Music, History, and Pasta: Three Things That Never Go Out Of Style

Oh hello there! If you have been keeping up with my travels, then you know that I just finished my second week in Rome. And man, what a week it’s been. Let us jump right in!

Monday and Tuesday the weather was cold and rainy so the only thing I did was go to class. A few days of much needed rest was definitely a good thing for me because Wednesday we had our first “site visit” for class and walked six miles. We toured several different Catholic churches around the city as we learned about the history of The Church, the papacy, and the specific architectural styles of previous centuries.

One specific church that took my breath away was the Basilica of St. John Lateran. It is the oldest church in Rome and contains the Bishop of Rome’s (i.e. the Pope's) “throne”. While most people think St. Peter’s Basilica is the official Church of Rome, it is actually St. John Lateran -- it was the first church to be built in Rome and was given as a gift to the pope in the fourth century. It is truly incredible that I am fortunate enough to study Italian culture and music, as well as learn more about the Catholic church's history in this old and amazing city.

This week in my Music and Society class we are learning about Italian folk music. As we were listening to clips of old folk songs with traditional Italian instruments, I got thinking of my own family’s relationship to music. My grandmother used to play the guitar and sings old songs with us grandkids all the time and my grandfather plays the accordion. Music has been a big part of my life growing up -- and it has been apart of many people’s lives throughout history. It is crazy to me how even though the forms of music have vastly changed over the past centuries, music’s primary functions of self expression, art form, and bringing people together still exist today.

And this weekend we had our last study tour to northern Italy, to the city of Turin. We took the high-speed train on Friday morning and went to an Egyptian museum and a Cinema museum. It was a lot of history (again), but both museums were super interesting. We also got to explore the city and… we took a cooking class! The cooking class was by far my favorite part of our weekend away. After making three types of pasta from scratch with our professional chef, Fabio, we got to eat our creations… and oh man, they were tasty! Before we left the city that is known for its chocolate, we tried their famous hot chocolate (i.e. straight melted chocolate in a mug), and it was delicious.

To close this week’s update, I would like to share some things I’ve learned this week.

1. Olivia loves gelato: I’ve learned I will never pass up a gelato run... I eat it almost everyday. Don't judge me because it is totally worth it.

2. Catholic middle school failed me: Well that's a little dramatic... it has not totally failed me. Attending Catholic school for nine years of my life, I thought I already knew a lot about The Vatican and the Pope’s role within the church…. however the 60% I received on my first quiz this week proved me wrong. There is much more learning to be done and I’m here for it!

3. Traveling wares you out: I am now experiencing the toll that traveling takes on your body --- my four months abroad are finally catching up to me. No matter how many hours I get, I never truly feel refreshed from a good night’s sleep. But don’t think that will ruin my last four weeks in Rome!

4. History is important: I have learned that all types of history, whether that be ancient history, The Church’s history, or one’s own family history, is important. Our history is what has brought us to where we are and shaped us into who we are today. While I believe that your own past does not have to define your future, your history should at least be appreciated.

Until next week,

Your Newfound Traveller

Pictures: our cooking class, the pumpkin tortellini we made, some pictures of Turin, my amazing "hot chocolate", the Basilica of St. John Lateran and more Roman churches.