July 2017 – Page 5 – SLA Profiles (2017)

La Culture in and around Tours

As my time in Tours came closer to its end, I took greater advantage of my time this week by visiting several important cultural sites. While the beginning of last week was difficult for me because most of my friends returned to their respective homes, I have realized the gift of being able to start over and meet students from other universities and, during this session more than last, other countries including, but not limited to, Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland. To begin, I visited the Musée de Compagnonnage on Wednesday. This museum showcases the work of craftsmen from disciplines ranging from carpentry to copper workers to masons. While I believe that I prefer traditional art museums to the Musée de Compagnonnage, the extremely intricate craftsmanship on display is truly incredible. For example, the wood spiral towers of which I attached pictures were truly unique in not only their detail but their scale and size.

Additionally, I visited the Museum of Contemporary Art which opened only a few years ago. Officially known as the “Centre de Création Contemporaine Olivier Debré,” the museum itself is relatively small but rich in its offerings. The primary exhibit is an exposition of paintings from the museum’s namesake artist Olivier Debré, a French painter who fell in love with Norway and spent extended time there painting everything from glaciers to the setting of the sun. Moreover, one of his most impressive works is a massive canvas which depicts his interpretation of the Loire River which runs right through Tours. As one of the docents explained to me, in order to understand Debré’s works, one must appreciate that Debré preferred to paint not necessarily what he saw but what he felt.

In addition to visiting the mentioned museums in Tours, I visited three separate towns around Tours which each offer unique and valuable cultural landmarks. On Wednesday I visited Saumur which is only 45 minutes away in the direction of Angers. While I did not visit what one would exactly consider works of art, I took a tour at both the Distillerie de Combier and a “cave” of the winery Louis de Grenelle. Combier was founded in 1834 as a candy manufacturer. The owner and founder only became interested in the production of liquors and syrups because they could be added to chocolates. In fact, the orange-flavored liquor triple-sec, most commonly associated with brands such as Cointreau and Grand Marnier originated at the Distillerie de Combier as additions to candy. Today, despite the fact that the business has grown expansively, all of Combier’s products are produced on site and sold locally. On the wine front, the producer Louis de Grenelle also makes a product unique to Saumur and the surrounding region. The wine which is called Saumur is a sparkling red which is really unlike any other wine produced in France. While I have frequently had opportunities to test products ranging from cheese to which which encapsulate the French way of life and more accurately the customs of a particular region, the opportunity to actually visit the production sites of such products gave me a newfound appreciate for the labor dedicated to products which often seem so commonplace in the modern world.

Château de Saumur

Distillerie de Combier

Members of Cameroon’s Military Marching Band in Saumur for an international festival of military bands

On Saturday, I used my afternoon to travel to Blois, a town which is also 45 minutes away, but in the opposite direction. I originally intended to use Blois as a base to visit Château de Chambord (located about 25 minutes from the center of town) but discovered upon arriving that there were no buses running between the two. Nonetheless, Blois provided me with enough sites to capture my interest. For me Blois’ best offerings were it churches. The Basilica of Our Lady of the Trinity (Notre Dame de la Trinité) was especially interesting to me because, unlike most churches which one finds in France and Europe in general, the building was relatively new. And while the new style of construction did not exactly carry the same gravity as the older churches in Blois with their massive stone edifices and foundations, the carvings within the church were truly remarkable. The garden located adjacent to the Château de Blois was also incredibly beautiful. In particular one of the fountains was a small cave which was covered in gems such as amethyst which reflected the light of the sun onto the water to the small pool situated below.

Blois from across the Loire

Interior of Notre Dame de la Trinité

Steps leading to Cathedral Saint-Louis

The following Monday I visited what was probably my favorite of all of the smaller towns which I visited during my time in France, Amboise. It is hard for me to really describe which I preferred Amboise to Saumur or Blois, but I believe that the reason was simply the feel of the town and the way it was designed. Like the others, Amboise is situated on the Loire River which contributes to the beauty of the town. Unlike the others, however, the château of Amboise is located prominently next to the Loire on top of a hill more or less directly in the center of town. The narrow streets lined with shops, local grocery stores, and restaurants lend themselves to a very lively and welcoming environment. Removed from the central business district is Clos Lucé, the home of Leonardo da Vinci. Beautifully restored and complemented by extensive gardens with life-sized and model recreations of da Vinci’s inventions, Clos Lucé provides an invaluable look into one of the greatest minds in human history. Everything from da Vinci’s bed to his workshops are meticulously restored in order to emit in visitors the feeling of being at the house during da Vinci’s own era.

da Vinci’s Workshop

da Vinci’s Bed

Jardins et la Politique

The end of week four at the institute was difficult because many of my friends from other American universities, namely the University of Alabama and Wake Forest University, finished their respective programs and returned to the United States. Fortunately, however, a new “session” of classes starts next week so I have hopes that I will be given the chance to meet more students from across the globe. This Wednesday I took advantage of Tours’ public transportation (one of Europe’s greatest assets in my opinion) to go to Villandry, the home of a château and accompanying gardens (pictures attached). While my visit was cut short by the rain, I have to say that walking around the perfectly manicured gardens was one of my favorite experiences thus far. I know understand why my host family urged me so much to go. While the château itself is pretty (I did not actually go inside), the gardens are something not-to-be missed. This week I also went to the Basilica of Saint Martin with my host family to get a detailed explanation of Saint Martin’s life and the specific components of the “Year of Saint Martin” which has been ongoing for over a year. Last week I went to the bookstore and bought a few books in French, some of them written by Albert Camus, in an attempt to pass my free time in a productive way while making use of the public parks here in Tours (another one of Europe’s greatest features). I must say that while it does not happen all of the time, it is rewarding to recognize vocabulary which I have read. Lastly on the cultural front, I attended a light show at the cathedral which actually occur every night during the summer. The illuminations tell the story of Tours in approximately 18 different “scenes” to provide, in the shows entirety, something truly spectacular even without any prior knowledge of the city’s past.

In addition to exploring châteaux and trying to catch up with some of France’s best known literature, I have worked to expand my knowledge of French culture through talking to native speakers. Considering the absolutely historic elections which have swept France over the past two months, I wanted to learn more about what citizens think of their new president, Emmanuel Macron. While a lot of French citizens have strong feelings toward Mr. Trump (while I am writing this it was announced that he will be in France to help the French celebrate Bastille Day), I have been confused by M. Macron himself and the general public attitude toward him. For a little bit of context, here is some information I gathered from the news and daily discussion in class: Macron defeated Marine Le Pen of the far-right Front National but did so but a historically less significant margin than other candidates. This fact is even more interesting considering the voter turn-out was very low for both the presidential and legislative elections. Furthermore, Macron’s “party,” Le République En Marche (LREM) is more of a movement than a traditional political party and therefore is not well defined. With these facts in mind, I sought out individuals to get their specific opinions on Macron as an ordinary person and as a political.

Because I have grown closer to my host family during the past four weeks and the fact that we regularly discuss current political affairs over dinner, I decided that it would only be natural to get their opinion on the political environment which seems to transcend multiple facets of daily French life. Being supporters of the traditional right, the party known as Les Républicains, the Laumonnier’s were skeptical of Macron’s political agenda because they view him as being too liberal on the social front. Moreover, the Laumonnier’s expressed their discontent with the future prospects of French education. They fear that the more generous criteria for the BAC, the large exam which students take upon completing high school, will continue under the Macron administration. Lastly, the Laumonnier’s called attention to the relationship between Macron and his wife Brigitte who is 25 years his senior. For the Laumonnier’s the essential intrigue in Macron’s personal life, an intrigue which I believe is not uncommon, is that the relationship between the two started when Macron was a middle school student. Regardless of this fact, the essential problem which Marie-Dominique and Hervé have with Macron’s movement is that it is simply too young and not well defined. Simply, Macron was a socialist part minister under François Hollande, with whom the Laumonnier’s vehemently disagree and whom they think was overall an unsuccessful president, so they feel that Macron’s own political heritage is deeply tainted by these facts.

In addition to interviewing Marie Dominique and Hervé and seeing as I had just recently, I stayed after class one morning to get the opinion of one of my new professors on the entire LREM phenomenon and its long term impacts on the French political scene. Marie-Pierre expresses the sentiment that many people, including some who supported Macron’s presidential bid, were becoming increasingly concerned about whether or not the new president would be capable of accomplishing all that he promised. As a teacher Marie-Pierre allowed us to directly engage with the Macron political wave by having us analyze his speech in which he set the stage for his presidency. We, along with Marie-Pierre, came to the consensus that by calling upon historically significant French presidents and making extremely clear the choice which the French people made, Macron demonstrated in implicit and explicit ways the greater role which France can play in international politics. Despite all of the excitement which Macron has generated over the past few months, Marie-Pierre was quick to remind me that voter turnout in this spring’s election was markedly lower than it has been historically. Therefore, while Macron gives the appearance of being a unifying force, one must not forget that many French simply did not go to the polls to elect him.

In another interview, I discussed Macron’s impact with my other new professor, Sylvie Bertrand, who showed me the picture of Macron’s new cabinet and Macron’s presidential portrait to help explain some of the impact which Macron has had on French politics. In the photo of Macron’s cabinet, the diversity and unity which the new president preaches were noticeable. Despite the unity for which Macron strives, however, Sylvie explained her discontent for the fact that Macron changed the position in charge of women’s affairs from the level of minister to secretary, seemingly lowering the position’s importance and sending a message that the republic and administration will direct less attention to this issue despite its apparent social liberalism. The real problem in this demotion, however, lies in the fact that as a secretariat position, the “agency” will receive less funding from the national budge. Sylvie put it well by saying that while Macron can project an image of promoting women’s rights but his administration with be objectively less capable of promoting them. In terms of the portrait of Macron, every detailed seemed to be meticulously planned from the clock which sat on Macron’s desk to the very fact that the portrait depicts Macron inside and in an office rather than outside in a natural setting. Sylvie expressed her admiration for then symbolism contained within the portrait and said that it is a show of good will on behalf of Macron to work diligently to realize what he promised to voters (despite growing doubt).

In a few weeks Macron will meet with both the national assembly and the senate at the Château de Versailles in order to discuss his intentions for his term. Most nearly everyone, regardless of political affiliation, expects him to unveil sweeping changes to the traditional French political system. While it is impossible to know whether Macron’s youthful energy and ambitions will lead him to success or failure, one thing is certain; the foundations of French politics have been irreversibly altered.

Garden at Château de Villandry

Château de Villandry

Jardin d’eau at Château de Villandry

Illuminations on Cathédrale Saint-Gatien in Tours

Immer in Bewegung

The title of this post “Immer in Bewegung” roughly means “always on the move” and it sums up pretty well my activities over the past week. On Tuesday I hopped on a train and headed 45 minutes out to the nearby city of Augsburg. Augsburg is a great city filled with history and offers a bit more of a relaxed pace than Munich. It played an important role in the past as a meeting place of the Imperial Diet and was also the home of Bertolt Brecht. My chief interest in going there was to visit its incredible medieval cathedral, which contains the oldest stained glass windows in all of Europe. Although badly damaged by Allied bombs during the war, the windows and much of the artwork survived. The attached Diocesan museum had incredible artifacts, including the cathedral’s original 11th century wooden doors. While wandering around the city, I haphazardly entered an evangelical church and encountered a group of American Lutheran pilgrims from Indiana and Illinois. It turned out the church and convent was where Martin Luther had been imprisoned for a short while in 1518. There’s history at every turn in Germany!

On Thursday, I took the S-Bahn out to the town of Tutzing to hike the Ilkahöhe. One of the benefits of staying in one place for an extended period of time (as opposed to standard on-the-move tourism) is that I’ve been able to see many places not commonly visited by regular tourists on a schedule. The Ilkahöhe is one such example. The trail is about 7 miles roundtrip and leads up to a mountain overlooking the Starnberger See and a chain of the Alps. It’s an extremely peaceful place with cows grazing, families biking, and older couples taking a stroll. There was a small pretty parish church and a convenient beer garden there as well. I sat on the lookout vista of the Ilkahöhe and spent several hours reading.

On Friday afternoon, I grabbed a Flixbus down to Innsbruck. Although it was pretty rainy, I spent the evening exploring around the old town and the nearby University district. I stayed the night at a great local hostel that also serves as a work training center for disabled individuals. The next morning, on the recommendation of the Rick Steves tour book, I took the bus about a half hour to a small town called Hall in Tirol. It was very pretty and had an interesting coin minting museum and a beautiful basilica. I enjoyed eating a delicious Wurst at the ongoing farmer’s market and watching daily life in a regular Austrian village. I went back to Innsbruck and spent a few more hours exploring, visiting the Golden Roof museum and the St. Jakob Dom before going to an English Mass at the Jesuitkirche. After three weeks of only attending German liturgies, it felt a bit weird hearing it in English again.

On Sunday I needed to relax a bit, so I stuck around Munich and visited the Egyptian Art Museum and the Deutsches Museum. After a nice Currywurst lunch, I headed down to the Isar and spent the rest of the day lounging, reading, and swimming at the river.

Classes are going great! I’m getting a lot more comfortable with my vocabulary and speaking abilities.

Cologne Part 2: Good Conversations

Last week was an exciting one! Being immersed in the language has helped my German speaking skills and confidence improve, and the language classes are going great. After class last Thursday, a group took a trip to the famous Schokolade Museum, or Chocolate Museum, right in the middle of Cologne! Not only did we learn about the history of chocolate cultivation and consumption, but they also displayed a chocolate packaging machine in which the chocolate is poured, hardened, separated, and bundled up for delivery! Pope Francis even made an appearance as a chocolate mold on display!

Of course, there was also a giant chocolate fountain, and I did get to sample some as well!

Perhaps one of the best memories of last week, even better than chocolate, was a conversation I had with Sugras, a 23-year-old Mongolian native who has been living in Germany for over a year. He lives in the same house as me, two doors down, but we actually ran into each other by chance at the Straßenbahn stop down the street on Saturday evening.

We went back to the house and Sugras offered to make dinner. He prepared Chinese beef dumplings — who would have thought I would get the chance to enjoy Chinese cuisine in Germany?! As he made dinner, we had a good, long conversation which covered many topics. He talked about his experience as a minority in Germany — that is, a non-native German.

To him, many Germans appear cold at first, especially in public places like the Straßenbahn or on the street. People don’t smile at him, and it would feel out of line for anyone to talk to a stranger. In my experience in the U.S. and especially the Midwest, by contrast, it’s not completely out of the ordinary for someone to have a conversation with a total stranger as if they’re good friends. He wishes people would be a bit more friendly. Interestingly, he has found that when he speaks English – and not German – people pay more attention to him and are more willing to talk to him.

We also talked about politics and religion; Donald Trump is always an interesting topic of conversation for people who get a chance to talk to an American about it! Sugras, like many Mongolians, practices Shamanism, a spiritual religion which pays special respect to ancestors and forefathers. Interestingly, Sugras had only a vague idea of what Christianity was, and offered some views of religious conflict after I gave him a brief overview of Jesus’s story.

I’ve also had some conversations with Niyyat, another tenant in our house and my next-door neighbor, who comes from Azerbaijan. He speaks primarily English as he’s studying IT networking at a local university. He commented on his experience telling Germans where he’s from — most people can’t locate his country on a map, he says. He finds this issue extends beyond just Azerbaijan, and notes that Germans struggle with other countries’ geographical location in his experience as well. If people were more educated about where countries are located and what’s going on in the world, he thinks xenophobia would be much less prevalent. For instance, German UN forces are in Syria; if people realized this, they might be more welcoming toward Syrian refugees.

It’s always fascinating to learn about how people from other countries view the world, and Germany is a country full of migrants today, offering a unique opportunity for cultural exchange. Food, ideas, and conversations are always great, and Germany is a great place for all of those things!

The Palio

The Days Before the Race

Before I arrived, my understanding of Siena was that it was a “medieval Italian city.” This is certainly true, but what this description does not accurately point out is the degree of unique Sienese culture which still survives to this day. For example, I’ve been surprised on multiple occasions by the amount of slang words used solely in Siena. The word “Ciaccino” is just one of the Sienese words which I have picked up while staying in Siena, a word which refers to a very specific type of pizza. As my professor informed my class, if one used this word to order food in Florence, the shopkeepers could possibly be unfamiliar with the term; there, the closest word to “ciaccino” is “focaccia.” However, this is an extremely tiny piece of Sienese culture which pales in comparison to the importance of Siena’s Contradas and Palio.

The Contradas are the remnants of guild-like organizations from centuries ago. Each Contrada has a specific territory within the city, yet it would be remiss to mistake the Contradas for the territories themselves. In actuality, they are similar to social clubs, comprised of individuals from all ages. Historically, they had a number of roles in Sienese life, ranging from janitorial upkeep in their sector of the city to providing military might in case of attack from their primary rival, the nearby Florence. While the Contradas do not perform these tasks today, they are far from inactive. They organize community events, serve as clubs which create social gatherings, and most importantly are the backbone of Siena’s Palio.

My first encounter with a Contrada was on the first day that I arrived. Two other Notre Dame students and myself encountered a number of individuals marching in medieval clothing while twirling flags and playing the drums. At the time, I assumed that this was some sort of production put on by the city. I would later find out that this was the parade of only one Contrada and that sixteen others still exist today. My Professor would later explain the role of the Contradas in Sienese society and allow us to visit the museum for his Contrada, the Torre (tower).

I was also given the opportunity to visit the Pantera Contrada (panther).

However, I was then offered an unexpected opportunity: due to an unprecedented number of attendees, my Professor asked me and my classmates as to whether or not we would be willing to help serve food to the patrons at the upcoming Contrada dinner, one day before the Palio. Rather than sit and eat in one spot, we would be paid to serve food (we would also be fed) and attend to those at the dinner. I accepted. The service was somewhat of a nightmare at first, in part because all of the servers spoke Italian very quickly. In such a high energy environment, it was almost impossible to understand anything and due to the speed at which everyone worked, stopping to ask questions was not possible. However, after two hours, everything settled down slightly and we were able to fraternize with the other workers.

Overall, it was quite a remarkable experience. However, this was only the beginning of the excitement; the rest came tomorrow.

The Horse-race

The Palio itself is a biannual horse-race which takes place in Siena’s largest square, the Piazza del Campo. The race is only three laps around the piazza and usually lasts no longer than ninety seconds. However, there is a great deal of importance behind the race and Sienese residents take it very seriously. Each Contrada is represented by a horse and every time that Contrada wins, they are metaphorically reborn. Additionally, some Contradas have rivals, and it is even more important that one’s rival not win than that Contrada do well themselves. Although the race itself only lasts for roughly 90 seconds, it is by no means a short ordeal. There is a large procession which takes place beforehand, and the race does not start at a preordained time; rather, the last horse begins the race upon crossing the starting line and there is no time limit restricting how long they can wait.

My roommate and I were lucky enough to see the blessing of the Panther’s horse. This is exactly what it sounds like; the race horse is brought into the church of the Contrada and blessed. The crowd is absolutely silent.

If you look closely, you can see the horse in the church. He is brown with a black mane.

Afterwords, we watched the processions of individuals march around the city, finally entering the piazza just before 5 P.M. We were lucky, as we were within the last 100 people to be let in. Some of our friends had been waiting in the square since 11 A.M. Thankfully, they had staked out a nice spot by the railing. We joined them and watched the procession in the square.

My friends and I were on the side of the semicircle closest to the camera, near the grid of individuals in the parade on the left of the photo.

Finally, the horses were led in with their jockeys. Unfortunately, one of the horses refused to behave. The tartuca horse (turtle) was too skittish to compete and so was eventually retired. However, this meant another hour of waiting for the race. After what seemed like an eternity, however, the Palio was run.

The Giraffe contrada ended up being the winner. I saw members of the contrada crying in the streets with joy. My friends and I ended up wandering the streets, observing the festivities, and eventually having an aperitivo at a local bar. We also returned to the campo at some point, where Giraffe members would occasionally come through in crowds while singing the song of their Contrada. Though it was exhausting, the Palio was unlike anything else I have ever seen. I like to think I’ll be tuning in on TV when the second one is run in August of this year.

Iceland’s Nature: The Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Last weekend I rented a car and explored the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, to the northwest of Reykjavík. You may remember from my first post that Snæfellsjökull (“Snow-mountain-glacier”) features as the point of entry deep into the earth in Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth. Here’s a photographic summary of my trip! I didn’t journey to the center of the earth or anything, but I definitely saw some magnificent natural wonders!

Not far out of Reykjavík, on my way to Borgarnes, I came across this beautiful stream which apparently is also a great fishing spot. Don’t try fishing here without a permit, though! This stream is on private land. Borgarnes can boast of the outstanding Settlement Center Museum, which houses wood sculptures of the great Icelandic saga Egils saga Skallagrímssonar. As a medievalist, it was so exciting to see the medieval stories brought alive through art!

Scene from *Egils saga*: Egil’s father Skallagrim meets King Harold of Norway to seek compensation for his brother’s death.

Below are some lava fields on the way to Grundarfjörður, a town where I stayed the night.

Here I am climbing Kirkjufellsfoss (“Waterfall of Church Mountain”), which overlooks Grundarfjörður.

One of my favorite aspects of driving around Iceland is seeing Icelandic horses almost everywhere I go! Though they are smaller than many breeds of horses, whatever you do, don’t call them ponies. These horses were brought to Iceland by the Norse settlers who came beginning in the late 9th century, and Icelanders are very proud of them. These horses are conveniently near a picturesque ruin, making for a great pic!

Pictured below is one of the many lava fields of Snæfellsjökull National Park. In the back of the picture you can see two enormous cliff-like rock formations jutting out of the shore into the water.

Here’s Snæfellsjökull itself (below)! One of my favorite medieval Icelandic stories is Bárðar saga Snæfellsáss (Saga of Bard the Snow-Mountain god), and yes, he is supposed to have lived here. There’s a statue of him in Arnarstapi which was made in the 20th century by the sculptor Ragnar Kjartansson. You can read the story in English in Icelandic Histories and Romances, translated by Ralph O’Connor (Stroud: Tempus, 2002).

The Cliffs of Arnarstapi (below) are astonishing beautiful, and the area echoes with the cries of the many seagulls which make their home here. Restaurants in Arnarstapi are known for their incredible fish & chips, and their reputation is not understated! This was probably the best fish & chips I’ve ever had.

As I’m writing this I’m sitting in a café in Reykjavík sipping a latte which I ordered in Icelandic! I’m proud that I managed to have a conversation with the barista in Icelandic and pretty much understood all of what she said (not to mention, she could understand me). Icelandic is definitely difficult to pronounce and speak, but I’m making some great progress while here.

Stay tuned! Next post I will talk about Iceland’s medieval heritage and its continuing role in Modern Icelandic culture!

Xi’an

As our first “semester” here in China came to an end, we as a class were able to take a trip to Xi’an to further experience Chinese culture, practice our language, and learn more about ancient Chinese history.

The trip started with an overnight train ride from Beijing to Xi’an, which allowed us to experience a form of public transport that many of us have not seen in the US.

I found Xi’an’s most famous historic site, the Terra-cotta Warriors, to be of course extremely mesmerizing and interesting. There are over 6,000 statues that were originally built to protect the tomb of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang (founder of the Qin Dynasty). We were able to see all 3 chambers, although they have not all been completely restored for the purpose of preserving the statues. However the statues that have been restored are all so unique and detailed and amazing to see.

I also thoroughly enjoyed a particular theatrical show that we saw during our trip called the Song of Everlasting Sorrow. This performance followed the story of Xuanzong, the seventh emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and his tragic love with Lady Yang. The show was full of talented performers, plus I was extremely impressed by the technology of the production as well as the utilization of the location. The stage was an outdoor stage among the mountains, creating one of the most beautiful setting for a show I’ve seen. They even managed to light up the mountains to create and even more beautiful picture. But it wasn’t just the production that impressed me, the show also was extremely emotional through its storytelling, leaving the audience in awe throughout the whole show.

Lantern Festival

The Lantern Festival is a Chinese festival that marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year Celebration. Those who are well-versed on Chinese history know that this day is significant for several reasons. There are many different legends and myths tied to this day. They include several different emperors, warriors, gods, and mythical creatures. Each story has a different explanation for the lighting of the lanterns. One belief is that the festival celebrates humans’ ability to move about at night with human-made light during the darkness of winter. A legend claims that the lanterns are lit to commemorate an ancient warrior who died while leading a successful rebellion against a tyrannical king. Regardless of how the tradition began, this day is special to so many people across China. On the 15^th day of the Chinese New Year, children go out at night to temples carrying paper lanterns and solve riddles. In ancient times, only those who hold high social status had ornate lamps, and the rest were relatively simple.

Today, lanterns come in many different shapes and sizes and hold different meanings for every person who celebrates the Lantern Festival. Although for many, the lanterns can symbolize the people releasing their former selves and beginning their new ones which will be released a year later. The lanterns are also almost always red, the most popular color in China, which can symbolize many different things including good fortune.

1 – Sono Tornataaa!

So I’m finally back in Rome, and I’m ecstatic. Not only does it feel like a homecoming, but I’m more confident than I’ve ever been in my conversational Italian abilities. Before I arrived here, I had taken part in a program with VoluntarItaly where I served as an English TA for a summer camp called GREST. There I was working with elementary school kids from 8:00a to 5:00p, so it’s been great to have time to myself these days.

On the first day of class, I had to run to catch the bus. While I was running, all I could think is, “First class back in Rome and I’m already running for transport. Typical.” Once I arrived at ItaliaIdea, I was told to go into classroom 6. Unknowingly, they had placed me in the beginner classroom. I thought to myself, “Okay, I can just stick it out the first week and maybe I’ll learn something new.” We started out by learning how to introduce ourselves, and I knew that if I was going to learn anything in the class, it would probably be at the end of the six weeks. I needed to switch out. Shortly after the mid class break, I asked the teacher to be switched to the proper level. I later found out that the man who had my correct placement had been out sick the day I arrived. I later met my proper classmates, most of which come from the U.S. and one from Barcelona.

Later Monday night, we went to Rec 23, a local bar that hosts a ‘language exchange’ every Monday night. At this exchange, Italians come to the bar to meet foreigners and practice another language that they are studying, whether it be English, Spanish, etc. I had gone before when I was abroad last year, and ended up making friends with some of the students of Universita’ Roma Tre. During the summer, the language exchange moves out by the Tiber River in a sort of festival called TeverEstate. It was nice to go with classmates and see new Italian faces. During the rest of the week, I got to know my classmates better and we all had lunch together in a park near Largo Argentina after my second class. My first in-class exam will be next Tuesday over conjunctions and direct and indirect pronouns. Wish me luck!

Park View from Tuesday’s Lunch

In addition to the SLA, I’ve been working on an application for the Fulbright Fellowship Program. It has been a bit weird doing the application abroad with remote advisor meetings. It feels strange to me that I’m working on this application to go abroad while I am abroad, but I’ve been sure to balance my time so I can work on the application and have meetings but still complete my assignments and engage the city.

Another pleasant highlight of the week was meeting an old friend, Flora, to go out on Friday night. I had met her and three other Italian students at the Rec 23 Language exchange last year. The others were back home in Calabria for the summer, however. We went to a bar called Black Market in Monti, a very chic neighborhood just east of the Colosseum. Tonight (Saturday), I am meeting one of my classmates and his visiting college friend for karaoke!

“Ecotourism”

I like to think that there are two main groups of people who are bolstering the Icelandic Tourist industry: medievalists (like myself) and the “ecotourist” (well, I may be one of those as well). At least a third- and probably more- of the 45 students in the Modern Icelandic Summer School are medievalists here to improve their Old Norse-Icelandic language skills through the study of Modern Icelandic. I haven’t asked the tourists on the street why exactly they chose to come to Iceland, but I have the sinking feeling that it might not have much to do with medieval literature- though their hiking backpacks could very well be filled with books. As much as the History Channel’s Vikings may inspire some travelers, the reality is that Iceland’s incredible (ótrúlegt) landscape (landslag) is really what has sky-rocketed the Icelandic economy after its devastating crash in 2008.

As I mentioned in my last post, the views of nature from Reykjavík itself can be jaw-droppingly exquisite. But in order to get a more complete sense of what the Icelandic landscape is all about, you really have to get out of the city and either rent a car or take one of the organized tours which leave from Reykjavík (some of these are day trips, others for multiple days). As I’m here primarily to improve my Modern Icelandic (no small task!) I will not be able to see all of Iceland while I’m here, but I have made some small trips on the western and southern coasts. You barely have to drive 200 meters in any direction before you want to stop for a photo!

Last week I went on the “South Coast Tour,” which takes travelers to see some outstanding waterfalls (Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss), as well as one of the famous so-called “black sand” beaches (Reynisfjara). My tour guide, an Icelandic woman named Ragna, explained that that 2010 volcanic eruption of Eyjafjallajökull (say that five times fast) really put Iceland’s otherworldly nature on the map. The positive long-term consequences for the Icelandic economy have far out-weighed the immediate negative consequences of precluding air-traffic across Europe for six days (at least, for the Icelanders). Not only did Icelanders enjoy the many (unsuccessful) attempts of foreign media to pronounce the name of the volcano, but the country launched a tourism advertisement campaign that some Icelanders now deem too successful. The world was suddenly very aware of Iceland’s natural wonders. As one of my instructors succinctly stated: “Iceland is currently ‘In’.”Some Icelanders are concerned that the busloads of tourists increase pollution and could potentially disrupt or even destroy the essence of the natural sites. But Icelanders are also well aware that international interest in their sites could be a passing fad, and some are worried that another financial crisis will come when the tourists find another place to go.

Anyway, here are some of the favorite haunts of “ecotourists” on which I, too, have now left my carbon footprint. Take a look and judge for yourself- do you think people will lose interest in Iceland anytime soon?

The “South Coast Tour”

First Stop: Sólheimajökull (means something like “sun of the worlds glacier”). You really get a sense of how big it is when you make out the tiny people along the side of the glacier! This glacier is receding at an alarming rate due to climate change.

Skógafoss (“Waterfall of forests”): It’s hard to get an idea of just how enormous this waterfall is based on the pics, but try to see the tiny people climbing up the side of the waterfall along the path in the picture below. And yes- lots of people camp and even hitchhike as they explore Iceland’s natural wonders!

Reynisfjara (“Beach of the Mountain Ash”): An exquisite black beach It was very rainy and windy the day I was there, and the waves are known to be dangerous.

The beach is covered in small, black stones rather than sand.

Reynisdrangar (“Pillars of the Mountain Ash”): These basalt sea stacks are strikingly beautiful and otherworldly. Our tour guide told us that they might be trolls, caught by the rays of the rising sun and turned to stone :). It’s hard to tell from the picture, but they are enormous.

Seljalandsfoss (“Waterfall of Seljaland”): You can actually walk behind this waterfall, but I couldn’t get a decent picture from behind it because the wind was blowing water in my face the whole time. It was an awesome experience, though!

I got a little wet after passing through behind the waterfall!

Well, that’s plenty for now, but stay tuned for more about Iceland’s incredible nature and culture coming up soon!