Bracciano and Ceramics class

This weekend I went to Bracciano, which is about an hour outside of Rome by train. It was a beautiful day and it was one of the first days all week that the sun made an appearance! Bracciano is small medeivalesque (not a word, I know) town. There was a massive castle that overlooked a lake that seemed more like an ocean. There were eight of us;  five of them were students that I just met from a different school. They were all American but they all knew Italian and they practiced their Italian with each other so it was nice to be able to catch on to what they were saying. I feel like I'm already getting better at understanding Italian. Speaking Italian is a different story! I'm just glad that I know how to order food and cappuccinos now! "Vorrei un cappucino e cornetto, per favore! Píu píu! Grazie!"

Bracciano

This is a group of kids who seemed to follow each other like wolf pack.  Every single one of them looked like they had something devious on their mind! Italian kids are funny to watch!


Oh yeah, Bracciano is also where I found the best and cheapest gelato so far!

Today, Monday, was my first ceramics class ever! So far it's just me, Bonnie and Alyssa taking this class. We went to a place that is in the countryside of Rome called Anguillara where we had to take a train and from there our instructor, Paolo,  picked us up and took us to his studio which is also his house. My art history professor, who is Paolo's wife, was there and she made us tea and cake! We worked for about four hours. I made a bowl and a strange abstract tree-like sculpture. I will take photos when they are finished. It was definitely the coolest thing I've done in a long time!

This coming Friday I will be going to Florence and Venice. It is a school trip so I will be going to a few museums and I will also be doing an oral presentation on "The Madonna with the Long Neck" by Parmigianino before the painting itself! I just hope that I can get through a 20 minute presentation without having a nervous breakdown. I hate public speaking! Although, I do love the painting! Here is a picture of what I will be presenting....

More Pics of Rome

Graffiti based on Jacques-Louis David's Death of Marat
This made me happy to see since I learned about it in Modern Art last semester!

A Bridge at the Tiber River

This was when I went to Tivoli at Villa D'Este

This was at Dr. Touchette and her husbands house when they invited the group to have lunch at their house.
There were over eight different cheeses that we ate. The big one with the knife in it is ricotta; Dr. Touchette explained that what American's think is ricotta is way different from what it really is and she is sooo right! We ate really massive chunks of it with bread and it tasted very creamy and light! So GOOD!!!!

This is the ricotta on bread with pomodori (tomatoes). Delicious.

YUM!

More pics of Rome and Codie's Birthday

This weekend I've spent most of the time in my apartment, mostly because it's been raining non stop. I can't wait for the sun to shine! Below are some photos of the past week. Bonnie, Alyssa and I went to Piazza di Popolo to attempt to draw the buildings around us. I didn't accomplish much, Roman architecture is too detailed. The photos of Tiber Island are about a ten minute walk from my apartment and Bonnie, Codie and I went to take pics Thursday morning as part of a homework assignment. After Tiber Island we went to class which was held at Musei di Capitolini (Capitoline Hill). Dr. Touchette took the class through the museum and lectured about Greek influence on Roman art/architecture. Inside the museum is one of the latest excavations in Rome; the Temple of Jupiter, which is supposed to be the same size or bigger than the Pantheon. Unfortunately, Dr. Touchette doesn't like us to take pictures during her class, but I did manage to sneek a few of a broken, but massive statue. After those photos are a few pics from Codie Shumann's birthday. I don't remember the name of the restaurant, but it was very good.    Enjoy the pics!

At Piazza di Popolo

Popolo

Popolo

From the balcony that overlooks Popolo

Graffitti, which is everywhere in Rome

A Church/hospital on Tiber Island

Tiber Island Bridge

Roma!

View from Musei di Capitolini

Pieces of a statue at Musei di Capitolini

Codi, Rita & Bonnie at the other Codie's birthday dinner

Bonnie & Katie

Amanda

Amanda and Me

Codie about to blow out the candles on her birthday cake!

cake!

Food!!!

Last night was the student/faculty dinner. Here are some pics of our food...very interesting.....

One of the appetizers. Sour. Delicious. 

Close up 1

Close up 2

Second Appetizer. The cheese was good. 

Third appetizer. Verdure alla griglia 

Kara. I'm behind the bottle. 

Katie posing with the wine, haha! Wine with our teachers, lot's of wine with our teachers...weird, but fun!

One of the first course meals; rigatoni

Another first course meal; The black is squid ink. Squid and pear ravioli. It looks scary, but it was the best dish of the night!!!! 

Fettucine al Funghi. Yummm!!! That's what I ordered

This is what the squid ravioli does to your mouth... This is Kara showing off her black tongue

BLACKNESS!

Add caption

Squid mouths, Kara and Bonnie

Candid...Amanda, Katie, Codie H. 

Me and Kara

Codie, Me, Kara, Bonnie

Some kind of Fish. That's another meal that I ordered. It literally melted in my mouth!!!

Meat. I'm not gonna lie, I tried it and it was surprisingly very good! 

More meat. Not my fav. 

Dessert; Hazelnut gelato with pistachio tiramisu.......I wish I could eat this everyday!!!!!!!!!!!  Joel said it was too good for him to eat because the flavor is so overwhelming. haha! But I agree! That's how good it was!