Travel Log: Italy

Ginkgos and Fall

2010-12-04T02:56:00.000-08:00

On the days when it's not raining Raz and I have been biking around town, Cascine park is a favorite destination. the Ginkgo trees are all brilliant yellow while the rest of the trees and grasses are growing a rich deep green because of all the rain. it's really beautiful here.

Best Gelato In Florence: Rivareno Gelato

2010-12-04T02:32:00.000-08:00

Heaven.

This gelato is fabulous! Right in the center of Florence, a 5 minute walk from the Duomo, less than a 5 minute walk from my flat, which has proven to be dangerous, especally considering it's chocolata calda (hot chocolate) season and Rivareno has some of the most delicious italian hot chocolate i've found. Here's a map to help you find the location in Florence. If you're in Florence (or any other major city in Italy, they're all over the country) you must try their gelato.

View Rivareno Gelateria in a larger map

they use quality ingredients and keep their gelato in special sealed refrigerated containers instead of the flashy window displays that most shops use. They have a wide variety of traditional flavors (chocolate, coffee, pistachio, hazelnut, stracciatella (chocolate chip), vanilla, etc...) as well as a great selection of special flavors. they have everything from Mango to Ginger to pine nut, white chocolate with Rice Krispies to saffron with sesame seeds. it's really quite a treat and my first choice when i'm craving gelato. check out their website and plan a trip over here to come try their divine gelato!

http://www.rivareno.com/new/index_eng.html

Back to Florence, finally posting...

2010-10-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

Some time has passed since my return to Italy, but I'm taking the 'better late than never' standpoint and decided to start posting again.

I'm quite settled in, back in my old apartment, working with my same artists, back to my routine. returning had it's hard parts but I'm glad to be back, the fall is beautiful here, and now the weather is turning cold and brisk. When I arrive at the studio in the morning after my bike ride across town my cheeks are bright pink and my eyes water a little form the cold. luckily I have lots of heaters there to keep me warm.

Raz and I have wandered the city looking for good landscaping spots for him, we've found some good ones and he's been painting quite a lot. I brought my camera along as we wandered the city, here's some of Florence:

My next goal is to document the markets a bit better. Raz and I go to the market a few times a week where we visit the Butcher, numerous stand with fruit and vegetables, vendors who sell lentils and rice at wonderfully low prices, and booths selling olives and cheese. I really love shopping in the market, it has such a communal feel to it and the food is fresh and delicious. I've also been able to find things there that aren't available in the stores where I normally shop. Cilantro has been eluding my my entire time in Italy, and I discovered it's called Corandolo here, and they do sell it in the market. I made a delicious barley salad with pomegranate and cilantro and chicken the other night... all thanks to ingredients from the San Lorenzo market.

The environment in my apartment has changed quite a bit since I left in June. I now share the flat with 3 Italian boys in their early 20's. The flat has 3 rooms, one is mine, the room next to mine belongs to a waiter named Anatoli, and the third room is shared by two Sicilian boys who are studying music at an academy in the center.

These two are nice, Pierro and Paulo, they don't speak much english and I don't know much Italian, so our interactions are brief and usually amusing. I asked Paulo if school was good, and he responded by saying, "drums" while mimicking using drumsticks. Just the other day I made some popcorn and Pierro came in and asked if I was going to watch a film, I told him no, and bowl of popcorn in hand I turned and asked how he was doing, he politely held up a hand and said "no thanks" thinking I had offered him some food. I think Paulo is kind of scared of me, but Pierro is pretty outgoing and likes Raz so they chat sometimes. They're nice, but young and still don't understand things like taking out the trash or completely cleaning the food off of dishes when they're washed. they also don't understand things like balanced meals... but I'll write more about their amusing diets later. All in all, I like these guys. their room is across the way from mine so we're able to stay out of each others way most of the time.

Anatoli on the other hand is a problem. he's a nice enough guy, but his concepts of 'loud' and 'normal hours to be awake' are completely off base. These things wouldn't bother me so much if I didn't have to share a very thin wall with him. But to try and look at the bright side it's making me much braver about pounding on someones door at 2 am to ask for silence. I think he's getting sick of me always asking to turn his music down though because today he pretended he couldn't hear me for the first few minutes of knocking. In any case, Anatoli is a problem. if I want a decent nights sleep the rest of the time I'm here, I may have to move. we'll see.

Roommate issues aside, it's nice being back. it's good to see all the people I know from last year and it's beyond wonderful to see Raz again.

I'll post again soon!

3...2...1... Takeoff!

2010-09-14T08:16:00.000-07:00

Today i fly back to Italy...

My summer in the states was wonderful, and upon my return to Florence i'll resume more regular posting here.

This time around i'm planning on indulging in the culinary wonder of Italy a bit more. Cheese, olives, meats, wine.

mmm....

can't wait!

My job just got a little weirder....

2010-04-14T11:43:00.001-07:00

Yes.... weirder.

this little Duiker behind me is now part of my long pose at Porta Romana. he's sitting at my feet...

is it just me or is this odd?

Around Florence

2010-04-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

I realized i haven't posted a lot of the pictures i've been taking around Florence, so here's a compilation of pictures from the past few months....

Raz and i made falafel and watched King Kong... it was amazing.

Raz on my balcony

These are made out of chocolate and dusted with coco powder so they look like real rusty tools... it was brilliant!

Barcelona: Preview

2010-04-03T06:20:00.000-07:00

my trip was phenomenal, an absolute success! all my travels went just as planed and i got to see most of the sights i wanted to. I was in complete awe of Gaudi's architecture. i just wanted to touch every part of the building and revel in the flowing energy he captured in all that he made. even the tiles that make up the sidewalks were designed by Gaudi... the city is rich with his influence.

Gaudi's Church

I finally got a few pictures of me whilst traveling so you all know that i am in fact going to these places and not just pretending. ha.

these are photos from a few different gaudi sights. I'll post more once my computer stops acting up and lets me load the rest.

Back safe and sound

2010-03-31T08:34:00.001-07:00

I'm back from Barcelona!

this trip was phenomenal. Gaudi is brilliant, I saw most of his major architectural sights and I took copious amounts of pictures which i'll post soon. I saw art and markets and amazing food and so many interesting people... it was a wonderful trip and all went quite well. i really loved the city and i'll give a more detailed report when the pictures come up. hope all is well....

Vanessa decided to spend easter break in Barcelona

2010-03-23T09:16:00.000-07:00

I'm headed to Barcelona on Thursday for a 5 day immersion in Catalan life. I'm taking lots of pictures, i'll try to post them when i get back!

Cover Girl for Florence Academy

2010-03-17T04:17:00.000-07:00

the portrait that Jordan Sokol painted of me is on the opening page of the Florence Academy of Art web page. check it out!

http://www.florenceacademyofart.com/

lovely

2010-03-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

I'm moved into my new place and the best way to describe it is:

lovely

my room has wonderful energy... high ceilings and beautiful doors that open to a terrace. i got a pink orchid to add some color to the space. my apartment is still under construction, but my room, bathroom, and kitchen are all finished. I have one roommate so far (the 3rd room is still WAY under construction) she seems very nice. she's 33, from Romania and studying here to be a nurse. her english is sparse, but we can communicate enough to get along. she's really kind and i think we'll have a good clean home. my landlord is a saint. she's so terribly kind, when she realized i didn't have sheets for my bed she brought me some from her home... they're embroidered by hand... they look like family heirlooms... in any case, she makes sure everything is working and in its right state, i think the next 4 months will be pleasant here.

other news:

the term is wrapping up and i think i shant do another long pose! hallelujah! I've had so many artists ask me to work with them individually that i'll have my hands full just scheduling them all (i've had to turn down several projects already). I'm so happy that i wont be standing everyday anymore! I'm going to work less this last term and enjoy my time here a little bit more, i'm really excited for the weather to warm up (we got a few nice days and then it got cold and wet again... it actually snowed for the 3rd time this year during the week... this much snow is unheard of here).

I'm feeling really happy, things are going really well.

lack of internet

2010-03-06T06:06:00.000-08:00

I moved last weekend and I'm finding myself without internet for the time being... that's making it a bit harder to keep in touch. just an update, i'm doing well, working hard and playing when i get the chance. I'm headed to Barcelona for a 5 day getaway in a couple of weeks... i'm so excited!

this week i was invited to a dinner one of the students from school was having, it was a small gathering, just 6 of us, and the students' fiancee happens to be a chef at the Four Seasons Hotel... needless to say the dinner was beyond divine and may be the best thing i've ever eaten in my life.

it was four courses... stuffed anchovies to start, then amazing risotto, then polenta and hare, and finished the meal with siena oranges and chocolates... it was seriously to die for. it made my week!

i miss you guys and i'll try to post more soon.. hopefully i'll find a way to get internet at my new apartment.

Winter Break

2010-01-31T13:37:00.000-08:00

Italy somehow keeps getting better and better. life here is going very well and i’m starting to feel much more at home. While Florence is wonderful, my biggest news is that over christmas I had the opportunity to travel to Paris, Amsterdam, and Bruges.

words can’t describe the marvelous adventures i had, but i’ll do my best.

I started my trip with 4 days in Paris.

It was amazing. simply amazing. I was traveling alone so my schedule was very flexible and i could go at my own pace (walking fast from sight to sight to avoid the cold and spending hours upon hours inside the museums) i spent my days seeing the major sights and museums, it was phenomenal actually seeing so many amazing places i’ve heard and read so much about.

I started with a trip to Notre Dame Cathedral. it was so beautiful and so different from other buildings of worship that i’ve visited (like St. Peters Basilica in Rome). the Gothic architecture was so epic and cold, i find it so interesting how the architecture reflects how the religions were trying to convey feelings about God in those times and how different in is now. it was also a little embarrassing because i kept thinking about the Disney movie the Hunchback of Notre Dame and humming the songs to myself as i wandered around. less than reverent, but kind of funny nonetheless...

I visited the Arc de Triumph which is located in the largest roundabout in the city. to get to the arc you have to walk through an underground tunnel that helps you bypass all the traffic rumbling around the arch. the arch itself it was so amazing. it was HUGE! and the view from on top of the arch was amazing, you could see all of Paris, the Eiffel tower rising above the old city and the skyscrapers clustered in the newer business district. i was in such awe of how massive this arch was, there's a sense of reverence that comes with monuments like this, it was beautiful.

there was a Christmas market along the champs elysees, booths lined the street selling everything from mittens to sandwiches, jewelry to taffy. i walked through it on my way to the Musee d’Orsay. i loved this museum so much. It’s home to paintings from Degas, Manet, Monet, Touluse Latrec, Van Gogh, and so many more. the were also a wonderful exhibit about the art nouveau movement that i just loved. i stayed here till closing time, it was such a treat seeing so many paintings that i’ve learned about. i took lots of pictures, but they're forthcoming due to technical mumbo jumbo

the art extravaganza continued the next day with a 5 hour exploration of the Louvre. i was in heaven. so many amazing paintings and sculptures that i’ve studied and fallen in love with. i had so much fun here. i saw the most famous things like the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, and others like Liberty Leading the People, an entire room full of enormous Rubens paintings, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and so much more. i felt like i could have spent a week in this museum and still only seen half of the artwork there. it was grand.

later that afternoon i visited the Orangerie museum where i sat in the beauty of Monet in several of the oval rooms lined with his water lilies paintings. i loved it. there’s so much amazing art in Paris. it was a dream come true.

this was one of my favorite paintings from my whole trip... i love it.

that evening i went to the Eiffel tower with a newly made friend, another traveler named Simon. it was beautiful and illuminated in the night, it was so interesting being in this place, this epic location and experiencing a connection with humanity through being there. unfortunately it was freezing cold so staying out looking at the tower was only bearable for a little while so i headed back to the hostel for a toasty night inside.

it was snowing the next morning so i took the day easy. i found a lovely little book shop where i bought Everything Is Illuminated. I had finished my other book (Into the Wild) on my first full day of travel and was needing something to keep me occupied on the trains. I then went to the Rodin museum which was quite nice. i never realized how much movement and sensuality Rodin captured in his sculptures, they were so beautiful. I tried to go to the Pompodou modern art museum, but the workers were on strike... so it was closed. that evening i went around to see some of the sights at night and ended up talking with some of my roommates late into the night.

I took a train out to Versailles the next morning and gained a better understanding of the intense gap between the ruling class and the commoners in the epic days of Marie Antoinette . the castle was amazing, enormous and ornate, and the grounds that stretched out for miles behind the buildings were breathtaking. the fireplaces were big enough to burn 8 foot logs and the beds had canopies and ostrich feathers adorning them. there’s a great hall that’s lined with mirrors, it was so beautiful and so representative of the over indulgence of the buildings there. it was really an amazing place to get to visit.

This is the chapel for the royal family inside the palace.

the next day i spent traveling and thanking my lucky stars i’d decided to go to Amsterdam instead of London. the weather was so bad in England that all transportation to London had been postponed or cancelled, my train on the other hand was only about 20 minutes late.

Amsterdam was a really beautiful city, i spent a few days there and saw the Van Gogh museum, the Rijksmuseum and the Anne Frank house. none of these places allowed photograph, so i really don't have many pictures from Amsterdam. it was terribly cold and snowy while i was there and i was a little worn out from Paris so i took it kind of easy here.

I didn’t care much for a lot of the touristy parts of the town, but getting outside of the center and wandering the canals provided a beautiful experience. so many tall skinny buildings crowded along the canals. i love how different the architecture is everywhere i’ve been. i found a wonderful little health food store and a deliciously art nouveau cinema, and there were some good bakeries near my hostel. it was fun, but a little grittier in general than i’m used to so i wasn’t too sad to leave and head to Bruges for my last stop before i headed back to Florence.

I love Bruges.

it was wonderful. it’s a little town about an hour outside of Brussels, it’s fairly touristy, but the draw is it’s small town appeal and how much the town prides itself on it’s locally made beer and fine chocolates. there’s also a beautiful clock tower in the main square that’s simply wonderful. there are tours of the town given in carriages pulled by horses, cobblestone streets lined with chocolate shops and Christmas markets filling the squares... it was grand. i spent most of my time wandering around window shopping, a nice way to relax at the end of a trip. I took a tour of the oldest brewery in the town, it was so interesting! and i got so much chocolate it’s not even funny... it was so amazing. i’ve never tasted anything so divine in my life. i’m thinking i might have to go back there soon... I had lunch at this tiny shop run by a husband and wife. they were so nice and they served me the best falafel i’ve ever eaten. mmmmm.... so good. I also stopped in one of the churches to see Michaelangelo’s Madonna sculpture and another to see the relic of the church which is supposed to be a vile of Christ’s blood. carbon dating has since proved the impossibility of this relic, but they still display it anyway. it was interesting, kind of weird... but interesting.

i can understand the no smoking on our tour... but no ice cream or french fries? do they really have a problem with this?

these flowers watched me eat lunch

i got back to Florence on Christmas eve to find the city at almost 60 degrees... it was a welcomed change after the freezing snow covered worlds i’d been exploring. Christmas was warm and with rain showers and i watched an amazing rainbow while drinking tea with my good friend. that kind of warmth is quite unusual here and the temperatures have since dropped back down to more reasonable ‘January’ temperatures (30’s and 40’s).

My trip was a complete success and i’m back to the routine here and i’m quite enjoying it. i’m making more friends and trying to decide where to go on my next big trip...

i know...

2010-01-09T05:47:00.000-08:00

it's been an awful long time... i never wrote about rome and I've got so many stories from my winter break travels, but i'm just giving a brief update on how things are going over here.

Florence Academy started class on monday. I'm modeling in the morning for the drawing program in the sculpture studio called Luna. it's going fairly well and we'll set the long pose on this coming monday which also happens to be the day Angel Academy starts classes. I'll be modeling there for a long pose in the afternoons for the next 6 weeks. so I'm fairly well booked as far as work goes... 15 hours a week with FAA and 15 with Angel and maybe other jobs on the side... but probably not.

my housing situation is not so reliable right now. my roommate is moving out and i'm left a bit out to dry on this one. i told my roommate at the end of november that i was moving out, but he failed to give the landlord the required 2 months notice until this week when he found an apartment he's moving to at the end of the month. awkward.

also finding a new place is proving to be a tad difficult and i'm feeling overwhelmed with it all. so... not so hot on that front.

since i returned to Florence from my travels on the 24th of december i think we've had a total of 4 sunny days. it's rained constantly the rest of the time which was once charming and is now horribly annoying. I'm ready for sun and warmer weather but something tells me i've got a couple of months before i'll see any of that.

on the bright side i've been making some good friends which is making life here a lot more fun. I've also discovered the glory of the vintage shops here. there's wonderful! i've found so many interesting things in them, the clothes are fabulous and i'm excited to start spicing up my wardrobe. I've also been learning to cook a lot more wonderful things. having people to cook and eat with makes an awful big difference and i'm enjoying my new discoveries on that front.

things are going well, but i'm a bit melancholy between the rain, the housing situation, and going back to holding still for 30+ hours a week. but when it comes down to it... I'm still living in Florence... and that's pretty grand.

Brief update

2009-12-08T08:04:00.000-08:00

well, we're in our last week of the trimester and i couldn't be happier that we're so close to being done. this long pose is a little more taxing than my last one and i'll be really glad when i step off the stand on friday afternoon. I will miss this studio a lot though, the people at Bandiera have a wonderful energy and i really enjoyed working for them and getting to know them.

I'm not sure what studio i'm working at next term, but i do know i've got a long pose at FAA in the mornings and a long pose at Angel Academy in the afternoons. I'm so happy with this... it'll mean much less running around town and a more consistent schedule. and word on the street is angel is pretty cool about letting you do seated poses... so that could be ideal. in any case, i've got next terms work all lined up and ready to go.

For the break I'm headed to Paris and Amsterdam! i'm really looking forward to this, i'll be traveling for about 10 days and then have a week to rest before work starts again. and i may or may not be moving in that time... we'll see.

Rome was wonderful, i'll post pictures... hopefully soon... and Florence is all decked out for christmas and looks lovely. there's lights everywhere and the streets are filled with people out shopping in the evenings. it's really nice.

i'll post again soon!

a little perspective

2009-12-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

Charlie broke.

my beloved bike is out of commission for the time being and so i'm back to the pedestrian life. which is a little harder with my new routine. i made a map to show all the places i'm running around to

View Florence Academy of Art in a larger map

on my most hectic days i start at home (Green) and head towards Porta Romana (purple) at about 8:30 am. this takes 30 minutes of brisk walking or a 15 min bike ride. after my session there i head over to Bandiera (yellow) from 1-4 pm. this commute is about 30 min by bike or 45 min of intense speed walking. After Bandiera i stop off at home (around 15 min by bike and 30 walking) before heading to Jordan's studio (blue and only 10 min by bike) and i'm usually home by 9 pm on these long days. But that's just wednesday... the rest of the days are shorter and less scattered. In any case, i luckily got some new shoes (asics with war bottoms!) so the walking isn't so bad. hopefully i'll get charlie fixed soon..

Weekend in Venice

2009-11-16T15:24:00.001-08:00

so... awhile ago i took a trip to Venice.... this trip was probably the best idea i've had since i got here.

I was on a bit of a time crunch, work ended at 4:00 pm on friday and i had to be back on the stand by 1:00pm on Monday. The train ride to Venice is about three hours, so i left Friday around 6:30 and got in around 9:30. if you're ever booking a train in Italy trenitalia.com is grand. you can purchase you ticket online and select the option to pick up your ticket at a kiosk at the station by using a confirmation number. this was wonderfully handy, i would be sure to double check that they have the Trenitalia kiosk at both the stations (there's a list of stations on the site) you'll be visiting... i had a mini panic attack when i realized i didn't see any of the kiosks when i arrived in Venice and was afraid i'd have to purchase another ticket or turn on the waterworks and beg. luckily my panic was waisted, with a little more looking i found the kiosk no problem.

anyway, i got there around 9:30 and walked out of the station into pouring rain and the banks of the main canal. i was so excited. it was so surreal realizing i was actually there... i got in line and purchased a weekend pass for the water busses called vaporettos and hopped on the #2 bus headed to the Rialto stop. the crowded bus and the rain kept my camera in its case for the time being, but i took plenty of pictures the next day to make up for it. i found my hostel easily and got checked in. I was so exhausted and wanted to get an early start so i went to bed a passed out almost immediately.

Saturday morning i got up early and went to the fish market and the produce markets near my hostel. i love fish markets... they're so interesting. there were octopus, eels, all sorts of fish, and i found a crate full of tiny little crabs that were still alive and crawling all over each other. The produce markets were lovely, i got a couple pears and had one for breakfast. i like the sense of community these open markets bring. this very necessary human interaction for the transfer of goods. back home i can go to a store any time of day, pick my own fruit and use a self checkout machine and avoid any human interaction whatsoever. here it's so much more interactive and involved. i really find this interesting in how it effects cultural development and perceptions of necessity and means of obtaining goods.

This is the Rialto Bridge

after the market i took the vaporetto to St. Mark's Square to see the St. Mark Basilica. luckily i was there early so i didn't have to wait in line too long. the building was so beautiful. the mosaics that decorated most surfaces on and inside of the building were so intricate, it was truly amazing. the basilica itself is free, but the tour of the museum upstairs is 4 euro. i decided it was worth it and really wasn't dissapointed. The original 4 bronze horses that stand on the top of that basilica (the ones Napoleon stole when he overtook the city) are displayed inside, replicas now stand atop the building. there were also lots of bits of the original mosaics on display here... they were amazing. the view from atop the building was also fabulous.

after i'd had my fill of the basilica I hopped back on the vapoiretto and on to la Biennale de Venezia. this show was so interesting and a very welcome change to the massive amounts of realist art i've encountered in the past few months. the Biennale is a world wide art event, artists from many countries have exhibitions throughout the city. there are two main locations, the Giardini and the Arsenale, where the majority of the exhibits are. i managed to make it through both of these with my afternoon and early eveing. there were far more exhibits than i could tell about in here but i've posted a few pictures on here and for a more complete photo experience i'll put a link to my facbook photo albums at the end of the post.

This exhibit was amazing... a dark room with these squares of gold thread reaching from ceiling to floor illuminated and glowing... it was so beautiful.

this is a 3-D map (much smaller than actual scale) of the inside of a cave system.

I loved this experience. it was so nice getting back around some modern art. after the exhibit closed I went to get a light dinner and experience the pub crawl. i got light bits of food stuffs here and there and tried a few types of wine. note: pub crawl wine is NOT high quality. but it was a nice evening out as a participant observer of the Venetian nightlife. it had been a long day so i ended up back at my hostel at a decent hour and got myself a good nights sleep.

the next morning was beautiful. i got up early and headed out. this happened to be the day that daylight savings time kicked in over here so i was out and about pretty early, it was sunday so the streets were deserted. i finally wandered by a cafe and decided to get some breakfast. as i walked into the cafe a guy sitting outside made a comment on how my feet must have been cold (i was in sandals) and i told him: yes, in fact they were. this was enough of a response to warrant him following me into the shop, insisting on buying my cappuccino and pastry and inviting me to sit with him outside. i started to resist but then decided to go with the flow. he ended up being a very kind man who owned a hostel right down the street (not the one i stayed at). we chatted for a good half hour and he told me about how crazy italian women can be, how business is good, but living in Venice isn't very interesting for him, and then he invited me to stay at his apartment next time i'm in town so that he could take me to dinner and show me the city. yes... all this is a simple half hour. though i've learned that if i talk to the men here for more than a minute i usually get these invitations to dinner as well as the invite to stay at their home. i'd have to say it was a severe understatement when people told me the men here were forward. in any case, he was kind and i enjoyed the chat.

after breakfast i headed on my way to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. this was phenomenal. the museum is inside of Peggy's home, and all the work was part of her private collection. there's little blurbs throughout the museum about what room you were in and what it was used for when peggy still lived there. the collection was inspiring. original works by Picasso, Duchamp, Braque, Pollock, Kindansky, Dali and so many more filled every room. photos weren't allowed inside the museum, but they were in the sculpture garden

Thomas Moore
This is Yoko Ono's installation, the wishing tree. you're supposed to write a wish and tie it to the branches... i loved this. it's in a little corner of the garden right next to where peggy's ashes are burried... right next to the ashes of all her pets.

overall this museum had so much energy to it. such a sense of movement and exploration... I got the audio guide tour and it was so informative, if you go i'd recommend this. it had amazing insight into some pieces i would have grazed over otherwise and gave a deeper meaning to the pieces i already knew. knowing a bit more about the history really helped put more meaning in these works that are already stunning. i loved this museum very much.

after this wonderfully refreshing experience i wandered the streets of Venice. ahhh... it was amazing. i happened upon a man playing this mandolin/guitar in a sunny little courtyard. i sat on some steps and listened to him play for a while. it was so beautiful. i had this amazing moment of realization of the extreme beauty in my life. and not just for the fact that i'm living a dream right now, but also for the people in my life whom i love so very much, the opportunities that i've been so lucky to have and so many things i couldn't even begin to write here. it was a wonderful experience.

wandering around the city was amazing. the endless shops, the amazing little canals and bridges, the light made everything warm and lovely. I stopped to get some gelato... it was wonderful. i got pistachio and chocolate chip. they were splendid.

As i wandered i popped into different shops and found various things to snag my attention. one of the most interesting was this display of instruments from 1500's-1800's. it was amazing! you weren't supposed to take photos but i got a few... they're a bit blurry though...

These instruments were so beautiful. the woodwork on some of them was so impressive. i only wish i could hear the music that these were build to play... this was such a gem of an exhibit.

I wandered back to St. Marks to see it in the sun this time, it was stunning. the square is lined with shops and restaurants where musicians preform on four string quartets, pigeons were flying everywhere and beggars wandered the crowds. it was so interesting being in such a historic place and having the juxtaposition of kitschy tourism next to these beautiful buildings... but i think i'm finding that everywhere i go here.

After a few hours of exploring town i took the water bus back to the station and got some cookies and apple chips to snack on on the way home. it was dark on my ride home and i got some good reading time, which was nice. I made it home in one piece without any problems, it really was a wonderful weekend, i just wish i'd remembered to get a picture of myself there....

this city was stunning. after i returned to Florence i got ahold of a documentary that told the history of venice, which is fascinating. I didn't really do my homework before i came here, but i'd highly recommend poking around the city's history before a visit. it makes it that much more interesting.

the buildings are beautiful and seeing them rest in the milky green water is unlike anything else i've ever seen. there's a sense of history and decay intertwined with every inch of this place, it was mesmerizing and reminded me of all the beauty there is in the world. all in all: a perfect weekend.

Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Couscous

2009-11-05T12:53:00.000-08:00

I made this for dinner tonight and it was wonderful. it was extremely simple and didn't have any bizarre ingredients (it calls for sun dried tomato vinaigrette but they give you the recipe for that too.) from start to the time i was eating was probably about 30 min, but that's partially because it was a new recipe and i was trying to calculate different measurements from cups to liters because my only measuring cup is a half liter. i ended up eyeballing most of it anyway.

i also used water instead of chicken broth. i used all the vinaigrette i made but like i said i was eyeballing it so i'm not sure just how much that was. if you want a fast easy dinner, this is a grand one. click on the link or i copied the directions to this post.

Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Couscous

Simple and quick couscous is flavored with sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, and basil. Using 5-minute couscous makes this fast and easy. This dish may be served hot or at room temperature. Use store-bought vinaigrette or make your own.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon dried garlic powder
1 package (10 ounces) 5-minute plain couscous
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (preferably oil-packed), drained and diced
1/4 cup sliced green onions (scallions), tops included
2 Tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 Tablespoons sun-dried tomato vinaigrette (store-bought or homemade - recipe link below)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat chicken broth to boiling and stir in garlic powder.

Place couscous in a large heat-proof bowl. Stir in garlic chicken broth, cover, and let steam for 5 minutes until tender. Fluff with a fork and gently stir in sun-dried tomatoes, green onions,basil, and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Fluff again with a fork and serve hot or at room temperature.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Recipe

Vinaigrettes are simple to make. This salad dressing gets pizzazz from balsamic and red wine vinegarsalong with sun-dried tomatoes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Ingredients:

2 sun-dried tomato halves
1-1/2 Tablespooons balsamic vinegar
1-1/2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon fresh basil leaves, minced

Preparation:

In a saucepan simmer the sun-dried tomatoes in 2 inches of water for 3 minutes, or until they are tender, drain them, and mince them.

In a bowl wisk together the tomatoes, the vinegars, and the garlic paste. Add the olive oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk the vinaigrette until it is emulsified. Stir in the basil.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

End of the Pose

2009-11-05T07:42:00.001-08:00

Well, it's been awhile and i'm in the process of creating a wonderful venice post, but here's an update:

we're finishing up week 6 (the last week!) of my first long pose. I'm all set to begin a new 6 week pose at a different Florence Academy campus called Bandiera. I've meet some of the students i'll be working with and they're grand, i'm really excited to move over there. the pose at Porta Romana is finishing up well and wasn't nearly as bad as i was expecting, I'm a little tired, but that could be the 30+ hours a week i'm working for the school as well as with artist on their own projects. I started yet another pose with a man named Jordan Sokol, he used to teach for the school and now spends all his time painting. he's really talented and i'm looking forward to seeing how this painting ends up.

it's getting cold here. cold and damp. i'm not going to lie, i don't like it one bit. we turned our heat on though and it's nice to be able to dry clothes on the radiator and to feel warm when i'm going to bed at night. we've been bouncing back and forth between rainy and sunny days and the rain gods are smiling on me and managing to stop the downpours when i need to ride my bike somewhere.... most of the time anyway...

work has been keeping me very busy, i'm still trying to squeeze in some play when i can. before it got too cold i would stop at Boboli Gardens to read for a while before or after work, I'm hoping to make it to the Bargello Museum this weekend, and maybe if i play my cards right i'll make it to the science museum as well. i also found time last weekend to make it to a halloween party (I was Cynthia Gregory... the only american to be named Prima Ballerina) and visit some friends in the country for a bon fire. it was a grand weekend.

I'm hoping to visit Rome later this month, but i might forgo that and save up for a bigger trip over christmas... we'll see. more goals for the weekend are to find a good coat and some boots. i did NOT bring adequate footwear to this country and for my health's sake, it's time to find some warm shoes.

i'll try to post about Venice soon.

week 4

2009-10-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

This week is 4 of 6 on my long pose at the Florence Academy.

so far so good.

most of my mornings are spent working at either the sculpture studio (with a sculptor named Lori) or in one of the students studio at Porta Romana (with Sean and Theresa, this is the reclining pose... it's beautiful!!!! i'll try to get some photos of the paintings). my afternoons are the standing pose and evenings are free for now.... Yesterday a man who used to teach at the FAA came in and asked me to pose for him as well, and the students in the first year studio, Casine, are trying to hire me for a weekend pose when i'm not doing extra work with Lori, Sean, or Theresa.

work is plentiful and i couldn't be more grateful. I talked with the model coordinator at the FAA and she told me she wanted to schedule me to work for them as long as i'm in the country, which was also wonderful news. job security is quite nice and it's wonderful working on long term projects. it looks as if i'll be working between 25-35 hours every week, which is nice, exhausting, but nice.

i was talking to adam on friday, telling him all about work and such, when he reminded me, "all work and no play makes nessa a dull boy".... which is true. and that's why i'm going to Venice this weekend. I'm leaving after class on friday, it's only a 3 hour train ride, and i'll come back sunday evening. just enough time to check out La Bennale di Venezia, take the water bus through the city, sample the food and hopefully pop into a museum or two. if any of you have been to Venice and have any advice on places to go, I'd love the input.

in the spirit of avoiding being a dull boy I've also been getting out and exploring the town. Friday i found a health food store that was as wonderfully overpriced as the ones in the states are. i did find some miso soup mix, tofu, and splendid herbal teas. yesterday i stopped in at a music store and played the guitars for a little while... i noticed a new poster for Taylor guitars on the wall and found 6 boxes nearby who's contents could only be the glory of a Taylor... sadly they weren't unpacked yet so i couldn't play them... i'll have to go back. i miss my guitar.

I've also discovered the beauty of Cappuccino. before my morning sessions at Porta Romana i go to the little cafe down the street, stand at the bar and sip my delightful drink while i watch the people go through their morning routines. Interestingly enough there are unspoken rules about cappuccino , like you don't drink them after 11 am unless you want to oust yourself as a tourist.... go figure. I've yet to discuss with a local how these rules developed, but i'd love to get an insiders view on the coffee society in italy.

I've also (although these are from a while ago) had the opportunity to visit the Accademia to see Michelangelo's David. it was amazing. I've no idea how he made the stone look so smooth, so life like. he carved the hands so you can see the veins, the torso looks so lifelike... it's really phenomenal. there is currently an exhibit of Robert Mapplethorpe's less controversial work being displayed in part of the Accademia. it was a wonderful exhibit, his skill with the photographic craft is amazing, and some of the images were so moving. I had mixed feelings about the exhibit as it continued out into the gallery and was displayed next to Michelangelo's "prisoners" the unfinished statues that line the hallway leading to David. David himself was flanked by 4 mapplethorpe photos. i understand the comparison of beauty in the human figure, but it wasn't my favorite display. the two together felt too harsh a contrast. I admired both sets of work, but i think they're both stronger standing alone. overall it was a great afternoon at the Accademia.

I also went to a museum called La Specola. it was AMAZING! the first 12 rooms or so are filled with more taxidermy animals than you can imagine. they had an extinct Tasmanian Tiger and a hippo that used to be a pet of the royal family... it used to live in Boboli gardens. this particular hippo was stuffed around 300 years ago... so it's not the most stelar job, but it's still pretty impressive. they had everything from lions to zebras, birds of every size from every continent(penguins, hummingbirds, ostrich, pheasant....), gorillas and orangutans, and even dolphins. it was a phenomenal collection. but even more interesting... were the next 9 rooms which are stuffed to the brim with wax models of cadavers. they were crated to help medical students study the human body. sadly pictures were strictly forbiden so i don't have any to share, but if you click on the link above (click on the word La Specola) it'll take you to some. there were full bodies, close ups on hands, feet, head... everywhere... they were so intricate, it reminded my of my anatomy class... minus the smell of phenol, which was a bonus. in any case, it was great fun, if you're in Florence and want something a little different from the Uffizi, this is definitely a step off the beaten path. not for the squeamish, but i highly recommend it.

overall things are going well, it's gotten quite cold here though and country wide heaters aren't supposed to be turned on until November 1st in the name of energy conservation. so... we're bundling up. it's actually nice going to work cause they have space heaters blowing on me... sometimes i'm warmer there than in my bedroom. ha. in any case, venice is coming up, i'll be sure to post about it soon.

Sunday at the Uffizi

2009-10-18T12:04:00.000-07:00

Today I took my second trip to the Uffizi museum of art. It's a really wonderful collection and i'm glad that i have to time to revisit it and take my time with the work there. My first visit was a bit rushed seeing as it was about 40 minutes before they closed up for the evening, but i made it through the first wing on that trip. so this time i breezed through the annunciations, crucifixes, and madonnas that almost the entire wing is made up of and explored the second wing fairly thoroughly.

The history in that building is simply amazing... looking at these works that were created between 1200-1600 strikes me with awe... realizing how many people dedicated their lives to creating these paintings, how much control the church had over what was created, and the amazing quality of some of the pieces. I was surprised at how dark some of the original paintings actually are, specifically the Sacrifice of Isaac and Rembrandt's self portrait. they were both much darker than the images i found online, the were still mesmerizing though.

The art was amazing, but so were the people at the museum. I sat and watched the people walking by for a good 30 or 40 minutes. i shared a bench with 11 strangers... i just stayed and watched and they cycled through. I chatted with a lady who was visiting with her husband, they are celebrating their 25 year anniversary by taking a bike tour down the coast between Pisa and Rome.... amazing. watching the onlookers was quite interesting, but my favorite person was one of the guards who was sitting in one of the smaller rooms. he was amazing.

he must have been late 60's early 70's. his pants were too short, and the hems were just frayed edges of the fabric. he wasn't wearing socks and his shoes were scuffed and tattered. his Uffizi uniform jacket was a few sizes too large. he had thinning salt and pepper hair, more pepper than salt. and an amazing mustache. he had a stack of newspapers next to him, one in hand, and i couldn't tell if he was actually reading it or just doodling in the margins. he was so aloof. the other guards look bored or chat with each other or have a book or watch the patrons, but he was alone in his own world. he looked so tired. i sat and watched him, he would yawn and rub his eyes with aged work worn fingers. take off his glasses and glance about looking as if he wondered if he could go home yet. he was so self contained, so ambiguous, so self assured. i loved watching him, he was so interesting. of all the masterpieces i saw today, i wish most i could have taken a picture of him... he was an enigma. i loved finding him.

aside from the guards, Here's some of what i saw today.... they don't allow photography inside the museum so i got these all off the internet.

Botticelli,

Birth of Venus:

Allegory of Spring

Da Vinci,

Annunciation:

Francesca,

Duke and Duchess of Urbino:

Michelangelo,

Holy Family:

Raphael,

Madonna of the Goldfinch:

Titian,

Venus of Urbino:

Parmigianino,

Venus with the Long Neck:

Caravaggio,

Abraham Sacrificing Isaac

Medusa

Artemisia,

Judith Beheading Holofernes:

Rembrandt,

Self Portrait:

It was amazing to see these pieces is real life. having studied them in my art history classes in school it was fulfilling to finally see them in person. the difference between the energy and emotion in the work is amazing. it's also a little mind blowing how certain paintings will stand out in a room. the artists given Master status definitely have a more powerful presence in their work, i'm excited to go back and revisit these and study them some more. I'm so honored to be able to experience this place and these beautiful works of art.

Culinary Divinity

2009-10-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

October has been pastry month.

when I walk out my door and head to work, the very next door down from mine belongs to a cafe. this cafe happens to sell butter and sugar and chocolate combined in magnificent ways to produce the most delightful sort of deserts and snacks. I realized that it was a shame not to partake of this beautiful opportunity to embrace local culinary ventures... and then i realized it was also a shame not to partake of the opportunity by my work... or the one i pass going to the Piazza by the university.... in any case, i've been trying deserts from different places and found more than a few that are simply wonderful. and here they are:

The shop by Porta Romana does a fancy wrapping job for their 'take away' customers.

I also found a pomegranate that was so beautiful. It's taste was more vibrant than any pomegranate i've ever eaten before.

Incidentally, November is looking like celery, arugula, and more dedication to my running routine month... ha.

San Gimignano and the Chestnut Festival

2009-10-07T14:39:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I got a chance to visit the medieval town of San Gimignano. I went with my friend Francesco, we drove through the beautiful Tuscan hills in the late afternoon and saw castles from the 1100's-1400's. It was surreal. the hills were covered with vineyards and olive groves. the beauty was breathtaking.

Francesco showed me around the town, we got gelato at a little shop that won the Gelato World Championship 3 years in a row. I've never tasted anything like this gelato in my whole life. I tried pistachio, tiramisu, and hazelnut, it was kind of like heaven in a cup. Pistachio was my favorite, the taste was so rich and it finished with an amazing warm, toasted, nutty flavor on the exhale. It was so good. After we wandered around the town we ate at his friends restaurant where we tried the local Vernaccia white wine, only produced from the grapes grown around San Gimignano, it was wonderful. We also had a type of bread soup, I think it was called Ribollita. they use stale bread and cooked vegetables and make a stew like pottage that's delicious. then we had fire grilled steak sliced and put on a bed of arugula. it was amazing. once again, surrendering my long time vegetarian ways for this trip is truly helping me appreciate this culture. The steak was wonderful and the arugula added a nice contrast to the meat and a peppery hint to the meal. simply amazing.

And then there were the Castles.... you know... only built around the 1300's. they were amazing! The history here is so rich. It's interesting realizing that I'm in a place that is so interwoven with it's past, yet so distant from it because of the global economy and tourism. Francesco was telling me that the only thing produced in the rural areas around here now are grapes and olives. He said there's no more goat or pig farmers and they have to ship in most everything besides wine and olive oil. They've gone from being a sustainable community to one that is dependent on import and export of resources... sadly my Italian is still non existent and his English isn't quite up to par to be able to discuss sustainable culture and the effects of globalization. In any case, this town was quite charming, very touristy, but it was a wonderful visit.

to get to this town you have to take winding little country roads that climb up and down the Tuscan hills, the only downside of this trip was that despite the fact that I NEVER get carsick I found myself feeling slightly ill as we zipped around corners and covered the hills. this sensation would only grow worse as we traveled on the ever so winding road to the Chestnut Festival in the mountains outside of Florence the next afternoon.

The mountains in this part of Italy are much smaller than the Wasatch or Rocky mountains, they reminded me more of the Tennessee Smokey Mountains. The festival was in a tiny town, we stopped and asked directions from an ancient Italian woman who was just sitting in the sun by the side of the road, she pointed us the right way and we found ourselves lost in this little village who's streets were lined with booths selling raw and roasted chestnuts, locally made cheeses, deserts and pastries that use the beloved Chestnut, candies, anise chips, cheap wallets and handbags, etc... there was a one man band like Burt from Mary Poppins, he wandered through town playing songs. There was also a 'mid life crisis' band for 40-something year old Italian men playing Pink Floyd cover songs... each song would end with "GRAZIE!!!!!" even when no one was clapping... it was kind of out of place, but that made the whole thing all the more entertaining.

we got an AMAZING lunch. Polenta with wild mushrooms, potato tortillini, and divine sausages that are specifically made in the region outside of florence we were visiting. not to mention the deserts made out of candied chestnuts... we also got a bag of roasted chestnuts, which were amazing too. I never realized they were so sweet, they were right off the fire too, so they were all warm, charred and smokey. we got soot all over our fingers, but it was worth it.

First week of school

2009-10-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

School started on Monday.

I really love the studio I'm working at. Porta Romana has beautiful lighting and it's wonderful to be working with artist that are so passionate and dedicated to their work. the only downside is it's about a 30-40 min walk from my house... I think I'm going to purchase a bike this week.

The first 3 days of class we did short poses (one 6 hour pose for Monday and Tuesday and a 3 hour pose on Wednesday), and Thursday we set our long pose. For the next 5 weeks the students will work on painting this pose, it's a beautiful contrapposto, simple, but beautiful.

what was also encouraging was that before our first session was finished I'd had two students approach me about working with them on projects outside of class, i was even more elated when i found out that neither of these students were doing standing poses (one is a seated sculpture and the other is a reclining pose), i wasn't sure my body could handle 6 hours of standing a day... at least not to jump start back into long poses. I've also lined up a few open sessions at Angel Academy, but they didn't schedule me until November, which made me a bit sad, but I'll be glad to work with them.

Tomorrow we start our second week and I'm excited to get back into a routine and to get started on some new projects. I'll post soon about my recent adventures at the Accademia, La Specola, the Florence Wine Event, San Gimignano, and the Chestnut festival in the mountains outside of Florence.

said festival helped me truly begin to appreciate freshly roasted sweet chestnuts... and locally made sausage. mmmmm......

Cinque Terre

2009-09-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

My trip to Cinque Terre was phenomenal.

Cinque Terre is a part of the Italian coast bordering the Ligurian Sea, which is basically an extension of the Mediterranean Sea. There are 5 (cinque) villages perched along the coastline that are all connected by a hiking trail and a train line. our plan was to get in some good hiking and explore this little gem of a place.

We left Tuesday morning and took a 2 hour train ride through Pisa and on to La Spezia where we switched trains and rode a short way to Riomaggiore the first town of Cinque Terre. After grabbing a panini we found the trailhead and were greeted with this view:

It was so beautiful.

The first part of the hike is known as Via dell'Amore or the Pathway of Love. it was named this because the youth of these first two villages used this path as a meeting place to have romantic moments and declare their love through graffiti along the pathway. this is still the case and you can see lovers names spray painted along the rocks, inside the tunnel walkway and even carved into plant leaves along the way.

This first part of the hike was quite simple and it only took us about 15 minutes to reach Manarola. Here we wandered through the grape vineyards, found an old waterwheel, and ate some apples in front of a church built in the 1300's which happened to be right next to an old bell tower that used to double as a lookout for pirate invasions.

We continued our hike to the third town, Corniglia where we had reservations at a Youth Hostel. This hike was a little longer but fairly easy. It was the hottest part of the afternoon and I was carrying my pack so I was quite ready to get in the water once we reached the town. Corniglia is the only town not directly on the water though... you have to climb up almost 400 stairs to get up to the town, and just about as many back down to the marina. let's just say my legs are a lot stronger after this trip. We got checked into our hostel just fine, it was a wonderful place to stay, it was called Ostello Corniglia if you're ever looking for a place to stay. it was really clean and safe, quite easy to find, and there's plenty of restaurants within a minute or two of walking. and it was only 22 euro a night... which comparatively is pretty good.

We met a bunch of Australians who were also staying at the hostel and we all went to be marina together for a swim. the shore here is really rocky, there was a cement walkway out into the water people were sunning on but the rest was a rocky shore, which was less inviting to lounge on. The water was AMAZING! I've never seen water so clear and such a brilliant turquoise. The temperature was perfect, cool enough to be refreshing, but not so cold as to be uncomfortable. Later than night we went out to eat with Shannon and Felicity, some of our new Australian friends. We had dinner out on a deck overlooking the sea... it was so nice.

Next morning we got up and after I got a wonderful pastry from a local shop, we started our hike through the last two villages. this part of the trail is MUCH more intense than what we experienced the first day, but the view was that much better. the trail had lots of stairs, lots of ups and downs and narrow pathways with olive groves or steep drop offs or walls or the hillside. there were also more people on this part of the trail and so we spent a lot of time letting those going opposite us pass by so no one got knocked down the hillside. This hike was quite a workout, the last two towns are farther apart than the first 3, so it took us about an hour to get to Vernazza where we wandered for a little bit, but then pressed on for another hour or so to Monterosso.

Once we got to Monterosso we were exhausted. we grabbed lunch at a little place called 'DJ pizza' which was actually really wonderful. After we ate we wandered around the town and ended up overlooking the city at a beautiful little graveyard. the walkway up here was so pretty, ivy covered the walls, lizards scampered out of our path, lemon trees were growing in back yards and we could hear chickens squawking behind a few of the fences.

We were completely exhausted by this time so we took the train back to Corniglia. I decided to go for another swim and spent a good hour exploring our little harbor. I watched the sunset from an overlook point that evening. it was so peaceful and beautiful.

That night we went to dinner with Shannon, Felicity, and Tom. This was a dinner to be remembered: local white wine, pesto lasagna, stuffed mussels, salad, and chocolate mousse for desert. It was amazing... so delicious! I'd never had mussels before and these were phenomenal. in any case, dinner was a big hit with everyone and we had a grand time chatting about travels and Australian politics and the crime rates in Melbourne.

Next morning, our final day, I got another pastry before we hit the trail again. this time we has a specific destination just 20 min up the trail. on our way through town we spotted these crates of grapes, they were so beautiful! We headed up the trail following the signs to Guvano beach, the 'naturalist' beach along this part of the coast.

I headed up the trail following the signs to Guvano beach, the 'naturalist' beach along this part of the coast. This was the highlight of the whole trip for me, the beach was made of little black pebbles that were worn smooth by ages of tidal motion and rushing waves. the water was perfect, clear and brilliant. the pathway down to the beach was fairly treacherous, but I made it in one piece. It was so peaceful and beautiful there, I really loved it!

this is the path down to the beach (looking back up at it). terribly steep.

After the beach it was time to head home. The whole trip was wonderful, I'd highly recommend visiting this place, It's pretty touristy, so I would say it's probably best to go late or early in the season though, it was pretty hot and crowded even in mid September. Hopefully i'll get to go back again before things cool down too much, and I'll report back on how the crowds are then.

The villages were so interesting. there's such a history there and i couldn't help but wonder about life there before the train line was built there. how many lives began and played out in these beautiful pastel buildings teetering on the edge of the hillsides. watching the locals interact with each other brought out such a strong sense of community, it was beautiful.

This trip was perfect right before school started, it's such a mesmerizing place and being able to hike and swim and get lost in the beauty of the sea were wonderfully refreshing. It's what you'd call ideal.