Oxford, London, Bath, and Portsmouth

July 8, 2007

Well I’ve let my journal slip by the wayside since getting to Oxford, but I’ll catch up here. First, about Oxford:

Oxford is amazing. The city was founded in the 10^th century as a trade route crossing at an oxen river ford on the Thames (hence the name Oxford). The city holds onto the historical charm that puts into the shoes of the ancestral folk that lived and worked here. Our group is staying in Worchester College (pronounced like Wooster). The college is magnificent. First off, I’m staying in a 13^th century building originally built as a monastery. 13^th century monks lived and studied here. The grounds of the campus are some of the most beautiful gardens I’ve ever seen. Ever day I see the gardeners our working on the lawns, floors gardens, and other fauna of the landscape. In the center of gardens is a large pond. The gardens are always full of ducks and other beautiful birds that appear to have no fear of men. They will let you almost pet them before moving away. The campus buildings are a mixture of old and new. Even now they are constructing new dormitories on the northern side of campus. The whole place just seems perfectly kept. The pride that the college takes in its appearance is inspiring.

The only downside so far to Oxford is the English weather. More than have the time we’ve been here its been raining and cold. Temperatures have averaged in the high sixties since we arrived, and today is the first day it could be called warm.

My first week was wonderful. I just couldn’t get over the fact that this beautiful place was where I would be living for six weeks. Classes began with the normal introductions, and our work has been fairly minimal since. Every day I could take my books out into the gardens to read and study (when it wasn’t raining). The main part of town is a center of shopping and restaurants. I spent some time looking through the old book shops and investigating the little cafes and pasty shops (pasty is a pastry with meat in it). Because of the weather I needed to buy a few long sleeve shirts, but it was easy to find a couple nice ones I liked. The city is also covered with little pubs scattered here and their. A particularly famous one is the Eagle & Child where the Inklings met to discuss their latest books and writings. The Inklings were a small group of authors based here in Oxford and their membership included C. S. Lewis and J. R. Tolkien. Many of the pubs have old style painted wooden signs above their door and they all carry some kinds of local brews.

London:

Our first weekend here we took day trips to London. In the morning we hopped on commuter busses out of Oxford to London. On Friday we arrived just in time in the morning to see the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. It was a huge show with several big bands and parading horses. Really the actually changing of the guards gets lost in the show. I almost missed it from watching other things. Buckingham palace was beautiful. The gilded gates and Victoria’s Memorial outside just added to the splendor of the place. Running east out of the palace is The Mall. It is a long wide avenue bordered by large street lamps proudly displaying large Union Jacks all along the way. Next we went to the Churchill museum located in his underground bunker used during the War as a central hub for intelligence and government. It was very interesting to see the well preserved rooms that Churchill and his staff occupied during the darkest days of the Battle of Britain. After that we headed to the Parliament Building and Big Ben. Unfortunately we couldn’t get into the Parliament because it was closed, but we did get some good pictures around it and with Big Ben. We crossed the street to check out Westminster Abbey. The Abbey was amazing. There are over 3000 statesmen, military personal, monarchs, poets, and musicians buried with in the church. Everywhere you turn is the tomb or memorial of someone famous from British history. This is also the official chapel for the Order of the Bath. It was really amazing. After that we headed north to Trafalgar Square and then farther north to the British Museum. This museum is a national gallery of the treasures of archeology discovered and preserved by the British nation. Artifacts from every era of history reside here. Unfortunately we didn’t have much time here and a lot of the galleries were closed for renovations, but it was still a very interesting museum, and I’m glad we went. After that we went back to the bus stop and after some confusion as to where they were supposed to pick us up we went home.

The next day we headed back to London by the same buses. We went first to Piccadilly square and then to Leicester square to check on seeing a show. We got tickets for a matinee showing of Les Miserables. We headed back to Trafalgar square and went into the National Gallery. This was a huge museum of art with some of the most famous pieces from around the world. After the national gallery we grabbed a quick lunch and headed to the show of Les Miserables. The show was amazing. This was the best part of the day. The performers were great, and the show was so wonderful. I really enjoyed this. After the show we decided to head back home, but on our way back to the train station we passed the area of town where the night before the London police had foiled a car bomb plot. They had about three square blocks or so cordoned off. We got a few pictures of news casters reporting the story. We headed home and watched a movie that night. I didn’t feel like we got to see everything in London I wanted to, but we plan on going back before the summer is over.

Bath and Portsmouth:

The second weekend I took two day trips: one to Bath and one to Portsmouth. Bath is a city southwest of Oxford and is famous for its ancient hot springs and being the equivalent of Hollywood in the 18^th century. In bath we visited ancient Roman Baths constructed around the springs. These structures were not only public baths, but a temple and other religious structures as well. The miracle of the springs was attributed to the Roman goddess Minerva, and was said to have special healing abilities. Even in the 18^th century people would flock to the hot springs for their “rejuvenating” effects. We also visited a fashion museum that chronicled clothing styles from the past eras. It wasn’t very interesting. We visited the Circus and Crescent which are two architecturally important areas of town in which the city was planned around a circular park surrounded by houses in the case of the Circus and a crescent shaped hotel in the case of the Crescent. We took some time in these green spaces and rested. It was a very nice day, and we were able to enjoy the parks. We then visited the Bath Abbey which was a beautiful structure similar to Westminster Abbey, but on a smaller scale. We took a nice walk along the river bank and enjoyed the Pulteney Bridge which was a shopping center over a bridge across the river Avon. Bath was a lovely place, and I really enjoyed taking our time here and just enjoying the city.

Saturday we headed to Portsmouth on the Channel Coast of England. Portsmouth was the historical center for the British Navy, and famous port of trade. We spent most of the days in the historic dockyards district. We visited first the British Naval Historical museum. Here was a collection of displays, models, and exhibits about the British Navy past and present. There were some very interesting exhibits about the Sailing Ship Navy and the Age of Sail. Also there was a very interesting exhibit all about Lord Nelson and his great battles against the Napoleonic Navy. After the museum we got to visit HMS Victory on display in the dockyard. This was the famous historical flagship of Nelson during the Battle of Trafalgar. It is a 104 gun first-rate battleship launched in 1765. The ship is simply huge, and all the insides are restored to “fighting form” from 1805, the year of the Battle of Trafalgar. Unfortunately, Nelson was killed during this battle, and so attained his immortal glory among the British. After the Victory we checked out a museum on the Mary Rose. The Mary Rose was the flag ship of King Henry VIII that sank in Portsmouth Harbor in 1545. Today she has been raised from the sea floor and about half of her is left, and is being preserved in a huge enclosed building dedicated to her preservation. It was an interesting exhibit. After the Mary Rose we went to visit Queen Victoria’s HMS Warrior built in 1860. It revolutionized naval warfare by being made completely from steel. Also I carried both a steam engine and sails so it could use both for travel. The size of this ship really made the other two look small. It gave a good insight into the life of Victorian sailors and warfare. After the Warrior we took a harbor boat tour. From our small boat we could see a bunch of the modern day British Naval ships as well as the Victory and Warrior. It was a great cap to our tour of the Historic Dockyards. After our harbor tour we had dinner at an oriental buffet called Water Margin that was pretty good. Then we spent some time in the Gunwharf Quay, a large modern shopping and entertainment area. Finally we took a nice walk along the costal walls and enjoyed the dusk of the Channel. We headed back to the Train station to find that we would not be able to get back to Oxford by train. We had waited to late. So we decided to head to London and catch a bus back from there to Oxford. It took almost 6 hours, but we got back to Oxford at about 4:30 in the morning. It was a fun adventure that took us through a 40 minute walk through London in the middle of the night. Luckily none of us had any particular plans for Sunday so we all just relaxed and enjoyed the adventure.

Paris

June 19, 2007

Today we drove the rest of the way to Paris. We stayed at another IBIS hotel in Paris on the Northwest side of the city. We had a really excellent welcome dinner in the hotel with Chicken and Potatoes that were just fantastic.

June 20, 2007

Today we started with two lectures: one in Music and one in Art History. Then we hurried to the Louvre Museum to make our appointment at 1:00. Unfortunately when we arrived they had lost our reservation, and the soonest we could get in was 3:00. We all split up and got some lunch. A few of us ate at a nice little café just outside the Tuileries Gardens between the Louvre at Place de la Concorde, the heart of Paris. It was a great meal. I had a rump steak with fried potatoes and a salad.

At 3:00 we reconvened, and got into the Louvre. Unfortunately, that only left us with 2 hours in the largest Art museum in the world. Dr. Lewcock pointed out the rooms we really needed to see. So we got to see the great works of the Italian renaissance painters including Leonardo’s “Mona Lisa”. Then we saw a hall of famous French paintings including Delacroix, Antoine-Jean Gros, and Jacques Louis David. The Louvre was a wonderful experience I just wish we had much more time there.

At 5:30 we meet at the Pompidou Modern Art Museum. This museum was interesting, and had quite a few famous cubist pieces by artists such as Picasso and Braque. However much of the exhibit was very modern, and I’m just not a fan of really abstract art.

After the Pompidou a bunch of us headed back to the hotel to work on our term papers for Art History. We all went out to dinner at this Chinese restaurant just down the road from our hotel with our Bus Driver, Vincent, to translate. I had a mushroom and asparagus soup, spicy chicken and rice, and a strange coconut pudding/cake for dessert. It was a pretty good dinner, and the rest of the night we worked on our papers and prepared for our Music final.

June 21, 2007

Today we got up, had breakfast, and headed to the Rodin Museum. Rodin was a late 19^th century/ early 20^th century artist most famous for his sculpture “The Thinker”. He is also famous for his “Gates of Hell” and “Burghers of Calais”. These Bronze statues were amazing works. Rodin had a method of creating a very small maybe hand sized statue of what he was going to sculpt first. He then would start again on another piece of the same design, but a little bigger, and by separating it into pieces (maybe head, body, and legs). Then he would do this again each time making bigger and in smaller pieces, until he reached the size and shape he wanted. It must have taken him huge amounts of time, but it was an imitation of older methods used by great sculptures like Michelangelo. The museum a lot of his work including the ones I’ve named, and rooms and rooms of his studies leading up to his works. I really enjoyed this museum.

We then hopped on the bus and headed to the D’Orsey Museum. When we arrived we ran to get a quick sandwich lunch before going in. The D’Orsey was the old beautiful Paris train station that was going to be torn down at the beginning of the 20^th century, but was saved when it was suggested to be used as art museum for all the impressionist art coming out of Paris. Now it’s a huge exhibit with works spanning many more periods. There was a particularly exceptional temporary exhibit on Picasso and Cézanne. There were also pieces by Degas and several lesser known Impressionist painters in this exhibit. A few of us enjoyed this museum so much we stayed a while after the rest of the group left.

The few of us then decided to head down the Seine to see Notre Dame. We took a 20 minute riverside stroll that was very pleasant, and got some great pictures along the way. When we arrived at Notre Dame we were able to go right in. The whole place is just amazing. Its size really is awe inspiring. The inside is so gothic and ornate, its just beautiful. We luckily were just in time to sit in for Vespers, evening prayers. They were performed in song form in French with the great organ accompanying. It was a wonderful experience as the whole Cathedral filled with the smell of burning incense, and the tone of the singers carried from front to rear. Unfortunately we couldn’t climb the towers because they had closed, but it was still a wonderful experience.

Then we got a quick dinner at a little stand, and headed back to the D’Orsey. The week we were their Paris was having a music festival sponsored by the French Government. Over the period of a few days there were hundreds of free concerts of every kind of music all over Paris. While leaving D’Orsey we had noticed that the National French Orchestra was going to put on a performance of Beethoven’s 5^th Symphony at the D’Orsey at 8:00. We arrived at 7:00 and waited in line. We were able to get in about 7:45, and found some seats in the back of the great long hall. There were no chairs except in front, and people were just laying everywhere and sitting all among the sculptures and paintings in the great hall. The performance was amazing. We couldn’t see the orchestra, but the music spoke through loud and clear. It was a great concert, and we all enjoyed it thoroughly.

After the concert we headed back to the hotel to rest after a long day and work some more on our papers. This was a wonderful day.

June 22, 2007

Today we were suppose to have our Music Final Exam, but it was moved until we arrived in Oxford. So that means we had the whole day free to do what we wanted. What a change!

Lisa, a friend of mine, and I wanted to go to Versailles so we got up early and got on a train out to Versailles at 9:00 AM. We arrived and got in line for tickets. It was about a 30 minutes before we were able to get inside for the tour. We used an audio guide, and were able to tour the Kings and Queens apartments as well as some of the State rooms. Nothing we had seen so far could come close to matching how ornate and decorated the rooms were. There was not a single square inch undecorated. Everywhere there was gilded trim, fancy tapestries, and gold and crystal chandeliers and fixtures. The most amazing room was the Hall of Mirrors. One of the most famous rooms in History, the Hall of Mirrors was home to some of Louis XIV’s most famed meetings and salons, as well as the signing of the treaty of Paris in 1918 that ended World War I. From the Hall of Mirrors you can see the vast expanse that is the Versailles Gardens. As far as the eye could see just perfectly kept hedges, statues, fountains, floor gardens, and even a large man-made perfectly shaped lake. After the inside tour we headed out to the gardens. Unfortunately it was not a very nice day, and we were not out there 15 minutes when it began to pour. We got a few great pictures, and got to view some of the amazing scenery, before we headed back to Paris to meet up with our friends there.

We took the train back, and met some friends at Place de la Opera. Here is the new Paris Opera house. At the time it was undergoing some renovation, but it was still a beautiful building to see. We met with some friends and headed off to find some lunch at a little sandwich shop down the road. Then we went on a little walking tour of Paris. We head first to Place de la Concorde. Here there is a huge Egyptian Obelisk stolen from Egypt by Napoleon during his conquest there. Across the river you can see the National Assembly, the Senate house of the French Government. To the east was the Tuileries Gardens and the Louvre. To the West is the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe. This truly is the hart of Paris. We took a leisurely stroll through the Tuileries Gardens and then crossed the river just west of the D’Orsey. From there we headed west toward Les Invalides, a famous French Army Hospital for veterans. Close to this was the Tomb of Napoleon. Here we went in to view the exhibit. Napoleon’s huge maroon Tomb is huge. He is entombed behind 4 layers of tin, 1 of lead,1 of mahogany, and then inside a sarcophagus of red marble usually associated with Roman Emperors. It was easy to see how the French felt about this National Hero.

From here we headed to the Rue Cler, a little shopping and restaurant street, to have a nice dinner. We stopped at a place called Café Marches, and had an amazing dinner there. I had a salmon and rice dish that was amazing. I then finished with a Crème Brûlée. It was also amazing. After that wonderful dinner we headed to the Eiffel Tower. Here we went through some gardens leading up to the tower and got some great pictures. Dustin, Lisa, and I decided to climb the stairs up the tower. It was an arduous trek to say the least. By the time we got to the first level we where all breathing heavy. We rested here and got some great pictures of the surrounding landscape, and the inward architecture of the tower. Then we headed up to the second level. After several more minutes we arrived. By now the sun was just going down, and we got an amazing view of the sunset. We got several great pictures of the surrounding area and the Seine. Then the hourly light show began on the tower. From the second level looking up it was a beautiful sight. After the light show we headed back down to meet our other friends. We crossed the Seine to a famous corner to watch the next show. Here we got some great pictures, and saw the light show again from the outside of the tower. It was just as amazing and beautiful. Then we all headed, via the metro, back to the hotel. This was our last night in Paris, and our last night on the Continent.

I really didn’t realize I would love Paris as much as I did, but it was amazing. We didn’t receive better service at restaurants in any other part of Europe. The sights were just so beautiful, and the town was just so alive, this was great ending city. Now in the morning we head to Oxford after four weeks of travel around the greatest cities in Europe. This has been an amazing experience, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for me at Oxford.

Florence

June 14, 2007

Today was another travel day. We had a quick breakfast, loaded up the bus, and headed north towards Florence. We went abit out of our way and stopped in the old city of Siena. Siena were medieval and renaissance revivals with Florence. At the center of Siena is a great town square were there is a horse race between the dozen or so neighborhoods of Siena twice a year. The flags and colors of all the neighborhoods are flown proudly around the city. Siena is beautiful little city that was a delight to stop in, have lunch, and do a little shopping.

After Siena we headed into Florence. It’s a fairly small town so we could walk everywhere we needed to go. After arriving and unloading we had our usual welcome dinner. Instead of having it at the hotel though we had it at a restaurant called Dante’s. It was great. We started with a paste dish that was a meat cream sauce over risotto. Then they served white beans and pork roast. It was all very good, and we all enjoyed the dinner a lot. Afterwards we all stopped at a little shop close to our hotel and got Gelato.

Our hotel is not the best. My room has no air conditioning and everything seems old and run down, but I’m sure we’ll make do.

June 15, 2007

We started today with a small breakfast at the hotel and then an art history lecture to prepare us for museums later today. Our first stop was the Uffizi museum. This was an art museum built by one of the Dukes of Florence to house the master works patron artists. Here we got to see pieces by famous Italian artists such as Giotto. The halls were filled with masterpieces from proto-renaissance up through the baroque periods. It was an interesting museum.

Then we got a break for lunch. We found a wonderful little pizza shop where they cut you a piece and sell it by the kilogram. I had a piece of mushroom pizza that was the best pizza I’ve ever tasted. We then headed over to the Academia Museum. Here the major piece to see was Michelangelo’s David. The most striking thing about it was its size. Its absolutely huge. The intricate details of the piece are wonderfully vivid and expressive. Its no wonder Its considered on of the greatest sculptures ever.

After the Academia we headed back to the hotel to rest and take a quick nap. I tried to catch up on some work I missed in the hospital. Later that night a group of us headed out to get some dinner. We stopped in a little restaurant for a nice sit down meal. I had a traditional Florentine tomato soup that was wonderful. It was thick like oatmeal, but it was very good. For the entrée I had a fettuccine paste dish that was made with tomatoes, beef, and cream. It was covered with large thin strips of parmesan that just were perfect with it. This was a really good Italian meal. After dinner we ended up getting some gelato and watching a movie in someone’s room. It was a restful evening.

June 16, 2007

Today we started with breakfast and a Music History Lecture. After the lecture we went to the Santa Maria del Carmine Cathedral. Here we saw several pieces by the humanistic artist Masaccio. These pieces are beautiful depictions of the life of Jesus and the Saints. The bodies are well detailed a very expressive. They are a beautiful collection of pieces.

After the Cathedral we had a quick lunch at a little pizza stand. Next we met up with our group at the Medici Chapel. Here there were several tombs of members of the powerful Medici family of Florence. The most important part was that several of the tombs were designed and created by the famed sculpture and artist Michelangelo.

After this we went wandering around the city and shopping in the local markets. We just took it easy looking in shops that were interesting. As evening closed we went to a grocery store to get some food for a picnic at Michelangelo’s Piazza for Sunset. The Piazza is just outside the side on a large hill overlooking all of Florence. It was a hike to get up there, but it was the most amazing view. A group of about 20 of us found a seat on the steps of the piazza and just set, ate, and enjoyed the beautiful sunset. It was a wonderful time, and definitely the best evening of the trip up to this point. I got some great pictures, and it was just perfect.

June 17, 2006

Today we started with an Art History lecture to prepare us for the Museums we were going to see later today, the Bargello and the Duomo Museum. We were first suppose to meet at the Bargello shortly after the lecture. However, our plans were altered when we figured that the Bargello was closed today. It was a bit of a surprise to everyone, but we were flexible and just headed over to the Duomo Museum right away.

In the Duomo museum we got to see a lot of wonderful pieces. Most notably were the Bronze door panels that were designed by Ghiberti for the Baptistery doors of the Florence Cathedral. There really ironic thing was that there were 3 panels missing, and they are on loan in the High Museum in Atlanta. These pieces were really beautiful depictions of Old Testament stories. I really enjoyed them. We also saw an exhibit all about the design of the Cathedral and Dome designed by Brunelleschi. They had several examples of the tools and equipment used in the construction which was very interesting to me.

After the Museum we went into the actual Duomo Cathedral. It was a massive structure with a really beautifully painted dome above the alter. Above the entrance was a beautiful mosaic and a large sundial clock. It counted the hours from sunset to sunset as oppose to our usually idea of time. It was beautifully designed and decorated, and was a very interesting concept of time measurement.

After the Cathedral we wandered around the city and shopped a bit more. Later several of us headed back to the hotel to do some school work, and rest a bit. That evening we had dinner in a nice little restaurant with some good specials on paste dishes. It was pretty good, and we all enjoyed each other’s company.

Later I called home, and had a nice talk with my family and wished my Dad and Papa a Happy Father’s Day.

June 18, 2007

Because we missed the Bargello yesterday, we decided to get up early and hit it this morning before we got on the Bus for a travel day. At 8:30 we met at the Bargello. Inside were several of Michelangelo’s first Sculptures. Also there were several pieces from a few other famous artists. It was an interesting museum and I’m glad we didn’t have to see it.

Then we got on the bus and headed to Chamonix. It was a long, but beautiful drive. We drove all through the alpines and saw some amazing scenery as well as got a glimpse of the Med. We arrived at our hotel at about 6:00. This is the nicest hotel we’ve stayed in yet. Everyone’s rooms had balconies and nice bathrooms. It was wonderful.

Then we headed into town for dinner. Everything was pretty expensive so most of us ate McDonalds. I had a Royal with Cheese (Quarter Pounder). We just walked around for a while. The town was a wonderful little ski resort. It was beautiful and pristine surrounded by the alps. That night we all stayed in the hotel and watched a movie and played some games since there wasn’t much to do around there at night.

Rome

June 11, 2007

Well today they finally agreed to let me out of the Hospital. My blood work looks good, and I feel good so I’m off to Rome to catch up with the rest of my group. After some paper work and a few instructions from the doctors Sally, my group leader, and I headed our of the Hospital. We went straight to the train station and bought two tickets to Rome. The train ride was very pleasant. The countryside we past was beautiful; rolling Italian hills covered with vineyards and farmland. Very soothing and enjoyable. Sally and I continued our gin-rummy game, and took a little nap. The train ride was about 5 hours.

We arrived at the Rome Central Train Terminal at about 7 PM. After some running around we found the bus route to take to get the hotel. We found the Albani Hotel at about 8, and I was finally reunited with the group. Tonight I just took it easy. I found a little pizzeria, got some dinner, and hung out with some friends. I told them stories about my hospital experience, and they caught me up with everything that had been going on. It was a good day.

June 12, 2007

Today was the most awesome day so far. Today we toured Ancient Rome! We started with a Music Lecture in the morning to get ready for our concert tonight, then it was off to the Forum Roma. We met downtown near the entrance to the Forum. Dr. Lewcock told us about the Piazza del Campidoglio, the entrance way into the Forum. From there we headed down a long ramp lined with the old wall of the Tabularium, the ancient library of Rome. We walked out onto an overlook of the old city and it was awe inspiring. A truly breath taking scene. Here two millennia ago the greatest empire of the ancient world was made and centered. In the forum we were able to see famous structures like the ancient Senate House and the Basilica of Constantine. Walking among the runes, I could just image what it must have been like as a citizen of Rome to come here and discuss the current events of the Empire with my fellow Romans. It was an amazing experience.

We walked through the forum to the northern side where we topped a hill only to find the Coliseum on the other side. This amazing structure shocked me to the core. It was truly awe inspiring. The work and engineering might that it must have taken to complete such an immense project 2000 years ago must have been so monumental as to be inconceivable to us. I only wish we could see the structure in its glory days. Next to the Coliseum stands the Triumphal Arch of Constantine. This is also an awe inspiring site. We headed into the Coliseum to see the inner workings of the structure. Inside was even more beautiful. The ground floor is completely gone, and you could see into the under workings; the halls and rooms that must have housed the gladiators, animals, and equipment of the games. Above are the supports for the seating that would house 50,000 raging gladiatorial fans screaming for blood. The size of the Coliseum is something that can only be experienced. It is truly an amazing achievement of the ancient world.

After the Coliseum we headed back to the Piazza del Campidoglio to visit the Musei Capitolini. Here the Popes and other famous historical figures have collected and put on display ancient Roman Art. In the museum were several collections including, a hall of busts of Roman Emperors, and a hall of busts of the great Ancient Philosophers.

After this Dustin, Lisa, and I headed to The Church of St. Susanna to see the “Ecstasy of St. Teresa”. It was a very beautiful and masterful piece. Then we went to an English Mass at a church across the street. It was an interesting experience.

After the mass we headed to see the Pantheon. Everyone else had seen it yesterday, but I needed to go by and experience it. The Pantheon was a great dome structure built for and dedicated to all the Roman gods. After the Empire was converted to Christianity it became a Church, and still is one today. Inside are several tombs of historical figures, and several great pieces of Christian statuary art. The dome itself is amazing. Open at the top, it lets in light that travels from one side of the dome, onto the floor, and across to the other side of the dome during the day. The size of the Pantheon is incredible. Another truly amazing structure from the ancient world.

In the evening we had a concert to attend. It was a collection of Chopin piano pieces, and it was completely outdoors. It took place just outside a grand old Roman theatre that was uncovered during the reign of Mussolini. Unfortunately it was excavated in such a hurry that it was damaged a lot during the work, and a lot of information was lost. The building is beautiful, and I hope they are able to repair the damage as much as possible. The concert was incredible. I enjoyed it a lot. After the concert we were all so tired all we could do was come back to the hotel and crash into bed. This was an amazing day.

June 13, 2007

Today we went to the Vatican. We started with breakfast in the morning, and then headed out to Vatican City at 10:00 AM. We went on a guided tour of the Vatican Museum. It is a collection of art and artifacts collected by the Popes over the ages. The most interesting piece was Raphael’s “School of Athens”. It was a wonderful contrast of philosophers, scholars, and artists separated into the two schools of ancient Greek thought, Plato’s school and Aristotle’s school. There was also a very interesting hall of maps of Italy commissioned by one of the Popes. At the end of the Museum we saw the Sistine Chapel. The Chapel was an amazing structure with beautiful artwork inside. The Michelangelo Ceiling was a beautiful sight. It must have been so painstaking to work on his back for years creating this masterpiece.

After the museum we found a nice little pasta restaurant and had a good lunch. I had spaghetti with tomato sauce. Very simple but very good. After lunch we met at the northern fountain in the Vatican Square. From there we went into St. Peter’s Basilica. The Basilica was incredible. The hall is huge. The decoration is so ornate and beautiful it’s awe inspiring. Underneath the church is the tomb of St. Peter. Several of us went through the hall of tombs of the Popes. Also a few of us climbed that huge stairs to the top of the Basilica. There is round catwalk at the top of dome, and from there we could see into the Basilica. It was so high that the people looked like ants. Just when we thought we were at the top we followed more stair cases to the outside top of the dome. From there we must have been able to see for 40 miles around. The entire city lay out before us. We could see the old Forum Roma and the Coliseum. After taking in the breathtaking view we climbed down. We were all so tired we returned to the hotel and just rested for the night.

Venice/Hospital

June 6, 2007

Today we traveled from Klagenfurt to Padua. Padua is an ancient city about 30 minutes away (by train) from Venice. We will be staying here for the Venice portion of our trip. I was still feeling ill so I didn’t even attend the welcome dinner here. I just rested, finished my concert report from the Antoinette concert, and went to bed.

June 7, 2007

This morning we began with two lectures. Unfortunately I hadn’t heard from the night before that the lectures were being held in a different hotel down the street, and since I had gotten downstairs late, I found out from the desk clerk. He directed me to the hotel and I found it myself. I walked in about 10 minutes late, but I was able to attend both lectures. After the lectures we had a break for lunch. I went back to the hotel and rested. At 1:00 we met at the Scrovegni Chaple. Here we were allowed in for 15 minutes to see some of the greatest pieces by the Renaissance painter Giotto. It was a beautiful experience. The Chapel is kept climate controlled to preserve the frescos. The paintings depicted all the major scenes and Mary and Jesus’ lives. Finally at the exit wall there is a great and terrible painting of the Last Judgment. This portrayal of heaven and hell has definitely inspiration from Dante’s Inferno. It was a truly remarkable piece. After the chapel several of us went to the hospital. Two girls and myself had been feeling ill for the past several days with different symptoms. Upon arriving at the hospital it took a while to find an English translator, but we slowly received care one by one. I was last. Unfortunately, my symptoms appeared important, and so they wanted to keep me overnight. After several hours of tests, and talking between myself, my group leaders, the doctors, and my mom, I decided to stay. It was a hard and frightening decision, but probably the right one. Staying in a foreign hospital is a very scary experience, but everyone here has been quite nice, and few speak good English, so I’m not always lost. This first night I even had a room to myself which was very pleasant. I got a good night’s sleep.

June 8, 2007

Today was an odd day. I was awoken with an enema. Not exactly pleasant. Most of the day was spent just waiting, sleeping, or reading. They took a blood test, a stool sample and performed a recto-sigmoido-scopy, a very unpleasant exam. Finally a doctor came and told me that I probably had an acute infection of the digestive tract, but they weren’t positive, and wanted to keep me here until a few more tests results came back. Unfortunately that was until later the next week. After some negotiation, talking with group leaders, and my mom, I agreed to stay the weekend until Monday. If I get noticeably better during the weekend they may let me go early, but until then they’ve started me on antibiotics, and I’m basically just hanging around. They’ll do blood tests to keep track of my progress. I haven’t eaten in over 48 hours so I’m a little light headed, but the IV they’ve given has helped a lot. So tonight I’ve caught up on the blog, and I’ll just read a little and get some sleep. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

June 9, 2007

Today I spent in the University Hospital of Padua. Sally, one of our group leaders, has selflessly come and sit with me all afternoon. We played cards and she would read while I napped. The doctors are just watching my blood work, and waiting for tests taken on Friday to complete. Unfortunately that is not supposed to happen until the middle of next week. All I can do is wait though.

June 10, 2007

We’ll I’ve completely missed Venice. On the bright side this is the only city on our trip that I have been to before. Still I really hate to be this close, but not be able to go. Sally came again today like yesterday, and we played cards. We have a really good game of gin-rummy going. I thought there was a chance of getting out today, but that was denied during rounds this morning. I’ve gotten to know one my roommates who is across from me in the ward. His name is Vincenzo. He is in his 70’s and was in the Italian Air Force. He came from Yugoslavia as a young boy, and is an engineer of sorts. He has been to the States some during his life, and picked up a little English. I met his sons, and one of them is also an Engineer. It was very nice to meet him. I hope he gets better soon. Tomorrow they should let me go.

Klagenfurt

June 5, 2007

Today we just traveled to a small town in between Vienna and Venice. I still felt sick most of the day so I slept on the bus, and then continued to sleep at the hotel.

Vienna

June 1, 2007

Today was a travel day. We got up, had breakfast, and loaded the bus. Then we headed off to Vienna. This time our border crossing was much easier. It only took a few minutes and they didn’t even ask for all our passports. When we got to the hotel we rested for a while, and then decided to walk around for a while before the welcome dinner at 8:00. A large group of us found a long street that was just wall to wall with stores. It was like a giant outdoor mall. All kinds of stores of everything you can imagine. At the end of this street was Stephensplatz. Stephensplatz is a big city square with so many things going on its mind boggling. In the center is the great St. Stephen’s Cathedral with is multicolored roof. It was so big and beautiful. It was such a sight to behold. In Stephensplatz there were all kinds of street performers; break dancers, human statues, musicians, clowns, etc. It was fun just to walk around and take pictures. We went to several shops and just looked around. Then we found a Jazz club that we had heard about and had been looking for. We made plans to come to it on Monday night.

When we got back to the hotel we had the welcome dinner at 8:00. It was quite good. They served a kabob style cooking of chicken and sausage with green beans and potatoes. For dessert we had a crepe with ice cream. It was a very good meal, but we were all thirsty and we had to keep asking for water. For some reason they were a little skimpy with the water. After the dinner we had group meeting and got all the important details about the city and our plans for the next couple of days. Many of us headed to bead early after a long travel day.

June 2, 2007

The day started with a art history class right after breakfast at 8:00. After the lecture we had a short walking tour through the center of town. We went up to Stephensplatz where we had been the day before and headed off toward the center of the old city. Here we walked by several old palaces and royal squares and through some great gates. Finally we arrived at the Kunst Historiches Museum. Here we saw a lot of wonderful pieces from the northern renaissance. Artists such as Jan van Eyke and Peter Paul Reubens were displayed. Their pieces were fascinating. Most of them were of everyday life in Flanders and Germany during the Renaissance period. It was an amazing look back life from 500 years ago.

After the museum we all split up for lunch. A couple of friends and I looked for a while and food a small Irish pub with some Irish and English food. I guess we all needed something a little closer to American food just for a small break. It was very good. We all enjoyed the meal immensely.

After lunch we went to the Vienna Opera House. It was an amazing structure, so opulently decorated. There was a hall with many busts of all the famous composers that had performed there including Mozart and Beethoven just to name two. We saw the Emperor Josef’s private intermission room. It is rentable for 400 Euros for 15 minutes during the intermission of operas. A little pricey, but reasonable enough for a comfortable intermission. The hall was even more amazing. Gold lace along the walls beautiful paintings in the ceiling, and gold and red everywhere you looked. The stage was even more amazing. The back stage runs the length and depth of close to a football field. The house has sets and costuming for 5 productions at a time. Each night a different production plays, and the house rotates between about 15 operas during each season. Once each year they host the Vienna Opera Ball in the Opera House. The Backstage and Grand hall are turned into one giant ballroom. Several of the side galleries are turned into smaller ballrooms. The event is massive and the ticket price is just as massive.

After the Opera House we were told we could buy opera tickets to see Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” at a different opera house, the Volksoper, for that evening for only 1.50 Euros. The only catch was it was standing room only. For an opera this means your shoved in between rows a of bars placed in the space where they couldn’t fit seats, and you have to stand in a small very crowded little space. So naturally most of us bought tickets as quickly as possible. After a cheap dinner in the hotel we headed off the Opera. When we got to our seats most of the guys immediately took off their ties and unbuttoned their shirts. It was so hot that we were all sweating before the overture even started. The opera was amazing. Very nicely performed and the music was wonderfully. I really enjoyed the Queen of the Night’s Aria. Most of us only vaguely knew what was going on because it was all in German. Luckily, a few of us, including myself, had managed to find a synopsis of the libretto, so we knew the story that was being told and could follow along pretty well. About halfway through the second act of the girls with us, Stacy, fainted. Luckily, she quickly revived and we slipped her down into an empty seat in front of us. A bit of a scare, but everything was alright.

After the opera we all headed back to the hotel to get a good nights sleep.

June 3, 2007

We started the day off with a Music Lecture. After lecture we headed to the Belvedere. The Belvedere is a great palace built by a French General working for Austrian Army. They young man was trained in the French military academy and graduated top of his class. After graduating he demanded a regiment to command, but was denied. So in fury he went to Austria and there suggest the same, and it was granted to him. In Austria he flourished. He quickly became a General was responsible for stopping the last Turkish invasion of Austria. In doing so he became immensely rich and so went to building great houses and gardens for himself such as the Belvedere.

It is truly a unique and beautiful structure. Very ornate and finally decorated. Currently it is being used as an art gallery. We saw many strange and interesting paintings from the 19^th century as well as many beautiful pieces of large parades and everyday lives from the 18^th century. The gardens behind the house were huge and beautiful. Unfortunately it was mostly closed off, and being gardened. I think they were preparing for some festival.

After a short walk through the gardens we headed to a rather large biergarden and restaurant for lunch. I decided to splurge, and got a great big plate of Wiener Schnitzel. It was wonderful. It was served with cranberry sauce and potatoes. An excellent meal. During the meal it began to ran, and after we were finished we headed back to the hotel in the rain. We had taken the subway out to the Belvedere and we took the subway back.

June 4, 2007

Today we began with a lecture in preparation for a small private concert at the Viennese Music Conservatory. A lady named Antoinette who spoke perfect English was our guide and lecturer. It was a sort of half lecture/half concert. Several of her students played for us. They played several keyboard pieces on several 3 different instruments; a harpsichord, and broad wood piano from Beethoven’s period, and a contemporary piano. The harpsichord was amazing to hear. The strings are plucked instead of hammered so the sounds is quick and doesn’t last. Pieces from all the major periods were played, and we had a discussion of the differences between the periods, the pieces, and the instruments used. It was a very enlightening experience.

After the concert several of us get a quick lunch and headed to the Schonberg Palace, historical home of the Emperor and Empress of Austria. It was a huge complex with a massive front courtyard, and an infinitely large rear gardens. The palace its self was so ornate I couldn’t imagine living there for fear of breaking something with every step. Gold, statues, and beautiful paintings were everywhere. It was a marvelous walk through. We all used an audio tour, that did a very good job of explaining each of the rooms and its uses.

After the palace we walked back through the royal gardens behind the palace. It was to huge and immense to try and see it all, so we casually strolled through the main avenue, and rested on shady benches. It was quite delightful walk and experience. Those old royals really had it good.

All this day I hadn’t felt to good. I had woken up with stomach problems and they had not subsided during the day. So after the palace I returned to the hotel and rested, going to sleep very early. Unfortunately I missed the Jazz Club, but everyone said it was fun.