1/29/2010- Assisi
We have this amazing doorman at our pensione whose name is Boris. Boris is a one-of-a-kind gem of an individual who speaks close to three languages and is constantly attempting to perfect his English and his Italian, considering he is Peruvian and his native tongue is Spanish. Boris' favorite word is one that is universal: si. His use of "si" is frequent and borderline repetitive but remains most endearing thing in the entire world. So upon going to Assisi, we of course thought of our dear doorman.
Assisi(si, si, si) was nothing short of picturesque. We arrived after the three hour train ride relaxed (being as the journey was chock full of naps) and ready to explore. We toured the church of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron Saint of animals. His tomb was stirring and decorated with minuscule pictures of those desiring his prayer, or blessing. We were astounded by the intricacies of the church and the landscaping and sweeping views from the courtyard.
After this venture, we decided to move our sights to a castle located on top of a hill in the distance. This castle, unbeknownst to us, was in actuality around an hours walk away, when taking the scenic route. I have no qualms with the scenic route when the view was that of Assisi's sloping valleys and regal mountain landscapes. We finally reached our destination and the panorama from a-top this lofty perch was not to be believed. I felt that it was imperative to the success and overall happiness of this day trip that we not only appreciate our time spent navigating/being lost but also recognize that everything happens for a reason and while we almost met our death via nuns driving smart cars,and took an incredibly round-about route, we survived and lived to tell the tale of the beautiful city of Assisi.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Can we either say or pronounce where we are going?
1/23/2010- San Gimignano
I feel as though whilst abroad, we know how to get to our destination about 7% of the time. Originally, I prided myself on my keen sense of direction, map reading skills, and savvy street smarts. Those previously redeeming qualities evaporate into the Italian atmosphere upon the first foreign syllable being uttered as we try and maneuver our way around this new land. Not being able to communicate with those with whom you are asking directions from presents a myriad of issues. I anticipated getting lost would be not only stressful but foster a negative impact upon any given experience. Au contratre, it has only added to any event that has taken place. Literally everywhere I went this past weekend, I was lost; and could not have been happier about it. Friday we frolicked around the city, growing acclimated to our new home. This involved a rendezvous with the Salvatore Ferragamo museum (heaven), walks down the Ponte Vecchio/ Triangle bridge, cappuccinos and canolis, and attempting to find the Piazza Michelangelo which instead led us up into a residential area of Florence. And by residential, I should explain that I mean residential VILLAS. Villas with family crests etched into their marble porches and wraight-iron gates. The walk was breathtaking and only prefaced the more amazing disoriented experience that occured the next day. Saturday, we ventured to San Gimignano, Tuscany. Upon getting off the train, we realized that we were not infact in San Gimignano, but it a neighboring "city" that we could neither pronounce nor remember the name of (it still escapes me). We took a wee-little hike around town and then found by some grace of God the bus station to get us to our actual destination. Being lost in the mystery city would have been a sight more enjoyable had our bellies been full and bladders been empty. San Gimignano was quaint, and simply darling. We enjoyed a quiet, prolonged lunch hour followed by wine and appertivo before our departure back to Florence. Regardless of getting off at the wrong stop, having to fork over additional euro (from a too- quickly depleting supply) for a bus ticket to the REAL place we were going, I loved every second of it. Good laughs with good friends on an absolutely amazing weekend. Success!
I feel as though whilst abroad, we know how to get to our destination about 7% of the time. Originally, I prided myself on my keen sense of direction, map reading skills, and savvy street smarts. Those previously redeeming qualities evaporate into the Italian atmosphere upon the first foreign syllable being uttered as we try and maneuver our way around this new land. Not being able to communicate with those with whom you are asking directions from presents a myriad of issues. I anticipated getting lost would be not only stressful but foster a negative impact upon any given experience. Au contratre, it has only added to any event that has taken place. Literally everywhere I went this past weekend, I was lost; and could not have been happier about it. Friday we frolicked around the city, growing acclimated to our new home. This involved a rendezvous with the Salvatore Ferragamo museum (heaven), walks down the Ponte Vecchio/ Triangle bridge, cappuccinos and canolis, and attempting to find the Piazza Michelangelo which instead led us up into a residential area of Florence. And by residential, I should explain that I mean residential VILLAS. Villas with family crests etched into their marble porches and wraight-iron gates. The walk was breathtaking and only prefaced the more amazing disoriented experience that occured the next day. Saturday, we ventured to San Gimignano, Tuscany. Upon getting off the train, we realized that we were not infact in San Gimignano, but it a neighboring "city" that we could neither pronounce nor remember the name of (it still escapes me). We took a wee-little hike around town and then found by some grace of God the bus station to get us to our actual destination. Being lost in the mystery city would have been a sight more enjoyable had our bellies been full and bladders been empty. San Gimignano was quaint, and simply darling. We enjoyed a quiet, prolonged lunch hour followed by wine and appertivo before our departure back to Florence. Regardless of getting off at the wrong stop, having to fork over additional euro (from a too- quickly depleting supply) for a bus ticket to the REAL place we were going, I loved every second of it. Good laughs with good friends on an absolutely amazing weekend. Success!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Siena
1/16/2010
Day trip to Siena, Italy! Just a mere 7 euro, one hour bus ride away from Flo-town lies the quaint, quiet city of Siena. This hidden gem houses the famous "black and white" duomo as well as the historic preserved head and finger of St. Catherine of Siena. Sans a tiny bout of food poisoning that concluded the venture, the trip was a wonderful breath of fresh air from the first week of classes.
Day trip to Siena, Italy! Just a mere 7 euro, one hour bus ride away from Flo-town lies the quaint, quiet city of Siena. This hidden gem houses the famous "black and white" duomo as well as the historic preserved head and finger of St. Catherine of Siena. Sans a tiny bout of food poisoning that concluded the venture, the trip was a wonderful breath of fresh air from the first week of classes.
Roman Holiday
1/7/2010, Roma:
Riding the bus into Rome, no one knew quite what to expect. The pretense of a city of this magnitude was overwhelming and exhilarating. To begin the opening tour, we went out to an extravagant, typical five-course Italian meal which was a wonderful precursor to the sight-seeing that lay before us in the upcoming days. The next morning, we departed on a three-hour walking tour of historic Rome that included tours of the Pantheon, Colosseum, the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain, my personal favorite. We grew accustomed to native means of transport (lots of walking and the subways) to which we felt ever the more so like American tourists because having heard such elaborate stories of pickpockets on mass transit we held our belongings tight to our chests and looked around at any passerby as if they were packing heat. Later on, we were given an exclusive tour of the Museum Borghese and went home to get some rest. Day 2: The group was allowed free reign of our time and used it to tour Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica, and the Sistine Chapel. Behind the immense, stone walls of Vatican city lies some of the most historical art and sculpture pieces in all of the world. We were ushered through a series of rooms, each more intricately decorated than the last, which eventually led to the finale of the Capella Sistina. Even amongst the crowds, tour guides, and Swiss guard members who were constantly berrating onlookers not to take pictures (although certain onlookers may have been able to sneak a video or two), the room was absolutely breathtaking. The thought of Michelangelo being propped up on scaffolding for seven years covering every square inch with such symbolic art was monumentally moving. We were blessed with the "Roma" passes which allowed us to go into all of these beautiful places. At the conclusion of the second night, we were blessed with the opportunity to tour the Jesuit house of Rome which had one of the best views of the city skyline we had seen to date. This tour was given by Father Michael, our resident Chaplin who travels with the Gonzaga-in-Florence program quite a bit. Within the house, he showed us the room that St. Thresa of the Little Flower had inhabited and the terrace where the Jesuits entertain and eat their meals. On the third day, we had the rare opportunity to be blessed by the Pope and then got back on the buses to head back to Florence! The weekend was a whirlwind of history, art, and new experiences to the point where we were all happy to be back in our own beds. It was educational not only in that the pieces we were viewing had previously been unbeknownst to us beyond the pages of a text book, but also in that this was the first time any of us had to navigate our way through a city completely on our own with no means of communication and a large language barrier. These hurdles were cleared with (relative) ease, and lessons learned. On to the next adventure!
Riding the bus into Rome, no one knew quite what to expect. The pretense of a city of this magnitude was overwhelming and exhilarating. To begin the opening tour, we went out to an extravagant, typical five-course Italian meal which was a wonderful precursor to the sight-seeing that lay before us in the upcoming days. The next morning, we departed on a three-hour walking tour of historic Rome that included tours of the Pantheon, Colosseum, the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain, my personal favorite. We grew accustomed to native means of transport (lots of walking and the subways) to which we felt ever the more so like American tourists because having heard such elaborate stories of pickpockets on mass transit we held our belongings tight to our chests and looked around at any passerby as if they were packing heat. Later on, we were given an exclusive tour of the Museum Borghese and went home to get some rest. Day 2: The group was allowed free reign of our time and used it to tour Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica, and the Sistine Chapel. Behind the immense, stone walls of Vatican city lies some of the most historical art and sculpture pieces in all of the world. We were ushered through a series of rooms, each more intricately decorated than the last, which eventually led to the finale of the Capella Sistina. Even amongst the crowds, tour guides, and Swiss guard members who were constantly berrating onlookers not to take pictures (although certain onlookers may have been able to sneak a video or two), the room was absolutely breathtaking. The thought of Michelangelo being propped up on scaffolding for seven years covering every square inch with such symbolic art was monumentally moving. We were blessed with the "Roma" passes which allowed us to go into all of these beautiful places. At the conclusion of the second night, we were blessed with the opportunity to tour the Jesuit house of Rome which had one of the best views of the city skyline we had seen to date. This tour was given by Father Michael, our resident Chaplin who travels with the Gonzaga-in-Florence program quite a bit. Within the house, he showed us the room that St. Thresa of the Little Flower had inhabited and the terrace where the Jesuits entertain and eat their meals. On the third day, we had the rare opportunity to be blessed by the Pope and then got back on the buses to head back to Florence! The weekend was a whirlwind of history, art, and new experiences to the point where we were all happy to be back in our own beds. It was educational not only in that the pieces we were viewing had previously been unbeknownst to us beyond the pages of a text book, but also in that this was the first time any of us had to navigate our way through a city completely on our own with no means of communication and a large language barrier. These hurdles were cleared with (relative) ease, and lessons learned. On to the next adventure!
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