Day Two

We walked to the Roman Forum this morning.  It is unbelievable to me that all of these amazing archaeological sites and ruins are in the middle of the city, not blocked off or protected from the polluted Roman air.  The Arch of Titus was our first stop.  As my Dad explained, it fused the “here and now” with mythology/fantasy. Again, the attention to detail is amazing.  Every space is filled with intricate patterns, inscriptions, and battle scenes or victories.  I find the art I enjoy the most involves some type of fantasy or story, so I preferred the scene where Titus is riding with Nike. 

Seeing the interior of ancient houses was very interesting; I was surprised to see the walls painted almost as if they were trying to create the illusion of space (something we may try to do today with mirrors).  Painted columns and mantles adorned the walls of the house. I also found their use of color interesting; today, such vibrant shades of red and green would perhaps be seen as harsh or unorthodox.

THE COLOSSEUM!

The Colosseum was everything I hoped it would be. It must be one of the most lucrative places in the world if you add up how much money has been spent on it and in it over the years. While I don’t think I would particularly enjoy seeing people getting killed, imagining the place filled with screaming fans is exciting.  The idea of killing another man for sport and entertainment goes well with the Roman’s extravagant architecture; it seems their culture pushed to the limit, and what is more thrilling or extreme than public execution? 

Roma

I made it to Rome! After a nine hour flight, I went through customs and picked up my baggage without any problems.  Ashley came in about an later and we made it on the bus to Termini station within minutes.  We were sitting on the bus talking about how how smoothly everything was going, so naturally everything needed to get much more complicated.

One bus, one cab ride, several blisters, and three hours later, two very sweaty girls collapsed in their beds at the Resedencia Zanardelli with two pairs of worn out flip flops still on. But we made it! 

Day Una

Today we went to the Capital Museum (Musei Capitolini). Incredible sculptures!! The number of pieces in this museum was overwhelming. 'Faces of Power' was the name of the exhibit. The busts were amazing; the attention to detail in the facial expression and musculature was unbelievable.  Even though it wasn't in the main exhibit, Bernini's Medusa was one of my favorite busts. I also loved the giant parts of Constantine.  

The busts depicting various hairstyle's I really connected with, as I spend a lot of time and money on my own hair and consider it a form of personal expression.  They must have had some type of hairspray or gel-something to research. I wonder how often the women styled their hair so ornately, as the numerous braids and curls would be extremely time consuming. I assume such extravagant styling was another way to show status and beauty.   

Our first meal <3

I was able to really stop and look at the city and some if it's architecture.  I am blown away by the scale and the detail.  Every space seemed to be viewed as an opportunity to showcase some sort of artwork.  I would love to be able to see it in its prime, and it's disappointing that their practices did not continue.  I wonder if any society will ever value the Roman's traditions in architecture enough to put it practice. 

Only ten days!!