If these walls could talk...

Saturday May 26th

We left Bernalda this morning to Rome but stopped in Naples for a last excursion, the ruins of Pompeii. I had always heard about Pompeii’s architecture, but I did not know the history behind “A City Frozen in Time”.

When my feet first touched the streets of Pompeii, I felt as if I had transported back in time to Ancient Rome. Because the ruins are so intact, it is easy to forget they are ruins at all. Most of the walls are still standing, the tops skimmed off long ago. It was great to be able to climb into all the nooks and crannies, pantries and alleyways. Even the occasional cellar with hardly any limitations. Throughout our exploration of the village, I was able to learn some interesting information behind its' history.

The story behind Pompeii is that it was once a bustling, prosperous town until the volcano it was built near the base of, erupted in 79 AD. After the eruption, the city was completely buried beneath volcanic ash and forgotten for 1,500 years. It wasn’t until the 1700’s when a real effort to excavate the ruins began. The same ash that destroyed Pompeii also ended up preserving it, making the site one of the best preserved Roman-era cities in the world. What remains today provides an extraordinarily detailed insight into Roman life. I felt the buildings and ruins themselves were quite fascinating, having been carefully unearthed in the last few decades after almost 2,000 years being underground.

I was excited to be able to walk on preserved mosaic floors, see original structures still standing for the most part and in the preserved frescoed paintings. We walked passed their Colosseum, homes of the wealthy, small homes and markets, Roman baths and brothels. The city streets were narrow with large stepping stones making it slightly difficult to walk through.

I was surprised to learn that Pompeii had multiple brothels and that the city was covered in erotic art and objects. I was also fascinated to learn the that Mt. Vesuvius is still considered active and occasionally casts a gray fog over Naples and nearby communities. I can’t help but think how the Mountain being so visible would affect me if I lived in Naples. Its' presence and potential of erupting must have some kind of impact on its culture.

Most people think that the most impressive pieces of the city are the people of ancient Pompeii left behind. I personally found it to be morbid and gruesome to see shelf after shelf of the human remains that were fortified with plaster to demonstrate their final pose as volcanic ash swept over their hometown. Having Vesuvius loom over the city as constant reminder of its demise leaves a lingering dark feeling around its' rock walls.

8 hours in two cities- Gallipoli and Lecce

Monday May 21, 2018

We left Castro in the morning, after deciding to tackle visiting two cities in one day. We headed towards the southern tip of Puglia and arrived at our first destination, Gallipoli. The historic village is surrounded by stunning turquoise water with its' harbors used by fishing boats. I was immediately embraced by a warren of ancient narrow streets. Everywhere I looked there were elegant arches scattered among many impressive Baroque churches.

I loved strolling the down the sea-front promenade and seeing the coast transition to rugged cliffs plunging towards the ocean combined with sandy coves scattered with fortifications.

In the afternoon we left Gallipoli and headed to Lecce, ‘Florence of the South’. Upon arriving we disembarked in to the streets and noticed how it was paved with marble. Everywhere we looked there were Baroque decorations; including original door-knockers, gargoyles and various limestone animals. I learned that the ornate Baroque buildings were made from the pale-coloured local stone, called pietra leccese. The stone is especially soft and malleable, with the ability to harden over time, making it an ideal material for buildings and sculptures. It made sense why Lecce stone is so highly prized.

Navigating through the maze of cobblestones and dazzling white stone architectures, I began to admire just how historically preserved Lecce is. Its' tremendous emphasis on decoration being very much what the city is all about.

It is interesting how both cities resemble each other while one city is surrounded by water and the other is inland. They both are historically preserved with Baroque architecture.

Gallipoli:

Lecce:

Fairytale Land of Alberobello

Tuesday May 22, 2018

At my first glance of the “Trulli, conical-roofed whitewashed structures, I couldn’t help but think how these structures resemble to be dwarf homes in a fairy tale movie. I wondered why these home were built so uniquely. We stepped forward on the cobblestone lanes and wandered the streets of this dream land that it is unlike any other place in the world.

The walk up through the trullis was mostly uphill but it is worth it. It seems that every trulli we passed was a souvenir shop. I was able to see some small picturesque houses with vibrant flowers adorned on windows and by the doors. Some of the roofs had white symbols of Christian, pagan and magical symbols painted on. At the top of the hill there was the only Trullo church in Alberobello. It seemed to close the scenery in the historical part of Alberobello. The church was built using the same technique as the Trulli in addition to a few modern tactics and Romanesque influences. It bears the characteristic cones and white-wash finish of the area's trulli. It has a monumental entrance with a rose window above it and the traditional dome is replaced by the distinctive Trullo cone.

Outside of the church, I learned the history behind the remarkable structure of the Trulli. They are white washed houses built with limestone using dry stone masonry i.e. without any cement. This was due to the high property tax in the area. People would dismantle their homes when inspectors were in the area. I can not imagine how difficult it must have been to dismantle and mantle back your home. This speaks to how the poverty-stricken peasants of this time relied on practicality and ingenuity. Tax and money seems to be a recurring problem in Italy. In Carl Levi’s, "Christ Stopped at Eboli", he writes about a issue similar to story behind the Trullo structure. A tax collector in Gagliano speaks to Levi about his seizures for the day. He explains how the peasant don’t want to pay their taxes and acknowledges that the taxes are heavy like how the property taxes were on the Trulli. The peasant’s practicality and ingenuity is also shown in their resilience to the tax on goats, their only source of revenue.

I noticed that shop-owners would sit or stand outside in the sunshine and try to tempt you inside for a look around, obviously hoping you may buy something. But it is a small price to pay to have an opportunity to see how these buildings are structured inside. It was clear to me that this was a town where tourism is now at the core of much and, unfortunately, whenever and wherever this happens in the world it begins to change the character of a place. Regardless, Alberobello is one of Puglia's greatest treasures with a preserved history.

The Ultimate Sassi

Tuesday May 15, 2018

We traveled to Matera today. The 2nd oldest city in the world where people lived in caves until the 1970's. I thought the city to be incredibly beautiful with its' structures being built from white stone, "Sassi", appeared to be a sea of light. I was also mesmerized by the ingenuity we found inside the caves. For example, the irrigation system previously constructed felt it as if it was built before its time. We were also able to visit a few of the churches allowing me to understand how import religion must have been to the people that lived here before. The fresco paintings were beautifully done in particularity how the painters incorporated the shapes of the caves. It also showed me how people from different backgrounds can coexist in the same area and have enough respect with one another to allow people from different religions to paint their religious beliefs in the same cave. This taught me how they thought of the group as a whole being more important than an individual. Which I feel is still reflective of current Southern Italian culture. Everyone before one is an attitude that is prevalent in Bernalda.

Inside a cave dwelling:

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Sunday May 13, 2018

Today we had an excursion to Dolomite. During the drive there I saw the luscious green landscapes on the mountains which contrast’s Carl Levi’s previous description of the area as a desolate “solitude of the desert. Sea of chalk without out trees”. Settled on the slopes of the Lucan Dolomites are two picturesque villages: Pietrapertosa and Castelmezzano. The villages are linked from the main road but the major attraction, "The Flight of The Angel", allows you to zip line between the villages. My colleagues leaped at the chance to "fly" but I chose to stay behind and admire the beautiful sight of the jagged mountains and colorful village. Overlooking the mountains, I soaked in the breeze and was appreciative to be in such a serene environment. I was reminded of my first impression of the picture perfect town of Manarola in the Cinque Terre.

Officially Homesick

Friday May 11, 2018

Today is our third day in Bernalda and I unfortunately woke up feeling sick. I was disappointed that I would not be able to go to Metaponto and that I would be missing the cooking lesson at the Farm. It’s interesting how when you’re sick, regardless of how old you are, you immediately become home sick and begin to miss your Mother. During that moment I really wanted to just be home. Being in another country and feeling sick made it sink in how far away my family was and couldn't help but feel extremely homesick.

At least I had a cultural broker, as explained in Mary Phiper's, The Middle of Everywhere" to bring me medicine, water and food. Things could have been much worse without having Fabio and Anna as my cultural brokers. It shed light in how important it is for refugees, being traumatized, to have someone as a cultural broker. "Having a culturally broker can make a tremendous difference in how successfully a new family adapts... Without guidance and support, it's difficult to survive."

After waking up from a long Benadryl infused nap, I felt the need to be somewhat productive and wash clothes. This would be my first time using an Italian washing machine. It's crazy how something I've used for years could bring me to a complete loss. Simple things like: knowing were to put the laundry detergent or how to start the machine, took some major guesswork. Once the laundry was completed I had to figure out were to dry my clothes. I had never washed clothes without having a dryer. I can understand the reason behind not having a dryer as it could be looked at as being an unnecessary luxury item that is a waste ofelectricity. This made me reflect on how easily we take things for granted in the United States.

Italian Washer

First Day of School

Wednesday May 8, 2018

On our second day in Bernalda we visited the L'Istituto di Istruzione Superiore di Bernalda, I.I.S Bernalda, a high school to get to know the students and familiarize ourselves with the school. Upon entering the school, I immediately was drawn to the artwork on painted on the walls. Some of the artwork were replicas of iconic American paintings while other artwork were original pieces all done by the students. I wondered how they learned about the American artwork because I do not think that the school offers an Art History course. We were guided around the school and into our first classroom by Professor Paola. She was so welcoming to us and allowed us to sit in during one of her English classes. The students were so amicable and brought each of us a chair. While Professor Paola explained to the class who we were and why we were there, I noticed the students whispering among each other. They appeared to be excited but also nervous of our presence. As an icebreaker we were divided between the students and were tasked to converse with each other. It was obvious that the students were shy to speak to us. If they only knew we were just as nervous to speak to them. I think that the anticipation of knowing you have to speak with someone you've never met is already nerve racking but to also add the element of a potential language barrier made the situation extremely intimidating. I was surprised and yet relieved when the student I was paired up broke the ice by starting the conversation. The tension quickly faded as we started asking each other simple questions like “What’s your favorite food?”, “What kind of music do you listen to?”,"Do you like Italy?". I could see their excitement to speak to us begin to show as their shyness disappeared. I found their English to be good considering their limitations in being able to practice speaking in English. I loved how we were able to bond with each other. I look forward to coming back to the school and having additional opportunities to speak and work with the students. I want to learn more about their education and thoughts on American culture.

Photo of the school. Courtesy of: www.iisbernalda.gov.it