Two days combined....this could get long (just a forewarning)

Thursday was yet another beautiful day in Rome. Hotter than heck, but glorious nonetheless! I am getting some muchly needed Vitamin D. Every day has thus far been wonderful. Although I miss everyone, I do not regret my decision to take this class and experience Italy. 

Yesterday, we headed to the Accent Center, where Paolo was our guest speaker. Paolo works for Caritas, a social service organization here in Italy. He works in the volunteer section of the organization. Caritas is a fantastic organization. Think of it as a version of CHUM Center, Damino, Lake Superior Community Health Center, AIDS resource center and social services all wrapped into one package. While Caritas is a Catholic organization, it is funded by donations. Employees of Caritas are not paid by the Church. 

Every day, Caritas Soup Kitchen feed up to 600 people not only for lunch, but also for dinner. Food is not prepared on site. Donated food is cooked and sent to the soup kitchen. Dishing, cleaning, visiting with people who need a meal, and many other tasks are done by volunteers. Paolo said there are up to 30 volunteers working each meal. How amazing is it to think that there are sooooooooooooo many willing volunteers available to lend a hand!?!?

Caritas does more than just soup kitchens. They have health care centers for those in need. They have a beautiful house for people who are HIV positive to live in. They have a nursery for small children. They good out into the night and provide coffee and clothing to those homeless people who do not make it to the soup kitchens.  Doctors volunteer their services to the health care clinics. Caritas reaches out to the gypsy camps to provide health care and mentoring for those children of gypsies. They have schools to teach Italian to immigrants. It sounds like a wonderful organization that is muchly needed in Italy. 

I couldn't resist asking Paolo if they have the same shortage of volunteers as we are seeing in America. He said on average 15-20 people call a DAY asking to volunteer their time, services, make a donation of food or money. AMAZING! Caritas provides training to their volunteers for the many areas they work in. Volunteers are asked for a minimum of ONE night a week. Many do more than that, but really....one night a week. I simply cannot get over the fact that they have so many people who are willing to volunteer. I wish more Americans had that level of commitment. 

Thursday afternoon, we trekked up to the Baths of Diocletian to meet Antonella again. She is an amazing guide, who has tied the subject of community health into each of our tours. During our tour of the Baths of Diocletian, she explained how in ancient days it was believed that an equilibrium between the elements (earth, water, fire, air) and the humors (black bile, phlegm, yellow bile, blood) produced health. They also believed that there was a link between good health and virtue. Health issues have been around much longer than one has ever thought of. 

Our next stop was the Forum. But first, Antonella walked us back down the hill and brought us to Sicilian Caffè-Pasticceria 'Dagnino'. Dr. Tornabene treated us to the BEST cannoli from there. I think it was the first cannoli for many of us. Talk about amazing! 

Sadly, when we arrived at the Forum, it was time to say ciao to Antonella. I hear she is coming to UMD at some point and will love to see her when she does. 

Here I am, in the heart of Rome. The streets are cobblestone and to see grass seems to be a rarity...then you enter the Forum. Yes, there are all those ancient ruins, but the most amazing parts were garden areas and the view of the entire city. (Pics will be posted next week. Internet accessibility for uploading is limited right now.) It was such a serene feeling walking through those gardens, mixed amongst the ruins. If it had not been close to the time that the Forum was closing, I would have hung out longer. 

Personally, I did not make it to the Coloseum (I'm told there really is not much to see within the Colosseum, so I'm not feeling like I missed anything that I couldn't see in other's pictures). The charger for my camera battery decided to stop working...making my first mission of Friday morning one of acquiring a new charger. I was able to find one in time to get the battery charged before we headed to the Vatican. I'm not sure there are enough descriptive  words to describe the things we saw in the Vatican museum or for the Sistine Chapel. Astounding, marvelous, utterly amazing...these cannot come close enough. To simply think of the time, effort, and resources (that were considerably less than we have today) to complete such masterpieces is mind boggling. Statues, tapestries, frescos,the Sistine Chapel...all fine detailed works of art. To see Michelanglo's masterpiece in a book, does it no justice! To be in the Sistine Chapel and experience it first hand....completely profound. Certainly something everyone should put on their bucket list. 

Last night we attended an opera performance at Chiesa All Saints, an amazing church in the heart of the business district. We passed shops like Tiffany's, Prada, and so many more high class shops. The arias were beautiful, and the tenor...was HHHHOOOOOOTTTTT!  

Well, my roomies and I are off to more adventures today. More later! Ciao!

Wednesday in Rome!

Day two in Rome...sore feet, sunburnt, well fed, lovin' it! After breakfast this morning, we walked to the Isola Tiberina where we started our guided walking tour with Antonella De Michelis. The island was once used as a point of entry to the city from the river. Weary travelers who came to Rome were in need of food, housing, and medical assistance. It is said that the Serpent God, Asclepius, came to this island to heal the people of Rome from all the diseases they were dealing with. A temple was built in honor of Asclepius. People were not able to enter the temple, but went to it to be healed. The temple was shaped like a ship (which you will see in the pics. You will also see the shape of the serpent on the ship. This should look familiar). Still today, the hospital is located on the island. 

After leaving the island, Antonella led us through the Roman Jewish ghetto. She shared with us stories of the different market plazas visitors to the city would encounter. One of the first ones would have been a fish market. Apparently fish heads were a delicacy (gross). Because we are health educators, she went on to describe the disgusting streets. Butchers did their slaughtering and threw the blood and guts in the streets. Barbers didn't just cut your hair. They were amateur surgeons.  They could pull your teeth out and could perform bloodletting. The hair, teeth and blood also went into the streets. People living above some of these places, dumped their feces into the streets. We all quivered in disgust as we thought about living in that type of environment. 

One of the highlights of the tour was visiting the marketplace Campo de Fiori. This is much like a farmers market. Lots of fresh foods to purchase. A great place to get pictures of vivid colors and people. The fruit is Ahhhh-mazing! Lucky for us, Campo de' Fiori is just up the street from our hotel, Albergo del Sole, which is the oldest hotel in Rome. 

After Campo de Fiori, we headed to Piazza Noavona. Plenty of history here. This place is HUGE! It is shaped in a oval. Chariot races were held here. The Piazza Noavona was also once the city dump. Today, it has two fountains and is normally packed with artists during the day, selling everything from jewelry to paintings. 

We finished our guided tour at the Pantheon. I got a few awesome pictures of the sunlight coming in through the top of the Pantheon. It is quite the structure. Maybe over the weekend, we'll be able to go back to check it out again. We have been plotting our weekend already. Trevi Fountain, Spanish steps are just two of our weekend stops planned. 

Thursday will include a lecture in the morning at the Accent office and then we are off to the Forum and the Colosseum for the afternoon. On Friday, we will visit the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. That night we are attending an opera. I am looking forward to our tour of the Vatican. 

My public safety side came out today. People, vehicles, bicycles and oodles of mopeds use the same small space wherever we walk. Hardly anyone wears a seatbelt in their tiny cars. However, it is rare to see someone who drives a moped without a helmet. I am hoping to find out what sort of laws there are on these two items. I'd also like to discover if they have any laws on cell phone use in cars. Although, whereas we as Americans are so totally obsessed with our cell phones and being on them ALL the time, it is rare to actually see someone on their cell phone here. Refreshing...even though I do miss being connected to everyone. =( I'd also like to find a fire station to check out. 

I'll update again tomorrow. Hope everyone is enjoying my posts. I have pics to share, but they are currently uploaded to my Mobile Me account. I'm sure one of my zillions of friends could post the web address for my photos....right???

Ciao!

Rome....beautiful

What an amazingly beautiful place Rome is. We arrived at noon on Tuesday, May 17. This was two hours later than our original flight plan. We encountered a delay in our flight from MSP to JFK. As a result, we had to catch a later flight out of JFK. 

The flight was certainly another new experience in many ways. 
1) I had never flown overnight. 
2) I've never flown over the ocean. 
2) HOLY cow was that a huge plane. 

We sat six wide and it seemed as if the whole plane knew Italian. Yes....us Minnesota girls stuck out like sore thumbs! 

I knew from just the food served on the plane that we were in for an awesome trip. At 39,000 feet, we were served a delightful meal consisting of our choice of fish or beef, wine or juice. We had cooked veggies, pasta and so much more. 

After everyone was done eating and everything was cleaned up, it was lights out in the cabin. I had a hard time sleeping on the plane. I could feel every bump, every ounce of turbulence, every stewardess that walked by (they need to learn to walk on the balls of their feet....not the heels). In all, I may have gotten three hours of sleep. 

This morning, we were treated with yogurt, coffee, croissant, and cookies. What a great way to start the day.....and then we got to Rome! I wish I could have had a window seat to see the spectacular sights from up above. Although it could not prepare me for what was to come. 

Five of us left the airport headed for our hotel. Our cabbie, David, amazingly got us to the hotel in one piece. Driving here is scary! I've never driven as close to cars and other vehicles as they do here. They are not afraid to block oncoming traffic to get through. It's worse than Washington DC! 

We ran into Dr. Tornabene as soon as we got to the door of the hotel. She got us situated in our rooms and then gave us a small tour. Even though I was exhausted, I was ready to venture out into Rome and take a zillion pictures. Both Dr. Tornabene and Dr. Vogelsang took the whole group out for gelato tonight. We enjoyed some great flavors...banana, mango, chocolate chip, lemon...the list goes on....delicious!

As I type this, I'm am currently sitting on the rooftop garden deck of our hotel. (It's 10 PM here/3:00 at home. My kids are getting out of school soon and will be heading to Robyn's last high school choir concert.) It is breezy and chilly out, but nonetheless....stunning! The sun has almost completely set. The sky is clear and a few stars twinkle in the sky. The smell of Italian food is heavy in the air. The sounds of the people on the streets is wafting it's way to the rooftop. Planes are soaring overhead. Earlier, the church bells were ringing. 

Well, tomorrow will be another busy day. Walking tour of Rome, lunch at the Accent office, and Accent orientation. I need some sleep. Enjoy a few of the pics I took today. 

Next stop....Rome!

Kristen, Cayla and I are currently in the JFK airport waiting to board our plane to Rome. Due to a delay in MSP, we needed to take a later flight from JFK. We'll be taking off at 9:40 PM. So far it has been a REALLY long day, but we are still in good spirits. We have received word from our instructors in Rome that we will be having a gelato excursion tomorrow with them. I'm pumped, but missing my girls and friends already too.

Next post will be from ROME!!!!!!

Ciao bella!!!!!!

Italy Bound

My dad had a saying, "Another New Experience." Every time we did something new and different, he would always end our experience with that line. And now...I am heading into yet 'Another New Experience'. Tomorrow morning, Kristen Gates, Cayla Gilbertson and myself are taking off for Italy. We are taking part in a May Term study abroad program that focuses on Art, History and Community Health. An adventure of a lifetime. My suitcase is packed and I think I have everything I need to be gone until June 2 (less than 24 hours before my daughter graduates from high school).

We will be in Rome starting May 17, where we will get a walking city tour through Rome. We'll tour the Forum and colosseum. I think I'm most excited our visit to the Vatican. I'm not Catholic, but I thinking this is going to truly be an amazing sight to behold.

On Monday, May 23, we'll head to Florence. On our way there, we will be taking a tour of the Castello Banfi winery. I hear this is going to be an fantastic spot to get pictures of the Tuscan landscape. In Florence, we will take walking tours to learn about the social, cutural, religious and political factors that shaped this "Renaissance Birthplace" and the health of the community. During our tour of Accademia, we will learn more about the David. We will get a tour of the Central Market and get to take a cooking class.

We will be guests of Elaine Poggi, who is the President and Founder of the Foundation of Photo/Art in Hospitals. The vision of the Foundation is to create a shift in the way people view hospitals, from cold and sterile to warm and welcoming with art and photos. Visit their website and check them out. Mrs. Poggi will take us on a tour of the Careggi Hospital.

Saturday, May 28th will be another amazing opportunity....a Tuscany Bike Tour. Can hardly wait to take a zillion pictures of EVERYTHING!!!

We finish up our trip in Venice, where we will adventure down the Grand Canal.

This trip will be the adventure of a lifetime. I'm ready.........ARE WE THERE YET???????
I'm hoping to blog about it while we are there...so bookmark this page and check back frequently.

First Ever Band Concert!

Just wanted to share one of the songs from Aly's program last night. It was fun to hear the first band concert.

Just keep remembering...."I'm an Iron Girl. I can accomplish anything!"

Today will be an difficult day emotionally for me. As much as I LOVE to preach my story and the Move Over Law, it takes its toll on my emotions. Dr. Tornabene has asked me once again to teach Personal safety in her Health and Wellness class. I did this last semester and it was a great, but emotional experience. If you are around and want to see my lesson....it's today at 1:00 in Ed Endazhi-gikinoo'amaading 20.

My heart is also heavy this day for a friend. She must put her life-long friend down. Her dog Zora has had a great life for 13 long years, but unfortunately, Zora is having great difficulties walking and standing. They have tried a regiment of drugs and there was little success. We shall miss you Zora! 

Have a great weekend all!