Sorry I didn't get last night's post up. I will have to finish it later.
We are up and ready to head to the airport. It is 4:34 am. We will be home in South Bend tonight!
-Terri, John, Paul, Elizabeth, and Grace
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Two Days Left in Rome
December 13, 2009
We have only two days left in Rome. What did we do today?
We stayed up late watching a movie last night and slept later than we wanted to this morning. Maybe we are just trying to adjust our body clocks to get ready for the trip home! After breakfast we headed for the flea market to pick up a few more souvenirs. It was cold and rainy today, so we didn't wander around looking for things - just headed for what we needed and got back on the bus. The 75 bus took us up near the train station so we could walk to Santa Susanna - the American Catholic church in Rome. Unfortunately, they closed early and we had to leave the books in the church with a note. We donated many of the books we've already read to the library. Hopefully they will make some other children happy.
We waited again for a bus - this time the 62. The bus service runs on Sundays, but not as frequently. This means more waiting at bus stops. Did I mention that it was cold and rainy? Oh well! We took the bus to St. Peter's to stop at a shop, but it was closed. We were able to mail our last postcard while we were out though! By this time, everyone was cold, wet, tired, and grumpy and so we headed home. We can do the rest of the errands tomorrow, right?
We came home and worked on the packing again. We packed the backpacks and cleaned out the kids' bedroom. Now everything is in piles in my room. I guess it will be incentive to finish putting everything into the suitcases so that I can go to bed tonight!
After dinner and showers, we headed back into the city for Mass at Santa Maria in Monterone. It's a tiny little church right near John's studio. John and the rest of the graduate students weren't back from Greece yet, so we went by ourselves.
We are home now, John is home now and all is well. John and I will finish packing tonight so that we can play tomorrow. Lots to do before we leave!
Only one more day!
-Terri
We have only two days left in Rome. What did we do today?
We stayed up late watching a movie last night and slept later than we wanted to this morning. Maybe we are just trying to adjust our body clocks to get ready for the trip home! After breakfast we headed for the flea market to pick up a few more souvenirs. It was cold and rainy today, so we didn't wander around looking for things - just headed for what we needed and got back on the bus. The 75 bus took us up near the train station so we could walk to Santa Susanna - the American Catholic church in Rome. Unfortunately, they closed early and we had to leave the books in the church with a note. We donated many of the books we've already read to the library. Hopefully they will make some other children happy.
We waited again for a bus - this time the 62. The bus service runs on Sundays, but not as frequently. This means more waiting at bus stops. Did I mention that it was cold and rainy? Oh well! We took the bus to St. Peter's to stop at a shop, but it was closed. We were able to mail our last postcard while we were out though! By this time, everyone was cold, wet, tired, and grumpy and so we headed home. We can do the rest of the errands tomorrow, right?
We came home and worked on the packing again. We packed the backpacks and cleaned out the kids' bedroom. Now everything is in piles in my room. I guess it will be incentive to finish putting everything into the suitcases so that I can go to bed tonight!
After dinner and showers, we headed back into the city for Mass at Santa Maria in Monterone. It's a tiny little church right near John's studio. John and the rest of the graduate students weren't back from Greece yet, so we went by ourselves.
We are home now, John is home now and all is well. John and I will finish packing tonight so that we can play tomorrow. Lots to do before we leave!
Only one more day!
-Terri
La Befana
We are going to be starting a new tradition in the Mellor family called "La Befana". La Befana is celebrated on Epiphany, January 6. The legend of La Befana is that when the three kings were taking their gifts to Jesus they invited everyone in the towns they passed through to accompany them. They passed through one town where a woman lived. She was the best housekeeper in town and when they asked her to accompany them, she said she had a lot of housework to finish. Later, she had a change of heart, but it was too late. The kings had already left. The legend says that on the eve of January 6, she flies around on her old broom bringing gifts to children. The good children receive books and other small toys and the bad children receive garlic, onions, and coal. She puts the things in the children's socks, similar to St. Nicholas Day.
We bought a Befana. She is an old woman sitting in a rocking chair with her broomstick. This is a neat Italian tradition that we thought we should celebrate!
See you soon!
-Elizabeth
We bought a Befana. She is an old woman sitting in a rocking chair with her broomstick. This is a neat Italian tradition that we thought we should celebrate!
See you soon!
-Elizabeth
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Sant'Ignazio - Is the dome there or not?
This is the church of Sant'Ignazio - St. Ignatius. The neat thing about this church are its frescos on the ceiling. In this first fresco, it appears that the ceiling is much taller than it actually is. Can you see the columns and windows along the sides of the photo? They are part of the painting!
These two photos are of the dome. When the church was built, they couldn't afford to build the dome. They hired the same artist, Andrea Pozzo. He painted a dome on a flat, round ceiling. He painted the dome in perspective so that when you stand in a certain place in the church, you cannot tell that the dome is fake. However, when you get right under the dome, it doesn't look right anymore. Unfortunately, I don't have a good photo of this. This is the same artist who painted the rooms of Saint Ignatius that I wrote about earlier.
Three Days Left in Rome
December 12, 2009
Three days left in Rome. What did we do today?
Well, we worked on packing again today. I am trying to pack the things we aren't using, but we brought so little, that packing leaves us very little to do.
One thing that we really enjoyed visiting a few months ago was Castel Sant'Angelo. We went back today. This castle was originally a mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian and his family, but was later a fortress and castle. There is even a fortified walkway that goes between the Vatican and the Castel Sant'Angelo so that when Rome was being attacked, the Pope could go hide out in the castle. The last time this happened was in the 1500's. Anyway, now it is a museum and it has one of the best views of the city.
We spent several hours at the Castel Sant'Angelo, exploring through the ramps, staircases and hidden rooms. We found a whole exhibit inside artwork that had been stolen and then recovered by the police here in Italy. Some things were missing for just a year or two, and some for more than twenty years! There were even a few artists we recognized - art by Renoir, Cezanne and VanGogh!
No visit to Castel Sant'Angelo is complete with a trip down into the former moat which is now a park and has a nice playground. There were lots of kids playing down there today and many people walking their dogs. Apparently people walking their dogs think that this park is a good place to let the dogs run around without a leash. It was interesting to watch dogs chase one another and owners chase their dogs!
The weather is chilly here now and we weren't dressed for an extended time outside. We were planning to go do a little souvenir shopping before dinner, but we were all too cold. We elected to jump on a warm bus and head home. Made a quick dinner and then? Yes, more packing! Now we are going to relax on the couch with some afghans and the movie "Cars".
Lots of things to finish up tomorrow! Only two days left!
-Terri
Three days left in Rome. What did we do today?
Well, we worked on packing again today. I am trying to pack the things we aren't using, but we brought so little, that packing leaves us very little to do.
One thing that we really enjoyed visiting a few months ago was Castel Sant'Angelo. We went back today. This castle was originally a mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian and his family, but was later a fortress and castle. There is even a fortified walkway that goes between the Vatican and the Castel Sant'Angelo so that when Rome was being attacked, the Pope could go hide out in the castle. The last time this happened was in the 1500's. Anyway, now it is a museum and it has one of the best views of the city.
We spent several hours at the Castel Sant'Angelo, exploring through the ramps, staircases and hidden rooms. We found a whole exhibit inside artwork that had been stolen and then recovered by the police here in Italy. Some things were missing for just a year or two, and some for more than twenty years! There were even a few artists we recognized - art by Renoir, Cezanne and VanGogh!
No visit to Castel Sant'Angelo is complete with a trip down into the former moat which is now a park and has a nice playground. There were lots of kids playing down there today and many people walking their dogs. Apparently people walking their dogs think that this park is a good place to let the dogs run around without a leash. It was interesting to watch dogs chase one another and owners chase their dogs!
The weather is chilly here now and we weren't dressed for an extended time outside. We were planning to go do a little souvenir shopping before dinner, but we were all too cold. We elected to jump on a warm bus and head home. Made a quick dinner and then? Yes, more packing! Now we are going to relax on the couch with some afghans and the movie "Cars".
Lots of things to finish up tomorrow! Only two days left!
-Terri
Four Days Left in Rome
Friday, December 11, 2009
These photos were taken in one of the rooms of St. Ignatius. I don't know if you can see the scrolls that are between the ceiling and the side walls. They aren't actually there! They are painted on! The ceiling is actually rounded! Neat, huh? 
Only four days left in Rome. What did we do today?
Aunt Kathy and Barb left early this morning. We were up late with them last night, so we slept in this morning. It is time to start packing. We spent most of the morning cleaning and organizing. We went through our "stuff" and figured out what needed to be thrown out, donated, and what will actually come home with us. I also started a list of everything we have purchased so that it will be easier to fill out the customs forms when we get to the US.
After lunch we headed down the hill to the playground in the piazza for some playtime. It was chilly, but the sun was shining and it was nice to just relax. We took the tram across the river to see three churches that have been on our list.
The first was Il Gesu which is the home of the Jesuits. We've been to the church before, but I had read about it again and realized that we hadn't looked carefully at the ceiling when we were there. The ceiling was painted to look like some of the figures are 3D and are coming down toward you. We also went next door to see the rooms of St. Ignatius - where he lived nearly 500 years ago. Amazing to see so much history in one place! There was also one fantastic room that was painted by the same artist as the ceiling in the church. The room has a barrel vault (half circle shaped ceiling), but is painted so that if you stand in one place in the room, it appears to be a flat ceiling. I don't think the photos really do it justice. I have a guide to the rooms that is easier to understand. 
This is the ceiling in the church. It looks like some of the figures are coming down from the ceiling.
These photos were taken in one of the rooms of St. Ignatius. I don't know if you can see the scrolls that are between the ceiling and the side walls. They aren't actually there! They are painted on! The ceiling is actually rounded! Neat, huh?
After Il Gesu, we went to two other churches that John had recommended we visit. Both were quite beautiful and we enjoyed them. On the way home we stopped at the grocery store. We are getting close to our last grocery shopping trip. That will be a relief! Of course, we hit the grocery store about 5:30 in the evening which means it was very crowded. The lines were very, very long and we had to wait about 10 minutes for the check-out. We caught a bus up the hill and had a relaxing evening in the apartment. We have many blog entries to do.
Great day! Only three days left!
-Terri
Five Days Left in Rome
Thursday, December 10, 2009
We have five days left in Rome. What did we do today?
After a relaxing morning at home, we headed to the tram and into the city center for lunch. We went to Remo's again, but this time for calzones. John has been raving about the calzones which are cheap, large, and fantastic, but you have to get there before the high school kids get there if you want one. We got to Remo's shortly before noon and all had a prosciutto (ham) and cheese calzone. They are indeed terrific!
We headed over to the Corso for a little bit of souvenir shopping with Aunt Kathy and Barb. Today is their last day here. Caught a bus from the Corso over to the Vatican and stopped at a shop called Castroni where we picked up a few souvenirs and Christmas presents.
The Vatican Museums was next. We have been there once, but Aunt Kathy and Barb really wanted to see the Sistine Chapel. I was hesitant because the last time we were there was in mid September and the museum was packed! Instead of walking through the museum leisurely enjoying all the exhibits, we felt like we were a herd of cows moving from room to room! There were so many people in the Sistine Chapel that you could hardly move around and certainly couldn't relax and enjoy the beauty!
However, there are virtually no tourists here in Rome now! (Delightful!) We basically had the museum to ourselves. We saw a few things on our way to the Sistine Chapel, but spent most of our time in the Chapel itself. It is really too bad that you can't take photos in there, but I do have a really nice book about the Vatican and the museums, so it is fine. Michelangelo's ceiling is really something, let me tell you. I just cannot imagine having that much talent to be able to paint something so beautiful!
We headed home for a bit while Aunt Kathy and Barb finished up some shopping. We met them down in Trastevere and went to dinner at a restaurant called Carlo Menta. Delicious pasta and fantastic pasta e fagioli soup. You have probably had pasta e fagioli soup at Olive Garden. Here it is much thicker and is made with wide, thin, flat noodles instead of macaroni. I will be making it this way from now on!
After dinner we headed for gelato because everyone must have gelato on their last day here. Our favorite place was closed, so we went to Della Palma where we could eat inside. This was good because it is pretty chilly once the sun goes down now. Tram and bus back to the apartment.
Great day! Only four days left!
-Terri
We have five days left in Rome. What did we do today?
After a relaxing morning at home, we headed to the tram and into the city center for lunch. We went to Remo's again, but this time for calzones. John has been raving about the calzones which are cheap, large, and fantastic, but you have to get there before the high school kids get there if you want one. We got to Remo's shortly before noon and all had a prosciutto (ham) and cheese calzone. They are indeed terrific!
We headed over to the Corso for a little bit of souvenir shopping with Aunt Kathy and Barb. Today is their last day here. Caught a bus from the Corso over to the Vatican and stopped at a shop called Castroni where we picked up a few souvenirs and Christmas presents.
The Vatican Museums was next. We have been there once, but Aunt Kathy and Barb really wanted to see the Sistine Chapel. I was hesitant because the last time we were there was in mid September and the museum was packed! Instead of walking through the museum leisurely enjoying all the exhibits, we felt like we were a herd of cows moving from room to room! There were so many people in the Sistine Chapel that you could hardly move around and certainly couldn't relax and enjoy the beauty!
However, there are virtually no tourists here in Rome now! (Delightful!) We basically had the museum to ourselves. We saw a few things on our way to the Sistine Chapel, but spent most of our time in the Chapel itself. It is really too bad that you can't take photos in there, but I do have a really nice book about the Vatican and the museums, so it is fine. Michelangelo's ceiling is really something, let me tell you. I just cannot imagine having that much talent to be able to paint something so beautiful!
We headed home for a bit while Aunt Kathy and Barb finished up some shopping. We met them down in Trastevere and went to dinner at a restaurant called Carlo Menta. Delicious pasta and fantastic pasta e fagioli soup. You have probably had pasta e fagioli soup at Olive Garden. Here it is much thicker and is made with wide, thin, flat noodles instead of macaroni. I will be making it this way from now on!
After dinner we headed for gelato because everyone must have gelato on their last day here. Our favorite place was closed, so we went to Della Palma where we could eat inside. This was good because it is pretty chilly once the sun goes down now. Tram and bus back to the apartment.
Great day! Only four days left!
-Terri
Friday, December 11, 2009
Six Days Left in Rome
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
We have six days left in Rome. What did we do today?
Well, today is Paul's 10th birthday so it was lots of fun and excitement! We started by heading over to St. Peter's with John, Aunt Kathy, and Barb. Yesterday was a national holiday in Italy, so many people made a 4 day weekend. There have been tons of people in Rome all weekend, but apparently they have all headed back to work. We had St. Peter's almost to ourselves today! Fantastic!
We started by climbing to the top of the dome. Aunt Kathy, Barb, and Grace took the elevator to the base of the dome, and then climbed the stairs, but we took the stairs the whole way. It was over 500 stairs! The view was spectacular! Look for a blog entry on this in the next few days. We descended the dome and toured the Basilica and then the crypt below. This is where Pope John Paul II is buried.
After St. Peter's, we headed into the city center for pizza for lunch from our favorite pizza place - Remo's. We ate pizza in the piazza in front of Santa Maria sopra Minerva and then went to get gelato. I think Paul got an extra big 2 scoops because he told our friend at the gelato place that it was his birthday.
We came home for naptime/downtime and then had dinner. Paul's favorite meal is penne with ham and asparagus. For dessert we didn't have cake because the oven here is too unpredictable. Instead I got a recipe from one of the secretaries in the ND program. Paul had a birthday pie - Nutella pie. (For anyone who doesn't know - Nutella is a chocolate spread that is the consistency of peanut butter. Europeans spread it on bread or toast for breakfast.) For birthday candles we used a candle that Paul got at St. Paul's Outside the Walls. It was a delicious pie.
What an exciting day! Only six days left!
-Terri
We have six days left in Rome. What did we do today?
Well, today is Paul's 10th birthday so it was lots of fun and excitement! We started by heading over to St. Peter's with John, Aunt Kathy, and Barb. Yesterday was a national holiday in Italy, so many people made a 4 day weekend. There have been tons of people in Rome all weekend, but apparently they have all headed back to work. We had St. Peter's almost to ourselves today! Fantastic!
We started by climbing to the top of the dome. Aunt Kathy, Barb, and Grace took the elevator to the base of the dome, and then climbed the stairs, but we took the stairs the whole way. It was over 500 stairs! The view was spectacular! Look for a blog entry on this in the next few days. We descended the dome and toured the Basilica and then the crypt below. This is where Pope John Paul II is buried.
After St. Peter's, we headed into the city center for pizza for lunch from our favorite pizza place - Remo's. We ate pizza in the piazza in front of Santa Maria sopra Minerva and then went to get gelato. I think Paul got an extra big 2 scoops because he told our friend at the gelato place that it was his birthday.
We came home for naptime/downtime and then had dinner. Paul's favorite meal is penne with ham and asparagus. For dessert we didn't have cake because the oven here is too unpredictable. Instead I got a recipe from one of the secretaries in the ND program. Paul had a birthday pie - Nutella pie. (For anyone who doesn't know - Nutella is a chocolate spread that is the consistency of peanut butter. Europeans spread it on bread or toast for breakfast.) For birthday candles we used a candle that Paul got at St. Paul's Outside the Walls. It was a delicious pie.
What an exciting day! Only six days left!
-Terri
Seven Days Left in Rome
Tuesday, December 8
Well, we have seven days left in Rome. What did we do today?
Aunt Kathy and Barb are visiting this week, so we had to show them some of our favorite things. Today we had pizza for lunch with John. He is finally done with his major projects and had his big presentation yesterday afternoon. After lunch we took Aunt Kathy and Barb to the "Bone Church". (See Paul's blog entry on this.) They were fascinated. We also went to see another church that we really like - Sant'Ignazio. (St. Ignatius) This church has a trompe l'oeil ceiling and dome. This means that the ceiling is painted to look much taller than it actually is. It also means that the church doesn't actually have a dome, but the circle in the ceiling is painted to look like one. We will post photos of this in a different entry.
After those two churches, we had to do a little souvenir/Christmas shopping. We headed over to one of our favorite piazzas - Piazza Navona where there is a huge Christmas market. We picked up a gift for Grandma and a "La Bufana" for our family. Look for an entry on La Bufana as well.
Aunt Kathy and Barb went out for dinner and we came home for a quiet dinner of leftovers. We have to start cleaning out the fridge and cabinets! Only seven days left!
-Terri
Well, we have seven days left in Rome. What did we do today?
Aunt Kathy and Barb are visiting this week, so we had to show them some of our favorite things. Today we had pizza for lunch with John. He is finally done with his major projects and had his big presentation yesterday afternoon. After lunch we took Aunt Kathy and Barb to the "Bone Church". (See Paul's blog entry on this.) They were fascinated. We also went to see another church that we really like - Sant'Ignazio. (St. Ignatius) This church has a trompe l'oeil ceiling and dome. This means that the ceiling is painted to look much taller than it actually is. It also means that the church doesn't actually have a dome, but the circle in the ceiling is painted to look like one. We will post photos of this in a different entry.
After those two churches, we had to do a little souvenir/Christmas shopping. We headed over to one of our favorite piazzas - Piazza Navona where there is a huge Christmas market. We picked up a gift for Grandma and a "La Bufana" for our family. Look for an entry on La Bufana as well.
Aunt Kathy and Barb went out for dinner and we came home for a quiet dinner of leftovers. We have to start cleaning out the fridge and cabinets! Only seven days left!
-Terri
Switching Teachers
We will have some big transitions when we get home, especially when it comes to teaching and learning.
Paul and Elizabeth have had one teacher for this whole semester - me! We've done reading, writing and math, but most of our learning has been "out in the field". We've learned about Roman and Italian history, emperors, churches, buildings...the list goes on and on. It has been fascinating to see how different churches are from one another. We have learned a lot about architecture and architects around the city, studying as many works as we could by Michelangelo, Bernini, and Borromini. Paul and Elizabeth even put together a PowerPoint presentation about Michelangelo that they are excited to share when they get home. Lots of our learning has been "living". We've learned enough Italian to get around, and how to shop for, cook, and eat Italian food. Paul and Elizabeth have learned how to navigate around the city on foot, as well as public transportation, and have become excellent photographers!
Now they are heading back to Holy Cross School where there are lots of kids in their classes and they have to switch between several teachers. They will have homework and a much stricter schedule of working. They will have to get up and go to bed early and wear a uniform again! Finally, they will be back with all of their friends and the people they have missed so much!
My teaching is going to change too. I have only had three students this fall. (Grace gets out her workbooks each day and works on her "schoolwork".) I just received the exciting news this week that I am going back to teach 4th and 5th grade at Elm Road School in January! I am thrilled! I just cannot wait to share all the exciting stories of experiences we have had here. I have books that are in Italian, as well as many travel books about the places we have visited. Not to mention all the photographs we have! Oh, there is so much to share with those 4th and 5th graders!
Now, they will have to be patient with me too, because I might get a little mixed up! I might call them "ragazzi" instead of "young people" and when we are trying to go somewhere, I might say, "Andiamo!" I might also answer "Si" instead of "yes" or say, "attenzione!" when I need them to watch out for something! I am sure that they will either catch on quickly or help get me on the right track!
Yes, it will be an interesting transition, but I think everyone will do fine. We are packing in as much "Rome" as we can into these final days and looking forward to sharing our experiences with everyone.
-Terri
Paul and Elizabeth have had one teacher for this whole semester - me! We've done reading, writing and math, but most of our learning has been "out in the field". We've learned about Roman and Italian history, emperors, churches, buildings...the list goes on and on. It has been fascinating to see how different churches are from one another. We have learned a lot about architecture and architects around the city, studying as many works as we could by Michelangelo, Bernini, and Borromini. Paul and Elizabeth even put together a PowerPoint presentation about Michelangelo that they are excited to share when they get home. Lots of our learning has been "living". We've learned enough Italian to get around, and how to shop for, cook, and eat Italian food. Paul and Elizabeth have learned how to navigate around the city on foot, as well as public transportation, and have become excellent photographers!
Now they are heading back to Holy Cross School where there are lots of kids in their classes and they have to switch between several teachers. They will have homework and a much stricter schedule of working. They will have to get up and go to bed early and wear a uniform again! Finally, they will be back with all of their friends and the people they have missed so much!
My teaching is going to change too. I have only had three students this fall. (Grace gets out her workbooks each day and works on her "schoolwork".) I just received the exciting news this week that I am going back to teach 4th and 5th grade at Elm Road School in January! I am thrilled! I just cannot wait to share all the exciting stories of experiences we have had here. I have books that are in Italian, as well as many travel books about the places we have visited. Not to mention all the photographs we have! Oh, there is so much to share with those 4th and 5th graders!
Now, they will have to be patient with me too, because I might get a little mixed up! I might call them "ragazzi" instead of "young people" and when we are trying to go somewhere, I might say, "Andiamo!" I might also answer "Si" instead of "yes" or say, "attenzione!" when I need them to watch out for something! I am sure that they will either catch on quickly or help get me on the right track!
Yes, it will be an interesting transition, but I think everyone will do fine. We are packing in as much "Rome" as we can into these final days and looking forward to sharing our experiences with everyone.
-Terri
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