Family Visit: Day 2

Ciao Tutti,

Wednesday was a bit of a more "relaxed" day.  I decided to skip all of my classes and take a tour of the Vatican (again) with my Dad and Matt.  We woke up at around 9:00 AM and went to our hotel's complimentary breakfast.  It was actually pretty good and had a wide selection of pastries, yogurt, and cereal.  The American coffee wasn't very good, but most hotels and caffes over here somehow figure out a way to screw it up.

Our tour met at the tour operator's office at 10:45 AM.  We decided to take the same tour of the Vatican that I took a month or so ago.  We had a different tour guide, but she was still very good.   We decided to only pay for a tour of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel because I now know enough about Saint Peters to give the "short attention span tour" that my brother wanted.

At around 11:00 AM, we left and cut the surprisingly short line to the Vatican Museum.  We first saw a great view of the backside of the dome.

Then, our tour guide took us into the Belvedere Courtyard and gave us an overview of what we would see in the Sistine Chapel.  My Dad said it was worth the cost of the tour just to hear that.  I was also able to add some information I learned from my previous tour and my classes that the tour guide did not go over.  It was like my family got three tour guides instead of one.  After, we went and saw the Belvedere Torso and other famous artworks before finally ending the tour in the Sistine Chapel.  It was absolutely beautiful and I am happy I had the chance to see it twice while I am over here.

After our tour, we went to Saint Peter's Basilica and I gave my Dad and brother the "short attention span tour" they wanted.  We spent about 30 minutes in the Basilica and saw pretty much everything.  The only problem was that most of the alter area wasn't accessible because the church was set up for Holy Week masses.  They were able to see the Pieta by Michelangelo among other things, though.

After that, we went to lunch at a place very close to my apartment that I've wanted to try forever - Antica Taverna.  It was really good.  Matt loved it because they had bread and oil - something he was looking forward to having.

Then, we climbed the Castel Sant'Angelo which was nice because it is the one monument that I see every day.  It also had great views of Rome.  I was able to give them a tour of the castle/fort as I had a field study there early in the semester.  I think my brother was impressed by my knowledge.

After the Castel Sant'Angelo, we went to the Pantheon and it wasn't closing this time.  I gave my Dad and brother a quick tour of it and we sat down to relax for a bit.  Then, we went to see the Chiesa del Gesu which has an absolutely beautifully painted ceiling.  There was a mass going on, so we couldn't walk all the way around but I think my Dad and brother were impressed.

Then, we sat on the steps of the church and talked for a bit before eventually heading to Piazza Navona to listen to the musicians and look at the paintings for a bit.

After, we went to dinner at "Da Tonino" which is another restaurant close to my apartment.  Then, we went back to our hotel and collapsed.

Ciao,
Michael

Family Visit: Day 1

Ciao Tutti,

I had the craziest week I have had this semester (not including my spring break).  My Dad and brother came to visit me on Tuesday and spend the week.  I had a great time and it was so nice to see their faces and have their company.

They arrived at Rome Fiumicino Airport, the main airport of Rome, two hours late.  Their plane was late coming into JFK and the tardiness was passed onto them.  I picked them up at the airport at 11:00 AM and we took a taxi to our hotel, Hotel Orange.  We arrived by 11:45 AM, but the room wasn't ready.  I had to be in class by 12:15 PM, so we walked towards my apartment and my school.  After a quick tour of my humble apartment, my Dad and brother, Matt, went to have pizza at one of my favorite take away pizza places in Rome while I went to my three hour film class.

I directed a scene from "Caterina in the Big City".  We had three hours to shoot the whole scene and were not able to waste a minute.  It was the craziest class I've had here, but we shot great quality shots.  We start editing the footage in two weeks.

After my class, I met up with my Dad and Matt outside my school and we took a taxi together to my next class, Italian.  I had a field study in the Testaccio district of Rome where I had to give a presentation on the Pyramid of Cestius.  My presentation went very well, but was a bit of a different style than usual.  Normally, we just present to our class, but this time we also presented to our teacher's 200 level Italian class.

After my presentation, I left class early and met back up with my Dad and brother and we caught another taxi back to the middle of Rome.  We commenced our sight seeing week with a visit to the Capuchin Crypt - the monastery with the monk's bones arranged as artwork that I wrote about two months ago.  Matt got a kick out of it, but my Dad and I are still wondering how the monks came out with that idea.  It does not sound like anything the Catholic church would condone.

After the Capuchin Crypt, I was able to show my navigational skills as we walked to the Spanish Steps.  I brought us right out atop the the steps with a great view of Rome.

View from the Spanish Steps

We then walked down the Spanish Steps to Piazza di Spagna and saw the famous fountain, the Fontana della Baracaccia (Fountain of the Boat) at the base.  We also posed for a few pictures.

Fontana della Barcaccia

Matt & I

Dad & I

Dad & Matt

After this, we walked to the Trevi Fountain and Matt threw a coin over his shoulder which guarantees his return to Rome one day.

Trevi Fountain

Then, we went to a cafe that my Dad and I went to my first week here that had really good Caffe Lattes that we thought Matt might like.  They were not as good as the first time we had them and the coffee taste was a bit too strong for him.  We then went to one of the most famous gelaterias in Rome, Giolitti, for Matt's first gelato in seven years.  It was an expensive gelato, but it was phenomenal. 

After gelato, we went to try and get into the Pantheon, but it was closing as we walked up to it.  We then went to my favorite piazza in Rome, Piazza Navona, and people walked as we walked around it.  It is so beautiful at night and my Dad and brother loved it.  The artists were out painting their beautiful artwork, street entertainers were scattered all around, and musicians were rocking out.  It was perfect!

After Piazza Navona, we walked down to my Dad and I's favorite restaurant in Rome, Monte Carlo Pizzeria, where Matt had his first "real" Italian pizza of the vacation.  The food was great, as usual.

Matt eating his first bite

After our dinner, we took a leisurely stroll back to my apartment to grab my bags.  I showed Matt and my Dad some of the highlights of my neighborhood at night including the Steeler's Bar that I still have not been to.  I did, however, take a picture next to a banner outside of it.

We Are....PENN STATE!

By the time we made it back to our hotel, we were exhausted.  Our room was very, very orange and grey (I guess that's why it was named Hotel Orange).

I will post about the rest of our trip tomorrow. 

Ciao,
Michael