Caserta – 19.2.2010

What a large Palace! You can actually tell how large it is because it stands alone in its own large garden. The scale is huge but what is to be expected with a palace; clean, crisp lines, expensive and smooth materials to display the classical ornamentation. We approached on an axis, on a long walkway through part of the garden to an archway. Once through it, it is clear that the same style on the exterior façade is carried through with the colonnade towards the larger gardens at the end of the axis. The main entrance is about 2/3 of the way down on the right up some wide and shallow steps under a oval dome. When the palace was used by the king there would be musicians playing in the niches above hidden from view to emphasize the grand entrance. He wanted to make a big impact with all kinds of art greeting you as you ascend to the main floor. At the top of the stairs is the main entrance in a rotunda type of space with a unique dome. Coffered ceiling focus inward but with a slight slant giving a swirl effect. The king and queen apartment winds were on the left and right. Straight ahead is the chapel. Colorful, artistic, classical, formal, detailed all the way up to the altar and ceilings. Room after room amazed me with the level of detail and art in and on everything with in the rooms. There are statues, paintings, chandeliers, rich fabrics, expensive materials and different colors and patterns in every room. In one word elegant. Furniture caught my attention in every room first. I would have loved to have been the furniture designer for this palace because each room had its own style, colors, and forms which took up the majority of my pictures. Next were paintings and sculpture, they have always been a fascination of mine and the artists have had my respect. It is not easy and not everyone has the talent. Some of the rooms used by the Queen used fabric on the walls instead of wallpaper, plaster or paint. I could have spent a week living there studying it and not gotten bored, there is too much to see and interpret. This palace was a good change from all the ruins and the rustic buildings we have seen. So far this has been my favorite. I will have to come back later in the spring when it is not raining to see the extensive garden with fountains and amazing views. Looking back at it as we drove away it brought to mind some of my favorite books by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice and even more so in the rain Sense and Sensibility.

Pompeii - 18.2.2010

I spent about half a day wondering among the ruins of different degrees. The scale is not human, especially the main public spaces, the forum, court, main temple, stadium, and theater. The Density was much higher than Herculaneum once you get into the residential areas. The site is large enough that a good chunk of the time while exploring I felt alone. I did not run into many tourists until I hit the main attractions in the afternoon. The streets were easy to navigate since it was a typical Roman grid system. Off on the lower Southwest side I found a nice temple park area. I walk through a large rectangular entry way to a see a large green space with rows of shady trees and a cool breeze. At the back there were remnants of an old temple. I spent about 15 minutes in that space, tranquil with the sweet chirping of birds and leaves rustling from the gentle breeze the sun playing peek-a-boo around the clouds as I sit on an old stone semi-circle bench thinking about what I have seen. Stairs 20ft high wrapping around me 360 degrees except for over time where they have begun to disappear under green grass, I was in the amphitheater. Then winding through some more streets I stumbled upon some small house gardens with a few blossoms due to the mild winters they have here. The weather today was tricky. You start off cool, then hot, warm, cold, and then back to hot. I felt like I was going through menopause. It all just depended on whether the sun was out from behind the clouds, if you were walking, in the shade, wind blocked locations, etc. I found myself constantly adding layers and taking away layers to stay comfortable; it was a little frustrating. Getting hungry I headed back to the forum where it was flooded with other tourists and dogs. I saw Freddy and Ricky, dogs a few of us had met the night before on our way back from dinner. Of to one side I came across some French teenage boys playing wall ball. Interesting to see them horsing around all this history wondering if they realize or care what they are playing around. One sign of old age is when you can see how you used to act and feel, just like those boys, compared to now after time and education it has changed. a sense of maturity, understanding and knowledge. The forum was a good place to people watch, that is where I saw an adorable 2 year old boy running a around squeezing between stone ruins, picking up and playing with the pebbles on the side walk as if at home in his sand box. This large sand box for the Romans was fascinatingly perfect for history and photography lovers. The scale, use of the materials, spaces and city layout made that can’t be understood by pictures or words made the biggest impact on me.

Herculaneum - 17.2.2010

Cloudy weather as we drive to Herculaneum. Close to the current coastline is the site they have excavated. It is amazing to see so much of the city was preserved under all the volcanic lava, dirt and ash. What is crazy to think about as I look down on the site is how I am standing where the sea used to be. Enough flowed down from the Volcano over the entire city and move the shore at least 10 miles away. I can see a series of identical archways at the base most likely boat docks. Walking into the city you see a basalt stone paving for the main street not warn down too much, tufa curbs and concrete with fragments of clay tiles and pots as aggregate. Moving up you see a mixture of stones, plaster, colorful frescos, sky and a casually oxidized wood. The curbs are about 18” high on avg, why…high water levels? What is even more interesting is the fact that people have always lived extremely close to shore lines and they most likely always will. That makes me think of another city close to water that has had a couple catastrophic events occur in my home state, Galveston Island. Yet they are still living there even after a few other hurricanes have come through. The one in 1900 completely destroyed to the whole island and today they are fixing up the buildings once again from the most recent one a couple of years ago. New Orleans is another good example. The same here at Herculaneum buried underneath current homes, apts and business. What is our obsession with living in places we know are dangerous; tornado alleys, hurricanes zones, flood planes, etc. Are we slow to learn, is it that the places are beautiful, or is living with the danger at our door step allow us to have excitement and reality of eventual death close so we can be reminded to live our lives. History class is all making more sense as I wask in to the atrium of a Domus. A fascinating space, square, tall, with a central focus open to the sky above. Looking deeper inside there is green grass growing in the peristyle garden with brick columns lining the edge. Stepping into a bedroom off the atrium my eyes are stimulated by the colors on the wall. A vibrant red on the frescos that I can’t believe how well preserved the color is not faded at all, but there is some discoloration at the bottom due to the intense heat of the lava turning it orange. Walking around these ruins has shown the intelligence of these people seeing the sophisticated ways of building and arranging the city and homes. There are several bars in the town all very similar same layouts and same stones used on the outside of the counters, which were made up of large clay pots and cement. Openings in the counter top were where the mouths of the pots were to allow the customers to just scoop out their water or wine. Lastly what will stick with me the most is at the edge of town closes to the old shore was a large home that had a gorgeous covered patio area with a fountain. I can imagine leaning up against one of the white columns looking at the sunset on the ocean as a cool breeze carrying the smell of fresh lavender across my body blowing my comfortable light clothing. What a view!

Firenze: Part II - 12.2.2010

A week later, back in Florence feeling happy and comfortable as we walk to the Uffizi Museo. Marco gave us a personalized tour trying to give us information not in the guidebooks. Extremely detailed Roman replicas of Ancient Greek statues lined the hallway into the individual gallery spaces. Loads of religious paintings full of symbolism and subtle opinions of the artists hidden beneath the rules art. I was able to Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Primavera as well as a Michelangelo painting of the Holy Family. My favorite of all the ones I saw was the Annunciation of Mary by Piero di Cosimo. The colors he chose, composition, representation of the Holy Spirit and the details caught my eye for at least 20 minutes. I looked more at that one than the Leonardo Da Vinci painting in the same room. To finish out the day a few of us walked down to and through the Ponte Vecchio. There were so many beautiful jewelry shops with unique designs to display them and then protect and lock them up at night. They made the perfect example for my project, shop windows and doors, for my seminar class. For the ride back on the train I grabbed a waffle sandwich. I had smelt them the last time we were here and all day long. I gave in and boy was it delicious, melted chocolate between to crispy Belgium waffles just the right temperature made the journey back more enjoyable.

Zeppelin's Cooking Class - 11.2.2010

Bright and early in the morning on a dreary day we meet Chef Lorenzo, an Italian native to Orvieto, in front of his restaurant. He walked us towards the market giving us some background on the markets, where and how they started and how important they are to the Italian culture. First stop was a liquor, spice and candy shop where we tried a new type of grappa. It was sweeter and a reddish color. Then off to the market where we all got a ton of samples of cheese and fruit; like a Sam’s club at lunch time. Next it was time to go back to the restaurant and prepare our five course meal. I made fresh bread; foccacia, breads, and regular begets. The other groups in the kitchen made fresh pasta, ragu, potato flan, fried artichoke, wild boar, and a cake. We all had a great time drinking and laughing with the chefs as they tried to teach us. Then it was time for us to stuff our faces and fill our bellies to the brim. Now we all know why the Italians spend so much time eating these meals, it is the only way to eat it all. Your stomach needs time to rest and make room in between the courses. I was proud of the delicious dishes we all were able to make and for one of the first times I had a hard time eating, there was too much for me. After all the flavorful food we finished off with a wine tasting of three different types of Orvieto, Umbria wine. I learned how to properly eat Italian food and pair it with a good wine to emphasize the delicious ingredients in the dishes. No need for a dinner tonight, I am stuffed like a turkey on Thanksgiving.

Civita - 8.2.2010

Known as the dead city because long ago an earthquake destroyed some of the city and about that time the Roman Empire began to fall. Now there are only 10 residents, our two professors are a couple of them. They bought a house about 30 years ago and recently finished the first round of restoration on both the house and garden house. I fell in love with the garden house on the cliff. Daydreams of me living in this just the right size garden house for a summer with magnificent views began to flow into my brain. I can imagine the sun shining, green everywhere, vines blooming on the trellises and climbing the walls, the smell of rosemary, lavender, and fresh flowers. This all exciting my senses as I sip a glass of wine on the terrace with a good book warmed by the gentle rays of the sun. Finally falling back to Earth I could not get over how efficient the houses were and the materials adding there own character to the existing one. Friends of our professors prepared a fabulous lunch cooked over a wood burning fireplace. Then to finish it all off I had my first taste of Grappa. It reminded me a little of whiskey and scotch; a strong robust flavor that warms up your insides. For dessert a few of us went to the only place open in town and got a cup of cappuccino and a nutella filled crepe. My conclusion, nutella is good on just about everything. Civita definitely has a different feel than all the other places we have visited; stepping into history discovering things that have not been touched or seen in many to maybe a hundred years. There is plenty to capture on paper with a pencil in a perfectly peaceful environment.

Cortona Adventure by Accident - 7.2.2010

Sunday morning after a glorious mass in the Duomo a small group of us had decided we would try to meet up with some of the students from the other Italian studies program at a Carnevale festival in Foiano de Chiana. We hopped on a train to Cortona where we hoped to catch a bus to the festival. We enjoyed the rush of just jumping in head first ready to find out what was in store for us. We soon found out that buses don’t run on holidays. Stuck in Cortona… or we could spend a fortune for a taxi. Not fretting about the obstacle the four of us decided to take it as a sign and just explore Cortona for the day. We hiked about 6km up the mountainous hill from the station before we actually reached the city. The walk was long, dangerous and absolutely breathtaking. The feeling of achievement over whelmed us when we reached the top. As a reward we got to see the town come alive as the evening came. Couples, families and friends were strolling down the streets chatting and window shopping while the teenagers in groups joked around similar to Orvieto. There was a feeling of comfort and security. We stumbled into a church on the edge of town that appeared from the exterior to be falling apart almost disintegrating before our eyes. We enter as the sun is setting and it’s light flows in through circular windows to illuminate the angels hanging above the alter and crucifix. Needing to replenish our strength from the energy burning hike up we found a little restaurant and bar for dinner. To our surprise they lead us down some stairs into an old wine cellar to our table. Stone floor, walls, and ceiling lit well with a mixture of accent lighting to emphasize the rough texture. Soft music and flickering candles set up a nice relaxing mood as we ordered. Delicious enough that we missed the last bus down the hill to the train station. It was well worth it especially when our luck continued and a taxi already headed down to the station came across our path. We made it on the last train and the last funiculare back to Orvieto with enjoyable conversation getting to know each other better; unique and memorable day.

Florence - 5.2.2010

The lovely smell of Florence, I will never forget. It would come and go in certain areas to remind me where I was, which was easy to get confused when almost everyone in the streets were speaking English. The one thing I did not expect was how many American students there would be studying in Florence, definitely a downside. Seeing the Baptistry and the Duomo together with my own eyes was awe inspiring. The scale was again magnificent and difficult to judge detail when your so far away. Not being able to get to the alter created excitement and determination to come back and climb the Dome. Walking through the cold and rainy streets along rows upon rows of parked scooters ad mopeds to the Basilica of Santa Croce. Disappointment filled my glass when we got inside and the aps was covered in scaffolding tainting the experience. Later the Pazzi Chapel outside helped some disappointment leak out. The art there displayed was well done and detailed but not satisfying enough for my hungry stomach. I joined some friends for lunch and afterwards we got dessert at the chocolater fair. A football field size white tent filled with tables of chocolate, loads of chocolate. The sweet smell of chocolate enriched the artistic display and decorations on the chocolate. Listening to the excitement buzzing through my ears as I walked through the tent from table to table sipping a warm cup of melted chocolate was incredible almost heaven. I could only imagine what my chocoholic mother and sister would do, die and go to heaven. But heaven on Earth can't last forever so later I found myself walking abùmoung the streets full of street vendors selling lots of leather products, jewelry, and other soveigners. Not planning on spending any money when I set out for Florence I began to be overwhelmed with happiness as I tried on a soft, brown, nicely cut leather jacket. With a little convincing I was sold. Why not buy leather in a place that produces some of the worlds best leather, was how I rationalized the purchase. The perfect souveigner. I can't wait to wear it. At night a group of us went out for drinks at a bar we found out later was a bar full of American students, playing American music, and had American style shot specials. We enjoyed ourselves for awhile before we realized we were in Italy. A few of us decided we wanted to experience more Florence night life and found a dance club full of locals. We had a great time dancing the rest of the night away. In the morning some of us with enough energy left climbed the Dome. It was the perfect note to end on. Walking up the tight spiral stairs to the inside dome was a little disorienting then soon forgotten with the sight of the paintings on the dome. Large, detailed, mysterious, happy, evil, so much going on but with a line forming behind me I pressed on to the stairs between the two domes. These stairs were awkward and dark but once the sunlight shown through from above relief came across my face, the end with a spectacular view. As I emerged from the floor I could not believe I was on top of the dome. The little white knob I could see from below was not so little; I was walking around it. Some crazy second hand information I heard was that this white little detail on the top was in fact used to hold the dome together. Without it the dome would want to unfold and open up like a flower in the spring sun. I could see so far and clear to breaks in the roofs for streets cut through and empty flower pots waiting to overflow on roof terraces, clean clothes out on lines and so much more. You never realize the density or size of a city till you tower over it all. One day I will have to come back on a sunny day and climb the Campanile and see what the dome looks like from above at a distance.