Voi Parlate, Io Gioco

A Sunday afternoon at L'Opera di Teatro Reggio in Parma. I saw a Russian opera called Il Naso (entirely in Russian with Italian sub-titles). The opera house was gold-leafed &gorgeous and we sat in box seats!

The Lovely Sinking City of VENICE for CARNIVALE. masks, costumes, confetti, &canals. beautiful.

A weekend trip to Bolzano, Italy. My cousin, lives there with her husband who plays hockey for the Bolzano professional team.  My other cousin, was also visiting this particular weekend. We shopped in the quaint yet chic center of this predominately German speaking town and saw the National Geographic Exhibit on the ice-man found in the Alps, Otzi. I spent most of my time playing with Ella Rae (age 3, going on 30) and Ava Grace (10 months). We had lunch up on the side of the mountain at a gorgeous resort (where the wine cellar has one wall exposed to the falling water of the mountain!). It was a much needed relaxing family weekend.

Long Weekend in London. I saw all the sights &fell in love with the city. We saw the British Museum (Elgin Marbles &The Rosetta Stone!), the London Transport Museum (the Tube was my absolute favorite!), the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, and HARROD's. Between the Victoria & Albert Museum, Camden Markets, &Princess Diana's Kensington Gardens, the sights took my breath away as I spent a brilliant weekend soaking up the accent, the food, the spring sunlight, &the proper posh of London.

This past weekend, I went to fair Verona! The ancient Roman Arena and Torre dei Lamberti had panoramic views of the city where those famous star-crossed lovers took their life. I stood on Juliet's balcony and recited Shakespeare at the Casa di Capulet. We walked through San Anastasia and the Complesso del Duomo. A leisurely lunch and the beautiful sunny weather made the day trip complete!

To come...Cinque Terre, Amalfi Coast, Torino, Barcelona, and Greece!

40 Day Dream

It is officially my 40th day in Europe. My days here so far have been quite the dream and time has been moving at lightning speed...despite the much slower daily lifestyle of Italy.

Last week, I was able to see the cities of Mantua and Bologna on day trips. In Mantua, we visited the Church of San Andrea with architecture by Leon Battista Alberti. We saw the Palazzo Ducale with frescoes by Mantegna, as well as Palazzo Te which was designed by architect Guilio Romano. The natives of the freezing, small, ancient city of Mantua (called Mantova) were a little odd, but the medieval architecture of the palaces and our amazing lunch of Mantua's renowned Tortelli di Zucca (pumpkin ravioli) was a savory mid-day treat.

The trip to Bologna included stops at Piancoteca to see works of Raphael, Aspertini, and Parmigianino; The Church of San Petronio for a viewing of the Aspertini Pietà, and Parmigianino's San Rocco; The Church of San Martino for Aspertini's Madonna and Saints; The Church of San Giacomo Maggiore for the Pellegrino Tibaldi's Cappella Poggi; The Oratorio di S. Cecilia for frescoes by Francia, Costa and Aspertini; and Palazzo Poggi for Pellegrino Tibaldi and Prospero Fontana frescoes.

This is a blur of church names and works, but a painting that stood out in my mind from Bologna was Parmigianino's Madonna with San Margherita because of the strange and almost corrupted scene of a "Sacred Conversation." This was painted for a convent of nuns, however the women of the convent sold it almost immediately because of the unusually intimate, almost inappropriate interaction between Saint Margherita and the Christ Child. Her hand grazes His chin as though she were about to kiss Him. Also, I mention this painting because Parmigianino is a native of Parma, the city where I live, and his works are a perfect example of Mannerist painting. Overall, I really liked Bologna. It is a university town with lots of students, dogs, and moderate prices. The architecture is ancient, but the graffiti is techi-colored. I bought new high heels for 5€ and mushroom pizza with Nutella pizza for dessert under 4€. I am not even full of Bologna!

This week was my first full week of classes and the start of my internship at the National Archaeological Museum of Parma! I have been meeting with my tandem partner for Italian and getting to know the city of Parma more and more each day. I have been attending a weekly cooking class of five course Italian cuisine with this adorable older couple, Anna and Aldo. Needless to say, I leave there every Wednesday in a delirious state, far beyond a food coma. Anna's food is unlike anything I have ever had, and I never fail to clean my plate. YUM.

There was a three-day Chocolate Festival this past weekend, which I frequented (at least everyday it was there) to see and experience literal chocolate ART. There were delicious confections of ALL shapes, sizes and flavors. My favorites were the chocolate in the shape of tools, keys, watches, and shoes as well as the chocolate with hot peppers in it! Molto piccante!

There was chocolate pasta, chocolate covered fruits, white chocolate in the shape of cheese, and basically chocolate EVERYTHING.

Willy Wanka got a run for his money on this one. This place is the stuff dreams are made of AND I got to experience it with my good friend currently studying in London, Juliana. We had a grand time galavanting through town in the most beautiful weather I have seen here so far!

p.s. This week, I also got to see the factory where they make the AUTHENTIC Parmigiano-Reggiano...the Parmesan Cheese that can only truly be made in PARMA! The official brand is stamped right on the crust. We saw the Master Cheese Maker and the Cheese Cutters and the giant storage room where they age this amazing delicacy for up to two or three years before it is ripe for selling. I literally eat Parmesan cheese on EVERYTHING and I truly love it on its own. We got to sample the finished product at the end of our tour. BUONISSIMO!

Wolf Like Me

I woke before the crack of dawn on a sleepy Sunday. Getting dressed in the dark, I piled layer upon layer of weather-proof clothing. My warm furr for the day made me look like a Patagonia/UnderArmor commercial. I had packed a backpack the night before with all the necessities...I felt ready to climb Mt. Everest with Krakauer. Fleece headband, hat, gloves, snow pants, vest, parka, slicker, high socks, snow boots, bubble wrap for sitting in the snow, a lunch of prosciutto panini, an orange, and chocolate (all KEY staples in my italian cuisine), a waterbottle, sunglasses, chapstick, camera, phone, and of course...SNOW SHOES. The word for snowshoes here is "le ciaspole," so a snowshoeing journey would be called "ciaspolata." My host parents are extremely involved in hiking, skiing, and other outdoor activities. My host dad, Marco, is an alpine ski instructor and acts as a guide/rescuer for these types of excursions. They have invited me to join them on all their various adventures. Needless to say, I was more than ready for a ciaspolata!

I doze off and drown in tunes as we drive through endless mountain roads. With innumerable switchbacks, we climb and climb in our little European car for about an hour. Interestingly enough, the region we end up in is still considered part of Parma. I found the small, very rural mountain villages extremely quaint. Painted in bright colors, the weathered houses found a perfect backdrop buried in the deep greens and browns of the rolling mountain terrain. 

After driving up Monte Nero (part of the Appenine Mountains in Northern Italy, named for the black bark on the innumerable trees that freckle the steep slopes) we reached an altitude where snow surrounded us. Then, we geared up. The snow shoes are a tad clumsy at first, but you get used to it. They are wider plastic and have small spikes on the bottom which help with traction in deep snow. You have to make sure your boots fit in tight, and you are given two poles for walking. It's essentially like skiing, but backwards. You have to climb UP the mountain. It's a hike in the snow. Considering I LOVE snow and really enjoy hiking, it was a perfect way to slowly observe the nature that surrounded us. 

The woods were "lovely, dark, and deep." As we climbed higher and higher, there was fog all around us so we literally were dispersed in a cloud of white. 

I felt as though I emerged from the Wardrobe into Narnia to meet the Lion and the Witch. At flat points, when fog and snow surrounded me and shrouded everyone else from my vision, it was as though I was entirely alone in the tundra. A single speck in a cold universe. 

At difficult points, when I felt cold or tired from the steep hills, I simply sang this to myself and knew that I would be rescued if anything happened. My host mom, Paola, wished the sun had come out for our journey. She said that this weather on the mountain, with SO much fog, snow, and hail, was called "tempo di lupi," or the "Weather of the Wolves." A wolf, with its fur and keen eye would be able to navigate this weather perfectly, and stay warm. Our trail lead us over bubbling streams and around dark frozen branches. It was marked with white and red paint stripes on trees, they refer to these pistes all over N. Italy as "bianco rosso." When we came to a frozen body of water covered in deep snow called Lago Nero (Black Lake), we saw a lonesome, wet dog who calls these mountains home. 

I learned how to rescue someone from an avalanche and other important mountain safety tips for snowshoeing. We made our descent after a picnic lunch and I felt so gratified and exhausted by the end of the day. The savory steaming broth, homemade pasta, famous Parmigiano cheese with bread, wine, and conversation at dinner back home warmed my weathered body and soul after a long day spent getting lost in the beauty of the Italian woods. 

Blindsided

L'Ultima Cena - Leonardo DaVinci

While in Milan, I was able to view the famous 15th century fresco of The Last Supper by Leonardo DaVinci at Santa Maria delle Grazie. The work displays DaVinci's brilliance through its use of one-point perspective to portray the scene logically regressing into space. The incredulous, somewhat frantic expressions within this familiar scene are said to capture the exact moment after Jesus announces that one of his Twelve Apostles will betray him. As seen through the rippling wave of reaction down the table, the apostles were entirely blindsided by these accusatory words of Christ and you can see clearly their emotional response in gesture and facial expression...

Though many restoration projects and techniques have been performed, this work remains in terrible condition. Literally disintegrating in front of our eyes, DaVinci's "fresco secco" was unfortunately an ineffective technique. Painting directly on dry cement as opposed to wet, the technique used on this particular work, created a weak bond for the paint and therefore allowed for much damage to occur over the numerous years of turbulence in Milan's history. Appointments to view this holy scene must be booked weeks in advance and visitors are only allowed to stay in the room with the fresco for ten or fifteen minutes.

While in Milan, we also visited the Brera Gallery where we viewed an array of magnificent paintings by Italian masters such as Mantega, Raphael, and Piero della Francesco. The work of Mantegna entitled "Lamentation Over Christ" proved the most dramatic in its extreme foreshortening of the dead body of Christ and was effective in capturing of the tragic moment of mourning after the Crucifixion.

I feel very lucky to have been able to set eyes on DaVinci's disappearing masterpiece. Seeing it in real life was spectacular. Just look closely...before we all lose the chance.

Empty

Last Wednesday, my art history course took a delightful detour. Instead of going to an archaic abode of Renaissance and Mannerist art per usual, we visited a modern art exhibit in Palazzo del Governatore at Piazza Garibaldi and the Chiesa di San Marcellino. A show entitled 'Naufragio con Spettatore' (Shipwreak with Spectator), it displayed the work of the eccentric contemporary artist, Claudio Parmiggiani. He utilized iron, paint, smoke, anchors, books and other forms of multi-media representation to show unusual, yet deeply meaningful messages through visual ironies. Not a single work title was displayed nor were there any descriptive plaques. The beauty and vivacity of the exhibit is renewed with each instantaneous interpretation by each individual viewer. By adding this component of mystery in the meaning, the artist successfully breathes life into each piece.

This is a picture of the work constructed inside an old abandoned church. Chilled to the bone by the extremely low temperature of the space, as well as the eerie calm of a ship placed indoors, I stood in awe of both the scale and ambition of the piece. It is a real, life-sized sail boat, placed on piles of thousands of books. Thousands and thousands of piled pages of words. I could smell the freshly aged paper when I walked in. The symbolism could be seen as pessimistic or optimistic. 

Though I believe the artist looked at this work as a symbol of hopelessness, I interpreted in a more optimistic manner...

For when the sails of Humanity become tangled in harsh winds of Society, Man is ultimately able to keep afloat with the unyielding support of pure Knowledge and Wisdom.

The installation on the interior of the museum space was set up within numerous conjoining rooms that were entirely bare. Empty except for one single work in each, the rooms were painted stark white. The artist wanted only natural light to be used, so the windows were all uncovered and the minimal electric lamps were created to emulate sunlight. The gray tile floor of the museum, located in an old palace in the center of Parma, was the perfect contrast to the bright simplicity of rest of the exhibition space. This theme of contrasting textures and contradicting ideologies would remain a theme throughout the show. 

For instance, this light chalk statuette of a woman, with a delicate butterfly shrouding her genitals, is placed opposite a large, old-fashioned dark wooden cello case (like a coffin) with multiple butterflies swarming like flies on the inside. Without the instrument inside, it has lost all meaning and its proper funtion. The statue's focus on life, pristine beauty, and youth is dramatically contrasted with the heavy, eerie 'memento mori' of the splintering and weathered wooden case often used for burying dead in past centuries. 

Another multi-media work with a nautical theme, made years before this installation was even imagined, is this toy-like, tri-part work. Similar to the ship on the books within the church, but on a significantly smaller scale, this has strikingly similar imagery. However, it brings the role of Man directly into the equation through the placing of the chalk cast of the disembodied head wedged in between the boat and the books. A possible interpretation...

Man is the Foundation for forward movement, or Progress, but only when He rests on Reason. 

One of my favorite of Parmaggiani's works was a small lead sculpture of a anatomically correct heart. The heavy, lifeless model of this vital organ is placed on top of an open book. However, the book has blank pages. There are no words. Since the heart is made of iron, and therefore not real and pumping, it is not functional and therefore not actually even effective for its purpose within the work. Without putting One's real, authentic Heart into anything...nothing Productive can result. Hence, the blank pages. So One's book will always be empty and therefore void of all meaning, if One refuses to put the Passion and Heart into all creative endeavors...in this case, writing or intellectual expression on the page.

Though I could literally go into the political, intellectual, societal, and social commentary that thrilled me with each passing work of art in this exhibit, I won't. I couldn't provide proper visual aid, considering many of the works were made new, solely for this installation in Parma.

However, I will leave you with one of my favorites of the show. One which will be remaining once it leaves the space. It is an entire small room, located at the end of the exhibit. The artist began with freshly painted white walls. He then installed shelves and arranged numerous books of all shapes and sizes upon them. He proceeded to close off the opening to the room and allow a fire to burn in the center over night. This left the most remarkable silhouette of soot behind. I could still smell the sulfur and smell of charred paint. The black ash that smoked from the fire now covers the walls in the pattern of books on shelves, showing only a ghostly negative of what used to be.

Over all the show was eerie, magical, and shocking in its ironies and intellectual intricacies. It renewed my faith in modern art and allowed for a interesting break from the classical works of Italian masters.

Paris (Aeroplane Remix ft. Au Revoir Simone)

"...the nostalgia of a trip you've only dreamt of..."


The experience of seeing Paris for the first time was like walking by a candy shop window every single day of your life, and only at age twenty one years old being able to FINALLY go in and taste a macaroon. (The world-renowned macaroons at Ladurée on the Champs Elysée did the trick for this fantasy!)

"An artist has no home in Europe except in Paris." 

-Friedrich Nietzsche 

The art, architecture, culture, food, and language had me absolutely dazzled and dying for more. We rode around the city on a red double decker bus tour called "Les Cars Rouges." This was a fabulous way to see the main sights of the City of Lights. 

Notre Dame Cathedral inspired awe and silence as the vaulted Gothic architecture evoked spirituality and reverence. Voices echoed and droned as we observed the relics and large stone pillars that surrounded us. I loved this church even more than Saint Peter's...which appeared gaudy in comparison with its Baroque elaboration. We were fortunate enough to attend Mass here (entirely in french) on Saturday night. I spotted Quasimodo hanging in the bell tower conversing with the gargoyles and I am almost positive the gypsy who begged for money outside was Esmeralda. 

"Good Americans, when they die, go to Paris." 

-Thomas Gold Appleton

The Champs Elysée was the place to be. With high end shopping and  fashionable madames dressed to the neufs, this is certainly where the plush and wealthy saunter. We had an authentic lunch at a bistro called Charles V. We spotted a little pug wagging it's curled tail behind a swirling wrought iron banister of a second story window along the rue. As we watched the embroidered silk curtains dance in front of him as the crystal chandelier hug above, we knew that we had caught a glimpse of the real Paris. 


"All I wanted was to connect my moods with those of Paris. Beauty paints and when it painted most, I shot." 
-Ernst Haas



The Opéra and Grand Palais were breath-taking. Madame Butterfly was playing and I would have given anything to have seen it in the grand theatre. Trocadéro (named after the Spanish battle) was the perfect bookend, complimenting the Eiffel Tower, to border the Champ de Mars (once a training ground for young soldiers...it got its named from the mythological diety Mars, the god of war.)  


Walking under arches to enter the courtyard of the Louvre was quite an experience. With the dark of night contrasting each elaborate window lit up in waves of gold with fountains spurting everywhere, I have never felt so excited. A French man played his sultry viola as the gushing water sprayed my face and the anticipation of seeing famous art aroused my soul. This moment of awe was the epitome of bliss pour moi. 


Inside the Louvre, seeing the Mona Lisa, the Venus di Milo, the Nike of Samothrace, Botticellis, and other famous historical art melted my heart. 


However, my most significant artistic moment happened at the Musée d'Orsay. Within an old train station with high glass ceilings exposing the fine works underneath, this place I could spend all day in. The Impressionists and Post Impressionists that I have been learning about for years hung heavy with textured impasto paint on the walls. Renoir's "Dance in the City" literally took my breath away as I stood in front of it. I had an outer-body experience as I set eyes on a work I have studied intensely and replicated into fresco form in an art history workshop. 


"America is my country and Paris is my hometown." 
-Gertrude Stein 


We climbed the Tour Eiffel on foot...all six hundred something stairs. The panoramic view of France's capital was entirely worth every step up the iron structure. The ice rink on the second level was a pleasant surprise that I would love to revisit someday. 


Built as the entrance to the 1889 World Fair by Eiffel, the lattice tower was meant to be temporary. Now, it remains as an icon that I have dreamt of seeing from childhood.  My favorite moment shared with the 'iron lady' was when I stood munching on a croque monsieur while the monument sparkled brilliantly and lit up in the night sky!  



"Going out in Paris was like going out in the '30s dressed like the Andrews Sisters. It was everything I'd seen in books at my grandparents' house, only it was our generation." 
-Christina Lacroix


Our last day was spent at Versaille. This palace was the largest, most elaborate structure I have ever set foot in. I felt like a princess as I meandered each gold-leafed, color-coded chamber. The floral canopy bed of Marie Antoinette was my favorite part. We got to see through the small hidden door through which she escaped the night Versaille was stormed during the French Revolution. After the tour, we got the royal treatment as we delicately ate eclairs and tarts in the palace cafe. Outside, the green gardens twirled and turned in labyrinths of topiary twists. The fountains, lawns, and wooded areas stretched for miles and I can only imagine what it felt like to own such astounding acreage. 


This was initially meant for one of my very loyal readers, but I will repost it because I personally found the food my favorite part of Paris:


l'addition a la fin di paris:

soup de l'oignon 9€
beignet sucre e chocolat 2€
crepes avec nutella e banane a la Bastille quartier 4€
croque monsieur a la tour d'eifel 4€
croque madame alla baguette avec oeuf 10€
macaroon caramel a la Ladurée Champs D'Elysee 1€
eclair chocolat a la Versaille 2€
vin rose (not grapejuice!) 4€
croissant le beurre a la PAUL 1€
cafe au lait vanille 4€
quiche avec salmon 1€
french fries 2€
a weekend of eating NONSTOP, priceless. 


I could talk about Paris all day, but dreams must be awoken from and this post must cease at some point. I was able to use all that French I learned in high school, I was able to eat crépes till I exploded, and I learned a lot about traveling in Europe. Despite some minor crazed events that occurred this weekend, I had a fabulous time galavanting through the city with some wonderful people. Paris literally holds the Key to my Heart, but arriving back in Italy felt like coming Home. C'est la vie.

Carousel

"Wherever you go, there's something at which to marvel."

This morning found me lounging about my casa bella sharing a glass of fresh squeezed Sicilian orange juice with Paola, my host mother. She is always cooking up amazing Italian treats for me! Her simple, healthy meals are infused with so many natural flavors of hot red pepper, garlic, and olive oil. Honestly, the only thing disappointing about mealtime is when it's over.

It snowed in Parma today! The scene outside my window this afternoon was a delicate winter wonderland laced with frosting. Since it was so chilly, Paola and I worked together to get the fireplace going and relaxed as the flames danced and hypnotized us both. Over the warmth of the hearth, we conversed in italian (hers perfect, mine still broken). She learns english words from me, and I learn italian conversation from her. When I hosted a few of my Boston College friends for the afternoon and dinner, Paola welcomed them in. She gave them some cooking tips as we all worked on the meal together. The gelato that we had for dessert was probably the best I have ever tasted. I am getting adjusted to life/food in Parma very quickly and I have my first cooking class this Wednesday with a cute older woman named Anna. 

Some notable things I forgot to mention about the first week in Florence:

There was a Carousel. I have loved these from a very young age &was so happy to take a midnight ride on the colorful painted horses that lit up the piazza. Also, walking by the Duomo at night can be very eerie and extremely awe-inspiring. Everything is so perfect, you feel like you are in Disney World. 

Damien Hurst's "For The Love of God" at Palazzo Vecchio. A skull entirely covered in diamonds, worth about 99 million dollars. A work of modern art, in a palace whose name literally means 'old.' Stunning. 

While in Florence, we took a short scenic bus trip to a small village called Fiesole. Hiking to the top of the hilly area was entirely worth it, as we saw a view of the Duomo and Florence skyline that was INCREDIBLE. We had lunch in a small cafe at this deserted town before descending the mountain. 

Le Ciel Dans Une Chambre

I was warned to beware of the culture shock that would occur upon arrival in Parma. The slower, more rustic life of the quaint city of Parma doesn't compare to the fast-paced stimulation of life in Florence. Personally, I was pleasantly surprised by the change of scene. A smaller, more intimate city than Florence and Rome, Parma offers a taste of "real" Italy. Almost no one speaks English very well. There are no flocks of American tourists and students in the streets and museums. As such, I look forward to making Parma feel like home.

The yellow architectural structures and innumerable traffic circles create an amalgamation of old with new as modern shops and vintage cafes line the narrow streets. I have fallen in love with my rusty black bicycle. I ride my bicycle all over the long tree-lined streets and explore the beautiful park right outside my doorstep on Via Torelli. On main roads, the right of way is given to bicyclists because of the prevalence of riding here. Though it is still chilly and I am forced to wear a hat or earmuffs, I have found no better way to get around town.

The center of the city is called Piazza Garibaldi. A yellow building with sundials, thermometers, and compasses etched in black stands tall with a clock marking the piazza where cafe tables surround a giant statue of Garibaldi. I am becoming familiar with the street names and locations of the other students' villas and apartments around town and my map is always handy while I orientate myself to Parma. I was placed in a homestay with a couple in their mid-forties with no children. Their names are Paola and Marco Gazzola and they are AMAZING. They are sweet, well-traveled, knowledgeable, and kind. However, they do not speak english. This has been a blessing in disguise as I end each family dinner thinking in italian. Hopefully, I will have some mastery over the language by the time I leave here in June.

The Gazzola apartment is BEAUTIFUL. Located in a quiet neighborhood five minutes from the main street through town, the area is lovely. A mix between Bauhaus decor and eclectic European simplicity, their home is comfortable, neat, and well decorated. My room is spacious with rich hardwood floors and plenty of reading material. There are gorgeous guitars hung on the wall. I have the most picturesque view of the park and the trees there look like something out of a fairytale. I can't wait till the weather gets nice to lay out with a good book and some vino frizzante.

We have visited the Galleria Nazionale in Parma and the Farnese Theatre (which had to be reconstructed after bombings in World War II). We learned about a fresco of nude putti dancing through a garden at the once affluent convent in Parma and also seen the Cathedral. These sites where one of the great Northern Italian artists called Correggio had his start. The Art History class will continue with day trips around Italy and more information on hotspots in Parma. Also, we have begun learning about the history of Parma. That class takes place entirely in italian, but the Professoressa (Elizabetta) is fantastic!

The people from Parma are so real and though life isn't as wild as Florence, I will certainly be enjoying the quiet and culturally immersed life here. As the church bells toll out my window and I sit anticipating cooking dinner with my host mother (she is a fabulous cook and a vegetarian so I have been taking note of all her recipes!), I am so content with this new life in Italy. It is everything I could have imagined and more!

Bones

The day trip to Rome on Friday was extremely enlightening. It deeply satisfied my hunger for art, as well as food. For some reason, waking up at 5:30 AM gave me a true Italian appetite and all I could do all day was eat and eat and eat and eat. And what better time to do that but...when in Rome, right?

6:40 AM Craving a hot dog at the station as I prepare to board my first European train. I refrain. 

7:20 AM Eat my sugar crackers and Nutella on the train. Never having quite understood the Nutella mania before Italy, I have now come to LOVE the brown gunk and just bought a full jar for myself today. 

9:40 AM We got a quick coffee break before entering the Vatican. I proceed with the group to the nearest bar (which is what they call cafes here) and order an over-priced blueberry pastry and a steaming cappuccino. Delicious, but somewhat rushed. 

10:00 AM Enter the Vatican Museum. There is no other word to describe this haven of expensive art than "priceless." The collections within are centuries old and house some of the most famous art ever made. Seeing Raphael's School of Athens and his Transfiguration were a dream come true. There was also a modern art section with Bacon, Picasso, etc. that I would love to go back and peruse. 

11:00 AM St. Peter's Basilica was the most beautiful and elaborate place of worship I think I have ever stepped into. Said to be built upon the bones of San Pietro, this church's paintings, tombs, columns, and sheer gargantuan size were unreal. Rocky said you could easily fit two football fields within...yet the intricate Baroque architecture and massive sculptural elements are deceptive and mask its large size from within. The shrine to San Pietro is shining with gold embellishments and resides under a large baldachin by Bernini with Solomonic columns that twirl in bronze. After the basilica, I journeyed down below to the tombs of the popes to see where John Paul II was buried. People stood praying and just looking at the pristine white marble that lays over the beautiful humanitarian buried below. I had to stop to admire the flowers that lay gently across the inscription as the guards instructed visitors where to go.  

1:30 PM Bruscetta. &A rich, spicy dish of Penne Putanesca at a small restaurant. 

3:00 PM I shared a sugar covered donut the size of my head and helped to finish off someone's gelato while we waited to meet the group in St. Peter's square. 

4:40 PM I am back at the train station and craving a hot dog...again. 

7:00 PM Our amazing chef at the hotel provides us with another fabulous italian meal....as I have every single night, I eat an entire plate piled high with pasta, meat, salad, bread, and of course...I have dessert. 

I have eaten CONSTANTLY since I have been here. I have learned to love everything put on my plate, from prosciutto to artichokes. I have eaten pizza almost every day. I am addicted to cappuccino and love the way they eat dinner for hours. 

Overall, Florence and Rome were a whirlwind of sensory overload. I didn't sleep at all the first week and just took everything in. ART, music, food, people, language, culture, dance, and wine. I love everything about Italy so far and I can't wait to tell you how things go now that I am safely in Parma!!! 

Renaissance / My Boy Builds Coffins

The view from the fifth floor window of Hotel Meridiana was my first breath-taking moment in Florence. The setting sun gleamed over terra cotta rooftops as the balcony door opened. I became covered in sooty dust as I grasped the windowsill to gain a peek further down the tree lined street. Cars zoomed by below and beams of sun blinked through the hint of the Duomo standing in the distance.

The Art History intensive class crammed into last week left me not only breathless and covering in goosebumps, but also speechless. A brilliant man named Rocky was our professor and guide. His relaxed yet informative on-site lectures left me weak in the knees. The course focused on High Renaissance and Mannerism. 

Throughout the week, we covered Donatello, the Sculptural and Architectural Works of Michelangelo, Mannerist Painting, Rome under Pope Julius II, The Medici Popes & Dukes, Da Vinci, and Raphael. 

Upon visiting the Borgello Museum, we saw the first freestanding male nude statue made since antiquity (Donatello's David), the Competition Panels of Ghiberti and Brunelleschi, a statue of St. George the Dragon Slayer, as well as a statue of Bacchus by Michelangelo. Visiting Casa Buonarroti after that was fantastic. Though Michelangelo never actually resided there, the home was made as shrine to him and his works after he left his multi-million dollar fortune to his nephew. One of my favorite parts of this place was seeing the master of marble's shoes and walking stick, in addition his fantastic sculptures. 

Other sites visited in Florence throughout the week were The Uffizi Gallery, The Accademia Gallery, The New Sacristy, Palazzo Pitti, San Felicita, Palazzo Vecchio, Ponte Vecchio, and The Duomo (which I climbed alllllll the way to the top of for a terrifyingly beautiful view). I also visited a nearby rustic town in the hills named Fiesola for a gorgeous view of Florence. Also, the Boboli Gardens outside of Palazzo Pitti were breathtaking. 

By the end of each of Rocky's lectures, I found my self more and more obsessed with Michelangelo. Despite Raphael's vibrant use of congiantismo or Leonardo's perfection of chiaroscuro, I just wound up always marveling at Michelangelo's influence on the history of what makes an artist. He experienced his success at such a young age, and his minute mastery of stone surpassed any other sculptor. His works, like The David, had me literally brushing away tears and goosebumps. His room dedicated to tombs of the Medici at The New Sacristy told a mythological story that was literally explicated in every curve of marble. 

Another artist who made a large impact was Botticelli. Seeing LaPrimavera and The Birth of Venus was truly a spectacular experience. The large scale paintings with gold-leaf interwoven amidst paint and myth brought an emotional effect. The iconography and stories within Avid's Metamorphoses explicated the visual narrative as Rocky put the works into historical context. Created under the patronage of the Medici Family in a time when Catholicism dominated in Italian art, the paintings prove stunning in their duplicity. For example, the figure of Venus in LaPrimavera, goddess of love, could be seen as a type for the Blessed Virgin Mary, as her son Eros (Cupid) flies above her bringing love to earth (i.e. Jesus Christ). I personally love when classic Greco-Roman themes of myth and paganism are able to be tied in with religion of the Renaissance...oftentimes within one single work.   

Dream About Flying

Flying high in the aeroplane over the sea, the mounting excitement of my journey hits me hard and heavy like a change in cabin pressure. The geometric red cross logo of Swiss Air cutting through clouds over the Alps made me reconsider the term "mountains" as we flew over Zurich. Never had I seen such infinite stretching snow-capped delights in all my life.

On the flight, I perused the Swiss Air Magazine and some Italian guide books to glean hints as to how to prepare for this "Euro" experience. While seeing ads for streamline, expensive watches, Swiss chocolates, and the relaxed, laid back European lifestyles, I read about obscure art nestled in Prague hotspots. I felt so addicted already. In fact, I scribbled notes into the blank back pages of my pleasure book so I wouldn't forget all that inspired me as the friendly multi-lingual flight crew patrolled the aisles.

Here are some tidbits I learned while Wagner tunes flooded my free plastic headphones...

A poet of the Czech 'decadent' movement described a scene at the Prague Castle where horse-drawn carriage rides and romantic strolls through medieval cityscapes still exist...

"In the autumn dusk, slightly hazel, the moon is shining with the light of a shaded lamp."

-Karel Hlavalek 

There is also a gigantic circular architectural tower made of books at the city library in Prague...a must see for any nerdy gal. 

I also learned about Prague's Baradov Studios, one of the oldest film studios with beautiful antique equipment.

It seems I need to go to Prague someday.

As an aside, if I ever make it to India, I would love to see the Devi Art Foundation at the Vadehra Art Gallery in Gurgaon where esteemed husband and wife artists Subodh Gupta and Bharti Kher make beautiful sculptures out of Bindi dots and metal eating utensils (separate sculptures of course).

&So my list of "places to go" grows larger and my world expands with every turn of the page of the in-flight magazine. Go figure. I am sure my parents would have been happy to learn that all I needed for adventure was a few glossy feature articles and an aisle seat. 

Lastly, I will leave you with this quote out of an article I read that gives me a feeling of inner peace as I embark on this new and intimidating new phase of my life. I decided upon reading this to follow this philosophy while in Italy...as I will be seeing things I have never seen before and may perhaps never see again...

"Detoxify. Cast off everyday routines. Forget all about roles & functions. Empty the mind. Take that long dreamt of journey into the inner self. Encounter peace & calm. Become not merely still, but unhurried. Take it easy. Marvel."

-Frudi Von Fellenburg-Bitzi

More to come on how I have applied this mantra with fun in Florence, running around Rome, and finally some peace in Parma!

Time To Send Someone Away

Packing for my semester abroad in Italy! I will stay in Florence for a week, and will then reside in a small city in Northern Italy...a place called Parma. My posts will include overviews of my journeys, experiences, & most importantly...amazing artistic adventures!

P.S.
Each of my posts will be titled with a song name...Just a fun, quirky way to share some tunes if you're hankering for musical stimulation.