The Final Stretch

Our journey is coming to an end. It's bittersweet because we've made so many good memories here and had so many new experiences. I always say that it is the people that make a experience the best it could be and I think this group of kids and staff (especially the crew) made everything a Kodak moment. This past week was the long-awaited Parents Weekend/Thanksgiving dinner. 

Our room was a mess before they got to Prato, but we pulled off the magic trick of a spotless hotel room to greet them as they got off the train. We had been at Tina and Marco's house making authentic Italian food to welcome her family. Lianne's mom and sister flew in from Atlanta from Sunday and they were beyond jet lagged. Her sister knocked out as soon as we got back to the hotels. We walked around the market in the square with her mom and showed her around Prato during Italian siesta hours. There is a store about two blocks outside the walls called Angel Market that could be considered a giant Walmart with no food. We took our time laughing through the different aisles but the funniest would have to be a pair of underwear with a zipper section in the front. Don't ask us why. After the market we went back to the hotel and picked up Dana who was finally rested. The rest of the night was spent walking around and talking about the history of Prato and finally going to Francescaioli's for dinner (which they loved). They got an apartment around 10 minutes drive (or 40 minute walk) from the hotel and it was beautiful. It had blue walls with white furniture and accents. The only problem was that the oven wasn't working because it was never hooked up. 

The next two days were spent roaming around Florence like pros and meeting up with my father who came a day later. The first Florence trip was funny because we had to figure out how to get to Florence by bus. We meant to get on a bus that went to Prato Centrale and then to Florence station but ended up accidentally getting on the express bus straight to Florence. The man was really nice. He didn't want to charge us. We walked around the city, telling them more history and stopped to eat at Buca Nicollini and got great gelato from a fantastic Italian man down the street from the Duomo. The next day all of us took the train to meet my dad in Florence and bought tickets to go see the David.

It is something that you never thought you could experience or could be possible and then you actually witness it. For one man to have the ability to create such a detailed sculpture of a man. It was simply incredible. Once again, we went to Buca Nicollini, but this time was different because they actually had the cheesecake we'd been waiting for. It was DELICIOUS.

Thanksgiving came up on us really quickly. Everybody got all dressed up  to go to dinner which was really lunch. What dinner is at 2 pm? It was being catered by Mokha, who put in a lot of effort to try and make it seem like an American style Thanksgiving and we really appreciated that. We are both Jamaican so our Thanksgiving dinners go a little different than American style but it was nice to have family around while you eat a meal, regardless of where you are and who cooked it.

After Mokha, we toured Prato for the third time because everyone was finally together. We waited at the hotel so that the family could see Tina and Marco again and we could go out drinking with the guys and Dana. It was a wild night to say the least. 

Friday was the one time that the taxi took half an hour so the Smiths ended up being late to get on the bus. Both of our seating arrangements were less than ideal. It only took an hour and some change to get to Sienna though. When we got there it took about 20 minutes to get from the bus to inside the actual city. The first place that we visited was the Church of San Domenico. This is where the head and thumb of Saint Catherine are kept. The thumb is used for special blessings on the days of the horse races. The rest of the body excluding the foot (which is in Venice) is housed in the Church of Santa Maria Supra Minerva in Rome. During her lifetime, she was already dubbed a Saint because of the numerous miracles she had performed. She managed to become an adviser of other Saints and Popes. The inner chapels of the church's frescoes were done by a painter named Sodoma. Saint Catherine is one of the Patron Saints of Europe, as well as one of the first women to be a doctor of the church. Aside from the display of her head and thumb, there are 17 flags within the church that represent the contradas/neighborhoods that were created in the middle ages as battalions for the defense of the city. After the tour, we spent our free time taking in the views and eating at an local Italian restaurant. The drive back was way better. My family ended up leaving a day and a half early so we cleaned up their apartment and took a taxi in the morning. We've been sleeping ever since. 

Wish us luck, on our final days in this city as we begin to separate ourselves from the life we have adapted to, while at the same time trying to ace all possible finals.
Arrivederci 

Another Day Another Strike

Thursdays are regular for us. Lianne has one class and I have two. We go to class come back to the room and procrastinate for a while until we have to go to sleep to catch the morning train to wherever our field trip destination is. This past Thursday we learned that there was yet another train strike. I really don't think the employees are getting what they want. We knew that we were going Lucca and Pisa but as to how we were getting there, some of us were lost. Unless you talked to Dr. Brode, you wouldn't even know that we were doing Pisa and Lucca in the same day unlike the previous schedule.Turns out we ordered a coach bus and started our trek toward Lucca.

Once we arrived to Lucca, we were introduced to our new tour guide, Davide, who was very enthusiastic when it came to telling us the history of his city. There were a lot of wars between Pisa and Lucca but Lucca was rarely victorious and ended up being under Pisan rule for a short time. The main square of Lucca is named after Napoleon from when they were under French rule. In 1861, the city was unified into the Italian kingdom. Today it bases its economy around tourism. There are two main tourist attractions that pull in massive profits for the city: 
       - Lucca Summer Festival: this is a music festival in July and it's a tribute to Giacomo Puccini (one of the greatest composers of all time that was born in Lucca). The festival lasts one month. In the past famous musicians like Elton John and Robbie Williams have performed. 
       - Lucca Comics and Games : this is a comic strip exhibition and the first of its kind in Italy. It lasts for 5 days from the end of October to the beginning of November. On Saturday, which is the main day of this event, there are more than 100,000 people inside the old city, when the normal population is just 20,000 people.

The square that's dedicated to Puccini is full of shops and restaurants that are named after his famous operas. He was born in 1858. During his life, he had a lot of passions including art, music and hunting. Davide also mentioned that since he was Italian, "He was also passionate about women!" Puccini died in Brussels in 1924. His most practiced passion was smoking cigars which ultimately caused his death due to cancer of the throat.

Around the corner, is one of Lucca's famous churches, Piazzale San Michele. This church was built by Diotisalvi between the Roman Age and the 11th century. Diotisalvi was also the creator of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. There is a 4 meter tall statue of the Archangel Michael at the top of the church. On the lower right corner of the facade is a statue of the Virgin Mary with child built in 1480. This piece was sculpted Matteo Civitali to celebrate the end of the 1476 plague. The facade includes sculptures and reliefs of animals and vegetables. The white and grey marble comes from Cavarra.

There are two important medieval towers that still exist inside the walls of Lucca:
      - Torre Delle Ore (Clock Tower) : This is the tallest tower in Lucca. There is a curious legend regarding the clock tower. There was a woman named Lucida Mansi, who sold her soul to the Devil to remain young and beautiful. The Devil would return after thirty years to demand payment of the debt. At the end of thirty years, on the night of August 14, 1623, Lucida Mansi climbed the Tower, anxious to stop the bell from hitting midnight. Lucida did not reach the mechanism in time, so she could not stop him and the Devil took her soul.

      - Torre Guinigi : It takes 230 steps to get to the top of this tower and you are rewarded with a beautiful view of the city and a fantastic hanging garden full of trees, flowers, and plants. This tower is more visited because of it's garden-in-the-sky feel. 

Our second destination was Pisa, home of the Square of Miracles. There are four monuments that make up the entire square.
      - Baptistery (the baptism into the Christian world) : The baptistery is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. It s the largest baptistery in Italy. With the statue of St. John the Baptist included, it is actually a few centimeters taller than the Leaning Tower. The baptistery is also styled by Diotisalvi who's name translates to God save you. 

Fun on the green of the Baptistery- Jeunesse

Hey! This is perfect tumbling grass! - Cody

Hey I can do it too! lol - Garrett

- Cathedral ( the growth of life) : This church is dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta meaning St. Mary of the Assumption. The original central door was made of bronze around 1180 by Bonanno Pisano, while the other two doors were made of wood. Due to a fire in 1595 the original doors were lost and replaced. Worshippers do not used the front doors to enter, instead entering through St. Ranieri's Door in front of the Leaning Tower.

Another pretty church...

      - The Cemetery ( the death of life) : The building of this cemetery began in 1278 by the architect Giovanni di Simone who died in 1284 when Pisa lost a naval battle of Meloria against the Genoans. The cemetery itself was only completed in 1464. The outer wall is composed of 43 blind arches and two doorways. There are several frescoes but the most famous one was called The Triumph of Death  by Buonamico Buffalmacco. Sadly on July 27, 1944, bombs dropped by Allied aircrafts set the roof of the building on fire. Many of the frescoes and sculptures are now lost.

Inside the Cemetery

I feel like you can guess.... No caption needed. 

      - The Leaning Tower (the elevation to God) : There are exactly 293 of this tilted tower. Construction of the bell tower began in 1173 and took place in three stages over the course of 177 years with the final bell-chamber (containing 7 main bells) only added in 1372. The construction of the building was paused in 1377 after the third floor was added because the weak soil and poor foundation led to the building sinking on it's south side. It wasn't touched for 100 years which allowed the soil to settle and prevented the building from collapsing. In 1272, to adjust the lean of the building, the next three floors were built with one side taller than the other. By the time the building was completed, the lean was approximately 1 degree. As of 2010, the lean was reduced from 5.5 to approximately 4 degrees. After almost three hundred steps, we got to the top and enjoyed the experience with our crew. 

Cheeeesssseeee

Trying not to fall off the tower lol

Okay finally got our footing..

Crew Photo!

We spent the rest of the weekend hanging out and charting what we needed to do before we leave in December. Tuesday was our adventure day. Despite it being ridiculously cold with a chance of extreme winds, we managed to take the first set of Jeunesse's senior pictures. Why not use the beautiful natural backgrounds of Italy instead of a corny backdrop. 

It was definitely a chill week (no pun intended). Next week is parents weekend and a much needed break from classes. There might be a mini blog post to update you on the fun times and family laughs. Until next time! 

Forced Smiles, Miles, and Cobblestone Tiles (Part 2)

Welcome back to part two of Forced Smiles, Miles, and Cobblestone Tiles. We appreciate you guys tuning back in for the last two days of our trip. It was definitely a wild and constant ride but we did have a lot fun. It's the people and the experiences that truly make a trip and we were lucky enough to have had both on our trip in Rome. 

Monday - November Sixth Two Thousand Seventeen
Monday was much more walking than was anticipated and the tour ran two hours over what it was expected to. We're not going to say that it wasn't fun but it took a toll on the morale of the entire group including the teachers. We visited where Julius Caesar was killed by his adopted son Brutus. As his son stabbed him he uttered the words "Et tu Brute," which in English mean even you Brutus. Caesar was shocked that even his son could be one of the masterminds that conspired to murder him. This spot is now a cat sanctuary where volunteers come and feed and take care of the cats that live there and people can come and talk to the volunteers if they would like to adopt any of them. 

THE VATICAN AND BRIDGE: There is a well varnished bridge full of statues and marble that you have to cross and other the other side of that bridge is Castel Sant-Angelo meaning the Castle of the Holy Angel. 

It used to be Emperor Adrian's Mosoleum. Today it is a museum where you can see the old papal ruins and the prison cells underneath. 

After a long walk down the main street the Vatican itself finally came into view and it is huge. While we waited in line Silvia talked about the Vatican. This church is dedicated to Saint Peter, the first Pope and one of the twelve apostles. The Lord told Peter "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church," and Peter became the head of the church because he recognized him as the Christ. 

Both the square and the basilica are named after Saint Peter. His tomb and remains lie directly underneath the brilliant alter piece made entirely of bronze done by Bernini. To be a respected church you have to have relics and Peter's body is the highest of them all. The dome of this church is the tallest dome in the world. and the largest church in the world. The inspiration of the dome was the Pantheon in Rome and Brunelleschi's dome in Florence.

Michelangelo intentionally made the dome of the basilica 3 feet or so less wide than the Pantheon so that it could keep at least one record. 

Teusday - November Seventh Two Thousand Seventeen
It was a rainy day but not as bad as the weather reports were saying. The walk to the Pantheon wasn't bad we just made many stops in different churches on the way there. All of them were beautiful and intricate but you can get tired of experiencing churches. I think you end up losing the respect for religious presence since these churches become a sign of who had the most money at the time and who has the most power. 

THE PANTHEON: The first temple to stand in the spot of the The Pantheon was created by Marcus Agrippa. The emperor Adrian came and demolished it because he didn't think it was that great. He then designed a new one himself since he thought himself a talented designer and architect. He felt guilty about destroying the first temple so he engraved Agrippa's name onto the outer facade to give him the credit.

This is the only building that has survived in amazing condition because very early in history when Christianity began it was converted into a church. The structure is intact but the facade itself is lacking due to the Barberini Pope taking all of the bronze from the building in order to create the Bernini alter piece (the largest bronze sculpture in the world) in St. Peter's Basilica. The columns of the Pantheon are very rare because each one is a single slab instead of being created by circular segments like most columns. They came from Egypt.

The dome of the building is the most important part. It is hidden from the outside. Until Brunelleschi and Michelangelo built their domes, this was the largest dome in Europe. Both of them took inspiration from the Pantheon when they created their domes. The Pantheon is famous because the dome is intentionally unfinished. There is a large oculus (an eye) at the top of the dome meaning that it's open and that's the only source of light for the inside of the structure. There's no glass so when it rains or snows it gets inside the building but there is a decline in the ground where the rain falls and it leads to a drainage hole. It was also used in a way that they could measure the movements of the sun throughout the year. 

BASILICA DI SANTA MARIA SOPRA MINERVA: In English the name of the church is the Basilica of Saint Mary above Minerva.

 It is the church and convent of the Dominican Friars. While they were building the convent there was an ancient Egyptian obelisk buried in the garden. You have to report any relics you find. 

They told the Pope but also stated that they wanted it in front of their church and not to move it anywhere else. The Pope agreed and asked Bernini to create the monument for it. There are several theories as to why Bernini chose an elephant for the monument: 
- When Hannibal was trying to conquer Rome and he arrived with elephants that were carrying towers full of soldiers 
- The elephant in Christianity is a symbol for intelligence and patience
There is a Michelangelo statue of Christ inside the church that he made when he was younger. When he first sculpted it, Christ was completely naked. The Friars were upset because they didn't want a bare Christ. They commissioned an artist to create a bronze cloth that covered his nudity. There are also two other tombs which are the first two Medici popes (Leo the Tenth and Julio di Medici) who were cousins.There is also a very important relic inside the church which is the body of Saint Catherine of Sienna. The church has all parts of her body but the head. After she died her head was removed and taken to Sienna because her birth city wanted a physical piece of her. She is one of the most important saints ever because she is the first women who was a doctor of the church. 

All in all we'd say that it was a great trip to Rome and we're finally ready to take a moment and cool down and soak our feet. Until next time. To you, with love, from Rome. 

Forced Smiles, Miles, and Cobblestone Tiles (Part 1)

Traveling always seems to get the better of you whether it's jet lag or your feet giving out on you. It never ceases to amaze us how much ground they have us cover with these tours. No matter how much you prepare for them, somehow there's a punch line that almost makes you want to give up or complain. Here's our day by day log of our trip to Rome. We'll try to do highlights only.

Saturday - November Fourth Two Thousand Seventeen

After all of the rushing and bustling to get our entire room packed up into suitcases and bags, we managed to make it to the train station in time to meet the group. We had to take a train from Prato P.S. to Firenze S.M.N. (Florence Santa Maria Novella) which is the main train hub for Florence and then take a train from there to Roma Termini station. We got to our hotel at around 1:15 but we had to wait in the lobby because our rooms weren't ready yet. Jeunesse, Laura (our Rome roommate), and I finally got our key and headed upstairs. We were the only ones to get the same room number, 301, that we have at Hotel Giardino in Prato. Thinking that we were going to have some time to rest and get settled, we put our bags down and sprawled on the beds. It seemed that we were too quick to jump in because we then got word that we needed to be back downstairs by 2 pm to go on a tour.

 









We honestly didn't think that we would be walking for that long, so we ran downstairs and started our trek. This tour consisted of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Square, and the Spanish Steps. The two most important are:

SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE- This church was about a 2 minute walk from our hotel, Hotel Gioberti, in Rome. It has a very Baroque style. There is a 5 foot railing that goes around the perimeter of the church that signifies the jurisdiction of the Holy See (an independent sovereign entity overseen by the Pope and Vatican City). Once you cross the threshold you are no longer in Italy. The creator of the church is Gian Lorenzo Bernini who was really a jack of all trades that everyone loved. The church is known for bearing the fragments of the manger that baby Jesus laid in and for the remains of Bernini. The Santa Maria Maggiore was built from a miracle. A priest had a vision of God saying to build a church. When the priest asked "Where?" God responded by saying I will send you a sign. In the first week of a hot August that year it snowed a great deal but only on the lot that the church now stands today.

TREVI FOUNTAIN- This famous fountain resides on the back of the Poli family palace and was designed by the architect named Nicola Salvi. It's made of travertine marble that comes fro a city 22 miles east of Rome. The story of the actual sculpture itself is "the taming of waters," which is portrayed by 5 separate characters. The man in the center under the triumphal arch is Neptune/Poseidon. The two men in front of him are Tritons taming the seahorses that represent the sea and nature. There are also two women carved into the wall on either side of Neptune. These women are named Salubrity and Abundance which represent that the water in Rome is abundant and clean to drink. The relief sculpture on the top of the wall depicts the chronological history of how the Ancient Roman aqueduct was founded and how it was renovated to now supply the Trevi Fountain.The throwing of the coin is a very old tradition and it has to be done by taking your right hand and throwing it over your left shoulder backwards. 

With the amount of foot traffic that visits the fountain, it makes an amazing 3,000 Euro a day and 1.5 million Euro a year. All of that money goes to a charity to help the poor people of Rome. The fountain is also a victim of practical jokes, most recent example being that someone caused the water to be blood red.

Sunday - November Fifth Two Thousand Seventeen

Our second day was spent touring and walking from 10 am to 1 pm. Most of the walk was spent walking past important things in Rome and slowing down to let people catch up or running to catch up with Silvia's pace. The biggest tour attraction/let down was the Colosseum.We loved hearing the history about it but we also expected to go inside which did not happen.

THE COLOSSEUM- This fantastic piece of architecture used to be a large lake. The name Colosseum is believed to have come from a colossal statue that stood in front of it. The statue is no longer there because it was melted down and used for other things after that empire. It was built in the first century under the Roman emperors of the Flavian dynasty. Construction of the building itself started in 72 AD. Inside the Colosseum there were all kinds of events happening. Criminals had to fight wild animals. Under Domitian, dramas were also held in the Colosseum but with a bloodthirsty realism such as using real prisoners for executions. A real Hercules was burned on a funeral pyre and in the role of Laureolus a prisoner was actually crucified. The Colosseums's actual name is the Flavian Amphitheater which means double theater instead of being a semi circle. 

When there were events, you would be seated by your societal status. The poorest people were in the "nosebleeds" and the emperors and their cabinet would sit front row (nothing has changed in terms of seating now). The more money you have the better seat you get. The tickets then were ceramic slabs that had four numbers on them (door number, staircase number, row number, and seat number). 

We would really appreciate if you would stay tuned for part 2. It'll be full of the voyage back and a few more important highlights of Rome. Ci vediamo!