Ok so, there is now officially less than a month left until my return to the states that happen to be united. I'm torn, I'm in love with Rome, in all her caramel-colored golden glory but I'm also pining for the crisp starchy white of a picket fence and christmas in the Old-Line State. I wish I could have both, but I can't. At least circumstance has made the choice easier since I need to be in Philadelphia mid-way though January. This week Richard came down from England and met up with his Mom here. I showed them around some of the important sites and I know it sounds wierd but showing other people the sites of Rome re-invigorates my passion for them. It's just a nice reminder of how spectacular they are.
Being in Rome is a lot like learning how to drive, the first time you get behind the wheel you're apprehensive and regardless of how prepared you think you are, you're going to mess something up. But eventually you get to know how to move about, things that were so intimidating before are now common place. Before you know it, you're eating while you go around, listening to the radio too loud. You get into the motions of an action and it takes someone sitting in the passanger side saying "Hey, what's that?" to remind you that the Trevi Fountain is intoxicating.
Mrs. Mckey took me out to dinner a few times and it was really generous of her, to pay her back i'm going to cook them Lasagna from scratch ( they showed us how to do that on the Tuscan wine trip I went on last week, though I have yet to fly solo on that one) when we get back.
* I can't remember if I talked about that trip or not, so just to be safe I'm going to talk about it again*
That trip was the BEAST. We drove out into the countryside in the morning and got to the Vineyard around eleven. They showed us the vines, as well as the cellar with the barrels, our tour guide commented that this particular area of Tuscany is where a lot of people come to film movies.
" That hill over there is where they filmed Gladiator, I don't know why they did'nt film it on our hill, our hill is just as nice as their hill."
It was really film-worthy. The day we were there it was on the cold side but the strong winter sunlight just made the whole place look even more enchanting. I was there with Doug, Tabitha, Andy (all of us Architecture majors) and we all ackowledged our dorkdom when we had a long talk about how old the house might be, where and when the additions were added. The strangest element was the doorway located at the end of an arch, which structurally should'nt work, but did. We then got to have a huge meal, when I say huge, I mean five courses. five. five courses of food. and wine, let's not forget the wine. the wine was VERY important...also delicious. At the end of the meal we walked around and found some gardens and silliness ensued.
However, silliness is always tempered with tradgedy. Such was the case here at least. On the trip there were two busses, on one bus there was a kid who had drank and ate too much and had thown-up. I was glad I was on my bus until we pulled over and our battery died. So here are your options : gross puke bus that goes OR clean freezing non-moving bus. I chose the non-puke bus, which was the best choice because then they bought us food (as if I needed more) while we waited for the next bus to come. I got the kids meal, it came with a really sweet pen.
* Back to Rome*
This weekend I went to the ARA PACIS MUSEUM designed by Richard Meier.
http://www.europaconcorsi.com/db/pub/images/7218/1539424218.jpg
Which stands out from (we'll call it.. ) Cannon Rome, but the scale is referencing the buildings around it, in an attempt to fit in. I liked the stairs on the exterior, I thought they were pretty interesting. Now I had read some reviews of this buildings that were not...kind. Aside from the problems with having too much glass (this is apparently bad for the marble because it has to expand and contract due to moisure) the interior is incredibly distracting from the altar itself.
http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/italy/rome/arapacis/0079.jpg
The materiality and geometric use of "coffers?" is challenging the ara pacis for visual suppremecy but at the same time trying to honor the antiquity of the object. Basically, this building is being two-faced. Making the motions as to honor the Ara, but secretly fighting it. However I found the other areas of the museum to be very interesting.
I don't know if it deserves it's terrible reputation, but it certainley dose'nt deserve a good reputation.
The Ara Pacis itself was pretty cool, the reliefs had people who were alive at the time, young and old. It's almost like an Augustan snap-shot of Roman Nobles. The floral motifs were pretty neat as well, they almost seemed to bloom.
Also this morning, I went to the Trastevere market, that place is so cool. I bought a few little things, the best find being a pair of wool gloves for a euro. They're in the washing machine right now, because...well just because. And tonight I'm heading out for chinese food, something that I have been in serious lack of....oh man... I just remembered, Chipotle in a month. snap.
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