3/10/2024 – 3/17/2024
Days 0 and 0′:
Saturday 3/9 & Sunday 3/10
9.58am CST: Everyone is at the airport near the gate waiting to board in 15 mins!
A game of speed going…
Sketchy stuff happening…
The ATM is ready too!
1.56PM EST: We landed early in Philly, grabbing a bite, and waiting for our next flight
5.59pm est: Getting ready to board!
Rome, brace thyself, for here we come!
9.01 am Rome time: we have arrived!!!
10.39 am: we are at the hotel, and just sat down for our safety briefing.
Everyone say Roma!!!
1.24pm: A group of us had lunch at IVO trattoria, as we slowly get set for our official tours this pm.
3.30pm: our first tour begins!
We had an awesome walking tour and saw some really cool arch bridges. This one is the oldest in Rome, and connects the island above the river to the rest of the city. It’s so amazing to see these huge structures built without any of the technology we currently have.
Arches and domes are so efficient at load transmission. With the materials they had on hand, it was the best way to build lasting and resilient structures.
The broken bridge, as it’s called, allows us to see how it was built (zoom-in might be needed): blocks on either side with Roman concrete in between.
Roman concrete was made by mixing the usual concrete ingredients, except that Romans, either by accident (hear laziness) or by design, used chunks of limestone instead of grinded limestone in their mixes. Every time the concrete cracked (which happens a lot in such brittle materials) and water seeped through, instead of concrete degradation, the chunks of limestone would react with the water and seal the crack. This “self-healing” concrete allowed some of these structures to stand the test of time and survive hundreds and sometimes thousands of years exposed to the elements.
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All along the way, in every corner of Rome, the remains of ancient structures can be found.
Even incorporated in more “modern” buildings (100 yrs old modern). It’s amazing to see how the city of Rome just built around these structures.
We also learned about the more recent history of the Jewish ghetto during WWII. In this square, many innocent jews were gathered and sent to concentration camps.
We finally arrived to the Pantheon, learned how its materials were allocated (heavy concrete on the lower parts, volcanic rock in the middle and light pumice stone on the top), its internal structure (ring around the voids, with thicker concrete on the bottom and thins out as you go higher), and the beautiful oculus on the top.
Try to spot the arches in the walls of the Pantheon that carry the dome above. These incorporated arches give the vertical walls more stability and strength by redistributing the horizontal focus in specific areas and transmit them to the ground.
Even though the outside of the pantheon looks “old”, the inside is so well preserved and almost looks modern…
And what would be the best part of visiting Rome in the rain? Watching it go through the oculus in the Pantheon…
(Hover over the video and click preview to play)
We were able to gather for a group picture too, and have some well-enjoyed gelato! (Lime basil gelato is a thing, and it’s delicious!)
We then went into a baroque church, it was breathtaking! The outside architecture was mirrored in the internal paintings. Notice the shorter upper columns?
The ceiling was out of this world (pun intended). Everything above the windows is painted on a flat surface, even though it looks like there are real 3D arches and columns. These upper paintings are so similar to the outside architecture.
The details and architecture were truly something else…
And last but not least, we went to the gorgeous Trevi fountain and tossed some coins for good luck. It was crowded, but worth the trip…
The sky gave us such a show that evening…
7.30pm: We went back to the hotel and API, our program coordinator, organized a welcome dinner for us. Unfortunately, we were too busy eating and trading stories to take pictures.
Most of us decided to call it a night, some wanted to go discover the city a bit longer (in groups of 3min, without disappointing Absi or Troxel!)
11.27pm: Tomorrow will be a long day at Vatican city and the Colosseum.
Today felt like a speed-dating experience with Rome. In one afternoon, we saw so much, and yet so little of the city. The blending of the old with the much older (since nothing is new in Rome), the history of the city and the innovation in its ancient structures was really inspiring. It makes you think of how short your stay on this earth is compared to that of these structures.
Truly, if walls could talk…
With this, Absi out, Group 1 will blog for our first full day in Italy!
Group 1, Day 1
Monday March 11
Good Monday! Our first full day in Rome. Wow. It was a blast. We started with breakfast at the hotel, then left for the Vatican Museums.
🤷♀️
We walked through the Sistine Chapel (no photos allowed in the main area, but our tour guide told us all sorts of fun facts). The ancient Greek and Roman busts and statues were beautiful. Troxel was in awe of the mosaics.
The mosaics on the floor of the vatican were so detailed and had amazing depth to them. Possibly the most overlooked part of the museum but showed how every part of the building was intentional and had so much thought put into it.
Anchor down!!
We split ways and some visited St. Peter’s Basilica, while others wandered the neighborhood, and we all got lunch on our own. Ben, Sadie, and Cole stopped at a small cafe and were served by the nicest and most Italian Italian man ever. He knew about three English words and we knew about three Italian words, but we basically became best friends. Family owned at that location for 65 years!
Domes, hallways, domes and hallways…
Dedication is an understatement. Yet weirdly enough, we couldn’t seem to find a word more intense than just “intensely dedicated”. We were utterly amazed at the attention to detail – and I mean EVERY. SINGLE. DETAIL. Details that I didn’t know were details before I saw them detailed on a tapestry, wall, or ceiling. It was all incredible. See below!
It started pouring down rain just before we were supposed to meet at the train station.
We took the metro to the Colosseum, and Ben was stoic as usual.
When unsure of how much to marvel over the Coliseum given its purpose, we were given another wonder of the world to enjoy: the Not-So-Colossal Cat. AKA Jim. If he is a girl, then Beatrice. Hehe.
This was my “this place is incredible” picture part 50-something. The sharp greens and gradated beiges, combined with the colors of newer constructions and apartments all make a very, very beautiful scene. At this point though, we were getting tired of the ticking-time-bomb of a weather forecast. As you can see, the sky looks heavy!
When’s it going to start pouring again?! Rome may never know.
So you thought Jim the Cat was all you’d get? Meet Jim 2 and Jim 3 (left to right). Jim 4 must be on vacation, but all together the birds make the new Roman triumvirate. Also fun fact, Jim 3 is a dude and Jim 2 is a lady. You can tell by the apparent difference in size and musculature.
One Euro if you can tell who’s in this picture. We went from the Coliseum to a gelato place. That shop is where I (Philmon) fell in love with Pistachio. Yes, I am still in love with pistachio. Next stop: Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, pistachio gelato in hand.
We ❤️ public transit. The station reminds me of DC but on a budget. Great things about the Rome metro: overhead catenary wires, open gangways, tons of doors per car (🤓). We were looking out for pickpockets and were successful in protecting our belongings. We also saw the construction of Line C by the Victor Emmanuel Monument.
We walked all around the Colosseum and even saw the corridor where [gladiator] was killed.
The colosseum was incredible. The fact that it has withstood time and the amount of foot traffic is quite a marvel. Ourguide informed us that it only took 8 years to build and how it looked throughout time.
Reincarnated gladiator:
After the colosseum, we went to a higher vantage point to take in the city. Next to a grove of orange trees, we overlooked ruins and could see multiple structures that we had visited over the past two days.
We split ways again after the Colosseum and our group photo!
We met up again for dinner and tried new Italian classics. Cacio e pepe was definitely worth a try and it held up to the reputation of a roman delicacy.
Some people split off and enjoyed their last night in Rome wandering the streets.
The United State’s tomb of the unknown soldier is beautiful, but it does not compare in scale to that of Italy. The tomb, in fact, dwarfs the U.S. Capitol Building, both in size and total number of columns. Second is a really well lit picture of Mary and Ethan.
The Spanish Steps are beautiful. Probably one of the only spots in the city where the stairs themselves are also a unique architectural centerpiece. Your eyes are drawn the steps, then up with the stairs to the church and obelisk.
Robert cameo^
Group 2, Day 2:
Tuesday March 12
Our first intercontinental travel day! We said goodbye to Rome and were off to catch the bullet train to Venice.🚄
In addition to providing 4 hours of time to rest, the bullet train was its own wonder for all the engineers on board; the train’s max recorded velocity was 250 kph (155 mph).
We also got a peek at the Italian countryside, with farm land, and castle/historic ruins.
We arrived in Venice around 2:30 pm and were immediately enthralled by the water, views, and sunny weather. It was impossible not to marvel at how there was a whole city “floating” on water! We learned on our walking tour later that Venice was built by driving wooden piles into the marsh of the lagoon. Ontop are planks of wood and sheets of marble and stone. Some of the stone, known as istrian stone, is relatively resistant to water and deterization from salt water.
We passed the Rialto bridge on our walk back from the train station. The bridge is the oldest stone bridge in Venice and spans over the grand canal.
Beautiful pictures of Venice provided by Nevaeh.
After our walk to the hotel from the train station we took a walking tour of the San Marco area of Venice. Among many things we learned that Venice is made of 118 small islands that are separated and linked by 438 bridges. The entire city is shaped like a small fish. We also learned about the drainage system that helps drain water from floods and heavy rains; we saw several marble storm drains in the ground (picture to the left). Maybe the most beautiful/expensive storm drain covers. In almost every square, there are also water wells. These wells were a perfect solution to finding drinking water. As the city was built on a saltwater lagoon, they depended on rainwater.
The tour was not only interesting because of the information but also because of the tour guide. (Cough cough). Nevaeh counted at least 63 times that we heard our tour guide cough into the microphone.
(Cough cough) Each time we were left feeling like Cole in the picture to the left.
Hope you guys enjoyed hearing about the day! – Jonathan, Parker, Robert, Nevaeh @IMG_3591.MOV
Group 3, Day 3
Wed., March 13
First full day in Venice! Let’s get this party started.
Breakfast at the hotel was amazing! Winnie made her own fresh squeezed orange/grapefruit juice.
Saw this tower on the walk to the MOSE project. Dr. Troxel said we’re in Pisa (Leaning Tower of Pisa dupe!).
The slightly pink-tinted clouds in the horizon was actually just the smog over Venice.
Enjoying the sun while we wait to get into the building.
Found a map showing the public transportation routes.
Learning about the mechanics of the MOSE project! The floodgates are filled with water when flat, and are raised via compressed air during high tide of possible flood events (can be up to 194 centimeters!)
Here’s a little model of the MOSE project (spot the people). The floodgate is at a 42-degree angle instead of standing straight up, so that it can work with the movement of the waves. The MOSE costs about $300,000 to operate each time it is used.
*someone* clearly got ready in a rush this morning…
After MOSE, we split up for lunch. Maya took a group out at a possibly-too-fancy lunch place they picked, for pizza, lasagna, and pasta.
Dr. Absi claims her group’s pizza was better though.
Meanwhile Dr. Troxel took a group for ciccheti! (Italian tapas)
After lunch and some free time, we met up to tour St. Mark’s Basilica, the crown jewel of all the Venetian churches.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JaQL9DDPnLoPlthLql0y09c-zq0gFRb5/view?usp=drivesdk
Found some models in the upstairs museum that showed the structure of some parts of the basilica.
We had to throw in a group photo of course.
We even got to walk along the roof!
Spot the replicas of the famous horses of St. Mark behind us! The real ones were inside, just behind the wall to the left.
After some more free time, we toured the lavish and grandiose Doge’s palace.
Pictured here: A Venetian gondola ferrying passengers underneath the famous Bridge of Sighs, used to transport prisoners between the New Prison and the Doge’s Palace.
After Doge’s Palace, we all split up for free time until dinner.
Dinner was molto benne! Absi told stories about the troublesome kids in class *cough*SakshamColeRobert*cough* and Cole got to try on Maya’s Gucci sunnies.
Group 4, Day 4
Thur., March 14 Venice->Milan
CIAO BELLOS! Who’s ready for a great half day in Venice then travel to Milan?!? We certainly are!
It’s quite cold today so everyone is bundled up (definitely not enough) )
First on the list is Gondola rides!
9:30: Gondolas!
We on da boat!!!
gondola!
On the gondola we saw a construction boat, construction, and some mussels.
(Mussels, not muscles (Just to be clear.))
Construction AND bridge (arch) !
These (assumed) steel ties are seen all over the buildings in Venice. This one was interesting because the upper left side of this tie was no longer connected to the building!
9:39:
Construction 😎
My group’s (Naveah, Alex, Ethan, Mary and Parker) gondola was off balance and was constantly tipping right, so the buildings in this picture are tilting left.
(I, personally, constantly feared for my life as I was basically seated in the hypothermic water.)
Local form of personal transportation:
On the gondola ride we got stuck behind one such personal motor boat, and we were blasted with its fumes.
When we were arriving back at the gondola station, we saw this green boat with a white arm like you might see on a CAT. (ft Saksham)
After the Gondala rides, groups went on their own for some free time.
Are they locals or are they just super cool travelers
We saw this green house looking building and the second picture is what it is (idk what it is bc I don’t speak Italian *shocker*)
Ok but do you think Rich would be able to weld this guy ?
While waiting for people to join our group on the way to lunch we waited on one of the many bridges peppering the Venetian CVanals.We got to witness some accordian being played on a gondola. A piece of culture often depicted in film.
1:39: Most of us left the hotel and took a Vaporetto (Venetian public water bus) back to the train station to await our luggage.
Shown above: Clarabelle WatsonBella waiting for our luggage to arrive by boat.
(I, Mary, left my phone at the hotel (we did a phone check before passport check and I put my phone down next to me when I checked for my passport) and so I got to take a scenic tour by foot with Rachel from API.)
GUYS STOP SAYING 22 it’s my number (-Sadie 🤬) We are[1] we up traveling to Milan.
Bullet train! (Red)
Professor Absi and Mary on the bullet train! Ft. a headless Mr. Absi.
5:20:
We arrived in Milan! The train station was beautiful.
SaxaphonistOutsideTrainStationMilan.mp4
Exiting the train station, we were greeted by some wonderful music being played on saxaphone.
We went to a marble paper printing shop and the lady gave us a tutorial.
No way there is a KFC in Venice ft. Maya (sugar mommy of trip) and Saksham (who went for the black and white fit vibe today).
We had a presentation about the CityLife district from one of the Architects.
- Text: Describe what you saw today and how it relates to the class theme of history, innovation and artistry of CE structures.
- Daily final group reflection
Group 5, Day 5
Friday, March 15
First full day in Milan lesgo!!
First was a quick walk to the train station, which also happens to be the largest (in terms of structural size) train station in Europe.
We took two lines to our first stop, the CityLife shopping plaza. It was absolutely poppin’ there, and that doesn’t just describe the people.
4 guys being dudes or something. One of ‘em was bad at Italy and got sickly (it’s the one wearing the mask btw)
Seeing the towers up close really brought their scale into perspective.
The amount of structural and civil engineering it took to design and build these towers is incredible to say the least. Il Curvo is especially interesting, considering its curved, parallelepiped shape.
After marveling at the towers, we had free time to shop at the plaza and grab some grub.
Might have to drop the bag…will ask Maya later about the logistics
The use of wood as a design material is just as the architect from yesterday said: it adds such a comfy, welcoming feel to the shopping center that most malls and shopping centers lack.
Shown above is the fountain in the CityLife garden, whose green space helps to offset the carbon footprint of the buildings. There are lots of benches for relaxing as well as nice art exhibits, as shown below 🙂
Below you will find pictures from the incredible San Siro Stadium. This giant sports arena has three major levels, with the second level acting as a rather frightening cantilever over the first. Around the stadium are towering spiral ramps with staircases at their center that provide stadium goers with easy going to and from each level.
The stadium’s concrete structure is safely designed with a resonant frequency significantly larger than the theoretical maximum frequency of fans jumping up and down— 3 Hz. Still, even with the small numbers of our group plus students from Milan’s polytechnic university jumping up and down to music, oscillation of the structure could be easily felt once jumping stopped. This was a little crazy; Tommaso was outraged. Using the phyphox app and an accelerometer on the surface of the concrete, we were able to see graphical data of the structure’s acceleration, with an absolute acceleration of around 10 m/s^2! Although this does seem frightening, it was important to learn that flexibility is essential in a structure as demanding as a football stadium. Graphical data from our mini-experiment is shown below.
We ended our day’s activities with an awesome pasta making lesson led by Miss Patricia. We all learned how to make and knead dough, as well as form it into different pasta shapes like gnocchi and orecchiette. It was great experience, and everyone did very well! Group 1 and pasta shapes are shown below.
Quote of the day by Ethan Milton:
“Aren’t we all just shapes and colors?”
Group 6, Day 6
Saturday, March 16
Today is our last day in Italy!!! :(((((
We are all in denial over our trip being so close to the end. There is still so much gelato to eat and so little time!!
Our first stop today was in Porta Garibaldi, where we visited Piazza Gae Aulenti, il Parco Biblioteca degli Alberi, and most importantly, Bosco Verticale! The Bosco Verticale, which translates to “The Vertical Forest,” was an architectural marvel that stood out along the Milan skyline. This building was an amazing representation of how Milan serves as one of Italy’s most modern cities and of how Italy strives to incorporate natural and environmentally friendly features into their cities.
Here is a video of the surroundings: IMG_6310.MOV
It’s hard to tell just how beautifully and strategically this area was designed as you walk through it. Below you can see the birds-eye view of the area we explored (thank you apple maps!), and you can see how intentional the planning was of every building and green space! The path that we followed is depicted in red, and the purple star represents where the video above was taken!
It was a beautiful sunny day to be outside! IMG_6308.MOV
We took our time exploring the landscape.
Piazza Gae Aulenti is circled by a beautiful wood and glass awning. The black and white squares on the top are actual miniature solar panels that convert sunlight into energy. I thought this was a really cool example of sustainable civil engineering
Celine hugging gelato… we all resonated deeply with this gesture of affection
Visiting the Castello Sforzesco was a brief, unexpected, and majestic part of our tour that day. Stepping into the castle made us feel like we were back in the 15th century when it was first built. Looking ahead and seeing ginormous walls looming overhead and then looking to the right and seeing what used to be a moat that was tens of feet deep and across was mesmerizing. The interior was just as impressive and beautiful. THe courtyard was well kept and made me think and ask myself, “imagine living here back when this structure was first built” (similarly to quite nearly every other building we saw but still)
Celine and Sarah figuring out how to use the public water fountains! They got the hang of it quite quickly, and very kindly cooled down a few of us with an unexpected shower! IMG_6329.MOV
After leaving the Castello, we finally made it to the Piazza del Duomo! Here we find not only the Duomo, but also the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.
As soon as we got there, we wasted no time and climbed the stairs on our way to the terraces of the Cathedral. A grand total of 250 stairs… but it was totally worth it! From up there, you could see the entire skyline of the city of Milan, and we even managed to locate buildings we visited the previous days.
The Piazza del Duomo seen from above
In the picture above, we can see the Stadio San Siro (very far away, right behind the first statue from left to right), the three towers of CityLife (between the second and third statues) and the skycrapers of Porta Garibaldi (near the fourth statue).
The view from up here, which used to be the tallest building in Milan was truly mind-blowing: @Video terrace.mp4
We learned an interesting fact today: no building is allowed to be taller than the Duomo’s Madonnina, which stands at the top of the highest spire of the cathedral. To overcome this, all buildings that are taller than the Duomo have a mini replica of the Madonnina at the top so that nothing is taller than the Madonnina, which has protected Milan at the top of the Duomo since the 1700s.
When we were done enjoying the views, we went down the stairs and back into the Cathedral, where we found interesting sculptures and beautiful tinted windows.
At the end of the day, a few of us visited the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum. Inside, we got to see countless of his designs brought to life, many of which he had never been able to bring to life before he passed away.
We learned that Da Vinci contributed significantly to the world of civil engineering. His work contained multiple different types of bridges and geometrical structures, and he is credited with creating the gated canal with locks to control water levels. The modern day Panama canal works under the same principle that Da Vinci first came up with so long ago.
Da Vinci also performed tensile tests that contributed to the field that we now know as structural mechanics.
Da Vinci was a jack of all trades, and a true Renaissance man!
After this we got a lot of free time to explore the city on our own. Many of us went shopping, a few went back to the Duomo to take in more of its beauty, and others (I wish this had been me!) headed back to the hotel to take a nap before dinner.
We finished off the day with a farewell dinner with Tommaso, our lovely API guide! We all enjoyed some pizzas in the Napoli style, characterized by its delicious crust and more than generous size (not a problem for us).
To reflect on our day as a whole, we got to experience a wonderful mix of juxtapositions. We started our day with skyscrapers that have only been around for the last decade, then finished with the Duomo, which took 600 years to build (it was started in 1386 but not finished until 1965!). In the area that we visited this morning, skyscrapers of metal and glass were offset by beautiful fields of green and trees cascading over balconies, uniting nature and manmade structure. My favorite thing about Milan is that it is such a beautiful mix of the new and the old; urban sprawl and nature. Architecture that has been around long before Europeans even set foot in the Americas (let alone the United States becoming a country so much later!) is complemented with brand new skyscrapers that all still hold a piece of ancient history with their mini replicas of the Madonnina. Now, I have such a deeper respect and admiration for how buildings don’t just have to be buildings. Instead, they can be works of art, can reflect ancient history while still being brand new, and can coexist with nature and the surrounding built environment to create landscapes that not only serve a purpose, but strike awe and inspiration in their users.
Absi: Day 7
Sunday, March 17
It is 7.26am and we are settled on the train, heading to the airport.
It was a rough and rushed wake-up today *cough*Alex*cough*, some suitcases that wouldn’t close even sitting on *cough*Elise*cough*, but we all made it!
It is now 10.05am, and the count is good on the airplane!
Bracing for a long flight to JFK, estimated landing at 2.15pm EST.
🇮🇹 Italy 🇮🇹 you’ll always have a special place in our hearts.
🇺🇸 Home 🇺🇸 here we come!
2.51pm EST: 🇺🇸 sweet 🇺🇸! Everyone went through security at NYC, now heading to our local gate. Our flight is scheduled to leave at 4pm, and we should be in Nashville at 5.40pm CST.
It is 5.41pm CST and we landed safely in Nashville!
Time for a good night rest, and back to school tomorrow.
This trip was multo bene, thank you for hanging out with us here!
No more groups of three, no more curfew, disappoint whomever you want!
Absi, Over and out.
Vanderbilt University - CEE - Travel Course Blog 