Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Aaaaaalllooorrraaaa...

Ciao a tutti!

First of all, let me say thanks to those of you who have let me know that you are reading my blog, or those of you who I’ve heard have been reading it.  It’s good to know I’m not just sending information into a massive void.

So, let me first say that Venice was absolutely better than I could have dreamed.  After finishing my Italian exam on Thursday I got a good night’s sleep because early Friday morning we set out for Venice via charted bus.  I sleep really well in moving vehicles for some reason, so the three-hour trip was no problem.  Upon waking we were picked up by a private boat!  



I can’t even describe what it feels like when you get your first glimpse of Venice, but it’s pretty incredible.  



The boat took us to Murano (famous for their glass work).  This is the place where crystal glass was first invented.  We visited a glass workshop and got to see some glassblowing in action. 




We hung around Murano a bit longer before heading to our hotel in Venice (by boat again). 
Our hotel was really nice and in a quiet location.  Considering how I am so used to Florence and the noise, this was a welcome treat.  After settling in at the Hotel we headed out into the center of the city to see Palazzo Ducale.  After a tour, some other girls from the program and I decided to explore a bit during our free time.  I thought Florence was confusing, but it is way easier to get lost in Venice.  I am proud to say I didn’t get lost (but then again, I wasn’t exactly navigating either).  We did, however, spend some time searching for a good place to buy gelato.

Pure happiness.  Drips and all.


Once our mission was accomplished we sat and people-watched.  This is a past time that I rather enjoy here.  I love to see how people interact with each other, how they dress, etc…

My favorite sightings:
 1st- The couples:  In Venice and in Florence I have seen the cutest couples (young and old).  The younger couples sometimes dress alike (for example- guy has a yellow shirt, girl wears a yellow dress) and can often be seen making out (or nearly copulating) in public.  PDA is not really my favorite, so I find the older couples more interesting.  It’s especially entertaining when you can tell that the woman wears the pants in the relationship.  A sighting in Venice for example:  An elegant older Italian woman walking in front of her husband holding a long stemmed red rose (possibly purchased from a Venetian vender at her bequest).  Husband follows behind as she yells to him in Italian.  I can only assume his response would have been something like “yes dear.”

2nd- Nuns in large groups eating gelato:  I don’t know what it is that I like about this.  Maybe it’s just the novelty of seeing a group you typical associate with abstaining from certain enjoyments (don’t read too much into that) actually taking pleasure in something as small as an ice cream.  If only life were that simple sometimes.   

Okay, before I get too into detail…
After people watching we went into the church near Palazzo Duchale where we were given a private organ concert.  While we listened to this haunting music the church put on a light show, gradually lighting up all the amazing mosaics that covered the inside of the church.  After, we returned for a wonderful dinner at the hotel. 



The next day I woke up early to catch a walking tour led by one of our incredible professors.  We went into a few different churches around Venice.  In the afternoon, after grabbing a quick panino at the train station, we headed to Padua to see the Arena Chapel (also know as the Scrovegni Chapel).  The frescos that decorate the walls of this chapel are by Giotto and I was so glad to know so much about the decorative program already that seeing the chapel in person was magical.  Also, they only let you into the chapel for 15 minutes at a time. 

We came back to Venice later in the afternoon so we were able to spend some free time exploring again.  One of my friends and I decided to visit the Jewish Ghetto and see what the Venetian synagogue looked like.  It is rumored that the very term “ghetto” originated there.  

Venetian Synagogue


That night almost everyone in the program headed to a “campo” for some drinks (in Venice they only have 1 piazza, the rest are just called “campo”).  The weather was beautiful and the nightlife was, as usual, really enjoyable.  Some silliness may have been involved.

Our last day in Venice was probably my favorite.  In the morning we went to the Galleria della Accademia (an art museum) and I got to see more works of art that I have, until this point, only read about or seen in books.  It is so different to see works of art in context.   It is definitely more powerful and meaningful that way.



In the afternoon, we had time to look at some VERY modern art in the Venice Biennale.  Each country has it’s own pavilion in this giant complex. 
Here’s an article about the show that I saw at the U.S. pavilion:  http://www.npr.org/2011/06/02/136897424/a-tank-an-organ-and-smart-power-at-the-venice-biennale

Other noteworthy exhibits were located in the French, Swedish, German, British, and Korean pavilions.


Look familiar?  Way to go Korea!



Attached by the beard.  Maybe an allegory of bromance?


After visiting this show it was back to Florence on the bus.  Although we were exhausted from the trip, Monday marked the beginning of classes.  This past week has been a lot to get used to.  Now I have an entirely different schedule because I am done with intensive Italian and now have 3 other classes (2 art history and one drawing class).  I am curious to see if I can readjust to a semester plan, considering I have become so used to the block system that we use at Cornell (One class every three and a half weeks). 

The drawing class is really neat so far.  We are using this technique called “sight-size.”  It’s entirely new to me, but produces very realistic drawings.  This past week we were copying cast sculptures in charcoal, but next week we switch and start to draw the live model. 

Noteworthy events during the week included:
A Gershwin Concert!  They had a large orchestra surrounding a piano, and even a full choir during some pieces.  I almost cried during some cello solos because I miss playing so much.    

This past weekend was a bit more restive.  I visited my first Italian bar!  It will be weird to go back to the states and get carded.  Here, it is so relaxed that I don’t even have to worry about bringing an I.D. with me to a bar.  I have a feeling the more “restrictive” rules in the states will be part of my reverse culture shock upon returning to the States.

I also went on a 13 mile bike tour in Chianti this past Saturday through “Tuscany Bike Tours.”  If you are ever in Florence I highly recommend them.  They picked us up in Florence, drove us to this castle where they make wine and olive oil.  We even got a tour of the castle and the wine cellars and were taken to the top of the tower where there are some really amazing views of Tuscany.  Afterwards, there was a wine and olive oil tasting.  The wine only loosens you up for what comes next:  the BIKE TOUR!  We biked around the vineyards and olive groves for a while and stopped for a large lunch at this restaurant.  Afterwards, we biked some more and returned to Florence happy campers. 

In the tower of the castello.




I’m a bit sore now, but have had yet another incredible week. 

Food side note-  The other night I had rabbit and chicken liver.  Yum!  Oh, and after dinner tonight we had biscotti (no worries I'm getting the recipe) dipped in a shot of Moscato (I believe it's a type of dessert wine).  My favorite gelato flavor is still salted caramel but mojito is coming in as a close second.    

In the next week or so you should look for updates on my upcoming trip to Lucca!

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