Is Spring Starting?

Today was the first day I didn't need my winter coat - yay! Away with the gloves and scarf. I got to show the world my colorfully patterned sweater top. It's amazing what warm weather does - how it energizes and excites people of all ages. For example, walking along the streets this afternoon I saw a group of Italian kids (probably about 10 years old) playing some kind of unfamiliar game on the steps of a church. Their supervisor, a nun, looked just as into the game as the squealing, squirmy kids that filled the air with a kind of springtime positivism. I just stood there observing Italian culture for as long as I could without looking awkward. After I soaked up enough laughs and smiles, I continued toward my destination. Where was I going? Well, let me back up thirty minutes... sitting in Italian class, I got a hankering for a piece of chocolate cake, which is easy to find in the states, but finding a piece of chocolate cake here is about as easy as waking up at the crack of dawn to go running; it requires time and determination. Funny to equate complete opposites - cake and exercise, but you get the idea...

Good thing Rachel and I had already stumbled across a bakery last weekend on our way back from roaming around the centro. This is exactly where I went. I had a craving, I had a destination and I went. Italians are lacking in their sweets department when it comes to cakes and brownies. Sure, they have a million and one pasticcerias with delicious looking pastries, but sometimes you just need a really good, dense piece of chocolate cake. I am happy to report that the cake hit the spot and was actually pretty tasty. Afterward, I headed to the Oil Shoppe, a popular sandwich place for American students. (Sorry, Mom - I know I broke the rules about food first, desserts second. But didn't I tell you that today is backwards day!?)

The Oil Shoppe is a tiny little spot that's impossible to miss with a line overflowing into the streets of Florence and a big awning sporting a font that even my Grandma can read from far away. What did I get? A chicken Parmesan sandwich with mushrooms and arugula. Yum! Unfortunately, they ran out of wheat bread so I got a baguette, but it was just as good. I think a big reason why The Oil Shoppe attracts so many American girls is that it's one of the very, very few places that have wheat breads. Believe it or not, in a country that is overloaded with carbs in countless forms ranging from pastries to bread to pasta, Italians seem to have forgotten about whole wheat. The health kick that has swept America appears to have bypassed Italy, although we are the country with more obesity than any other, so maybe there's a reason for it.

Being aware that this is not a food blog, I should continue and share my experiences from last week...

Tuesday

Tuesday was an exhausting day. For my Botticelli art history class, we went to the Uffizi, a very famous, mammoth museum housing an unbelievable collection of art history works from masterminds like Giotto, Cimabue, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Vasari, Perugino, Annibale Caracci, Botticelli - all the big names. I need to go back to the museum because we spent our three hours of class time confined to only two artists in three rooms: Botticelli and Filippo Lippi, his teacher. We spent an extensive amount of time on the Primavera, Botticelli's most famous painting. First, let me say that Primavera is a beautiful painting that is difficult to turn your eyes from. There is so much to say about this painting, books worth really, and there is so much discrepancy over the characters and symbolism. So, not wanting to start a snooze fest, I'll quickly highlight some of the main points about this painting to make it more interesting for you to look at. (The above picture is from the Internet, because like most museums, photos are absolutely prohibited).

Primavera was painted for a member of the Medici family to possibly celebrate a wedding. It shows a collection of mythological figures set in an unearthly garden, perhaps the Garden of Eden. Venus, the goddess of love, is distinguished in the center of the painting and controls the setting. The really odd-looking blue figure lurking in the trees on the far right is Zephyrus, who is the winged Spring breeze. Yes, I know it seems a little weird to show a human-like figure as the wind, but then again we are talking about Greek mythology, which is full of all sorts of impossible and irrational happenings. Anyway, Zephyrus (a fun name to say) abducts the nymph Chloris in order to rape her and take her as his bride. This disturbing thought doesn't seem to bother art historians, like much of the other inhumane mythological experiences. Chloris is startled by Zephyrus and left helpless, as the option to escape has passed. The flowers coming out of her mouth suggest .... well, I won't get into that unless you want to be reading my blog for the next hour. Moving on: Next to Chloris is Flora, the goddess of spring, who scatters flowers in the garden, greeting springtime and welcoming love. Oh the left side of the composition we have the three Graces, as they're called. These delicate, dancing figures who are clothed in semi-transparent garments celebrate with each other. The middle Grace looks away toward Mercury, the messenger god, whose motion indicates him driving away clouds and whose sword deems him protector of the garden. It appears this Grace has caught the love bug from Cupid, Venus's son who stands above her shooting his arrow right at the Grace.

All that I have told you is just one of the many theories about the painting's significance, possession and creation. I'm really only scraping the surface with Botticelli's Primavera ("springtime" in Italian) painting. There is so much information it's overwhelming. How much easier it would have been if Botticelli had just written on the back what the scene was about. But then again, this would leave many art historians out of a job without having published any books, not to mention how much fun it would take out of the experience of hypothesizing...

Wednesday

Wednesday was an equally busy day with two site visits back to back. First, we went to the Academia to look at the David for my 16th Century Art and Identity class. Good for you (and my fingers), we really only talked about one piece: the David. It was beautiful! Honestly, there's no duplicated image of the David that can give you the awe and amount of appreciation that comes with standing in front of the sculpture. It's one of those moments where your mouth drops and you ask yourself how it's possible this could be a block of stone and not a real man.

The sculpture is way bigger than I had thought. The 17 ft statue dominates its space, showing David with his slingshot swung across his back with one hand and a rock in the other. While my professor assured us we do not know if this marks the moment before or after David slayed Goliath, I'm convinced this is a depiction before David's victory. And here's why: standing in front of the statue, David's facial expression looks almost neutral, like he's just this naked man strutting with something over his shoulder, nonchalantly gazing into the distance. However, when you walk to the side of this statue and see David's frontal facial features, you see furrowed brows that create a worried expression, like he's sizing up his enemy and doubting his ability to defeat a giant.

It really is incredible, but the most amazing piece of the sculpture, in my opinion, are the enormous, masculine hands. These are the most beautiful hands I've ever seen (definitely hands you'd want to hold in the movie theaters, without a doubt). You're probably laughing right now at the fact that David's hands infatuate me, but they look so real and so idealized at the same time. You can see his veins running from them to the arms. His torso is stacked, his hair is perfectly ruffled, his arms are beautifully cut and his nose is perfectly sculpted. Hands down, a gorgeous man/sculpture. Not only is he appreciated now, but during Michelangelo's day, he was just as popular. In fact, this sculpture was commissioned to go on top of Florence's Duomo. However, after seeing what an amazing job Michelangelo did, it was almost an unanimous decision to place it near the streets for all to admire.

Unfortunately we only spent 45 minutes staring and talking about the David. I unwillingly had to leave for my next site visit: the library. Wahoo (note the lack of exclamation). There are many libraries in Italy, but we went to one near the Piazza Republica, this really pretty piazza lined with pastry shops and adorned with a carousel. The library was okay - nothing too special. You're also hearing this from a person who tries to avoid libraries and has only been to her college library twice in the past three years. The best part of the outing was meeting a French student, with whom I tried to speak French. Taylor, I needed you with me! My brain is holding too many languages and mixing them all up to the point where I say things like: Cosa did hai fatto aujourd'hui? What would you call that - Englifrentalian? Anyway, I had this huge brain fart when she asked me my name. Um, I believe it was in French 1 when we learned the phrase, "Je m'appelle." I couldn't spit it out, just like on "Friends" when Phoebe is trying to teach Joey French and he repeats anything but "Je m'appelle." Yeah, let's just say what he said was better than my response. I also thought of you, Nick. Maybe I should practice my French a little more next time I see you - it's getting too Italianized.

Thursday

I went to my second cooking class Thursday night. We made gnocchi, roast pork and an apple torte. Do I even have to tell you it was absolutely delicious? The gnocchi was definitely the most fun to make. Made completely from boiled potatoes and a tad of flour, it is rolled and cut into small strips that are then boiled for literally 30 seconds. I was assigned the task of fishing out all the suckers who were done boiling. As soon as they have risen to the top of the boiling pot, you have to get them out quickly. This was SO fun! It turned into a game for me. Amazing how easily amused a 20 year old can be in a kitchen. Anyway, we made two types of sauces for the gnocchi: a three-cheese sauce and a leek and walnut sauce. YUM to them both! The roast pork was stuffed with garlic, rosemary and sage, so needless to say it was quite flavorful. And the apple torte... well, I'm not a torte lover, but it was okay. The powdered sugar made it look tastier than it really was. Note the picture on the wall - isn't that so clever!? I thought it very fitting to include it in this post after talking about Botticelli's Primavera.

Friday

The 7:30 wake up call wasn't pleasant Friday morning. I and three other girls here at Syracuse had volunteered to go to an elementary school just outside of Florence and read to fifth grade students. Let me tell you, getting up early was so worth it! We read the book "I Wish That I Had Duck Feet" by Dr. Seuss. The kids were so appreciative and so interested in us, our culture and learning English. Not only did they get to experience our culture, but we also got a little taste of theirs, so it was mutually beneficial. To see their smiles and to have them hug us and ask for our autographs was beyond satisfying.

On the way back, Vincenzo, our super friendly, talkative driver, took us to Piazzale Michelangelo for a wonderful (albeit rainy) panoramic view of Firenze. It was my second trip to the piazzale, and it was just as magnificent the second time.

Saturday

I went to a local pizzeria Saturday night with four other Syracuse girls. We had heard of this place from a couple of people and wanted to check it out. It was delicious! Such an Italian pizzeria with basement seating and a brick oven. Definitely a spot we will go again - maybe sometime next week. During the day, Rachel and I went to the Academia to see the David (again) and strolled the streets of Firenze. It was so pleasant going from shop to shop, pasticceria to pasticceria. We tried roasted chestnuts, a popular food to buy on the side of the street during the winter months. I have to say, I'm not a fan and neither was Rachael. That night, I gave my leftovers to Nonna, who was very appreciative. Oh, I also bought a black leather motorcycle jacket and a red leather purse! I know, Dad, I'm sorry! But I'm pretty sure I can promise you that I'm finished buying goodies now.

Well, that was my week last week, in a nutshell. In a big nutshell. This weekend is full of papers, presentations and homework, so I should probably go now before carpal tunnel starts to set in.

Oh, and did I tell you that I'm contemplating getting a haircut? Reasons to do it: I'm in a European country and it would be a cultural experience. Reason not to do it: I could end up looking a whole lot like my brother.

Ciao until next time!