Week 3 - What Didn't I Do!?

I am so sorry it's been two weeks since I've last posted. I now understand why people claim how very difficult it is to maintain a blog regularly while studying abroad - there's barely enough time to sleep, let alone record and post outings. But, I will try to stay as consistent as possible, not only because I want to share my experiences with you but also because I get to relive them when I write, which is always exciting for me!

So, week three in Florence was a major whirlwind that hit me from behind and jostled me until the weekend. I'm actually not sure if I was even 100 percent with it that week with all of the events and activities. Let me start from the beginning with what I remember...

Tuesday night I went to a bar called Be-Bop. Cute name, huh? It was so small though that you could have easily missed it if it weren't for the enthusiastic crowd whose hollers made their way outside and into the streets. Be-Bop is a regular hot spot for Americans because every Tuesday night a Beetles cover band performs. I knew I had to go when all people were talking about at school for the first two weeks was this band. And let me tell you, the 45 minute walk in the freezing cold and dark was well worth it. The band gave us a full two hour concert free of charge in this dimly lit underground cave. Seeing four Italian musicians jam to English music with an American crowd was not only comical but also made the show even more entertaining. To see how the Beetles have influenced the world in such a monumental way is beyond impressive. (Dad, I tried to call you and hold up the phone so you could hear the music, but I had zero service. Sorry.)

The next morning I woke up early to meet my art history class at the Museo del Bargello, Florence's national sculpture museum. The museum palace, now housing countless sculptures, is the oldest public building in Florence and was initially home to the Florence City Council. Okay, enough with the background and on to the art!...

The first sculpture we saw was Verrocchio's David. Verrocchio was Leonardo da Vinci's teacher and was a court artist for Lorenzo de'Medici (remember, the most wealthy, notable family in Florence at the time. Think Bill Gates or Donald Trump of Italy and plus some), so BIG deal! Anyway, it was interesting to see Verrocchio's bronze depiction of David, especially in comparison to other great Davids of the time, like Michelangelo's and Bernini's. While Verrocchio's isn't my favorite sculpture of David, I appreciate his accurate depiction. I think what we easily forget is that when David slayed Goliath, he wasn't but just a young boy in the midst of puberty. And Verrocchio illustrates just that - a young boy. He has one hand on his hip and the other holding a sword by his side. He looks almost feminine in his stance and clothing (note that he's fully clothed unlike Michelangelo's or Bernini's David), which can attribute to his youth and lack of development. He proudly gazes at the audience with the giant head of Goliath at his feet, letting us know without doubt that he is the victor.

I think why I prefer Michelangelo's and Bernini's David is because they show an attractive, older boy - actually a man - who is muscular and confident. This is the David that I imagine in the Bible, one whose outer strength and beauty mimic his inner strength and beauty. With this thought, it's important to note that art creates the image we prefer to have in our minds. It helps us piece together stories and people the way we want to see them, whether that be physical descriptions or character traits. The artist has extreme power when suggesting an idea or narrative. So, while I want to imagine this gorgeous David in my mind, like Michelangelo's, I should remind myself that the truth is much more like what Verrocchio presents.

There were many more sculptures we saw by Verrocchio, Donatello and Michelangelo, but I could type endlessly about art, so I think it's time to keep moving...

Directly after our class finished at the museum, I headed over to the market to meet my Italian class for my second site visit of the day. I have Italian four days a week, and one of those days is called "Italian Culture Day," which is a whole class day devoted to Italian culture. I actually love culture day, because it introduces us to facts about Italian life that we didn't previously know. Anyway, our teacher thought it would be fun to show us a little portion of the city (actually, more like a crumb of it, since Florence is so grand). The outing was so neat! Our first stop was the market, or mercato, which is an outdoor/indoor food and clothing market. The produce was so colorful and juicy looking, my mouth was salivating like Pavlov's dog. I couldn't resist buying at least one thing, so I picked up a blood orange and asked my most used question "Quanto costa?" ("how much?") The vendor was so nice, he just told me to take it. Now, I had never had a blood orange before, but David (a classmate) promised that it would be the best type of orange I would ever put in my mouth. He was right. Oh my gosh, it was so flavorful and juicy and just delicious! I've never seen them in the states, but I'm not an orange junkie, so it's definitely possible that I just overlook them in the grocery store. Karolina, you're the fruit expert. Have you ever had one of these?

My classmates practically had to pull me out of the mercato by the hand when it was time to leave. Reluctant to go, I finally caved in. Well, caved in is a bit too strong; when my professoressa told us our next stop was a pasticceria, my willingness skyrocketed to the point where I was almost running. You don't have to convince me to follow a crowd toward a sweets shop.

Walking into a warm store and leaving the cold outside was no problem for any of us. While melting over all of the chocolates, cakes, pastries, etc. this pasticceria had to offer, we were all surprised when our professoressa unexpectedly announced that she was going to buy all of us a pastry and coffee. Wasn't that too nice!? After resting for a bit, with toes thawed and tummies satisfied, we headed back into the cold and walked ten minutes to the Santa Croce, the same church I have mentioned in previous posts. You remember, the oldest Franciscan church.

Speaking of Franciscan churches...

That Saturday, I went on a school field trip to Assisi, home of St. Francis (aka, the man who started the Franciscan order). Assisi is a very small town in Tuscany. Population = 1,000. Elevation = high, very high. It's actually situated on a hill, which makes for beautiful views and great pictures but challenging uphill climbs. After arriving, Evelyn, our amazingly knowledgeable tour guide, led us through the Church of San Francesco. Oh, just to let you know, there's not much to do in this quiet, slow-moving town except for visiting the church. As a matter of fact, the Church of San Francesco is the second most popular Christian pilgrimage site in Italy, next to the Church of Saint Peter.

So, to give you background of the church... it is built into the side of a hill that is now referred to as the "Hill of Paradise." The church, constructed in the 1200s, consists of an Upper and Lower Basilica. The Upper Basilica, which contains Cimabue frescos of the life of St. Francis, is where worship services take place. The space is in the shape of a cross, with a long nave and decorative apse. The Lower Basilica, a crypt supporting the upper one, houses the tomb of St. Francis and many other chapels. We spent most of our time in the upper part looking at the famous frescoes, which demonstrate the development of Italian art during this time. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the church, so I only have words to share.

Devoted to a life of poverty and helping and healing those in need, Saint Francis went around preaching repentance. After gaining eleven followers, he went to Rome to seek Pope Innocent III's permission to establish a new religious order. The Pope unofficially approved his request and told St. Francis that with God's grace and after an increase in the number of followers, he would grant St. Francis official admittance. You can guess the result. Followers grew in amazing number and still exist today. As a matter of fact, we saw the dorms that the current monks in Assisi live in. Because we weren't allowed to take pictures in the church, this image from the Web. It depicts this very moment when St. Francis meets with the Pope. Note the hairstyle of the eleven Capuchins (the friars of the Franciscan order) who accompany St. Francis to his Papal visit. I'm not sure if you can see it great in this picture, but look it up, because fun fact: the word "cappuccino" comes from the Capuchins. If you look closely, their hairstyle mimics the image of the top of a cappuccino. You have the steamed milk in the middle and the coffee enclosing it, forming a loop or ring that's very similar to the Capuchin's hair style. So, next time you drink a cappuccino, look at the top and think about how the Franciscan followers have influenced modern culture.

After spending two hours in the church, we were free to roam the town. Obviously lunch was a priority for us, so I and five other girls staked out at a tucked away restaurant. What did we all order? Pasta! Warm and yummy! Resting and dining for a while was just what we needed before beginning our climb of Assisi. At the very top of the town, not only can you find amazing views but also a medieval castle. Isn't it gorgeous from the top!?

While our day in Assisi was very interesting and fun, were were ready to leave. Day trips in Italy are nothing short of exhausting. I think I can make a collective comment by saying we had all hit a wall once we got on the bus. Arriving in Florence, back to my temporary home, was a comforting feeling. And jumping in bed later that night after a nonstop day made for great sleep.

Sunday was work day (and dinner with Giancarlo). And, as always, we must end with a funny dinner comment from Giancarlo:

Do you even have to guess what we talked about? Yup - love. It's all about love with Giancarlo. I don't think it's appropriate to repeat some of the things he said, but I will share one comment. I'm not really sure how his single status came up, but I can remember the next lines verbatim:

"You know, I'm single. I don't know. You see, the old ones prefer me, but I prefer the young ones."

Now, Emily and I were cracking up at this point. Not really sure how young he was talking about, but the look this 75 year old gave us when saying this was just enough to bring a mixture of discomfort and hilarity to the table - a combination that resulted in hysterical and uncontrollable laughs.

Well, that's all from week three. I hope you enjoyed it. Before I say goodbye, below are long overdue pictures I wanted to share with you. They're of my neighborhood and host family (Nonna and Nonno):

Ciao until next post!