"I can feel them flying like a hand out the window in the wind . . ."
But seriously, I could do with a dose of Keith Urban's "yeah it's all we've been given, so you better start livin' right now. Cuz day's go by."
Right now my life basically consists of the Museum of Russian Icons (with a little GC thrown in there), which is great, but I left all of my lovely readers in Italia! For that, Dad, Aunt Jo Ann, Grandma+Grandpa, Uncle Bill+Aunt Debbie, Rachel, Jess+Amanda and everyone else, I am sorry. And I have an explaination. After my last post on day 14 of the trip, my class and I departed for Florence. Oh! Florence was wonderful! Then, immediately after that, the class split up and went to spend a weekend on our own at the location of our choice. In my case, that was Rome! Wonderful! On the other hand, I had so much to write about after that long weekend and so many pictures to upload and post, that I never got caught up. I continued to write little short-hand notes at the end of each day (until the last week got too crazy), but I didn't want to post them out of order!
What I'm trying to say is: Don't give up on me! The posts exist, they're just not ready for publishing yet. I promise to try and post all those missing days as soon as I can.
Love from Julie, the workin' girl
Friday, July 13, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Days 20-21: In Which I Get Reaquianted with the Beautiful City I Live In
This entry is also called: "In Which Julia and I Conquer the Oven"
Monday June 11 and Tuesday June 12, 2012
I can't really remember what happened yesterday, except that I did a lot of grocery shopping after getting back from Rome. By last Tuesday I had cleaned out the fridge of fruit, bread, juice and milk (but unfortunately forgot about a bowl of diced tomatoes and lettuce. Yuck!), and took most of my non-perishable foods like granola bars and pretzel sticks in my suitcase. Since almost everything in Verona shuts down on Sundays, I was left without fresh food until Monday. After getting out of art class at 4pm, my friends Jess and Stacey and I hit up the local markets :)
First, we went to Vera Fruita, which is the BEST place to get fresh produce. It's an indoor-outdoor market about 2 minutes from my front door; the veggies, bread and dairy are inside with the register, but the outside is crammed with giant crates of fresh fruit like apples, peaches, strawberries, kiwis, melons and more. And also, it's dirt cheap. I got apples, peaches, kiwis, and a quarter of a watermelon for under 5 euro (under $6.50). They also have fresh-made loaves of bread there that resemble huge, round mushroom tops with fluffy cotton-candy-insides and crispy outsides. YUM! They are rather difficult to make sandwiches with, and they last forever, so Julia and I have only bought them twice.
On the way back, we went to the little tiny local grocery store, with four teeny-tiny aisles. Here, you can get blocks of cheese and yogurt, soda, wine (and lots of it!), fruit juice, and processed stuff like chips, crackers and granola bars. I was devastated to find that they were out of my favorite pear-juice (more like pear puree), but then felt really bad about my first-world complaints that night when I read Amanda's blog from Guatemala and realized how much they go without. I'm so proud of Amanda for donating her time and efforts to help the women of Guatemala and to keep them company when they need it most. I hope I can someday make a difference to other people in the world like she is.
After the little grocery store that was sold out of pear juice (I got yogurt instead), we stopped in the little local bakery about 3 doors down. I. Love. This bakery. And I love the old lady who works inside it just as much as I love the sweet goodies she sells! She's always so cheerful, and wears a flat straw hat with a ribbon around it. Even though she can't speak a word of English, and my Italian is non-existent, we can communicate just fine. I love everything I get from there, which includes (but is not limited to) a strawberry-topped chunk of cheese-cakey-goodness, a gigantic strawberry & vanilla swiss roll, and the latest addition, half a loaf of apple strudel (which I'm a little embarrassed to say is already gone)!
I realize now that when I return to the states I'm going to miss the local markets and cafes. Another place that I've grown to love is the krapfen window! And I love being able to walk everywhere. And follow the river to get to these beautiful cathedrals filled with art and history. And open my shutters in the morning. It's a much more leisurely way of life here in Verona than in Westie. Before I leave I'll have to take pictures of all the places I like :)
SO! Before bed on Monday I studied just a little bit for my Renaissance test the next day. Luckily saved my flashcards from spring semester, so I got to reuse them. I still can't believe how many of these masterpieces I actually got to see in person!
Today, Tuesday, I didn't set an alarm, and slept til an acceptable 9:30am. After getting up and ready, I had a breakfast of a fresh peach and yogurt with cereal in it (yum) before settling back into my bed to practice flashcards. Did the dishes and took out the trash like a good apartment-owner should :) and then went to class with Julia for our test. The lecture came first, and today we talked about Titian. I could say lots about Titan, but considering what he's known for, most of it wouldn't be appropriate for my audience. Instead I'll just say that I was thrilled to see several of these works in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence on Friday and in the Venice Academia two weeks ago. I can really appreciate the composition and organizational tools he uses, and his later style of loose brushstrokes.
The test covered two important rooms that I visited at the Vatican on Friday! First was Stanza della Segnatura, or "Room of the Signatures," which Raphael painted for the Pope in 1509 (it has a different scene on each wall), and second was the entirety of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, 1508-1534 (not just the ceiling, or one scene, or the altar wall. The whole thing). Needless to say, I wrote a lot. I was the second-to-last person writing, and my professor had to hurry us both up, haha (nothing new there).
After taking the test we were let out early, which was a nice surprise. At 4:30, the photography students had a reservation to see the Robert Capa photography exhibition here in Verona, displayed in a gallery set within the ruins of the Roman city! It was a refreshing change from Renaissance art, and although I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit, it was sometimes very disturbing. Robert Capa was a documentary photographer, and specialized in showing the emotional side of war. Several photos almost brought me to tears, and other times tears of happiness. What an emotional roller coaster ride. You can visit the exhibit's website by clicking here.
The gallery space was interesting enough by itself! The photography weaved in and out of stone foundations that were built before Christ, around stone-paved roads, and alongside an ancient sewer-line that still functioned until the 20th century! I was amazed by the skill and craftsmanship of the Romans, who made structures that far outlast those of our lifetime.
After the gallery, I walked back to the apartment by myself, which was one of the most enjoyable parts of my day! I love walking on the sidewalk alongside the river, seeing the Verona skyline with it's many churches and hearing their bells chiming from every direction. The balconies and potted flowers are so colorful, and the river breeze is so refreshing. It's never chilly here. After the chaos of Rome and the pushy vendors of Florence, Verona feels very much like home and I really appreciate it. I'm eager to be home with my family, but I'm going to miss this restful, easy-going way of life.
Julia had the great idea of making pizza together in our apartment! She had bought a fresh loaf of bread and mozzarella cheese, while I already had crushed tomatoes and a garlic grinder. We threw it all together, borrowed some basil from our neighbors downstairs, and then tackled the oven. If you remember, the last time we touched the oven, black smoke came out and filled our entire floor. Julia and I and the boys across the hall opened all the windows to let out the smell before the rest of the group came over for a party later. When our landlord came to check on it the next day, she told us it was fine, not to worry, and it always did that(!). She also said something about turning the knob the opposite way, so Julia tried that tonight, and-voila!-no smoke! In the end, we created an amazing meal that tasted better than we had hoped! And it was so easy!
And I ended the day with a wonderful chat with my lovely boyfriend, who I don't think will ever read this, so I can talk about him all I want, haha. We're off to Venice again in the morning, so I've got to get ready for bed. Soon I'll be able to write about Rome, but I never seem to have enough time. Goodnight, world!
Monday June 11 and Tuesday June 12, 2012
I can't really remember what happened yesterday, except that I did a lot of grocery shopping after getting back from Rome. By last Tuesday I had cleaned out the fridge of fruit, bread, juice and milk (but unfortunately forgot about a bowl of diced tomatoes and lettuce. Yuck!), and took most of my non-perishable foods like granola bars and pretzel sticks in my suitcase. Since almost everything in Verona shuts down on Sundays, I was left without fresh food until Monday. After getting out of art class at 4pm, my friends Jess and Stacey and I hit up the local markets :)
First, we went to Vera Fruita, which is the BEST place to get fresh produce. It's an indoor-outdoor market about 2 minutes from my front door; the veggies, bread and dairy are inside with the register, but the outside is crammed with giant crates of fresh fruit like apples, peaches, strawberries, kiwis, melons and more. And also, it's dirt cheap. I got apples, peaches, kiwis, and a quarter of a watermelon for under 5 euro (under $6.50). They also have fresh-made loaves of bread there that resemble huge, round mushroom tops with fluffy cotton-candy-insides and crispy outsides. YUM! They are rather difficult to make sandwiches with, and they last forever, so Julia and I have only bought them twice.
Yummy bread! This one we used to make garlic bread for our entire study group a few weeks ago.
On the way back, we went to the little tiny local grocery store, with four teeny-tiny aisles. Here, you can get blocks of cheese and yogurt, soda, wine (and lots of it!), fruit juice, and processed stuff like chips, crackers and granola bars. I was devastated to find that they were out of my favorite pear-juice (more like pear puree), but then felt really bad about my first-world complaints that night when I read Amanda's blog from Guatemala and realized how much they go without. I'm so proud of Amanda for donating her time and efforts to help the women of Guatemala and to keep them company when they need it most. I hope I can someday make a difference to other people in the world like she is.
After the little grocery store that was sold out of pear juice (I got yogurt instead), we stopped in the little local bakery about 3 doors down. I. Love. This bakery. And I love the old lady who works inside it just as much as I love the sweet goodies she sells! She's always so cheerful, and wears a flat straw hat with a ribbon around it. Even though she can't speak a word of English, and my Italian is non-existent, we can communicate just fine. I love everything I get from there, which includes (but is not limited to) a strawberry-topped chunk of cheese-cakey-goodness, a gigantic strawberry & vanilla swiss roll, and the latest addition, half a loaf of apple strudel (which I'm a little embarrassed to say is already gone)!
I took this picture after I had already eaten half of it! I bought half the loaf, but I didn't eat it all in one sitting! More like 4 . . . or 3.
I realize now that when I return to the states I'm going to miss the local markets and cafes. Another place that I've grown to love is the krapfen window! And I love being able to walk everywhere. And follow the river to get to these beautiful cathedrals filled with art and history. And open my shutters in the morning. It's a much more leisurely way of life here in Verona than in Westie. Before I leave I'll have to take pictures of all the places I like :)
SO! Before bed on Monday I studied just a little bit for my Renaissance test the next day. Luckily saved my flashcards from spring semester, so I got to reuse them. I still can't believe how many of these masterpieces I actually got to see in person!
Today, Tuesday, I didn't set an alarm, and slept til an acceptable 9:30am. After getting up and ready, I had a breakfast of a fresh peach and yogurt with cereal in it (yum) before settling back into my bed to practice flashcards. Did the dishes and took out the trash like a good apartment-owner should :) and then went to class with Julia for our test. The lecture came first, and today we talked about Titian. I could say lots about Titan, but considering what he's known for, most of it wouldn't be appropriate for my audience. Instead I'll just say that I was thrilled to see several of these works in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence on Friday and in the Venice Academia two weeks ago. I can really appreciate the composition and organizational tools he uses, and his later style of loose brushstrokes.
The test covered two important rooms that I visited at the Vatican on Friday! First was Stanza della Segnatura, or "Room of the Signatures," which Raphael painted for the Pope in 1509 (it has a different scene on each wall), and second was the entirety of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, 1508-1534 (not just the ceiling, or one scene, or the altar wall. The whole thing). Needless to say, I wrote a lot. I was the second-to-last person writing, and my professor had to hurry us both up, haha (nothing new there).
"School of Athens" is just one of the walls in Stanza della Segnatura! I want to emphasise just how much material I had to cover.
And of course, this is the Sistine Chapel. It is without a doubt the coolest artwork I have ever seen in my life. This also gave me a ridiculous amount of material to write about, even when I tried to cover only the main points. For those who are interested in seeing the Sistine Chapel in more detail, here is a FANTASTIC link to view it in 360 degrees: http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html
After taking the test we were let out early, which was a nice surprise. At 4:30, the photography students had a reservation to see the Robert Capa photography exhibition here in Verona, displayed in a gallery set within the ruins of the Roman city! It was a refreshing change from Renaissance art, and although I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit, it was sometimes very disturbing. Robert Capa was a documentary photographer, and specialized in showing the emotional side of war. Several photos almost brought me to tears, and other times tears of happiness. What an emotional roller coaster ride. You can visit the exhibit's website by clicking here.
The gallery space was interesting enough by itself! The photography weaved in and out of stone foundations that were built before Christ, around stone-paved roads, and alongside an ancient sewer-line that still functioned until the 20th century! I was amazed by the skill and craftsmanship of the Romans, who made structures that far outlast those of our lifetime.
This is the courtyard above the gallery. There are lots of glass windows like this one in the pavement for passersby to look down on the Roman ruins that make up the gallery below!
After the gallery, I walked back to the apartment by myself, which was one of the most enjoyable parts of my day! I love walking on the sidewalk alongside the river, seeing the Verona skyline with it's many churches and hearing their bells chiming from every direction. The balconies and potted flowers are so colorful, and the river breeze is so refreshing. It's never chilly here. After the chaos of Rome and the pushy vendors of Florence, Verona feels very much like home and I really appreciate it. I'm eager to be home with my family, but I'm going to miss this restful, easy-going way of life.
Julia had the great idea of making pizza together in our apartment! She had bought a fresh loaf of bread and mozzarella cheese, while I already had crushed tomatoes and a garlic grinder. We threw it all together, borrowed some basil from our neighbors downstairs, and then tackled the oven. If you remember, the last time we touched the oven, black smoke came out and filled our entire floor. Julia and I and the boys across the hall opened all the windows to let out the smell before the rest of the group came over for a party later. When our landlord came to check on it the next day, she told us it was fine, not to worry, and it always did that(!). She also said something about turning the knob the opposite way, so Julia tried that tonight, and-voila!-no smoke! In the end, we created an amazing meal that tasted better than we had hoped! And it was so easy!
Pizza! Julie and Julia style!
And I ended the day with a wonderful chat with my lovely boyfriend, who I don't think will ever read this, so I can talk about him all I want, haha. We're off to Venice again in the morning, so I've got to get ready for bed. Soon I'll be able to write about Rome, but I never seem to have enough time. Goodnight, world!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Day 19: Mass at St. Anastasia's and Life in Verona
June 10, 2012
got back from Rome early in the morning, took taxi, walked Razz home, and got to bed after 2. But I still woke up and got ready for Sunday church at 11. At 10:30, I was surprized to find my friend Jess and her roomate already dressed and about, so Jess accompanied me to church again this week. Didn't know what time mass was held, but figured we'd walk over and check anyway. There was a road race on the way there! Not sure what it was for...
This week we went to St Anastasia's, which was the closest to our apartment. Sign on the cathedral listed many masses, and luckily there was one at 11. From the outside, it doesn't look all that impressive, but I had read from many online sources that it was the prettiest church in Verona. It did not dissapoint! The interior is the gothic style (I forget when it was built) and designed by two friars.
Jess and I tried to explore some new streets around the cathedral, and happily stumbled upon an artistsan fair! It was so lovely, with the most spectacular paintings (so colorful! the style reminds me of my Boothbay Harbor painting, but with a wider range of colors. Many of them even looked like New England scenes!), hand-made jewelry (one tent was filled with jewelry made from organic foods!), and other crafts like knitting, ceramics, and woodwork. Turns out, the fair is in a different piazza every Sunday, so next week I'm going to try and find it again!
Went back to my room and ate PB+J for lunch. I don't have much for food in the appartment since we tried to clean out our fridge before leaving for Florence. I watched youtube and wrote in my beautiful travel journal (a graduation/birthday/departure gift from Amanda!), before leaving with Jess and Stacey who wanted to take pictures for their photography assignment.
Their photo assignment was to ask native Italians if they could take pictures of the Italians using
Piazza Erbe-percussion band-so cool!!! Then martial arts performance. Jess was interested because she is a black belt in karate.
I've seen lots of street performances here. Special ed music, etc.
cooked dinner-pasta in room.
skyped with zach and dad and ethan after long weekend away.
out for Krapfen with Jess and Stacey. Krapfen, in case you missed my earlier post, is the German word for donut. [But not donuts like at Dunkin's. These never have holes in the middle. You can get a creme-filled (like Boston cream), chocolate-filled (very rich dark chocolate frosting) or fruit-filled (which is the traditional apricot) or just plain. I usually opt for creme, which is my favorite.] So Jess, Stacey and I went out for krapfen at like, 11:30 at night to take a break from studying for our Renaissance Art test the next day (because the place has weird hours and is open from 11:30pm to 1am).
blogging and bed
got back from Rome early in the morning, took taxi, walked Razz home, and got to bed after 2. But I still woke up and got ready for Sunday church at 11. At 10:30, I was surprized to find my friend Jess and her roomate already dressed and about, so Jess accompanied me to church again this week. Didn't know what time mass was held, but figured we'd walk over and check anyway. There was a road race on the way there! Not sure what it was for...
This week we went to St Anastasia's, which was the closest to our apartment. Sign on the cathedral listed many masses, and luckily there was one at 11. From the outside, it doesn't look all that impressive, but I had read from many online sources that it was the prettiest church in Verona. It did not dissapoint! The interior is the gothic style (I forget when it was built) and designed by two friars.
Jess and I tried to explore some new streets around the cathedral, and happily stumbled upon an artistsan fair! It was so lovely, with the most spectacular paintings (so colorful! the style reminds me of my Boothbay Harbor painting, but with a wider range of colors. Many of them even looked like New England scenes!), hand-made jewelry (one tent was filled with jewelry made from organic foods!), and other crafts like knitting, ceramics, and woodwork. Turns out, the fair is in a different piazza every Sunday, so next week I'm going to try and find it again!
Went back to my room and ate PB+J for lunch. I don't have much for food in the appartment since we tried to clean out our fridge before leaving for Florence. I watched youtube and wrote in my beautiful travel journal (a graduation/birthday/departure gift from Amanda!), before leaving with Jess and Stacey who wanted to take pictures for their photography assignment.
Their photo assignment was to ask native Italians if they could take pictures of the Italians using
Piazza Erbe-percussion band-so cool!!! Then martial arts performance. Jess was interested because she is a black belt in karate.
I've seen lots of street performances here. Special ed music, etc.
cooked dinner-pasta in room.
skyped with zach and dad and ethan after long weekend away.
out for Krapfen with Jess and Stacey. Krapfen, in case you missed my earlier post, is the German word for donut. [But not donuts like at Dunkin's. These never have holes in the middle. You can get a creme-filled (like Boston cream), chocolate-filled (very rich dark chocolate frosting) or fruit-filled (which is the traditional apricot) or just plain. I usually opt for creme, which is my favorite.] So Jess, Stacey and I went out for krapfen at like, 11:30 at night to take a break from studying for our Renaissance Art test the next day (because the place has weird hours and is open from 11:30pm to 1am).
blogging and bed
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Day 16: Florence, Part 2a
Also, I forgot to mention in my Florence, Day 1 post, that as the sun set over the city and the vendors started selling their glowing helicopter toys, Jess, Stacey and I ate dinner at an outdoor restaurant in Piazza della Repubblica, next to Florence's famous triumphal arch! There were three restaurants all next to each other, and the waiters were just as pushy as the vendors in the leather market! We chose to eat at the least pushy place. For dinner I had the most delicious dish: gnocchi and pears in cheese sauce. Yes, it sounds rather strange, but I loved it. I can't wait to make it myself when I get home!
Morning of Day 2: Part a (I have to split these days into several parts because I was so busy and have so much to talk about! Please don't be discouraged. This is why it's taken me so long to post):
After such a long and exciting first day in Florence, I slept so soundly in the hotel that when I woke up I had no idea what day it was, or even that I was in a different country! Needless to say, I felt very refreshed.
Our hotel breakfast service ended at 9am (the same time as checkout), so my hotel roommates, Jessica and Razz, and I had to get dressed, pack our suitcases, run downstairs, and eat breakfast with enough time to check out afterwards. Breakfast was good; at least it was more filling than my usual croissant. I'm guessing the hotel gets a lot more tourists than the little cafes in Verona, and that's why there were so many more options. I had a bowl of fruit, a croissant, blood orange juice (which was surprisingly delicious), and *drum roll* I had my first cappuccino. Jessica and the photography professor, Peter, laughed at me while I tried to choke it down. The taste didn't improve no matter how much sugar I added. I figured I would try the cappuccino at the hotel so I didn't have to pay for it and regret my purchase. Smart move. If you want to refresh your memory of my 2-star hotel conditions (tiny elevator, 4-floor hike, yucky tub, stained towels, etc), you can re-read that paragraph in My Night In Florence.
One good thing about the Hotel Maxim was that they held our luggage after check-out so that we could explore the city! So Jessica, Stacey and I dumped our bags at 9am and took off for the Duomo down the street. To our disappointment, it didn't open until 10, so we went to take pictures and shop in the leather market again. When we came back an hour later, the line to get in was all the way down the side of the church! It looked even longer that that because it blended with the line to climb the famous dome.
When visiting churches in Italy it is very important to remember the dress code. Italians treat and expect others to treat their cathedrals with the utmost respect, which means that your shoulders and knees must be covered before you can enter the church. No exceptions. In some cases, like when we visited the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, my classmates could borrow scarves from the church guards to wrap around their knees so they could go in. The Duomo in Florence wasn't like this, however, and the guards wouldn't let Stacey inside. Her shorts were long (they touched the top of her knees) but didn't cover quite cover them, so she waited outside while Jess and I went in briefly. I felt terrible that she had waited so long to get in, and we had no way to help her.
After hearing so much hype about the Duomo, I was surprised by how plain it was! Very traditionally Gothic. The only thing remarkable was the fresco painted on the inside of Brunelleschi's dome - WOW. It looked incredible from the floor, and I was able to take a few pictures of it from a distance because we couldn't go near it.
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After rejoining Stacey outside, we really wanted to climb up the dome (and stand on top of it to see the city), but when Jess and Stacy learned how expensive it was just to climb (8 euro = over $10), neither one of them wanted to spend the money. So I tackled it (both the long line and the stairs) alone. There are so many stairs. When climbing, it seemed like they never ended, only changed direction or pattern. First came the standard, rectangular flights. Next came the tight, spiral stairs that make you dizzy and trip your feet. Keep in mind, there are so many people trying to climb these stairs that everyone is swept along in the upward flow of traffic. No time to stop or take a breath. No breaks. By this time, I was really panting, and struggling to focus on my feet. I'm pretty sure I stumbled a few times. Then, finally, there was a small landing where we could catch our breath in front of some old statues (none of which I recognized). Up more dizzying spirals until we got spit out at the lower dome landing and I lost my breath from amazement, not exhaustion.
I found myself standing under the dome, on the first catwalk (under the round windows). With a closer view of the art, I started snapping pictures as fast as I could (thankfully this was allowed with no flash), but the crowd of people kept pushing me along. The catwalk was so narrow that no one could pass each other, but had to walk single-file.
Next came more spirals (this time I really did get dizzy, partly because I knew I was so high up and the stairs never seemed to stop. I was also very sweaty). Eventually there was a landing with two ways to go. I saw people up ahead, but since there was an arrow pointing right, I went right . . .
And stumbled dizzily onto the upper catwalk! I knew the fresco inside the dome was impressive, but being at eye-level with the bottom of it, I was blown away. I could have touched it, if the bottom wasn't behind glass. And the characters were HUGE! The characters at the bottom were so large that their heads alone were bigger than me! I can't possibly imagine planning or painting the dome, and having to keep the figures proportioned correctly.
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Morning of Day 2: Part a (I have to split these days into several parts because I was so busy and have so much to talk about! Please don't be discouraged. This is why it's taken me so long to post):
After such a long and exciting first day in Florence, I slept so soundly in the hotel that when I woke up I had no idea what day it was, or even that I was in a different country! Needless to say, I felt very refreshed.
Our hotel breakfast service ended at 9am (the same time as checkout), so my hotel roommates, Jessica and Razz, and I had to get dressed, pack our suitcases, run downstairs, and eat breakfast with enough time to check out afterwards. Breakfast was good; at least it was more filling than my usual croissant. I'm guessing the hotel gets a lot more tourists than the little cafes in Verona, and that's why there were so many more options. I had a bowl of fruit, a croissant, blood orange juice (which was surprisingly delicious), and *drum roll* I had my first cappuccino. Jessica and the photography professor, Peter, laughed at me while I tried to choke it down. The taste didn't improve no matter how much sugar I added. I figured I would try the cappuccino at the hotel so I didn't have to pay for it and regret my purchase. Smart move. If you want to refresh your memory of my 2-star hotel conditions (tiny elevator, 4-floor hike, yucky tub, stained towels, etc), you can re-read that paragraph in My Night In Florence.
One good thing about the Hotel Maxim was that they held our luggage after check-out so that we could explore the city! So Jessica, Stacey and I dumped our bags at 9am and took off for the Duomo down the street. To our disappointment, it didn't open until 10, so we went to take pictures and shop in the leather market again. When we came back an hour later, the line to get in was all the way down the side of the church! It looked even longer that that because it blended with the line to climb the famous dome.
When visiting churches in Italy it is very important to remember the dress code. Italians treat and expect others to treat their cathedrals with the utmost respect, which means that your shoulders and knees must be covered before you can enter the church. No exceptions. In some cases, like when we visited the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, my classmates could borrow scarves from the church guards to wrap around their knees so they could go in. The Duomo in Florence wasn't like this, however, and the guards wouldn't let Stacey inside. Her shorts were long (they touched the top of her knees) but didn't cover quite cover them, so she waited outside while Jess and I went in briefly. I felt terrible that she had waited so long to get in, and we had no way to help her.
After hearing so much hype about the Duomo, I was surprised by how plain it was! Very traditionally Gothic. The only thing remarkable was the fresco painted on the inside of Brunelleschi's dome - WOW. It looked incredible from the floor, and I was able to take a few pictures of it from a distance because we couldn't go near it.
.jpg)
This is as close as I could get, with my camera zoomed in as far as it would go. See how bright the colors of the fresco are?! You can also see two narrow catwalks--one around the edge of the fresco, and one under the round windows. Remember these: they are important later.
After rejoining Stacey outside, we really wanted to climb up the dome (and stand on top of it to see the city), but when Jess and Stacy learned how expensive it was just to climb (8 euro = over $10), neither one of them wanted to spend the money. So I tackled it (both the long line and the stairs) alone. There are so many stairs. When climbing, it seemed like they never ended, only changed direction or pattern. First came the standard, rectangular flights. Next came the tight, spiral stairs that make you dizzy and trip your feet. Keep in mind, there are so many people trying to climb these stairs that everyone is swept along in the upward flow of traffic. No time to stop or take a breath. No breaks. By this time, I was really panting, and struggling to focus on my feet. I'm pretty sure I stumbled a few times. Then, finally, there was a small landing where we could catch our breath in front of some old statues (none of which I recognized). Up more dizzying spirals until we got spit out at the lower dome landing and I lost my breath from amazement, not exhaustion.
I found myself standing under the dome, on the first catwalk (under the round windows). With a closer view of the art, I started snapping pictures as fast as I could (thankfully this was allowed with no flash), but the crowd of people kept pushing me along. The catwalk was so narrow that no one could pass each other, but had to walk single-file.
Here's a few of the cathedral as I shuffled along the first balcony. The cathedral's official name is Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, which means Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower. Construction was begun in 1296 and wasn't finished until 1436 when Brunelleschi's dome was finally completed. Even after that, bits and pieces kept being added or completed for several more centuries.
Next came more spirals (this time I really did get dizzy, partly because I knew I was so high up and the stairs never seemed to stop. I was also very sweaty). Eventually there was a landing with two ways to go. I saw people up ahead, but since there was an arrow pointing right, I went right . . .
And stumbled dizzily onto the upper catwalk! I knew the fresco inside the dome was impressive, but being at eye-level with the bottom of it, I was blown away. I could have touched it, if the bottom wasn't behind glass. And the characters were HUGE! The characters at the bottom were so large that their heads alone were bigger than me! I can't possibly imagine planning or painting the dome, and having to keep the figures proportioned correctly.
BAM! Take a look at that. I'm still amazed as I sit here at my computer. (To give you some frame of reference, notice the railing at the bottom of the picture: that's how small the balcony is) I only know a little bit about what is happening in the picture because we didn't have to study it for class. I know that the dome is a depiction of the Last Judgement, was begun in 1568, and was the work of many artists. Most of the bottom is a hell scene where sinners get violently thrown into hell and are tortured in a variety of gruesome ways that usually have something to do with their sin. Heaven's angels (dead center, blowing trumpets) and other holy figures banish the sinners underground. Little satanic demons spear the sinners or tear their limbs off. All of the bodies are contorted in ways that show off the human figure, which is a common emphasis in Renaissance art.
Satan (with wings) munches on a sinner.
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Here is a perfect example of my vocab word "Trompe l'oeil." It literally means "deceives the eye." In case you haven't noticed the startling realism, remember that the architectural molding is entirely painted. None of it exists except in paint. Now look closely at the figures sitting on the molding and notice their feet dangling over the edge. Pretty good trick, no? For people in the Renaissance, this type of illusion was new, and would have looked alarmingly real. Imagine standing on the ground, looking up and seeing this for the first time. It amazes me. There are also little cherubs suspending the molding above our heads.
This section of the ceiling was painted by Giorgio Vasari. He was the first person to use the term "Renaissance" to describe Italy's rebirth of the classical arts. His definition of what made the "best" art is widely accepted and served as the basis for my Italian Renaissance class (Vasari unfairly praised Florentine artists and their style while ignoring Venetians like Titian (I'll talk lots more about that, later)).
Have you had enough art talk? I'll get back to my adventures now. This is where it gets good. If you remember, I saw an arrow and went right instead of continuing ahead. I circled around the dome following a crowd of people, but at the other end, we started to descend. This is when I started to worry. I knew that I was supposed to come out on top of the dome, in the open air, and get a view of the city, but I didn't know how to get there. I thought, optimistically, that "maybe we have to walk down a bit before we go back up." After all, I had followed the arrow. I thought this for a very long time. Panic began to set in. I felt like I had gone half way back down the dizzying spirals (not the ones I came up) before I had the courage to ask the family on the stairs behind me. They were a very nice British family; a mom, dad, and two children. I asked "Excuse me, did you guys get to go outside on the top of the dome?" The mother looked at me with horror and exclaimed in her British accent "You poor thing!" They looked at me with sympathy as the daughter explained that I should have gone straight at the arrow. Obviously poor signage on the part of the Duomo. I have to wonder how many people have made the same mistake. "You have to go back!" the woman said. "You are too close and the view is too good to give up now!"
So with a heavy heart, sore legs, clothes now soaked with sweat, and tears in my eyes, I thanked the family and started up against the flow of traffic. I had to do a lot of explaining as to why I was squeezing by in the wrong direction, but thankfully no one was mean to me. Getting around the dome's single-person-wide catwalk was even worse than the spiral stairs, but people were sympathetic when I apologized and explained my mishap. I finally got back to the arrow and considered it a small victory.
I thought at the arrow I would have been close the the top, so I wasn't prepared for how many more stairs there would be. The ceiling started to slope at an angle as I climbed up inside the dome itself. I could easily imagine myself sandwiched between the interior fresco and the exterior red tile roof.
The slope of the roof as I climb the stairs.
The ceiling got lower and lower as the curve of the dome increased. Finally, the ceiling was so horizontal that the stairs turned and almost became a ladder.
This is the view going down, but it gives you an idea.
A diagram of the dome from my class study guide. Imagine climbing that on a ladder.
I eventually reached a landing at the top of the dome (the top of the diagram, above) and had to wait. Since there is only one hatch to get out around the "lantern," traffic flows up and down the ladder in spurts.
Just as my British friends had described, the view was too good to miss. Immediately my frustration and exhaustion evaporated and I felt overwhelming relief and awe. Not only could I see around the city in any direction, but I could see the rolling green hills beyond it! It was beautifully breathtaking. And the refreshing breeze wasn't bad, either.
Another tourist and I took turns taking pictures for each other.
Just a minute after I reached the top, my phone rang! Whaaaat? It was Stacey and Jess, calling from the leather market, wanting to know how the dome was (they thought I had finished already)! I looked out from the dome in their general direction and Stacey exclaimed that she could see my yellow shirt! She stayed on the line as I used my camera to zoom in on the market, and after a minute of searching, I finally found the proverbial needle (or two) in the haystack!
Stacey is wearing blue, and is holding her phone to her ear.
Jess is wearing black and is shading her eyes with her hand.
After taking my time and enjoying the view, I reluctantly started the trek down. I even timed it! It took me exactly 30 minutes from the lantern on top, to the street. I still had to focus hard on not tripping down the spiral stairs, but it's much faster going down.
When I got safely back on the street, I took off for the leather market to buy myself a purse! I knew it was the last chance I'd get and I had my heart set on a Florentine one. I still haven't covered my visit to the Uffizi Gallery or the chaotic search for my bed & breakfast when I arrived in Rome! But that will have to come later. I think I've given you enough for one day, haha. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading about my adventures.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
My Night in Florence
Hi again,
Thanks for waiting. Don't be alarmed, but this post is everything I forgot to mention in Day 15 (June 6, 2012). Originally posted on September 19.
If you finished reading my super long post about Day 15: Florence, Part 1 you'll remember that I never finished talking about Florence! That first day was so, so SO jam-packed-non-stop-sightseeing-and-blow-your-mind-excitement that I couldn't fit all the excitement and pictures into one post, even for that one day alone. I did write lots of notes in my travel journal (courtesy of Amanda) while I was riding on the train back to Verona, but I didn't have it with me when I wrote Part 1. So sit back and get ready for the extended scenes of Florence!
After re-reading my last post, I realized that my classmates and I were "on our way to our hotel" when my post went off on a tangent and never came back. My hotel was called the "Maxim" and wound deep throughout the third and fourth floors of a narrow, but deep Italian building. There was another hotel on the second floor as well. From the ground entrance, I had a great view down the cobblestone street to the Duomo and the Baptistry! The elevator was so tiny, it could only hold three people, with barely any room for luggage! It was slightly larger than my tiny shower back in Verona. So most of the time everyone took the 3-4 flights of stairs to the Maxim Hotel. I shared a room on the fourth floor with Jessica, and Razz and we had a great time despite it not being the most glamourous place. When we first dropped our suitcases off before our tour, we thought there was poop in the bathtub (it turned out to be rusty patches where the white tub had flaked off) and the towels had stains on them. Yuck.
On our tour of Florence our tour guide, Marcello, took us down a back alley to the only shop in the world where you can still purchase pigment, or powdered colors, without a bonding element. Powdered pigment was/is used to make frescos by mixing it with wet plaster like Giotto did in the Arena Chapel. And I may have remembered this wrong, but I believe that Marcello said that that particular art supply shop was in operation way back then....
After our really awesome tour and history lesson that took us all over the city (The Duomo, Baptistry, Medici Palace, Duomo Museum, Dante's House & Church, The Uffizi Museum and sculptures, the courtyard with a copy of Michelangelo's David), we were told to branch off and find our own food before regrouping outside of the Florence Academia (a museum) for our reserved time slot (at 1:45). After buying a spek, ensalada and mozarella panini and eating on the move (which was disgusting but I ate it because I was starving), Jessica and I and a few other students approached the museum. You could tell it was big deal because the line to get in was probably the longest line I've ever seen. It went down the road for blocks, and wrapped around the building! At that moment I realized how important it was to have reservations!
Around all the popular tourist sites in Florence there are illegal salesmen trying to sell copies of famous paintings. There was an especially high concentration around the Academia because it was an art institution. These sneaky salespeople have crafty ways of picking up their merchandise before the police come. And they also have crafty ways of telling each other that the authorities are nearby. They can run down the row of pictures on the ground and scoop them all up in one motion. It's illegal to buy from vendors who don't have a license, and I was warned never to buy from anyone who didn't set up a stall because even the buyers can get in big trouble with the law.
Inside the Academia was, well....AMAZING. But first there was SUPER intense security. They even had a guard dedicated to collecting/disposing of water bottles and drinks. Then a metal detector and a bag scanner. Take everything out of your pockets. Some people even had to take their shoes off! It was just like airport security, seriously. But once we were past that, the museum was amazing. I'm so glad that I had Jessica to stay with me and appreciate the artwork because everyone else in the class blew through the museum to get to the shopping and other attractions. We got to see an original silk screen print of the Last Supper by Andy Warhol (who I'm not a fan of, but it's cool to say I saw one), and "Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time" which is kind of a disturbing piece, but one that I learned about in the spring semester and I knew we were going to learn about in the following weeks (if you ever want to know about it, I'm as good as a Wikipedia entry). The museum was full of Renaissance artwork, as Italy was at the heart of the movement. There was also a sculpture gallery that mostly had plaster models (before they were made in stone) and a large collection of Byzantine artwork like that by Giotto and Ducio (although I don't remember seeing any by those two artists).
Finally, Jessica and I stumbled upon the David. Standing at a funky intersection of hallways under a dome, he looked truly formiddable, even though he doesn't look aggressive. He is, however, HUGE. Earlier in the day when I saw the copy of the statue in it's original location outside, it didn't look quite so large and scary. It obviously wasn't meant to be contained inside a building. And his hands....his hands are the scariest of all. The masterfully carved veins which writhe with potential energy look as he could simply toss his little stone down and kill you where you stand. But they are also so disproportionately large and contain so much power, I was scared they could snap my neck with two fingers.
Michelangelo made David's hand's abnormally large on purpose, to draw attention to his own skill and ability. It was a statement that emphasized Michelangelo's ability to bestow such life-like qualities onto a block of marble (Fun fact, "David" was created out of a block of marble that another artist had started and never finished. It was made out of a piece of scrap). This is different from how Raphael emphasized his wit in the Vatican's "Raphael Rooms" by placing his own image among the world's greatest thinkers. Michelangelo used his sculpture to send a message saying: "I am awesome. Look what my hands were able to create out of nothing."
Sorry, that was some heavy art material there. Still with me? Good.
There was also a crazy modern installation with a mirrored floor. A few unfortunate people in my party who were wearing skirts walked into the room before noticing. It was really embarrasing. I had a skirt, but I was fine because mine had built-in-shorts. Take THAT modern art. Julie-1, Artsy Installation-0.
After finally emerging from the Academia raaaaaving about everything inside, Jessica and I and Stacey started off towards the famous Leather Market. I couldn't believe how huge it was!!! Merchant tents lined both sides of street after street after cobblestone street. We were told to haggle for prices, which we did, and I think we did pretty well. The highlight of my evening involved a cream colored leather jacket that I really adored; The man saw me looking at it and had me try on different ones til we got the right size. It looked like a million bucks, and cost nearly that much too. The price tag said 620 euros!!! With the exchange rate, that was easily close to $900 US. The man gave me discount after discount to make a sale. "Oh, we never sell it for that much money! It's 20% off! . . . "We give an extra discount to nice people! . . . You have a great smile. Discount! . . . Student Discount! . . ." it went on and on! (The ever-popular "nice people discount" is always 30%). Finally, I got him down to 180 euro and I was very happy, but I still had to walk away. I just couldn't justify spending that much money on a jacket, even if it would last for years.
Not everyone in the market was nice. I learned quickly not to acknowledge the vendors at all because they yell things and compliment you just to grab your attention, and then they make you deals that seem so good that you can't walk away, and when you do walk away, they yell after you and pretentd to hurt themselves so that you turn around with genuine concern, but it's all a trick. They will do ANYTHING. "Everything's discounted!" They'll tell you that theirs is the best and everyone else's is cheap quality. It's best just to keep your mouth shut and don't acknowledge them.
I knew I really wanted a leather purse, so I went around to all the purse tents and asked questions and told them all I'd come back later. I came really close to buying one, but when I said I'd come back tomorrow (intending to get it then), he said he wouldn't be here. I said "what?" and argued with him because he was clearly lying. He had a market stall! Obviously he was a regular. Then his buddy yelled at me saying "Why would you ask him to see it if you not going to buy it?! NO! Don't come back!" and so I didn't. Stupid man. He just lost my big purchase. And I almost went back and yelled at him the next day because obviously he was still there, but I thought better of it. Some people are so rude.
I did buy lots of other things though! Mostly presents to bring back home to people.
Jess, Stacey and I went back to the hotel room to drop off our packages before dinner, but I fell asleep on the bed. I hadn't slept in SO LONG. Afterwards, we wandered around looking for a place to eat. We stumbled upon the Hard Rock Cafe-Florence, and although they both reeeally wanted to go, we decided to choose a cheaper, local place. All the restaraunts have waiters out front trying to pull you in; they're almost as bad as the leather market vendors! But anyway, that decidion lead to a great meal and I'm so bummed I didn't take a picture! At an outdoor restaraunt underneath the archway, I had gnocchi and pears in cheese sauce! It was delicious. I found a recepie for it here, so I'm going to have to try it!
Also in the courtyard under the archway was a carasuel, and it lit up as the sun went down over the city. It was breathtaking. Street vendors change to night-mode by selling light-up helecopter toys that twirl through the sky. You have to always be looking up in case one falls on you-it would hurt.
As Jess, Stacey and I wandered the streets we came across lots of other FSU students out and about. It amazed me that some people had even brought clubbing clothes to party after dark :\ We joined three of the non-partiers to get drinks and dessert at the Hard Rock. It was much less heavily decorated than the other ones I've visited, but it was equally expensive. My food was also dissapointing, as my simple apple crisp was quite literally burnt.
The other three were silly drunk by the time dessert was gone, and Jess and Stacey and I didn't care to hang around with them, so we went back to the hotel. While we waited for Razz to come back to the room, we showered in our less-than-glamorous-looks-like-poop-stained-tub and talked about any and everything. I'm glad I've found a good friend in Jessica :)
P.S. I'm sorry I'm not sorry for writing a novel. It's more for me to remember things at this point than it is for your entertainment (although that is a large part of why I keep writing).
Thanks for waiting. Don't be alarmed, but this post is everything I forgot to mention in Day 15 (June 6, 2012). Originally posted on September 19.
If you finished reading my super long post about Day 15: Florence, Part 1 you'll remember that I never finished talking about Florence! That first day was so, so SO jam-packed-non-stop-sightseeing-and-blow-your-mind-excitement that I couldn't fit all the excitement and pictures into one post, even for that one day alone. I did write lots of notes in my travel journal (courtesy of Amanda) while I was riding on the train back to Verona, but I didn't have it with me when I wrote Part 1. So sit back and get ready for the extended scenes of Florence!
After re-reading my last post, I realized that my classmates and I were "on our way to our hotel" when my post went off on a tangent and never came back. My hotel was called the "Maxim" and wound deep throughout the third and fourth floors of a narrow, but deep Italian building. There was another hotel on the second floor as well. From the ground entrance, I had a great view down the cobblestone street to the Duomo and the Baptistry! The elevator was so tiny, it could only hold three people, with barely any room for luggage! It was slightly larger than my tiny shower back in Verona. So most of the time everyone took the 3-4 flights of stairs to the Maxim Hotel. I shared a room on the fourth floor with Jessica, and Razz and we had a great time despite it not being the most glamourous place. When we first dropped our suitcases off before our tour, we thought there was poop in the bathtub (it turned out to be rusty patches where the white tub had flaked off) and the towels had stains on them. Yuck.
On our tour of Florence our tour guide, Marcello, took us down a back alley to the only shop in the world where you can still purchase pigment, or powdered colors, without a bonding element. Powdered pigment was/is used to make frescos by mixing it with wet plaster like Giotto did in the Arena Chapel. And I may have remembered this wrong, but I believe that Marcello said that that particular art supply shop was in operation way back then....
After our really awesome tour and history lesson that took us all over the city (The Duomo, Baptistry, Medici Palace, Duomo Museum, Dante's House & Church, The Uffizi Museum and sculptures, the courtyard with a copy of Michelangelo's David), we were told to branch off and find our own food before regrouping outside of the Florence Academia (a museum) for our reserved time slot (at 1:45). After buying a spek, ensalada and mozarella panini and eating on the move (which was disgusting but I ate it because I was starving), Jessica and I and a few other students approached the museum. You could tell it was big deal because the line to get in was probably the longest line I've ever seen. It went down the road for blocks, and wrapped around the building! At that moment I realized how important it was to have reservations!
Around all the popular tourist sites in Florence there are illegal salesmen trying to sell copies of famous paintings. There was an especially high concentration around the Academia because it was an art institution. These sneaky salespeople have crafty ways of picking up their merchandise before the police come. And they also have crafty ways of telling each other that the authorities are nearby. They can run down the row of pictures on the ground and scoop them all up in one motion. It's illegal to buy from vendors who don't have a license, and I was warned never to buy from anyone who didn't set up a stall because even the buyers can get in big trouble with the law.
Inside the Academia was, well....AMAZING. But first there was SUPER intense security. They even had a guard dedicated to collecting/disposing of water bottles and drinks. Then a metal detector and a bag scanner. Take everything out of your pockets. Some people even had to take their shoes off! It was just like airport security, seriously. But once we were past that, the museum was amazing. I'm so glad that I had Jessica to stay with me and appreciate the artwork because everyone else in the class blew through the museum to get to the shopping and other attractions. We got to see an original silk screen print of the Last Supper by Andy Warhol (who I'm not a fan of, but it's cool to say I saw one), and "Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time" which is kind of a disturbing piece, but one that I learned about in the spring semester and I knew we were going to learn about in the following weeks (if you ever want to know about it, I'm as good as a Wikipedia entry). The museum was full of Renaissance artwork, as Italy was at the heart of the movement. There was also a sculpture gallery that mostly had plaster models (before they were made in stone) and a large collection of Byzantine artwork like that by Giotto and Ducio (although I don't remember seeing any by those two artists).
Finally, Jessica and I stumbled upon the David. Standing at a funky intersection of hallways under a dome, he looked truly formiddable, even though he doesn't look aggressive. He is, however, HUGE. Earlier in the day when I saw the copy of the statue in it's original location outside, it didn't look quite so large and scary. It obviously wasn't meant to be contained inside a building. And his hands....his hands are the scariest of all. The masterfully carved veins which writhe with potential energy look as he could simply toss his little stone down and kill you where you stand. But they are also so disproportionately large and contain so much power, I was scared they could snap my neck with two fingers.
David in his natural habitat.
David with a ceiling. Notice the apparent difference in size. Photo credit goes to a random person online.
Michelangelo made David's hand's abnormally large on purpose, to draw attention to his own skill and ability. It was a statement that emphasized Michelangelo's ability to bestow such life-like qualities onto a block of marble (Fun fact, "David" was created out of a block of marble that another artist had started and never finished. It was made out of a piece of scrap). This is different from how Raphael emphasized his wit in the Vatican's "Raphael Rooms" by placing his own image among the world's greatest thinkers. Michelangelo used his sculpture to send a message saying: "I am awesome. Look what my hands were able to create out of nothing."
Sorry, that was some heavy art material there. Still with me? Good.
There was also a crazy modern installation with a mirrored floor. A few unfortunate people in my party who were wearing skirts walked into the room before noticing. It was really embarrasing. I had a skirt, but I was fine because mine had built-in-shorts. Take THAT modern art. Julie-1, Artsy Installation-0.
After finally emerging from the Academia raaaaaving about everything inside, Jessica and I and Stacey started off towards the famous Leather Market. I couldn't believe how huge it was!!! Merchant tents lined both sides of street after street after cobblestone street. We were told to haggle for prices, which we did, and I think we did pretty well. The highlight of my evening involved a cream colored leather jacket that I really adored; The man saw me looking at it and had me try on different ones til we got the right size. It looked like a million bucks, and cost nearly that much too. The price tag said 620 euros!!! With the exchange rate, that was easily close to $900 US. The man gave me discount after discount to make a sale. "Oh, we never sell it for that much money! It's 20% off! . . . "We give an extra discount to nice people! . . . You have a great smile. Discount! . . . Student Discount! . . ." it went on and on! (The ever-popular "nice people discount" is always 30%). Finally, I got him down to 180 euro and I was very happy, but I still had to walk away. I just couldn't justify spending that much money on a jacket, even if it would last for years.
View of the market from above. I took this picture (but not on the same day). All of the streets in the area were lined with merchants' tents like this!
Not everyone in the market was nice. I learned quickly not to acknowledge the vendors at all because they yell things and compliment you just to grab your attention, and then they make you deals that seem so good that you can't walk away, and when you do walk away, they yell after you and pretentd to hurt themselves so that you turn around with genuine concern, but it's all a trick. They will do ANYTHING. "Everything's discounted!" They'll tell you that theirs is the best and everyone else's is cheap quality. It's best just to keep your mouth shut and don't acknowledge them.
I knew I really wanted a leather purse, so I went around to all the purse tents and asked questions and told them all I'd come back later. I came really close to buying one, but when I said I'd come back tomorrow (intending to get it then), he said he wouldn't be here. I said "what?" and argued with him because he was clearly lying. He had a market stall! Obviously he was a regular. Then his buddy yelled at me saying "Why would you ask him to see it if you not going to buy it?! NO! Don't come back!" and so I didn't. Stupid man. He just lost my big purchase. And I almost went back and yelled at him the next day because obviously he was still there, but I thought better of it. Some people are so rude.
I did buy lots of other things though! Mostly presents to bring back home to people.
Jess, Stacey and I went back to the hotel room to drop off our packages before dinner, but I fell asleep on the bed. I hadn't slept in SO LONG. Afterwards, we wandered around looking for a place to eat. We stumbled upon the Hard Rock Cafe-Florence, and although they both reeeally wanted to go, we decided to choose a cheaper, local place. All the restaraunts have waiters out front trying to pull you in; they're almost as bad as the leather market vendors! But anyway, that decidion lead to a great meal and I'm so bummed I didn't take a picture! At an outdoor restaraunt underneath the archway, I had gnocchi and pears in cheese sauce! It was delicious. I found a recepie for it here, so I'm going to have to try it!
Also in the courtyard under the archway was a carasuel, and it lit up as the sun went down over the city. It was breathtaking. Street vendors change to night-mode by selling light-up helecopter toys that twirl through the sky. You have to always be looking up in case one falls on you-it would hurt.
As Jess, Stacey and I wandered the streets we came across lots of other FSU students out and about. It amazed me that some people had even brought clubbing clothes to party after dark :\ We joined three of the non-partiers to get drinks and dessert at the Hard Rock. It was much less heavily decorated than the other ones I've visited, but it was equally expensive. My food was also dissapointing, as my simple apple crisp was quite literally burnt.
The other three were silly drunk by the time dessert was gone, and Jess and Stacey and I didn't care to hang around with them, so we went back to the hotel. While we waited for Razz to come back to the room, we showered in our less-than-glamorous-looks-like-poop-stained-tub and talked about any and everything. I'm glad I've found a good friend in Jessica :)
P.S. I'm sorry I'm not sorry for writing a novel. It's more for me to remember things at this point than it is for your entertainment (although that is a large part of why I keep writing).
Day 15: Florence, Part 1
Notes: (1) This post was begun on June 10th, after the long weekend visiting Florence and Rome, Italy. It was updated several times before I was finally able to complete it and post it. This is what we've been waiting for, people! From here on out, the posts will come quicker! (2) I also just completed Day 11, when I saw a sample of the 2012 Italian opera season in the Verona Arena! You can revisit that post by clicking here or revisiting "Day 11: In Which I Celebrate an Italian National Holiday with a Justin Bieber Concert."
Sunday, June 10
Wow, what an incredible 4 days I had traveling through Italy! I saw so many iconic works of art, visited so many landmarks, and even had an unfortunate run-in with Rome's police force, which I'll get to later. Seeing as today is Sunday, I'll begin my story fifteen days ago on Wednesday, June 6 (how can it possibly be that long?!) at 6:30am when Julia and I woke up in Verona.
We had showered and packed our suitcases the day before, which allowed us to leave the apartment quicker than usual, so we got to the bus stop at 7am. Before getting on the train at Verona Porta Nuova, I grabbed two creme-filled croissants in a train-station cafe. However, they were a sad disappointment compared to those of my little corner cafe. I shouldn't have been surprised.
Since we all had suitcases for Florence and our extended trips, we were weighted down and moved rather slowly. I'm sure we were quite a sight! On the train, we struggled to find room for our luggage in the overhead racks, and struggled even more to find our assigned seats. Neither Peter, nor my professor Jessica, could decode the seat numbering system. Italian trains are so hard to navigate! After we were moving, my professor handed back our first test, on which I got a 98! Woot!
To get to Florence, we had to transfer from a high-speed to a local train, and when we finally arrived at the station I was astounded by the mobs of people! Looking back from across the street, a steady flow of bodies oozed out of the station doors like molasses. It was somewhat gross.
As we made our way through the streets of Florence, trying to get to our hotel, we passed many, many shop windows until BAM!--we rounded a corner and were hit in the face with a view of Florence's famous cathedral, the Duomo, complete with it's unique dome by Brunellesci, tower by Giotto, and Romanesque baptistry with famous doors by Ghiberti. It was so beautiful. Red, white and green marble.
Here are some pictures:
The Duomo! This cathedral has the same name as the one in Verona, but Florence's is much more famous.
Fun Facts: The dome on top was built by Filippo Brunelesci, and its construction consumed most of his life. He worked on it from 1419-1436. Brunelesci won the commission over several other prominent artists including his life-long rival, Lorenzo Ghiberti. When presenting his idea, Brunelesci refused to share the entire plan so that no one *coughGhiberticough* could copy him. Surprise surprise, good old Ghiberti complained loudly after loosing the comission, and claimed that he had easily figured out Brunelesci's plan, which was really quite simple. So Brunelesci then faked sick and retreated to the countryside, asking his dear friend Ghiberti to take charge of the project until he was recovered. Not surprisingly, Ghiberti was forced to admit that he had no idea what he was doing, and begged Brunelesci to come back so the dome could be built.
This tower, located right next to the Duomo, was designed by Giotto, the same man who painted the Arena Chapel that I visited in Padua! How cool is that? People could climb to the top of the tower, but it cost an exorbitant amount of money, which I wasn't willing to pay.
This is the baptistry, right in front of the Duomo. It's an entire building dedicated to baptising babies! It's in the same style as the Duomo, and displays (behind bars) the famous "Doors of Paradise" that were designed by . . . drum roll . . . Lorenzo Ghiberti. Just kidding, these are copies. Ghiberti's original doors are kept safe in the Duomo's museum.
The baptistry is an octagon with three sets of doors that point East, North and South. In 1404, before the competition over the dome, Ghiberti entered another competition to design the baptistry's North doors. He was awarded the commission over--guess who--his life-long rival Brunelesci (and several lesser-known artists who's names have been lost to history). The North doors and the South doors (designed by a different artist), all feature biblical scenes in quadrofoil shapes. A quadrofoil kind of like a diamond with circles on the corners. The people in charge of the baptistry loved Ghiberti's North doors so much, they asked him to design the East doors, which would become even more famous and earn the title (possibly from Michelangelo) "The Doors of Paradise." These doors are remarkable for their perspective! Halfway up, the scenes appear at eye-level. The scenes near the ground appear like you are looking down into them, and the scenes near the top appear as if they are high up on a hill.
The East doors or "Doors of Paradise."
My tour guide :) So Italian.
This imposing fortress-like building is actually a palace! It belonged to the Medici family of Florence, and was intentionally made to look like a fort to deter the city folk from attempting to raid it or kill the family. It also concealed the Medici's opulent belongings and lifestyle. Eventually, however, they were run out of town not once, but several times, and the last woman in the family died unmarried and childless. She donated her last home to the city and that became the world-renowned Uffizi Gallery. It seems fitting that this palace is also an art gallery (I think).
The "supposed" house of Dante Alighieri, of the Divine Comedy (Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradisio). Dante was banned from the city of Florence (I forget exactly why), but now that he's famous (and dead), the city tries to honor him and commercialize him.
This sculpture "The Rape of the Sabine Women" is one of several that were being preserved during my visit. Behind it, you can see the center of the Florence government, where Michelangelo's David was originally set.
It's DAVID! He looks so at home in this big courtyard, but in reality, he is HUGE. Larger than life. And behind him is the Uffizi Gallery :)
Cool street artist drawing a detail of Sandro Botticelli's "Birth of Venus," which is housed in the Uffizi Gallery a few streets away! He worked on this drawing all day long and he was just finishing when I took this picture close to 11 at night.
And I haven't even gotten to tell you about the Florence Academia yet, where I saw the REAL Michelangelo's David! I'll have to make a separate post for that. For now, I'm just so happy I got another blog post up, even if my comments did start getting fewer and far between. You're welcome :)
Sunday, June 10
Wow, what an incredible 4 days I had traveling through Italy! I saw so many iconic works of art, visited so many landmarks, and even had an unfortunate run-in with Rome's police force, which I'll get to later. Seeing as today is Sunday, I'll begin my story fifteen days ago on Wednesday, June 6 (how can it possibly be that long?!) at 6:30am when Julia and I woke up in Verona.
We had showered and packed our suitcases the day before, which allowed us to leave the apartment quicker than usual, so we got to the bus stop at 7am. Before getting on the train at Verona Porta Nuova, I grabbed two creme-filled croissants in a train-station cafe. However, they were a sad disappointment compared to those of my little corner cafe. I shouldn't have been surprised.
Since we all had suitcases for Florence and our extended trips, we were weighted down and moved rather slowly. I'm sure we were quite a sight! On the train, we struggled to find room for our luggage in the overhead racks, and struggled even more to find our assigned seats. Neither Peter, nor my professor Jessica, could decode the seat numbering system. Italian trains are so hard to navigate! After we were moving, my professor handed back our first test, on which I got a 98! Woot!
To get to Florence, we had to transfer from a high-speed to a local train, and when we finally arrived at the station I was astounded by the mobs of people! Looking back from across the street, a steady flow of bodies oozed out of the station doors like molasses. It was somewhat gross.
As we made our way through the streets of Florence, trying to get to our hotel, we passed many, many shop windows until BAM!--we rounded a corner and were hit in the face with a view of Florence's famous cathedral, the Duomo, complete with it's unique dome by Brunellesci, tower by Giotto, and Romanesque baptistry with famous doors by Ghiberti. It was so beautiful. Red, white and green marble.
Here are some pictures:
The Duomo! This cathedral has the same name as the one in Verona, but Florence's is much more famous.
Fun Facts: The dome on top was built by Filippo Brunelesci, and its construction consumed most of his life. He worked on it from 1419-1436. Brunelesci won the commission over several other prominent artists including his life-long rival, Lorenzo Ghiberti. When presenting his idea, Brunelesci refused to share the entire plan so that no one *coughGhiberticough* could copy him. Surprise surprise, good old Ghiberti complained loudly after loosing the comission, and claimed that he had easily figured out Brunelesci's plan, which was really quite simple. So Brunelesci then faked sick and retreated to the countryside, asking his dear friend Ghiberti to take charge of the project until he was recovered. Not surprisingly, Ghiberti was forced to admit that he had no idea what he was doing, and begged Brunelesci to come back so the dome could be built.
This tower, located right next to the Duomo, was designed by Giotto, the same man who painted the Arena Chapel that I visited in Padua! How cool is that? People could climb to the top of the tower, but it cost an exorbitant amount of money, which I wasn't willing to pay.
This is the baptistry, right in front of the Duomo. It's an entire building dedicated to baptising babies! It's in the same style as the Duomo, and displays (behind bars) the famous "Doors of Paradise" that were designed by . . . drum roll . . . Lorenzo Ghiberti. Just kidding, these are copies. Ghiberti's original doors are kept safe in the Duomo's museum.
The baptistry is an octagon with three sets of doors that point East, North and South. In 1404, before the competition over the dome, Ghiberti entered another competition to design the baptistry's North doors. He was awarded the commission over--guess who--his life-long rival Brunelesci (and several lesser-known artists who's names have been lost to history). The North doors and the South doors (designed by a different artist), all feature biblical scenes in quadrofoil shapes. A quadrofoil kind of like a diamond with circles on the corners. The people in charge of the baptistry loved Ghiberti's North doors so much, they asked him to design the East doors, which would become even more famous and earn the title (possibly from Michelangelo) "The Doors of Paradise." These doors are remarkable for their perspective! Halfway up, the scenes appear at eye-level. The scenes near the ground appear like you are looking down into them, and the scenes near the top appear as if they are high up on a hill.
The East doors or "Doors of Paradise."
My tour guide :) So Italian.
This imposing fortress-like building is actually a palace! It belonged to the Medici family of Florence, and was intentionally made to look like a fort to deter the city folk from attempting to raid it or kill the family. It also concealed the Medici's opulent belongings and lifestyle. Eventually, however, they were run out of town not once, but several times, and the last woman in the family died unmarried and childless. She donated her last home to the city and that became the world-renowned Uffizi Gallery. It seems fitting that this palace is also an art gallery (I think).
The "supposed" house of Dante Alighieri, of the Divine Comedy (Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradisio). Dante was banned from the city of Florence (I forget exactly why), but now that he's famous (and dead), the city tries to honor him and commercialize him.
This sculpture "The Rape of the Sabine Women" is one of several that were being preserved during my visit. Behind it, you can see the center of the Florence government, where Michelangelo's David was originally set.
It's DAVID! He looks so at home in this big courtyard, but in reality, he is HUGE. Larger than life. And behind him is the Uffizi Gallery :)
Cool street artist drawing a detail of Sandro Botticelli's "Birth of Venus," which is housed in the Uffizi Gallery a few streets away! He worked on this drawing all day long and he was just finishing when I took this picture close to 11 at night.
And I haven't even gotten to tell you about the Florence Academia yet, where I saw the REAL Michelangelo's David! I'll have to make a separate post for that. For now, I'm just so happy I got another blog post up, even if my comments did start getting fewer and far between. You're welcome :)
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Day 14: In Which I Struggle with Italian Transportation
class at 9.
then went to train station. took bus and was proud. got ticket from Rome to Verona. took train back and met lots of americans (from Utah and New Jersey. Me, Erin, Kelly and Pat helped them find their way to Piazza Bra)!
Went into local store. did some shopping for clothes suitable for the Vatican, but came out empty-handed. Figures.
Federica helped us sort out ticket mess. Our return train splits in half and half of the cars to towards Munich, and half to Vienna. We have to make sure we get in the cars headed for Munich. we will double and triple check.
Cooked pasta with help from Mom via skype. I feel accomplished.
Packed my suitcase for Florence and Rome! I'll be gone for 4 days with no computer and no blogging! Eek! But luckily I have my awesome travel journal from Amanda so i can still write! Love it! Leaving in about 6 hours. So yeah. got to go. Be back soon!
then went to train station. took bus and was proud. got ticket from Rome to Verona. took train back and met lots of americans (from Utah and New Jersey. Me, Erin, Kelly and Pat helped them find their way to Piazza Bra)!
Went into local store. did some shopping for clothes suitable for the Vatican, but came out empty-handed. Figures.
Federica helped us sort out ticket mess. Our return train splits in half and half of the cars to towards Munich, and half to Vienna. We have to make sure we get in the cars headed for Munich. we will double and triple check.
Cooked pasta with help from Mom via skype. I feel accomplished.
Packed my suitcase for Florence and Rome! I'll be gone for 4 days with no computer and no blogging! Eek! But luckily I have my awesome travel journal from Amanda so i can still write! Love it! Leaving in about 6 hours. So yeah. got to go. Be back soon!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Day 13: In Which Nothing Much Happens
June 4, 2012 (Originally Posted June 5)
raining. went to grocery store. stopped raining after i returned with Erin. Erin's bag of flour exploded after got wet.
Walked immediately back to get kebab paninis with Julia and Pat. SO HUGE! I had to eat half of it with a fork. I will take a picture next time to convey the hugeness. There are so many kebab shops around here. all run by middle-eastern people.
got gelato at night. Kelly, Erin, Jess, Stacy, Razz and Michelle. first few places were closed, so we went to an expensive place, but it was soooooo good! Walked Stacy home.
raining. went to grocery store. stopped raining after i returned with Erin. Erin's bag of flour exploded after got wet.
Walked immediately back to get kebab paninis with Julia and Pat. SO HUGE! I had to eat half of it with a fork. I will take a picture next time to convey the hugeness. There are so many kebab shops around here. all run by middle-eastern people.
got gelato at night. Kelly, Erin, Jess, Stacy, Razz and Michelle. first few places were closed, so we went to an expensive place, but it was soooooo good! Walked Stacy home.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Day 12: Congratulations, Ethan!
June 3, 2012
Congratulations on your graduation, Ethan and to the ORHS class of 2012! I'm so proud of you!
got to skype with the fam today, which was really nice. I do miss the family :(
Studied for first art test tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Congratulations on your graduation, Ethan and to the ORHS class of 2012! I'm so proud of you!
got to skype with the fam today, which was really nice. I do miss the family :(
Studied for first art test tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Day 11: In Which I Celebrate an Italian National Holiday with a Justin Bieber Concert
June 2, 2012 (Originally Posted June 5)
AAAAAAH! I have so much to add, but no time to write about it! Especially with homework and packing for the day and weekend trips, I can almost never finish a blog post. So feel free to peruse youtube for video of the Verona Arena on June 2nd 2012 (the date is written 2/6/12 in Italian).
Updated July 29th: Pictures and Videos!!!!
If you're into Justin Bieber, I didn't take this video, but it's from my direction. The second clip is the edited TV version that was broadcast across Italy later in the week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGNlGYhDfzc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiJEFR9dq98&feature=related
This is a cool commercial for the Verona opera season. Very short but it gives you a good idea of the atmosphere
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x47w8UfFar4
And the BEST video I've found by far: This is a clip of Carmen from the TV broadcast! Definitely check this one out. Before the concert started, staff handed out white cloth to as many people in the audience as they could. Unfortunately, I didn't get one, but some people in my group did.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8Y7UVcByPo
Although Justin Bieber's name was the second biggest thing on the posters, he only did one song and ran back the way he came in. We didn't mind though. The concert turned out to be a sample of every opera that will be performed this summer! That meant it had songs from Romeo and Juliet (Giuliette in Italian), Don Giovanni, Carmen, and sooo many others that I wasn't familiar with. The casts were huge-probs more than 100 people each, and they spread out over the whole stage and the stone bleachers behind them. They even marched and paraded through the audience below, and rode live horses on the stage. Bieber knew he couldn't compete with the Verona Opera. This night was perhaps my favorite moment from the trip so far! I'm loving Verona more and more.
AAAAAAH! I have so much to add, but no time to write about it! Especially with homework and packing for the day and weekend trips, I can almost never finish a blog post. So feel free to peruse youtube for video of the Verona Arena on June 2nd 2012 (the date is written 2/6/12 in Italian).
Updated July 29th: Pictures and Videos!!!!
If you're into Justin Bieber, I didn't take this video, but it's from my direction. The second clip is the edited TV version that was broadcast across Italy later in the week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGNlGYhDfzc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiJEFR9dq98&feature=related
This is a cool commercial for the Verona opera season. Very short but it gives you a good idea of the atmosphere
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x47w8UfFar4
And the BEST video I've found by far: This is a clip of Carmen from the TV broadcast! Definitely check this one out. Before the concert started, staff handed out white cloth to as many people in the audience as they could. Unfortunately, I didn't get one, but some people in my group did.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8Y7UVcByPo
This is the view waiting to get into the Verona Arena. To give you an idea of where we sat, look at the top row of the building. Seating extends all the way to the top, bleachers style. If they hadn't erected a modern chain-link fence around the top, we could have toppled over backwards and into the piazza below!
Lines of people waiting to get in. This picture is a great demonstration of how the ground level has risen over the centuries. The ground slopes down to the entrance.
Jessica and I with our tickets to see J Biebz and some kind of Italian concert. We had no idea what we were in for!
Peter, the photo professor, and some of my classmates already inside. The group I'm with is waving to them while Peter takes a picture of us.
Sunset in the arena.
Jess, Julie and Julia :)
Note the fence in the background. I'm not kidding when I say we were on the top row. The arena is made of stone so the staff let people bring huge cushions to sit on. Julia and I shared a big one from our room. It costs 2 euro to buy a cushion there, but you don't get to keep it. They also don't check any bags, so you can bring all the drinks and snacks you want. I never even saw a concession stand.
Jess and I with Razz
OPERA!!! This is from Carmen, during the video clip above :D
Although Justin Bieber's name was the second biggest thing on the posters, he only did one song and ran back the way he came in. We didn't mind though. The concert turned out to be a sample of every opera that will be performed this summer! That meant it had songs from Romeo and Juliet (Giuliette in Italian), Don Giovanni, Carmen, and sooo many others that I wasn't familiar with. The casts were huge-probs more than 100 people each, and they spread out over the whole stage and the stone bleachers behind them. They even marched and paraded through the audience below, and rode live horses on the stage. Bieber knew he couldn't compete with the Verona Opera. This night was perhaps my favorite moment from the trip so far! I'm loving Verona more and more.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Day 10: Fruit markets, Bakeries and Hand-made Pasta
June 1, 2012 (Originally Posted June 5)
Ciao! So after Venice yesterday, I was exhausted. Not to mention I was dehydrated because I was afraid to use up my toilette passes. Somehow I left Venice without using either of them because I only went once, and got to use the free toilette inside the Gallerie delle'Accademia.
So after we missed the high-speed train back to Verona, Peter, the professor, did a spectacular job of securing us seats on the next train. Unfortunately it was a commuter train, and so it took us twice as long to make the trip, and we didn't arrive back until after 10pm. We were lucky that the bus stopped right across from our apartment/pizza shop, so we didn't have to walk far in the dark. I went to bed almost immediately, and slept for a whopping TWELVE hours. Yeah. I was tired.
I woke up after 11:30, and had just enough time to shower, get ready, eat something, wash the dishes and take the trash to the street (the dumpsters are in the street) before running to class at 1pm. Class was more interesting than usual, and my professor, Jessica, includes slightly different facts this semester than last.
So tomorrow is a national holiday here in Italy, and most of the shops and markets will be closed. Because of this, and because Julia and I were running low on food in the apartment, a bunch of us (about half the class) made the rounds to stock up for the weekend.
FRESH PASTA
fruit market
grocery store-snack bars and pear juice!
bakery-strawberry swiss roll
blogged a little bit, wore my new glass barrette,
cooked pasta with Jessica downstairs. strawberries for dessert
Finally learned the names of the other 18 students! It took me a week, but I'm still doing better than Pat, who despite sitting next to me on the plane, still calls me Jessica.
Ciao! So after Venice yesterday, I was exhausted. Not to mention I was dehydrated because I was afraid to use up my toilette passes. Somehow I left Venice without using either of them because I only went once, and got to use the free toilette inside the Gallerie delle'Accademia.
So after we missed the high-speed train back to Verona, Peter, the professor, did a spectacular job of securing us seats on the next train. Unfortunately it was a commuter train, and so it took us twice as long to make the trip, and we didn't arrive back until after 10pm. We were lucky that the bus stopped right across from our apartment/pizza shop, so we didn't have to walk far in the dark. I went to bed almost immediately, and slept for a whopping TWELVE hours. Yeah. I was tired.
I woke up after 11:30, and had just enough time to shower, get ready, eat something, wash the dishes and take the trash to the street (the dumpsters are in the street) before running to class at 1pm. Class was more interesting than usual, and my professor, Jessica, includes slightly different facts this semester than last.
So tomorrow is a national holiday here in Italy, and most of the shops and markets will be closed. Because of this, and because Julia and I were running low on food in the apartment, a bunch of us (about half the class) made the rounds to stock up for the weekend.
FRESH PASTA
fruit market
grocery store-snack bars and pear juice!
bakery-strawberry swiss roll
blogged a little bit, wore my new glass barrette,
cooked pasta with Jessica downstairs. strawberries for dessert
Finally learned the names of the other 18 students! It took me a week, but I'm still doing better than Pat, who despite sitting next to me on the plane, still calls me Jessica.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Day 9: Venice!
May 31, 2012 (Posted June 5)
OK, so this day was basically the best day of the trip so far! Not only was it filled with stunningly beautiful masterpieces, but the atmosphere in Venice is a-maz-ing (despite the American accents everywhere).
The day started in Verona. Julia and I got up 6:30, which basically means at 12:30am EST. I was thrilled to find Zach still awake, even if I could only talk for 5 minutes before leaving to meet my group across the river. We met at the usual spot across the river in front of the San Fermo church, and waited for the bus in the rain, and then took a high speed train to Venice! Even at high speed, the trip took an hour.
When we arrived at Venice I was thrilled to find that (1) the rain had stopped, and (2) the train station sat directly on the Grand Canal, which serves as the main highway thru the city. Big commuter ferries, personal motor boats and the ever-popular gondolas maneuver skillfully through the crowded and busy waterway.
The majority of the class wanted to visit Palazzo Ducale, or the Doge's Palace together, so we took the ferry all the way to the end of the Grand Canal. After a really, really confusing wait in line and having to jump out while the professor bought tickets for us at a group rate, we were finally allowed to enter into the courtyard and witness the spectacular sights of the palace!
Once we were inside the palace, everyone went their separate ways. I stuck with my friend Jess, and we went off in search of some masterpieces, Renaissance or otherwise! To imagine the Doge's Palace, try to think of Buckingham Palace in England. The palace was once the center of the Venetian Republic, and the Doges, or rulers, would take up residence there during their reign. The palace had a devastating fire in the 10th century (the 900's), so that led to many changes, and additions and renovations in the 14th and 15th centuries (1300's-1400's) led to many of the Renaissance masterpieces we see today!
I found this fantastic virtual tour of the Palazzo Ducale here, where you can see the grandeur of the palace! Pay special attention to L'appartamento Ducale, as those are the Doge's personal rooms. I haven't looked very much, so I don't know if you can see the "Paradisio," but that is the largest canvas painting in the world, and it is in the great hall!
Only 3 students wanted to visit the Academia, so together with my professor we went to get lunch (after Jess and I got lost in the Palazzo's dungeons). I was thrilled to see actual gondola drivers sit down at the table next to us for a cheap, non-touristy Italian lunch. And of course, got my drink of choice-pear juice.
***And now I'm about to go to sleep so I can awake and leave for Florence in the morning, so everything else is short hand. Enjoy!
Academia! Very proud of myself for recalling and applying my knowledge my Renaissance period to my visit. The first room=Byzantine style. Very similar to the work found in the Museum of Russian Icons, which I will be interning at when I return to the states. Just a few rooms away was a portable wall to cover a ginormous painting that took an entire wall! I could see less than a quarter of the painting that rose above the wall, and could see a man working to clean or restore the wooden frame around the painting. I turned to my friend Jess, who had been wandering the rooms with me and asked "doesn't that look like The Feast in the House of Levi?" We stood and contemplated a while, before she walked over to a nearby sign and exclaimed "It is!" Needless to say, I was very proud of myself for recognizing it. During the spring semester, my professor, Jessica, tried to convey to our class how big it was by telling us how many feet by how many feet it was, but the numbers are hard to imagine. Even in the Academia's large gallery, it took up an entire wall, and stood as tall as a second-story ceiling!
Massiveness of paintings!
Jess (my friend, not the professor) and I then discussed if we had seen any paintings by Titian or Tintoretto yet, which I had not. She claimed there was a Titian in the previous room, and I was a little disappointed that I had missed it. We strolled around the room a little more, and I noted the light airy brushwork on one particular piece, which I associated with Titian's later style of painting. Eagerly I looked at the plaque, and commented disappointed to Jess that I mistakenly thought it was by Titian. She responded by saying "I think it is, though," and sure enough, Titian's name is written differently in Italian. Now I know, haha.
Proud of recognizing the saints from the attributes. Glad there aren't more of St. Bartholomew-gross. Met my professor halfway through the museum and realized that we were traveling backwards! Museum=big loop, and we started in the wrong direction. I also recognized Hans Memling? in the earlier paintings.
As Jess and I went to leave the gallery to explore the city, my professor caught up with us and suggested we visit a little church further up the canal. As the backdrop of the altar at Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari hangs Titian's Renaissance masterpiece, "Assumption of the Virgin." He is also buried inside the church and his tomb is marked with a monument. As we went to go, joined by the third student who visited the museum, so we stuck together. Student entrance fee. SOOOO COOOOL!!! You can wiki it, or click here!
Wandered. lots of stairs +bridges over canals. Wheelchairs are impossible. Took sooooo many pictures.
Looked for glass shop, but didn't want Chinese glass. Got gifts, certified Venetian glass as gifts for many people and got a little purple barrett for myself!
Missed train back to Verona! :( Peter worked really hard to get us other tickets. Late night. slept 12 hours.
OK, so this day was basically the best day of the trip so far! Not only was it filled with stunningly beautiful masterpieces, but the atmosphere in Venice is a-maz-ing (despite the American accents everywhere).
The day started in Verona. Julia and I got up 6:30, which basically means at 12:30am EST. I was thrilled to find Zach still awake, even if I could only talk for 5 minutes before leaving to meet my group across the river. We met at the usual spot across the river in front of the San Fermo church, and waited for the bus in the rain, and then took a high speed train to Venice! Even at high speed, the trip took an hour.
When we arrived at Venice I was thrilled to find that (1) the rain had stopped, and (2) the train station sat directly on the Grand Canal, which serves as the main highway thru the city. Big commuter ferries, personal motor boats and the ever-popular gondolas maneuver skillfully through the crowded and busy waterway.
This is Razz. She's cool :) And this is the sight as we emerged from the Venice train station!
This is also from the edge of the train station looking across the Grand Canal. It doesn't look busy here because I purposefully tried to avoid the motor boats (I didn't think they looked pretty). Imagine the gondolas are like turtles trying to cross a 6 lane highway with speeding cars and trucks going by. They tend to keep to the sides, but that's kind of what they're up against in the Grand Canal.
Here in the street canals there are much calmer waters. Occasionally a motor boat will pass by at slow speed and rock the gondolas, but this seems much more relaxing for the passengers.
The majority of the class wanted to visit Palazzo Ducale, or the Doge's Palace together, so we took the ferry all the way to the end of the Grand Canal. After a really, really confusing wait in line and having to jump out while the professor bought tickets for us at a group rate, we were finally allowed to enter into the courtyard and witness the spectacular sights of the palace!
This is a view of the courtyard from a third or fourth-story window. We did enter it at the ground level, but those pictures didn't come out quite as good as this one. Here are some details:
Once we were inside the palace, everyone went their separate ways. I stuck with my friend Jess, and we went off in search of some masterpieces, Renaissance or otherwise! To imagine the Doge's Palace, try to think of Buckingham Palace in England. The palace was once the center of the Venetian Republic, and the Doges, or rulers, would take up residence there during their reign. The palace had a devastating fire in the 10th century (the 900's), so that led to many changes, and additions and renovations in the 14th and 15th centuries (1300's-1400's) led to many of the Renaissance masterpieces we see today!
I found this fantastic virtual tour of the Palazzo Ducale here, where you can see the grandeur of the palace! Pay special attention to L'appartamento Ducale, as those are the Doge's personal rooms. I haven't looked very much, so I don't know if you can see the "Paradisio," but that is the largest canvas painting in the world, and it is in the great hall!
Only 3 students wanted to visit the Academia, so together with my professor we went to get lunch (after Jess and I got lost in the Palazzo's dungeons). I was thrilled to see actual gondola drivers sit down at the table next to us for a cheap, non-touristy Italian lunch. And of course, got my drink of choice-pear juice.
***And now I'm about to go to sleep so I can awake and leave for Florence in the morning, so everything else is short hand. Enjoy!
Academia! Very proud of myself for recalling and applying my knowledge my Renaissance period to my visit. The first room=Byzantine style. Very similar to the work found in the Museum of Russian Icons, which I will be interning at when I return to the states. Just a few rooms away was a portable wall to cover a ginormous painting that took an entire wall! I could see less than a quarter of the painting that rose above the wall, and could see a man working to clean or restore the wooden frame around the painting. I turned to my friend Jess, who had been wandering the rooms with me and asked "doesn't that look like The Feast in the House of Levi?" We stood and contemplated a while, before she walked over to a nearby sign and exclaimed "It is!" Needless to say, I was very proud of myself for recognizing it. During the spring semester, my professor, Jessica, tried to convey to our class how big it was by telling us how many feet by how many feet it was, but the numbers are hard to imagine. Even in the Academia's large gallery, it took up an entire wall, and stood as tall as a second-story ceiling!
Massiveness of paintings!
Jess (my friend, not the professor) and I then discussed if we had seen any paintings by Titian or Tintoretto yet, which I had not. She claimed there was a Titian in the previous room, and I was a little disappointed that I had missed it. We strolled around the room a little more, and I noted the light airy brushwork on one particular piece, which I associated with Titian's later style of painting. Eagerly I looked at the plaque, and commented disappointed to Jess that I mistakenly thought it was by Titian. She responded by saying "I think it is, though," and sure enough, Titian's name is written differently in Italian. Now I know, haha.
Proud of recognizing the saints from the attributes. Glad there aren't more of St. Bartholomew-gross. Met my professor halfway through the museum and realized that we were traveling backwards! Museum=big loop, and we started in the wrong direction. I also recognized Hans Memling? in the earlier paintings.
As Jess and I went to leave the gallery to explore the city, my professor caught up with us and suggested we visit a little church further up the canal. As the backdrop of the altar at Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari hangs Titian's Renaissance masterpiece, "Assumption of the Virgin." He is also buried inside the church and his tomb is marked with a monument. As we went to go, joined by the third student who visited the museum, so we stuck together. Student entrance fee. SOOOO COOOOL!!! You can wiki it, or click here!
Wandered. lots of stairs +bridges over canals. Wheelchairs are impossible. Took sooooo many pictures.
Looked for glass shop, but didn't want Chinese glass. Got gifts, certified Venetian glass as gifts for many people and got a little purple barrett for myself!
Missed train back to Verona! :( Peter worked really hard to get us other tickets. Late night. slept 12 hours.
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