bldgs

La Notte Bianca was surreal. That's the extent of it, there were people everywhere and unlike earlier events in which there are a large number of foreigners, specifically of Americans, this was a night for the Italians. We all went together in a group, my roommates and I, and left the house around 9pm, the sun was just setting and because it is "la notte bianca" we assumed it began at night. The first museum we went to was a museum about capitol punishment in Rome, complete with actual skeletons, murder weapons, medieval torture devices and dioramas (the most deadly of all 'ramas). That was an interesting museum because up until this point, I had not witnessed anything truly violent about Italy, we had heard horror stories of course, but it seemed so unbelievably that a culture responsible for such breathtaking beauty could have a deadly side. After that we stumbled upon this breathtaking church that had some of the most beautiful wooden bossstones and some great, if not a little expected, frescoes. Eventually we made our way to the Capitoline Museum. There was a concert being set up in the middle of the piazza so after shoving and mi scusi's for about 15 min the whole group of eight people made it to the door, which turned out to be the exit. Another trip across the piazza, this time avoiding the old man with the cane who would yell at you when you got a little too close. We found the entrance and it is at this point of the story when tragedy strikes. The museum, like the street and the piazza, was completely packed. Doug, our friend had been lost to the bowels of the Capitoline Museum. We waited for ten min and then tried to find him, gave him up for dead and moved on. There was some great art, including the famous she-wolf statue with Remus(Lupin) and Romulus. When we left, the piazza had gotten even more crowded ( I did'nt think it was possible, but there you go )and to an obscure italian band singing "Goodbye Ruby Tuesday" we made our dramatic escape, over the barriers throught the woods ( there were trees, it counts) and to the magical land that is the roman bus system. As we departed, my heart was sad that we had had a casualty of the evening, but as we waited for the tram home, who should it be leaning against the wall as if he had'nt escaped from the clutches of a museum, but Doug. And lo, we rejoiced on the street corner and returned to our apartments, victorious, at 3 am.
The next day we went to the beach at San. Marcello and did nothing but relaxed on the beach to watch leathery middle-aged ladies bare-all in the sunlight. Man, these ladies let it all hang out, to almost epic proportions. Of course I now look like a horrible halfwoman-halflobster. But hopefully if i grow more tan, I'll be able to fit in with the sun-drenched city.
Now that classes have started maybe I can get a little more direction with my day and not be in crazy culture shock. I'm looking forward to it :D. Love and miss you all and GO TEAM VENTURE!