Hello again,
I have happy news: As of Friday, January 25th, have officially graduated from college. Hurrah!
Last year, I was fortunate enough to take part in the May commencement ceremony, even though I wasn't technically done. That allowed me to celebrate graduation with the friends I made at school and be outside in the beautiful (and hot) weather. This time around, my true graduation was a much quieter affair; I didn't walk across the stage, none of my family attended, and there were no cheers or hugs on my account. I attended the ceremony to support another one of my friends, but it had special importance for me as well. My name was even in the program! It was just another happy occasion to celebrate :) And now my diploma should be on its way to my house, and I can take "expected date of graduation" off of my resume. Hurrah!
Monday, January 28, 2013
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
How Is It 2013 Already?!
I guess the old saying is true: time flies when you're having fun. And I had lots of fun in 2012, along with many emotional ups and downs. Just to name a few:
(1) My art exhibit "Engaging Moments with Ordinary Sights" (which is why I started this blog in the first place) far exceeded my wildest expectations! For that, I have to thank you, my readers, friends, and family members who cheered me on and helped me out immensely. It could not have turned out this great without your time, effort, support, donations and of course, your presence at the show.
(2) I graduated from college. Finally! So happy!
(3) I studied masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance while living in the beautiful town of Verona. Undoubtedly the coolest experience of my entire life so far. I also ate a lot of pizza.
(4) I matured professionally by working at a museum.
(5) I witnessed three people I love get married.
(6) I made new friends, and became better aquainted with myself.
I can't imagine a year more wonderful than that! I'm looking forward to whatever 2013 has in store . . . hopefully it includes a job.
As a New Year's gift to my faithful readers, I finally published two more posts from Italy! My intention was to finish all of the days in order, but my two days in Rome are proving far more difficult to cover than I thought. There's just so much material (artworks, Roman ruins, run-ins with the transit police) that I could write TEN posts at least. So when they are done and posted I will let you know and give you a link. I'm assigning the date of each post as the day it happened, even if I finish the post months later. That way they will read in the right order, and can be found easily.
In the meantime, enjoy reading about Day 19 and Days 20-21. And have a Happy New Year!
P.S. I noticed that in some of my older posts the images have dissapeared. I do not know why this happened, but I will try to restore them as soon as possible.
(1) My art exhibit "Engaging Moments with Ordinary Sights" (which is why I started this blog in the first place) far exceeded my wildest expectations! For that, I have to thank you, my readers, friends, and family members who cheered me on and helped me out immensely. It could not have turned out this great without your time, effort, support, donations and of course, your presence at the show.
(2) I graduated from college. Finally! So happy!
(3) I studied masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance while living in the beautiful town of Verona. Undoubtedly the coolest experience of my entire life so far. I also ate a lot of pizza.
(4) I matured professionally by working at a museum.
(5) I witnessed three people I love get married.
(6) I made new friends, and became better aquainted with myself.
I can't imagine a year more wonderful than that! I'm looking forward to whatever 2013 has in store . . . hopefully it includes a job.
As a New Year's gift to my faithful readers, I finally published two more posts from Italy! My intention was to finish all of the days in order, but my two days in Rome are proving far more difficult to cover than I thought. There's just so much material (artworks, Roman ruins, run-ins with the transit police) that I could write TEN posts at least. So when they are done and posted I will let you know and give you a link. I'm assigning the date of each post as the day it happened, even if I finish the post months later. That way they will read in the right order, and can be found easily.
In the meantime, enjoy reading about Day 19 and Days 20-21. And have a Happy New Year!
P.S. I noticed that in some of my older posts the images have dissapeared. I do not know why this happened, but I will try to restore them as soon as possible.
Friday, July 13, 2012
"Days Go By"
"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
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
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.
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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).
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