Day 102-103

I am writing today's blog early. I already know what my day is going to be consisting of.

Exams. Exams. Exams. So much studying to do, I am about 2/18th done at the moment, and have one exam in 3 days, and another in 5 days. I got 2/18 from this little equation. I have 2 classes, both of them I need to cover 3 topics. 6 total topics. I am 2/3rds done with one of the topics. Awesome.

So, multiply this by 6.

Okay, now to get off that topic for a bit.

When I arrived in Edinburgh Saturday morning, I eventually walked back to my place and got in around 8AM. I figured I didn't have enough time to sleep due to the time crunch I have for exams. So, I immediately unpacked and cleaned my room to pristine quality. Afterwards I did a quick workout and ran to the grocery store (literally). Got my groceries and make some food. Now was time to start the studying, I put in about 4 hours, then went and played frisbee in the meadows with Benny and Rob for about an hour. Afterwards I skyped with my parents and went over living options for next year, as well as got into a couple hour philosophical talk with my Mom. She's a smart cookie. Of which more dreadful studying followed, and an early bed time.

Today has been nothing but putting my nose in the books and working hard.

These posts aren't as fun as my travel ones, are they? ;)

Day 101 (Rome)

Last day in Rome. I woke up around 9 today, had my good fruit + yogurt breakfast, packed all my stuff up – and headed out into the city. When I finally arrived, it was around noon. I had to leave somewhere around 5 or 6 in order to catch my flight.

Well, as I said in my last post, the Da Vinci museum was on my list today. That is the first thing I set out to do. It wasn’t the biggest museum ever, but, it was truly one of my favorite museums I have been to thus far! The basic idea of the museum was to take all of his drawings, works, and inventions in three journals of his – and bring them to life. Engineers, scientists and experts in the like made it their missions to recreate and bring some of Da Vinci’s ideas to life. With this being said, the array of things in the museum was so broad! From flying machines, to ball bearings, to pull systems, to scuba equipment, to war machines, to lawn mowers! All of these were on display, and most of them were interactive. What a great experience. This is not to mention that there were blown-up posters of his anatomical sketches all over the museum, I wasn’t even aware that Da Vinci did this! He has painstakingly detailed sketches of every part of the human body, the way the muscles function, even onto the organs and brain. It was said that he studied countless cadavers and around 30 patients. One of my favorite parts of the museum was a 7 minute documentary on Da Vinci’s Vivarian Man… which inspired me to buy a print of it. This piece of work deals with many things entwined into one picture. First and for most, it tells the story of the golden ratio of man – 1:1.618 … this is seen throughout our bodies. The Navel is the starting point of this, split into upper and lower halves of our body. Our arms, and legs follow, and can be split into even further points, from the finger tips to the elbow x4 = body length. Four fingers equal a palm, our fingers then split from knuckle joint to joint. Arm length is our height. Our legs, by knee to foot and knee to hip = elbow to fingertips… our hands are the size of our face; our feet are the size of our head. Our face is split into thirds; our ears are 1/3 of our face. It goes on and on, pretty amazing. This was only part of it though, if you take a look at the picture, there will be one man standing with legs together, surrounded by a square, and one man with legs spread apart, surrounded by a circle. The transition to the spread out man shows motion, his legs also make an equilateral triangle. Furthermore, the square was said to represent the physical world – where the gentiles would be the center point of the body from every side. A square also represents the four elements, and the four directions. A circle on the other hand, represents the spiritual world, and the navel is the center point of the body from this position. The fingers of the man touch the intersection between the square and the circle, showing the connection between the spiritual and physical world! Great stuff Da Vinci. I made a few last rounds around the museum, and then headed back into the city.

I didn’t really know what to do now, and didn’t have any plans. I ended up walking through a park with a bunch of statues and sculptures in it, it was nice having nowhere to go and a bunch of tie to kill. I ended up getting a coffee and croissant and walking around a bit more, and then I decided it was time for my last Gelato in Italy… so I got on the metro and went to the famous Old Bridge. This time I tried some flavors I would normally not try, Pistachio, Coconut, and Tuiti Fruiti. Interesting, to say the least, but still good! I enjoyed this cone as I walked to St. Peters Square, where I finished it standing in the middle amidst the rain (oh yeah, it has been raining today). From here, I took shelter under the colonnade and read a few chapters from Broca’s Brain, the book by Carl Sagan I have been reading, almost done!

Now, I had about an hour to go, I went back to the Da Vinci museum and picked up my print. Then I found my way to the train station, in which instead I caught a 4 euro bus to the Ciampino airport, after much discussion and hard work finding how to get there (no one seems to know or use this airport any longer…). I arrived just in time, got in the cue (which means line) and was ready to be airbound. In the lounge, I took another good chunk out of the book, in which I finished up on the plane.

I landed around 11pm… my flight back to Edinburgh is at 6:30am… this being said, off to the comfy chairs to try and catch some snooze! I probably slept from 2:30 to 4:30am… but hey better than nothing. Afterwards I got checked in and yadda yadda, headed upstairs to look for a bite to eat or something. I ended up getting a Guinness. I’m in Ireland, it had to be done, and it tastes better here – after all. So, I am enjoying this Guinness and writing this up as I type. I am officially typing in the moment, and with that being said, I am over my daily allowance of a blog post, and must leave you now! See you back in Edinburgh.

Day 100 (Rome)

Day 100. I could have never guessed I would be spending it in Rome, let alone staying in a small town called Castelnuovo… One hundred days. Wow. That is just over 3 months, it sure doesn’t feel like it has only been 3 and a half months. I feel like I have been gone for years, I have grown for years and missed everyone for years. I can’t imagine being gone much longer now that home is so close. I am in that homesick stage. Which I guess is perfect since I will be getting my medicine in a little over two weeks. I still can’t get over all the stuff I have done in the last 100 days; I have traveled around the world, met people from all different cultures, I’ve danced in a Scotish Celidth, conquered Arthur’s seat, rejoiced with William Wallace on his monument, road-triped across the entire UK, I’ve ate crepes and bagettes in Paris, had thanksgiving dinner in February, I’ve boated through the canals in Bruges, tasted the finest of beers in Brussels, dealt with ghosts on Calton Hill, celebrated St. Pattys in Dublin, searched for Nessy in the Scottish Highlands, heard Big Ben dingdong in London, stood in awe at Stonehenge, broke my neck looking up the Eiffel Tower, put my life in the strength of a knot in the worlds biggest indoor rock climbing area, played an unbelievable round of golf in Edinburgh, rioted with the best of them during the last soccer game in Athens - Go Olympikos!, sat on the Spanish Steps, traveled to the ancient town of Corinth, endured astronaut training and sat on the frozen river in Stockholm, taken in by the underground art culture in Berlin, stood on both sides of the Iron Curtain, been through the best hospitality ever in Istanbul – truly a whole different culture, sat on top of the world in Büyükada, hiked up the Acropolis in Athens, stood on the hill where Paul preached to Greece, walked across London Bridge without it falling down, got lost in the endless rooms of the Louvre, let my imagination loose in countless early theatres, enjoyed the beach and sunset on the Greek Island Aegina, walked through B.C. Rome, been to more castles then I can count, blown away by the coliseum, prayed (yes, I know) in St Peters Basilica, viewed the creation of man in the Sistine Chapel and have been overwhelmed by the Vatican. I have met some friends for life, and made memories of the same. A handful of the adventures I have been through, all whilst delving into topics of neuroscience and learning even more about myself. And I know I am forgetting something… This experience has been once in a lifetime, truly, although I can safely say traveling is not out of my blood stream just yet. The wisdom you gain from indulging in how other societies live is unmatched by any documentary or book. I feel like this would be a good last post in Scotland, but, it is flowing out of me now – so be it.

Now, back to Rome, today I slept in a bit – as last night didn’t prove well for me in the sleep department. I had set a trip to the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica for sure, the rest was up for grabs. So, I made my way over to St. Peter’s Basilica. It is in a enormous square, surrounded by a colonnade with a total of 140 statues perched on top, with two fountains and an Egyptian obelisk right in the middle. I tell you, there is something up with these obelisk’s, they are everywhere – call Dan Brown. Anyway, I walked around and enjoyed this for a while, and then headed inside the church. I was not ready. The grandiose nature of this church is overwhelming; the ceilings go higher than the stratosphere, angels are peering down on you from heaven itself, paintings and sculptures decorate every square inch of the walls, and past popes are housed in tombs in every corner. The very sight of this church makes you believe in a higher power, one that created this thing… it is miraculous, the details and artwork are unbelievable.

When I finally got my breath back, I headed over to the Vatican.

But not before some gelato was in store! I had a scoop of AfterEight (chocolate chip mint), and Nutella flavors… delicious. This melted rapidly on my way over to the Vatican, but I managed to get the majority of it in my belly. The Vatican seems to be the ONLY place that is charging during “culture week”, in which most the museums and sights have been free. It was a whopping 15 euro for regular admission, I got the discounted 8 euro for being a student. As that wasn’t enjoy already, I got into serious debate whether or not to pick up the 7 euro audioguide… but I could not be happier that I did. It was a completely different experience than any other museum I had been too. The information I received about the pieces and paintings was incredible, I learned so much in such a short period of time. In particular, I loved the works of Rafael, and the works throughout the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo. The detail and meanings behind these works were amazing. A storyline of Jesus, Moses and the Creation of Man was in the Chapel, along with the famous Last Judgment, encompassing a massive wall behind the alter. Rafael depicting battles with Constantine, philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle in their schools of thought, religious scenes creating great reverence for the holy trinity, and countless other historical and religious masterpieces. Mind you, all of the previously mentioned works are giant frescos covering huge walls and ceilings, the intricate detail and of these and their ability to bring you into the scene is one of a kind. All of the things I had seen today broadened by art and sculpture knowledge by at least double. I truly enjoyed my day so far, and it was only 6pm!

Which means, more gelato! I have literally had some yogurt and fruit for breakfast, and 5 scoops of gelato. The place I went to was called “the Old Bridge” … apparently it is the best gelato place in Rome, which I found out by the mile long lines to get into the little store. It is one of those hidden treasures, and I can see why… there were about 20 different unique flavors to choose from, prices ranged from 1.50 – 3 euro, I got the 1.50 (all I had in my pocket) and even that comes with 3 giant scoops! Tripling practically every other place. When I handed the guy my money I said “one scoop?” and he chuckled and said “three!” I got Banana-Vanilla-Rum-Cream, Dark-Chocolate-Chip-Cinnamon, and Armello-Cookies-And-Cream. With it fresh on my mind, and now on my tongue, I was in heaven. I walked outside and sat in the middle of a square enjoying my ice cream and people watching. Very relaxing and pleasant. I also determined what I would do next, go to a nearby castle, Castle St. Angelo.

It didn’t take too long to walk here, and when I arrived I was greeted with my free admission pass. Yes! It doubles as a history museum but was nearly half closed due to renovations. Regardless, I soon found myself at the top peering over the city of Rome. Quite a sight. The river Tevere running fresh throughout my scenery. I went in and out of rooms, looking at everything from old pirate guns to the first plated armor pieces. The range of artifacts here was great. In the middle of it all was a 20 foot statue of the archangel of war. Triumphing in victory.

After I left here, I strolled through a little market, enjoying walking next to the river. I finally crossed over back towards my train stop, I walked for another 30 minutes throughout the city, I didn’t really have a path I was taking, and ran into a pizzaria for dinner. I can’t get over how delicious the pizza and ice cream is here. Mmm… as I was munching on my pizza walking down a backstreet, I had a huge hunch that I was near the Spanish Steps once again… when I emerged from the alleyway, there they were in all their purple floral glory! A-hah! I am becoming a local ;). I headed to the train station from here, in no rush at all. Just before I got on, I saw a sign for a Leonardo Di Vinci museum. Guess what I am going to do tomorrow..?

Day 99 (Rome)

Ah, where to even start… 212 pictures, 9 hours of walking… one tired Eric. Brent was taking off this morning to go back to Istanbul, at 7 in the morning, to be precise. I already didn’t sleep too well last night, so the early wakeup didn’t really matter too much, we said our goodbyes and then I headed back to bed for another hour or so. I ended up leaving the house around 830, and went to the grocery store down the street. I picked up an orange, banana, bottle of water, and what I think was the base of a pizza. That was my breakfast. I jumped on the next bus to the train station, and then the next train to Rome. There were hundreds of people in such a rush to get onto these modes of transportation; I knew I was going to the big city now…

I got off at the stop flamninio, which is basically in between the Vatican and the coliseum. When I began my walking I wasn’t really sure what direction to go in, but I saw these twin church tops peak over a building, I recalled Chris saying something about twin churches, so I headed that way. In the first square I came to there was a tall Egyptian Obelisk, the twin churches I mentioned, as well as two similar fountains on either side of the square. It was already a great sight - I meandered along and took a few pictures before heading down the street to the Spanish Steps.

I didn’t know what to expect and then I arrived at the Piazza di Spagna, it was about 100m worth of steps, covered in blooming purple flowers with another Egyptian Obelisk + Church perched at the top of them. I took a few pictures, climbed the steps, and then relaxed on them for a bit while I ate my orange! From here, I walked further down the street and ran into the Lorenzo in Lucina, and the Montecitorio. A few of the seemingly endless impressive buildings I would encounter today.

After that, it was off to the Fontana Di Trevi, the most famous fountain in Rome. But not before I stopped by my friendly neighborhood souvenir shop to pick up a map of Rome for my wall. When I arrived at the fountain, I was in awe, it is HUGE with breathtaking sculptures and just an overwhelming presence – I stood and gawked for a while, and then proceeded to turn around and flip a coin into it – granting my good luck and a return trip to Rome!

And if that wasn’t enough, I went to the Pantheon next. It is the only pagan church/temple deal to still be in running condition and actually still in use. To get in, you have to walk through giant bronze doors, I believe I read something that said they were the biggest still in use as well? They were easily 20+ feet tall… the next thing you see is a stream of white light coming from an oculus in the ceiling. All around this circular building are ornate paintings and monuments. The function of the Pantheon now, is a tourist attraction and house of some famous peoples tombs, including Rafael and King Humphrey the 1st. The pope has a quote over Rafael’s tomb, something to the tune of “nature was scared to be outdone when he was alive, and she was scared she would also go when he died.” Very impressive.

From here I attempted to make it to St. Agustino, I still am not sure if I actually saw this or not, but I did come across another cool thing, St. Maria’s basilica was the name I believe. It was a church, very high ceilings and paintings throughout coupled with multiple sculptures, including one by Michelangelo.

Next on the list was Piazza Venezia, which is a monument to Victor Emmanuel II, this building is enormous, it has equestrian statures all over it – and a museum dedicated to Italy’s involvement in the World Wars. From the balcony I could see the coliseum, as well as some of ancient Rome (the Forum, where I am heading next).

The Forum consists of all of Rome’s old city, 2BC to 5AD. It was great being able to see this, most of it being remnants, but nonetheless. I walked around here for an hour or two, and then found my way up to the old imperial palace of the 2nd century… it had a view of a good portion of Rome, including the coliseum of course.

I think I actually made my way to the coliseum itself now… I decided to get an audioguide for this. How amazing to be standing somewhere where gladiators use to battle, where giant hunts went on, and even ship battles when the main stage was flooded. So much history has gone on in this coliseum, you can tell by the walls and structures, even the very atmosphere of the place. I spent a good time here, taking it all in and going to each of the levels. What a place!

Afterwards I went into the Palatino, another old area of Rome, also having the house of Augustus here. I was pretty tired, and after I walked up a hill, I realized I had already gone through this part! So, I hopped on a metro and went to another place that I saw had a pyramid! A pyramid in Rome? Yes. It wasn’t too crazy or anything, but out of the ordinary for sure. I had a sandwich here and just relaxed.

From here I headed back to the main station, walked around a little more, seeing a few more buildings and monuments. I ended up going into a museum, it was all about Roman history, art and sculpture. I saw the progression of it throughout the ages, as well as some portraits of very famous Romans in marble. There were frescos that lit up the rooms, and statues that struck me as real people. It was a great exhibit and a good place to just relax and stroll around.

Gianfranco told me about the “best gelato in the world” place, I was on a mission to find it. Which I did, it was near the Trevi Fountain, so I happily ate some gelato while looking at the fountain once more. I had a scoop of caramel, and a scoop of liquorish root. Very interesting flavors indeed, you can really taste the flavors in them! I was kind of worried because they didn’t have any normal flavors… it was all kinds such as vanilla and bourbon, cocoa and rum… lemon meringue and so on. But, it was very good and I was satisfied!

After all that adventuring around, it was time to go home, my shoe is demolishing my left Achilles tendon, and I was exhausted. I jumped on a few metros, a train and then a bus… and made my way back home. When I got back the home neighborhood, I went into the grocery to pick up some breakfast food for the next two days… I beat Gianfranco home by a few minutes. I started on my picture transfers and blog writing, while he cooked some dinner! Not a bad deal at all… Pasta + Zucchini! It was great. Along with some sausage, which I found out in Italy, is raw! But it was pretty good, not going to lie! A very packed day is finally over, and I will be out like a light shortly!