Tuesday March 24

On Tuesday we visited the Borghese Museum in Borghese Gardens. The museum houses the most spectacular collection of Caravaggio, Raphael, Botticelli, and Peter Paul Rubens paintings. As well as the best of Bernini's sculptures: Apollo and Daphne, Rape of Proserpine, David, and Aeneas and Anchises which he completed at the age of fifteen.

My photography skills cannot possibly do these masterpieces justice. Suffice it to say, if you have traveled to Rome, and not visited this museum, you have missed the best art work in Rome. If you plan to visit Rome, put this museum on your itinerary. Order your tickets in advance because they are never available at the door. When we visited on Tuesday they were selling advance tickets for Friday.

Tomorrow is an off day for me and on Thursday I travel to Sardinia for a four day weekend of rest and relaxation. It is needed. My blog is finally up to date. Stay tuned for some great stories and pictures from Stintino, Sardinia, Italy.

Monday March 23

On Monday we had a student led tour of via Giulia and Campo dei Fiori area of Rome and then lunch in the Jewish ghetto. I like this area of Rome a lot. There doesn't seem to be the same concentration of street peddlers with their selfie sticks in this area of Rome. I like visiting San Giovanni dei Florentini; the church of Florence in Rome. The church houses a museum which is not well publicized and includes a sculpture by Michelangelo which it is said he completed at a very young age, perhaps only 14 at the time.

And a bust sculpted by Bernini

 

 

The museum curator also wanted to show me the catwalk out to the organ above the church, but I passed on that.

 

 

after via Giulia we walked through piazza Farnese to Campo dei Fiori which is always bustling this time of day

 

 

also where I spotted this little "weiner" dog

 

 

Saturday March 21 - Positano

Danilo, eight students, and I headed to Positano. We caught the bus and had a harrowing journey down the cliff road to Positano always an exciting adventure. But well worth the trip. Positano always looks impressive.

A few of the students even went wading in the water. I tried to capture a long distance photo of Prianno where Amy and I stayed.

After playing around the water we decided to have lunch at The Three Sisters.

Friday March 20

On Friday we headed to Sorrento. This is always a complex maneuver. We have to take the early train into Rome from campus. Once in Rome, we take a fast train to Naples. From Naples we take the commuter train to the end of the line in Sorrento. We left campus at 6:45 and arrived in Sorrento at noon. We immediately stopped for lunch at Franco's for his famous saltimbocca sandwiches, meat and mozzarella in a pizza crust sandwich. Always a treat. We checked into the hotel and had 10 minute break before we had to head back to the train station and go back where we came from to Pompeii. I think having the tour on Friday is a great idea because it totally frees up Saturday for whatever the students want. Pompeii is still amazing.

 

 

 

Every time I go, I learn something new. They are starting to extract DNA from some teeth they recovered. There is still a debate raging about the use of lead and whether it had any effect on the Romans. The two archeologists, one at the aqueducts and the other at Pompeii disagree in the effects of lead on these early Romans.

 

We were considering going to Capri on Saturday, but only one of the students wants to go. It is very expensive, 35-40 euros round trip, not counting the money one spends shopping. Right now we are leaning towards taking a bus to Positano. A majority of the students indicated they would join us for that excursion.

Thursday March 19

This is always one of my favorite excursions in the program, especially when the weather cooperates.

The Roman Aqueduct Tour

 

 

 

 

The aqueduct park on good weather days is full of people and dogs, It is one of the most picturesque settings we get to visit.

 

 

 

 

As you can see from my students dress it was a very fair day indeed!

 

 

Tomorrow we leave for Sorrento. hoping the weather remains calm.







Tuesday March 17 and Wednesday March 18

Tuesday and Wednesday were uneventful. I did not schedule any excursions with the students. They worked on their midterms and global learning projects.

Monday March 16

Monday the 16th was taken up with a walking tour of the Lateran area of Rome. The area is most famous for the San Giovanni basilica and baptistery.

 

 

The church is really quite spectacular. You can gain perspective on the size of the church if you look at the people next to it.After the church we headed over to the sacred steps. the students leading the tour said we didn't have enough time to climb them which was disappointing because I have climbed them on my knees the first two times I came to Rome. The legend has it, these were the steps Jesus took to see Pontius Pilate. Legend also has it that Martin Luther started on his knees and then rose up and walked the rest of the way.

 

Following the sacred steps we headed over to San Clemente. An interesting church built on top of another church, and built on top a Roman temple. They also did not allow pictures. Regrettably.