Ever since I started thinking about studying abroad in Italy, I have been excited to see a real vineyard up close. Today I got that chance. Castelle Delle Regine is a fifty year old vineyard located about an hour and a half North of Rome near the small town of Amelia. Sitting on over three hundred acres of land, the vineyard produces a range of grapes and olive oil. We were given a tour of the compound by Guiseppe, the communications director. He told us it snows one day a year in the area. Today was that day.
Guiseppe explained the process in which the wine is picked, de-stemmed, and stored for aging. The smaller the storage vat, the higher quality the wine and therefore the higher the price. The best wine is typically stored in a barrel for one year and then in bottles for two to three years before sale, although aging varies greatly depending on type of grape and type of wine.
We were given the opportunity to blend our own wine with a variety of bottles from the vineyard. My group chose a blend made up of 40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet and 20% San Giovesse. It ended up being very strong and spicy. Our Food and Culture/Media teacher, Federico, doubles as a sommelier and food critic. He said although it was a strong blend, he enjoyed it. Personally I didn’t like the way it tasted but I did enjoy the aroma.
By the end of the tour the weather cleared up and we had beautiful views of the hillsides of the vineyard and the surrounding land. With Federico’s connections, the whole group got to eat a late lunch at nearby Podernovo, a beautiful restaurant and hotel which sits on top of a large hill. We tasted more Castello delle Regine wine and ate a great meal. Although it would have been nice to see the vineyard while the vines were full of grapes and the land was very green, it was a memorable experience. I learned a lot about wine and will be sure to implement that knowledge into tasting my 2-buck-chuck collection in the near future.
Guided by Dr. Paul Gwynne, my Layers of Rome class took a tour of the Roman Forum and the Flavian Amphitheater, more commonly known as the Coloseum. Rome had a number of forums but none larger than the Roman Forum. Here, all sorts of activities took place. In addition to markets and butcher shops, the area contains a number of temples and monuments.
It also contains three basillicas. To ancient Romans, the word basillica meant “Hall of the King” and functioned as a large hall or meeting place. Here trials and other important meetings took place. Nearly all the buildings in the area were once covered in marble. The rise of Christianity, however, destroyed the facades. In order to build all of the marble churches in the surrounding lands, the marble from the ancient buildings had to be taken down. St. Peter’s Basillica was built with marble partially from the Forum.
Next to the Forum is the Coloseum. Estimated to hold 50,000 people at it’s height, the building is massive. It was built after the sacking of Jerusalem over a lake sitting on the palatial grounds of Nero, a former emperor. The initial gladiatorial games took place over sixty days and included both land and sea reenactments. During this time multiple thousands of gladiators and animals were killed. After having seen both of these monuments in 2002, it was wonderful to be back and experience them as a more appreciative person.
After talking with people who were in Europe for a semester last year, I knew I had to go skiing somewhere in the Swiss Alps. They all said it was an unforgettable experience, despite the high cost. Six of my friends and I decided to go to Interlaken, Switzerland for a weekend through a student trip company called Bus2Alps. Interlaken (German for “between lakes”) is a nice little town at the base of the Alps, a twelve hour bus ride from Rome.
In addition to excellent skiing, the area is known for it’s extreme sports scene. When I saw “canyon jumping” on the trip website, I knew I had to do it. After arriving early Friday morning, six of us went on the jump trip. The crew drove us deep into the mountains to a canyon with platforms set up for all of the adrenaline junkies who like to jump off of things. Biff, the jump expert, and Grizzy, the photographer, are ski bums who clearly get a kick out of helping people jump off of a cliff. After a hike up to the top and a brief setup, the jumping began. Fourth in line, I was both scared and excited to jump. I never do things like this but figured if there’s any place to do it it should be Interlaken. Biff tied my harness up and pushed me to the edge of the platform where my toes hung over the edge of an 85 meter (279 foot!) drop to a river below. A quick five second countdown and I was airborne. After the brief thrill of jumping, my head quickly turned down. The rush of wind and gravity scared me to death. I thought for a brief second that I was literally going to die. The free fall is probably only three or four seconds but it feels like the rope should catch after only one or two, creating the panic. If only you could see my face. Just as quickly as I fell, the rope caught me and I swung to the other end of the canyon. I can’t describe the feeling of flying through the air like that. It was the most thrilling few seconds I’ve ever had. I let out yells and screams and was on an incredible adrenaline high. After a minute or two more of swinging, another crew member hauled me in and untied me. For hours afterward I relived that fall. To the average person it may not seem like a big deal but for someone like me, who never does crazy stunts, it was an incredible experience.
After a post-jump beer (Rugenbrau) and a dinner at Hooter’s we went out to a hostel bar and ate late night bratwurst. The next morning we all woke up early and headed over to the ski shop to rent gear and get the day going. Although Interlaken is very close to the mountains, it takes quite a trek to get to the actual mountain top. The bus, two trains and a gondolla took well over an hour but we finally made it to the top of the mountain. The views were indescribable.
After four or five years of no snowboarding, I was a bit rusty. On my first run I participated in a high speed, face first crash into the ground. It was quite painful. After a few hours I got the hang of it and had a wonderful time on the mountain. The weather was sunny and warm, perfect skiing conditions. After my friend Brittany and I fell off the T-bar lift, we got seperated from the group ad spent the rest of the day being burried in fresh powder. At the end of the day we met the rest of the group and made the long trip home.
Although I wanted to eat fondue, one of the most famous Swiss dishes, we couldn’t afford any of the restaurants in the area. Instead, we found a great Thai place called Sirinya’s Thai. Our small group of seven was all alone in the restaurant with the waiter and the chef. It was an amazing and memorable dinner. During my first trip to Italy eight years ago, my family ate a wonderful, many-course meal at a small restaurant in Montepulciano. We still talk about how great that was. I have a feeling I will remember this meal and night just the same. The chef could not have been nicer, the food could not have been better, and most of all I could not have had a better time with my friends.
The next morning we awoke early for a quick walk to a lake and then boarded the bus for the long ride home. The trip was unforgettable. Despite the large expense, I would do it again ten times over. I don’t know if I’ll ever get back, but I sure hope I can.
Part of my program includes excursions to parts of Rome unrelated to class. Today, we were given a guided tour of the Vatican Museum which contains many religious works of art as well as the Sistine Chapel. Our tour was given by Stefan, a Dutch man who was very knowledgeable about the Vatican and all of Rome. He had many interesting little notes about every aspect of the area.
The museum is what could be called a depository for various gifts given to the church as well as a canvas for many famous artists of the Renaissance period. Heads of state from all over the world give the Pope gifts ever year and they usually find their way into the museum. For example, President Richard Nixon gave Pope Paul VI a few slices of moon rock from the Apollo 11 mission and a Vatican flag that was taken on the shuttle. The real highlight of the tour, however, was the Sistine Chapel, much of which was painted by a sixty year old Michelangelo. Unfortunately, no photography is allowed but it was certainly a site to see. After fifteen years of cleaning and restoration, every inch of the chapel is breathtaking.
Vatican City, although a tiny country, is actually quite large and contains beautiful gardens and courtyards. The one pictured above housed a number of pieces from various places in Italy. We didn’t have much time and could only see a fraction of what the museum and the grounds have to offer. Hopefully I can go back soon and discover more.
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