Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
The past few days
It’s been a short time since my last post, but I figure I’d write out things as they happen.
Monday we had a pretty sweet Art History class. We met in front of the Baptistery “Gates of Paradise” La Porta del Paradiso, the famous golden doors made by Ghiberti. Renaissance Art History is so much more interesting when you’re visiting the actual art and not sitting in a lecture hall looking at a PowerPoint slide, listening to the professor talk about it. We walked around to the back of the Duomo to the Duomo Museum where all the works of art in the Basilica are kept. If you’ve ever been in the Duomo, you know that it’s pretty bare compared to the multicolored façade. You see, the façade that we see today, wasn’t always there. The original façade was taken down after being deemed too old fashioned. The original statues and reliefs that once covered the front of the Duomo are now housed in a modern museum behind the museum. Then our teacher took us to the crypt of the Duomo where we explored the underground museum of protected artifacts, frescos and the skull of the original patroness of the church, St. Reparata.
Since I’m really involved in my Campus Ministry, I had to find something that would supplement my spiritual support that I relied on so much. Our Student Campus Minister, and good friend of mine, went on the same study abroad program in Florence that I’m attending. He became involved in the St. Thomas More Society, which is an organization for English speaking students in Florence to gather and practice their faith. To kick off the start of the new semester, the bi-weekly dinner was held on Wednesday night at a little trattoria about a five-minute walk down the street from me. I arrived at the trattoria and was greeted with the same hospitality I was first greeted with coming into CCM. Altogether there were about nine of us at the table.
For only 7 euro, we had an amazing dinner of a primo piatto, bread, and wine. I got the best pesto gnocchi I’d ever had and the best chianti I’ve had since coming to Italy! I felt right at home like I was at the chapel. Don Mario couldn’t make it that night since he apparently has the flu. Hopefully I’ll get to meet him this weekend! They announced that next Wednesday, they were organizing a trip to climb to the top of the Duomo for free. Usually it’s 8 euro. I’m so excited to climb the stairs between the two shells of the infamous Duomo! Also announced, and very tempting I might add, was a pilgrimage to Paris the last weekend in February. Unfortunately it’s the same weekend as our program’s trip to Rome. But luckily I’ve been to Paris twice before. Actually I’ve been to Rome twice before, but I have to go, so it doesn’t make any difference!
I’m so fortunate to have four-day weekends, so on Friday, I took a little bus trip to a small hilltop town called Fiesole. I had been there three years ago, but I didn’t get to explore around as much as I would have liked. I went into the beautiful church called St. Domenic that has a bell tower that could be heard echoing all around the town. The plain exterior is an understatement compared to the inside. Large concrete columns held up the exposed wooden ceiling covering the nave and sanctuary. Stairs leading down behind the alter, led to the tabernacle and the crypt.
I then continued to venture around the small city exploring all the steep streets and alleyways, looking for the best views of Florence. The best part of this town is that it’s on the top of the hill, so it had views on two sides! One side was Florence, the other, the rolling hills of Tuscany, spotted with juniper trees and small vineyards.
I finally found the perfect spot to watch the sun slowly set over the city. I probably stood there for a good 30 minutes in both amazement and revelation as to why so many artists flocked to this city. It gives you the chills to think that so many infamous artists, sculptors, architects, and influential people once walked the streets below and passed by the exact same buildings. Yes, what used to be a Medici palace is now a leather shop or a cell phone store, but it’s still the same. So beautiful, so untouched by modern culture, and totally a place I could live.
(Pictures to come, I'm having formatting problems.)
Monday, January 24, 2011
I'm here!!!
Wow! Words cannot describe the excitement I've had the last few days living in Florence. It has been one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had in my life. And it's just the beginning!
I flew into Philly and Munich successfully and had an awesome flight over the Atlantic. We left a little later than we were supposed to but arrived on time. As soon as we got to cruising altitude, dinner was served; a tasty meal of rice and chicken, salad, a roll, and carrot cake which was surprisingly good. I watched "The Social Network" and "Salt" to get me though the rest of the evening before I attempted to go to bed... no such luck. I was smart and picked my seat a few days before my flight so I could see where there are empty seats on the plane. Since this was the third time I've flown over the Atlantic, I knew I didn't have to get a window seat and be squished by a fat German man, so I chose a seat in the middle where there were two other seats between me and another person. It didn't do me any good though since I couldn't sleep!! Not soon after I tried to lay down, did the lights come on in the cabin and the flight attendant came on saying, "Good morning ladies and gentlemen." So much for sleeping on the plane.
It was great to get to see familiar faces when I got to the airport in Munich. There were about eight of the thirteen of us on the same flight to Florence. It was so amazing to fly over the Alps!
We were picked up by the school and taken to our apartments. We are right on Via Calzaiuoli, the main drag between the Dumo and Piazza della Signoria. We live on the 5th floor of a super old building above a Disney store, and two hotels. Luckily we have an elevator. Even better is our terrace:
There is a bedroom on the street side that has a massive window that overlooks the crowded street below. Great big gray shutters close to cover our window and helps block the noise, or open to see the beautiful view of the Campanile and the top of the Duomo. To the right, you can see the tower to Palazzo Vecchio.
Everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I have something Italian. Whether it's a cornnetto all crema and a cappuccino in the morning, pizza magharita in the afternoon, or pasta al forno for dinner, it's pretty much the same thing everyday. We even cooked in our apartment the other night! We didn't have a ton of ingredients so we just made a simple penne rigate with a can of red sauce. Then a few nights ago, I made a full dinner for ten of our classmates at one of the girl's apartments. I made chicken parm with roasted potatoes and crostini. The girls bought all the ingredients and my flatmate, Chris (and my sous chef) and I cooked. It was a hit! Some of the girls went out and they said they could smell it three blocks away. All you could hear during dinner was the cling of forks and knives on plates. It was definitely interesting to improvise to the max. And yes, I did bring my chef outfit so I can feel all special when I'm cooking Italian food in Italy, as the bells are going off and the people are bustling outside.
Classes started last Tuesday and we started off with Renaissance Art History. It's actually not as bad as I pictured it. We only meet in the classroom once or twice during the semester, and the rest is on sight at the Uffizi, Accademia, or some other world class art museum which seems to be everywhere. In the morning, we meet in front of the Gates of Paradise to start class with visits to the Baptistery, Duomo, and Duomo museum. Italian was great! I signed up for Italian 210, a continuation of 110, and we took a test to see where we are at. Well the director of studies called me into her office the next day and said I scored the highest of everybody and there's no way I should be taking 210. I'm skipping 210, 250, and I'm moving up to 330. (Thank you Signora Lucchin!!!)
Mass was so fun! I went to noon mass at the Duomo Sunday morning and it was freezing!! My friend told me it would be cold, but it was more cold inside than outside! A little old priest who looked like he was about to fall over any second, motioned for us all to move forward and sit up closer. He then gave a little talk before mass began, in Italian. He came up to one of my friends and I and started talking to us in Italian. I was happy I could understand as much as I did. He was so happy to see young Americans at mass! He asked us where we were from and he told us all about the first time he went to America. He said he knew well, "New York upstate." His trip was three days before Robert Kennedy was assassinated and he saw saw what America was about. Also on his flight over, there were several Vietnam War veterans. Those two prominent moments in American history are the first impressions this little Italian priest had of Americans.
The best part is, I don't feel at all bit scared. I don't feel like I'm away from home, or I'm on a vacation. I'm really happy I can integrate myself so well into a culture that is actually way more simplistic than in America. The beds are only about 5'10" long, (I'm 6'3"), We only have heat for a few hours a day, no wireless internet in our place, no dishwasher, no oven, no dryer, zero counter space, and a super tight elevator. I'm not complaining, I just think that we are so spoiled, we don't realize that we waste so much. People have survived thousands of years without any of the things I just mentioned, so why do we need them? I'm sitting in a gelateria eating the best gelato in the world responding to a million backlogged emails. I need to slow it down and act more laid back like a true Italian. I'm here not only to live the sweet life, but the dolce vita!
I flew into Philly and Munich successfully and had an awesome flight over the Atlantic. We left a little later than we were supposed to but arrived on time. As soon as we got to cruising altitude, dinner was served; a tasty meal of rice and chicken, salad, a roll, and carrot cake which was surprisingly good. I watched "The Social Network" and "Salt" to get me though the rest of the evening before I attempted to go to bed... no such luck. I was smart and picked my seat a few days before my flight so I could see where there are empty seats on the plane. Since this was the third time I've flown over the Atlantic, I knew I didn't have to get a window seat and be squished by a fat German man, so I chose a seat in the middle where there were two other seats between me and another person. It didn't do me any good though since I couldn't sleep!! Not soon after I tried to lay down, did the lights come on in the cabin and the flight attendant came on saying, "Good morning ladies and gentlemen." So much for sleeping on the plane.
It was great to get to see familiar faces when I got to the airport in Munich. There were about eight of the thirteen of us on the same flight to Florence. It was so amazing to fly over the Alps!
We were picked up by the school and taken to our apartments. We are right on Via Calzaiuoli, the main drag between the Dumo and Piazza della Signoria. We live on the 5th floor of a super old building above a Disney store, and two hotels. Luckily we have an elevator. Even better is our terrace:
There is a bedroom on the street side that has a massive window that overlooks the crowded street below. Great big gray shutters close to cover our window and helps block the noise, or open to see the beautiful view of the Campanile and the top of the Duomo. To the right, you can see the tower to Palazzo Vecchio.
Everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I have something Italian. Whether it's a cornnetto all crema and a cappuccino in the morning, pizza magharita in the afternoon, or pasta al forno for dinner, it's pretty much the same thing everyday. We even cooked in our apartment the other night! We didn't have a ton of ingredients so we just made a simple penne rigate with a can of red sauce. Then a few nights ago, I made a full dinner for ten of our classmates at one of the girl's apartments. I made chicken parm with roasted potatoes and crostini. The girls bought all the ingredients and my flatmate, Chris (and my sous chef) and I cooked. It was a hit! Some of the girls went out and they said they could smell it three blocks away. All you could hear during dinner was the cling of forks and knives on plates. It was definitely interesting to improvise to the max. And yes, I did bring my chef outfit so I can feel all special when I'm cooking Italian food in Italy, as the bells are going off and the people are bustling outside.
Classes started last Tuesday and we started off with Renaissance Art History. It's actually not as bad as I pictured it. We only meet in the classroom once or twice during the semester, and the rest is on sight at the Uffizi, Accademia, or some other world class art museum which seems to be everywhere. In the morning, we meet in front of the Gates of Paradise to start class with visits to the Baptistery, Duomo, and Duomo museum. Italian was great! I signed up for Italian 210, a continuation of 110, and we took a test to see where we are at. Well the director of studies called me into her office the next day and said I scored the highest of everybody and there's no way I should be taking 210. I'm skipping 210, 250, and I'm moving up to 330. (Thank you Signora Lucchin!!!)
Mass was so fun! I went to noon mass at the Duomo Sunday morning and it was freezing!! My friend told me it would be cold, but it was more cold inside than outside! A little old priest who looked like he was about to fall over any second, motioned for us all to move forward and sit up closer. He then gave a little talk before mass began, in Italian. He came up to one of my friends and I and started talking to us in Italian. I was happy I could understand as much as I did. He was so happy to see young Americans at mass! He asked us where we were from and he told us all about the first time he went to America. He said he knew well, "New York upstate." His trip was three days before Robert Kennedy was assassinated and he saw saw what America was about. Also on his flight over, there were several Vietnam War veterans. Those two prominent moments in American history are the first impressions this little Italian priest had of Americans.
The best part is, I don't feel at all bit scared. I don't feel like I'm away from home, or I'm on a vacation. I'm really happy I can integrate myself so well into a culture that is actually way more simplistic than in America. The beds are only about 5'10" long, (I'm 6'3"), We only have heat for a few hours a day, no wireless internet in our place, no dishwasher, no oven, no dryer, zero counter space, and a super tight elevator. I'm not complaining, I just think that we are so spoiled, we don't realize that we waste so much. People have survived thousands of years without any of the things I just mentioned, so why do we need them? I'm sitting in a gelateria eating the best gelato in the world responding to a million backlogged emails. I need to slow it down and act more laid back like a true Italian. I'm here not only to live the sweet life, but the dolce vita!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
New post soon
Don't worry guys, I've written a new post while everything is still fresh in my head. Internet is limited here and it takes a while for video and pictures to load.
Other than that... IT'S AMAZING!!
Other than that... IT'S AMAZING!!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Almost time to leave!!!!
I don't know how many times I have tried to sit down and write this! I just deleted a bunch of drafts that I started, but never finished. With work, work at home, Christmas, New Years, and very little down time, I have finally found the time to write while waiting on the banana pineapple bread I just put in the oven and everybody is upstairs asleep.
So, I'm not a big fan of this whole packing thing. When I left for college in August, I literally packed the night before. When I left college for home, again, I packed the night before. Nothing has changed as I pack for another four month trip away from home. It's the day before I leave, and my suitcase still sits in my room, empty, and with the tags still on it from Christmas. Whoops! Timer is going off, hold on. Okay, I'm back. I don't know if it's me and how I hate to pick out clothes and I have to pick out four months of clothes, or whether it might be I find better things to do than pack. As excited as I am to go to Italy, I'm surprised I wasn't packed last month!
I ran all over Columbus today getting last minute things, and I have a funny feeling I'll be doing that again tomorrow and Saturday morning. I got my Euros, cell phone, black socks, 4G memory card for my camera, and then made a delicious dinner consisting of pork chops and scalloped potatoes. Speaking of cooking, I found an amazing cooking class in Florence that I'm dying to take while I'm there. Chef Giovanni takes you shopping at a market and teaches you how to pick the best produce. He then takes you back to his apartment and you make a four course meal! I know what I'm doing the first weekend I'm in Florence!
After I get all that packing done, all I have to do is wait until Saturday afternoon. My flight leaves Port Columbus at 3:35 and arrives in Philly at 5:06. My transatlantic flight leaves at 6:30 for Munich, Germany and arrives at 8:45 the next morning, local time. I only have a little bit of time in Germany until my flight leaves at 11:45 for Florence. I'll arrive at my final destination, Florence, Italy at 1:05 pm and step out of the plane to a wonderful 58 degrees. That will leave me plenty of time to roam the narrow streets of my new city in search of a Catholic church where I can go to mass since it will be a Sunday. (I'm sure this won't be too hard to find!) I did find out that my plane to Munich has individual screens for everyone to pick their own shows and movies! So much better than watching "Lost in Translation" in Italian like I did the first time I flew to Italy!
So, I'm not a big fan of this whole packing thing. When I left for college in August, I literally packed the night before. When I left college for home, again, I packed the night before. Nothing has changed as I pack for another four month trip away from home. It's the day before I leave, and my suitcase still sits in my room, empty, and with the tags still on it from Christmas. Whoops! Timer is going off, hold on. Okay, I'm back. I don't know if it's me and how I hate to pick out clothes and I have to pick out four months of clothes, or whether it might be I find better things to do than pack. As excited as I am to go to Italy, I'm surprised I wasn't packed last month!
 |
| (Not my actual suitcase) |
I ran all over Columbus today getting last minute things, and I have a funny feeling I'll be doing that again tomorrow and Saturday morning. I got my Euros, cell phone, black socks, 4G memory card for my camera, and then made a delicious dinner consisting of pork chops and scalloped potatoes. Speaking of cooking, I found an amazing cooking class in Florence that I'm dying to take while I'm there. Chef Giovanni takes you shopping at a market and teaches you how to pick the best produce. He then takes you back to his apartment and you make a four course meal! I know what I'm doing the first weekend I'm in Florence!
 |
| As you can see, I'm not that excited. |
After I get all that packing done, all I have to do is wait until Saturday afternoon. My flight leaves Port Columbus at 3:35 and arrives in Philly at 5:06. My transatlantic flight leaves at 6:30 for Munich, Germany and arrives at 8:45 the next morning, local time. I only have a little bit of time in Germany until my flight leaves at 11:45 for Florence. I'll arrive at my final destination, Florence, Italy at 1:05 pm and step out of the plane to a wonderful 58 degrees. That will leave me plenty of time to roam the narrow streets of my new city in search of a Catholic church where I can go to mass since it will be a Sunday. (I'm sure this won't be too hard to find!) I did find out that my plane to Munich has individual screens for everyone to pick their own shows and movies! So much better than watching "Lost in Translation" in Italian like I did the first time I flew to Italy!
 |
| Okay, so this is First Class with the lay flat beds, but it's not where I'm sitting :( |
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