Athena Blogs

Computer Problems

I apologize for such a gap between posts, everything got crazy moving to Rome and leaving immediately for break...during which my computer decided to crash on me.  I retrieved it from the apple store (which was some what of a treck) yesterday.  And sadly enough...my hardrive had to be replaced so all my pictures of Italy are gone :( On the bright side I do have the pictures from my first break and what I have taken in Rome so far still on my memory card!

Off to Rome

We left Tuscania, and it was very sad saying goodbye to all of the semester students and advisers whom we had developed close relationships with.  The sadness was soon replaced with the excitement of arriving in Rome.  After Orientation we were dropped off at our apartment where we met our landlord, his wife, and his son.  His son translated for us while the wife made coffee for us as we toured the apartment.  We do not have a living room but we have a nice kitchen and a fabulous bathroom! Off of 2 of the 2 bedrooms and the kitchen we have small balconies.  

Our first night in Rome was an adventure! After we settled in and unpacked three of us went out exploring with no idea where we were.  After talking to one of our friends in our program that lived in Rome last semester we had a destination but no idea how to get there.  We stopped an italian woman on the street who was incredibly nice and she walked us all the way to the metro station! There we stared at the complex map and figured out where we needed to go, how to get tickets, and which metro to get on! We got off and found our way to Piazza del Popolo.  

Sorry for such a delay in posts and the lack of pictures! School got VERY busy with school and my photo application is not working on my computer so I cannot currently upload any photos.

Last week for classes I had a midterm in History, so I spent a lot of time the weekend before studying Greeks and Etruscans. On wednesday of last week we had a wonderful field trip to Vulci. Vulci is a Museum and park with the remains of an ancient Roman city. We spent the morning and the first part of the afternoon exploring the Roman. We walked along the roman roads and looked at ancient and buildings. We were able to walk around inside what was left of one of the aristocratic houses. It was really interesting to be able to see all of the different rooms.

My favorite part was under the house where there were underground passages and rooms. It was so much fun to explore! After we walked through the city we walked along the river, hiked up the plateau, climbed back down the plateau, and walked back to the vans.

Along the way we saw a bunch of horned cows, that were interestingly enough all female! They are an Italian breed specific to the region! The countryside was breathtaking. We also got to see a waterfall, and a beautiful lake! I wish my photos application was working because I have so many beautiful pictures! We had quizzes in both classes later in the week, so week days were full of studying. I also got a bad cold and so I did not have much energy or time to do much else besides focus on schoolwork.

The weekend was a full of fitting activities in that we had missed because of the cold weather. Thursday night we went to an agricultural farm where we got a quick tour of the land before tasting the food and wine. They provided us with all kinds of goodies and wine that were all made from products freshly grown on the farm itself.

Unusual Weather

Ohio has been warmer than Italy the last week ... actually it's the coldest weather that Tuscania has experienced in 27 years. We had rain and snow (and REALLY cold winds) this last week. The whole city (and the surrounding ones) got very nervous about the icy conditions, which in reality are nothing compared to Ohio, or even the snow storm before I left Washington.

However it was very very very cold, not to mention they don’t have the equipment to handle snow. Walking places took longer because the cobblestone was very slippery. On the days that were snowy, it was fun to venture out and see the people of the town running around, playing in the snow, throwing snowballs, and sledding down the streets!

It has been an incredible and exciting week!

 I arrived in the Rome airport where I spent several hours meeting other people arriving for the Tour of Italy program and the Semester in Tuscania progam, as we all waited for the bus to get us all.  After settling into our apartments we all met at school for our welcome dinner.  It was really fun to get to know other students and it was a wonderful evening.  Over the next few days we had Orientation, applied for our Permit of Stay, had a tour of Tuscania, and another group dinner to welcome those who had flight issues and arrived late the first night.  

I really enjoy my roommates and the other students on the program.  It is so intriguing to meet people from all different places and backgrounds.  Hearing about other peoples experiences is not only interesting but informative of who they are and the places they come from.

Plane ticket...Check!