Site Visit: alternative Italy

Italy: Describe the architecture and the formal landscapes. Describe the gift shop(s). Explain the relationships you see between Byron's poems about the Abby (or Childe Harold in Italy). Contrast Rome with your experience of Sherwood Forest and the Yorkshire moors. Explain the influence these places might have had on the authors in the context of their writing.

As soon as I stepped off the plane I had realized Rome was going to be some kind of experience. Airports are normally at least a little chaotic, but Romes' airport was worse than Orlando's and Atlanta's airport put together, but 1/18th the size. Then we had getting to our hotel. I am 21 and I thought I had multiple mini heart attacks on the way there. I always thought that when there are lines painted on the road, they were there for something. But in Rome I guess it is used as some sort of art work because no one seemed to pay ANY attention to them at all. It was like we were driving along and all of a sudden the cabi is trying to fit this car where I would not even try to squeeze my body through. Finally we make it to our hotel. The first thing I realize is the atmosphere. It has almost done at complete 180. It is the peaceful beautiful Rome I had always thought about. Beautiful buildings designed in a Tuscany architecture, with flowers over hanging everywhere. Color is just everywhere. And It seemed the places that did not have color, they seemed to put it right in. Rome did not have many flower beds or things of that nature. But what Rome did have was huge parks. One of the only reason's we were able to find any certain place in Rome was because we most likely got lost. But that normally turned out to be a good thing. While we were walking around for every block there was at least 2 'Roma' gift shops. At these places the only thing that a person could find there was some object with 'I Love Roma' on it. If you wanted you Italy t shirt to say anything else...tough luck on your part. But on one of our many trips into the streets of Rome we did stumble across a store that gave us a good laugh. The store was called 'Byron'. The main person we have been searching everywhere for. We made a point to ask our tour guide's about him and the only thing we could get out of that was there MAYBE something about him in the park. Instead of finding a real statue of him. We found a contemporary clothing store. Now to say this store was named after him, I personally could not tell you. But I did find this situation funny. But I did feel like Rome would suit Byron pretty well. While we were getting the tours through Rome he reminded me a lot of the Romans. All about themselves. The beautiful people, the festivals at the Colosseum with people fighting huge animals(for fun?) and parties congratulating Constantine on his victory. With them, I think Byron would have fit it very well. Maybe that is why he loved to travel so much, he felt more 'at home' with the more self centered people at that time. When I think about what Byron loved and thought was beautiful the quote, 'beauty is in the eyes of the beholder' really stands out in my mind. Yes, Rome is beautiful. But one of the reason it is beautiful is the place. The exotic nature and architecture. Not the lavish parties and whatever would go with that. But maybe that is what Byron thought was beautiful. I think that is why I enjoyed Robin Hood a lot more than Byron. Robin Hood stuck to his grounds and took what was given to him (Sherwood Forest) as saw how beautiful it was without all the glam and makeup. I believe the forest has a more powerful effect on people than the places Byron was talking about. Thus, showing why I just do not really enjoy him that much.

'The Modern...' Now when I was given this task, I had to find the modern in the forest. And when I started to see my vision of the modern, it started to make me kind of mad. We are the modern, and I feel like we barged in the forest and are trying to control something that should be out of our power.

'The Sublime...' This thought I feel is completely individual. For ever person, they have a different Sublime. The Sublime can be anything. It doesn't matter if it is big or small, or doesnt even have a shape. Its the one thing that takes your breath away. It is something that makes you feel so small, or powerless, in a good way. It makes a person just stand there in complete awe.

'The Romantic...' This is in relation more to the era of Romanticism. The best way I can describe is in the quotes, 'all good things must come to an end' and 'love is hurts.' This is slightly depressing, but at the time of the picture its a beautiful thing. So people must appreciate the now.

'The Picturesque...' These are pictures that I consider eye candy. When people look at them all they say is 'aaawww'.

Site Visit: Sherwood Forest

Sherwood Forest: Describe the museum, the gift shop, and the forest. Compare these places with your imagination of the setting in the stories you read. Explain what the museum emphasize about the character, what the gift shop interprets as important in the stories, and how bring in the forest affects your impression of the stories and characters.

When I got to Sherwood Forest parts of it were almost exactly as I thought they would be. The forest was almost like it was cut right out of the book, or the other way around. The main thing that caught my eye was the color of the forest. People are probably like, grass and trees are green, what is the difference? But there was something about this forest that was MORE green than back at home. Also, the sea of ferns added to the comfort of this forest. I loved how there were these huge Oak trees everywhere. The branches of the trees grew at such a weird angle also. The gift shop was just like any other gift shop I thought. Only selling the main thing that brings the big groups of people in. In this case it was Robin Hood and his stories. Everywhere I looked all I saw was green costumes, bow and arrows and feathers. Now what did surprise me was the museum. The museum focused on the story and history of Robin Hood. it gave all the background of the little town at that time. The museum was also covered from floor to ceiling in decorations, making me feel like I was in the forest.

Numebr 7.

7. Notice what is being taught in your classes. Pay attention to what you are learning in class and how it relates to daily life or daily practices. Note how your learning is different during study abroad compared to learning in the classroom at home. Now this question I feel relates to me the best, besides my toilet issues. Before I even hit college, I knew I would go into something in the sciences or health field. Or art, if I ever could make money off of it which would never happen. One major reason I did this was because I could NOT stand English, literature or history classes. I just found them so boring. So when I first signed up for the study abroad, I signed up for the water color class. But then that got canceled, so it was either not go or take the literature class. So I figure for my major I will have to take a literature course soon enough. So I was thinking...why not? I should just get it done and over with. And plus if Im studying abroad maybe that will make it tolerable for me. And boy was I right. Who knew that I, Lauren Scheper, would actually LIKE a book like Wuthering Heights?! I didnt know it was possible. Im not to sure if it is because Im actually over here in Europe or if its because the people im with or just both. Im pretty sure it is mostly both. Being over here in this beautiful manor really puts a person in the mindset to learn about all the forms of art. Literature included. Also the people I am with do help out a lot. My Professor is like a walking Wikipedia (but one with only the RIGHT facts, if that is possible). So how could any moment be considered dull? To add to that, there are two other teachers in the group. Josie is a high school English teacher, and she is always looking to teach with a twist. Sometimes it is nice cause she tries it out on us I feel. More so me because most of the time I am the one lost. But then it gets all figured out. The second teacher is Christy. She is a second grade teacher and I feel she understand my mind a little more. Not saying that I have a second-grade mind level but more like, she can break things down so anyone (a second grader) could understand it. Then there is everyone else, another two teachers in trying, a soon to be social worker/lawyer and then the art-machine. The last group of people just all join in and give opinions and sometimes, the way a person puts an idea I automatically get. And sometimes it goes right over my head. With all these people I feel like Im learning about how you can take a book and look at the text a million different ways. Some people see it one way and some see it other ways, which is completely fine. But then when we are learning about the literature and going to these different places, Im learning some history as well. And since I am actually at the place, it grabs my attention better, and it seems that I understand it better. Rather than just looking at pictures in a book. So now that I have all this new information it seems like my brain is kind of buzzing with information and now I am finding myself questioning things more. And forcing myself to try and look at everything in more than one view. We have even looked at some old art work. And even though I am used to looking at art work, Im trying to combined the meaning I see there and the history and literature I have been shown.