Andros - Summer 2017

What better time than the next year to write about my summer? 
I had an action-packed seven weeks and then went head first into my busiest semester of university - now I finally have time to write for pleasure.

In July I set off for my first ever excavation on the sunny island of Andros in the Cyclades, Greece. We were excavating a neolithic site (about 5000 years old) which involved a lot of animal bones and broken pottery. The site was on a promontory of the island which meant most of the time it was very windy, which meant it wasn't unbearably hot, but it also made it hard to work sometimes. I'm not allowed to show pictures of the site itself so instead here is the incredible view we had each day.

Weekdays were spent waking at 5am and getting to site for 7am, which meant on most days a nap was required when we got back to the accommodation at around 3pm. Luckily Andros is small and Greeks eat dinner late into the evening. Many late afternoons and evenings were spent wandering through tiny streets of blue and white houses and petting a seemingly infinite number of cats. I developed a love of fresh bread dipped in olive oil washed down with a few glasses of the local wine. 

On weekends we explored more of the island including a monastery perched high in the hills and an ancient city at the bottom of a ravine. Some highlights of the three weeks included getting thanked by the mayor on stage and then doing traditional Greek dancing in front of a huge crowd, finding a tiny bead amongst a lot of dirt, and making new friends wherever I went.

Rome: Pantheon and the rest.

For me the Pantheon is one of the highlights of Rome, it combines ancient Rome and a beautiful Christian basilica, plus it's free! We arrived at midday after a rainstorm and the lighting inside was amazing. 

The Trevi fountain was jam-packed with tourists, both times we passed it. We snapped a photo and didn't even attempt to go near it to make a wish. It is really easy to walk from Trevi to the Spanish Steps etc, which we did a few times. 

As Rome doesn't follow the typical Roman style city-plan there are tonnes of tiny streets and back alleys to explore. On sunny days everything is bathed in lovely orange sunlight, making even the grotty streets look beautiful. One quirky thing that I loved about Rome is that public buildings and utilities all have SPQR on them, meaning Senatus Populusque Romanus or The Roman Senate and the People. Referring back to ancient Rome and the power it was in the Mediterranean world.

The Spanish Steps are annoyingly shut off so the view from the top of them is blocked. However, we travelled along the road and found many viewing points with fantastic views across the city. Nothing beats a St. Andrews sunset for me but the Roman one sure was nice. 

After spending a busy week in Rome I am already itching to go back! I am a huge fan of ancient history and pizza, both are plentiful in Rome. Hopefully my academic career will bring me back to Rome in the coming years.

Rome: Colosseum and Roman Forum

The colosseum, or the Flavian Amphitheatre if you want to be pretentious, is perhaps the most iconic Roman ruin in the entire empire. To avoid the queues we arrived early, taking full advantage of our student discount for the triple ticket which included the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. After a lacklustre tour from one of the official guides we explored on our own, guidebook and personal knowledge in hand. Whilst many of the walls remain the seats and steps are gone, meaning imagination must be used. For me however the highlight of this day was the Roman Forum. 

As someone who studies ancient history and spent two weeks researching and writing an essay on the Forum Romanum, this was an exciting day. The forum itself is large and has ruins from the very beginnings of Rome through to the end of the empire and beyond. Unfortunately the majority of the buildings in the forum are now ruins but you can go into the ones that were turned into churches, and thus saved from ruin. The signs aren't too detailed so I would recommend getting a good guidebook or a tour. I could have spent all day in the forum, just imagining what it was like in the glory days of Rome. 

The Palatine Hill overlooks the Roman Forum and is the site of some ruins as well. The beautiful Farnese gardens provided a shady spot on a sunny day. It is the views of both the forum and the colosseum that make the uphill walk worth it in my opinion. 

The Capitoline Museums have a good collection of art and archaeology, making it a good introduction to Rome. There is a large amount to see but the layout and variety means you can spend a good couple of hours there. For me the best part was underground in the Tabularium, in archaic times this is thought to have been archives and nowadays has an impressive view of the Roman Forum. 

Rome: The Vatican and St. Peters

We paid €8 to get an elevator up and then had a few hundred stairs inside the dome itself to climb up. These stairs are weird and at points very cramped, just a word of warning. However the view is worth the stairs! The first view you get is of the inside of the basilica dome and the basilica itself. It was great to see the ornate decoration up so close. 

Of course, the reason anyone climbs all those stairs is to see the iconic view of St. Peters square and the city of Rome behind. 

We spent the morning at the Vatican museums which I unfortunately have no photos of. The Sistine Chapel was good to see, if a little underwhelming. The museums themselves can be overwhelming as there is so much stuff from a large period of history. The rooms themselves are heavily decorated and there is something to see in every room. 

I recommend buying your ticket online, it costs €4 more but it is worth it to beat the queues that wrap around the city walls! We sat in St Peters enjoying the weather and the views, and then explored Vatican City for a few hours.

Iphone Photography

As I mentioned in a previous post I am a huge fan of VSCOcam both for editing and displaying my photos. I have a 'proper' camera that I rarely use and it's cumbersome to carry around and I can take great photos with my iphone! I am lucky that I live in such a beautiful place which means I am constantly taking photos. 

I am also hugely inspired by photographers on instagram, seeing them make ordinary scenes look extraordinary is incredible. 

Grandpa's Hobby

My Grandfather was a keen photographer, a hobby I share with him. Although I never met my Grandpa I've learnt a lot about him through his photographs; whether they're of the Austrian Alps, his family or India. I love seeing photos of my mum and her brothers as children and my grandparents as young adults enjoying themselves after the war. I love these photos because they give me a glimpse into my families life and what it was like back then.

My Grandpa worked for GlaxoSmithKline and spent a lot of his career contributing photographs to the company magazines and newsletters. He was lucky enough to travel to India to see the new factory in an era when foreign travel, especially that far, was rare and very expensive. He was also very fond of Austria and Switzerland, I found hundreds of photos of mountains and lakes. Alongside the far-flung landscapes he often took photos of his family and friends. There is something both professional and amateur about these photographs and I love it. Nothing leaves memories better than photographs.

My Nana died on Christmas Day aged ninety-two years old and she lived a good life. She is remembered by her four children, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Although I am devastated I know she is in a better place and finally reunited with my Grandpa, her husband, after more than twenty years apart. We can't prevent our loved ones dying but we can deal with it and remember them whilst simultaneously pulling ourselves together and living our lives.

Princes Street German Market

Fröhliche Weihnachten!

  

There is nothing better than a Weihnachtsmarkt to get you in the festive mood! I bought some lovely bowls, tried deliciously warming Glühbier and even braved the ferris wheel! That's me bought all the Christmas presents I needed to buy so now onto making all the edible gifts; I'm making peanut butter fudge, peppermint tablet and traditional fudge. After that I need to make mince pies, both traditional and chocolate for those who don't like mincemeat. I'll be blogging about the recipes so keep an eye out on my twitter (@whatrosiegirl) for them!