Rome: DAY 8

EIGHTH DAY

September 20, 2005

There are so many things that I am not very good at doing.  The computer is certainly the one that comes to mind right off the bat.  Every time I ask for help, it is a revelation when the problem is solved.  While we are here, my next-door neighbor who is a professor at Cal Poly, a working photographer and a landscape architect is supporting me.  He is also a visitor at the Academy.  He is photographing World Heritage Sites for some UN thing.  He gets in lots of places that are off limits to most.  Very interesting.  His first comments to me were about how much the Architecture Department at CCA had improved and he was very impressed with our progress.  Nice to hear those good words.  In fact, CCA is well known here.  One of our honorary doc winners is in residence, Carrie Mae Weems is her name and I met her in 1999 when she was at CCA for our graduation ceremony.  Her work is mostly photographic and is very good.  Another fellow was in Larry Rinder’s Whitney Biannual show.  Anyway, it is nice to be around this highly charged group.  Many of these people are under severe deadlines for dissertation completions and the pressure is right on the surface. 

Yesterday, we took the #8 tram down to see an apartment near the center of old Rome.  The apartment itself was pretty much old Rome, nothing having changed since Nero burned down the place.  I am hoping for more, but it was scary.  Not only was it dirty, but they were worried about how we would take care of it.  Pricey too, but we will press on.  Everything seems small and cramped.  I think I could be somewhat spoiled.  I think we need a divine intervention. 

Once again, we took the wrong bus in our attempt to get somewhere.  Apparently it is happening to everyone.  One of the wives said she was having trouble getting around and she speaks perfect Italian. The sights are glorious and the weather cooling off.  I am not so good on the churches but we will stay out there.