Fitting In

Ciao Guys!

What's that? It hasn't been three weeks since I've blogged last? That's right.
I just felt that it was necessary to document the progression that I've been making since I've been here, at least as far as how I've been dressing. At first I was getting by with the clothes I brought from home. No big deal. But the thing is, whenever I would walk to class, go to the Duomo, or wherever, I was feeling a little outclassed by my Italian brethren. So I've tweaked a few things in order to "go with the flow" if you will. Just today, Emily and I were strolling through the San Lorenzo market and I picked up a scarf from a really nice vendor. She was very helpful and I think cut me a deal for my scarf, or at least she said she did. I also bought a pair of snazzy shoes and jeans a couple weeks back. So what do you guys think? Am I fitting in? I'm getting there for sure.

On another note, the dinner I cooked (Stilton and Walnut Sauce Pasta) went over pretty well on Wednesday. It wouldn't have without the help of my roommates though. Probably the worst part of it was the fact that I didn't consider that we needed a nut cracker for the walnuts. haha
Jill had to hit the walnuts (placed in plastic bags) with the rolling pin, which actually worked pretty well, and then her and Katy sieved through them so we would eat the edible parts. It's really a team effort when we get together to have our family meals.
Other than that, Jordan and Katy headed to Rome today, and then Anna, Emily, and I will head out tomorrow via train. Jill heads out there next weekend. It should be awesome and I know either Katy, Emily, or I will let you all know all about it!
I hope everyone is well and isn't having to hassle with the snow too much!

Ciao,
Joey

Sitting in silence, we can learn more than we know

I had to go and observe a space in Florence for a class; try to get a feel of the space and understand my reaction to it.  It was an important experience for me and I'm very glad I did it.  I went to Piazza San Marco.

I started to draw when I sat down, because I also need to draw in order for places, objects, experiences to open up for me; in order for me to be able to understand and step inside.  Almost as soon as I started drawing a middle aged Italian man, with his wife and family, came over and sat down next to me.  He looked at my sketchbook and talked to me.  I tried to tell him I didn’t speak Italian but he didn’t listen, he kept talking to me the whole time he sat there.  The group all had food and he threw some bread out for the pigeons-they swarmed us.  The young girls (they must have been in their early teens), were singing an American pop song and would occasionally come over and stand behind me to watch what I was drawing.  The man kept offering me Vino, which I kept declining.  They laughed and talked and I also joined in the laughter.  After twenty minutes they finished their food, and got up to leave.  As they were leaving they smiled and said “ciao!” to me, and asked if I spoke German.  I told them no, I spoke English and a little French.  Then they all smiled and walked off.  It was an odd encounter, made odder by the fact that the mother kept taking pictures, many of which I had to be in.  The family seemed to be tourists of sorts, and now I, Emily, am a part of their Florence trip.  And they in turn are a part of mine.  It is strange and almost beautiful how in a city you can step into other people’s lives to easily.  It is brief but it is constantly happening.  This fact strengthens my belief that all people are connected in some way, and that we all have overlapping and intertwining stories.  

After my encounter with the family, I began to notice more about the space.  There were many people coming in and out of it.  People walking through, others were sitting leisurely.  The air was cold, and had the faint smell of cigarettes.  And the noises!  There were pigeons chattering away, cell phones ringing, Italians talking loudly, and the sounds from cars and buses.   I began to observe all of the people around me, from the little old ladies talking on a bench in their huge fur coats, to the boy listening to music, to the woman on the phone next to me (she was obviously upset with the person on the other end), and the man across from me who was drawing.  He had been there since before I came, and he was quite involved in what he was doing. 

Once I pulled out my sketchbook we both acknowledged each other’s presence, smiling because we were doing the same thing.  I took quite a few photos of him as he sat drawing.  As I was packing up to leave he was doing the same thing, and before I walked off he came up to me and handed me a drawing of me he had done.  It was stunning, the likeness impressive, especially considering how far away from me he was sitting.  I was speechless I was so touched by the gesture.  He was kind and polite.  I told him thanks and we tried to find a language we could both speak but couldn’t (he didn’t really speak French or English and I don’t speak much Italian or any Spanish (he mentioned both)), and it makes me sad that I couldn’t say thank you and tell him how amazing the drawing was, and also that I couldn’t give him anything in return.  I hope that he could read my face to see how much I appreciated it.  In the end we parted ways with a few smiles exchanged (and don’t get me wrong here, I’m a good judge of people, and I stay away from creepy men, he wasn’t a creeper).  I took pictures of him while he drew me, and through a visual communication we spoke and talked to one another.  I guess that that is one of the reasons I think creating art is exciting and still relevant: because it can connect all different sorts of people; those who wouldn’t normally speak to one another, or couldn’t. My taking photos of him and his drawing of me enforces this thought of mine.

Sometimes the simple, unexpected experiences and encounters are the most important and beautiful things in people's lives.  

I think Florence is teaching me to slow down.  

Long Time No Blog

Dear all faithful followers of the Emily, Katy, and Joey travel-through-Italy Blog,

It's been a while since I've posted!!
Actually, I haven't posted anything since I've been here. I hope that no one thought I had met an ill fate (choked on a tomato, tripped down the steps of the Duomo, fell in the Arno and got severe frost bite). No, no, no. All is well here in the great Firenze. The smells, the food, the sights, the people are all great things to enjoy. It's been a wonderful journey thus far and that's an understatement. It would be hard to summarize everything, even only this far in. However, I'll share a few things to be sure.
One thing that's really cool is that our apartment is on a street that is also the San Lorenzo market. Basically, when you go down stairs and outside of the apartment in the morning, you are instantly greeted by this huge streetlong market, where there are vendors selling hats, bags, scarves, tapestries and all sorts of different things. Also, on the same street is the Mercato Centrale which is a two story open market, where we've all been buying all sorts of fresh food and where I've been testing my knowledge of the Italian language, which is one of the coolest parts of being here. When I don't know how to ask for something, I look it up in one of the dictionaries that came in our apartment, and then I test it out at the market. It works most of the time which is cool. The San Lorenzo church is also right down the street, and then the Duomo is only a bit further. We're really lucky to live where we do.

I never knew how much I loved food until I got here. I think I'm truly getting the Italian cuisine experience. I'm eating more vegetables, and especially more bread and pasta than I think I ever have, which is totally fine with me. Pesto is a new love in my life. I think it's a combination of basil and parmesan, but I don't know because the ingredients are of course in Italian. But seriously, my roommates and I have had some pretty killer meals since we've been here. I would say at least once or twice a week we make a big meal between all of us, normally consisting of some sort of pasta with fresh vegetables and spices. I think I'm making dinner this week so we'll see how that goes!

I feel like I've been able to do a lot already since I've been here. I'm sure that Katy and Emily have covered a lot already: climbing the Duomo and seeing all of the city, going to Ravenna to see mosaics, baptistries, and mausoleums, seeing a lot of the sites like the Ponte Vecchio. They've all been wonderful. Florence is so beautiful and I'm lucky to be here. There's just so much to enjoy.

Today my roommates Jill, Anna, and of course Katy and Emily, and I trekked to San Miniato, which is in Florence, but it's probably a good 45 minute walk from our apartment. Before we got to San Miniato, we stopped off at the chocolate festival that was going on at the piazza by Santa Croce. I'm really glad that people want to get together to celebrate chocolate. How could there be anything bad about a place that wants to celebrate chocolate?? It was pretty cool. There were all sorts of different kinds there. Katy got a hot chocolate that pretty much tasted like melted chocolate syrup, which was awesome. There was even a short parade, which was fun. After a while, we needed to get to San Miniato though. We were going because we wanted to hear the monks chant (aparently they do everyday). The walk to it was, in my opinion, half the fun because there were so many great sights. The closer we got to San Miniato, the higher the elevation was, thus the better view of the city we got. It was beautiful. It was almost as good, if not as good, as standing at the top of the Duomo. It's pretty much unlike anything I've ever been able to see before.
We got to San Miniato and thought that we had possibly come at the wrong time because the monks didn't chant until about 20 minutes after we got there. We got to hear them though! It was cool getting to hear them, but I could stop thinking about how crazy it would be to be a monk. I don't think I could live that disciplined and austere of a life.

Well, that's all you get for now. Take time to digest the full course meal of a blog that I just wrote. I hope everyone is doing well and I think of you often!!

Ciao!
Joey

Oh I about forgot...Jill, Emily, Katy and I joined a jazz club just the other night. So yeah...I'm a member of jazz club in Florence.

Oh look, it's another symbolic representation of Jesus.

On Sunday there was a school-sponsered trip to Ravenna, so of course the three of us signed up to go. It was a really long day, but worth it I think. Ravenna, as you may know, is famous for its early Renaissance mosiacs, especially the well-known Justinian and Theodora mosiacs. They are truly beautiful, so vibrant and colorful and surprisingly detailed with a three-dimensional quality. And so large! Seeing the pictures in books and online definately does not do these mosaics justice, any of them. You just lose the vibrancy and sheer size of them. After about 7 hours of looking at mosaics though it gets tiring and a little repetitive, as can be expected, and all the symbols really don't have to be explained any more, though the history professor leading the trip really wants to re-explain all of them. But it was interesting and fun, and getting to see another city was really nice. Ravenna is much quieter and emptier than Florence, and seems much more like a "real" Italian city... not all tourists and immigrants and international students. Since it was a Sunday, when we got to the main Piazza of Ravenna around midday, it was full of middle-aged and older men, all standing around and chatting while their wives at home made the Sunday meal. It was really interesting to see, and we, with our 50 or so students, were as much a spectacle to them as they were to us.

This Friday Emily and I will be going to Bologne with our classes to a contemporary art fair, which should be pretty interesting. Another long day, but completely worth it.

The following weekend is ROME!!! 30 Euros for the weekend- not too bad, considering thats hotel, train, museum, Vatican, and the Colloseum. I'm pretty excited about it.

We have a new President!!!! It was crazy trying to watch the inaguration last night, but we managed it. The internet was a little slow, of course, so we mostly just got the sound, a little choppy. The picture was there sometimes, but nothing consistant. It is so exciting, for all of us. Even the Italians are excited about it. We don't have to be afraid to say we're Americans anymore!! And we can be slightly more certain of our willingness to come home at the end of the semester...

That's all for now, I've got class soon and stuff to do! Hope all is going well there- feel free to shoot emails this way with updates, stories, pleads to return, bribes to buy you things, etc. We will definately update about Bologne and any other interesting activities!

Much love to all,

Katy

"I can see the Duomo from my house!"

Actually, we can't see the Duomo from our apartment, we can see see San Lorenzo. I mean, if you just step outside and walk a few feet we can see it, then walk a few more and we're at it, so it's not a big deal. And actually, I should have titled this I can see my house from the Duomo! Beacause we could see where we lived from the TOP of the Duomo when we climbed it on Friday.

It was 460+ steps up, through small, winding halls and twisted steep stairways. It was amazing though. The actual climb was scary (and even scarier on the way down!), but it was also fascinating. There was tons of graffiti on the walls, tons of chips and scuffs and markings...the more we climbed the more I became aware of how old this place was, and how many people had walked through here. By the time I emerged at the top, into the warm sunlight, I could feel the history around me. As I stood and looked out over the red and brown city beneath me, with the tiny people below, I couldn't help but smile-everything was so beautiful that I felt beautiful as well, just being a small part of all of it. The dome is so huge and vast that it casts a large shadow of the city, and it was exciting to think that for that hour that I was up there, I was a teeny part of that shadow.

One of the coolest things about the whole experience is that before you go up into the dome you get to walk inside at the base of mural. We could see the giant sweeping brushstrokes, so close if we just reached up we could touch the painting. The deamons faces were huge above us, all twisted and gnarly (being that we were at the base of the mural, we were level with Hell. perhaps that was intentional?). I must say, the whole experience is etched within me now, much in the same way Stonehenge is.

I love and miss you all

Emily

Classes Begin

Ciao all!
I hope things are well in America. Things are going well today, here in Firenze. I actually have learned something quite interesting. So, you all know that on the Duomo and Baptistery there are green and pink/white stripes. Well I just found that out. I did not know that the dark stripes were green, I have always seen them as dark brownish black. I guess I really am colorblind! The buildings look no less beautiful to me though.

Today classes started. My digital multimedia class seems like it’s going to be very thought provoking. Tomorrow is painting!!! I cannot wait to get my hands on a brush. Tomorrow one of my roommates and I are going to a park to check out a market that sells clothes and nick knacks for cheap. And on Friday we’re going to climb the dome!!!!!

There isn’t much to say about today other than starting classes. I walked around for a bit, got winked and by some creepy guys, and bought some delicious fragola, or strawberries.

I’m off to do some reading, maybe take a walk. I miss and love all of you!

Emily

We're not in the States anymore

As Emily has touched on, it's been a crazy first few days. Very fun and exciting, though. The historic center of the city is surprisingly small, so it's quite easy to walk from one side to the other in 20 minutes or so. Today we made it to the Arno and over the Ponte Veccio, which is beautiful.

Classes start tomorrow, which is exciting but a little nerve racking. It will be nice to be able to start drawing again.

Jet lag is hopefully finally wearing off, but speaking for myself I'm still exhausted from all the excitement and walking all over the place of the past few days.

Also as Emily said, we have an amazing appartment with roommates who seem great so far. I'm so looking forward to the semester and all the travelling and just taking in everything we'll be doing.

Much love to all!

Katy

Ciao!

We've made it!

So the first few days have been a whirl wind; orientation, (trying) to get aquainted with the city, jetlag, meeting new people, bags being lost somewhere, running through airports............

Our first night, after we (finally!) got to our aparment, we ran out to see the Duomo. I cannot describe to you how it felt to see it, and so close. It was beyond magnificent. In the darkness I just stood in awe of it, I still cannot believe that its really there. I'm afraid sometimes that it will disappear; it truely is so fantastic that it doesn't seem real, doesn't seem possible that I can be so close to it.

We actually went to mass there tonight; every saturday night there is an English mass. Next week I'm going to go to the Sunday Italian mass, but tomorrow I need to just sleep in (I haven't gotten much sleep). The inside is unreal, the mural in the dome is beautiful and comes right at you, and the whole thing has a stange other-worldy feel to it.

Anyway, at mass tonight something very strange happened. We're just sitting, praying and what not, then there is this terrific BOOM! outside, and everyone looks around. Then there are people yelling or cheering or something. Then there is another BOOM! And more yelling. Then a single person starts yelling. Then sirens. I for one was terrified. When the mass was over things had subsided, but we could vaguely hear yelling somewhere else. So we went home and now are going to cook dinner.

A quick note about the food. We live next door to a giant market-think farmers market only in a huge two story art nouveau building. Meat, cheese and bread downstairs, fruits and veggies up. All of the food is fresh, cheap, and divine. I got some mozarella and it is honest to god the greatest thing I have ever tasted. And going to the different stands at the market and talking to the people is so fun! Everyone is so nice and helpful. I must admit that all the meat freaks me out, they have pig heads and huge legs and are choppin things up. Not to into that, actually.

Also, our apartment is AMAZING! We have 3 totally cool, fun and into art roommates! But more on that later when we have some pictures to show you. Just as a teaser though-Katy and my room has a loft and a shower in it :)

We have internet now, so please email us! I will try to write as much as possible. Class starts on Monday, so I will be sure to let you know how it goes.

I miss and love all of you so much.

Emily

3 days?

Well, it appears that time is running out- we shall be leaving in a mere three days! It's a little bit scary to think about, but very exhilerating! As Emily said, the international plane tickets have arrived, as have international student ID cards. Or mine has, I hope Emily and Joey have theirs as well. Now it's time to take care of some last-minute things, pack up, and triple-check everything to make sure nothing is forgotten. And, of course, spend some time with family before we are out of the country for four months!! Hope all is going well for everyone as school gets back into session,

Much love to all,

Katy

Wish us luck!