(From 11/29/10)
It is difficult to believe that this is my last week here in Sansepolcro. Right now, I am slightly overwhelmed by everything I must do before an unnatural hour on Sunday morning, when the bus comes to take us to Rome. I have two papers to write, a test and an exam to take, and lots and lots of studying. Then of course, there is the daunting task of packing. All the little souvenirs and small gifts I’ve been collecting throughout the semester really do add up. Fortunately, I did bring an extra bag. However, I will definitely be returning home with more stuff and more luggage than I came with. Another thing on my to-do list is planning my trip to Rome, since I will be spending a few days there before flying home. Meredith H. and I will be travelling together, and we need to make our hotel reservations and get tickets in advance to avoid those crazy-long lines at famous sights. And in addition to all of this, there are many things I must do before I can complete my sentimental packing: last goodbyes to new Italian friends, last walk down the corso, last gelato and cappuccino, last class with my middle school students, last glimpse of Sansepolcro. I’ve already taken my last train and last bus this past weekend, when I went to Capri and Pompeii—a sad arrivederci to all the adventures we’ve had traveling this semester.
On the one hand, I am deeply saddened to leave Sansepolcro, this town I’ve grown to love so much. I will miss my room in the Palazzo and having so much life and excitement right below. I will miss being able to look outside my window and check if the caffè or pizzeria is open. I will miss knowing everything happening in the town because I live in the middle of it and am regaled by trumpets and proclamations whenever something important is going on. I will miss walking to the grocery store and lugging back my heavy purchases. Well, actually, I won’t. But I will miss the smallness and closeness of Sansepolcro. I’ll miss going somewhere new nearly every weekend, exploring and observing places I’ve never been before. I’ll miss the opportunities to meet interesting people, study famous works of art, enjoy beautiful scenery, try new things. I’ll miss delicious pizza, cappuccino and EstaThè. I might even miss being called ragazza straniera when I return to being a normal person again.
It will be strange, I think, to walk down the street or sit in a café and actually understand bits of other people’s conversations as they waft over to your ears. I’ve grown so accustomed to tuning out words and letting them bounce around like gentle humming. It will also be strange to be aware of social rules and not fumble clumsily through them—for example, to know whether you are to sit down at a restaurant or wait to be seated, to wait in line or to push to the front at the post office, to give a hug, shake hands or kiss both cheeks, to pay now or later, to put your empty shopping basket near the cash register or take it back to the front of the supermarket. Simple things such as getting a haircut, going to the ATM, or buying a snack will no longer be a chore.
And then, of course, I cannot wait for the delight of seeing my family, boyfriend, and friends again. I’m so thankful I get to come home at the end of Fall semester and not Spring, when I would be starting a summer job right away. Now, during Christmas break, I will be able to spend lots of special time with all of the people I’ve been missing so much.
Love hurts. It hurt to leave everyone when I came here, and now it is hurting to leave Italy to go home. I guess that is just the way it is, and I can only hope to come back one day. In the meanwhile, I am taking back memories, knowledge, and self-awareness that I will always keep. Well, I suppose this is my last journal from Italy. Ciao, arrivederci and, maybe, a presto!
Emily
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Capri, “L’isola del Sole”
(From 11/23/10)
Knowing this weekend was our last travel break was sad and exciting. It was sad because now, I only have one more hostel adventure, one more time exploring an Italian city, one more time travelling with newly made friends, one more weekend here, in Italy. It was exciting because the days until my departure are quickly winding down, and soon I will be home in America, embracing people my heart has been aching to see for three months. Study abroad has ruined me. It has given me a taste for new things, things that aren’t attained without some difficulty. I’ve acquired a fondness for long train rides, for adventure, for the nightly walk along the corso with friends. I’ve developed a taste for homemade pasta, for cappuccino and caffè, for art museums, for wine, for the Italian language. On the other hand, words cannot express how thrilled I am that in 16 short days I will no longer need to stay up until 2 am every night doing homework, or to strain myself to understand people talking to me, or to survive with only five long sleeved shirts and two pairs of jeans. I cannot wait until I can talk to my family without having to calculate a six hour time difference, until I can see my boyfriend’s face, until I can go places without walking in the rain, until I can eat something other than pasta. For this weekend, however, all these things I tried to put out of my mind and focus on fully enjoying the experience. I wasn’t completely successful, but I did have quite an eventful trip.
Meredith H., Brianna and I traversed to Sorrento, where we soaked in Italy’s beautiful southern coast and took two day trips, to Pompeii and the Island of Capri. I think we’ve become more comfortable and relaxed about travelling as the semester has progressed because on our first trip we were paranoid about missing trains, had the bus schedule memorized by heart, and had worked out every detail, almost down to what restaurant we would eat at for each meal. This trip, however, we made reservations at a hostel, purchased our train tickets to Naples and back, but that was all. Upon arrival at the Naples train station, we had to figure out how to get from Naples to our hostel in Sorrento, a sizeable distance. It turned out to be much, much easier than anticipated, because there is one small train line that runs from Naples to Sorrento, with lots of stops in between. After the hour long train to Sorrento, we realized that our map of the town was very poor and we did not know exactly where our hostel was. But finding the hostel also turned out to be very easy because there were signs directing us to it from the train station. It was a short walk, and we were very pleased that we found it so easily.
Later that day, we hopped back on the train to visit Pompeii. Pompeii was massive—much, much larger than I expected. It makes sense, considering that it was a city, but it was still quite large. We walked through crumbled walls and aging columns, saw faded frescoes and a few body casts. It was difficult to imagine a time when Pompeii thrived with life and was inhabited by anything other than stone ruins and homeless dogs. As we walked through, it started to rain. We were expecting this from the weather forecast, but it still was not ideal sight-seeing conditions. As we were walking towards the exit to leave, it began to pour and by the time we left we were very wet.
After being rained on in Pompeii, just as the weatherman had predicted, we expected Saturday to be 66 degrees and sunny, also as the weatherman had predicted. However, we were very disappointed to wake up and find it to be much cooler than 66 degrees, but decided to bundle up and make the best of it. The previous night we asked our waiter, “How do you get to Capri?” We went down to the port as he had suggested and found the ticket booth for the hydrofoils easily. In about 20 minutes, we were sitting on the top deck of the boat enjoying the breeze and the view of Sorrento’s gorgeous coast. In the distance, the sky was gray and we could actually see the rain falling. Jokingly, we said it was looming forebodingly over our trip to Capri, but dismissed it as nothing more than a light, passing shower and nothing to worry about.
Capri was certainly very beautiful. When we landed it was slightly stressful navigating through the herds of tourists and avoiding the people offering us 20 euro bus tours or personal taxis exploring the island. Instead, we found free maps and used public transportation for 1.40 euro a ride. First we got to ride a special cable car up to Capri, and after that we rode buses winding around narrow, curvy roads, with only a thin metal bar separating us from the steep cliff inches away. Originally, we had hoped to take a boat tour of the Blue Grotto, a brilliant cave that reflects sunlight to make the whole space appear a lovely blue. But being that it was cloudy, it wouldn’t have been worthwhile. Once dark clouds began advancing, we decided to find a restaurant for lunch before getting caught in—what we thought to be—a passing shower. As soon as we sat inside the restaurant it started sprinkling. It sprinkled, then drizzled, and dripped, eventually working up to a solid pour. We sat for quite some time, thinking it would pass over, but it only got worse. Finally we decided that it probably wasn’t going to stop anytime soon, and we should call it a day. So we paid our bill and bravely stepped out into the storm.
What an adventure. Meredith and I were wearing our rain jackets, and Brianna had her umbrella, but neither proved successful in shielding us from pelting, sideways rain and guarding our feet from the gargantuan puddles that quickly turned into 4-6 inched of flooding everywhere. By the time we made it to the bus that would take us back to the marina, we were soaked. We boarded just in time, however, because a few minutes later, ½”-1” hail began pelting us from the sky. The water and hail flowed down the winding road alongside our bus like a river, flowing to the sea. When finally we made it to the bottom of the island, I hopped off the bus with my non-water-proof tennis shoes into icy water that came up to my ankles. We dashed under the nearest awning almost as fast as the lightning flashing overhead. It ended up being a small restaurant. At first we thought the owner was angry with us but after he told us to go inside and sit down, we realized he was just upset because the water was beginning to creep into his restaurant building. We sat there for quite a while, and eventually, the rain and hail ceased and the flooding went down to normal-sized puddles.
After that adventure, we were able to make it back to Sorrento on the next boat, but were very much drenched. Because we had been anticipating much pleasanter weather, Meredith and I had packed a pair of sandals, but no other extra shoes. We ended up going German and wearing our sandals with socks. Although we were disappointed about the weather, it at least makes for an exciting story to tell and fun memories. After all, lots of people have been to Capri when it was beautiful and seen the Blue Grotto, but only we (and a small handful of others) have survived a hail storm on the so-called “L’isola del Sole.”
Knowing this weekend was our last travel break was sad and exciting. It was sad because now, I only have one more hostel adventure, one more time exploring an Italian city, one more time travelling with newly made friends, one more weekend here, in Italy. It was exciting because the days until my departure are quickly winding down, and soon I will be home in America, embracing people my heart has been aching to see for three months. Study abroad has ruined me. It has given me a taste for new things, things that aren’t attained without some difficulty. I’ve acquired a fondness for long train rides, for adventure, for the nightly walk along the corso with friends. I’ve developed a taste for homemade pasta, for cappuccino and caffè, for art museums, for wine, for the Italian language. On the other hand, words cannot express how thrilled I am that in 16 short days I will no longer need to stay up until 2 am every night doing homework, or to strain myself to understand people talking to me, or to survive with only five long sleeved shirts and two pairs of jeans. I cannot wait until I can talk to my family without having to calculate a six hour time difference, until I can see my boyfriend’s face, until I can go places without walking in the rain, until I can eat something other than pasta. For this weekend, however, all these things I tried to put out of my mind and focus on fully enjoying the experience. I wasn’t completely successful, but I did have quite an eventful trip.
Meredith H., Brianna and I traversed to Sorrento, where we soaked in Italy’s beautiful southern coast and took two day trips, to Pompeii and the Island of Capri. I think we’ve become more comfortable and relaxed about travelling as the semester has progressed because on our first trip we were paranoid about missing trains, had the bus schedule memorized by heart, and had worked out every detail, almost down to what restaurant we would eat at for each meal. This trip, however, we made reservations at a hostel, purchased our train tickets to Naples and back, but that was all. Upon arrival at the Naples train station, we had to figure out how to get from Naples to our hostel in Sorrento, a sizeable distance. It turned out to be much, much easier than anticipated, because there is one small train line that runs from Naples to Sorrento, with lots of stops in between. After the hour long train to Sorrento, we realized that our map of the town was very poor and we did not know exactly where our hostel was. But finding the hostel also turned out to be very easy because there were signs directing us to it from the train station. It was a short walk, and we were very pleased that we found it so easily.
Later that day, we hopped back on the train to visit Pompeii. Pompeii was massive—much, much larger than I expected. It makes sense, considering that it was a city, but it was still quite large. We walked through crumbled walls and aging columns, saw faded frescoes and a few body casts. It was difficult to imagine a time when Pompeii thrived with life and was inhabited by anything other than stone ruins and homeless dogs. As we walked through, it started to rain. We were expecting this from the weather forecast, but it still was not ideal sight-seeing conditions. As we were walking towards the exit to leave, it began to pour and by the time we left we were very wet.
After being rained on in Pompeii, just as the weatherman had predicted, we expected Saturday to be 66 degrees and sunny, also as the weatherman had predicted. However, we were very disappointed to wake up and find it to be much cooler than 66 degrees, but decided to bundle up and make the best of it. The previous night we asked our waiter, “How do you get to Capri?” We went down to the port as he had suggested and found the ticket booth for the hydrofoils easily. In about 20 minutes, we were sitting on the top deck of the boat enjoying the breeze and the view of Sorrento’s gorgeous coast. In the distance, the sky was gray and we could actually see the rain falling. Jokingly, we said it was looming forebodingly over our trip to Capri, but dismissed it as nothing more than a light, passing shower and nothing to worry about.
Capri was certainly very beautiful. When we landed it was slightly stressful navigating through the herds of tourists and avoiding the people offering us 20 euro bus tours or personal taxis exploring the island. Instead, we found free maps and used public transportation for 1.40 euro a ride. First we got to ride a special cable car up to Capri, and after that we rode buses winding around narrow, curvy roads, with only a thin metal bar separating us from the steep cliff inches away. Originally, we had hoped to take a boat tour of the Blue Grotto, a brilliant cave that reflects sunlight to make the whole space appear a lovely blue. But being that it was cloudy, it wouldn’t have been worthwhile. Once dark clouds began advancing, we decided to find a restaurant for lunch before getting caught in—what we thought to be—a passing shower. As soon as we sat inside the restaurant it started sprinkling. It sprinkled, then drizzled, and dripped, eventually working up to a solid pour. We sat for quite some time, thinking it would pass over, but it only got worse. Finally we decided that it probably wasn’t going to stop anytime soon, and we should call it a day. So we paid our bill and bravely stepped out into the storm.
What an adventure. Meredith and I were wearing our rain jackets, and Brianna had her umbrella, but neither proved successful in shielding us from pelting, sideways rain and guarding our feet from the gargantuan puddles that quickly turned into 4-6 inched of flooding everywhere. By the time we made it to the bus that would take us back to the marina, we were soaked. We boarded just in time, however, because a few minutes later, ½”-1” hail began pelting us from the sky. The water and hail flowed down the winding road alongside our bus like a river, flowing to the sea. When finally we made it to the bottom of the island, I hopped off the bus with my non-water-proof tennis shoes into icy water that came up to my ankles. We dashed under the nearest awning almost as fast as the lightning flashing overhead. It ended up being a small restaurant. At first we thought the owner was angry with us but after he told us to go inside and sit down, we realized he was just upset because the water was beginning to creep into his restaurant building. We sat there for quite a while, and eventually, the rain and hail ceased and the flooding went down to normal-sized puddles.
After that adventure, we were able to make it back to Sorrento on the next boat, but were very much drenched. Because we had been anticipating much pleasanter weather, Meredith and I had packed a pair of sandals, but no other extra shoes. We ended up going German and wearing our sandals with socks. Although we were disappointed about the weather, it at least makes for an exciting story to tell and fun memories. After all, lots of people have been to Capri when it was beautiful and seen the Blue Grotto, but only we (and a small handful of others) have survived a hail storm on the so-called “L’isola del Sole.”
Weekend #2 in Florence (continued)
(From 11/16/10)
Last weekend I had the greatest pleasure—showing my two favorite places in Italy to three people I love very much. As if I was not blessed enough to be studying here for three months, I had the added blessing of a visit from my mom and grandparents. They arrived in Florence on a Wednesday, and I met them there after my classes on Thursday afternoon. In case it was not obvious from my previous travel journals, I love Florence, and it is my favorite place in Italy, next to Sansepolcro, of course. The only challenge in going there was deciding which of the outstanding museums and sights to take my family members to see. Eventually, I decided on the Uffizi (because no trip to Florence would be complete without it), the Galileo Science Museum (because it is newly renovated and, I heard, quite lovely), the Pitti Palace (because it is huge and has lots to see), and the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo (because I was longing to visit it). In my previous journal from last week, I talked in depth about my favorite sculpture, Michelangelo’s last Pietà, so now I will try to suppress that ardent love and focus on the many other happenings of the trip.
Seeing my grandparents and, especially, my mom, was very exciting, since I have been away for two and a half months, now. When I arrived on Thursday we spent the afternoon and evening talking, catching up, and enjoying each other’s company. We ate dinner at a fairly decent restaurant downstairs—touristy, but nicer than what I usually eat on my travel breaks (cheap to-go pizza). Friday morning we woke up early and I took mom, Noni and Poppop on their first Italian city bus experience. In the morning we visited the Galileo Science Museum which was, as I had been told, a beautiful new museum and definitely worth the money.
There was scarcely anyone else there, so we were free to enjoy the exhibits in peace and quiet and at our leisure. At most museums, there are usually employees seated in every doorway. I think they might be there to answer questions, but usually they only play crossword puzzles and tell camera-happy tourists they are not allowed to take pictures. At the Galileo Museum, however, there was an extremely friendly and knowledgeable staff member who walked through the exhibits, stopping to explain them to you or anyone else who wanted to hear. This was especially helpful when something was only labeled in Italian, because he spoke nearly perfect English. He also was able to give a much deeper background about each of the things on display than was written on the display itself.
One of the things I learned about was an armillary sphere. This is an incredibly complex spherical instrument that plots the paths of planets and the sun as medieval Europeans envisioned them. It is quite gargantuan, probably around five or six feet in diameter, and is comprised of endless gears and detailed parts. In this model, the earth is in the center, and everything spins around it when a metal crank is turned. This piece was for the Medici and took 40 years to create, a substantial chunk of time to spend on something that would turn out to be incorrect. The irony of it is that, at the time, the man who designed it knew the earth was not the center of the universe, but the sun was. However, because of pressure from the church, he continued to pour his life into something he knew was wrong while he waited for Galileo to finish finding proof of this new, controversial theory. This massive armillary sphere is one of only three in existence, and is a new addition to the museum.
I also saw two telescopes that Galileo himself built. They were only a 30x magnification, but that was enough for him to make observations about the stars and planets that, at the time, were astonishing. For example, he found some of the moons around Jupiter and rings around Saturn, as well as a few other discoveries. He also damaged his vision looking at sunspots on the surface of the sun. In another display case were two of Galileo’s fingers and his tooth. Yes, this was quite a strange exhibit and it surprised me at first. After Galileo was shunned from the church because of his claim that the earth is not the center of the universe, he was given a burial in dishonored cemetery. Later, when everyone realized he was right, they dug up his bones to bury him in a more respected place. At this time, people tried to take fragments of his bones to have as relics, and this is how Galileo lost his fingers and tooth.
Visiting museums was both enlightening and fun, but also very, very tiring. At the end of the day, all four of us were eager to find the bus and return to our hotel. But this was easier said than done. Finding bus stops can be very difficult, as they are often hidden in the most unlikely spots, and figuring out what route to take can be even more confusing. After we walked a good deal we found the bus stop and got on the bus. After a few minutes we reached our destination. However, the bus stopped slightly earlier than I had expected it to and, anticipating another stop, we remained seated and did not get off. It did not stop again, however, but turned around and continued its route’s loop. I thought it would be best to remain on the bus and loop back around, rather than getting off and going through the complicated process of finding another bus. Little did I know that the bus’s complete route took an hour and a half, went in the complete opposite direction we wanted to go, and even went off my map of Florence. Needless to say, we had quite an interesting tour of the city and it’s outskirts. At one point, I began to doubt if we would ever return to our stop, so I asked the bus driver, “Santa Maria Novella?” In response, he laughed. And that is how I knew we were as far away from it as we could possibly be. It is not good news when your bus driver laughs at your questions. But we made the best of it and tried to appreciate seeing a part of the city we hadn’t planned on seeing. It wasn’t exactly the most comfortable ride, mostly because the city buses are very bumpy and rickety, and also have hard chairs. At one point it got to be so bouncy my grandmother laughed through clenched dentures and said, “I’m afraid I’m going to lose my uppers!”
After our Florence adventures, I brought mom, Noni and Poppop to Sansepolcro on Sunday morning. They say it was the highlight of their trip, which makes me happy because it is my favorite, too. We went out to lunch and ate delicious homemade Tuscan food, I introduced them to Sansepolcran friends, Italian caffè, and showed them what the passagiata, or evening walk, is all about. The next morning, they left to go to Naples, Pompeii, and Rome before flying home. It was sad to say goodbye, but easier knowing that I will be home again in a few short weeks. And what wonderful memories we have to share together now!
Last weekend I had the greatest pleasure—showing my two favorite places in Italy to three people I love very much. As if I was not blessed enough to be studying here for three months, I had the added blessing of a visit from my mom and grandparents. They arrived in Florence on a Wednesday, and I met them there after my classes on Thursday afternoon. In case it was not obvious from my previous travel journals, I love Florence, and it is my favorite place in Italy, next to Sansepolcro, of course. The only challenge in going there was deciding which of the outstanding museums and sights to take my family members to see. Eventually, I decided on the Uffizi (because no trip to Florence would be complete without it), the Galileo Science Museum (because it is newly renovated and, I heard, quite lovely), the Pitti Palace (because it is huge and has lots to see), and the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo (because I was longing to visit it). In my previous journal from last week, I talked in depth about my favorite sculpture, Michelangelo’s last Pietà, so now I will try to suppress that ardent love and focus on the many other happenings of the trip.
Seeing my grandparents and, especially, my mom, was very exciting, since I have been away for two and a half months, now. When I arrived on Thursday we spent the afternoon and evening talking, catching up, and enjoying each other’s company. We ate dinner at a fairly decent restaurant downstairs—touristy, but nicer than what I usually eat on my travel breaks (cheap to-go pizza). Friday morning we woke up early and I took mom, Noni and Poppop on their first Italian city bus experience. In the morning we visited the Galileo Science Museum which was, as I had been told, a beautiful new museum and definitely worth the money.
There was scarcely anyone else there, so we were free to enjoy the exhibits in peace and quiet and at our leisure. At most museums, there are usually employees seated in every doorway. I think they might be there to answer questions, but usually they only play crossword puzzles and tell camera-happy tourists they are not allowed to take pictures. At the Galileo Museum, however, there was an extremely friendly and knowledgeable staff member who walked through the exhibits, stopping to explain them to you or anyone else who wanted to hear. This was especially helpful when something was only labeled in Italian, because he spoke nearly perfect English. He also was able to give a much deeper background about each of the things on display than was written on the display itself.
One of the things I learned about was an armillary sphere. This is an incredibly complex spherical instrument that plots the paths of planets and the sun as medieval Europeans envisioned them. It is quite gargantuan, probably around five or six feet in diameter, and is comprised of endless gears and detailed parts. In this model, the earth is in the center, and everything spins around it when a metal crank is turned. This piece was for the Medici and took 40 years to create, a substantial chunk of time to spend on something that would turn out to be incorrect. The irony of it is that, at the time, the man who designed it knew the earth was not the center of the universe, but the sun was. However, because of pressure from the church, he continued to pour his life into something he knew was wrong while he waited for Galileo to finish finding proof of this new, controversial theory. This massive armillary sphere is one of only three in existence, and is a new addition to the museum.
I also saw two telescopes that Galileo himself built. They were only a 30x magnification, but that was enough for him to make observations about the stars and planets that, at the time, were astonishing. For example, he found some of the moons around Jupiter and rings around Saturn, as well as a few other discoveries. He also damaged his vision looking at sunspots on the surface of the sun. In another display case were two of Galileo’s fingers and his tooth. Yes, this was quite a strange exhibit and it surprised me at first. After Galileo was shunned from the church because of his claim that the earth is not the center of the universe, he was given a burial in dishonored cemetery. Later, when everyone realized he was right, they dug up his bones to bury him in a more respected place. At this time, people tried to take fragments of his bones to have as relics, and this is how Galileo lost his fingers and tooth.
Visiting museums was both enlightening and fun, but also very, very tiring. At the end of the day, all four of us were eager to find the bus and return to our hotel. But this was easier said than done. Finding bus stops can be very difficult, as they are often hidden in the most unlikely spots, and figuring out what route to take can be even more confusing. After we walked a good deal we found the bus stop and got on the bus. After a few minutes we reached our destination. However, the bus stopped slightly earlier than I had expected it to and, anticipating another stop, we remained seated and did not get off. It did not stop again, however, but turned around and continued its route’s loop. I thought it would be best to remain on the bus and loop back around, rather than getting off and going through the complicated process of finding another bus. Little did I know that the bus’s complete route took an hour and a half, went in the complete opposite direction we wanted to go, and even went off my map of Florence. Needless to say, we had quite an interesting tour of the city and it’s outskirts. At one point, I began to doubt if we would ever return to our stop, so I asked the bus driver, “Santa Maria Novella?” In response, he laughed. And that is how I knew we were as far away from it as we could possibly be. It is not good news when your bus driver laughs at your questions. But we made the best of it and tried to appreciate seeing a part of the city we hadn’t planned on seeing. It wasn’t exactly the most comfortable ride, mostly because the city buses are very bumpy and rickety, and also have hard chairs. At one point it got to be so bouncy my grandmother laughed through clenched dentures and said, “I’m afraid I’m going to lose my uppers!”
After our Florence adventures, I brought mom, Noni and Poppop to Sansepolcro on Sunday morning. They say it was the highlight of their trip, which makes me happy because it is my favorite, too. We went out to lunch and ate delicious homemade Tuscan food, I introduced them to Sansepolcran friends, Italian caffè, and showed them what the passagiata, or evening walk, is all about. The next morning, they left to go to Naples, Pompeii, and Rome before flying home. It was sad to say goodbye, but easier knowing that I will be home again in a few short weeks. And what wonderful memories we have to share together now!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
A Sculptor's Joy and Pain - from 11/9/10
“From such a gentle thing, from such a fountain of all delight, my every pain is born.”
- Michelangelo
Gentle and reverently compassionate, Michelangelo’s gaze casts a shadow of love and sweet passion combined with a knowing and solemn expression over his last Pietà. Perhaps the most powerful piece I have seen so far, this sculpture is my favorite. This Pietà is composed of four figures: Mary and Mary Magdalene supporting the dead, crucified body of Jesus, with Nicodemus above, who bears the likeness of Michelangelo himself. It is the last sculpture Michelangelo worked on and is one of his non finito, or unfinished pieces, because he died before it was completed. I have been longing to see it and finally had the chance this weekend when I returned to Florence and visited the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo.
Part of the reason the sculpture is so powerful and emotional is because of the time in his life that Michelangelo carved it. He was an old man growing older, and the knowledge of his approaching death was only made increasingly aware to him as he chiseled away at the marble block that was to become his tombstone. At points he was also extremely frustrated with the less-than-perfect marble and, pushed to the edge, beat it with a hammer, doing significant damage. Later, one of his apprentices tried to repair the damage but there are still very visible cracks on Christ’s arm and leg, reminding viewers of the physical effort required to carve marble and the difficulties this posed for an aging sculptor.
As soon as my eyes met Michelangelo’s in Nicodemus’ face, I was drawn in and must have stayed in the little room the Pietà inhabits for half an hour. It was one of those times that some invisible force maintains silence and forbids you to speak. I felt as if words would interfere with the reverent scene and, even if I wanted to speak, nothing I could think of to say could remotely compete with the profundity of what each of the figures were saying with their eyes and faces and still movements.
At first I thought it strange that Michelangelo would choose to include Nicodemus in the scene and that he would carve in him his own face. However, information in the museum explained this a little, suggesting that Michelangelo chose Nicodemus because both had a conversion experience later in life. In the Bible, Nicodemus was a Jewish Pharisee who came to Jesus one night. In their conversation, Jesus told him that he needed to be “born again” (John 3:3). Nicodemus was understandably confused, asking “How can someone be born when they are old?...Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” (John 3:4). However, Jesus explained this second birth is of the Spirit, a new eternal life given to those who believe in Jesus. This spiritual birth is something both Nicodemus and Michelangelo seem to share, and this comparison adds even more depth to a piece that is already an incredibly personal reflection.
I don’t know if I will ever get tired of looking at this Pietà, even though the intimate interactions between all of the figures almost make me feel like an intruder. There is something about Michelangelo’s expression—passion and grave knowledge, a tender compassion and acceptance—as he looks down on the death of Christ and anticipates his own death, that intrigues and mystifies me.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
From 11/2/10
On Saturday, several other girls and I were sitting in our favorite caffè. We sipped foamy cappuccinos, which we enjoyed almost as much as the dramatic scene taking place outside—an Italian conversation. It is true—watching Italians talk together is watching every emotion surge through the air, being tossed back and forth by swift hand movements. Hand gestures are as much a part of the Italian language as transitive verbs and the many uses of fare are. As we watched the group of Italians outside, their speech, facial expressions, and gestures were so animated that it made no difference that the glass between us prohibited sound waves—their body language was loud enough to compensate for the silence.
One thing I have acquired a taste for, besides prosciutto and EstaThè (the most delicious peach iced tea), is people-watching. It’s not just the lively Italian conversations I find appealing, but the restful quiet of sitting near the street, soaking up the town until it becomes a part of you. I have spent many afternoons at Gerasmo’s doing exactly that. Gerasmo’s is the best caffè in Sansepolcro, partly because it is directly across the street from our palazzo, but mainly because it is owned by Fabrizio and Sonia. They also have the most heavenly bomboloni (Italian doughnuts), but I think that is because Fabrizio and Sonia’s sweetness rubs off on the pastries. Friendliness makes everything taste better. They always talk with us when we come in, know all of our names, and they even sang happy birthday to Molly yesterday. It is nice to know people and to have faces to recognize, even when you are in a different country.
One of the things I love most about Sansepolcro is the closeness of the town. The fact that I can see several people I know walk down the street while I sit at Gerasmo’s sipping my cappuccino is charming. I also love that the town itself is small. From my bedroom window I can look down at the street and see Gerasmo’s, two pizzerias, and a gelateria. Everywhere I go I pass a friendly face or familiar place. Living in a small town has allowed us to truly become a part of the Sansepolcran community. Throughout our stay here, there have been many things that encouraged us to immerse ourselves into our community. First, we participated in the Balestra festival, an important tradition that we were blessed to be a part of. We also routinely have local guests for lunch, and we teach English in local schools.
This weekend, we had what seemed to be every Sansepolcro resident in our palazzo for a children’s Halloween party. Perhaps we shouldn’t have invited 200 elementary school students, because although the actual number of attendees was far below that, our modest dining room and lounge areas were bursting at the seams. But despite being crowded, it was a huge success. We spent most of the day beforehand doing Halloween grocery shopping and making decorations out of whatever materials we could find. By the time we finished, the palazzo was completely decked-out. There were spider webs on every window and door, orange balloons hanging from the lampshades, paper bats fluttering in the hallway, festive table cloths, a skeleton in the corner, and even a path of paper pumpkins, bats and ghosts from the front door leading up the stairs to the lounge.
When the children began to trickle in—or, more realistically, pour in—we had many activities planned to keep them busy. We had coloring, leaf-rubbings, noodle necklaces, cookie decorating, and fishing for candy. It hadn’t occurred to me until I was facing 20 brown-eyed Italian children and was trying to explain the crafts to them that none of them spoke English. Perhaps I took for granted the language abilities of my middle school students, but needless to say, I employed the sign language that, out of necessity, I have nearly perfected this semester. However, they seemed to have a wonderful time and it was very entertaining to see all the little witches, skeletons and other characters running around the palazzo. It was also a good feeling to invite everyone to our home. I think our guests enjoyed the opportunity to become acquainted with the ragazze americane, and it increased our sense of belonging in our Sansepolcran community.
In case it is not obvious, I am very much in love with the town. This love has even begun to manifest itself in my color theory projects, several of which are inspired by different things in Sansepolcro. Last week we had to create a design and repeat it in several different color schemes that we have been learning about. One had to be painted in primary colors (cyan, magenta and yellow), one in secondary colors (green, orange and violet), one in tertiary colors (blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-green, yellow-orange, red-orange, and red-violet), one in an analogous color scheme (three colors next to each other on the color wheel—I chose yellow-green, green and blue-green), and lastly, one in a monochromatic color scheme (different shades and tints of one color—I chose red). For my design, I created a simplified version of a photo I took of the bell tower here in Sansepolcro. I wanted to base my design on something Sansepolcran so that when I return home, I can take a little bit of the town with me. I was quite pleased with the way it turned out, and so glad that now I have something to remind me of my time in Italy when I am back at home.
One thing I have acquired a taste for, besides prosciutto and EstaThè (the most delicious peach iced tea), is people-watching. It’s not just the lively Italian conversations I find appealing, but the restful quiet of sitting near the street, soaking up the town until it becomes a part of you. I have spent many afternoons at Gerasmo’s doing exactly that. Gerasmo’s is the best caffè in Sansepolcro, partly because it is directly across the street from our palazzo, but mainly because it is owned by Fabrizio and Sonia. They also have the most heavenly bomboloni (Italian doughnuts), but I think that is because Fabrizio and Sonia’s sweetness rubs off on the pastries. Friendliness makes everything taste better. They always talk with us when we come in, know all of our names, and they even sang happy birthday to Molly yesterday. It is nice to know people and to have faces to recognize, even when you are in a different country.
One of the things I love most about Sansepolcro is the closeness of the town. The fact that I can see several people I know walk down the street while I sit at Gerasmo’s sipping my cappuccino is charming. I also love that the town itself is small. From my bedroom window I can look down at the street and see Gerasmo’s, two pizzerias, and a gelateria. Everywhere I go I pass a friendly face or familiar place. Living in a small town has allowed us to truly become a part of the Sansepolcran community. Throughout our stay here, there have been many things that encouraged us to immerse ourselves into our community. First, we participated in the Balestra festival, an important tradition that we were blessed to be a part of. We also routinely have local guests for lunch, and we teach English in local schools.
This weekend, we had what seemed to be every Sansepolcro resident in our palazzo for a children’s Halloween party. Perhaps we shouldn’t have invited 200 elementary school students, because although the actual number of attendees was far below that, our modest dining room and lounge areas were bursting at the seams. But despite being crowded, it was a huge success. We spent most of the day beforehand doing Halloween grocery shopping and making decorations out of whatever materials we could find. By the time we finished, the palazzo was completely decked-out. There were spider webs on every window and door, orange balloons hanging from the lampshades, paper bats fluttering in the hallway, festive table cloths, a skeleton in the corner, and even a path of paper pumpkins, bats and ghosts from the front door leading up the stairs to the lounge.
When the children began to trickle in—or, more realistically, pour in—we had many activities planned to keep them busy. We had coloring, leaf-rubbings, noodle necklaces, cookie decorating, and fishing for candy. It hadn’t occurred to me until I was facing 20 brown-eyed Italian children and was trying to explain the crafts to them that none of them spoke English. Perhaps I took for granted the language abilities of my middle school students, but needless to say, I employed the sign language that, out of necessity, I have nearly perfected this semester. However, they seemed to have a wonderful time and it was very entertaining to see all the little witches, skeletons and other characters running around the palazzo. It was also a good feeling to invite everyone to our home. I think our guests enjoyed the opportunity to become acquainted with the ragazze americane, and it increased our sense of belonging in our Sansepolcran community.
In case it is not obvious, I am very much in love with the town. This love has even begun to manifest itself in my color theory projects, several of which are inspired by different things in Sansepolcro. Last week we had to create a design and repeat it in several different color schemes that we have been learning about. One had to be painted in primary colors (cyan, magenta and yellow), one in secondary colors (green, orange and violet), one in tertiary colors (blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-green, yellow-orange, red-orange, and red-violet), one in an analogous color scheme (three colors next to each other on the color wheel—I chose yellow-green, green and blue-green), and lastly, one in a monochromatic color scheme (different shades and tints of one color—I chose red). For my design, I created a simplified version of a photo I took of the bell tower here in Sansepolcro. I wanted to base my design on something Sansepolcran so that when I return home, I can take a little bit of the town with me. I was quite pleased with the way it turned out, and so glad that now I have something to remind me of my time in Italy when I am back at home.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
From 10/27/10
Tour of Tuscany
This weekend we packed ten students, three faculty members, one Meredith alumna and one driver into a bus and spent three days exploring Val d’Orcia, one of the most scenic and beautiful parts of Tuscany. One of the purposes of the trip was to visit places that were historically important in WWII. Although I am not in the WWII class or the English class that has been learning about the war and Val d’Orcia, I was very glad that I could learn at least a little bit about each of the cities we traversed on the trip. We stopped in many towns and cities, including La Foce, Montepulciano, Montisi, Montalcino, Buonconvento, Siena, Bagno Vignoni, and Pienza.
In La Foce we walked around a famous villa owned by the Origo family. During WWII, they served as a refuge to anyone in need, especially to children and wounded soldiers. We could not go in but had to peek through the gate. However, we did get to walk through their cemetery and see their graves. The villa has some of the most gorgeous views in Italy, so of course we took the opportunity to snap many pictures while we were there. While looking out over the golden hills, it was difficult for me to believe that at one time the landscape was a dangerous war zone, suffering air raids and bombings. We also purchased some local olive oil on our stop, since the oil in that region is particularly good.
We traveled to so many places in such a short amount of time that, to be honest, it is difficult for me to remember exactly what each one was. However, they were all gorgeous historic towns, and most were on hills with beautiful views. On Saturday morning we stopped at a church near Montalcino that, to this day, holds traditional Latin masses. Although we were not able to attend the mass, we did get to walk around the church and see the 12th century carved wooden crucifix on the altar. Outside the church were several rustic, snarly olive trees and a view of the surrounding hills. It was one of the prettiest places I’ve been in Italy so far, with the green-gold grape vines lined across the hills, the terracotta earth and the early morning sun. While we were there, we also met a very nice English family with two children. The eldest, an energetic two year old, entertained all of us by chattering in the most adorable way and doing hilariously good impressions of American accents.
In Montepulciano, we trekked to the top of the city where we saw the place where part of New Moon, a Twilight movie, was filmed. Although I am not a fan of it, I did enjoy seeing the city and walking around the old buildings, some of which were owned by the Medici. In Buonconvento, there is a very interesting agricultural museum. It has well-organized, interactive exhibits that depict the lifestyles of Italian farmers. It was really eye-opening to see things such as farm equipment and wine presses and to learn about the many aspects of their everyday lives. Also, we made a brief stop in Bagno Vignoni, a town famous for its hot springs, which supposedly have healing properties. While there, we had a delicious lunch in a picturesque, terraced restaurant and enjoyed fresh homemade pasta. There is also a spot in the town where the water from the springs run and we walked down to it, stripped off our shoes and socks, and waded in the stream for a bit.
The biggest city we went to was Siena, which was our last stop on Sunday afternoon. Here, we walked around, grabbed some pizza, and visited the cathedral and other museums around it. The cathedral is truly astounding. It was somewhat reminiscent of the Duomo in Florence—it had a striped exterior, exquisite carved detailing on the front, a bell tower, and an impressive interior. One thing I was thrilled about was here we were allowed to take pictures inside. You may be certain that I took full advantage of this opportunity, a rarity in Italian museums, and returned home with a snapshot of every aspect on the building—from the incredibly detailed floor designs, to the tall marble columns, to the meticulously crafted inlaid wood choir chairs. The old inlaid wood is one of my absolute favorite art forms here. Using only wood, somehow the craftsmen were able to create scenes more vivid and detailed than many I have seen painted or sketched. It is truly mind-boggling to see the depth and dimension of the images or to think about the amount of labor that went into creating them.
Our Val d’Orcia trip was one of my favorites so far, simply because everywhere we went was breathtaking and drop-dead gorgeous. It was also very nice of Dr. Webb to organize a trip there, because it required much more private transportation and would not have been something we could easily do on one of our personal travel breaks. It was a different travel experience and a nice break from big cities like Florence or Venice.
Teaching
In our Italy Today class, we learn about all things Italy—mainly government, politics, some history, and also modern aspects of Italian life. Part of the requirements for the course is that we complete a service-learning component by teaching English in an Italian school. Each of us were assigned to a different school; I go to one of the middle schools and have two classes of 13 year olds. So far we have been to our classes three times, and it has been very interesting seeing the differences in Italian schools.
One unique aspect is the Italian school buildings, most of which are very ancient structures. Also, the education system itself is slightly different than in America. Here, children attend elementary, middle and high school. The elementary and middle schools are mostly the same as ours, but the high schools are very different. Italians attend high school for five years, not four, and graduate when they are 19. Also, there are many different high schools and children/children’s parents must choose which they attend depending on what field they would like to study in university later on. Just in a small town like Sansepolcro there is an economic and business high school, an art high school, a scientific high school, and linguistic high school, and a technical high school. The art and technical schools are not as good, and most of the students who attend those will not go to university when they graduate.
In my classes, I have introduced myself to the students, talked about holidays in America, and also talked about summer vacations. I brought in a projector and lots of pictures of my family and my house the first week and pictures depicting holiday traditions the second week. I am very surprised by how well my students speak in English. They have a decent vocabulary, are able to ask me questions and answer my questions, and can use several different verb tenses. And they are only 13. One thing that was strange to them is that I have a car, because in Italy you must be older to get a driver’s license. They also wanted to know if I had a moped. It was rather amusing and I tried to explain to them that the larger distances in America prevent mopeds from becoming as popular as they are here. They also had no idea what sweet potatoes or pies or Pilgrims are, but after my lesson they were well-informed in all things Thanksgiving. Teaching is a new experience for all of us, especially because we are teaching in Italian schools, but so far I am enjoying it very much and am looking forward to seeing my 50 students next week.
This weekend we packed ten students, three faculty members, one Meredith alumna and one driver into a bus and spent three days exploring Val d’Orcia, one of the most scenic and beautiful parts of Tuscany. One of the purposes of the trip was to visit places that were historically important in WWII. Although I am not in the WWII class or the English class that has been learning about the war and Val d’Orcia, I was very glad that I could learn at least a little bit about each of the cities we traversed on the trip. We stopped in many towns and cities, including La Foce, Montepulciano, Montisi, Montalcino, Buonconvento, Siena, Bagno Vignoni, and Pienza.
In La Foce we walked around a famous villa owned by the Origo family. During WWII, they served as a refuge to anyone in need, especially to children and wounded soldiers. We could not go in but had to peek through the gate. However, we did get to walk through their cemetery and see their graves. The villa has some of the most gorgeous views in Italy, so of course we took the opportunity to snap many pictures while we were there. While looking out over the golden hills, it was difficult for me to believe that at one time the landscape was a dangerous war zone, suffering air raids and bombings. We also purchased some local olive oil on our stop, since the oil in that region is particularly good.
We traveled to so many places in such a short amount of time that, to be honest, it is difficult for me to remember exactly what each one was. However, they were all gorgeous historic towns, and most were on hills with beautiful views. On Saturday morning we stopped at a church near Montalcino that, to this day, holds traditional Latin masses. Although we were not able to attend the mass, we did get to walk around the church and see the 12th century carved wooden crucifix on the altar. Outside the church were several rustic, snarly olive trees and a view of the surrounding hills. It was one of the prettiest places I’ve been in Italy so far, with the green-gold grape vines lined across the hills, the terracotta earth and the early morning sun. While we were there, we also met a very nice English family with two children. The eldest, an energetic two year old, entertained all of us by chattering in the most adorable way and doing hilariously good impressions of American accents.
In Montepulciano, we trekked to the top of the city where we saw the place where part of New Moon, a Twilight movie, was filmed. Although I am not a fan of it, I did enjoy seeing the city and walking around the old buildings, some of which were owned by the Medici. In Buonconvento, there is a very interesting agricultural museum. It has well-organized, interactive exhibits that depict the lifestyles of Italian farmers. It was really eye-opening to see things such as farm equipment and wine presses and to learn about the many aspects of their everyday lives. Also, we made a brief stop in Bagno Vignoni, a town famous for its hot springs, which supposedly have healing properties. While there, we had a delicious lunch in a picturesque, terraced restaurant and enjoyed fresh homemade pasta. There is also a spot in the town where the water from the springs run and we walked down to it, stripped off our shoes and socks, and waded in the stream for a bit.
The biggest city we went to was Siena, which was our last stop on Sunday afternoon. Here, we walked around, grabbed some pizza, and visited the cathedral and other museums around it. The cathedral is truly astounding. It was somewhat reminiscent of the Duomo in Florence—it had a striped exterior, exquisite carved detailing on the front, a bell tower, and an impressive interior. One thing I was thrilled about was here we were allowed to take pictures inside. You may be certain that I took full advantage of this opportunity, a rarity in Italian museums, and returned home with a snapshot of every aspect on the building—from the incredibly detailed floor designs, to the tall marble columns, to the meticulously crafted inlaid wood choir chairs. The old inlaid wood is one of my absolute favorite art forms here. Using only wood, somehow the craftsmen were able to create scenes more vivid and detailed than many I have seen painted or sketched. It is truly mind-boggling to see the depth and dimension of the images or to think about the amount of labor that went into creating them.
Our Val d’Orcia trip was one of my favorites so far, simply because everywhere we went was breathtaking and drop-dead gorgeous. It was also very nice of Dr. Webb to organize a trip there, because it required much more private transportation and would not have been something we could easily do on one of our personal travel breaks. It was a different travel experience and a nice break from big cities like Florence or Venice.
Teaching
In our Italy Today class, we learn about all things Italy—mainly government, politics, some history, and also modern aspects of Italian life. Part of the requirements for the course is that we complete a service-learning component by teaching English in an Italian school. Each of us were assigned to a different school; I go to one of the middle schools and have two classes of 13 year olds. So far we have been to our classes three times, and it has been very interesting seeing the differences in Italian schools.
One unique aspect is the Italian school buildings, most of which are very ancient structures. Also, the education system itself is slightly different than in America. Here, children attend elementary, middle and high school. The elementary and middle schools are mostly the same as ours, but the high schools are very different. Italians attend high school for five years, not four, and graduate when they are 19. Also, there are many different high schools and children/children’s parents must choose which they attend depending on what field they would like to study in university later on. Just in a small town like Sansepolcro there is an economic and business high school, an art high school, a scientific high school, and linguistic high school, and a technical high school. The art and technical schools are not as good, and most of the students who attend those will not go to university when they graduate.
In my classes, I have introduced myself to the students, talked about holidays in America, and also talked about summer vacations. I brought in a projector and lots of pictures of my family and my house the first week and pictures depicting holiday traditions the second week. I am very surprised by how well my students speak in English. They have a decent vocabulary, are able to ask me questions and answer my questions, and can use several different verb tenses. And they are only 13. One thing that was strange to them is that I have a car, because in Italy you must be older to get a driver’s license. They also wanted to know if I had a moped. It was rather amusing and I tried to explain to them that the larger distances in America prevent mopeds from becoming as popular as they are here. They also had no idea what sweet potatoes or pies or Pilgrims are, but after my lesson they were well-informed in all things Thanksgiving. Teaching is a new experience for all of us, especially because we are teaching in Italian schools, but so far I am enjoying it very much and am looking forward to seeing my 50 students next week.
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