There are some things that just don’t translate from language to language or culture to culture. Aperitivo is one of those things. So if you can’t translate it, then what is it?
Well it’s our new found substitute for dinner a few times a week. It’s a period after dinner, where bars and lounges are open for about two or three hours for drinks. Starting around 7:30 and until about 10:00, you can go to the bar, buy a cocktail drink for 7 euro, and there is an all you can eat buffet of a variety of hors d’oeuvres and appetizers.
Everything from pasta, pizza, mini hamburgers, French fries, mini sandwiches and risotto are served. The only thing wrong is I wished they had bigger plates! After about three or four dessert size plates heaped with food, I’m full!
Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, but size doesn't prevent it from being my favorite. From the first time I went on April 10th, 2004 when I was a 13 year-old boy, I fell in love with the art, the architecture, the Swiss Guards, and the Pope. I loved it all. Since that Saturday morning, I've been back a few times and still get the same feeling.
As our class took the metro at 8am Sunday morning, none of us knew that the line to the Vatican Museum was going to be almost two hours long. Katherina made an executive decision to postpone the museum trip until the afternoon. So we made our way around to the Bernini colonnade and into Piazza di San Pietro. The line... non existent. We first started out by visiting the crypt underneath the basilica. The crypt is home of the tombs of several popes including John Paul II. It was apparent which was his, as there is a roped off section a few feet behind his tomb for the faithful to stop and pray.
Bernini Colonnade
Following the hastened trip to the crypt, we all passed through the giant doors into the basilica. I got the same tingly feeling every time I walk in there. The massive pillars rose all around, framing the Bernini Pulpit distinctive to St. Peter's. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to attend the ongoing mass happening behind the altar. While walking towards Michelangelo's Pietà, I overheard an American tourist ask someone near him, "Pardon my ignorance, but what church is this again?" I just rolled my eyes in disgust and continued on.
Inside St. Peter's
Walking around a little more, I came across the roped off area reserved for Confession. I thought to myself, how awesome would it be to go to Confession at St. Peter's! It was perfect timing really, since Lent was about a week away. I asked to go through and walked in the side cross section of the basilica where several Confessionals lined the walls. I had been in this section before, about seven years ago when I was at the Easter Vigil Mass with John Paul II. The church was packed. A little nun from India gave up her seat for my grandma, leaving my cousin and I to fend for ourselves. What's the next logical thing to do? Sit in the Confessional! I didn't think about it at the time, but Easter Vigil Mass is usually a little longer than normal. Not only that, but it was at the Vatican. We sat there for over three hours! But it was all well worth it. So why do I bring that up? Because when I went to Confession, one of the Confessionals that was labeled English, was the same one I spent three hours in seven years prior. So naturally I chose that one. I got back to the rest of my group just in time before they left to get in line at the museum.
So you know how there was no line to get into the St. Peter's when we went a couple hours before? The line now stretched all the way around the piazza, half way to the exit. Our luck ran out when we got in line for the Vatican Museums which had only lengthened. We also found out that they close at 12:30 on Sunday. We got in line at about 10am and an hour and a half later, we were in! The last Sunday of the month is free entrance, so everyone takes advantage of saving 13 euro. We had about 20 minutes to get a snack and go to the bathroom before we started our tour. Thinking we had more time, we slowly walked through the first few galleries before heading outside.
Katherina stopped at a picture of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to explain some of it's elements when a security guard walked over to her and told her she better hurry up because it's closing in 15 minutes! Apparently they close several of the galleries a half hour before closing to get people to leave. We all started to run through the halls of the Vatican Museum, passing by works of art full of history we'd never get to learn about that day. Katherina is fast, and as she would pass by certain things, she would quickly say, "and this thing right here was done by so-and-so" all while still running. Eventually, we all became split up as some of us ran ahead, and some lingered a little longer. We all made it into the Sistine Chapel about five minutes before they started blasting the recording that it was closing. The room was packed. There was nowhere to move and everyone was taking pictures. Usually pictures are absolutely prohibited in the Sistine Chapel, but there were so many people, and they were so busy trying to get eveyone out, they could have cared less. I took the opportunity and snapped picture after picture of every square meter of that place; The Last Judgement, the ceiling, The Creation of Adam, even myself in the chapel. We left the museum excited, hungary, and completly worn out! Katherina was no longer walking her normal power walking pace, but a slow exhausted walk that we were all glad to be walking at.
La Cappella Sistina
Last Judgement, and me
We had about three hours until we had to catch our train, so we were on our own to find lunch and explore Rome for one last time. Chris, Stephanie and I took the metro to the Spanish Steps, since we didn't get to spend anytime there previously, and walked to the top. Stephanie had stayed at a convent with her family a few years prior right at the top of the steps and she was dying to stop by and say hello to Sister Wanda, hopping she was still there. We rung the doorbell to the convent and we were buzzed in. Stephanie was so flustered, all of her Italian left her, leaving me to translate everything. We asked for Sr. Wanda and explained how we knew her, and were asked to wait in the waiting room for her. In walks this sweet little old nun who spoke zero English. We spoke to her a little while and she left and brought back little trinkets for us. I got a key chain with the Vatican and JP II on it, and Chris got a St. Christopher medal. After saying goodbye, we went to look for lunch.
From the top of the Spanish Steps
After a busy weekend rushing around Rome, we were all glad to open our apartment door and crash. With no motivation to make dinner that night, we went to Apperativo to have a nice relaxing meal.
Part of my program in Florence includes a weekend trip to Rome with my Renaissance Art History class. I was a little weary signing up for the class at first, but it has proven to be one of my favorite classes. My Austrian teacher, Katherina, is energetic, funny and so passionate about what she does. The other day before class, she bought us all caffè, and two weeks before, she invited us all to dinner at her house! Anyway, Rome. AMAZING!!
We took the high-speed train from Santa Maria Novella train station at 1:40pm and arrived at Roma Termini at about 3:20pm. Hotel Gioberti was only about 50 meters from the door of the station. (Dang! I’m already starting to use the metric system without thinking!) We dropped our bags off and we were on our way to our first church. After about four churches, and a stop to throw a few coins in the Trevi Fountain, we made our way to the Peroni Brewery. Katherina had been telling us about taking us to the brewery for weeks and we were all looking forward to it. It’s no longer a working brewery, but serves only Peroni beer and great food! Once again, I had to eat Roman specialties, so for an appetizer, I got a fried pumpkin flower, something I had had a few years ago at my relative’s house in Vallemaio. After going through a couple of pitchers between Chris and I and a few others, we all walked back to our hotel to rest up before going out again that night.
La Fontana di Trevi
"Whoever drinks beer, lives 100 years"
Chris, Dray and I decided to find a local bar where other American students go, like in Florence. We started to see lots of signs for a bar called Trinity College as we wandered around the streets of Rome at night. Standing in front of the Altare della Patria, you can look down one street and see the Coliseum all lit up. Rome is so much bigger than Florence! Where my apartment is in the city center, nothing is more than a ten-minute walk at the most. In Rome, we walked for a good 20-30 minutes before we came across the bar, which wasn’t too far from the Pantheon. After enjoying ourselves for a few hours, we were beat from walking all around Rome, and decided to call it quits.
In the morning, we started off by taking the metro from the train station to the Spanish Steps. Since there are no paintings or great works of art on the steps, (except for Bernini’s Barcaccia at the bottom) we walked right on by to Santa Maria del Popolo to see some original Caravaggio paintings. Next was Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, which was built on top of (sopra) a temple to the Roman goddess Minerva. It is the final resting place of St. Catherine of Siena (except for her head which is in Siena) and Fra Angelico, a Dominican painter, as well as a few popes.
We next went to the Pantheon, which was originally built as a temple to all the Roman gods in 126 AD, and turned into Saint Mary and the Martyrs minor basilica in the 7th century. After almost 2,000 years, the Pantheon is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. It’s trademark 31ft oculus is the only source of light and ventilation to the whole building. The Pantheon also holds the tomb of Raphael as well as the kings of Italy, Victor Emmanuel II, Umberto I, and a memorial to Victor Emmanuel III who died in exile. Walking in front of the building in the piazza, gives the illusion of the building being much smaller than it really is. As you walk in, the huge round room opens up around you as the single beam of light being cast onto part of the coffered ceiling, moves ever so slowly, highlighting different niches which once housed statues of Roman gods.
In front of the Pantheon
Inside the Pantheon, with view of oculus
We were then finally free to go on lunch anywhere we wanted. Chris and I went down a couple of small side streets off of Piazza Navona and found an awesome place to eat outside. For my main course, I had Saltimbocca alla Romana, meaning jump in the mouth. It’s veal covered in prosciutto and sage and is another Roman specialty. We caught up with a few of our friends and took a walk to Castel Sant’Angelo, a giant brick former papal fortress on the banks of the Tiber. Chris and I had a sudden urge to leave the country, so we walked down the street, and entered La Città del Vaticano, Vatican City, the smallest country in the world. After roaming around Rome a while longer, (pun intended), we met back with our class at Piazza Navona to look at the Fontana del Quattro Fiume which represents the four major rivers in the world known at the time.
Castel Sant'Angelo on the Tiber River
St. Peter's basilica
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in Piazza Navona
We continued our journey through the Eternal City by visiting the center of government, Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo, which backs up to Altare della Patria, a monument dedicated to Victor Emmanuel, and nicknamed by Italians as, the ‘typewriter’ and the ‘wedding cake’. Right behind the three main buildings is the perfect overlook of the old Roman Forum, the ancient ruins of the city of Rome, including the tomb of Julius Cesar and the prison cells for the Apostle, Peter and Paul. Walking down the street, we finally make our visit to the infamous Roman landmark, the Coliseum. The engineering ingenuity of the colossal building is amazing; 80 entrances, a retractable roof, a labyrinth of tunnels under the stage, the possibility of flooding for mock ocean battles, and so much more. Actually, the word ‘arena’ comes from the Latin word for sand, which is what covered the floor during bloody battle scenes for easy clean up.
Piazza del Campidoglio
Foro Romano. Notice the Coliseum behind me.
Coliseum with Arch of Constantine
After being bombarded with gypsies trying to sell us souvenirs, we moved onto the church, S. Pietro in Vincoli, St. Peter in Chains. The chains are two different sets that bound Peter in Jerusalem and in the Mamertine Prison in Rome. When Pope Leo I received the chains from Jerusalem, he compared them to the ones from Rome and they miraculously fused together. The chains are kept and viewable in a glass case under the main altar. The main reason we went to S. Pietro in Vincoli was to do my art history presentation on the Tomb of Pope Julius II and the Moses Statue done by Michelangelo. Everyone in our class had a different piece of art scattered throughout Rome that we had to do research on and present to our classmates onsite, something you can’t really do in a classroom in Virginia. The Moses, the focal point of the tomb, is said to be Michelangelo’s favorite sculpture, and when he was done, hit the statue on the knee with his hammer demanding it to begin to breath, for all that it needed now was life. Although you cannot get very close, they say there is still a chip on the knee where Michelangelo hit Moses with his hammer.
The chains of St. Peter
As it was a Saturday evening, Stephanie, my fellow CCMer and I knew we wouldn’t be able to get to mass the next morning with the mad rush of things we had to do for class, so as everyone else dispersed throughout Rome for the night, we went in search for a church to go to mass. After about two seconds, we found one! Who would have guessed it would be that easy!
The next post will be all about the next day, Sunday, and our trip to the Vatican and the Vatican Museums.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have become involved with the Society of St. Thomas More. Every Tuesday, they hold a Bible Study led by a student and have wine and cheese. When they found out I am a FOCUS Student Leader, they asked me to start leading them. I was both honored and excited to continue my mission from George Mason, here in Florence.
I could chose any topic or passage I wanted to, so I looked through my FOCUS books and decided to do a lesson on Moral Authority. This term is used to describe how both future and current leaders in the faith are called to set an example on what the church teaches. I think St. Anthony of Padua sums it up best, “Actions speak louder than words; let your words speak and your actions teach.” If we ourselves cannot keep the promises we ask others to make, how can we keep those promises? This passage brought up a lot of discussion when Christ says:
“For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor does an evil tree produce good fruit. For each and every tree is known by its fruit. For they do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather the grape from the bramble bush. A good man, from the good storehouse of his heart, offers what is good. And an evil man, from the evil storehouse, offers what is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. He is like a man building a house, who has dug deep and has laid the foundation upon the rock. Then when the floodwaters came, the river was rushing against that house, and it was not able to move it. For it was founded upon the rock. But whoever hears and does not do: he is like a man building his house upon the soil, without a foundation. The river rushed against it, and it soon fell down, and the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke 6:43-45, 48-49)
About eight people in all came, a perfect number for good discussion. We meet in the mensa (Italian for Cafeteria), which is an apartment across from the Duomo where the priests eat. At the end, everyone complemented on how great of a discussion it was and how they haven’t had one so good in a long time! It made me so much more excited to continue leading them the rest of the semester!
So, my first trip across the former Iron Curtain was a blast!
I arrived in Budapest Friday night after my connection in Rome and hopped on a bus and then a metro to Kalvin Ter. I knew my hotel was close to the metro station, but I wasn't sure exactly where it was. I stepped out of the stairway, turned around, and there it was!
My friend Julian, who flew in from Sweden from his study abroad, was already there and we decided to walk around the city to see it at night. Walking along the Danube River was so beautiful as all the golden buildings along either side were lit up. We ate at a restaurant off the main drag, Andrasse Avenue, and I just had to go with a local specialty, goulash. It was a lot better than what I remember from my grade school cafeteria’s goulash for sure! It was really just a vegetable soup. I had that with pork and potatoes Hungarian style. I couldn’t even finish the amount they served me!
Looking up to Castle Hill at night
The next day we went to the Pest side of the city. Budapest was originally two cities, Buda and Pest, divided by the Danube River and combined to make Budapest. There was a funicular to take you up the hill to the base of the Grand Palace, which was destroyed during World War II and rebuilt by the Soviets as they clutched Hungary in the claws of Communism. Once at the top, we were welcomed with the most amazing view of the city. We walked through the grandiose courtyards of the Palace, which are not at all what they used to be before the war. The exterior used to be adorned with hundreds of statues, ornate carvings and moldings, and extravagant gardens filled with exotic fauna. Now, most of the Palace is filled with offices, museums, and halls that can be rented out. Remains of the old Palace are still visible throughout the estate.
Standing by the Grand Palace overlooking the city
Next stop was St. Matthias Basilica, which is on the same hill, just a quarter mile down the road from the Palace. Secret tip: If a church requires you to pay to get in, ask where the prayer entrance is and you can get in for free! Right outside is a large balcony looking out over the city called the Fisherman’s Bastion. It’s a series of towers and walkways on the hillside displaying gorgeous views of the Danube and the numerous buildings that border it. We walked down the hill, and ate at a local restaurant. I have this obsession about eating local food and drink, such as eating a Belgian waffle in Belgium, crepes in France, goulash in Hungary and gelato in Italy. So for lunch, I got fried duck and pickled cabbage. It was actually very good!
St. Matthias Basilica
Fisherman's Bastion
Sunday morning, we went to mass at St. Stephan’s Basilica not realizing it would be in Hungarian. It was advertized as Latin, but the only thing in Latin was the Consecration. Afterwards, we went around to a room behind the sanctuary to see the Right Hand of St. King Stephen. It is the most revered relic in all of Hungary, not only because he was the country’s first King, but also because he brought Christianity to the region.
St. Stephan's Basilica
St. King Stephan's right hand
Next, we went to the Hungarian Parliament, the third largest parliament building in Europe outside of Bucharest and London. For being the equivalent of the US Capitol Building, security was pretty lax. A guard every hundred yards surrounded the building and a simple security scan was all that was needed to get into the building. Our tour started on the grand staircase that the building is most famous for. The whole room was gilded in gold from the railings to the ceiling. The dome that caps the building houses the Holy Crown that was worn by St. King Stephen. The image is portrayed all throughout the city as a crown topped with a cross bent to the side, an accident that happened centuries ago when it was packed in a box for safekeeping. During WWII, the crown along with the right hand, were sent to the United States to be safeguarded in Fort Knox and was returned decades later by President Jimmy Carter. The last part of the tour was a look into the parliament chamber. Hungary used to have a bicameral legislature like the United States, but now only has one. The other chamber is now rented out to citizens for large parties.
On our last morning, we took a long walk up to the citadel, a fortress on a hill next to the Grand Palace that the Soviets build in order to aim cannons down on the city if they needed to destroy Budapest. On the way up, we stopped at the Cave Church, which is literally what it sounds like. It’s a cave, with a church in it. The rest of the way up felt more like a pilgrimage, especially since it had started to snow as we followed the winding wooded path to the top. Along the way were several outcroppings where you can look out over the whole city. Once at the top, you are faced with the giant statue of a woman, which can be see across the city. It is a liberation statue erected by the Soviets “liberating” the Hungarians from their “oppression,” so they decided to turn them communist. Kind of ironic isn’t it!
On top of the Citadel looking over the city
This post is a whole week late! I know, I know I need to be on top of it more! I’ll post a few more in the next couple of days to catch up. This past weekend, (2/25-27) I was in Rome for a class trip, so that will probably be a two-part post. The Tuesday after Budapest, I lead a Bible Study for the SSTM, so I’ll write a little on that too. Next weekend I’ll be on Spring Break, so Internet may be an issue too, but I’ll keep writing and post when I get back.
What are Italians more passionate about than anything? Soccer!
On Wednesday evening, my roommates and I went to a Fiorentina soccer game, Florence’s home team. It wasn’t just any game of calcio either. This was Florence’s biggest game of the year; a game locals have been waiting for. The opponent… Inter Milan, the number three team in the country. Fiorentina, also known as The Viola because of their purple jerseys, are not so high up on the list. The fan base reminds me an awful lot of that of the Washington Redskins. The fans know they are terrible and have no chance of winning, but they remain loyal to the end.
It had rained all day on Wednesday and it showed no signs of stopping. The walk to the stadium was long and wet as I could feel the water start to seep into my shoes. The closer we got, the more fans joined in on the walk. It was so strange going to a game at a stadium and not having to park a car a mile away. The amazing thing was, there was no parking lot at all. Everybody walks to the stadium because Florence is such a compact city. What weren’t any different, were the vendors on the streets selling Viola merchandise. Purple scarves, gloves, hats, jerseys, flags and sweatshirts lined the inside of the vendors’ carts.
As soon as you step into the stadium, you can feel the excitement as the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. A sea of purple surrounds you as people flood into the stands. Chants and songs erupted from the crowd as the players took to the field. Huge plexi-glass walls topped with spikes surrounded both the field and the visitor section to dissuade rioters and rowdy tifosi from causing too much trouble. Inter scored first only five minutes into the game. The comparably small number of Inter fans went nuts! Cheers and insults went back and forth between the two sides. Fiorentina scored about ten minutes later to tie up the game! The crowd went crazy!! Now the pressure was on!
Half time came and went and in the second half, Inter scored again to take the 2-1 lead. After numerous close calls, the Viola couldn’t pull it off. We went home both wet and a little disappointed. It was definitely an amazing experience to go to a European soccer match and experience a vital part of Italian culture.
