Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime. ~Mark Twain

On Friday I saw the Spanish Steps and the Piazza del Popolo, and then just walked and wandered around the city. On Saturday I went to Sainta Maria della Vittoria (a church), and saw Bernini’s Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. Then, I went to the Castel Sant’Angelo and the Ponte Sant’Angelo. On Sunday I, the other students, and our professor arrived outside of St. Peter’s Square at five in the morning for a service that started at ten, though it turned out to be very advantageous of us to arrive early, because we ended up getting seats (actual chairs) fifteen or sixteen rows back from the alter/stage area. Estimates are placing more than 100,000 people in St. Peter’s Square and the road leading to the Square for Easter mass, and I certainly believe that number. The energy was electric, and it was an absolutely incredible and once-in-a lifetime opportunity. It was so incredibly crazy that I do not think I will even brave this event again, but I am so very glad I was able to have the opportunity to attend it. It did not rain on Sunday, but it did for the entire day on Monday. This ended up not being such a bad thing, though, because I was so tired from the day before and had to pack that I really would not have wanted to go “do” anything specific anyways. Yesterday I arrived in Sorrento (again to rain), but today it has been sunny. I absolutely loved Sorrento when I was here before, and I cannot wait to experience it again.

Spanish Steps

Piazza del Popolo

View of S. Peter's from the Ponte Sant'Angelo

Castel Sant'Angelo

Ecstasy of Saint Teresa

Easter Mass

The Pope said "Happy Easter" in (what had to have been) every language.

In the St. Peter's Square itself

From my vantage point, the crowd seemed to extend to the very horizon itself.

Half the fun of the travel is the esthetic of lostness. ~Ray Bradbury

On Saturday I went to Trajan’s Forum, the Roman Forum, and the Piazza Navona. On Sunday (for Palm Sunday) I and the other students attended St. Paul’s Within The Walls Anglican Episcopal Church. Then, I walked around the Palatine Hill area, which overlooks the Roman Forum. On Monday I went to the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s. On Tuesday I went to the Pantheon, Fonte Acqua Paola and the Church of S. Maria in Trastevere. On Wednesday I traveled, along with the other students and our Professor, to Ostia Antica, which is a large archeological site, close to the modern town of Ostia, that was the location of the harbor city of ancient Rome. "Ostia" in Latin means "mouth". At the mouth of the River Tiber, Ostia was Rome's seaport, but, due to silting and a drop in sea level, the site now lies 3 kilometres from the sea. The site is noted for the excellent preservation of its ancient buildings, magnificent frescoes and impressive mosaics. Ostia was almost like a city-sized playground of ruins. This year marks 150 years since Rome’s unification, and today there was a theatrical reenactment of Rome’s history in the Circus Maximus, which the other students, our Professor, and I attended. Afterwards, I went to the top of the Victor Emmanuel (he was the first king of a united Italy) Monument and visited the Church of S. Ignazio di Loyola. It has been wonderful being back in Rome. I am able to see, do, and experience so much more this time around. It is suppose to rain on Easter morning (when I and the other students are suppose to be in St. Peter’s Square for Mass), so I would appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers for a dry, instead of wet, morning on Easter.

Trajan's Forum

Ostia Antica

Ostia Antica

View from the Capitoline Hill

Capitoline Hill Area

Forum

Ceiling of the Church of St. Ignatius

Full Ceiling of the Church of St. Ignatius

Forum

Palatine Hill Area

View from the Palatine Hill

Forum

The Vatican Gardens

Northeast View of Rome

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind. ~Seneca

On Wednesday I went to the Accademia and saw Michelangelo’s David, and it was spectacular. Also on Wednesday I went to the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, where I was able to see two of my favorite sculptures of all time, Michelangelo’s Pieta (which is not as well known as his more famous Pieta in St. Peter’s Basilica) and Donatello’s Magdalena, is a wooden statue depicting Mary Magdalene. On Thursday I hiked up a hill on the outskirts of Florence where there was an absolutely incredibly stunning view of the city. On Friday I left for Rome, and stopped in Assisi on the way. Assisi is my favorite city in the world, and I was even more incredible and breath-taking than I remembered. We arrived in Rome (safely) very late, and it was all I could do to change into pajamas and brush my teeth before collapsing into bed. I have already visited the Piazza Navona this morning, and later my professor is going to give myself and the other students a guided tour of the Forum.

Magdalena; she is not wearing any clothes, everything covering her body is her hair.

This Pieta is unfortunately almost lost in the shadow of Rome's Pieta

View of Florence

View of Florence

View of Florence

View of Florence

View from atop Assisi

Assisi

Assisi

Assisi

Church of St. Francis in Assisi

Assisi

It is not down in any map; true places never are. ~Herman Melville

On Saturday in Florence my professor took myself and the other students on a walking tour of Florence, and we visited Santa Croce, also known as the Basilica of the Holy Cross. This is one of the oldest and largest Franciscan basilicas in the world, and is the burial place of some of the most illustrious Italians, including Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Dante, and Galileo. On Sunday I worked on my studies, wrote some postcards, bought some items for myself and others (all souvenirs are remaining a surprise), and just lounged and walked around the city. Yesterday myself, the other students, and our professor visited Siena and San Gimignano, north-central Italian hill towns. I took (what I believe) to be some of my best pictures yet, and I hope you enjoy them!!

View from atop San Gimignano

Another view from atop San Gimignano

San Gimignano

San Gimignano

San Gimignano

San Gimignano

Church of Siena

Siena

Siena

Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe. ~Anatole France

Yesterday was my last day in Paris, but I will be back in about a month and a half for another two weeks, so it is okay. I flew to Piza this afternoon and arrived in Florence, Italy safe and sound. On Tuesday I went to Chartres, which is a town about 60 kilometers southwest of Paris; the Cathedral there was breathtaking. Yesterday morning I had class, and afterwards I did not feel like visiting a specific site or dealing with massive crowds and tourists, so I went exploring (ok, it was more like me wandering/being lost), but it all worked out because I found myself on a bridge spanning the Seine River with a spectacular view of the back of Notre-Dame. So, I leaned against a lamp post on the rail of the bridge and just sat and wrote and enjoyed the view for an entire afternoon. It was WONDERFUL. Today I visited the Parc Monseau, which is a very unique garden in France because it is an English style garden instead of the traditional French style. Enjoy the pictures, and thank you all so much for taking the time to read my blog. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do updating it.

The Chartres Cathedral is the most well preserved medieval gothic cathedral in Europe

Chartres Cathedral also has the largest collection of medieval stained glass windows

Monet painted 5 paintings of the Parc Monceau

Parc Monceau was the landing site of the first silk parachute jump in 1797