February 6, 2010

FRIDAY

We had to wake up super early to get to the Vatican Museum by 8:00. We had to skip breakfast, so I was very cranky, but I got some coffee and got better. The Vatican was so beautiful I nearly cried looking at some of the artwork. It was very packed though, and a few times was engulfed by huge tour groups. I really liked the map room and obviously the Sistine Chapel, but it was so crowded there that it was a little more difficult to enjoy. It is weird having such personal moments looking at art while surrounded by tons of people.

Afterwards, everyone was really tired and cranky and we walked back to the convent. Emily and I got falafel and had a mini picnic on the floor of our room.

The class met to draw and we went to the Gesu church. It is huge and ostentatious. Donald gave a brief lesson on how to start a drawing and I think it is really going to help me.

We ate dinner at the convent, then went out for drinks, but had a pretty early night.

SATURDAY

I wanted to sleep in, but woke up at nine because the nuns were being loud. I read for a while and finished my book. emily woke up later. It took us a while to get out, but we walked a way to get some really good sandwiches, which they call "pizza bianca" (pizza without sauce). I also got an Italian-English dictionary so I can maybe learn some Italian. I think the next language I was tto learn is German though. I want to know at least 5 languages by the time I die ( I guess I'll be traveling a lot). It was raining outside, so we didn't really wander too much, but we did get the best coffee of my life. Seriously. I wish I had an espresso machine, because it was just amazing.

We took some naps and stuff, I wrote some postcards. Julian and Martin went out to the deli (the best place on earth) for dinner and brought back parmesan, mozzarella, smoked salmon, prosciutto, bread, olive oil, and sausage, and arugula. We had a smorgas board in our room. All of it was only 6 euro a person and we didn't even finish it all.

I never want to leave...

FEBRUARY 4, 2010

- Musei Capitolini (designed by Michelangelo)
- Michelangelo architecture exhibit

- drawing (was discouraged)

- lunch at Insalata Ricca
- had a salad with arugula, corn, avocado, mushrooms, and salmon YUM!

- farmacia
- body wash and shampoo

- bought stamps

- drew more on my own time (was still discouraged)

- finally checked my e-mail (I had a dream about it last night)

- technical drawing lesson

- dinner at convent

- bath

-reading

FEBRUARY 3, 2010

Today we went to four different churches. To be honest, after a while they all blend together. San Andrea del Quirinale, San Andrea del Valle, San Carlino, San Sebastione. My favorite was San Carlino, just because it was so tiny and white and pretty with an interesting shape. It also had a nice courtyard. It seems like it would be a no-brainer but I've realized that using a softer lead pencil is better for sketching. I am trying my hardest not to get caught up in details when drawing because it just isn't practical.

For lunch, Emily, Julian, Martin, and I went to this place called Bierro Perino. It was very good, I got arugula and prosciutto on top of mozzarella. I didn't eat most of the cheese though, there was probably enough to go on top of an entire pizza. We also got a pitcher of some local beer for the table. I think I am going to be very sick of bread, cheese, and pasta by the time I leave. Afterwards we got gelato!

When we went back to the convent, we did some gestural drawing excercises as a class. You only got two minutes to draw each person's pose. It was good for me to not think so much and just feel it out; I hope we do something like it again. They didn't even come out that badly. Then it was relaxation time, which consisted of a bath for Emily and reading and a nap for me.

We had dinner at the concent. It is 5 euro for a full course meal plus wine, and it's pretty good. Also, if we eat here most nights than we can splurge a little on a nice dinner out. Emily and I went out walking looking for a bar that was in one of the guide books, but we couldn't find it so we got a couple of beers and sat by the fountains in Piazza Farnese, part of which used to be in the ancient public baths of Caracalla.

FEBRUARY 2, 2010

First full day in Rome. It was easy to wake up, but by 4 I was dead. Breakfast at the convent was coffee, hollow rolls with cheeses and ham, and yogurt. We are literally staying in a convent run by nuns. I am sharing a room with my friend Emily, and we have our own bathroom with a bathtub! Our room is really cute and dainty. The room is a reasonable size, which makes it kind of funny that the beds are nearly touching.

The first thing we went to was a courtyard designed by Bromante. We drew for about an hour and a hlf. It took me almost that long to draw a single column, and I thought I was picking something simple. We then went to Saint Augustino and then to Saint Luigi. There were some Caravaggio paintings there. The light source in the paintings was the same as the light source in the chapel (my compliments to the church as I will soon see a plethora of bad lighting design in churches). We then went to this huge square which used to be a stadium which is why it is elliptical. Saint Agnese (designed by Borromini and Bernini) was there with a huge fountain and obelisk in front of it (was blocked off for restoration). I liked Agnese because there is a small chapel room off the main room with an altar. There is a glass box with a tiny skull in it. It is the skull of Agnese. Her story is that the young Agnese refused to renounce Christ and mary some powerful local and so she was pushed naked into the stadium. Her hair miraculously grew to save her from embarassment. They then tried to burn her at the stake, and when the flames wouldn't ignite, her Pagan prosecutors chopped off her head on the spot where the church now stands.

We were supposed to draw this church, but I got overwhelmed and ended up drawing an average building across the street. My drawings today were not very good but I suppose I will only get better.

Roma!

Ok, so I am going to post things that I wrote and pictures I took during my trip to Rome.

To my family:
I may post trips or projects on here from time to time, but please don't expect this to be a revival of "the blog" as my life isn't exciting enough.

Without further ado...

FEBRUARY 1, 2010

I am among the Dutch! My flight was fine; I've never seen such a high concentration of blondes in my life. I really like the woman I sat next to, although we didn't talk much. I slept for a lot of the flight, which is good because it is now 6 am. My observations of the Amsterdam Airport: - the Dutch seem very friendly
- you can buy beer at the airport kiosks (as if it were juice)
- they sell salmon sandwiches.
On to Rome!