Italian reflections

Well, my 3 months in Italy are up and I'm now off to the UK.  It has been a very full 3 months and I've learned a lot about myself and about other people.  I've made some important decisions about where my life is going and the kind of person I would like to be everyday.  I have successfully learned how to drive and curse in Italian, as well as being able to have conversations and understand everyone (even old people who speak dialect!)!

I know that I will be returning to Italy one day although I'm not sure in what context.  However, I will miss the friendliness of its people, the beauty of its cities, and the deliciousness of its cheese.  And although there are somethings about Italian culture that bother me, I look forward to maybe living here one day.

As far as life decisions, I've decided that IF I go to grad school, it will be for something along the lines of teaching second language.  I have thought hard about what I'm going to do after I graduate and, though my first priority and dream will always be performing, I feel that I would be happy teaching as well.  I enjoyed teaching Luca (most of the time) and though it could be difficult, I enjoyed the challenge and felt extremely proud at his improvement.  To know that I helped this boy make so much progress is an amazing thing for me and I derived a lot of satisfaction from it.  So who knows, maybe I'll be a teacher when I grow up.

I've also learned different things about myself.  I've always tended to be a people pleaser.  I'm lucky in the fact that I'm an adaptable person and I can easily make friends with just about any type of person.  However, I sometimes spread myself a little thin in that I almost always say yes to people without stopping and thinking about the important things that I need to do with myself.  My time here in Italy has taught me that  it's ok to say no sometimes, that it's ok to express my true feelings without giving way to what others need.  I feel that at times, I need to be more forceful about the things that I need to do without having to consult other people.  I have discovered that though I enjoy being there for other people and I like pleasing other people, I also enjoy the strange independent feeling that comes with doing things for myself. Not that I'm not already a pretty independent person (as proven by this whole trip) but I feel like I need to be more so when it comes to other people.   It will be interesting to put this into practice when I get back home... I might lose some friends that tend to be needy and clingy, but in the end, I think I'll meet the kind of people that I need to spend more time with.

Just some thoughts!

ALLOOOOORA:  Ciao bell'Italia!  Mi mancherai ma ci vediamo presto!

Venezia and Sicilia!

My last 2 weekends in Italy were spent in my, now, 2 favorite parts of Italy.  Venice is beautiful and almost magical, with its narrow, winding streets, pretty canals, and laughing gondoleers.  We spent our first and last day just walking around and getting lost in the city.  Though it was a bit drizzly, we had a lot of fun!  We had quite the musical experience here as well!  On our second night, we sat in St. Mark's square, drank wine and were serenaded by a musical quartet!  It was very romantic; very relaxing.  I also caught a local production of La Traviata, which I was really excited about!  I've been wanting to go to an opera while in Italy, and I finally managed it.  Though I didn't like the soprano very well, the tenor was amazing and it was a great way to spend a Venetian evening!

On our second day, the sun came out and we hopped on a boat to see the islands of Burano and Murano.  First off, I've always wanted to go on a boat like that and I was really excited!  Robin thought it was cute :)  We first went to Burano, which has to be one of my favorite little towns!  It's so COLORFUL! It was very quaint and quiet, and we spent our time looking at the lace it's famous for and taking pictures of the colorful houses.

 

Our next stop was Murano, where all the famous Venetian glass comes from.  We went to see a glass-blowing session where the artist made us a horse and a vase.  It was very quick, but very precise.  However the most impressive part of the demonstration was the woman who described the process to us.  She was able to describe the process and answer questions in Italian, English, French, German, and Spanish!  It was incredible!  

I decided to do a lot of my gift shopping in Venice, which was probably stupid as Venice is ridiculously expensive, but it was difficult not to!  The glass, lace, masks, etc.. are beautiful and I found some great gifts!  After my weekend there, Venice is now my favorite city, followed closely by Florence, and I can't wait to go back and explore more!

However, my favorite region of Italy has got to be Sicily.  I was completely blown away by Sicilia!  The island is BREATHTAKING!  I had no idea it would be so beautiful!  The views of the sea were incredible, the flowers were colorful, the people were extremely friendly, and the cous-cous was yummy.  Sicily is part of Italy, but it's culture is so mixed, you end up finding all sorts of things!  We rented a car and drove everywhere around the island.  We saw ruins, incredible natural beauties, like the Turkish Steps, and so many incredible views of the sea!  The towns are small and clean, and in one of them (we drove to so many towns, I never really knew where we were), a very friendly old lady invited us into our home to see the view of the bay from her balcony.

Though we spent most of our time driving around and looking at seaviews, we did end up going to see some ancient sites, including this extremely well-preserved ancient temple:

Our first night in Sicily, we spent at a beautiful hotel that offered all of its guests to eat dinner together.  We had a fun time meeting these Italians and after dinner, went to a wine party with 3 of them.  I spent my time drinking some excellent local wine, flirting with an Italian named Massimo, and giggling sillily with Robin.  The next day, we stayed at the B&B owned by a friend of Robin's host mother and he took all his guests out for a traditional, multi-course, Sicilian-style dinner.  It was delicious but SOOOO big... You couldv'e rolled me home!  Without a doubt, the best part of Sicily besides it's stunning views are its people.  Friendly, warm, loud, and full of life, I can't wait to return!

Friends

Sometimes the best memories come not from the places you go and the sights you see, but from the people you meet along the way.  I have been fortunate here in Italy in meeting some great people; people I hope I will be friends with from now on.

I have spent most of my weekends traveling with a girl named Robin.  Robin is a very intelligent, funny, and generous person who I am EXTREMELY thankful for.  We've had lots of adventures together, most of them involving wine, and without her, I'm sure my stay here would've been lonely and a bit frustrating.  She is an amazing person, very strong and sure of herself, and she makes a great travel buddy.  Her food is YUM.MY and the fact that she allows me to drag her to crazy discos and random weekend getaways is a testament to her patience.  Robin, if you ever need anything, my home will always be open to you!

This past weekend, I went to Napoli.  I hadn't planned on going to Naples but when I learned that I had a 3-day weekend for Easter, I quickly decided to go.  It was one of the best decisions I've made while here in Italy.  I spent Friday afternoon walking around the city, going to the archaeological museum, eating pizza, and people-watching.  Then I hopped on a train to Pozzuoli, a suburb of Napoli, and met my couch-surfing host for the weekend, John.  John was.... amazing.  He was kind, generous, funny... He took me to some great places (Pompeii!!!), we had interesting conversations, and though we didn't agree on some things, he was considerate of my personal beliefs.  We spent most of our time laughing, exchanging music, watching movies, and drinking wine.  My memories of this weekend will stay with me forever.  To find someone you can be open and honest with, someone who is respectful, funny and intelligent, is a great part of traveling.  I hope that I will always be friends with John and that one day, we can go on some trips through Greece or even South America together!

So, in short, I've been very fortunate in my friends here and the experiences I've had with them.  My memories of them will always be sweet and I hope that even after I return to Tucson, we'll stay in touch!

A relaxing weekend amongst mosaics and pizza!

So this past weekend, Robin and I hopped on the train and spent the weekend in Ravenna and Bologna.  At first, Robin was a bit skeptical and I was worried we would be bored, but thankfully, we were both delightfully surprised.

We spent Saturday in the small town of Ravenna.  This town is extremely picturesque with it's cobblestone streets, cozy piazza, and crowds of locals.  We were lucky as there were hardly any tourists and we were able to see everything we wanted to without a fuss.  The local tourist office offers free bikes to tourists, so we spent the day pedaling through the cobblestone streets to the different churches we wanted to see.

The thing that is special about Ravenna are its mosaics.  Ages ago, Ravenna was a center of power of the Byzantine Empire and the Orthodox influence can be seen in many of its churches.  The mosaics are incredible!  As an Orthodox Christian, it was a pleasant experience being surrounded by familiar, Orthodox style iconography, however, I've never seen mosaics like this! The quality of the depictions, the countless number of tiles, the COLORS were all incredible.  After seeing three different churches filled with mosaics, I didn't want to look at another Western-style painting! (don't worry Dad, that feeling passed)

We were also able to visit the tomb of Dante Alighieri, which was a treat for me, the nerdy Italian Literature major.  His tomb is elegant and beautiful and filled with German tourists.....

The only problem with being in Ravenna in the off-season is that EVERYTHING closes after 2pm, which was annoying as that was when we got hungry!  Luckily we were able to find ONE place that served the traditional Ravenna-style panini and we watched as people danced in the Piazza del Popolo.

Afterwards, we got back on the train to Bologna and walked to the popular Piazza del Nettuno for some wine.  Bologna is a beautiful city bustling with students, tourists, and annoying street vendors, but for some reason, I wasn't feeling the vibe.  Something felt off.... not exactly sure what.  However, we went back to a restaurant near our hotel to have some Pasta Bolognese and Tiramisu, both of which were tasty.

The next day we decided to just relax and take the day as it came!  We walked around the streets, people-watched, peeked into the GIANT churches, and visited the Archaeological Museum which has an amazing ancient Egyptian display complete with its very own mummy.

We also walked around the famed University of Bologna.  This is the oldest university in all of Europe and people such as Dante Alighieri and Paracelsus have attended it in the past.  Unfortunately, it had to have been the dirtiest, smelliest university I've ever seen.  Granted, it was a Sunday morning and the remains of partying from the night before hadn't been cleaned up yet, but my God was it nasty!  There is a beautiful, big church in the university district but the best part of the area was the graffiti!  Some rather interesting depictions that you would expect from university students:

but also, a rather strange tradition of putting up pictures of current students in awkward situations.  It was rather amusing reading all the little blurbs that accompanied the pics but I'd hate to have one of me up there.....

While waiting for out train, Livio from our hotel recommended his favorite pizza joint to us.  It was the best pizza I've had since coming to Italy and Robin and I ate a whole one each.... we couldn't move after awhile but I swear, it was the best decision ever!

All-in-all, an easy, relaxing weekend complete with beautiful art and yummy food!

La Citta Eterna

I went back to Roma and it was amazing, but tiring!  Rome has a much different feel to it then Florence.  It's bigger, busier, and louder!  There is just SOOOO much to do, that it's impossible to even scratch the surface in just 2 days.  I had to make a choice about what I was going to focus on, so I decided on the Vatican and Ancient Rome!  Of course, that doesn't mean that I saw everything, but I did see all the most popular sights and works of art.

The Vatican is intense- full of masterpieces that are so overwhelmingly beautiful it's hard to take it all in.  The museums are so full of paintings, sculptures, maps, sarcophagi, and other treasures that you'd need weeks to see everything.  Being obsessed with mythology, I especially liked the different sculptures of the ancient Greek gods, goddesses, and heroes.

The Sistine Chapel was breathtaking, but not at first.  Actually, I was a little underwhelmed.  I think that that's because I've been waiting to go for years and when I finally got there, the suspense was over.  I spent a lot of time looking at each panel on the walls and ceiling and, although impressed by the beauty, I wasn't floored.  And then I stood in the back and looked up at the chapel as a whole and that was when I realized exactly what I was looking at. I was mesmerized, not only because of the fame of what I was seeing, but also because of the sheer skill and talent it took to complete the Ceiling and the Last Judgement.  I spent about 15 mins just staring at everything in awe.... it was an odd experience but incredible.

The Last Judgement is really intense and kind of frightening!  I suggest everyone read about the history behind the painting. There's some rather funny bits of info behind certain people depicted in the painting.

Saturday night was a fun experience.  After the Vatican, Robin and I met up and walked around the ancient city for awhile.  We went to a Salvador Dali exhibit (AHH-MAZING!) and then chilled in the Piazza Venezia drinking wine and looking out on Rome.

Later, we met some girls from Australia, consumed a LOT of wine, and laughed the night away ;D

On Sunday, I decided to spend time in Ancient Rome!  When I was younger, I always imagined myself as an adventuring archeologist like Indiana Jones, and I was obsessed with Ancient Egyptian and Classical mythology and history.  In high school I had to decide between pursuing a degree in Classics or Music and I ended up choosing Music (which led me to languages).  However, after spending 7 hours walking around the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum, I'm considering starting over with Classics again..... maybe when I finally finish my undergrad degrees, I can go back! lol

Anyways, it was an awesome experience and though I was hot and a bit dehydrated, I couldn't stop looking at everything and imagining what life was like for people in ancient times.  How different were peoples' perspective of their world?  Exactly how did their culture shape their ideas and desires?  When walking around Rome, the center of the Catholic Christian world, it's an interesting exercise trying to understand the world the way a pre-Christian would understand it.  Our Western history and traditions have been shaped so much by Christianity and other monotheistic religions so that, even if you are non-practicing, it's hard not to be influenced by over 2000 years of certain religions!  How strange it would be for us to participate in a world where certain ideas and traditions were unknown!?

..... I'm a but of a nerd as these are the kind of things I think about a lot....

All-in-all, I liked Rome.  Yes it's packed with people (even in the shoulder season) and it can be annoying having to fight off vendors, but the city is so FULL and ALIVE.  I'd love to spend some time of my life living there!  One day!

Getting Lost in Florence

I went to Firenze (Florence) this weekend and it was incredible! My God, the city is beautiful and the sights are spectacular! I will never forget turning a corner and seeing the Duomo for the first time!  My breath was literally taken away! It's incredibly beautiful and just so BIG.  I spent a lot of time standing against the church and just looking up.  I can't fathom how people were able to build it!

Once you are in the historic part of town, it is very easy to reach all the famous monuments on foot. We walked around the Ponte Vecchio a lot and sat down with a glass of wine to observe both the tourists and locals.  Shopping was fun, but also difficult.  I'm not the type to buy cheap souvenirs so I was trying to keep my eyes open for some unique gifts.  One thing I will spend time looking at is the local art!  There are many artists in Florence that are trying to sell their pieces.  Robin and I were careful to find artists that were selling their original artwork, not prints, and we both were able to find some great pieces.  We also found the most AMAZING little antique store that seemed to specialize in old books, music scores, paintings, pictures, maps and other small novelty items.  Unfortunately, it was closed but we will definitely be returning!

During the day on Saturday, we hopped on and off the bus to see the city and were able to get to the famous hilltown of Fiesole where the views are stunning.

My host family told me that I had to try some of the  famous Fiorentina steak.  So, complete with a nice bottle of Chianti, we were able to finish the most delicious steak I have ever had!  Just so you know, Fiorentina is famous not only because of the cows it comes from but because it is so large!  It took a lot of willpower (and wine) to help us finish ours, but it was worth it!

I was able to meet up with a friend from Tucson and experience Florence by night!  The city is full students, vendors, teenagers, and tourists, and sitting in a pub or going dancing is a great way to see the nightlife.

But the best thing that I did in Florence was spend hours wandering around alone without a map.  With some delicious gelato for company and without having a fixed destination, I allowed myself to observe and explore the people and sights of Firenze.

I was walking down a cobblestoned street when I heard the sounds of a piano and a violin playing beautiful music.  I followed the sounds and came up to a small, beautiful wine shop.  Inside the shop were two young men practicing for a concert.  They let me sit and listen for awhile and then invited me to their performance the next day.  The concert was ... perfect.  Listening to the compositions of Schubert, Beethoven, Bach, while sipping wine and interacting with Florentine artists was, to me, the definition of participating in true Florentine culture.  The city has been a haven for musicians and artists for centuries and here I was in a tiny little wine shop experiencing something beautiful.  Afterwards, the violinist, Davide, invited me and Robin to eat with them at their friend's restaurant and we had the most delicious pasta!  This experience of music, food, wine, and Italian conversation with local Florentine's was probably my favorite experience of the weekend.

As I continued to wander, I stumbled upon an old church called the Santa Margherita de' Cerchi.  It took me a minute to realize that it was in this specific church that Dante Alighieri first saw his beloved Beatrice, muse for his La Vita Nuova.  I was a bit awestruck just standing in this old church when I realized that Beatrice, as well as Dante's wife Gemma, were both buried in the church as well. To be standing in the very place where such inspiration hit Dante gave me chills!

 As I continued to walk, I heard the sound of trumpets coming from one of the side streets and hurried towards it.  In the street was a large 10-piece band consisting of drums, trumpets, trombones, and saxophones.  The music and energy was amazing and in that moment I felt how incredibly lucky I was be able to witness it.

I also went to the Palazza Vecchio museum, which is housed in the old Medici palace.  The interior was beautiful!  I can't imagine how it would be to live in a place surrounded my such works of art.  I would've been afraid to touch the walls.  I had an interesting experience while in the Palazzo.  As I was leaving, I saw that a door leading to another part of the palace was open, so, naturally, I went through.  I walked up the stairs and stepped into one of the rooms.  But curiously, the lights were off and no one was there.  Here I was surrounded by invaluable works of art and furniture and I was completely alone. So I tiptoed through the rooms, a bit nervous, when I saw a sign pointing to the old wedding chamber.  On the door of the wedding chamber was a notice that the room was not to be entered, yet, the door itself was open!  I'm not gonna lie, I was kinda weirded out.  How could it be that I was able to enter this old, precious palace, walk through rooms that are normally filled with people and guards, and find the door to a no-access area opened?  I remember having the distinct impression that someone was watching me.  So, of course, I poked my head into the room.  I couldn't see a lot (it was night by this time) but I could just make out some paintings on the wall due to the light coming from the window in the back.  I really wanted to go inside, but at this time, I was pretty creeped out and my desires to respect art and conservationism and also to not get murdered by some vengeful Medici ghost ruled over my curiosity and I left.  Still, a very weird experience...

So that was Firenze and I am happy to say that I have already made plans to return in 2 weeks.  We'll see what adventures I have then!

Food!

This has been a busy week of food!  I went to an Italian cooking class a couple of days ago and this morning I got to watch how mozzarella is made by hand!

In the cooking class, I learned how to make authentic Italian pizza.  Just as in the States, there are certain consistent varieties that one can buy:
* margherita: plain old cheese pizza
* capricciosa: mozzarella, tomatoes, mushrooms, ham, artichokes, olives, olive oil
* caprese (my favorite!): mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, basil, olive oil
* bianca: no tomatoes; mozzarella, olive oil, salt, rosemary

You can also buy pizza with certain toppings that are very different from our own.  It is normal to have pizza topped with zucchini, corn, hot dogs, cured beef or ham, salmon, or raw onions.

Making pizza is actually a very simple process once you have your dough ready.  However getting the perfect dough can be a challenge.  You need the perfect type of flour!  I was not aware that so many kinds of flour exist, but they do!  Once you have the right flour, you must mix in all the needed ingredients for the dough and then knead it perfectly.  I learned that if your dough has bubbles, the best thing to do is knead around and over the bubble until it goes away... or just take a fork and puncture it when the chef isn't looking!  The class was amazing!  Especially since everyone creates their own pizza and then shares it with everyone else.  I ate SO much, but it was so yummy.  They also had us try 3 different types of locally made beer.  Even though I'm not a beer person, I actually liked 2 of them!

This morning, we went to a cheese shop and were invited in the back where the owner was in the middle of hand-making mozzarella cheese.  The process is amazing; a true art!  It was incredible because there were no artificial flavors added to the cheese and there was one man making it with his own hands!  He started with milk delivered earlier in the day and ended up with the most delicious cheese.  The process depends mostly on the temperature of the water and the handling of the cheese.  It starts out in very hot water, ends up very curdled, and then is literally stretched and palmed by hand.  The movement is very gentle and very soothing. It reminded me of a sculptor molding clay.  Once the cheese was as soft as silk and stretched flat, Giuseppe (the cheese-maker) would mold the cheese into the different shapes he wanted and then put the cheese in very cold water.  You end up with incredibly soft cheese that has a very creamy texture.  It was DELICIOUS and I ate so much, my stomach hurt, but it was incredibly worth it!  I will be visiting that cheese shop and buying mozzarella from Giuseppe as much as possible!