Italy|A Life-Changing Experience

 To tell you the truth I've been avoiding the urge to blog about Italy. Not because I didn't want to blog, but because I feared I wouldn't be able to describe and write out all that I saw and soaked in. I know it will be good for me, and even now I am excited as I start to think and relive my time in Itlay. There was so much that I experienced and learned both physically, mentally and spiritually.
When I first signed up for the PhotoEx:Italy 2011, I wasn't sure what to expect. Of course I was just excited and thrilled to be a part of  a trip bound for Italy. Someone asked me what the purpose of this trip was. I wasn't quite sure how to respond....to take pictures of course? ha Little did I know that God not only  had a bigger purpose for Italy, but that this trip would change my entire outlook that I had for this journey called life. I'm not quite sure how to put this life changing trip into words. But alas, follow me as I attempt to describe my time in Italia.

                                                                                   The flight to Rome, Italia

Italy|Rome 

June 2,2011

Rome. The greatest city in the ancient world. A famous saying, “Roma, una vita non basta”; Rome, a lifetime is not enough, was beyond true to me. We only had 3 days to experience this beacon of Italy, and it wasn't even close to being enough. 

Take a look at my attempts to capture the descriptions I cannot put into words:

 Circus Maximus|Circo Massimo This is an ancient Roman chariot racing stadium and mass entertainment venueit. It was the first and largest stadium in ancient Rome. It measured 2,037 ft in length and 387 ft in width, and could accommodate about 150,000 people!.....As seen in Ben Hur.

The Roman Forum|Forum Magnum  This is a small, rectangular plaza surrounded by the ruins of ancient government buildings at the center of the city. It was for centuries the center of Roman public life.

 It was neat to be able to walk through and picture the marketplace at its peak. It was interesting to see all  these emperors and great  men would constantly build on top of each other in order to show their greatness. 

 The Pantheon  Almost two thousand years after this building was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43.3 metres (142 ft).It is one of the best preserved of all Roman buildings. 

 Inside the Pantheon. This was one of those pieces of architecture that overwhelmed me. It being the first magnificent building we saw in Rome didn't help. The oculus is the only source of light. This building apparently has not and cannot be replicated. ha I can't wrap my head around that. Architects cannot figure out how this building is still standing, or how they put this massive dome in place. I cannot imagine how frustrating that could be. ha

 Trevi Fountain|Fontana di Trevi  Throw one coin into the fountain, you are ensured a return to Rome, two coins will lead to a new romance and three will ensure either a marriage or divorce. Interesting fact; An estimated 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain each day. 
 Trevi Fountain is one of the most famous fountains in the world. People come to Italy just to throw there coins into this beautiful fountain. My eagerness to visit Italy was not for this fountain alone, but rest assured my coins were tossed!

 Rain, Umbrellas and Rome make up some of my favorite things.

The Spanish Steps|Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti  

fun fact: The Scalinata is the widest staircase in Europe of 138 steps. I couldn't help of course but to picture myself as Sabrina in Roman Holiday. :)

 The view from the top of The Spanish Steps

To be continued....

Joyce Ledwell | Portrait Shoot