The Colosseum, Vespers, and David

Today I toured the Colosseum. A lot of the ruins (such as the marble seating) has been removed over time to rebuild other structures. The floor no longer reamains and it is difficult to imagine 50,000 people sitting there watching gladiators, wild animals, and public execuations. Beneath the floor there are still structures where animals where kept and could be raised by use of an elevator unto the floor of the arena above. It is mind boggling to imagine how old these structures are!

Last night we attended Vespers at St. Paul's outside the walls. Vespers, evening praise of the liturgy of the hours, is song and praise in Latin. This act allows Christians to participate in a holy experience which connects them with God. It is considered an act of homage and praise. Christians partake in Vespers to praise God for everything He has created and to gain intimacy with Him, while they can feel the presence of God and grow in their love for Him.

On Saturday while we were in Florence we went to see the David (by Michelangelo) at the Academy. There was also a fake David outside the Uffizi, but it did not do the real one justice at all. The true David was breathtaking, standing 13 feet tall and chiseled with more detail than thought imaginable. It looked like a real person trapped in stone. Veins stood out in his hands and arms, muscles were visibly flexed, and the furrowed brow and distinction between the iris and pupil gave David a truthfully worried appearance. It is the best piece of art I have ever seen.

Ciao!
Sandi

Now in Florence!

Today we explored Assisi and saw the church St. Francis rebuilt, where he was born, where he died, and the church that was built to honor him (and where his remains are). We also were able to see the church built for St. Claire.

Before going on this journey we watched a video about St. Francis which enabled us to be more well informed of his doings and let us better visualize what he did in Assisi and how God told him to try to fix the corruption in Christianity. This tour through the town is one of the most interesting aspects of this pilgrimage so far. Assisi was a lot easier to naviate through than Rome and it had many interesting shops to visit.

After a couple hour bus ride we have arrived in Florence! We have not been able to explore the city yet, but did have the opportunity to try some lasagna and meet people from Wisconsin. We will wake up early tomorrow and go to the Uffizi (and hopefully get into it!), see the Cathedral Duomo, and the convent of San Marco. Afterwards we will head back to Rome for our last 3 days!

Ciao!
Sandi

Rome, now Assisi

We have done many exciting things so far in Rome. I have especially enjoyed seeing St. Peters, especially since we had learned about it before. I even climbed the 320 steps to the top of the copula yesterday. The catacombs were very interesting and very large! There is an unbelievable amount of beautiful churches everywhere, it is almost too much to take in. The Sistine chapel was beautiful and the Vatican museum contained so much that we only saw a small portion. There is so much to see!

Today we ventured to Sacro Speco and Santa Scholastica, and now we are in Assisi. It seems like a very interesting town and very hilly---like Duluth! Tomorrow we will travel to Florence. It has been fun to see some of the countryside and to not have to walk everywhere.

I enjoy observing the culture here, it is so different than the U.S. There are no real grocery stores and everyone eats delicious gelatti all the time.

Back to exploring Italy...
(Sandi)

Anticipating Rome

My name is Sandra Riggs and I am a senior majoring in biology pre-medicine and minoring in chemistry and psychology. I have always wanted to travel to Italy and when I heard about this opportunity I jumped at the chance. Actually, I was originally going to go on this trip as a freshmen, then a sophomore, then a junior......but I'm finally taking it now. Next fall I will begin medical school and really want to do some traveling before then. I am excited to see/do everything on the agenda in Italy and then some! I love the fact that about half of the main Cable staff is going since we travel in packs because we cannot function independently. I will do my best to stay hydrated and to be ok with the fact I will not be wearing my usual heels for two weeks. Hopefully I will not order cow intestines for dinner or get pick-pocketed or lost. I have a feeling New Year's will be a little more exciting in Rome than watching the big ball drop in New York on T.V. in my parent's basement in the middle of no-where-land, MN. I can't wait!