so
14 years ago
Friday, March 27, 2009
Pisa and Florence
This past weekend I went with Rotary to see Pisa and Florence.
Saturday morning we loaded onto a bus (22 exchange students total) and headed towards Pisa. We passed through the greener Alps that continue down into the heart of Italy. We stopped at a park to eat our packed lunches. John, whose family visited recently, had a box of Chez Its (how do you spell that?) from America and it was pretty funny to see everyone go crazy over that. We got back on the bus and it wasn’t 10 minutes before someone shouted “I can see the tower!” We had arrived. Excitedly we all unloaded off the bus and walked together into the city. Following Murnik we were led right up to the tower, the Duomo, and the Baptistero (how do you spell that?). Well all began to take the very fun touristy photos posing with the tower in various positions. Some got more creative than others, haha. Murnik told us a lot of information, like how Pisa is closed off with a great wall around it because of pirates back in the day and how the leaning tower was built on earth that was too soft- because the ground here has a lot of water around it to begin with, being close to the sea and with rivers around.
Then we had about 45 minutes of free time before we all went up the tower together. I had very little cash to go shopping so I went off with Jody in search for a Bancomat. In the process I caught sight of men selling rides on these bicycle cart contraptions. You know, kind of like the ones you see families riding on at the VA Beach boardwalk? Well, I HAD to do that. I grabbed Jody’s arm and we inquired into the cost. 5 euro for 30 minutes. I was short 20 cents. Jody spotted me. Officially broke and very very excited we climbed into our new vehicle. Being the one at the steering wheel, I guided us through the streets of Pisa. If it was Milan, I would have died. Probably why they don’t sell these carts there. Fortunately Pisa is just a little place and nobody seems like they are in too big of a hurry. In half an hour we were able to see the majority of Pisa, laughing and singing “That’s Amore” the whole time. With about 5 or 10 minutes left we encountered another Italian family on their own bicycle cart. “Facciamo un gioco?!” they said. “Wanna play a game?!” Oh mama mia, soon we were racing! Laughing uncontrollably, I pedaled hard, glad that Jody was now driving. I’d swish my head around and see the other family gaining on us, great big Italian smiles on their faces! We both ended up laughing and a bit out of breath right where we had started. As we got off the bike and turned it back in our competitors continued on calling back “Abbiamo vinto!” “E vero!” I replied laughing,” Una bella vittoria!” ( “We won!” “Very true! A beautiful victory!”)
Going up the tower of Pisa was much like being in a funhouse. I used the walls for support and reassured myself that I was not falling- only leaning. There are a few different levels but the view from the very top was worth the climb. Talk about a Kodak moment. It did feel a bit bizarre though. There is kind of a fence screen thing that wraps around on all sides, naturally so you don’t fall off, which isn’t like easy to do. But one girl tripped and fell against it. That momentary fear flooded her face. I don’t even want to imagine.
Not too long after that, we were back on the bus on our way to Florence. We entered the city in the late evening. We arrived at our hotel and had an hour to situate ourselves before we went out for dinner. I shared a room with Halcy and we spent the time having a cup of tea and walking along the multiple floors. As we headed by foot (on foot or by foot?) to go have dinner I knew I was going to love this city. At night the river looked like shiny black ink and everything was lighted up just enough- nothing was flashy. The place where we went to eat was quite popular. We had a whole section of the place for us. I tried to stay there and away from the packed bar. We ended the meal with a delicious strawberry cheesecake and champagne in honor of Katharine’s 18 birthday the next day. We returned to the hotel and after a real hot powerful shower (kind of like those ones we had before we change the showerhead- remember those mom? I know it uses way too much water way too quickly- but it feels so gooooood J) I fell into bed.
The next day we had a brilliant tour guide accompany us for the whole morning. I liked hearing the Florentine accent! First we went to this spot where you can overlook all of Firenze. He pointed out the major landmarks like Ponte Vecchio and their amazing Duomo. He mentioned that most of the other bridges are German and gave us a “What canya do?” shrug. We also saw one of the copies of Michelangelo’s David there. He mentioned that proportionally David isn’t perfect. His head, his feet, and his hands are all enlarged to show his power (or something like that). (He also advised that if we want to see the real David to come in winter or else book it. But John said he came like a week before and they waited in line for half an hour and saw it. Hey, could be worse.) We walked in towards the Duomo which is seriously incredible. It’s the 4th biggest Duomo in the world. Lemme try to remember what he said; the first biggest is in the Vatican, the second and third are in London and Milan (can’t remember which is which), then there’s the one in Florence. The guide told us that they usually don’t point out that it’s the fourth biggest, they just say the biggest in their region and stick to that. Haha. In fact, another city was building a church at the same time Florence was constructing theirs. The Florentines actually diverted from their original plans when they realized that the other church was going to be bigger. Involved in a sort of church-building contest they expanded on what they had already built and won. It does result in an interesting view from one side, though. You can see the same sort of pattern for most of one side and then there is a change- the windows are different, etc. I find this pretty funny. It’s also made out of three different colors of marble- red, white, and green like their flag. They copied some sort of style off the French, didn’t catch what exactly. They also didn’t know how to construct the dome and couldn’t figure it out until Brunelleschi came along and shared a bit of his architectural genius. I studied Brunelleschi in art history class! We saw Dante’s church and the reconstruction of Dante’s house (which got blown up at some point). The tomb of Beatrice was in Dante’s church. He supposedly met Beatrice there. Dang man, after studying Dante and writing a big long paper on him (full of grammatical errors) it felt so crazy to be standing where he might had stood years ago, falling in love with his heroine. Mama mia. Then we continued on to the piazza next to the Uffizi art museum (which is probably the most amazing art museum in the world) and continued onto the Ponte Vecchio. Just so you know the lock thing that people in love do,{when they right their names on a lock and attach it to something like a gate, etc. next to a famous river, then throw the key into the river} don’t do this in Florence. Every couple weeks people come along with pliers and get them all off. This, according to our guide, is why there are so many divorces. Stick to Cremona.
After our lovely tour we went to a pizzeria where I had la pizza Fiorentina. I thought it was only fitting. Had capers for the first time. Ended it with a yummy Tiramisu (can you tell this was not a diet weekend?) and then we had about 2.5 hours of free time. It was a bit overwhelming for me to decide what to do. First I bought postcards, then I went inside the Duomo and lit a candle. After that all I really wanted to do was walk around. The Uffizi was SO tempting but I knew that if I went there it’d drive me crazy to be rushed. So instead I enjoyed the sunshine crossing a bridge there, taking a left there, a right there. I was accompanied by Henry and Clare and we had a great time just taking photos and going at a relaxed pace. I couldn’t have asked for more. I had officially fallen head over heels with Firenze and to explore it under a budding spring sun- oh how divine. I’m surprised I consented to get back on the bus and leave. Too soon I was back in Milan, but after this taste I’m more excited than ever to return to Florence with my mom!
I should probably mention that I was camera-less this entire trip. Through an un-interesting turn of events my camera was unavailable to me. So while I did photograph using other people’s cameras it’ll be a while until I can post photos. The good news is that I’m finally putting Venice photos up!
Enjoy.
Grace
Saturday morning we loaded onto a bus (22 exchange students total) and headed towards Pisa. We passed through the greener Alps that continue down into the heart of Italy. We stopped at a park to eat our packed lunches. John, whose family visited recently, had a box of Chez Its (how do you spell that?) from America and it was pretty funny to see everyone go crazy over that. We got back on the bus and it wasn’t 10 minutes before someone shouted “I can see the tower!” We had arrived. Excitedly we all unloaded off the bus and walked together into the city. Following Murnik we were led right up to the tower, the Duomo, and the Baptistero (how do you spell that?). Well all began to take the very fun touristy photos posing with the tower in various positions. Some got more creative than others, haha. Murnik told us a lot of information, like how Pisa is closed off with a great wall around it because of pirates back in the day and how the leaning tower was built on earth that was too soft- because the ground here has a lot of water around it to begin with, being close to the sea and with rivers around.
Then we had about 45 minutes of free time before we all went up the tower together. I had very little cash to go shopping so I went off with Jody in search for a Bancomat. In the process I caught sight of men selling rides on these bicycle cart contraptions. You know, kind of like the ones you see families riding on at the VA Beach boardwalk? Well, I HAD to do that. I grabbed Jody’s arm and we inquired into the cost. 5 euro for 30 minutes. I was short 20 cents. Jody spotted me. Officially broke and very very excited we climbed into our new vehicle. Being the one at the steering wheel, I guided us through the streets of Pisa. If it was Milan, I would have died. Probably why they don’t sell these carts there. Fortunately Pisa is just a little place and nobody seems like they are in too big of a hurry. In half an hour we were able to see the majority of Pisa, laughing and singing “That’s Amore” the whole time. With about 5 or 10 minutes left we encountered another Italian family on their own bicycle cart. “Facciamo un gioco?!” they said. “Wanna play a game?!” Oh mama mia, soon we were racing! Laughing uncontrollably, I pedaled hard, glad that Jody was now driving. I’d swish my head around and see the other family gaining on us, great big Italian smiles on their faces! We both ended up laughing and a bit out of breath right where we had started. As we got off the bike and turned it back in our competitors continued on calling back “Abbiamo vinto!” “E vero!” I replied laughing,” Una bella vittoria!” ( “We won!” “Very true! A beautiful victory!”)
Going up the tower of Pisa was much like being in a funhouse. I used the walls for support and reassured myself that I was not falling- only leaning. There are a few different levels but the view from the very top was worth the climb. Talk about a Kodak moment. It did feel a bit bizarre though. There is kind of a fence screen thing that wraps around on all sides, naturally so you don’t fall off, which isn’t like easy to do. But one girl tripped and fell against it. That momentary fear flooded her face. I don’t even want to imagine.
Not too long after that, we were back on the bus on our way to Florence. We entered the city in the late evening. We arrived at our hotel and had an hour to situate ourselves before we went out for dinner. I shared a room with Halcy and we spent the time having a cup of tea and walking along the multiple floors. As we headed by foot (on foot or by foot?) to go have dinner I knew I was going to love this city. At night the river looked like shiny black ink and everything was lighted up just enough- nothing was flashy. The place where we went to eat was quite popular. We had a whole section of the place for us. I tried to stay there and away from the packed bar. We ended the meal with a delicious strawberry cheesecake and champagne in honor of Katharine’s 18 birthday the next day. We returned to the hotel and after a real hot powerful shower (kind of like those ones we had before we change the showerhead- remember those mom? I know it uses way too much water way too quickly- but it feels so gooooood J) I fell into bed.
The next day we had a brilliant tour guide accompany us for the whole morning. I liked hearing the Florentine accent! First we went to this spot where you can overlook all of Firenze. He pointed out the major landmarks like Ponte Vecchio and their amazing Duomo. He mentioned that most of the other bridges are German and gave us a “What canya do?” shrug. We also saw one of the copies of Michelangelo’s David there. He mentioned that proportionally David isn’t perfect. His head, his feet, and his hands are all enlarged to show his power (or something like that). (He also advised that if we want to see the real David to come in winter or else book it. But John said he came like a week before and they waited in line for half an hour and saw it. Hey, could be worse.) We walked in towards the Duomo which is seriously incredible. It’s the 4th biggest Duomo in the world. Lemme try to remember what he said; the first biggest is in the Vatican, the second and third are in London and Milan (can’t remember which is which), then there’s the one in Florence. The guide told us that they usually don’t point out that it’s the fourth biggest, they just say the biggest in their region and stick to that. Haha. In fact, another city was building a church at the same time Florence was constructing theirs. The Florentines actually diverted from their original plans when they realized that the other church was going to be bigger. Involved in a sort of church-building contest they expanded on what they had already built and won. It does result in an interesting view from one side, though. You can see the same sort of pattern for most of one side and then there is a change- the windows are different, etc. I find this pretty funny. It’s also made out of three different colors of marble- red, white, and green like their flag. They copied some sort of style off the French, didn’t catch what exactly. They also didn’t know how to construct the dome and couldn’t figure it out until Brunelleschi came along and shared a bit of his architectural genius. I studied Brunelleschi in art history class! We saw Dante’s church and the reconstruction of Dante’s house (which got blown up at some point). The tomb of Beatrice was in Dante’s church. He supposedly met Beatrice there. Dang man, after studying Dante and writing a big long paper on him (full of grammatical errors) it felt so crazy to be standing where he might had stood years ago, falling in love with his heroine. Mama mia. Then we continued on to the piazza next to the Uffizi art museum (which is probably the most amazing art museum in the world) and continued onto the Ponte Vecchio. Just so you know the lock thing that people in love do,{when they right their names on a lock and attach it to something like a gate, etc. next to a famous river, then throw the key into the river} don’t do this in Florence. Every couple weeks people come along with pliers and get them all off. This, according to our guide, is why there are so many divorces. Stick to Cremona.
After our lovely tour we went to a pizzeria where I had la pizza Fiorentina. I thought it was only fitting. Had capers for the first time. Ended it with a yummy Tiramisu (can you tell this was not a diet weekend?) and then we had about 2.5 hours of free time. It was a bit overwhelming for me to decide what to do. First I bought postcards, then I went inside the Duomo and lit a candle. After that all I really wanted to do was walk around. The Uffizi was SO tempting but I knew that if I went there it’d drive me crazy to be rushed. So instead I enjoyed the sunshine crossing a bridge there, taking a left there, a right there. I was accompanied by Henry and Clare and we had a great time just taking photos and going at a relaxed pace. I couldn’t have asked for more. I had officially fallen head over heels with Firenze and to explore it under a budding spring sun- oh how divine. I’m surprised I consented to get back on the bus and leave. Too soon I was back in Milan, but after this taste I’m more excited than ever to return to Florence with my mom!
I should probably mention that I was camera-less this entire trip. Through an un-interesting turn of events my camera was unavailable to me. So while I did photograph using other people’s cameras it’ll be a while until I can post photos. The good news is that I’m finally putting Venice photos up!
Enjoy.
Grace
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Italian Toddlers
are so cute I can't stand it. Mira and Maya are no exception. I do have a little story, though. They are always well-behaved. They miraculously don't fight over toys or scream and cry. They giggle to no end and play nicely. However yesterday was different. I have now learned that when Grandma comes (Nonna) Mira goes a little crazy. She started throwing her crayons and laughing and laughing. She threw her juice box. She stopped listening. She threw the glass jar of markers and thank goodness I caught it. I broke my English rule for a moment to explain to her in Italian that it was glass and it will break into pieces! She let up for a while, and I relaxed a bit. Then in 3 seconds the jar had broken all over the floor. I tried not to laugh at the surprise and fear on her face. She looked completely shocked, processing a completely new thing she had learned abut the world. Nonna reprimanded her as we cleaned it up. "This is what happens when you misbehave!" As the youngest child, I didn't really get to witness anyone else go through these first events. I like the change of view.
Tough Choices
Another exchanger went home on Sunday- the second one of all the exchangers I've met. It was a bit of a surprise for me. The first was one of the boys I had met in the Amsterdam airport and had flown over with, but he left within the first couple months. People go home for a variety of reasons, and while it's unfortunate, in my opinion it's still an invaluable learning experience. Everyone that I've met WANTED this experience. It wasn't a question of just wanting to waste a year by taking a ride on Rotary's generosity. I think all the interviews and the paperwork weeds that out. ;) All of us arrived trying to open our own minds to something very different, knowing that all of our expectations would be probably be wrong. I truly believe that each and every one of us have tried to adjust and adapt to the best of our ability. But whether one faces a loss of a family member back home, didn't get a country they chose, can't seem to get the language down, integrate, find a host family they become close to, conquer homesickness, or feel that they are truly taking advantage of this opportunity- sometimes there arises a combination of difficulties that force a student to make the tough choice and go home. I don't think either one of the students I know wasted a year. After all, this year isn't only about learning a new language and a new culture. Sometimes the biggest challenge is learning more about yourself. I'm going to miss Margot. She was one of my favorite people here- always smiling and laughing, great to joke around with, and I never once heard her complain. Having lived half a year in a foreign country is no small thing. And that brings up another surprising truth; You can be an absolutely fabtastic individual- but that doesn't necessarily mean that this is for you. And while you should certainly not rush this decision, and should consider it fully beforehand, sometimes the only way to know is to get over here and try it for yourself.
A dopo,
Grace
A dopo,
Grace
Venezia
Sometimes I find it hard to grasp the fact that Ashland, VA and Milan, Italy in fact share the same planet. There are moments when it feels like they should occupy two different worlds completely. When I remember that all it takes to get home is a plane ride I feel a bit surprised. It’s that close? However, there are those instants when both worlds intertwine- when I feel as connected to Virginia as I do to Italy. These moments are so strangely exhilarating.
I experienced one of these moments riding back in the bus from Carnevale in Venice this past Sunday. Being in Venice for Carnevale was monumental for me. Venice was the first aspect of Italy that really reeled me in and caught my attention. From there I discovered my own desire to see it all. We’re talking 3rd grade, people. So stepping off the train and walking out of the station to see canals and costumes galore was truly indescribable. I really do wonder if one could be happier. We took a boat to see a demonstration at the Venetian glass factory and had lunch sitting together along the canal. I went with Rotary and a few different districts of kids from places like Genova, Sardegna, and the Venezia region itself. We had a bit of free time to explore before we had to go home. I broke off with Katharine, and we walked around the city taking deserted back streets, looking at masks and taking photos. Way too soon we had to return to the group. Now believe it or not, this was my favorite part of the day. Katharine and I, being already late, had to make it to the other side of the city to Piazza San Marco through the most jam-packed streets in the city. Hand in hand and masked we forced our way over bridges, through crowds, laughing and running across piazzas as evening descended upon Venice. For Murnik’s sake, I feel a little guilty for being late. But not that guilty. After reuniting with the group, boarding a boat, then a train, we finally were back on our bus driving home to Milan. It was just a taste of Venice, really- but I have absolutely no complaints. I nestled into my window seat with my ipod, some people sleeping around me- tuning out the rest. I put on Shuffle and suddenly James Taylor filled my ears, singing Sweet Baby James. I thought my heart would burst. I was on a bus in Italy but I was also undoubtedly back home with my family in the same exact moment. Maybe it is that close.
Enjoy the photos. I'll post some soon.
Grace
I experienced one of these moments riding back in the bus from Carnevale in Venice this past Sunday. Being in Venice for Carnevale was monumental for me. Venice was the first aspect of Italy that really reeled me in and caught my attention. From there I discovered my own desire to see it all. We’re talking 3rd grade, people. So stepping off the train and walking out of the station to see canals and costumes galore was truly indescribable. I really do wonder if one could be happier. We took a boat to see a demonstration at the Venetian glass factory and had lunch sitting together along the canal. I went with Rotary and a few different districts of kids from places like Genova, Sardegna, and the Venezia region itself. We had a bit of free time to explore before we had to go home. I broke off with Katharine, and we walked around the city taking deserted back streets, looking at masks and taking photos. Way too soon we had to return to the group. Now believe it or not, this was my favorite part of the day. Katharine and I, being already late, had to make it to the other side of the city to Piazza San Marco through the most jam-packed streets in the city. Hand in hand and masked we forced our way over bridges, through crowds, laughing and running across piazzas as evening descended upon Venice. For Murnik’s sake, I feel a little guilty for being late. But not that guilty. After reuniting with the group, boarding a boat, then a train, we finally were back on our bus driving home to Milan. It was just a taste of Venice, really- but I have absolutely no complaints. I nestled into my window seat with my ipod, some people sleeping around me- tuning out the rest. I put on Shuffle and suddenly James Taylor filled my ears, singing Sweet Baby James. I thought my heart would burst. I was on a bus in Italy but I was also undoubtedly back home with my family in the same exact moment. Maybe it is that close.
Enjoy the photos. I'll post some soon.
Grace
Excuse me
for the delay. I did write blogs just haven't transferred them over yet. I'll do that now.
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