Surprisingly enough, that's not a joke. Legitimate inquiry. (Ok, it's kind of a joke.)
My blog tells me it's been only 5 days since my last post, but it feels like eons. Everyday is an adventure, big or small, and I'm just happy to be invited.
Last Saturday, I went on a walking tour of the Baroque of Rome lead by an Art History professor at my school. As an avid fan of all eras of Art History yet also a student not able to fit in those classes because of major requirements, this was a great opportunity to soak up some of Rome's rich history and learn new information I never would had I just seen the monuments myself. We walked the 'esoteric mile' (hence the title) of Athanasius Kircher, a German Jesuit scholar who studied an abundance of subjects in Rome and has been called "the last man who knew everything."
Mac and Adrienne waiting for our professor to arrive in Piazza dell'Orologio
Most of the tour was in Piazza Navona, which is wonderful because it is right next to our school
Detail of Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi by Bernini - the four great rivers are personified and represented the four major continents; Nile for Africa, Danube for Europe, Ganges for Asia (pictured), Platte for the Americas
Detail of Pulcino della Minerva outside the Basilica di Santa Maria sopra Minerva also by Bernini - the elephant supports an Egyptian obelisk brought to Rome by Diocletian in the fourth century
After the tour, Mac, Adrienne, and I decided to, on our own, see the National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II, or "Il Vittoriano" - the whole thing is massively spectacular, but not a speck of shade!
Mac imitates fine pieces of sculpture while not hiding her contempt for the heat
Sunday, we wandered to the old neighborhood of Trastevere with the hopes of touring the catacomb of the Church of Saint Cecilia. Alas, like seemingly everything else in this city, it was closed for August, but we will return!
despite not getting to see what we came for, the place was understatedly beautiful
the front gardens gave me a chance to get my photographer on
statuettes of "angels, saints, prophets, and evangelists" (wikipedia is vague)
Martyrdom of Saint Cecilia by Stefano Maderno
All in all, this city has been a little piece of heaven for the photographer in me who was once so loud but recently dormant. Roma has indeed awoken it again. Mostly though, I have to take a step back from anything and everything I am doing to question, is this really my life? It is, but I easily forget. I keep thinking any minute now I am going to wake up and this was all just a very strange dream.
Ci vediamo, a presto, buonanotte, and et cetera...
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