THE ARCHIVE

Several Cornell Students here signed up for Nike’s 10k benefit run, which will take place this Sunday night in the historic center of Rome. I stumbled through the online registration in Italian and have no expectation to do any better in the race itself (It has been a solid four years since highschool cross-country).

While perusing the website I noticed that Nike was hosting “training runs” for competitors to test equipment and I decided to check one out in hopes of meeting some local athletes. The event was an incredible exercise of corporate marketing, but turned out to be very little exercise for all of us.  They gathered the runners on the Via del Corso and paraded us on a short route to the Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish steps, past throngs of intrigued tourists.

I met an Italian engineering student at the training event and we have been running together most afternoons. Today we checked-in with Nike to pick up our T-shirts and racing chips. Afterwards, they convinced us to try out the Nike+ system, which uses an iPod Nano and a special shoe to record running statistics–distance, time, speed, calories, etc.

I liked the technology but the Nike-produced “workout” music was absurd. The mix begins with a slow trance and builds into a thumping techno rhythm. Vocals add in with deep repetitive lyrics:  “step / step-on-toes / stepping-on-those-toes,” followed with an unapologetic “jigga jigg-ahhh.”

On another note, we just finished our first week of classes and are beginning to adjust to the new pace of life. After 30 hours of class and a whirlwind of syllabi, I think I have settled on my courses. If you are curious what I’ll be up to this semester, here’s the run down:

• Architecture Design Studio 401
• Architecture History: Ancient and Medieval Rome
• Intermediate/Advanced Drawing
• Italian Language III
• Architecture Theory

We had our first Studio review on Thursday to present our initial site analysis. When each group spoke, 4 professors and 50 students listened.  It is best not to be shy in this major.

On Monday, the architecture and art students gathered together at 9:00am in Palazzo Lazzaroni for the first day of studio.  Our professors arrived twenty-five minutes later with warm greetings and praise for our punctuality.  They explained the initial assignment, handed out a two-page project description, and divided us into groups, each comprised of two architects and an artist.  Collaboration appears to be the latest pedagogical craze at Cornell and we will probably work in groups frequently here in Rome.  (Using the word pedagogy is also a craze but that is beside the point)

The project surprised and confused many of the art students, who are not yet familiar with architecture-speak.  You might sympathize with them after reading the opening sentence to our assignment:

“In the midst of a vital place, where in some indefinite past something amazing happened, or a whole series of amazing things happened, much of the architecture and art that exists in Rome alludes to the fact that here, nearby, in this place something happened.”

Indeed, history exists all around us!  The assignment sheet then goes on (in a similar manner) to explain how we are to investigate, analyze, document and intervene in this history.  It may be a little convoluted, but the assignment is an ideal introduction to Rome — one which forces us to explore the city, contemplate its past, and suggest alterations.

As we neared the end of our tour, I started contemplating the value of cultural heritage. I present you with this simple comparison of two Italian creations:

Colosseum:

Old, beautiful, masonry, very large, circular, extremely famous

Pizza:

Fresh, delicious, food, variable diameter, circular, extremely tasty

Despite our collective interest in architecture, there was no doubt which of these things we preferred after a long day in the sun. Several friends and I solidified plans to make pizza and began brainstorming topping ideas.

I expected some interesting pizzas, but underestimated the culinary creativity (and expertise) of the group. All in all, we made 12 different pizzas with a full assortment of cheeses, vegetables, and meat.

The cooking and (extended) consumption of said pizzas gave us plenty of time to bond.  Below is the full Cenci household.  Irina survived Travis’ unexpected assault.

After two and a half months digging, trekking, and touring throughout Italy, school has finally begun here. The arrival of the academic year brings with it a mixed bag of emotions:  excitement, restlessness, anxiety, determination. But, most notably, the academic year brings order to my previously nomadic lifestyle.

Over the course of the next two months, the historic center of Rome will be my home base: bed, bureau, kitchen, and studio included. From here, our class of about 60 Cornell students will take numerous day trips and a week-long excursion to see other parts of Italy.

The itinerary of travel began yesterday with a whirlwind tour of Rome. Beginning at 9:00AM, Professor Blanchard led us through the city on foot and bus, recounting two thousand years of history in about seven hours. He did an admirable job introducing us to the city, but it became clear that Rome cannot be absorbed in a single day. I pity the souls who attempt to do so.

In the course of the day we saw a ton of sites: Michelangelo’s Campidoglio (above), the Roman Forum, Circo Massimo, Teatro di Marcello, The Appian Way, Piazza del Popolo, and the Spanish Steps, just to name a few. I liked seeing the buildings, but it was horribly embarrassing to travel in such a large group.  (My fear of group tourism is why I have avoided Cornell’s summer architecture trips).

Alas, tourism is inevitable in a city with so many attractions.  I will attempt to accept it for what it is.

After the tour, I met up with my newest Italian friend, Giuseppe, to go running. We started at Circo Massimo and ran through and around Monte Esquilino, Monte Aventino, Porta S. Paolo, La Via Appia, and Monte Celio.  I kept seeing sites from Professor Blanchard’s tour, but this time they were explained to me in a thick Italian accent.  When we weren’t talking about Rome, Giuseppe and I talked about girls and sports (the usual).  This is the kind of tour they don’t put in tourbooks.

I drove to Cordoba yesterday afternoon and spent an eventful 24 hours exploring the city.  Most of the museums were closed when I arrived so I bought a ticket to an evening Flamenco concert to pass the time. The show was tucked away in a little courtyard and incorporated the full triumvirate of Flamenco style: guitar, song, and dance.

I have heard that Flamenco can be very good or very bad.  This was definitely the former.  Half the performers on stage had won national awards and they proved it to us over the course of two hours.

In the morning I went directly to La Mezquita – the architectural crown jewel of Cordoba. The building is both a both a Mosque and a Cathedral; it tells the story of duelling Islamic and Christian traditions throughout southern Spain.

In the oldest section of the Mosque, many of the building materials were collected from Roman ruins and re-used.  In this respect, the Mesquita feels like an archaeological exhibit of various classical styles.

The Islamic-inspired patterns in the Mezquita and throughout Cordoba are beautiful.  Strict geometric designs even appear in the town Synagogue where they form the Jewish Star of David.

Cordoba’s newest buildings have interesting patterns of their own.  This image shows the perforated metal skin of a new five star hotel. The circular metal holes vary in diameter across the facade, allowing different amounts of light into each room.  The rusty metal has a pretty cool effect.  I hear that rust is the next big thing in Modern Architecture.

Over the past few days I have been staying with my sister in a small town on the southeast coast of Spain.  If you were worried about our proximity to the August 17th bombings on the Costa del Sol, you can relax.  Over 360 kilometers of parched soil and poorly marked roads separate us from the urban troubles of Màlaga.  Here, our closest bout with disaster occurred at the supermarket when a stray shopping cart nearly rolled over an elderly British woman.  (No casualties have been reported)

Despite the dry landscape and August heat, the area has charm.  Whitewashed buildings are clustered together in the hills where minerals were once quarried.  Tourism has replaced mining along the coast, but agriculture continues here at the hands of a large Moroccan immigrant population.  Along the highway it is common to see miles of plastic greenhouses where tomatoes and other plants are cultivated.

For those looking for a quaint Spanish vacation, look no further.

Fifty years ago, the government of Valencia decided to divert the Turia River around the city to eliminate the risk of flooding.  They filled in the riverbed and debated between building a park or a parkway.  The planners chose wisely and Valencia now has a green ribbon of public space that puts Olmstead’s “emerald necklace” in Boston to shame.

The southern end of the park is home to the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. We walked to the L’Oceanografic, a marine museum with the largest aquariums in Europe.  My favorite part of the exhibition was a tunnel with various sea creatures swimming around on all sides.  This shark took a particular interest in all the tourists.

Afterwards, I explored Santiago Calatrava’s new buildings.  They are just as large and spectacular as they look in all the pictures.  Think airport architecture without the planes.

There were two things that I really liked about Calatrava’s pimped-out buildings.  Along the entire length of the complex, there were concrete columns that branched out to carry loads more effectively (and elegantly).  And at the entry to the science museum, there were large metal barriers that folded up to become a canopy.

If you are ever in Valencia, I recommend exploring this city of white.  Just remember to wear sunglasses.

Most of the other Cornell students here have begun their two-week intensive Italian course.  One of the girls returned to our house for lunch between seminars and I refused to speak to her in English.  We didn’t get much beyond “come stai?” and “ti piace la lingua Italiana?” before she reverted to Spanish and I gave up.

Those of us who aren’t enrolled in the class have been wandering throughout Rome.  Today I went for a run around the western portion of the old city.  I began by running south through Trastevere and the Porta Portese into some distinctly Italian neighborhoods.  Then I ran uphill to the Parco Gianicolense, where there are very impressive views of the city.  My erratic route brought me north to the Via della Conciliazione, in direct alignment with St. Peter’s Dome.  I ran to the Piazza, caught my breath, and then lost it again. The place is unbelievable. I drank some water near the obelisk (hoping that it had been blessed) and ran back to my apartment near the Isola Tiberina.

It is incredible to see so many famous works of architecture in quick succession.  It’s as if I brought a treadmill to an Architectural History lecture in 157 Sibley.  Well, actually, it’s a little different (but that would certainly help me stay awake).

Tomorrow I am heading off to Spain for a week to spend time with my big sister.  She has been conducting research abroad for nearly a year and this is my first opportunity to visit her here in Europe. We will begin in Valencia and travel south along the coast toward Granada. I’ll send along updates when possible.

Ryanair, here I come!  Please don’t make me pay any more fees.

I saw a T-shirt the other day that caught me off guard. In large “vintage” gothic letters it said the following:

F-M crew
13 August 1981
Fraternity Council Showdown, Lancaster

I grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and am very familiar with Franklin & Marshall College. But a Fraternity Council crew race in mid-August didn’t make any sense to me. And why would an Italian guy have a shirt from Lancaster?

It turns out that there is an Italian clothing company called Franklin & Marshall. The founders of the company probably saw an exchange student wearing an F&M shirt and decided to copy the design. Now they use the name as a brand like Abercrombie & Fitch, and sell tons of fake American collegiate shirts.

Check out this fine vintage apparel…

I guess accuracy is not the company’s strongpoint. The shirt on the left has the Georgetown mascot displayed prominently with an M (for Marshall) rather than a G. The shirt on the right is a clear knock-off on Harvard, but VE RI TAS has been replaced with 19 99 EST. Very clever.

This is what a lot of Italians do with their leftover pasta. We attempted cooking a frittata yesterday and it turned out pretty well.  The recipe is flexible and will taste different depending on the pasta–no harm in experimenting though.

Ingrediente:

• 3 pinches Salt
• ½ tsp Chili powder
• A few shakes of Pepper
• ½ tsp Oregano
• A sprig of Rosemary
• Olive oil
• Pasta with red sauce (best if cooked the day before and marinating in the fridge).
• 6 eggs
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Preparazione:

• In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, salt, chili, oregano, and cheese together.
• Place pasta in a frying pan with oil.
• When eggs are slightly foamy, pour over pasta and fold together. Put on heat. Let sit until top is not cooked, but holding together. Attempt to flip the frittata (this may be difficult), and finish cooking.

[Collected in Puglia from Giuseppe]

…just a glorified omelette if you ask me.