Drinking Fountain in Tivoli

There weren't many drinking fountains in Tivoli like there were in Rome. There was however, one really cool one that I came across. There was an eagle on the top of it made out of different kinds of stones. There were two spouts that poured into two large bowls near the ground. The fountain looked extremely worn in an area of the town that was very well kept. I later found out from a local that the fountain had been there for many years. It had actually survived World War II. Much of the city had been destroyed in World War II, so it was a miracle that this structure is still intact. After filling up my water bottle with cool fresh water, I headed off to Hadrian's Villa. 

Visiting Boy's Town

On Friday, we had the opportunity to visit Boy's Town in the outskirts of Rome. The trip was very interesting and a lot different than what I expected. I pictured the site to more of an orphanage, but it was actually a lot like a summer camp. The entire place was very well kept, and it seemed like a great place to live if you were a kid with no place to go. I thought the art center was the most interesting thing there because the art work was so beautiful.  There was a large amount of pottery that was painted with extreme precision. Most of the pieces looked like they could sold in pottery stores in the state. They were that good!Most of the pieces were made by kids that were under 15 years old. The boys come from all over the world. Most of them currently come from the middle east, which makes sense with all of the turmoil going on over there. Most of the boys who live in Boy's Town are Muslim. There was a Catholic Church located in the town, but the children were not forced to practice any specific religion. We had a chance to meet the current mayor of the town, and ask him questions. He was just your average kid. For some reason I thought the kids were going to be overly mature, because of what I had learned about their government. This really wasn't the case, the kids joked around and seemed to be just like I was when I was their age. Before we went to the site, we discussed how we thought the government ideology would hinder a young kids childhood. I really didn't see that to be the case at all.  Overall, Boy's Town seemed like a very welcoming and safe place for the children to stay. I am very glad I had the opportunity to visit such a unique environment. 

Boys Town Rome

Boy's Town is a small village on the outskirts of Rome that houses children that completely govern themselves. There are two structures in the city, Garden City is for the younger children, while the Industrial City is for older children. They have their own government, financial system, and judicial affairs. The system was entirely implemented by the boys themselves. The boys created their own currency called the Scudo. It can be used to buy little things in the bazaar, or it can be deposited in the citizens' bank. Boys town was founded by Monsignor J.P. Carroll-Abbing he was quoted in saying "I dreamed of a future Boys’ Town, a community where the innate rights and duties and the God-given mission of each child in society would be respected and fostered." (http://www.citrag.it/index_en.htm) This Friday I am going to visit Boy's Town for the first time. It will be very interesting to see the schools, dormitories, and markets located there. I'll later be posting pictures and a place of interest that I found intriguing at the site.

Modern Looking Fountain

Today as I was walking to the train station, I spotted a very cool fountain unlike any of the others I’ve seen in Rome. The fountain spills water into three bowls located on top of a unique drop spout. The water cascades down the curves steel into a shallow bath below. The top three bowls are used by pigeons to bath, which was why the square was flooded with them. The fountain is located before the bridge over the Tiber called Ponto Testaccio. It is located in the far southern portion of Trastevere, an area that I am currently exploring. Every day, I try to run in different parts of the city because I’ve found it is a great way to explore. So far I’ve run to the Circus Maximus, the Vatican at sunset, souther Trastevere, and the Janiculum Hill.

Terme De Nettuno (Ostio Antica Baths)

One of the coolest parts of the Ostia Antica ruins, were the baths. 2000 years ago the bathes were equipped with hot water, and an adequate drainage system. I thought it was very interesting how the area where the mosaics are located also was a type of gymnasium. The actual playing field for fighters was later than used for body hygiene after the duel. Beneath the mosaic flooring there is a huge crawl space that held fires that were used to heat the water. Slaves were forced to keep the fires going, in extremely harsh conditions. The work would have been extremely poor, and dirty. They actually worked in the canals where the water was drained after it was used. As you can see by the pictures, the baths aren’t much different than showers of today. It kind of resembles a locker room. It is remarkable that Ancient Rome had running hot water, when that wasn’t even a luxury in the mid 1800s. When you look at Ancient Rome in that light, it is mind boggling that they were able to do the things they did.

The Disney of Europe, Amsterdam

On the weekend of May 30th I visited Amsterdam in the Netherlands. I thought the city was absolutely beautiful. The style of the buildings always looked like something out of Disney World. The red light district was definitely an interesting sight, with hundreds of prostitutes behind windows lining the streets. It was almost as if they were in prison. I felt like I was committing a crime just being there, even though prostitution is legal in Amsterdam. The laws in Amsterdam are very lax, and you would think the city would be complete chaos. That really wasn’t the case, the people seemed very tame, and they were definitely the friendliest bunch I’ve met while traveling through Europe. I definitely want to visit the Netherlands again and get outside of the city. The Netherlands is known as the flower capital of the world, and the flower market was unlike any I’ve ever seen. Located along one of the many canals, the flower market was a burst of color in an already vibrant architectural city. My favorite aspect of Amsterdam was definitely the architecture. Almost all of the buildings had intricate brickwork with exaggerated rooftops that made them look like castles. Even though I was on there for a weekend, I could definitely see myself living in this city. The city had a homey feeling unlike Rome. Almost everyone spoke English, which gave me a much needed taste of the States. There was a wide array of food, and everything we tried was incredible. I really can’t think of anything negative to say about Amsterdam. I can’t wait to visit again someday!

A Day at the Mediterranean Sea

After visiting Ostio Antico, I decided to travel out to the Mediterranean Sea and lay on the beach. It was a convenient trip because Ostio Antico is located half way down the metro line to the closest beach from Rome. I was unsure of what I was going to encounter, I didn’t know if the beach would be clean, dirty, crowded or vacant. We arrived at the beach a mere 20 minutes after boarding the metro, not knowing where to go we hopped on a bus immediately after we got off. It was the best thing we could have done because the bus took us a mile down the road to a beach that was less crowded. I was very impressed with the condition of the beach. We paid seven euros to enter the beach, and rent chairs. I thought it was a bit pricey at first but after I saw the facilities I had no reason to complain. The bathrooms were extremely clean, and there was a convenient beachside café that served drinks, paninis, and pizza. The sand was darker than the sand back home, and the sun made it so hot that it was nearly unbearable to stand on. Luckily there were wooden plank pathways all through the sand that were much cooler on the bottoms of your feet. There weren’t any waves, but the water was relatively clean considering how close to Rome we were. I definitely plan to go back to the beach again before I leave, only next time I can’t forget sun block!