Florence, day to day
December 31, 2008
Labels: Florence
Posted by Allison Leese at 12:04 AM 0 comments
Arrivederci, Roma
December 14, 2008Fellini, in declaring his love for Rome, dubbed it a “great whore of cities.” Naturally, I expected I'd find Rome exactly as captivating as Fellini did, and that I would see the strangely magical elements of the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain as Fellini did.
Some of that lusty, big city charm hit me instantly. When we first arrived in Rome, as we were on the train to Florence, I noticed a giant black fist on top of a nearby building, and I assumed it was some sort of fine art in a style reminiscent of Claes Oldenburg. As the train rolled away, I saw the fist from another angle. It is not a fist, but an advertisement for Samsung. The hand is holding a cell phone.
Of course, one can't hope to get a truly accurate impression of a city in just a few days. We didn't have time to become intimate with the city (to extend Fellini's metaphor), but as many female classmates complained, Rome is extremely phallocentric. For example, the toilets seldom have toilet seats. Beyond this, I got a sense of an anti-feminist vibe from Rome. In the windows of the lingerie shops, the mannequin legs rest with their thighs on the ground and their feet pointing in the air. For my taste, this is a harmless gag on our convention of severed legs parading through the display case. It is curious that even the legend of the founding of Rome substitutes a she-wolf for a regular human mother.
Although I was content in Rome, I found myself missing Florence. Florence is a city built around its history of art. Rome is a city built around its history of domination and control. There are remnants of Ancient Rome, the Papacy, and the Fascist period all over Rome. Even the Cinecittà (which has its own metro stop, to my surprise) doesn't break this pattern: it was built by Mussolini.
I felt the desire for control all over Rome. The Vatican is indeed beautiful, but The Pietà is behind glass to protect it from would-be attackers. Sadly, this protection is prohibitive to a meaningful appreciation of Michelangelo's masterpiece because the viewers cannot see it in its full three-dimensional sense. The barrier makes a stronger statement than the sculpture: Rome is a city that showcases its madmen, and Florence is a city that showcases its artists!
Posted by Luke Teaford at 5:44 PM 0 comments
Once in a lifetime...
December 11, 2008
Rather than writing about the places we've seen so far, which have been breath-taking, I'm going to write about something small that happened but struck a chord in my brain... if that makes any sense.
Our chef/waitress at the hostel in Cortona was a hoot. While eating dinner at the hostel, she found out we were from the U.S. and yelled "OBAMA" with a big smile. She then said "Bush" in a hushed tone, made a noise, and pointed two thumbs down. She didn't hold anything back, and it definitely caught me off guard. While some of our group hooted and hollered, I sat there and realized just how much some Italians know about our government. I've learned that many Italians know more about our government system and leaders than I do. I don't know much about the current Italian government system. This is a shame, and I hope to research the subject when I get home.
Unfortunately, in our current schooling system, we don't learn about other countries' current situations. We mostly learn about other countries from the perspective of how they affected the United States. It would be very beneficial for students to learn more about the current governmental situations in foreign countries, as well as their history.
I'm looking forward to our last few days in Rome! When I get home, I definitely plan on doing more research to learn more about this country that I've called "home" for a week and a half!
Posted by Anna Heberling at 11:29 AM 0 comments
Florence and Siena
December 6, 2008 Florence and Siena have been amazing. The architecture is wonderful. I have to admit that Siena is my personal favorite so far. I really enjoyed the church with the famous bodies in it. I was impressed with David: the size of the statue is huge. When you see it on television, it seems a lot smaller. At all of the museums, I have seen pieces of art that I have studied in art history. It is impressive to actually see them in real life. The highlight so far was the Italian Elvis singing to us. I believe most will agree.Posted by shell at 3:52 PM 0 comments
Florence and Siena
We are now on Day 5 of our Italian adventure, and I have only seen wonderful things so far. Some of the sights that have been impressive to me include "The David," Galileo's tomb, the beautiful churches, and the magnificent buildings and landscapes. We have also had many great memories along the way including seeing the Elvis impersonator, eating great food, and climbing 400+ stairs to find a view that you will remember for a lifetime.It has also been interesting watching the Italian people and seeing how they act and especially the way they dress. They dress as though they are all movie stars. The people are also a lot more laid back here. I really like their pace of life, but sometimes I wish we could have our speed of living here (especially when we are waiting for checks). :)
We are leaving for Cortona tomorrow. I am ready to explore a new city, but I will definitely miss Florence. It has been a wonderful city to start my world travel in, and I am glad that we have had a nice place to stay at the convent.
Posted by Amanda at 3:49 PM 0 comments
What an Interesting Week!
Outside the city, it looks beautiful. I have to say I definitely enjoyed the smaller town of Siena more than the busy city of Florence. Great cheese, wine, and pastas. I can only get more excited to see Cortona and Rome! Good times!
Labels: Florence
Posted by James at 3:38 PM 0 comments
Florence
Florence has been amazing! I am amazed by everything in these Italian cities. I wish that I could have been here when they were building these churches and buildings. I cannot believe that they built such large and detailed structures without the modern conveniences we take for granted. It makes me want to do something great with my life.I love the scenery of the surrounding countryside. It is so beautiful! The colors, the hills, the way the buildings are positioned is just so inspiring.
Labels: Florence
Posted by Allison Leese at 3:28 PM 0 comments
Elvis in Italy?
After a day in the beautiful town of Siena, we were enjoying a dinner at the Borgo Antico ristorante (based on the reactions to the foods, everyone's favorite), and suddenly we saw what appeared to be a Santa--only skinny and without a white wig. His suit was bright red and the front was covered with Christmas ornaments. After careful observation, we decided this man must be dressed as Elvis. Obviously, we expect to see some American things in Italy, but this was totally unexpected! Sometimes one forgets the impact that American pop culture has had on other countries. He noticed that we were staring and taking pictures, and he turned around and began to talk to us. He said that he has traveled to the United States as an Elvis impersonator many times, and has even performed with Elvis' original band. He sang "Love Me Tender" and "Are you Lonesome Tonight?", and posed for a photo with us. This was an interesting, unexpected ending to our last day in Florence.Labels: Florence
Posted by Jessica K at 3:20 PM 0 comments
Florence and Tourism
December 5, 2008Even though there is heavy tourism in Florence, the Florentine sensibility is substantially different than in other cities. The stereotypical New Yorker attitude is that tourists impede the day-to-day lives of the residents, and there's an antipathy for tourists that goes along with that. In Florence, the Italians will often stop for a moment and admire what their city has to offer. A Florentine woman smoking a cigarette stopped to gaze at the Duomo. The expression on her face wasn't awe like it was for us who were visiting, rather it was a calm smile of recognition.
Labels: Florence
Posted by Luke Teaford at 10:20 PM 0 comments
Florence
Ciao! Florence è molto bella! This is my third day in Italy, and I am loving every minute of it. I would say look at pictures, but they truly do not do it justice. Our group has been to many famous chiesi (churches) and musei (museums) with wonderful artwork and statues. All of the work we have seen is around the Renaissance period, and I can appreciate it for its beauty and the time spent building it, but I think that I am also interesed in their modern culture. Oh! And the fashion! Italiani qui (Italians here) are walking pieces of art, with their individual styles and unique fashion articles. I would love to come back to study the modern culture, for a summer or a semester. I would also love to plan a trip to bring all of my friends. Florence seriously è molto bella, and I feel as though I am walking aroud in a picture book or the internet living inside their wonderful places.Oggi it rained the entire trip, but tomorrow we leave for Siena and then doppodomani (day after tomorrow) we leave for Cortona, which is also supposed to be sunny. I will try to keep this updated, but with the time change and the differences it is not the easiest to do. Not to mention I cannot spell in English in the first place, and now I have to switch between italiano e inglese and the keyboard here is really weird as far as positions.
Addio,
Buonasera,
Sabrina Sheetz
Labels: first-impressions, Florence
Posted by Sabrina Sheetz at 3:30 PM 0 comments
In Italia Presto! - Ambassador Program Departs Dec 2
November 26, 2008
the gigantic egg laid there by Brunelleschi
jerks a tear from an eye experienced in the blessed
domes . . ."
Joseph Brodsky, "December in Florence," from A PART OF SPEECH
Labels: Florence
Posted by Jane Blakelock at 1:55 PM 0 comments