& MI PIACE VIENNA

Do the words "Von Trapp," or "Julie Andrews" pop into your head when you think of Austria? Unfortunately, we didn't see any Sound of Music sites in Vienna...but don't worry, there was still a LOT to see!
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DAY 1 in VIENNA: 24 DECEMBER

Christmas Eve! After about 13 hours on trains and some difficulty, we found our hostel, The Wombats, which was much livelier than our hostel in Berlin. We walked around for a little bit - it's much easier to get around Vienna than Berlin, due to its smaller size. We went to the Secession building, where we saw the Beethoven Frieze by Gustav Klimt. We tried to find an open Christmas market, but I guess they must close on Christmas Eve and Christmas because there were only a few stands open - and they were closing. But we ended up in a small bar/restaurant and I had hot chocolate and some beef goulash. Peterskirche is a beautiful church in the center of the Vienna Ring which was decorated with Christmas trees and a nativity, and there we had our midnight Christmas mass. I didn't understand anything, since it was in German, but I was glad to go to a service (even if it was a mass) and pray, because I haven't been to church since August 24th...

DAY 2 in VIENNA: 25 DECEMBER

Christmas Day! And my most unconventional one ever. It was weird to do normal tourist stuff, to not be with my family, and realize that it is actually Christmas Day. At the hostel we met 2 Italians from Bari, in the south, and they told us about this house called Hundertwasserhaus, and they went with us there. It was Gaudi-like (although Nancy and Elsa, who've been to Spain, say the real Gaudi architecture is way cooler), with the wave shaped walls and ground, and use of mirror pieces and lots of color. Later we took a break with coffee and chocolate cake, and sightsaw around Mariathereisinplatz. We had our hearts set on getting standing tickets to see the Nutcracker at the Viennese State Opera, and after standing in a long line...we did! The tickets were only 4 euros and the show was beautiful! Why did I quit ballet?? The three of us wanted to have some Viennese food for our Christmas dinner, so we went to a place close to the hostel, where I had an old-style Viennese soup, bread dumpling in broth, and apricot pancake. We stayed there until we were too tired. A good end to an unconventional Christmas.

DAY 3 in VIENNA: 26 DECEMBER

Berlin has Museum Island, and Vienna has the Museums Quarter. We went to 2 of the museums there - the Museum Moderner Kunst (MOMuK) and the Leopold Museum. The first had some pretty cool video, installation, and architecture art, and the building was made of basalt lava. The Leopold had Klimt, and an exhibition for Egon Schiele for the 90th anniversary of his death at 28 in 1918. I'm now a fan of both Klimt and Schiele! And of Art Nouveau. Then we went to the Sacher Cafe, which is where the Sacher torte was invented...4.90 euros for a torte but it was worth it. Maybe the best chocolate cake I've had...

DAY 4 in VIENNA: 27 DECEMBER

Stephansdom is the main cathedral in Vienna, and we went there to take pictures early on our last day. Driven by our newfound love for the work of Klimt, we went to the Belvedere to see The Kiss. The gardens looked pretty depressing...it was all brown and the fountains were drained. BUT the museums was pretty awesome - I learned a lot more about the Secessionists and Art Nouveau, and they had a recreation of the Klimt room during an exhibition from his time. That was where I saw The Kiss, Danae, Fritza Riedler, and The Three Ages of Woman, and more. Then we went to the Hofburg Palace, which is now a museum and library. Mozart lived in Vienna - and his most expensive apartment is a museum. It was interesting to learn about him - all I know about him is what I saw in Amadeus - and cool to be in the house where he wrote "Figaro." These prodigys, like Mozart and Schiele, are really motivating me now! I need to really work more and push myself more with my art! By my age, Mozart was composing genius operas and Schiele was a year or two away from joining Klimt and the Secession!
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SEE what I'm talking about:
Midnight Christmas mass in German...
...and the Nutcracker on Christmas night!
ALSO: I will probably post links to Nancy and Elsa's photos once they put them up!

It's nice to be back in Florence - it's a little more familiar, and even though I love traveling, it's nice to have a place - a home - to go back to. And it will be fun to celebrate the New Year in Florence as well. Then on the 2nd, I'm off to Rome for a couple of days to meet my friends Nate and Judy who are actually LEAVING sunny California for the -0 Celsius temperatures here in Italy. I can't wait!

I ♥ BERLIN

I will halve my winter break trip into 2 Posts, to make it a little easier for you all to read, hopefully!
So...I knew Berlin was a great place for contemporary art culture as well as a city rich in its own fascinating (and sometimes horrible) history...but I never thought I would fall in love! Like Rome, Berlin is massive compared to little Florence, and it embraces the modern and cosmopolitan.

DAY ONE in BERLIN: 20 DECEMBER

Elsa, (an art history major), Nancy (a sculpture/jewelry major), and I arrived at the main train station Hauptbahnhof after about 8 hours traveling. We found our hostel and checked into our 8-bed dorm (it looked like 4 others were already there). Then we went out exploring for a little bit, walked along the Spree River, and had dinner at a little restaurant across from the Pergammon Museum. We all had wurstels with potato salad, apple strudel, and I had sherry juice, which was interesting. After dinner we continued our explorations and happened upon one of the fabulous German Christmas Markets along Unter den Linden street! We immediately regretted our early dinner once we saw the endless stands of hot dogs, pastries, nuts, and the array of strange, foreign, edible treats labled (sometimes) with a jumble of unpronouncable words. But we all decided to at least get a hot chocolate, and promised to return the next night. We kept walking, and found ourselves at yet another Christmas market that lit up the night. This one had a huge ferris wheel and a skating rink, and was even bigger than the first one. "Let's come back to this one tomorrow," we agreed. Still tired from the long trip, we trekked back to the Heart of Gold Hostel in the cold and went to sleep.

DAY TWO in BERLIN: 21 DECEMBER

Thanks to the Let's Go: Western Europe book I borrowed from Sara, we knew that there was a so-called "Museum Island" in Berlin, so we headed there the next morning, and went to the Alte Nationalgalerie - filled with works from the mid & late 19th century and the early 20th century (Friedrich, Monet, Renoir, Rodin, and some amazing Neo-Baroque stuff!). It was so inspiring...! We spent about 4 hours there, and then tried to walk to the Hamburger Bahnhoff Museum which had a pop art/Andy Warhol exhibit, but it was all the way across by the train station, so by the time we got there, it was closing in an hour. We did get to see some sights, like the Brandenburger Tor BEFORE ... AFTER. Instead, we headed towards Alexanderplatz, where we saw the Christmas Market the night before. There, I had a bratwurst with the spiciest mustard I'd ever had - I know now why they use mustard gas. Nancy and I shared a fried flat bread with sour cream, cheese, and spices. (Look at my photos, it's like a German version of a pizza?) There was a Schaumkusse - a marshmallow-like thing with a coat of chocolate. Finally, I had a candied apple, which was just weird - all the Germans were eating them though. (I know - a lot of food, but at least we didn't have lunch...?)

DAY 3 in BERLIN: 22 DECEMBER

The three of us woke up late and wandered around the city for a bit and took photos of different buildings and sights. We found Checkpoint Charlie, where there was an American soldier standing with a flag, and there it was - the famous "You are now entering the American sector" sign. We saw one of the longest standing stretches of the Berlin Wall, and the "Topography of Terror," which was an exhibition along the Wall with explanations and history. After a bit of walking around, we also made it to the Jewish Memorial, which was very strange to walk around in. It felt like one of those garden mazes, except in concrete. Sounds would get muffled as you walked into the center, and since it was dark it was even spookier. When it got too cold, we went to the Christmas market again. I got an After Eight - hot chocolate with a shot of peppermint liqueor, and a pretzel. We met a jewelry vendor at one of the stands who took us to his shop and gave us cafes and discounts. Then we returned to the market to wander around a little more, and Elsa and I got some candied nuts (delicious!!).

DAY 3 in BERLIN: 23 DECEMBER

For once, we managed to wake up early and saw the Reichstag building, with its beautiful glass dome. We'd seen advertisements for a Jeff Koons exhibit, and Nancy and I were determined to see it. So we went to the Neue Nationalgalerie to accomplish our goal! There was Tulips, which I actually also saw at LACMA, Hanging Heart (Violet), Ballon Dog (Red), and Cracked Egg (Blue), among others. It was inspiring, and refreshing. Then our third and final museum in Berlin; the Gemaldegalerie. They had a collection of paintings from across Europe - Rembrandt, Titian, Caravaggio, Rubens, Wattaeu, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Botticelli, Velazquez - it was pretty intense! After that, we went on a quest for the Steinway Haus - Elsa's dad works with pianos, and she plays too. The pianos there were so beautiful! There was one that was made of Indian applewood, I think, which looked like a tigereye stone.
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There is no way to fully experience Berlin in 3 and a half days. I want to go back for sure, and get to know the city, language, history, and people better. Probably during a warmer season.

PHOTO TIME!
Weihnachten markets every night...
...and visits to historical sites and museums.

Buon Natale!

I just got out of my last class before winter break. Although I'm excited about venturing (finally) outside of Italy, I'm kind of worried about the cold in Germany and Austria. I thought Florence was cold (even though this weekend the forecast is 60 F - why can't it be that warm when I'm here?) but in Berlin and Vienna it's snowing! I went to the very cheap San Cascine market (only open 9-2 Tuesdays) and stocked up on some layers. But I'm pretty excited to try real German and Austrian food - I can't wait for waffles or pancakes...strudels...even sausages, which I never ate too much of. And I hear the kebabs are better in Germany too - I don't know if I want to stop for those though.

Now that we have a studio art student "studio" at the CSU center (it's more like a converted closet) I've been spending more time painting! It's great and reminds me of taking studio classes back in Long Beach - a bunch of artists working into the late hours, painting, drawing, sculpting, and sleeping in there.

Florence is getting all decorated for the holidays! There are lights hanging overhead, and Christmas trees in the piazzas. I'm sad I won't be here for Christmas but I will be here for New Years!


This is me (a month or two ago) rubbing the nose of the Florence bronze boar - it's supposed to be good luck, or bring you back to Florence.

If I don't talk to you before I go away from Internet Access:
~ m e r r y ♥ c h r i s t m a s ~
I miss you and will be thinking of you all during Christmas!
CLICK HERE

Field Trip #3

Have you heard of any of these places: Urbino? Assisi? Ravenna?
Have you heard of any of these people: Piero della Francesca? San Francesco? Giotto?
I've only heard of a couple, and that's only because I've taken art history. Twice. So the field trip this weekend was probably intended more for the art history students than for everyone else. As for me, (a studio art student who has never been able to get into medieval art) it was definitely difficult to get through the long explanations and descriptions of historical debates surrounding the churches and artwork.
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We left early on Friday morning, and stopped in Monterchi to see the "Madonna del Parto" - I'd never heard of this work or the guy who painted it (Piero della Francesca) but supposedly della Francesca was rediscovered by contemporary artists and this is one of his most beloved paintings. We also made a stop in San Sepulcro to see the Museo di Civico and more Piero della Francesca paintings (the Resurrection of Christ is famous), and finally made it to Urbino to stay at the Piero della Francesca Hotel. I couldn't believe they named the hotel after him. Dinner was pretty good - we went to a restaurant called Da Ciacci. They had about 9 courses. But it was fun because you just took a serving spoonful of each dish, so even though I was unbelievably full, I also got to try a lot of different things.
The next day we spent in Assisi. If the name sounds familiar, it's probably because of Saint Francis of Assisi's fame. And the San Francesco Basilica was probably the highlight of the trip, for me. There was the upper church, lower church, and the crypt below where the body of St. Francis is kept. We got a preview and intro to the church and St. Francis by a Franciscan monk from America, and I learned that St. Francis was actually a really cool guy. He was a rich kid who was later thrown out by his father. He was simply into spreading love and care, and being completely humble about it. There was also the Church of Santa Chiara (St. Claire) which we were only able to walk through briefly because we were behind schedule by like 2 hours.
On Sunday we checked out of the hotel and went to Ravenna, and these are the things we saw: the Mausoleum of Teodorico, Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, the Tomb of Dante, Arian Baptistry, the Museo Arcivescovile, San Vitale, Galla Placidia, San Francesco, and San Giovanni Evangelista. I'm sorry you had to struggle to read through all those names - just imagine having to walk around to ALL of them. I have to be honest: the churches and mosaics all kind of blend together into one LONG day. I'll let you look at the photos...I do clearly remember a crypt that was actually underwater, with goldfish swimming in it. I think that might have been at Galla Placidia. One of the highlights was getting to drink a cioccolata calda that was super thick, a characteristic of the hot chocolate in Ravenna.
Every time we got on the bus, we were all so grateful for the heat, because Assisi, Urbino, and Ravenna were way colder than Florence. Now that I'm back in Florence, I know I can't complain. Hopefully I'll be ready for the freezing weather in Austria and Germany.

FACEBOOK PHOTOS!
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In other news:
- I have MIDTERMS next week for my Italian classes. I've been too preoccupied with my Accademia classes to really think about Italian so I'll be studying this weekend!
- There is a German festival in anticipation of Christmas in Santa Croce. I've never had HOT SPICED WINE or APPLE CIDER WITH RUM before. They're delicious! And also white sausage with sauerkraut and mustard? I hope I can have the real thing in Germany.
- We have a HOLIDAY BANQUET tonight at the CSU center! Free food!

Turkey = Tacchina

If you didn't know this already, Florence is a city filled with students, and American students especially. And all the American students have to celebrate Thanksgiving (as you probably knew already.) The Florentines sell turkeys specifically for us, and the butchers put little "Happy Thanksgiving" signs in their windows, which are naturally colored red, white, and blue.

So we reserved a turkey at the mercato, and Samantha picked it up on Thursday. (Luckily, it was a bird that fit - if narrowly - into our tiny oven.) Sara found some cranberry sauce at an American bakery, and we spent the whole day cooking! Marsha (our art advisor), Pietro, Laura, Nancy, Jackie, and Mark came by. Sara and John decorated our apartment with paper cut-out leaves and turkeys, and a colorful decorated sign reading "Buon Giorno de Ringraziamento!" John also made all of us Native American headdresses, and bestowed upon us our Indian names: Sara was Chipmunk Nuts. Gaby was Magic Corn Husk. Sam was Wild Belly. I was Glowing Moon, Glowing Face. And John was Great Snowcone. I know what you're thinking - and yes, we are kind of crazy...

It was an epic feast that night - corn, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans with panchetta, cream spinach, panzanella (a Tuscan bread salad), garlic mashed potatoes, sweet mashed yams, biscuits, and the turkey complete with stuffing, which Gaby prepared. For dessert, there was pear and dried cherry bread with cream cheese and cinammon butter, pumpkin pie, and afterwards, (naturally) the Thanksgiving food coma. I am still full - and we still have tons of leftovers.

Click for PHOTOS!

an eternal city...

ROME DAY 1:
Two weekends ago, our school took us on a field trip south to Rome. We met at the CSU center at 6:30 AM and took a bus all the way. There were a couple stops - one in the Necropolis at Tarquina to see Etruscan graves, and into the living town of Tarquina to see the Etruscan museum there. Our second stop was the Necropolis at Cerveteri to see more Etruscan graves. By now, I am completely Etruscan-ed out. However, the Cerveteri Necropolis is beautiful - it's foresty and green, maze-like with an air of peace and tranquility. The graves take the form of small hills with corridors leading inside. Think of the Hobbit Shire from "Lord of the Rings." I wouldn't mind being buried in this city of the dead...!
At around 6:30 PM we finally made it to Roma - our hotel was called the Jolly Leonardo da Vinci, and despite it's name, it was a very lovely place to stay! (There were lots of Nihon-jins staying there, which might say something...) Our dinner took place in the dining room at the hotel, with a first course, a second course, and a dessert.

ROME DAY 2:
I was spoiled during my last international trip - it was to Japan, and I had luxurious breakfasts of rice with misoshiru, onsen tamago, fresh fruit and 10 different types of juice. At the Hotel Jolly Leonardo da Vinci they also had a fantastic spread of mushrooms, sausages, juices, fruit, caffe, and an array of pastries. (Probably to live up to the standards of those Nihon-jin kankou-ers).
Our first sightsee-spot was the Roman Forum - the Palatine Hill, Capitaline Hill, Curia senate building, Commiteum, Triumphal Arch, Temple to Saturn and Hestia, the Basilica of Constantine...there were so many ruins, built during so many different reigns, and built at varying heights, that I couldn't take in all of that history in the 2 or 3 hours we were there.
On the bus on the way to Rome, we saw the Russel Crowe film "Gladiator." And the next day, there I was, standing in the Colosseum, where gladiators fought in ancient times. It was magnificent, awesome...and hard to imagine how it would have looked in 75 AD, with awnings pulled out, hearing the roar of thousands of Romans cheering on the fighters battling to the death.
The Parthenon and the Pantheon...the names are so similar and I always mix them up. But now that I've seen the Pantheon, it will hopefully be easier! On the outside, the Pantheon is a little dark and unimpressive...but once you walk inside, it's just as beautiful as any of the churches with colored marble and gold facades. It has a strange floor - it's concaved - and there is a circular opening in the roof - but rain never gets in. I didn't really understand it.
Later, we went to the Chiesa Luigi dei Francese, where I saw my first Caravaggio painting in person. The Calling of St. Matthew! Then to Piazza Navona, where we (sort of) saw Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers (it was under restoration - so our view was a bit obstructed). The church in the piazza - Chiesa Agnese in Agone, was in an unsual oval shape.
For dinner, some of us went to a restaurant where we had appetizer of fried olives stuffed with pork, and the Roman specialty pasta carbonara and for dessert, I had a ricotta torta (in the photo, the one on the very right.)
The Fontana dei Trevi was right down the street from where we had dinner...it was my favorite sight. It was more beautiful than any of the reproductions or photos I've seen of it - and we did the whole throw-a-coin-over-your-shoulder thing (I used a U.S. quarter, if you want to know), and then sat around sketching.
We found the Piazza Spagnolo and the Spanish Steps - the first thing I thought about was Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in "Roman Holiday." A couple of us climbed to the very top and enjoyed a moment with a view of the Roman skyline - but then it started raining so we found the nearest subway and (using our Roma Pass) rode back to the hotel.
By then it was about midnight, which meant we had been out walking and being tourists for about 14-15 hours. BUT...the night was not yet over. I joined a group that was going to Vatican City - and I'm glad I did...even though I was ready to knock out in the warm room back at the hotel...even though my feet were aching like I'd just spent a whole day running around and standing in lines at Disneyland. The Vatican was deserted, except for a few people and cars passing through. St. Peter's Basilica was glowing, the fountains on either side of it looked like misting sculptures.
If you ever have the fortune to be in Rome - if you have the opportunity, see it late at night. This is when it really lives up to its name: "The Eternal City." Everything looks and feels so ethereal - there is a turquoise glow emanating from everywhere, dreamlike.

ROME DAY 3:
Our final day in Rome, we got up at 6:45AM - in time for breakfasts, checkouts, and a bus ride to the Borghese Museum by 9:00AM. Caravaggio is my favorite painter from art history, and Bernini my favorite sculptor (thanks to The Ecstacy of St. Teresa). The Borghese Museum has some of their most famous works. David & Goliath, St. Jerome...Apollo & Daphne, the Rape of Persephone...I was able to sketch from Caravaggio's paintings while Dominic (our resident director) talked. I was filled with inspiration - I wanted to make all my lights dark and all my darks really dark...!!
Next, we headed to Via Veneto, a street lined with designer stores and posh ristorante and bar/cafes. Dominic and one of the other staff members, Refuggio, told us they were taking us to a "surprise" and led us to a small, discreet church called Chiesa Immacolata Consezione and their Capella dei Cappucini. Refuggio hurriedly told us that he had gotten us 10 minutes to go inside, but we would talk about these 10 minutes for the rest of our lives. I know I was pretty excited - and this was what was inside: there was a long corridor, with enclaves on our left. In these spaces were graves. Not that strange. But on the walls were bones. Hundreds of hip bones or jaw bones arranged in decorative designs. Rib bones and leg bones made patterns around us. The tiny disks from the spines were used to make small chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. And surrounding the graves were the mummified bodies of deceased monks, either reclining or standing up in praying positions or holding crosses. I could see their fingernails. It was creepy, for sure, and to top it off there was spooky, solemn organ music playing from speakers somewhere. a photo...
I mentioned before that I was Etruscan-ed out - by the first day. The next stop in our tour was Palazzo delle Esposizione, where there was an Etruscan exhibition. I can only see so many Etruscan esophagi and artifacts, and in Florence and Rome I am constantly served up history, Renaissance, works from antiquity, etc. Luckily there was a Bill Viola show at the Palazzo delle Esposizione, which was perfect - a lot of people cut short the Etruscan show and headed for the video art. I saw his "Crossing," "The Greeting," "Observance," and "Departing Angel," to name a few. It really inspired me to learn more about video art, and perhaps even try it.
Afterwards, it was about time for an early dinner, so a few of us entered the first open restaurant that we found open, where I had a truffle arancini, and my first Italian lasagna. It was a very leisurely dinner, and by 7:00 we were back on the bus, and by 1!:45 that night I was back at home in Florence.

I want to spend a year in Rome too - 3 days is not enough for such a big, diverse, modern, yet historically epic city.
my facebook albums of Rome:
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due

The Coast and then...school!

The view from the Atrani beach:

Day One:
This last Tuesday, Sara, Sam, John, Gaby, and two of our friends Heather and Stefany took the 6:45AM train from Santa Maria Novella...our destination: the Amalfi Coast, and Ischia for Sara's 21st birthday. We switched trains in both Naples and Salerno, then took a bus to the coast. All the films and photos that I've seen capture the coast beautifully...there are the tiny buildings seemingly stacked up on each other, rising from the cliffs. It was wonderful to catch the scent of the sea again, hear the waves, and see palm trees. It was a little drizzly and overcast, but the place is still gorgeous. Because it is the off-season, our hostel was pretty much empty - there may have been two or three other occupied rooms, but we barely saw anyone. But we got to pick rooms in the front! Our first dinner was at a restaurant called "Le Due Palme." We all got an eggplant dish and mussels (the best ones I've ever had) for primi piatti, and then pizza for the main course. (We continued to eat a lot of pizza during our stay in Southern Italy ... I don't know if I can bring myself to eat the pizza in Florence afterwards!) The southern Italians also have a different way of speaking - they slur their words, and pay less attention to grammar rules. The first time I heard it on the train, I couldn't understand what they were saying.

Day Two:
Our hostel's free breakfast was so sweet! The cappucini have small smiley faces in them (see my facebook album for a photo). The second day we began our hike to Ravello. I have never known a place like this existed! Everything was green, moist, and almost tropical. There were moments when I was reminded of Hawaii or even the mountains of Japan, but instead of temples I saw the stacked Italian homes and churches. We passed by the private olive and lemon groves, and strange abandoned homes. There was a ceramics studio on the road up to Ravello where the lady, Giona, makes all her own ceramics (which the coast is famous for) and sells them. We finally made it to Ravello after maybe three hours. It is a cute town, although the items are a little overpriced (they take advantage of the tourists). We went into a church that housed the centuries-old (at least 400 years old) blood of Ravello's patron martyr.
That night for dinner we walked from Atrani to Amalfi along the cliffside, which is high above the rocky ocean below. In Amalfi we tried a restaurant called Tari, where I had a homemade pasta dish with squid, clams, and mussels. After dinner we walked out onto the pier and watched the waves and lightning, and getting sprayed by the Mediterrenean. We decided to head back to Atrani...and this is when we almost died! It was raining a little when we started back, but then the rain started going sideways. I closed my umbrella because it would have just snapped. When we got to the cliffside, the wind started picking up and I was forced to run because of the wind. I fell down, skinning my knee a little and ripping my jeans. I was huddled there with Stefany, Gaby, Sara, and Sam (I think) a few feet in front of me. There were motorcycles falling around us, and I remember being crouched on the ground there, thinking "I'm just going to stay here until it stops!" Luckily, Heather and John came back, dragged us through the wind and rain away from the edge of the cliff, where the wind was lighter. Exhausted and soaked through, we dragged our feet back to Atrani where we hung our clothes out on the clothesline, and took hot showers. For a while I was too much in shock to sleep!

Day Three:
We went to Amalfi to explore the town and see the Cathedral of Amalfi, which is beautiful. There was the Cloister of Paradise, filled with palm trees, and housed the remains of Amalfi's saints. Then the Basilica of the Crucifix, which holds some of Amalfi's treasures, such as jeweled crosses, crowns, and relics. The Cathedral of Amalfi also has the remains of the disciple Andrew in the Crypt of St. Andrew. Finally, there was the Cathedral, and there was a Eucharist in progress when I entered, so I got to see the priest speaking and hear the organs. We also visited the Museo delle Carte - the first paper mill in Europe, in use since the 1100s. After Amalfi we took a bus up to Positano. It is amazing taking the bus along the coast - it's so beautiful but it's also very scary - the street is so narrow so the driver has to honk a few times before turning any corners. Positano was a beautiful town, probably a destination more for people with money than for students. But the beach there was beautiful, and the water was warm, so we waded in. Because everything was so expensive, we went back to Atrani for dinner at a pizza kitchen right on the beach. I had a seafood pizza!

Day Four:
Sara's 21st birthday! We took the bus to Naples (a very dirty and crowded city...kind of like L.A. except maybe a little dirtier) and then a ferry to the island of Ischia, in the Bay of Naples. When we met the hostel owner, he offered us an apartment (instead of a room) which was basically a beach house with two terraces - one of which was over the water. When the hostel owner found out that it was Sara's birthday, he offered to open up his family's restaurant for us. It was really nice to have the restaurant to ourselves (along with a Canadian and Australian who came from the hostel) and I had a whipped egg and parmesan in chicken broth soup and tomato, mussels, & pecorino on giant tube sized-pasta. It was really nice - they brought out small chocolate cakes with a candle and we all sang "felice cumpleanno" for Sara.
(I had my first soft persimmon in Ischia - it was like jelly and delicious! I never knew I liked persimmons before this.)

Day Five:
We were originally going to leave on this day, but after seeing the beach house we couldn't help but stay another night, so we wouldn't feel rushed. We had heard about a thermal beach, so we went to the grocery store, picked up some things for sandwiches and lunch, and took a bus and short hike down to the Sargento beach. There wasn't any sand - just rocks, but we could climb on top of them and sit in the sun. (It was actually pretty sunny there and I got a little bit burnt!) The hot springs water came out of a small ledge under the shallow water. The cooler water from the waves perfectly balanced out the boiling water from the thermals. There was a man who was sitting there the whole time, and he was selling these jars of a mud skin treatment. We bought some for 2 Euros each and painted ourselves with it. After letting it dry, we rinsed off in the hot springs - and my skin did feel much softer!
...It was definitely very strange coming back to Florence, and finding myself thinking, "I'm glad to be home."

Check out my Facebook albums of the trip:
Uno . Due . Tre

This week was also my first full week of class at the Accademia. My painting class is very confusing - apparently it's hard for even the Italian students to understand the teacher, Professore Bisi. Hopefully it will get easier to communicate! I am also taking Anatomy, which consists of two 1 hour lectures and 2 hours of life drawing during the week. The teacher, Gennari, speaks a little English so it's a bit easier. My last class at the Accademia is Etching (Tecniche delle Incisione) with Viggiano, who has been teaching for about 40 years, I think, and was the head of the Accademia for several years as well. He doesn't speak English, but is able to communicate to us and is very helpful! It's exciting to finally go to an Italian school and meet people from Italy and from around the world.

Protests, chocolate, calcio, and international dinners

There hasn't been much new news since the last time I updated...we had our finals for PLP this past week and studio art students have our orientation and first day of instruction tomorrow (Monday the 27th) at the Accademia. Then on Tuesday our apartment and our friend Stefany will be spending the rest of the week in the Amalfi Coast and Sara's birthday (October 31st) on Ischia.
We've had a couple interesting dinners here at the Castella di Nutella as well...
Ramen sent from the Ota family on Willis Lane:

And fajitas made with tortillas and black beans from Sara's parents:

I also went to my first soccer (calcio) game - Fiorentina vs. Regina. It wasn't as crazy or violent because they aren't crazy rivals, but it was fun nonetheless! We also found Vestri, a cioccolateria, where we ordered affogato - hot chocolate with a scoop of gelato. And there have been recent student protests against the school tuition raises and teacher firings, so on Tuesday we saw marches in the street and demonstrations in the piazzas. Italian students are so proactive - and who knows? The Accademia might be occupied tomorrow when we go for our orientation...!?

Siena

Last weekend Sam, John, and a few friends from the CSU program went on a day trip to Siena. It was a gorgeous day - and we started off the day at a small restaurant that served "poor man's food." I had ribollita and pork in wine sauce. Then we went to the piazza (where in the summer, they hold a huge, insance horse riding race) and had some gelato. Siena has three musuems, and we visited each of them - the Museo Civico, the Santa Maria Della Scala, and the contemporary exhibit (the current featured artist was an American named Gordon Matta Clark). Some of us also went into the Cathedral there, which is one of the most expansive and beautiful churches I've seen so far.



The next day, we went to Santa Croce where they were having a so called "international fair" - but the featured countries were only Germany, Austria, France, etc. There was one booth that we thought was American, because it had Indian-made purses and a life-size wooden figure of a Native American with the headdress and traditional clothing.

Visit my facebook album of the trip! (It was getting too hard to upload photos on both facebook and blogspot...)

This weekend has been pretty laid-back so far! Sam and John went with some others to Cinque Terre but Sara, Gaby and I are trying to save money for the Amalfi coast and Capri for PLP break and Sara's birthday on the 31st...and Gaby has been on a cooking streak this weekend! Caramel baked pear with raisins, and a mozzarella bake with all our leftovers (like zucchini, beets, cous cous, tomatoes...) were highlights---

Small thing -- this is the supermarket we like to go to: (hopefully we can start going to the San Ambrosio market, when we get used to its hours)

Accademia Exam Week!

This week, Monday, through Thursday, for 6 HOURS each day, I took the entrance exam for the Accademia. The first day was still life, second was figure, and the third and fourth days they gave us a theme and we also had to do a blow up of the design. I chose a project where I had to design a mural for a hotel lobby/reading/drinking room with red chairs and vending machines. It was very long, and very tiring.

There were plenty of international students in the testing rooms, but all the directions were given in Italian. Luckily we met with Marsha each day after the exam, so she was able to tell us what was going on.

Here are links to photos of the stuff I made during those 24 hours of testing:
DAY ONE: My still life (tempera, 50x70 cm)
DAY TWO: Figure Drawings:
- 20 minute pencil sketch
- 4 or 5 hour charcoal drawing
- 15 minute ink sketch
DAYS THREE AND FOUR: Mural project:
- design
- blow up #1
- blow up #2

Everyone else in the program had great work as well! I'm so happy to be done and the results will be out by this week or next week.

Corri la Vita weekend

Thanks everyone! I don't feel sick exactly...just like I might get sick at any second and a little uneasy about that...

This Friday as the residents of Castella di Nutella (we named our apartment this) thought over what to make for dinner, we realized that we did not want any more pasta or Italian food, at least for that night. So we went over to the "Asian" market (it's more like a tiny shop with Asian, Hispanic, and Middle Eastern ingredients) and got some curry. We already had some risotto so we just cooked that and it was the most satisfying meal I've had in a long time! I definitely missed the taste of rice (even if it wasn't actual gohan).

On Saturday we went to listen to a free Gregorian chant concert at Santa Croce. It was in a beautiful room where we were surrounded by frescoes, and a Last Supper in front of us. The experience of Gregorian chants was definitely a soothing experience perfect before taking an entrance exam!
The inside courtyard of Santa Croce and the "stage" where they sang.

This weekend was also the Corri La Vita race. Corri La Vita means "run for life" and it's similar to the Susan G. Komen breast cancer walks in the U.S. We walked 6 kilometers up into the hills across the Arno river and through the Piazzale Michelangiolo.
It seemed like everyone in Florence was there

Then after an improptu potluck we headed over to the Accademia (where we'll be taking the first of our exams tomorrow) to see the Giovanni Fattori show. Giovanni Fattori was both a student and teacher at the Accademia in the second half of the 19th century and his works are almost a precursor to Impressionist art.

p.s. Paul Newman died?????

Inferma???

I think I'm getting sick.
I was expecting it because everyone else is sick too. Maybe I'll be making trips to the farmacia soon...!

Accademia exams are coming up. We have to go to the Accademia Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM. We're going to be drawing/painting a still life the first day, a figure the second, and there's a project and from imagination on Wednesday and Thursday...and in about 2 to 3 weeks we'll know if we passed. I can't wait!!

Now...I'm gonna go back home and SLEEP.

ciao!

Una gira alle Pisa & Lucca

On Saturday morning we took a train from Santa Maria Novella train station to Pisa. When you leave the train station and head in the direction of the church and the famous leaning tower, there is a large avenue filled with clothing/shoe/makeup/department stores, and then you see the tower peeking out through the buildings. There were plenty of tourists, so we did the whole tourist thing and took funny pictures. The leaning tower of Pisa actually leans more than I thought, and it's shorter too. I never knew that there were other buildings (shops, etc) so close by. After our photo shoot, we sat in the shade of the tower and ate sandwiches and gelato.

We decided to head over to a tiny town a 15 minute train ride away, called Lucca. It has a massive old wall surrounding it, and inside there are many more of those clothing/department style stores. The streets were filled with Italians enjoying the Saturday, and apparently, there was a festival for Puccini (who lived in Lucca) so there was an antique fair. We stopped by a gelateria that was celebrating its 80th anniversary, and I got 5 scoops, and my room mate got a nutella crepe. Speaking of nutella - we also found a dough nut stand that had nutella covered dough nuts! (They were hot and delicious - and not as oily and gross as some dough nuts in the US). We had fun getting lost looking for Puccini's house and ended up doing a lot of window shopping. (Pretty soon, I need to get a warm coat and some shoes that can handle the cold and rain...) My roommates and I had our first sit-down dinner at a Luccan restaurant called "Dal Francese" where I ordered the Tortelli Lucchese (Luccan tortellini).

Photos from Pisa: In the last one we're attacking it!

Now Lucca:

Chianti, Fiesole

During this past weekend we went to Greve, Chianti, because of a wine tasting festival. It was very cold and drizzly - but besides the wine I had a cappuccino at an Italian ristorante for the first time!

This past week we took a day trip to Fiesole after class for Stefany's birthday. It was overcast but the view of Florence was still gorgeous! We went into a couple churches and manuevered the hilly streets.

This weekend we plan on taking the bus to Pisa for either one day, or perhaps spending the night there? Hopefully it will warm up for the weekend!

Classes are going well - the Accademia exams are coming up in a couple weeks and I am very nervous! Although ... I think I'm more nervous about the length of the exam (24 hours over a span of 4 days) rather than what I'm going to be tested on. Marsha the art advisor is really helpful so I'm confident that I'll be able to make good enough drawings and paintings.

I also feel like I'm getting to know the city a tiny bit better - there are still MANY moments when I look like a complete fool in front of Italian people - trying to work the bancomat, navigating the supermercati, and the times when I attempt to try out my limited Italian. But I've gotten used to it - and that's good because I'm going to be going through it for another 10 months!

Volterra & San Gimignano field trip

We are basically settled in our apartment now...except for internet! They finally brought the third bed and mattress for Sara (she was sleeping on a futon bed) and we got to rearrange all our rooms. There is a free bus to IKEA which we made a trip to two weeks ago. It's just like the IKEAs in California - but instead of Swedish and English, it's Swedish and Italian. And they have cool little gelato dispenser machines:

On Friday 12 September, we went on a CSU group field trip to Volterra and San Gimignano. Both are beautiful medieval towns - in Volterra we went to the Pinoteco museum (where they have the Deposition by Fiorentino - I wish we could have stayed longer!) and the Etruscan museum.

A view from Volterra
San Gimignano was beautiful! It's famous for it's many towers (I think it's 13, and there used to be more). We went into the Basilica, which was covered on the inside with frescoes from the New Testament on one side and scenes from Christ's life on the other side. Then we climbed up to one of the small towers, had some gelato from an award winning gelateria, and browsed the shops.

Then we went to Machiavelli's house
Machiavelli's wine cellar...
We had a 5 course dinner at the restaurant there:

Crostini with liver pate, cheese and chicken(?) bruschetta, cheese and walnut, green olives, black olives.

The wine

Creamy spinach soup with dumplings(?)

They had a salad before this, which was the 3rd course...4th course meat and potatoes - it was ok

Biscotti and vin santo for dessert.

...a long, fun day!