Friday, March 20, 2009
the eternal city...in a few days
ROME HAS MY HEART. I loved Greece for its ancient ruins and I love Florence for its breathtaking architecture and beautiful frescos and paintings.. all of this into one city equals Rome. We spent early Tuesday to Friday night in this wonderful city. The trip didn't start off too well... my friend Katherine and I missed the train- long story haha but funny- but all was fine once I set eyes on the Colesseum :) That is the first thing I saw. Talk about a monstrous masterpiece. It looks fit for the gods (if I believed in good ole Zeus and Athena). I think I took abou t500 pictures...no joke. We saw so much! My favorite thing was the Roman Forun :) It is a valley full of Temples, ancient arches, and all sorts of eye candy. I could have stayed there all day. Time seemed to stand still- it was so alien to see birds flying around the tall arches and columns. It is another trip where I could write a novel over all the things we saw...We went to the Vatican today...that was mind botteling..I am still trying to recover. The Sistine Chapel would take days to look at every single part, my neck started hurting after thirty minutes, but it is trully life changing..Seeing things that I have only seen in history books is amazing...and I still cannot believe it is really in front of my own eyes.
Monday, March 16, 2009
an alien world...full of alien letters..
GREEECCE!!! I finally got to go on my dream spring break trip!! I have been wanting to go to Greece for the longest time! The culture is totally different, they have gyros, teal water, myths, ancient statues and buildings... and a whole different alphabet! We left in the afternoon, trained into Milan, spent the night in the airport ( i didnt sleep at all..), and left for Athens at 6 that morning. I am not going to lie, it was pretty nerve racking...I have never been in charge of planning something...there were five of us girls...none of us had ever made train reservations or made our own flight...I definately grew up a whole lot haha. We made it to Athens and the directors of the HUG (Harding in Greece) program picked us up and took us to Porta Rafti-where the university is. My best friend Calle and I had a better reunion than I could ever have imagined. We probably pierced some ears while we were having this fantastic reunion..but we didnt care..We went straight to the water. Porta Rafti is a small port town..very quaint :) The next day we woke up and went into Athens. While the HUG group was in church us HUF girls went to the Archeological museum (whoops) It was so amazing!! Greeks laid the foundation for the art and architecture that I have been studying in Italy..instead of seeing works from AD 1200 I had sculptures from 600 BC right in front of my 2009 eyes. IT was UNREAL. We met the group at the Akropoli after they got out of church. let me tell you, as soon as i saw the Parthenon my heart almost stopped. It is so mystical. The hike up the mountain makes you feel other wordly. The grass is a sharp green and there are thousands of year old stones and blocks that held up temples all around. My camera didnt charge so I dont have any pictures of that day, but the rest of the girls did thank goodness....I have to go get money out the bank real fast then I'll blog more tonight
Thursday, March 5, 2009
my pictures will not load....and Cinque Terre
so the best part of cinque terre ...is getting to see everything..i took so many great pictures but this computer will refuse to let me load them...anyways i will try when i get back from
GREECE!!
We stayed in the little town of Vernazza ..one of the five cities
it was perfect
one pizzeria, two coffee shops (bar), a couple of cute jewelry shops, and a picture perfect sea and harbor to go with it.
It took my breath away
The next day we went hiking through all the cities and all of them were picturesque.When we went to Monterossa I jumped in the emerald Legorian sea!!!! It was freezing, but I just wanted to say i did it...in the first of march...haha. We had penne pasta with salmon cream sauce and calamari for lunch :) The water is so beautiful!!! It rained alot, but it didnt matter- I loved it. We walked the via della amore...and there is a seat for couples to sit and kiss...so of course our group stopped. Robbie explained it to us, and of course made me and Brett go first since we are the only legitimate couple ..haha it was so embarrassing...but hilarious. Then Mark and Loghan took the throne...then Rosie and Grant...Jonathan and Lauren... Monique and Steve...lets just say we had alot of fun haha
The next day the beauty continued, as did the great seafood. Me and some guys went to a restaruant in Monte rossa and had flat speghetti with clams mussles and crawfish-a platter of mixed grilled fish- and it was delectable
yum my mouth is watering
tomorrow I leave for my dream spring break!! We get to spend the day in Milan and our flight for athens leaves at 6 in the morning
AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
i gotta sleep
ciao! and ill talk to ya in a week! i get back on the 12
I am running out of time. I will have to put another entry in tomorrow or when I get to Greece.
GREECE!!
We stayed in the little town of Vernazza ..one of the five cities
it was perfect
one pizzeria, two coffee shops (bar), a couple of cute jewelry shops, and a picture perfect sea and harbor to go with it.
It took my breath away
The next day we went hiking through all the cities and all of them were picturesque.When we went to Monterossa I jumped in the emerald Legorian sea!!!! It was freezing, but I just wanted to say i did it...in the first of march...haha. We had penne pasta with salmon cream sauce and calamari for lunch :) The water is so beautiful!!! It rained alot, but it didnt matter- I loved it. We walked the via della amore...and there is a seat for couples to sit and kiss...so of course our group stopped. Robbie explained it to us, and of course made me and Brett go first since we are the only legitimate couple ..haha it was so embarrassing...but hilarious. Then Mark and Loghan took the throne...then Rosie and Grant...Jonathan and Lauren... Monique and Steve...lets just say we had alot of fun haha
The next day the beauty continued, as did the great seafood. Me and some guys went to a restaruant in Monte rossa and had flat speghetti with clams mussles and crawfish-a platter of mixed grilled fish- and it was delectable
yum my mouth is watering
tomorrow I leave for my dream spring break!! We get to spend the day in Milan and our flight for athens leaves at 6 in the morning
AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
i gotta sleep
ciao! and ill talk to ya in a week! i get back on the 12
I am running out of time. I will have to put another entry in tomorrow or when I get to Greece.
just cruisin baby
Man do i have alot to right!! AH this is going to take a couple of entries... Our trip this week began in Luca. Luca is basically the Pheonix of Italy... It is a quiet city surrounded by huge medieval walls that date back from the thirteenth century! The churches were cool and all, but my favorite part was renting bikes and riding on the walls. Lets just say i have been itching for a bike ride ever since i got here...and i got to scratch in Luca! There are ancient trees that line the walls and ruins on the sides, you really feel like you are in Narnia... other wordly...we got gelato and just cruised for about thirty minutes...on to Pisa
The best part about Pisa was the graveyard. There are outside hallway type of building...really hard to describe.. that house hundreds of bodies. The contrast between the white limestone of the building with the bright green grass was so...Britainia.. anways the baptistry has the best acoustics, and a man demonstrated for us..the leaning tower...is still leaning...dont worry..overall i didnt really like it, it is run now by touristy stands and African men chasing you down with fake prada purses...i dont even like prada...
i need to go paint my toenails for greece and i'll finish up later tonight :)
The best part about Pisa was the graveyard. There are outside hallway type of building...really hard to describe.. that house hundreds of bodies. The contrast between the white limestone of the building with the bright green grass was so...Britainia.. anways the baptistry has the best acoustics, and a man demonstrated for us..the leaning tower...is still leaning...dont worry..overall i didnt really like it, it is run now by touristy stands and African men chasing you down with fake prada purses...i dont even like prada...
i need to go paint my toenails for greece and i'll finish up later tonight :)
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Casa Buonarotti e il Ufizzi
Michelangelo's crib-
My small group for Humanities was assigned to the casa Buonarotti. It doesn't seem to special on the outside, but just remember that it did house one of the most important geniuses in the world...
Being me, I got in trouble by the over zealous guard...I took a picture of Michelangelo's shoes...I turned the flash off, but apparently ( the guard physcially made me go and look at the sign) there is a sign on a wall somewhere that prohibits all photography... whooops. :) so now I have an illegal picture of a self portrait, and some shoes... ( sometimes Michelangelo worked so hard and for so long that when he took his shoes off when he finished his art, his skin would come off just like a sock--sick)It was kind of confusing, I mean the lay out of the house. The english signs didn't explain the art very well. All I know is that I saw some parts of Michelangelo's drawings and designs! that was awesome...and I was in the same house that he lived in! Most of the art wasn't Michelangelos unfortunatly. It was neat to see where he studied and pulled away to (his sanctuary).
the Ufizzi
I LOVE MUSEUMS!!! call me what you will(nerdess)but the museums are my favorite! The Ufizzi is beautiful and is ORGANIZED! The Medici family built the Ufizzi for office buildings, but changed their mind (thank goodness) and created the greatest art gallery of all time. All the red carpet italian artists are featured there, and it over looks the beautiful Ponte Vecchio. I saw so much..its so hard for me to remember! but dont worry its all in my moleskin. My favorite works were by Barcacci- the birth of Venus and Spring- painted in a time where unreligous art was very uncool. The paintings are so much more than color on canvas.
i love art
too bad my skills dont go past hearts and peace signs..
Gotta go study for il esame italiano
ciao!
My small group for Humanities was assigned to the casa Buonarotti. It doesn't seem to special on the outside, but just remember that it did house one of the most important geniuses in the world...
Being me, I got in trouble by the over zealous guard...I took a picture of Michelangelo's shoes...I turned the flash off, but apparently ( the guard physcially made me go and look at the sign) there is a sign on a wall somewhere that prohibits all photography... whooops. :) so now I have an illegal picture of a self portrait, and some shoes... ( sometimes Michelangelo worked so hard and for so long that when he took his shoes off when he finished his art, his skin would come off just like a sock--sick)It was kind of confusing, I mean the lay out of the house. The english signs didn't explain the art very well. All I know is that I saw some parts of Michelangelo's drawings and designs! that was awesome...and I was in the same house that he lived in! Most of the art wasn't Michelangelos unfortunatly. It was neat to see where he studied and pulled away to (his sanctuary).
the Ufizzi
I LOVE MUSEUMS!!! call me what you will(nerdess)but the museums are my favorite! The Ufizzi is beautiful and is ORGANIZED! The Medici family built the Ufizzi for office buildings, but changed their mind (thank goodness) and created the greatest art gallery of all time. All the red carpet italian artists are featured there, and it over looks the beautiful Ponte Vecchio. I saw so much..its so hard for me to remember! but dont worry its all in my moleskin. My favorite works were by Barcacci- the birth of Venus and Spring- painted in a time where unreligous art was very uncool. The paintings are so much more than color on canvas.
i love art
too bad my skills dont go past hearts and peace signs..
Gotta go study for il esame italiano
ciao!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
A world with the same cold*Barcaccio* and the Pitti Palace*
Ok so apparently there is a cold epidemic..are you aware? I have had this same stupid cold for a week! I don't feel that bad, but I have used about a walmart stock house full of toilet paper to blow my nose... Our group has had the crud ever since we have gotten here, and it is still making its way, paying a personal visit to everyone who has a nose and throat- awesome. haha enough of my moaning...next topic: our onsite class today!
we have been stuck in the villa every morning for class till today!! We started off (of course) in a cute little bar near our destination- The Brancacci Chapel. We were only allowed to stay inside for fifteen minutes, so our tour guide, the lovely Cindy, told us the important words about what our eyes were about to see as we scribbled in our moleskins. The Brancacci chapel was almost destroyed in a fire in 1771, and the only thing that remained is the left and right chapels in the trancepts of the church. This is why it is so precious to the Florentines. The chapels include frescoes done by very famous artists including Masaccio, Masolino, and Fillippino Lippi. The scene that you might be familiar with is the expulsion of Adam and Even from the garden. The picture is absolutley dreadful. Eve is in terrible pain and Adam is bending over in anguish- I am beginning to appreciate how these artists can make these still pictures show humanistic emotion- they are my favorite. There are also frescoes of the stories of St. Peter including his martyrdom on the upside down cross.
The next place we traveled was to the Santo Spirito. It is a beautiful church and it is the first time in ten years that the HUF group got to go inside!! So as you can imagine it was quite a treat! The gray stone columns, and arches designed by the AMAZING Brunelleschi of course took my breath away. I love his style!
then we moved on to the AWESOME PITTI PALACE!!!
it is unbelievable how much artwork, frames, paintings, tables, SATIN WALL PAPER!!!, and other apolstries is still here! from hundreds of years ago!! The Palace has several museums inside of it- costume, silver, sculpture, modern art, a buffet of wonders... isn't that so freaking cool!!! We went to the painting gallery and saw works from Rafael to Andrea del Sarto. There were hundreds of paintings, and all in these extravagent rooms with satin on the walls that were original from the days of the Hapsburg rule. That blew my mind. And they say that the fabrics are so delicate and beaufifully made that they cannot be copied...
The Boboli Gardens
Beautiful
go there asap
we ate lunch in the Boboli Gardens, and let me just say that once again i have found another favorite spot and WILL be going back ( i hope Brett takes me on a date there :) i threw a little hint today haha)
then we went back to the villa because we have tons of homework and tests tomorrow :) Phillipians 4:6
ciao
:) ti amo
we have been stuck in the villa every morning for class till today!! We started off (of course) in a cute little bar near our destination- The Brancacci Chapel. We were only allowed to stay inside for fifteen minutes, so our tour guide, the lovely Cindy, told us the important words about what our eyes were about to see as we scribbled in our moleskins. The Brancacci chapel was almost destroyed in a fire in 1771, and the only thing that remained is the left and right chapels in the trancepts of the church. This is why it is so precious to the Florentines. The chapels include frescoes done by very famous artists including Masaccio, Masolino, and Fillippino Lippi. The scene that you might be familiar with is the expulsion of Adam and Even from the garden. The picture is absolutley dreadful. Eve is in terrible pain and Adam is bending over in anguish- I am beginning to appreciate how these artists can make these still pictures show humanistic emotion- they are my favorite. There are also frescoes of the stories of St. Peter including his martyrdom on the upside down cross.
The next place we traveled was to the Santo Spirito. It is a beautiful church and it is the first time in ten years that the HUF group got to go inside!! So as you can imagine it was quite a treat! The gray stone columns, and arches designed by the AMAZING Brunelleschi of course took my breath away. I love his style!
then we moved on to the AWESOME PITTI PALACE!!!
it is unbelievable how much artwork, frames, paintings, tables, SATIN WALL PAPER!!!, and other apolstries is still here! from hundreds of years ago!! The Palace has several museums inside of it- costume, silver, sculpture, modern art, a buffet of wonders... isn't that so freaking cool!!! We went to the painting gallery and saw works from Rafael to Andrea del Sarto. There were hundreds of paintings, and all in these extravagent rooms with satin on the walls that were original from the days of the Hapsburg rule. That blew my mind. And they say that the fabrics are so delicate and beaufifully made that they cannot be copied...
The Boboli Gardens
Beautiful
go there asap
we ate lunch in the Boboli Gardens, and let me just say that once again i have found another favorite spot and WILL be going back ( i hope Brett takes me on a date there :) i threw a little hint today haha)
then we went back to the villa because we have tons of homework and tests tomorrow :) Phillipians 4:6
ciao
:) ti amo
Thursday, February 19, 2009
a few broken bones, concusion, and an overall amazing trip... :)
SKIING!! number one- i love skiing
number two- i love snow
number three- i love lodges with hot chocolate and cappuccino
number four- the Italian Apennines mountains are LEGIT
We went skiing for three days in Abetone. It was a BEAUTIFUL bus ride!! I am telling you there is nothing ugly about Italy. You can see in my pictures (which look like paintings) that the countryside is breathtaking. I felt like I was in a fantasy world! It took about two hours to get there, and we were on the mountain by eleven. It was a little icy the first day, but it was still awesome. The sunshine was out, hardly any wind= perfect ski weather. I had a blast! We didn't get off the mountain till about 4:30. The next morning we all got up and had breakfast at 7:45 and hit the slopes by 8:30 haha. We were skiing till 4:30 again. It truly was a dream come true. Everyone had so much fun. I skied with Brett the second and third day, and he was great! Oh and the lodges are super nice! I had a pannini for lunch the second day and a cappuccino and pastry for a snack :) The last day Harding paid for our lunch. We picked out a pasta, meat, drink, and desert ( i got fruit mom :) ) One of the girls broke her tibia and fibula around three and she is going back to the states tomorrow. Probably the worst story in the world. My friend Rosie got a concussion. While we were there three people (Italians) died!! Oh and the Italians are all great skiers! But is was a pretty dangerous place if you didn't know what you were doing- alot of cliffs...
On another note
I have a NEPHEW!!! YAY!!! he is absolutely gorgeous and I wish I could be there to kiss him and hold him, but I will just have to wait...
Tonight we are going to an opera!! I am so excited!!
I have to go get ready now!!
A Domani
number two- i love snow
number three- i love lodges with hot chocolate and cappuccino
number four- the Italian Apennines mountains are LEGIT
We went skiing for three days in Abetone. It was a BEAUTIFUL bus ride!! I am telling you there is nothing ugly about Italy. You can see in my pictures (which look like paintings) that the countryside is breathtaking. I felt like I was in a fantasy world! It took about two hours to get there, and we were on the mountain by eleven. It was a little icy the first day, but it was still awesome. The sunshine was out, hardly any wind= perfect ski weather. I had a blast! We didn't get off the mountain till about 4:30. The next morning we all got up and had breakfast at 7:45 and hit the slopes by 8:30 haha. We were skiing till 4:30 again. It truly was a dream come true. Everyone had so much fun. I skied with Brett the second and third day, and he was great! Oh and the lodges are super nice! I had a pannini for lunch the second day and a cappuccino and pastry for a snack :) The last day Harding paid for our lunch. We picked out a pasta, meat, drink, and desert ( i got fruit mom :) ) One of the girls broke her tibia and fibula around three and she is going back to the states tomorrow. Probably the worst story in the world. My friend Rosie got a concussion. While we were there three people (Italians) died!! Oh and the Italians are all great skiers! But is was a pretty dangerous place if you didn't know what you were doing- alot of cliffs...
On another note
I have a NEPHEW!!! YAY!!! he is absolutely gorgeous and I wish I could be there to kiss him and hold him, but I will just have to wait...
Tonight we are going to an opera!! I am so excited!!
I have to go get ready now!!
A Domani
Saturday, February 14, 2009
St. Valentino :) 14 Febbraio
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!! this morning we had classes boo.. but we were told to dress up, so we all knew something good was coming..so we were all not paying attention but awaiting the surprise to come...at lunch!!
Mona and the cooks put petals all over the ground of the dining room and decorated it with candles, chocolate, little hearts with sweet nothings, and we had champagne glasses (haha got ya...they just had red punch in them ) ! Spaghetti and meatballs was the first course (Lady and the Tramp style!) and we had our favorite bread, salad, cupcakes, chocolate covered strawberries, and fresh fruit of course! We had assigned seats and the boys were missing...
We started eating, and then they all came in, dressed up with roses in both hands. They all had a verse from the bible about love it was adorable! then they gave us our roses and an italian kiss...Brett had my rose of course :) and he gave me a kiss on each cheek and a cute one on the lips. then we all ate ...WAY too much ahah. after lunch we got our espresso like everyday...and then Brett and I played ping pong...I'm getting alot better, watch out forest gump..
tonight Brett is taking me to dinner at mom and dad's favorite Florentine restaurant :) I am super excited..it's our first Valentines..haha
:)
A domani
Mona and the cooks put petals all over the ground of the dining room and decorated it with candles, chocolate, little hearts with sweet nothings, and we had champagne glasses (haha got ya...they just had red punch in them ) ! Spaghetti and meatballs was the first course (Lady and the Tramp style!) and we had our favorite bread, salad, cupcakes, chocolate covered strawberries, and fresh fruit of course! We had assigned seats and the boys were missing...
We started eating, and then they all came in, dressed up with roses in both hands. They all had a verse from the bible about love it was adorable! then they gave us our roses and an italian kiss...Brett had my rose of course :) and he gave me a kiss on each cheek and a cute one on the lips. then we all ate ...WAY too much ahah. after lunch we got our espresso like everyday...and then Brett and I played ping pong...I'm getting alot better, watch out forest gump..
tonight Brett is taking me to dinner at mom and dad's favorite Florentine restaurant :) I am super excited..it's our first Valentines..haha
:)
A domani
Friday, February 13, 2009
Santa Croce and the Bargello
Today started off.. early, and I did not get enough sleep..haha no matter, I still had to be alert and ready to learn :) It is getting harder and harder to take notes in our moleskin. I just want to look at the art and study it and listen, not keep my head down so I can put my pen on the line..but I know I will thank Robbie later for making us do it.. Sante Croce is beautiful of course! There are tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machievelli, and Rusini and a commemorative tomb for Dante. It was freezing today by the way... side note... the best part of Sante Croce to me is the courtyard, it is absolutely beautiful. We were very rushed today so it is kind of a blur, I am trying to remember everything and it is super hard..The Bargello was an>awesome. It is the museum for sculptures and bronze statues.. it's like walking into a marble stone, haha. Donatello's David is there ( really weird and historians are starting to think it is not actually david...) and many others of his works..all supernatural and breath taking.. Michelangelo also has many things on display there. My favorite sculpture today was probably Donatellos Amore-it is a bronze little boy with wings, a tail, snakes at his feet, he is smiling, and they are not sure what he represents- that is the cool part- he has so many hidden meanings in the cute boy. He looks so real you could just pinch his cheeks and hear his little giggle. Donatello is known for his realistic work.. I really enjoy his art.
Lunch
ALL of us got to eat at a very nice restaurant. two types of pasta, two types of meat, salad, fried veggies, icecream with melted dark chocolate, and espresso :)
then Jonathan, Nicole, and I stayed in Florence and went to the San Lorenzo market to get sunglasses. I found some ridiculous yellow ones :)
now its time for homework...
:) ciao
Lunch
ALL of us got to eat at a very nice restaurant. two types of pasta, two types of meat, salad, fried veggies, icecream with melted dark chocolate, and espresso :)
then Jonathan, Nicole, and I stayed in Florence and went to the San Lorenzo market to get sunglasses. I found some ridiculous yellow ones :)
now its time for homework...
:) ciao
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
San Gimignano e bella bella Sienna
Today was a LONG and exciting day. We left the villa at 8, got on our charter bus, and made the trip about 40 minutes to San Gimignano. I had no clue what to expect, but I was not let down at all. This town is one of the most medieval towns I have ever seen. Nothing has changed hardly, I felt like I was walking around in the 12th century...which is a pretty cool feeling... all the doors are tiny and the buildings are ancient. First thing we did ...I bet you can guess
went to a cafe for cappucino and pastries :) all on Harding..haha well all on us from tuition..but its still awesome when you think its free
The town is known for their leather and beautiful ceramic. My favorite part about the town was the view on top of La Rocca. The streets got more narrow, and we entered a courtyard...which looked like what I think the Garden of Eden would resemble..and climbed up a tower and looked over miles of beautiful rolling Tuscan hills...it never gets old. We ate real fast, I bought a ceramic mug...and ran to the bus...I wish we had more time..or that I could go back.
Then...we went to Sienna.
I am still catching my breath.
Sienna was and is the rival city of florence. The people of Sienna are very wealthy. the houses there are very expensive, but you can't tell from the outside...it looks ancient and somewhat run down but still beautiful..this is because they are supposedly very humble, and don't like showing off..
There are many freaking sweet things about Sienna...I wish i could tell you all of them. The most famous perhaps is it being the only city that still has the Palio horse race... look it up, it's pretty wild. I found my favorite church (I will probably say that ten more times this trip..haha) It is different because it has alot of pagan art in it..also...it is filled with stripes..haha I will put pictures and you'll see what I mean. Sienna is home to the most famous road to Rome, so it had many different cultures coming in and out. The most exciting art is also on the floor...the church is totally decorated, and your eyes never stop moving.. I am so tired haha I will have to fill you in on more stuff later.
dinner at the villa was awesome to come home to.
and i have a new favorite fruit that I have almost everyday
kiwi
Caio
went to a cafe for cappucino and pastries :) all on Harding..haha well all on us from tuition..but its still awesome when you think its free
The town is known for their leather and beautiful ceramic. My favorite part about the town was the view on top of La Rocca. The streets got more narrow, and we entered a courtyard...which looked like what I think the Garden of Eden would resemble..and climbed up a tower and looked over miles of beautiful rolling Tuscan hills...it never gets old. We ate real fast, I bought a ceramic mug...and ran to the bus...I wish we had more time..or that I could go back.
Then...we went to Sienna.
I am still catching my breath.
Sienna was and is the rival city of florence. The people of Sienna are very wealthy. the houses there are very expensive, but you can't tell from the outside...it looks ancient and somewhat run down but still beautiful..this is because they are supposedly very humble, and don't like showing off..
There are many freaking sweet things about Sienna...I wish i could tell you all of them. The most famous perhaps is it being the only city that still has the Palio horse race... look it up, it's pretty wild. I found my favorite church (I will probably say that ten more times this trip..haha) It is different because it has alot of pagan art in it..also...it is filled with stripes..haha I will put pictures and you'll see what I mean. Sienna is home to the most famous road to Rome, so it had many different cultures coming in and out. The most exciting art is also on the floor...the church is totally decorated, and your eyes never stop moving.. I am so tired haha I will have to fill you in on more stuff later.
dinner at the villa was awesome to come home to.
and i have a new favorite fruit that I have almost everyday
kiwi
Caio
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Italian brotherhoods and firemen ...
Yesterday was another day I will never forget. Nicole and I (we go on a walk every morning) went into Scandicci to our favorite cafe Mario's for a cappucino. It was our first time to go alone!! I felt very adultish..haha what a feeling.. Then we took the bus into Florence by ourselves to meet the rest of the group at the gates of Paradise...just reread that...we met at the gates of paradise...haha wow...sometimes I cant believe the words that come out of my mouth..ha. We went with the group to get ANOTHER cappucino..haha it was free..who would say no? We then made our way to a very special building. Only twenty of us out of the 39 got to experience this tour of a building belonging to an ancient brotherhood of Italian men (and as of twenty years ago women) that have taken care of the sick and elderly for free. They used to wear tunics and hats that actually look exactly like black kkk suits...ha ironic. It was very exciting to hear about these men that do random acts of kindness and make sure they are not seen so that noone can pay them or give them gifts.... God is alive.
After this we climbed the DUOMO!!!! it cost us 8 euro....but I would have paid so much more..it was breathtaking. We went to the very top and ate our sack lunches looking out over all of Florence and the Tuscan hills. I cant explain how wonderful it is...you will just have to go yourself. :)
We then met up with the rest of the group at the Santa Maria del Fiore Baptistry ( the Duomo's baptistry). The baptistry has three sets of doors...including the gates of paradise. Ghiberti is the artist that sculpted the doors. He entered a contest with Brunelleschi ( the genious that designed the impossible dome of the Duomo) and won. He was commisioned to sculpt the doors while Brunelleschi left to go to Rome and studied up so that he could one day blow the world away with the largest self supporting dome in the world. After the baptisry we went into the Duomo. Spectacular. It is amazing to see the frescoed dome from the ground and remeber that the small objects you see are actually three times bigger than yourself when you get up next to them...
Everything is so beautiful ...not just the art, but the history and stories that go along with the art.
The facade of the cathedral looks just like a dream. A french man actually designed it...and the Florentines say it is too much icing on the cake...but it is still the best tasting eye candy.
Today we had classes all day...lets just say the highlight of the day is going to be going to get gelato after dinner with Brett..its our 6th month anniversary :) haha anyways...
I'm super tired...and about to go take a little nap ...my first one of the trip ha
Buono notte
After this we climbed the DUOMO!!!! it cost us 8 euro....but I would have paid so much more..it was breathtaking. We went to the very top and ate our sack lunches looking out over all of Florence and the Tuscan hills. I cant explain how wonderful it is...you will just have to go yourself. :)
We then met up with the rest of the group at the Santa Maria del Fiore Baptistry ( the Duomo's baptistry). The baptistry has three sets of doors...including the gates of paradise. Ghiberti is the artist that sculpted the doors. He entered a contest with Brunelleschi ( the genious that designed the impossible dome of the Duomo) and won. He was commisioned to sculpt the doors while Brunelleschi left to go to Rome and studied up so that he could one day blow the world away with the largest self supporting dome in the world. After the baptisry we went into the Duomo. Spectacular. It is amazing to see the frescoed dome from the ground and remeber that the small objects you see are actually three times bigger than yourself when you get up next to them...
Everything is so beautiful ...not just the art, but the history and stories that go along with the art.
The facade of the cathedral looks just like a dream. A french man actually designed it...and the Florentines say it is too much icing on the cake...but it is still the best tasting eye candy.
Today we had classes all day...lets just say the highlight of the day is going to be going to get gelato after dinner with Brett..its our 6th month anniversary :) haha anyways...
I'm super tired...and about to go take a little nap ...my first one of the trip ha
Buono notte
Saturday, February 7, 2009
the Jewish Synagogue :) beautiful, but we didnt get to go in....sabbath..
The amazing David. His hands, feet, and head are larger than anything else..you might think..come on Michelangelo...I thought you were the best why is David misproportioned? Actually, David was meant to be up high and for sake of perspective, Michelangelo made these bigger so that you could see them better when looking up...genious...
haah at lunch..thats our friend Allen...
San Marco
The ugly outside of the San Lorenzo Church...the inside blew my mind
WOW!...DAVID
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ok soooo yesterday was our first onsite class! I was so excited the night before I could hardly speak. It is so much different knowing the history (say of the Medici family) and then seeing where they lived, where they worshipped, what they commisioned to be painted, sculpted, and built. We started in the Medici Chapel crypt. It was breathtaking- all of it was. This family was a rock solid piece of pure intellect, creativity, and oh they all had eyes and passion for the arts and books. I cannot express to you how interesting their history is. It is so amazing to see and find out that every little decoration, every single piece of art has symbolism. These people didn't just paint; they told stories with their creations. Brunelleschi was PURE GENIOUS. not just an architect... but one of the smartest engineers on Earth. Did you know that? I sure didnt,... not a clue. Did you know that Michelangelo hated painting? he was a sculpture.. and thought painting was cheating..and one of his best known projects is the frescoe in the Cistine chapel...I feel like I can not begin to tell you close to anything of what I have learned...maybe i will publish my moleskin..ha. next we went to the San Lorenzo Church. BREATHTAKING. HEAVENLY. ahhhhh Lapis Lazulie...onix..mother of pearl ...not just on some decorations on the wall. BUT ALL OVER. it is called the Florentine mosaic. This huge church is purely mosiac with precious stones. It amazes me the talents that God has blessed man with..... After this we went to San Marco. It used to be a monastary. home of Fra Angelico and Savanorolla ( the dominican monk that went crazy on the florentines when the Medici was temporarily absent from the city- they were thrown out..) His story is unbelievable..look it up. After this we ate sack lunches in a Piazza next to San Marco. Then we went to the Academia!!! This is where a massive collection of Michelangelo's sculptures are INCLUDING the giant David (how ironic ha) He is beautiful. Did you know that Michelangelo is the only sculptor known to be able to skip the steps of measuring the stone and making sure the proportions are correct for the sculpture? he dove right in and created masterpieces ...ha wow. Im still a bit overwhelmed.
I love this Country
I love this history
This morning we got up to go to the Saturday market in Scandici. We were given a piece of paper with something we had to buy in italian. We had to ask and emerce ourselves into the marketplace to find our object. Number one... I love the market..number two... i love this language. I am not nervous at all talking to the italians. They are so helpful, and I just love hearing the beautiful words coming from their mouths and trying to come out of mine hah. After the market we went into Florence to start our scavenger hunt for our humanities class. We are in groups of nine and we have a list of things to find, learn about, visit, and take pictures of. They gave us an allowance and made reservations for us to eat at various ristorantes :) It was awesome. My favorite place so far is the Piazza della Signora...right beside the Ponte Vecchio. We went on top of a huge building to the roof and all got cappucinos. this was one of our assignments ...haha The view was gorgeous...and the Duomo....right beside us!! We also got gelatto haha and then came back to the villa for another amazing three course meal. I loveeeee our italian cooks :)
Gotta go study
Arrivederci :)
A Presto
PS...the lily ( one of my favorite flowers) is the symbol of florence..and of purity. Look for it in various frescoes of the Annunciation
I love this Country
I love this history
This morning we got up to go to the Saturday market in Scandici. We were given a piece of paper with something we had to buy in italian. We had to ask and emerce ourselves into the marketplace to find our object. Number one... I love the market..number two... i love this language. I am not nervous at all talking to the italians. They are so helpful, and I just love hearing the beautiful words coming from their mouths and trying to come out of mine hah. After the market we went into Florence to start our scavenger hunt for our humanities class. We are in groups of nine and we have a list of things to find, learn about, visit, and take pictures of. They gave us an allowance and made reservations for us to eat at various ristorantes :) It was awesome. My favorite place so far is the Piazza della Signora...right beside the Ponte Vecchio. We went on top of a huge building to the roof and all got cappucinos. this was one of our assignments ...haha The view was gorgeous...and the Duomo....right beside us!! We also got gelatto haha and then came back to the villa for another amazing three course meal. I loveeeee our italian cooks :)
Gotta go study
Arrivederci :)
A Presto
PS...the lily ( one of my favorite flowers) is the symbol of florence..and of purity. Look for it in various frescoes of the Annunciation
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Classes Classes Classes
Salve!! so Tuesday we had class in the morning, and then headed to Florence after lunch. I love being in a small group and exploring :) we went to the san lorenzo market which is leather and scarf central! I found a jacket called the suzanna (gorgeous) I lingered too long and they immediately started selling..haha I stayed strong though and said not today... yesterday and today have been long...we have had alot of classes and homework. Today Brett and I went into Scandicci to explore. We went to an art supply store and met some friends at our favorite coffee shop Marios :) Dinner was at 6:30 wonderful again..of course..and I am about to hit the sack. Tomorrow is our first On site class!!! I am so excited! We are going to the Medici chapel, San Lorenzo church, and San Marco church. We were given mole skins and part of our grade for our humanities is to take detailed notes. Which I am excited about. Now I will have a good journal to look back on! well I have to go fix tea for everyone... A presto!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Gesu all around :)
Today we went into Florence for church. It was in Italian and English. The church was in chapel that belonged to a family and it was beautiful!! The congregation was about thirty strong. It was quite an experience. We sang beautiful italian hymns..I love this language. :) After church we all ate Italian pot luck, and I must say it was much better than good ole madison pot luck. After this only a few of us stayed in Florence. Kelsey and I went with about five boys and went to the piggy market. We got our first postcards and Scarves!! I got mine for 4.50 euro :) it is gorgeous. We went to the Piazza della signoria with statues of Perseus (spelling?) holding Medusa's head, the rape of the Sabine women, Hercules and the Centaur, Menaleus holding Perculas dead body...they all took my breath away. We had to leave early to make it to the villa for our devo. We are about to start it so I gotta go..
Friday, January 30, 2009
Scandicci and Florence :)
First off...yesterday... we spent half our day exploring our town Scandicci. Its the perfect size and so cute. We went to the town square and then went to Mario's to get our first cappucino..on Harding...FREE!! we had to ask for it in italiano :) Vorrei un cappucino per favore the ladies were adorable!! After that some of us went back to the villa and some went into Florence. I went back to the villa...to await my free italian dinner :)
enough about that
FLORENCE IS INCREDIBLE!!!! i cant believe I am only a fifteen minute bus ride away from the most beautiful city in the world! We did a whirlwind of a tour and I cant remember hardly any. Today was more for breathing it all in and just looking. That takes up most of your energy..there is so much to see!! But no worries..for our humanities classes we go back into to Florence and study everything much more slowly and have to take notes. I have never seen so many beautiful things in my life...all the leather and fabrics and JEWELRY!!! the italians are all so pretty and all have skinny jeans a really nice long coat and wonderful leather boots and scarves!! style. I hope they rub off on me :) I had my first taste of gellato. dont worry mom I split it and we got the smallest one :) I had a mixture of coffee (which is the best thing i have ever tasted) and dark chocolate. yum. We came back to the villa and had homemade lasagna waiting on us. THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER TASTED. Im so happy and so excited! I dont know if I can sleep tonight!!
Oh and this morning me and my friend Nicole got up and went for a walk before everyone else got up. Watching the sun hit the trees in the hills of tuscany ...there are not words. God knew what he was doing....anyways we are about to have a party!! till later!
-ti amo
enough about that
FLORENCE IS INCREDIBLE!!!! i cant believe I am only a fifteen minute bus ride away from the most beautiful city in the world! We did a whirlwind of a tour and I cant remember hardly any. Today was more for breathing it all in and just looking. That takes up most of your energy..there is so much to see!! But no worries..for our humanities classes we go back into to Florence and study everything much more slowly and have to take notes. I have never seen so many beautiful things in my life...all the leather and fabrics and JEWELRY!!! the italians are all so pretty and all have skinny jeans a really nice long coat and wonderful leather boots and scarves!! style. I hope they rub off on me :) I had my first taste of gellato. dont worry mom I split it and we got the smallest one :) I had a mixture of coffee (which is the best thing i have ever tasted) and dark chocolate. yum. We came back to the villa and had homemade lasagna waiting on us. THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER TASTED. Im so happy and so excited! I dont know if I can sleep tonight!!
Oh and this morning me and my friend Nicole got up and went for a walk before everyone else got up. Watching the sun hit the trees in the hills of tuscany ...there are not words. God knew what he was doing....anyways we are about to have a party!! till later!
-ti amo
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Buon giorno!
WE ARE FINALLY HERE!!!
i cant believe my eyes half of the time. The flights went smooth. The Atlanta flight was very fast and everyone started coming together in atlanta. Then the nine hour flight... haha It was not as bad as I thought..I had Brett on my left and Kels on my right so I was entertained with great conversation and stupid jokes and I had someone to fall asleep on...(which didnt happen the whole way..Im a belly sleeper and side sleeper..neither possible on a coach class flight..ha) but it was fun nonetheless. WE got our luggage then got on a bus to go from Rome to our Villa in Florence!!! At first I was a little shocked when I found that the outskirts of Rome which is all we saw was alot like Ensanada Mexico..haha It was kind of trashy.. I didnt give up and my excitement definitely didnt waiver..and sure enough the picture perfect vineyards old beautiful stoned villas, sheep grazing, started appearing and OH THE TREES!!! I have never seen such trees they were wonderful!! We stopped at a gas station on hour two on the road to get snacks which were paid for :) Milka chocolate Nutella...every other chocolate you could imagine in every shape and size ...IN A GAS STATion....wine, cheeses, breads...it was great. I got a huge water and some italian bagel bites haha.. wee got to the villa two hours later. It was just as I imagined up a huge hill up another and there it was the gate to our new home..we even have a code :) oh and did I mention we had to walk the whole way up the hill? haha I loved it of course. WE had our first Italian lunch...pasta fresh fruit ( mom I had a clementine and kiwi ) bread salad and rosemary chicken :) yum. WE had to do a bunch of paperwork..met our lovely Italian cooks and other helpers. Dinner was this creamy chicken noodle soup without noodles...chicken cordon bleu (spelling?) fresh fruit again...and carrots. Rosie, Kelsey, and Corbin went on a run and it was wonderful. I cant wait to run in day light. We get to work for a couple of dollars doing chores and Jonathan Rosie and I are in charge of TEA TIME!! mom you would die at the flavors! and honey..lemon..cream :) OH!! i had my first espresso....TO DIE FOR!!! YUM! im addicted
anyways Im tired. Tomorrow we explore our little town Scandicci
until then
Ciao!
i cant believe my eyes half of the time. The flights went smooth. The Atlanta flight was very fast and everyone started coming together in atlanta. Then the nine hour flight... haha It was not as bad as I thought..I had Brett on my left and Kels on my right so I was entertained with great conversation and stupid jokes and I had someone to fall asleep on...(which didnt happen the whole way..Im a belly sleeper and side sleeper..neither possible on a coach class flight..ha) but it was fun nonetheless. WE got our luggage then got on a bus to go from Rome to our Villa in Florence!!! At first I was a little shocked when I found that the outskirts of Rome which is all we saw was alot like Ensanada Mexico..haha It was kind of trashy.. I didnt give up and my excitement definitely didnt waiver..and sure enough the picture perfect vineyards old beautiful stoned villas, sheep grazing, started appearing and OH THE TREES!!! I have never seen such trees they were wonderful!! We stopped at a gas station on hour two on the road to get snacks which were paid for :) Milka chocolate Nutella...every other chocolate you could imagine in every shape and size ...IN A GAS STATion....wine, cheeses, breads...it was great. I got a huge water and some italian bagel bites haha.. wee got to the villa two hours later. It was just as I imagined up a huge hill up another and there it was the gate to our new home..we even have a code :) oh and did I mention we had to walk the whole way up the hill? haha I loved it of course. WE had our first Italian lunch...pasta fresh fruit ( mom I had a clementine and kiwi ) bread salad and rosemary chicken :) yum. WE had to do a bunch of paperwork..met our lovely Italian cooks and other helpers. Dinner was this creamy chicken noodle soup without noodles...chicken cordon bleu (spelling?) fresh fruit again...and carrots. Rosie, Kelsey, and Corbin went on a run and it was wonderful. I cant wait to run in day light. We get to work for a couple of dollars doing chores and Jonathan Rosie and I are in charge of TEA TIME!! mom you would die at the flavors! and honey..lemon..cream :) OH!! i had my first espresso....TO DIE FOR!!! YUM! im addicted
anyways Im tired. Tomorrow we explore our little town Scandicci
until then
Ciao!
Monday, January 26, 2009
last day in the states
It is finally here. The trip that will define me as a world traveler and REAL independent woman..haha I am so so so excited. It is absolutely unreal to see my bags finally packed and ready to go. Tonight is my last supper..ha and last homemade latte..I cannot wait to put that Italian espresso in my mouth..Christmas morning on the lips..Tomorrow is going to be a long long day. My flight leaves at 11:47 (is this normal for airplane trips? I think its a code..) to Atlanta and we meet up with everyone there and leave for Rome :) BA!!! Im going to spend time with the fam but I'll be posting as soon as I am settled in the Villa :)
-Mere
-Mere
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