Borghese Gallery
Yesterday we went to the Borghese Gallery. Even though we had to get up SUPER early to get there, it was totally worth it. I am totally an early riser so I didn’t mind that much. Although everyone else seemed to mind how unaffected I was by lack of sleep…it is just the powers of positive thinking!
When visiting, one the statues that personally caught my eye was the statue of Apollo and Daphne by Bernini. Apollo was a ladies man who thought he could get any women he wanted. When Daphne did not want to succumb to Apollo, she fled and called out to her father. In order to save her, her father turned her into a tree. Apollo was so impressed by Daphne’s courageousness and the love between her and her father that he took leaves from her tree in order to make a crown. This is where laurel crowns come. Before visiting this museum, I had no idea whom Daphne was or the significance behind the laurel crown. At a time where women were not always respected, it also is very interesting that Apollo respected Daphne enough to always have a symbol of her; especially one that has held over to present day. As this is being depicted in the sculpture, the delicateness of the leaves still shows, even though it is made of solid marble. Daphne’s transition from nymph to tree looks elegant and the detail to which Bernini created the sculpture is astounding.
It made me really miss my family odd enough. The other statue by Bernini about the seasons I really liked as well. The detail on that was amazing. You could literally see the tension in the skin of the statue, it looked more like fabric than marble. So cool.
We also went bike riding!!! I didn’t have my camera and I was so upset! The view at some of the places was absolutely beautiful! Also, Adam and I were a pretty awesome riding team.
Half Way Done!!!
I will post another more academic post soon. But in honor of being halfway done I wanted to post pictures of my favorite things so far!!!
After the first night. Man do we all look awkward.
My first Italian miscommunication which lead to ordering the whole table yummy drink at lunch one day. Oops!
Family dinners! We all look way less awkward now.
Karaoke at scholars- Spice Girls!
Me and Nana at my favorite place in Rome- The Trevi Fountain
Serento-literally the most beautiful place in the world! 
I just love the picture and the person who took- SYDNEY!
I hope I have more pictures and memories to come.
Early Morning Riser
I have always prided myself on being an early riser. So when it was suggested that my group film early in the morning in order to shoot sites without any people around I was totally up for it.
We left for the sights around 8 am and we headed to the roundabout near the Capitoline Museum. There was a perfect shot of the Colosseum from there with the early morning haze. I am no art person, but I thought it was beautiful if I do say so myself.
Next we went to the Trevi Fountain. There were actually a good number of people there for nine in the morning but not nearly as much as the mob seen that accumulates during the day. People shared the same idea as us it seemed because a couple was taking engagement photos in front of the fountain. ADORABLE!
We got some really awesome shots at the Trevi. Very clear ones that we would have never been able to achieve if there was a huge crowd of people. Even if we don’t event up using that b-roll in your film, it was a great experience.
Hannah, Sora and I got some awesome pictures! Check ‘em out!
Filming
What a good looking group!
After our very long day in Ostia a giant group of us got some food in us and rolled out for some afternoon filming. We had not been too successful filming in the EUR the prior day because our group sort of lacked a vision really. Wednesday pretty much went the same way though but we knew we just needed to go out and do something; to feel better about ourselves at least.
So we did. We filmed around the Capitoline Hill area for a good two hours I would say. It is always funny the looks that you get when you go out filming. People always stare, I am assuming because they want to know what it is for. We obviously look so important being 20-somethings with our huge cameras and (my) confused face.
I am lucky to have a good group and good people in it who are willing to put up with me and teach me how to do everything. The only thing I know how to do so far is edit, so I can’t wait to get my hands dirty.
Ostia
Per usual, I had no prior knowledge of the area before we took our very educational tour of the ruins in Ostia. I think the phrase that was said the most today was “grain is gold”. It seemed as if everything revolved around that one phrase. Like most of the other ideas Romans had, they meticulously thought out and planned around central concepts that were vital to there existence. I think food is a great thing to focus on.
The weighing and measuring system for grain was very detailed in order to prevent people from stealing. There were rules set up in order to keep individuals from smuggling as well. Apparently, grain can spontaneously combust, which the Romans learned and quickly attempted to prevent from happening again. Fun fact: giant pizza oven in the ruins. Awesome!
Emperors knew that if they fed the people they wouldn’t get angry. After three hours of touring Ostia, I feel like that was a smart concept to stand by.
Positive thing of the day: I had never been to Ostia or even known that ruins existed there. Even though I did not find it particularly interesting, yay for learning of it’s existence!
A presto!
Roman Forum
Flash backward to before the weekend and the group took a trip to the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. I was definitely really excited for both and even more excited because it was a beautiful day outside to wander around and take pictures.
Like most of the the other ruins and artifacts in Rome, I did not know much about the history of either. I actually found the Forum a lot more interesting than I thought I would and the Colosseum a lot less. I had known that the Roman Forum was a giant meeting space for various things; business, politics, religion and commerce. I did not know however that it first began as a cemetery and sort of swampy area where water accumulated. Kudos to the people who decided to drain the area in 7th century B.C!
Since the Forum housed a large part of Roman political life, during the tour I also got to learn a lot about the politics of ancient Rome. Politics of all sort interest me, so I definitely annoyed Albert with a lot of questions during most of the tour. A lot of little things really interest me when it comes to other’s political systems because I think you can learn anything from something that is different than your own.
Though I figured the whole thing was very complex, because I did not know much before, I was still blown away by how complex it was. The Romans had a position for almost everything it seemed. They also thought everything out meticulously; like how they had two kings elected every year so that no one person could take too much control. Obviously that system did not hold over for too long, but in theory it seemed like they had a good idea going.
Another thing that I thought was neat was the fact that when Augustus, the first Emperor, took power he considered himself like everyone else. He was modest with his home and wanted to blend in with the people. Compared to the massive expansion of those who followed him it was unbelievable what a tiny area his home took up. Apparently, the Romans built things and made them so massive for the sole purpose of showing off. If that does not make you a prick, I do not know what does. It actual made me think a lot about the current political situation today. Funny how things can be related so easily.
Positive note of the day: I learned a lot. Like a lot, so much so that I could probably exceed the number of words available for this blog. Even better, I liked what I was learning. I thought it was all very interesting and it even made me think about how things are today in the United States. See, learning is fun!
A presto!
Side note: there were some pretty flowers for a little photo shoot mid-tour. Yay!
Amalfi Coast
This weekend we took our first trip!!! We went to the Amalfi Coast. Accent is seriously so awesome for telling us about it and then giving us directions on how to get there. It was pretty easy. Definitely more of a hike than I thought it would be though. It ended up taking a few hours to get there but once we got there it was so worth it.
By far, it was the most beautiful place I have ever been in my entire life. The only thing I knew about Amalfi was that Beyonce, Jay-Z and George Clooney had a house there. I was sold on that! Once I got there though I never wanted to leave. The skies were so clear and they water was amazing. I could have stayed there forever.
Since a big group of us went we stayed the night at a hostel. Totally worth it because the Amalfi Coast cannot be a day trip! Hostel Seven was the name of the place we stayed and it was more life a hotel than any other hostel I had been in. Also a plus that a room fits twelve and there were twelve of us on the trip.
The second day on the beach was almost even better than the first. I played One Direction on repeat and fell asleep in the sun; by far one of my favorite things to though. Although because of that, I got super sunburnt but I am hoping it quickly turns into a tan!
Such a weekend full of positive omens and energy!!!
A presto!
