week during our Northern Italy trip, everyone was extremely ready to be back at our Rome home but this time, while we all seemed to miss Rome, nobody really seemed ready to leave Istanbul. For many of us, Istanbul became a place that we all  hoped to return to. I can honestly say that I would be very sad if I never returned to Istanbul and after spending the week here I have realized there is much more to see throughout Turkey as well. Istanbul is a place to be careful in but not to fear; it is a city to be enjoyed for all that it is - the good and the bad. There is so much to see, do, and experience in Istanbul and I really believe it is all extremely worthwhile so if you're thinking of places to travel to, look into Istanbul. I told my mother to buy the book Strolling Through Istanbul; it is a book my teacher owns and used for this trip and his past trips. I think my mother would absolutely love Istanbul, in fact she already knows she would as well. She even asked me if I were to return to Europe at a later date, where would I go - Rome or Istanbul? I thought about it for a second and then answered, "Istanbul." While I absolutely love Rome, I really do feel the need and desire to visit Istanbul again even for just a couple days; I think you would get much more out of spending a couple days in Istanbul than one would spending the same amount of time in Rome. But of course, this is only my personal opinion after only a short reflection period and there are still many, many, many more places in Europe and elsewhere around the world that I would like to spend time in. 


We landed in Rome about 1 or 2 and then had to take taxis back to our housing because our bus transportation forgot about us. Our return was bittersweet but everyone seemed pretty happy with the much warmer weather in Rome than we had in Istanbul. Once we arrived back at the housing, many people were immediately preparing for their Spring break trips out of Rome which meant a lot of laundry, getting boarding passes printed, and getting re-packed. Katie, Kelly, and I gave ourselves a couple extra days so we could settle down and have some time before rushing out to travel the world again (plus we got to see Katie's parents who were here to visit!). Tomorrow morning (EXTREMELY EARLY) we get up to take a bus to Termini to take another bus to the airport to take a plane to Trapani and then, later in the day, take another plane to Malta. Malta seems like a very interesting place to visit and, while I am excited for the warm mediterranean weather and beaches, I am more excited for the history and beautiful architecture that Malta has… Get ready Malta because here we come (and please, please, please be really warm and sunny)!

Istanbul was Constantinople now it's Istanbul not Constantinople…

Turkish delight on a moonlit night? Such a strange but catchy tune…

Still can't believe that this time tomorrow I will be in Istanbul, Turkey (which by the way, in case you didn't know, is an hour ahead of Italy… whole new country, whole new continent (we're flying into the Asia side), and whole new time zone). I have my bag mostly all packed except for the things I need tomorrow and I think I am ready to go! Very excited and a little nervous for this trip but everybody else's excitement (including my mother's) makes the nerves less and less. As I drift into sleep tonight I'm sure I will be thinking about all the new things I am going to see and the new world I am going to enter (a whole new worlddddd… Aladdin?). I can't wait to buy a beautiful head scarf from the market and maybe some spices to cook with (not too hot though!). Maybe also a leather bag/purse for all my "stuff" but probably no turkish rugs (unless I find a magic carpet and the cave of wonders but I think that's in Arabia). Many of us are very excited for an adventure at the Turkish baths and I think I am most excited to see Hagia Sophia as well as the spice market.

Istanbul seems to be the place of new beginnings… as the song says "Istanbul was Constantinople now it's Istanbul not Constantinople…"I am hoping that this trip serves as a refresher for our whole group. We are starting to get at that halfway point and it seems to have started to take a toll on the group as a whole as well as individuals and relationships. There will be a lot to do and see in Istanbul that is new and exciting and while each of us will have our own experiences with each thing the fact that we will all be, as a group, traveling and experiencing together is important. Hopefully this trip can act as a cushion or threshold between the first half of our time abroad and the second, where everyone can release the negative and be reinvigorated with excitement and positivity for this experience and opportunity. We are also fortunate enough to come back from the trip right as our Spring break is beginning. This combination of time off as a large group and then as smaller groups or individuals should be just what the doctor ordered before we all reconvene in Rome to jump into the rest of the semester with both feet.

On that note it is time to say buonanotte perché sono molto stanca e domani ho una giornata molto intensa. (translation: goodnight because I am very tired and have a very busy day tomorrow)


Arrivederci e buonanotte. Ci vediamo in una settimana.

Allora, va bene!

As promised...

Derive Project with Christ Testa and Justin Fosbenner

 Close up top left

 Close up top right

Close up bottom right 

And last but not least...

Project Two

I think that I can say confidently that the jury for project two went fairly well. A couple really good points were made regarding where the highest point of the building should be located based on the plan and my personal objectives for the site. If there were a next part to this project, I would focus on further articulating the materials based on hierarchy of spaces as well as how the materials interacted relating to what was happening in the interior. I would also take into account the discussion of height and work with rotating the glass component so that the highest point faced the street and was positioned over the stage space while lowering the height of the lobby/entrance space to a more human proportion. For spending only a week and a half's time on this project I can honestly say I am content with the work I produced. I think my layout could have been much more successful as well as choice/production of diagrams/drawings for presentation. I think I could have also shown a little bit more in the form of diagrams what I was already beginning to think about/work on in terms of using different materials based on hierarchy and function. Overall, between the quick urban design activities and this project, I learned a lot in our first real exposure to urban planning and enjoyed it immensely.

Countdown to Final Jury #2

The hour is upon us; final jury for the 2nd project of the semester is already here. Sitting next to me is the project ready to be pinned up; complete with toning, labels, and line weights (and the cause of a very sore wrist/hand.) With only one project and two juries left (jury for the first part of the project and then final) the realization that we're half way through the semester is puzzling. I am convinced that time moves quicker here… precious hours spent working on final projects seem to fly by twice as fast as they do in Crough and spring semester, which to my torment seems to always drag on longer than Rochester winters, is moving quicker than summer vacation.

Why is it that time really does fly when you're having fun and that all good things must come to an end (and always sooner than you think they should)? So as I prepare for today's jury one thing remains on my mind; time. Normally I daydream about fast-forwarding to the end of the jury, bypassing the long hours of critique (which always seems personal and negative when you're on very little sleep and presenting your work to be judged subjectively) and skipping to the celebrated or even disheartening end to the jury, a nice comfy bed and a good meal. This time, however, I'm not going to wish for the end of the jury but rather remain thankful to be sitting in our studio building in Rome, allowing time to move at a slow pace and not wishing for the time to be gone sooner than I truly wish it to be.

Se non è vero, è ben trovato. (Even if it's not true, it makes a good story)

So it's been about two weeks since we returned from our Northern Italy trip and even though I still have not finished my complete narrative of the trip, I am pressing onward with a new post. It's crazy to think that in a week we're going to be going on yet another trip, this time to Istanbul, Turkey. It sometimes feels like we just got back from our first trip and yet we're already preparing for our second therefore I figured this was a good time to recap what has been happening since we returned from the north.


Of course the weekend we returned from the trip was extremely low-key consisting of mostly laundry, sleeping, and relaxing. I'm pretty sure everyone was very happy to be back in Rome, off our feet, and in a constant location. Even with a couple days of rest, nobody ignored the need to be productive - we still had to finish our blogs by Thursday February 10th and then hand in our sketchbooks and present our Derive on the 15th. We also received our new studio project which is due the Wednesday before we leave for Turkey. So needless to say nobody is without something to do or work on and there is no time to be bored (or reason considering we're in ITALY!). As stressful as this all may sound to some of the people reading this, it surprisingly isn't. Sketchbooks, while I wish I had had much more time to work on and refine my drawings, are very relaxing and enjoyable. When you're being graded on them, and aren't necessarily "gifted" at drawing, it can be a little worrisome and stressful but the task itself is freeing and one seems to improve with every new drawing, every new line, constantly learning and experiencing. Working consistently in a sketchbook has helped to change the way I look at and think about architecture. It's a whole new approach to the physical world when you are translating it into a two-dimensional medium.


Every aspect of this trip has the potential to "shake things up" or cause oneself to question everything that was once considered typical or right; even class structure. When you think of college classes I'm sure the first thing that comes to mind is a large lecture hall with close to a hundred students scattered throughout the seats as far from the front as possible; some taking diligent notes, a few catching up on sleep, and others texting or passing notes while a professor commands the class from the front with a series of slides or notes written on the blackboard. Maybe not the most affective settings for learning but, none-the-less, it happens to be the norm…
Now imagine 20 college students, studying in a foreign city, whose lesson plan for the day is to literally get lost in the city... That is what learning is like when you are studying architecture in Rome. A city with more history in its streets than can fit within the pages of a single history book.



For our Field Sketching project, we were split into groups, given a location in Rome, and told to "get lost." That location was to serve as a starting point for a journey we were asked to take around Rome (eventually making our way back to Campo de'Fiori). The assignment entitled "Dérive," a technique of rapid passage through varied ambiences of repulsion and attraction… In other words? Let the city guide you. Start at the point and get lost. We completed our journeys prior to our trip up north and presented them this past week. It was really interesting to see everyone's finished project and how much they differed or how their paths were perceived and then presented. My group consisted of Christopher Testa and Justin Fosbenner… will have pictures of our project up later.


The week after the trip to the north seemed to take full advantage of being back in Rome and seeing the wonderful architecture that existed so close to our home…
We started off the week of classes as we typically do with history/theory where our classroom exists in Rome's streets. We spent the day retracing the boundaries and development of Campus Martius over the periods of Rome. We started at our very own studio building at Campo de'Fiori where the Theater of Pompeii was located (and partially remains). We passed many sites or remains of structures including the Baths of Agrippa, Pantheon, Mausoleum of Augustus, Ara Pacis museum which now encases the altar that was part of Augustus' sundial (which as also a part of Campus Martius), and the stadium who's foundations form Piazza Navona.

The Majesty of the Pantheon

Tuesday after Italian class we all met at Piazza del Popolo to catch the tram that dropped us between Parco della Musica and Zaha Hadid's MAXXI (Museo Nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo). It was surreal actually being at Parco della Musica because I remember going through the slides about it during history with such clarity. During that lecture it never, ever crossed my mind that I would actually set foot there… it didn't even connect for me where I was until we exited out of the first and smallest of the auditoriums and I found myself greeted with a view of the other two larger auditoriums. It was at that moment everything came flooding back to me; I remembered hearing about how the angles at which the auditoriums were placed had to be changed because of the discovery of very early ruins, I remembered hearing about what a feat it was to complete a new auditorium in Rome, and I remembered initially looking at the slides and thinking that the auditoriums looked like horseshoe crabs (same impression upon actually seeing them in person). Our professor Marina was our tour guide at Parco della Musica because, conveniently, she is their actual tour guide for english groups. Photos were not allowed in the auditorium halls but it was marvelous; it is clear where Renzo Piano is trying to push past the traditional approach to venue, theater, and acoustical design. While he does not entirely succeed in all of the halls, his moves have been adapted and refined elsewhere to be more successful. The spaces he created at Parco della Musica are, in my opinion, impressive, innovative, and beautiful. Not only were the interior spaces absolutely beautiful and elegant but they were a musicians dream acoustically. The best experience of the visit was when I stood by the stage in the largest hall and sang for my peers sitting up in the higher levels. It was probably more comedic than enjoyable listening considering I ad-libbed "Part of Your World" from Little Mermaid to be about Renzo Piano and architecture, but still, the memory was amazing. For those who know me well know it would be my dream come true to perform on a stage so grand but since I gave up opera and classical and musical theater for architecture, standing next to a stage singing disney tunes to test out the acoustics is still pretty awesome. An opportunity, a memory not many people can say they've had.

The most beautiful horseshoe crab ever

After leaving the Parco della Musica, we walked to the nearby MAXXI but since most of the exhibits were closed we decided to return another day. We were still able to admire the exterior and look at what was originally planned by Zaha Hadid for the site and then entered the interior for a quick cafe break.

MAXXI Exterior

MAXXI Interior

 As a little bonus, on Wednesday we met bright and early as a group to go on a guided tour to the Vatican Museum. There was an overwhelming amount to see in the museum itself that we could've spent a whole day there rather than just a few hours. Art collections from many of the different Popes were on display; many commissioned pieces for the Popes by very famous artists including Rafael and Michelangelo or acquired pieces from other centuries, places, and many from throughout ancient Rome itself. We finished the tour of the museum at the Sistine Chapel where we stood in silent awe at the paintings by Michelangelo on the ceiling and his"Last Judgement" painting on the wall behind the altar. Michelangelo's paintings seemed to be framed by frescos of other famous Renaissance artists. The places where Rafael's elaborate tapestries once hung are now painted in the illusionist style to mimic the present of tapestries while the tapestries themselves hang in a room for display, protected by glass cases and dim lighting. To exit the museum we purposefully made our way to the very famous and beautiful spiral staircase (not exactly a staircase throughout, becomes more of a ramp); while not exactly efficient, or probably at times safe, the staircase is a beautiful piece of design from all angles.

View from the Top

View while Descending

View from the Bottom looking up

The week commenced as usual with Italian and Studio on Thursday and then Friday off. The weekend consisted of working in studio on our Derive projects and sketchbooks which were due Tuesday. Monday we visited San Clemente for history along with a couple other basilicas/churches. Thursday morning, however, all of us were up bright and early (around 5-6am) in order to get ready and make the long trek to the immigration office to get fingerprinted as part of the legal process of our stay. It was an interesting adventure to say the least but all went well and we all have to go to the police station in Trastevere in about 40 days to pick up the documentation or whatever it is...


My mother asked me a while ago via Skype, what is the best thing I have seen or what is something that I think is a must see? My response to her was everything. Rome is unlike any city in the United States, filled with a bunch of unimpressive or mundane buildings and sparkled with a few really impressive pieces of architecture. While historical references exist in many cities there is very little left that reminds you. The current and the modern of Rome, on the other hand, is strongly tied to the history of the periods before. This is referred to as "Inglobbare" which doesn't have a direct translation to english but it is about the spirit of the place, identity and belonging, doing more than just incorporating history. Everything that is newly built still connects back, identifies, or reflects what historically existed before it. This is very important to Romans; people (politicians specifically) used to memorize speeches based on an imagined journey through a building or place… If the environment in which their journey took place changed then the tool for memorization no longer works. The journey was a fixed root and the city became"a city of collective memory." "Walking through memories reinforces sense of identity"… this is how architecture and planning in Rome is approached.


In the past, being away from home for long amounts of time made me very sad or homesick. While I do of course miss my family and friends, for the first time I do not yearn to return to the physical place that is home… country, state, or town. There is so much beauty in the place I am now and there is so much that is different and good. I have only been here for a short time but I know, looking ahead, that the adjustments that I am going to have to make upon returning back to the States is going to be harder than the adjustments I have had to make here. We are leaving for Turkey on Saturday which will be a life changing adventure and then shortly after I am flying with my two best friends to Trapani in southern Italy and then to Malta to spend part of spring break. For both these trips I am extremely excited as well as nervous. It seems as though there is so much to do and see but the time continues to fly by so fast. There are so many opportunities that are presented that seemed at one time completely out of the realm of possibilities or never even crossed my mind. Who I am and my perception of the world is changing with every day I'm here. I am so grateful for this trip, more than I can begin to explain... 






Found this quote and thought it was very amusing so figured I would share it...

"Belladonna, n.: In Italian a beautiful lady; in English a deadly poison. A striking example of the essential identity of the two tongues." Ambrose Bierce, American writer and journalist (1842-1914)