Thursday, July 24, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Firenze
Sorry for the lag time in the blogging. I'm only like 20 days late.
So for the Fourth of July weekend we spent it in Florence. We took the train from Perugia to Firenze ( which is Florence in Italia). Most of us were staying at different hotels, so we had to walk all over the city. Though I was lucky, cuz I was at the first hotel, (so I got nap time!!!!!!! woo hoo)
We then all met at the Uffizi Museum to get inspired by art. They had a lot of sculpture and medieval art. One of the highlights was the "Birth of Venus". We weren't supposed to take pictures, but I snuck one in. Well I guess I didn't sneak too well, cuz I got yelled at by one of the guards. Oops, sono American :) hehehe By the way if you ever get a chance to see the "Birth of Venus" in real life I highly recommend it. It is stunning!! I actually saw a few people brought to tears, no kidding. I wasn't even a big fan of it before, but it is breathtaking.
We then had a ton of free time until we all met up for dinner, so we shopped!!! I unfortunately spent a tad bit too much, but it was soooo worth it. Apparently Florence is known for it leather, so I had to buy me a bag, maybe two :) It was fun dealing with all the vendors and shop keepers. You are expected to haggle with them, so it was interesting to find out how low they'd go.
Then we went to dinner at Za-Za's, the food wasn't great but the atmosphere and service were. One thing I love about Italy is the patio seating. It forces you to relax and take in your surroundings. Plus the Italians love to drag out dinner. Even if you have one course don't expect to get out under 2 hours. We then had a nice leisurely stroll back to the hotel ( we kinda got lost), and passed out.
The next day we started off with a group trip to the Academia, which is where Michelangelo's David is. Unfortunately that is about all there is to see, but seeing the David in person is pretty awesome. I snuck a few pics there (didn't get caught this time.... getting more stealthy) We had most of the day free and Jason recommended that we just wander around and see what we find.
By this time in the trip I think we were all needing a little "alone" time, so we all jumped at the chance to "get lost". I have to say this was the most fun I've had!! Just wandering around at my own pace, seeing what I'd like to see. I think when you don't have a designation you stumble upon some pretty cool things. I stumbled upon an old Perumeria, The Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, which has been around since the mid 1600's and it is still in business. I wanted to buy something there, but it was super expensive. The stuff there was amazing and incredibly beautiful. Even the building is gorgeous. I've heard it described as looking like the interior of a music box, each room decorated differently.
Then I wandered over to the Ponte Vecchio. This is a bridge covered in jewelry shops. A lot of window shopping done there. Then after crossing the Arno river I went to the Pitti Palace. I had so much fun there!! I went to the modern art gallery ( for Italians anything beyond the 18th century is considered "modern") I got to see a John Singer Sargent and a lot of beautiful Tuscan art. I also got to see the Royal apartments. Which I have to say, after seeing the White House , the Pitti Palace makes those rooms loook down right shabby. I wanted to see the Boboli Gardens, which surrounds the palace, but I was quite exhausted after wandering around Florence and walking around the Palace. I think I might have gone up 8 flight of stairs just in the Pitti Palace. No wonder Italians are in such good shape :)
Anyway, Sam, Robert and I met up, grabbed our luggage and made our way over to the Train station, where we had a fabulous meal at McDonalds (chicken nuggets never tasted soooo good) then we headed back to Corciano. We got back a little after 10pm, and were greeted by all of our Italian neighbors with a fourth of July party. They had hot dogs, watermelon, fireworks, the whole shebang. It was nice to get a little taste of home.
So for the Fourth of July weekend we spent it in Florence. We took the train from Perugia to Firenze ( which is Florence in Italia). Most of us were staying at different hotels, so we had to walk all over the city. Though I was lucky, cuz I was at the first hotel, (so I got nap time!!!!!!! woo hoo)
We then all met at the Uffizi Museum to get inspired by art. They had a lot of sculpture and medieval art. One of the highlights was the "Birth of Venus". We weren't supposed to take pictures, but I snuck one in. Well I guess I didn't sneak too well, cuz I got yelled at by one of the guards. Oops, sono American :) hehehe By the way if you ever get a chance to see the "Birth of Venus" in real life I highly recommend it. It is stunning!! I actually saw a few people brought to tears, no kidding. I wasn't even a big fan of it before, but it is breathtaking.
We then had a ton of free time until we all met up for dinner, so we shopped!!! I unfortunately spent a tad bit too much, but it was soooo worth it. Apparently Florence is known for it leather, so I had to buy me a bag, maybe two :) It was fun dealing with all the vendors and shop keepers. You are expected to haggle with them, so it was interesting to find out how low they'd go.
Then we went to dinner at Za-Za's, the food wasn't great but the atmosphere and service were. One thing I love about Italy is the patio seating. It forces you to relax and take in your surroundings. Plus the Italians love to drag out dinner. Even if you have one course don't expect to get out under 2 hours. We then had a nice leisurely stroll back to the hotel ( we kinda got lost), and passed out.
The next day we started off with a group trip to the Academia, which is where Michelangelo's David is. Unfortunately that is about all there is to see, but seeing the David in person is pretty awesome. I snuck a few pics there (didn't get caught this time.... getting more stealthy) We had most of the day free and Jason recommended that we just wander around and see what we find.
By this time in the trip I think we were all needing a little "alone" time, so we all jumped at the chance to "get lost". I have to say this was the most fun I've had!! Just wandering around at my own pace, seeing what I'd like to see. I think when you don't have a designation you stumble upon some pretty cool things. I stumbled upon an old Perumeria, The Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, which has been around since the mid 1600's and it is still in business. I wanted to buy something there, but it was super expensive. The stuff there was amazing and incredibly beautiful. Even the building is gorgeous. I've heard it described as looking like the interior of a music box, each room decorated differently.
Then I wandered over to the Ponte Vecchio. This is a bridge covered in jewelry shops. A lot of window shopping done there. Then after crossing the Arno river I went to the Pitti Palace. I had so much fun there!! I went to the modern art gallery ( for Italians anything beyond the 18th century is considered "modern") I got to see a John Singer Sargent and a lot of beautiful Tuscan art. I also got to see the Royal apartments. Which I have to say, after seeing the White House , the Pitti Palace makes those rooms loook down right shabby. I wanted to see the Boboli Gardens, which surrounds the palace, but I was quite exhausted after wandering around Florence and walking around the Palace. I think I might have gone up 8 flight of stairs just in the Pitti Palace. No wonder Italians are in such good shape :)
Anyway, Sam, Robert and I met up, grabbed our luggage and made our way over to the Train station, where we had a fabulous meal at McDonalds (chicken nuggets never tasted soooo good) then we headed back to Corciano. We got back a little after 10pm, and were greeted by all of our Italian neighbors with a fourth of July party. They had hot dogs, watermelon, fireworks, the whole shebang. It was nice to get a little taste of home.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Siena & Il Palio
Sorry, I've fallen behind on the blogging :) Been quite worn out and don't have the patience for computer stuff after a long day of painting in the sun. You'd think by now I'd be black, but alas I am still my pasty ol' self :)
Anyway, We had a terrific time in Siena. It was quite an experience!! They have this horse race 2 times a year called il Palio. We just happened to be in Italy when it was going on so Jason offered to take those of us who wanted to go.
This race is a huge spectacle. People from all over the world come to see this race. Basically all 10 Contrades or city wards are represented by a horse and rider. There is a huge parade preceding the race where everyone dresses in costume and throws their contrades' flag. It is a full day experience.
It took forever to get into the piazza. We had to run to each gate and try to get in before they closed it. Finally we got to one gate that was still letting people in. We had to wait about a half an hour in a little alley way with elbow to elbow people, who did not smell very good :( For those who are claustrophobic, I would not recommend this event. Plus once you get into the Piazza you can't get back out, so no potty breaks for 3-4 hours. It was 100+ degrees and none of us wanted to drink any water, cuz we wouldn't be able to pee. And they call this fun!!
So we waited around int the Piazza for the race to start, in the sweltering heat with no water. It was supposed to start at 7, but you know those Italians, they can never start on time. So at 8:30 the race finally started. Which by the way did I tell you that the race is only 3 laps!! So we waited around in a stinky, sweaty mob of people for 4 hours for a 20 second race. No kidding it took about 20 secs!!
After the race, the wining Contrades people come stampeding through the crowd toward the winner and then rip all of his clothes off. Well that part was interesting :) Except for the almost getting stampeded by insane Italians.
All I have to say is I'm glad I went, but I can't say that I'd do it again :)
Arrivederci
Anyway, We had a terrific time in Siena. It was quite an experience!! They have this horse race 2 times a year called il Palio. We just happened to be in Italy when it was going on so Jason offered to take those of us who wanted to go.
This race is a huge spectacle. People from all over the world come to see this race. Basically all 10 Contrades or city wards are represented by a horse and rider. There is a huge parade preceding the race where everyone dresses in costume and throws their contrades' flag. It is a full day experience.
It took forever to get into the piazza. We had to run to each gate and try to get in before they closed it. Finally we got to one gate that was still letting people in. We had to wait about a half an hour in a little alley way with elbow to elbow people, who did not smell very good :( For those who are claustrophobic, I would not recommend this event. Plus once you get into the Piazza you can't get back out, so no potty breaks for 3-4 hours. It was 100+ degrees and none of us wanted to drink any water, cuz we wouldn't be able to pee. And they call this fun!!
So we waited around int the Piazza for the race to start, in the sweltering heat with no water. It was supposed to start at 7, but you know those Italians, they can never start on time. So at 8:30 the race finally started. Which by the way did I tell you that the race is only 3 laps!! So we waited around in a stinky, sweaty mob of people for 4 hours for a 20 second race. No kidding it took about 20 secs!!
After the race, the wining Contrades people come stampeding through the crowd toward the winner and then rip all of his clothes off. Well that part was interesting :) Except for the almost getting stampeded by insane Italians.
All I have to say is I'm glad I went, but I can't say that I'd do it again :)
Arrivederci
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Day trip to Orvieto
We went to Orvieto today. It is an old city built upon volcanic fallout, that has a labyrinth of underground tunnels underneath, dug by the Etruscans. Many of the caves haven't all been excavated yet, but they believe they run under the whole city and were meant as a form of escape for the towns people during a siege. It was extremely nice to go down into the caves, cuz it was about 15 degrees cooler down there. This is where they made the olive oil and stored their wine, because of the temperature.
It was a pretty small town, there wasn't too much to see. The Duomo was very, very dramatic. The inside and the sides of the outside are all done in a black and white stripe, which was very striking. Also the rose window was quite intricate and beautiful.
Other that those two things, we didn't do too much more. We window shopped and my roommate, Sam, and I had a fabulous dinner at this little cafe on the main strip. It was very chic and the food was the best I've had so far. Plus our waiter was soooo Italian, we loved it. Then we made a gelato run and I had the best kiwi gelato of my life :) mmmmmm
I love Gelato!!!!
It was a pretty small town, there wasn't too much to see. The Duomo was very, very dramatic. The inside and the sides of the outside are all done in a black and white stripe, which was very striking. Also the rose window was quite intricate and beautiful.
Other that those two things, we didn't do too much more. We window shopped and my roommate, Sam, and I had a fabulous dinner at this little cafe on the main strip. It was very chic and the food was the best I've had so far. Plus our waiter was soooo Italian, we loved it. Then we made a gelato run and I had the best kiwi gelato of my life :) mmmmmm
I love Gelato!!!!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Day trip to Assisi
Today we went to Assisi. This is where St. Francis ( of Assisi :) ) was from. We went to the Basilica of St Francis, which was absolutely beautiful. I tried to sneak in a few pictures, I got one of where he was buried and some of the intricate ceilings. We then walked around town, lots of beautiful arches, doors, walled in doors. Very Picturesque !! We also saw where St Francis was jailed. It was extremely tiny. It was about the size of an airplane bathroom.
After that we decided to hike up to the Rocca Maggiore, which was a medieval castle. It was a horrendous hike. It's about a 45 min hike straight up, but since we only had a half an hour before they closed, we had to speed it up a bit. I was dyin' by the time I got to the castle. Then when we got to the castle it was all stairs!!!!!!!! I thought I was gonna shoot myself :) You know it was only about, hmmm, 100+ degree's out (not exaggerating). I was the only girl to make it up :) whoo hoo!!
The views were amazing from the top of the castle. I could see the whole town and the valley below. Gorgeous!! On the way back down to town I saw an odd thing, it was a fence made of gum. It looked like years and years worth of gum, stretching the length of the walkway. I'm not sure why it was there, but it intrigued me for some reason, so I took a few pics ;)
All in all, it was a splendid day
Ciao!
After that we decided to hike up to the Rocca Maggiore, which was a medieval castle. It was a horrendous hike. It's about a 45 min hike straight up, but since we only had a half an hour before they closed, we had to speed it up a bit. I was dyin' by the time I got to the castle. Then when we got to the castle it was all stairs!!!!!!!! I thought I was gonna shoot myself :) You know it was only about, hmmm, 100+ degree's out (not exaggerating). I was the only girl to make it up :) whoo hoo!!
The views were amazing from the top of the castle. I could see the whole town and the valley below. Gorgeous!! On the way back down to town I saw an odd thing, it was a fence made of gum. It looked like years and years worth of gum, stretching the length of the walkway. I'm not sure why it was there, but it intrigued me for some reason, so I took a few pics ;)
All in all, it was a splendid day
Ciao!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Some of my plein air paintings
So, many people have been asking to see some of what I am painting out here in Italy. Which makes sense, since this is what I came out here to do :)
We've all been practicing a lot, and we've all made lots of improvements. I find it's harder to do the landscape painting, because it's slightly overwhelming. I first get out to the site we will be painting at, which are always gorgeous, and then have to pick something to paint. There is so much to see and I want to paint everything :) I think it is harder to narrow it down. The cityscapes are better, cuz you already have a focal point.
Anyways, here are some of my works. It'll be interesting to compare these to those at the end of this trip :)
By the way the Academy has put up a blog if any of you are interested in seeing us paint
http://aauitaly.blogspot.com
Ciao
We've all been practicing a lot, and we've all made lots of improvements. I find it's harder to do the landscape painting, because it's slightly overwhelming. I first get out to the site we will be painting at, which are always gorgeous, and then have to pick something to paint. There is so much to see and I want to paint everything :) I think it is harder to narrow it down. The cityscapes are better, cuz you already have a focal point.
Anyways, here are some of my works. It'll be interesting to compare these to those at the end of this trip :)
By the way the Academy has put up a blog if any of you are interested in seeing us paint
http://aauitaly.blogspot.com
Ciao
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Well today was not much cooler, but we were lucky enough to have a slight breeze. Around 3 we went to the local gelateria and had some gelato, then did some sketching in the piazza. It was slightly annoying, cuz bugs kept on falling on us and in our paintings. I've found I do not enjoy this part of painting outside :)
Some of the local kids were having a balloon fight and I kept on hoping they would accidently hit me. So most of us wandered down to the pool in our villa to escape the heat. Some of the neighbors and kids were playing soccer in the pool, with blow up goals and everything. So Jeff, Theo and I joined in on the game. It was pretty interesting since we couldn't speak Italian and they couldn't really speak English, but we eventually figured out the rules. I had so much fun, and everyone was so nice. The kids were especially cute. I ended up being in the pool for a good couple hours, luckily it was shaded so I didn't get burned :)
It was a nice, lazy Italian day :)
Ciao
Some of the local kids were having a balloon fight and I kept on hoping they would accidently hit me. So most of us wandered down to the pool in our villa to escape the heat. Some of the neighbors and kids were playing soccer in the pool, with blow up goals and everything. So Jeff, Theo and I joined in on the game. It was pretty interesting since we couldn't speak Italian and they couldn't really speak English, but we eventually figured out the rules. I had so much fun, and everyone was so nice. The kids were especially cute. I ended up being in the pool for a good couple hours, luckily it was shaded so I didn't get burned :)
It was a nice, lazy Italian day :)
Ciao
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Today was extremely hot. It was in the high 90's and very humid. There is no air conditioning or fans in any of our houses, so we were melting :( All of us girls in our house were extremely lazy, just lounging around the house, waiting for a cool breeze.
Finally around 9 pm it started to cool off, so me and my roommate Sam decided to walk into town. We went to the local Gelateria and had some delicious gelato and watched the soccer game on TV with all the locals in the piazza. We watched the sun set over the hills and then wandered through the town, down all the little alley ways. Then we went up to the local music festival. Corciano does this once a year for 10 days. They have singing and dancing and tons of food. It was really fun. The dancing it really interesting, cuz it's all ballroom and line dancing :) And most of the music is polka.
We all had a great time and here's to hoping tomorrow is a bit cooler :)
Finally around 9 pm it started to cool off, so me and my roommate Sam decided to walk into town. We went to the local Gelateria and had some delicious gelato and watched the soccer game on TV with all the locals in the piazza. We watched the sun set over the hills and then wandered through the town, down all the little alley ways. Then we went up to the local music festival. Corciano does this once a year for 10 days. They have singing and dancing and tons of food. It was really fun. The dancing it really interesting, cuz it's all ballroom and line dancing :) And most of the music is polka.
We all had a great time and here's to hoping tomorrow is a bit cooler :)
Friday, June 20, 2008
Perugia
Today we visited the larger town of Perugia, about 35 mins outside Corciano. We went there to learn the bus system, where to catch the train or bart, basically how to get ourselves around. The bus system was quite interesting. Everything runs on Italian time, which means the bus may say it will come at 9:40, but it will get there when it gets there. Could be 10 mins, could be an hour late :) It seems like many Italians use public transportation, because of the high prices of gas (1.5 euro a liter). So unfortunately the bus gets a tad bit crowded, lots of B.O. and no air conditioning, blech!! :(
Once we got to Perugia, we grabbed some lunch at a local pizzeria, yummy!! Then Jason took us on a walking tour. It is amazing how much history there is, compared to the US. We were walking by walls built in the 4th century B.C. We saw one of the original Etruscan walls and arches, which were then built upon by the Romans. The whole city itself is just built upon itself. We also saw one of the original Roman aqua ducts, which is now used as a walkway.
We then went to one of the old underground Roman bunkers. This is where they used to house all of the soldiers and weapons. After that we went to the Etruscan well. This was the original well they used in the 3rd century B.C. It is still working and full of water. It's amazing how smart the Etruscans and Romans were, that their buildings would last into the 21st century.
After that we went into a little hole in the wall museum, which had old frescoes done by Perugino, who was one of the painters that helped Michelangelo on the Sistine chapel. These were very graphic. We weren't supposed to take pictures, but I snuck one in of the beheading of John the Baptist, cuz it was very interesting, eew!
They also have a local museum we went to. It had many early works from the 13th century up to the 16th. It was very nice to be in the air conditioned museum after walking around all day. Most of us were overheated and exhausted. It was so hot that day that I, unfortunately, had to have gelato 3 times that day to stay cool :)
Overall it was a great day, though quite exhausting. Can't wait to see more
Ciao!!
Once we got to Perugia, we grabbed some lunch at a local pizzeria, yummy!! Then Jason took us on a walking tour. It is amazing how much history there is, compared to the US. We were walking by walls built in the 4th century B.C. We saw one of the original Etruscan walls and arches, which were then built upon by the Romans. The whole city itself is just built upon itself. We also saw one of the original Roman aqua ducts, which is now used as a walkway.
We then went to one of the old underground Roman bunkers. This is where they used to house all of the soldiers and weapons. After that we went to the Etruscan well. This was the original well they used in the 3rd century B.C. It is still working and full of water. It's amazing how smart the Etruscans and Romans were, that their buildings would last into the 21st century.
After that we went into a little hole in the wall museum, which had old frescoes done by Perugino, who was one of the painters that helped Michelangelo on the Sistine chapel. These were very graphic. We weren't supposed to take pictures, but I snuck one in of the beheading of John the Baptist, cuz it was very interesting, eew!
They also have a local museum we went to. It had many early works from the 13th century up to the 16th. It was very nice to be in the air conditioned museum after walking around all day. Most of us were overheated and exhausted. It was so hot that day that I, unfortunately, had to have gelato 3 times that day to stay cool :)
Overall it was a great day, though quite exhausting. Can't wait to see more
Ciao!!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Ciao!!
So far everything is great!! I had some problems getting this blog started, but I think I got it down now. The flight from the US was extremely long and painful, but my tylenol p.m. allowed me to sleep for a few hours. I have been really lucky, cuz I have acclimated to the time change pretty well. The only problem is instead of my normal 11 am wakeup time, I am now getting up at 7am, so I don't know what to do with myself most mornings:)
Our first day here we walked around the old town of Corciano. It is amazing!!!! I keep saying it looks like a Disney version of Italy. Everything is so clean, there's flowers on every window. The kids play soccer at the local gelateria/piatzza. Everyone is extremely friendly, lots of Ciao's and Buongiorno's. Also the town is extremely safe. Everyone leaves the keys in their doors. I'm not kidding!!! The only thing is the crazy Italian drivers, we really have to watch out for them.
We also went to the local grocery store. That was an interesting experience!! Lots of cheeses, pastas and meats. They also don't have very much fresh milk and their eggs are not in the refrigeration isle. Just some interesting differences.
We also had a welcome dinner made by our hosts, Dina and Gabriele. It was fantastic. Dina worked on it all day. It was a 5 course meal, with all the local Italian foods.
For lunch that day we went to the local restaurant, and had a splendid meal. I had a caprese salad that was to die for!!!!! I'll have to get pictures of the restaurant, cuz it was really cool. Our only problem was figuring out which was the ladies room and which was the mens room, hahaha.
Yesterday we went into the town of Perugia for a quick trip for art supplies. This town is slightly larger than Corciano and only 15 mins away. We're going there on Friday to figure out the local bus system and they are having a jazz festival that night which should be tons of fun.
That same day we had our first class. It was the landscape painting class. It was really long and tiring and I got a tad bit burnt from being in the sun so long. But it was a great experience and I have a lot to learn :)
Arrivederci
Our first day here we walked around the old town of Corciano. It is amazing!!!! I keep saying it looks like a Disney version of Italy. Everything is so clean, there's flowers on every window. The kids play soccer at the local gelateria/piatzza. Everyone is extremely friendly, lots of Ciao's and Buongiorno's. Also the town is extremely safe. Everyone leaves the keys in their doors. I'm not kidding!!! The only thing is the crazy Italian drivers, we really have to watch out for them.
We also went to the local grocery store. That was an interesting experience!! Lots of cheeses, pastas and meats. They also don't have very much fresh milk and their eggs are not in the refrigeration isle. Just some interesting differences.
We also had a welcome dinner made by our hosts, Dina and Gabriele. It was fantastic. Dina worked on it all day. It was a 5 course meal, with all the local Italian foods.
For lunch that day we went to the local restaurant, and had a splendid meal. I had a caprese salad that was to die for!!!!! I'll have to get pictures of the restaurant, cuz it was really cool. Our only problem was figuring out which was the ladies room and which was the mens room, hahaha.
Yesterday we went into the town of Perugia for a quick trip for art supplies. This town is slightly larger than Corciano and only 15 mins away. We're going there on Friday to figure out the local bus system and they are having a jazz festival that night which should be tons of fun.
That same day we had our first class. It was the landscape painting class. It was really long and tiring and I got a tad bit burnt from being in the sun so long. But it was a great experience and I have a lot to learn :)
Arrivederci
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