107 days abroad

one hundred and eight. the finale.

2008-12-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

I set two alarms for 4:50 am. I got up, threw everything in my bags, drank some water and headed for the train station. I put on my backpack, threw the camera over my back, grabbed both suitcases and wrestled them down the steps.

I walked to the train station, waited 10 minutes, and then boarded for the airport. I arrived to the airport. Checked in my two bags, weighed my backpack and then grabbed a doughnut from the cafe and went through security. Once through, I waited for about 40 minutes and then boarded the plan. The plan set out on time and I was in Munich before I knew it. I had a 40 minute layover in Munich, which was pretty difficult because I was bored, tired, and had no alarm/cell phone just in case I dozed off. I read, listened to music, and wandered aimlessly around the airport until it was time to check in. We boarded the plane, in which I grabbed a window seat, even though I was truthfully stuck in the middle between the window and aisle. The woman who had the window seat came along and quickly scooted me over to my proper seat. I tried.

The flight went really well, and didn't seem as long as I assumed it would. They gave us a ton of free drinks including some alcoholic ones, which was pretty unusual I thought. I drank a German beer, some white wine, and some Bailey's. Dinner consisted of roast, veggies, and mashed potatoes. It was decent enough. I knew things were going wrong when It said we still had 40 minutes to fly before reaching Washington, and my flight was scheduled to depart in 1 hour. I arrived, went through customs and then had to wait for 30 minutes for my bags to come through so that I could take them through and recheck them. I then went through security and dealt with this woman who obviously hated her job and had no reason to be in an airport screaming when people are already stressed enough by missing their layovers. I digress. I stripped down to hardly anything because of the lady screaming at everyone. No belts, no shoes, no jackets, no scarves, no hats... no problem.

Because I missed my connecting flight (which would have had me home by 7 pm) I had to wait 3 hours and fly to Charlotte then connect again to a flight into Cincinnati. I waited, had some subway, and waited some more. I was exhausted at this point. I was finally able to board the plane and ran into Carly who I went to SACI with. She was connecting to Florida in Charlotte. I remember boarding the plane, and I fell asleep immediately. Then I remember descending to land. It was pretty awesome. Once in Charlotte, I had to wait another hour and a half to catch the Cincinnati flight. I finally did, and arrived home at around 12:30 am. (At this point, I had been traveling for nearly 26 hours straight). I made it home, walked down the long terminal hallway and met Mom and Greg. It was great seeing them again! However, my endeavor hasn't ended yet. I waited around for my bags to come through, and of course they hadn't. I talked to the lady at the desk and arranged to have it delivered to my house. We went home. They bought a bottle of Chianti and we each had a glass to toast my arrival back to the states.

I went to sleep in my oh so comfortable bed.

and so we reach 107...

2008-12-16T11:08:00.000-08:00

I woke up turned off the alarm and laid back down. I woke up next at 8:07.. 2 hours after my alarm went off. Shit.

I jump up, panicked. I throw all the things that are laying around in my suitcase, throw on my shoes, and run out the door. My thoughts: Maybe If I can get a taxi right away then I'll be able to make it to the airport before my flight takes off. I close my apartment door and turn to carry my backpack, 2 suitcases and a video camera down 2 flights of stairs. As I turn, my red suitcase's zipper decided it'd be a perfect time to unzip itself backwards. I spent 10 minutes wrestling it to get the zipper back to normal. I went downstairs, scanned the area, and saw no taxis. I ran into the restaurant next door to ask if they could call me a taxi. They said no. I walked to Piazza Independenza where taxis normally sit. Nothing. It was at this point that I figured it'd be easier to just call the travel agency and hope that they would help me. I walked to SACI to use the phone. Closed. I asked a small cafe if I could keep my bags there long enough for me to run to Heather's without having to lug it around. They said no. Flustered, I took bags and walked towards the train station. I asked a taxi if he could take me to the airport. He said yes but didn't accept credit cards (I had no euro currency left). I walked further on, stopping at an ATM and had to pull out a minimum of 50 euro. I tried to find the bus that takes you from the train station to the Florence Airport for only 5 euro, but I couldn't. Finally I convinced a taxi driver to take me to the airport for 20 euro (It would have been almost 30 otherwise) and he did. I arrived to the airport 20 minutes after my flight was scheduled to leave. Of course there were no delays so I was stuck. The lady at the desk told me that my only option was to fly out tomorrow. I had to pay 150 euro rescheduling fee. (better than 2,000 USD one way flight, I must add). Once the rescheduled flight was situated, I was finally able to breathe. There were just so many things that went wrong it was as though I wasn't supposed to be on that flight.

While still in the airport, I weighed my bags to see if I was overweight on either. One was below and the other was quite above. I took the 5 euro bus back to the train station and took my bags to SACI which was now open. I called Heather to let her know what happened and to see if it'd be possible to sleep at her place because I had locked my keys in my apartment because it was supposed to be my last day there. I finally took everything to her place, reorganized my bags so that each were under weight and relaxed for a bit. We went to the central market so Heather and Lucio could get gifts for friends and family. I ended up getting an Italian belt and a sweater. For dinner we had a combination of various things that they had left over in the fridge. It was quite delicious.

I went to bed at 10, and set two alarms to ensure that I would be up by 5 am. I slept.

Day 106: Barcelona / Florence

2008-12-15T10:38:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 8:30, ate breakfast, and headed down to the metro station. I rode it to Catalunya and walked around until I stumbled upon the Contemporary Museum of Art. Within it, I viewed thousands of photographs of Barcelona and Barcelona's artist's photographs. After the photo viewing, I walked through the other galleries, which included sculpture and paintings. After wandering around for a couple of hours, I felt it necessary to leave the museum and get some lunch. I got Burger King (nasty).

I walked around the main plaza and then wandered towards the bus station. On the way I got some chocolate covered raisins and an assortment of other wonderful candies at a small shop. I viewed the Arc di Triomphe and then skipped along to get my place on the bus. I had to wait about 30 minutes for the bus to depart so I walked around the (s)mall that they have by the station. I boarded the bus, listened to my ipod and cruised to the airport. I went through security and boarded the plane. The plane was late getting back and then the bus to Florence was late arriving, So I didn't get back to Florence until 9 pm. Libby called and we organized a last night celebration with the entire video team. I had a couple miscellaneous drinks and then had a new favorite: Rum'n Pear. You take a shot of rum and chase it with a shot of pear juice. After a long night, I hiked back to my apartment. It was around 3 am, and I called my grandpa to see if it was worth trying to sleep a little before getting up at 6 to go to the Florence airport for my flight back to the states. After a while, I decided a quick nap wouldn't hurt.

I drifted into slumber.

Day 105: Barcelona

2008-12-14T11:00:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 8:45, showered, and headed to the cafeteria with Kate. We had the same breakfast as yesterday. During breakfast I checked my email to see if Pedro was able to meet today. We decided to meet at Plaça de Catalunya's metro stop and head to Park Guell at 2 pm.

Kate and I headed off and stopped first at Casa Mila. This place is extraordinary. Gaudi's mind was incredible. He came up with the most bizarre and amazing things I've seen. During the museum part of the house, an audio stated that his professor wasn't sure if he was a genius or just insane. The museum walked us through some of his inspiration, his biography, and even some of his furniture. Gaudi believe in creating even the furnishings for his architecture. The roof of the house was even more incredible. The curves and sculptural techniques were astonishing. We got to go through one of the apartments in the house as well. None of the rooms in the house are identical. The apartment was decorated with things from the early 1900's and was extravagant. After the house, we got some lunch at this cafe. I got a burger and fries which was the biggest rip off one could imagine. No bun with the burger. 10 fries. Ugh. I digress though. We headed towards the metro station to meet Pedro. He wasn't there and after a few minutes we decided to move on without him.

We took the metro to a stop near the water and walked along the pier. We saw some people doing a line dance before walking around a mall. We stopped at an ice cream shop and I got a hot chocolate. On the way back towards the metro, I stopped at a market where they were selling 45's. I found a Led Zeppelin single 'Fool in the Rain.' It cost 25 dollars, so I walked on. We went to Parc Guell. This place was originally meant to be an entire community. It was to consist of its own church, markets, homes, and schools. The project failed though, and what is left are some pretty interesting houses. They look like gingerbread houses. While there, we ran into Pedro and his brother and their girlfriends. I gave him his sunglasses that he left in Florence and talked for a bit. We went our separate ways. Kate and I walked to the metro line and took it back to Catalunya. We ate at this all you can eat buffet place and then headed back to the hostel. On the walk up the hill, there was a man in front of us. As we got closer to him he pointed out 2 wild boars literally 20 feet away from us. Kate immediately turned her back to the boars, claiming that if you avoid eye contact they won't attack. Let's just say I had my best kicking foot ready just incase they tried somethin'.

I read some more before bed. I slept.

Day 104: Barcelona

2008-12-13T10:44:00.000-08:00

The first day out in the city began at 8:30 am. Kate and I got ready, switched rooms, and ate breakfast. Which wasn't breakfast. It was a pepperoni baguette with a muffin. We made our hike to the train station and went into town.

Our first stop was the Picasso Museum. One thing I love about Picasso is that even though he is most famous for his cubist work, he did some remarkably realistic paintings and drawings. We saw every single piece of the 4,000+ pieces before deciding it was a good time to eat. We ate at this little cafe that was near the museum. I had a ham and cheese sandwich with some bruschetta. Kate had a bowl of soup. I got a hot chocolate and she a coffee with hot milk. After lunch we walked around the streets and came upon a little market area that was selling Christmassy stuff. We saw another church by Gaudi and then headed back to Plaça de Catalunya. We walked up one of the main streets towards Casa Mila. We saw another one of Gaudi's houses (Casa Batlló) on the way before finally arriving to the one Gaudi masterpiece I had to see. It was almost 4 now, and we saw that La Sagrada Familia (Gaudi's church) closes at 6 whereas Casa Mila is open until 8, so we decided to hike about 10 more blocks to the church. It was fantastic to see in person! We bought our tickets and entered. Unfortunately 90% of the church is filled with scaffolding and we were only allowed to be in one small section of it. I took some pictures, and we headed down to the bookstore. I bought a couple things here and then we checked out the museum which is underneath the cathedral. It explained how Gaudi oversaw the entire process. For example, the sculptor had worked closely with Gaudi so as to conform to Gaudi's vision.

After the cathedral, we headed back to Casa Mila. Upon arrival, we were unfortunately informed that the house closes at 6:30 and that it would be better to do it tomorrow when we have more time. There was a temporary exhibition present though and we were given free entry. We looked around at the different work of the early 1900's. A lot of it was graphic design which interested me especially in seeing how similar some of the things that they came up with is so easily comparable to today's design. After a while, we headed back towards Plaça de Catalunya, through the center plaza, and down the opposite direction to a street called Nou de la Rambla. We met a few American students that Kate had met on her flight to Barcelona for dinner. We went to this small restaurant and had some interesting food (seafoodish stuff in rice.. it was ok). The two students were studying in London and are from Cali. They were heading back to the states on the same day as me.

After dinner, we decided to head back to the hostel. We took the train back, and hiked up the ridiculously curvy hill to our hostel (funny that they claimed the hostel was right off the train). Kate went to sleep and I read for a while. Then I followed her suit.

Day 103: Barcelona

2008-12-12T00:52:00.000-08:00

I woke up from my restful slumber at 9 am to check emails about whether or not I was to meet Libby. Nothing, in which case I drifted back in to said slumber.

I gathered consciousness again at 11:30 and jumped in the shower. I packed my backpack with the necessities, looked at barcelona's weather on google and at noon made my way for Santa Maria Novella train station. Along the way I picked up a pack of gummy bears for my journey. Upon arrival at the station, I basically walked the Terravision bus and used the ticket that Greg and I bought on the plane a couple weeks ago. It worked. The bus ride seemed to have taken forever, which was fine because I started my new book by Nick Hornby called A Long Way Down. I got the airport, checked in, waited for 30 minutes, boarded the plane and got the same seat I always sit in with RyanAir. (Greg, that weirdo attendent guy from our flight that sold us our bagged whiskey was on this one too). The flight lasted about an hour and a half and then I landed in Girona. From there I took a bus that lasted about an hour to Barcelona.

Of all the cities I've been too with metro systems, this was the first time that I was really confused. First of all, I couldn't even find the metro in the beginning. Finally, when I had, it was confusing as to which lines actually intersected. Let's rewind a second. At the bus station in Barcelona, I booked my hostel at this place called InOut. 9 euro a night, haha, way better deal that I thought.

So I went to Plaça Catalunya and walked around, and since it was night a lot of christmas lights were on. I ate at this little pub called George and Dragon. I had a beer, cheeseburger, and fries. It was delish. While there I planned my route to get to the hostel. I arrived to InOut at about 9 pm and checked in. They took a 10 euro deposit for the key which I'll get back when I check out. I dropped my bag off in the room and met a woman named Kate who was wondering if we could sight see together. I agreed and then got online to check emails and tell my parents that I had arrived safely.

I went to bed but before falling asleep read some more of my book.

102 days

2008-12-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

Uppity up at 6:25 am sharp. No time for even contemplating the idea of hitting that snooze button. I made a coffee and read through my notes a couple of times. I organized my thoughts for the essay that Helen read to us during the review session. I got dressed, grabbed a banana and walked briskly towards SACI. On the way, I did some memorization techniques which consists of me repeating each slide over and over until I at least think that it has sunk in.

I got to the classroom and immediately started the exam. We were given 12 slides which were either individual slides, multiple slides of one series, or compare and contrast. After 2 hours, we completed the 12 slides and were given an hour (or more if needed) to write the essay. I finished the exam precisely at 11 am. As I exited the room a huge pressure was released and I was suddenly struck with a new found energy. I went to lunch with with some friends to the central market. I then went back to my apartment, talked to mom for a second on gmail, showered, and headed to the last design class of the semester. I printed out my booklet and had it bound for SACI's records.

After class, I went home again. I packed my second suitcase and have nearly everything ready to go for when I get back from Barcelona on Monday and rearrange a few things for my main flight back to the states. I went to SACI at 6:30 and said bye to a few of my friends, went to Zecchi to buy a tube for paper stuff, and then bought a new book for spain and flights: Nick Hornby's A Long Way Down. I went back to SACI to pick up a few things and then went to the kebob place I had with Greg on the way home. I got home, devoured the kebob and began catching up on the blog entries. It has been a hectic few weeks and it feels nice to be all caught up again and have nothing at all to worry about.

I talked to Greg for a while on gmail and put some papers in the tube I bought. I drank some homemade iced tea that I made and went to bed

one, oh one [101]

2008-12-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

This should be a pretty short post. I woke up at 7:30 in order to meet Libby to do some filming. The gloomy weather and the fact that I had an inadequate amount of sleep, led us to agreeing to do it another day. I went back to sleep and woke up at 10. I studied Art History. At 1, I went to the fuji studios to finish my books and have the final critique with Patricia. That ended at 3.

I went home and studied. Studied. Studied. And then at 3 am decided that I should probably sleep at least a little. (Of couse though, it must be noted, that intertwined within all the studying I did a lot of complaining to others in hopes of distracting myself from all that had to be learned.)

so, um 100

2008-12-09T11:34:00.000-08:00

Wow, 100 days abroad. I feel like this calls for something special. Something epic. Like the part of literature in which the twist occurs and you're all blown away. Ok, well here it goes.

.

..

...

..

.

I'm not actually in Italy. I never was. I camped out for 3 months at my home in Ohio. I made this all up. I photoshopped the photos of me and the others I stole from google.

*pause*

I woke up at 8, showered, left for SACI and met Heather at 9:15 to interview Tina (the History of Italian film instructor) as well as some classroom shots. Afterwards, we had a group meeting upstairs in which we were distributed our final tasks for the week. After the meeting, I grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed to the design center. I worked on a final booklet for the class and ended up leaving around 3:30. I went home and had another chicken cordon bleu, this time with a fried potatoes. I then went to the fuji studios to work some more on my books to prepare for the final critique tomorrow. Once they closed at 7, I headed to the main SACI building to walk through the advanced painting exhibition. There are a lot of talented artists at SACI and many of them are in this class. It was pretty phenomenal. At 7:45, the final exam review began for art history. It lasted until 11 pm. I was so drained mentally. As she went over the slides, I wrote down notes on the flashcards that I had made on Sunday.

I went directly from SACI to the Jazz Club. It was the guys' (Alonzo, Geoff and Brandon) last night of performing. It was a really nice turnout and they played extremely well. Alonzo rocked it and the other fellas did an excellent job as well. I had a Jameson on the rock (because it just feels cool) and relaxed for the first time of the day. It was so nice being in the company of so many awesome people that I've met this semester. I'm going to miss them. I had a peaceful walk home and went straight to bed.

n9nety n9ne

2008-12-08T11:24:00.000-08:00

I had class at 11, so I woke up at 10 and showered, got dressed (its true) and grabbed my bag on the way out the door. We had a field trip to various locations and our meeting place was Palazzo Strozzi. I arrived at 11:03 and no one was there. I don't have minutes on my phone so I began wandering around Florence with the slight hope that I'd actually stumble upon them.

I gave up and cut through the central market back towards SACI. I bought 3 ties on the way for 8 euro. That's whats up. I went to SACI and used their phone to call Michelle. I got their location and walked back towards Palazzo Strozzi to Palazzo Vecchio. There, I found the class in line waiting to get in. I merged within the group but still managed to get a comment from Helen. It never fails, I'll tell ya. Here we saw Donatello's marble and bronze Davids. The competitin panels for the Baptistery between Brunelleschi and Ghiberti. I also saw some work by Verrocchio, whom was an amazing all around artist.

After class, I had to go immediately to book arts. I was late because Helen kept us until 12:55. During book arts, I worked on my books, most notably the catapillar stitch. I headed home after class and made chicken cordon bleu with peas for dinner. I wrote on the flashcards with some basic information about each slide. I then watched the rest of The Office, minus the last episode which froze on me.

I then slept, you know.

novanta-otto

2008-12-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

I slept til noon. It felt so good.

I got up, showered, and headed to the design center to print my flashcards out in color. While there, I listened to a lot of Led Zeppelin, cut out the flashcards, had tea with Duccio and Libby, and cut out some more flash cards.

Upon leaving, I stopped at the supermarket for my last visit. I spent 17 euro and bought milk, juice, pasta, sauce, chicken, potato, tomatoes, bananas, clementines, salami and bread. I went home and had leftover spaghetti for dinner. I talked to some friends and family online and then called Papaw. He told me of his Christmas present which is for the entire family to unite as one and paint his basement. Clever is he. I then talked to my aunt on the phone for a while which was great since I hadn't talked to her on the phone my entire stay. We caught up on family, the economy, and ghosts. Don't worry about it, haha. Ok, I'll tell you. Her husband, my Uncle Rob was sleeping and when he rolled over he glanced outward and saw a figure standing right in front of the hutch. He blinked a few times and made out enough of the figures to see that he had a short sleeve shirt on. I can't wait to ask him more about this!

After I got off the phone with them, I went to bed.

noventa y siete

2008-12-06T14:58:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 8:30 am. I showered, grabbed a clementine and headed for SACI to get the video camera. SACI is closed on Saturday's until 1. I ran to Heather's in hopes that I could borrow the large camera. I got it, and went to the train station to meet Mario and the fresco class. After a 20 minute delay for the train, we boarded and headed for Figline.

They presented the fresco they made to the hospital in a hallway that was probably too dark for good footage. The hospital didn't even install it, but rather sat it on a chair until 'tomorrow' in which case they would hang it. After this, we wandered around the hospital and were shown an old pharmacy that still contained medicine in the jars. It was especially spooky and extremely interesting. After about thirty minutes in here, we went to another section of the hospital for lunch. On the way they told us the story of a ghost that inhabits this particular section and will slap you as you walk through. I personally think they were just trying to trick us. Lunch was fun though because we kept taking pictures of the room in hopes of capturing the ghost on film. Maybe we did.

After the hospital business, we had to walk all the way back to the train station. It's funny how they gave us a ride there when we had the fresco, but after we presented it to them, it is as if they were done with us and told us to just walk back. Ha. We got to the train station just as the train we needed was leaving. We had to wait a half hour for the next. We got back to Santa Maria Novella at 3:30. I dropped the camera off at SACI and headed home. I spent the rest of the day relaxing, watching The Office and reading.

I went to bed.

ninety six dias

2008-12-05T07:30:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 8:30, refreshed from a very restful night's sleep. I then fell back asleep and woke up at 10. I got up, showered, and cleaned my room.

I then headed to the design center to get some things together for my books for book arts. After a couple hours of doing that, I also watched the season finale of Entourage. Such a good show. I went to the fuji center to work on my books and spent a few hours stitching my caterpillar book. It closed at seven, so I went home and had spaghetti for dinner. I talked to my parents on gmail and relaxed.

After a while, I went to sleep.

9 to 5

2008-12-04T06:36:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 7:30, showered, and headed for SACI to print my paper. It was closed. I stood around for 20 minutes waiting for someone to show up. I heard the custodian inside cleaning and got her attention however she shrugged me away. I finally got in at 8:12, ran upstairs, and printed my paper. I ran to the Bargello to meet with the class and turn in my paper. We saw Donatello's David, the baptistery door competition panels, a pretty cool lion sculpture by Donnatello and some other fascinating work.

After class, I went to SACI for our video meeting. At 12:30, I ventured towards the design center and began printing for the design exhibition. I printed my identity system and turned it into a book by using those giant black clip things. I then printed what I have of my book and displayed it on a table. Then Libby and Heather arrived. I helped Heather set up the video camera for the interview with Camilla. Afterwards, I headed to where the food that Libby set up was (of course). After Heather's interview, I did some shooting of the exhibition space that included illustration, graphic design, and interior design.

I went home and relaxed for a few hours while at the same time watching about 5 episodes of The Office. After a little while longer, I finally dozed off with the computer on my bed and my watch still on.

day ninety-four

2008-12-03T06:18:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 8, showered, grabbed the camera and took the bus to the Fresco studio. After a few minutes there, I rode with Luigi and some other students to the hospital where they anticipated painting a quote that one of the doctors wrote on the wall of a new wing in the building. However, the wall was smaller than the stencil and so they had to rearrange the alignment of text causing a delay in them being able to get it done.

Since I had class at 1, I had to take the bus home before everyone else. It lasted an hour. I dropped off my books at the jewelry studio for the end of the year exhibition. I then went to the SACI library to get some more sources and do some more research for my term paper. At about 3:30, I headed home to begin writing. I figured that I could knock it out in 6 hours and be done by 10 pm with no problem. I began typing and everything was flowing well. However, I do this thing when I write where I like to distract myself and complain or share with others my progress. It's weird, I know. The rest of the evening consisted of me writing and I finally finished two hours after I anticipated.

At midnight I was talking to my mom who had thought that Greg's flight got delayed or perhaps he missed a connection. I did some research online and finally a few hours later Greg arrived to the airport. During this time of waiting, I typed the bibliography for the paper.

I went to bed at 3 am.

dia 9 3

2008-12-02T12:52:00.000-08:00

We woke up at 8:30, later than expected. We got ready and headed to the design center to put his photos on a flash drive. We then headed to the train station to get his ticket to Pisa and try and find Terravision, to hopefully get a refund for the bus tickets we bought the other day while on the flight home from Scotland. When we found where they should have been, no one was there. We headed to the Santa Maria Novella church which contains some pretty amazing artwork. One that I found fascinating was the Hell scene by Nardo di Cione (I also will use this as part of my research paper). Next up was the Accademia. Upon entering the building, however, we realized that the cost was 14 euro a person. So we took a quick glance at a couple sculptures and left.

We then headed back to the apartment and go the bags. We grabbed some pizza on the walk home so we enjoyed that before venturing the train station. We got to the station and found the bin that he needed. I helped him find a seat that would allot him enough space for the two bags. I said goodbye and the train departed. It was a pretty amazing week and one that I'll never forget. It just goes to add to the incredible experience I've had while being here.

I walked to the design center and on the way I became very tired. I guess I was just exhausted from doing so much within the last week. I went to class and did a few things on the computer before heading home. I didn't do much the rest of the evening except for relax and finish reading The Inferno by Dante Alighieri. Then I slept

91st

2008-12-01T11:34:00.000-08:00

We woke up and got ready for the day. I grabbed my things for class and we walked to the Duomo. We saw a sign that said that the dome was closed today and tomorrow. So we decided to climb the Campanile instead. 414 steps! We got some pretty spectacular views of the city because the sun came out for us.

We climbed down and I showed Greg a few things in the cathedral. I then had to sneak away for art history and book arts class. During lecture i spent 30 minutes sketching my hand in exact perspective. Nicely done, James. In book arts, I finished up one of my books and then headed back over to the Gates of Paradise on the Baptistery where Greg and I met back up. He told me that he walked around the Duomo, down to the Arno, near the Uffizi and around Piazza Rupublica. It was sprinkling a bit when we met back up, but I took him down to see the Ponte Vecchio. Next, we went through the Baptistery. I pointed out the things I remember about the Last Judgment mosaic on the ceilling (which will come in handy for the art history paper that is due Thursday). Afterwards, we headed to a resturant called ZaZa's for dinner. I had stuffed pasta with potatoes and greg spaghetti bolognese. We weren't super impressed but the good news is that it did in fact taste like pasta. Haha.

We went to the euro store and got a big coke and fanta and then walked through the central market shops again before heading down Nazionale towards the supermarket. We got some more beer and another bottle of wine. Why stop a good thing? We got back to the apartment and did some research on hotels for Greg when he goes back to Edinburgh. We then packed a suitcase with some of my things and then began the consumption again. We talked to mom in the dining room as we finished off our Cubans from yesterday. We opened the wine and were chillin' when I saw a mosquito across the room. I grabbed a tower and proceeded to go skeeter hunting. I would hit them with the towel with such precision that they had no time to escape. It was hilarious to do and was pretty fun. We fed a few of them to a spider that is in the dining room. He didn't like them dead.

We got ready for bed. And then we went to bed.

ninety

2008-11-30T06:16:00.000-08:00

I woke up at noon and jumped in the shower. Greg and I got ready and then packed up the suitcase with clothes and went to the laundry mat. We threw the clothes in and headed to the design center to take the pictures off Greg's camera so that he had more room for Florence. We went back to the laundry mat, threw the clothes int he dryer, then went to il Centro to get some groceries and um refreshments. We folded the clothes and headed back to the apartment.

We dropped off the suitcase and had lunch. I made some bruschetta and we had some salami and peperoni sandwiches. After lunch we headed out for the day. We went to the Duomo in hopes of climbing to the top to see the city at night. It was closed. We walked around the downtown area and I pointed out different things that I knew about. We went through the central market area where all of the stands are set up with people selling things. We got some Cuban cigars! We continued our stroll through the area and eventually stopped at a little Kebob place and got the Piadina Kebob. It started hailing like crazy while we were eating! We then headed back to the apartment. We cracked open a couple beers and talked to mom on gmail. We then opened a bottle of wine (Greg's first real time drinking it) and I showed him various wine tasting techniques. We split the whole bottle.

I planned tomorrow's itinerary and then we went to sleep.

Day 89: St. Andrews & Edinburgh

2008-11-29T05:36:00.000-08:00

We woke up at 8 and got ready. We paid for the hotel. We walked to the bus station and locked our bags in a locker. We went to the St. Andrews Castle.

As we went to pay, the lady informed us that because it was St. Andrews day that entry into the castle and the cathedral was free. Happy to get in for free, we skipped our way towards the castle. They were just the ruins of the castle that existed, but it still had some pretty cool things.. wells, dungeon, an unfinished mining tunnel. After the castle we headed towards the cathedral which was also ruins. We saw a part of the facade and some of the graves. We wandered around a few more streets and then went to the St. Andrews Museum. We saw some old clothing, weapons, coins, paintings, and statues. We then headed to the bus station.

We grabbed our bags and took a taxi back to Leuchars. We then boarded the train to Waverley Station . The train was packed and we were forced to stand for most of it. I remember seeing this really sweet bridge as we crossed over a canal on the train. You'll see the pic. Upon arrival to Waverley we searched for lockers for our bags. The only option was to pay 6 pounds. Greg gave them his bag and I decided to haul mine around. Since mine was a backpack it wasn't as awkward to carry as Greg's duffle bag. We then ventured through the streets of Edinburgh. We saw that the festival was going on and for a brief moment considered going on the ferris wheel. We diverted our direction and attention though and walked the opposite way. We passed various stores and souvenir shops on the way before coming upon St. Gile's church. We entered and walked around (pass some drunk man cussing out the scottish people... every single one of them). We walked up to the Edinburgh Castle (which was also free). We went through a museum that showed the Scottish weapons. We looked at the view on the city and then saw a prison that is connected to the complex. We also saw a jail, however the rooms didn't have cell bars so we couldn't imitate the prisoners.

Next we walked around a bit and finally decided to go to a restaurant for lunch. We each got fish n' chips (we had to, you know... its cultural). The fish was good but the chips were sparse. After eating we walked through the crowds at the festival and saw the ferris wheel again (maybe it was a sign to see it again... perhaps we should ride it?). Nah. We headed to the station to get Greg's duffle bag and then took the bus to the airport. We got online at the airport to send out a couple emails and then checked in for our flight. We waited for about 40 minutes and then they allowed us to board. We sat in the exact same seat as the one I took to Edinburgh from Florence. Greg sat by the window and the two of us had 3 seats in total. We took off. We played some rummy and ordered a whiskey and coke. Not just any whiskey either, but rather whiskey in a pouch, similar to how some restaurants give their salad dressings in a pouch that you tear to open. It was severely strong.

As we approached Pisa we started to experience some pretty intense turbulence. It started to storm and the lightning was pretty frequent. It seemed like a scene from a movie. Because it was so intense we had to bypass Pisa and land in Bologna. From there they kicked us off the plane so they could refuel. By the time we landed in Bologna we were already an hour behind schedule. Once we re-boarded and flew back towards Pisa (I fell asleep on this portion), we were 2 hours behind schedule. Before landing in Bologna I requested that we get a refund for the bus tickets that we had purchased. We were told to wait and have patience. They assured that the bus would wait for us and everything would be ok. When we went to board the bus, we quickly realized that the bus wasn't there. I tried asking someone for help but the language barrier restricted us from getting a clear answer. After about 30 minutes we realized that we had to find another mode of transportation. We found 3 other people and got a taxi. The cost for the ride was a ridiculous 175 euro. After trying to bargain and realizing that it wasn't going to work, we all gave in and realized that we had to do it.

An hour later we arrived to Florence. We told him to take us to Santa Maria Novella train station. He ended up going the wrong way and then just stopped and pointed us in the direction of the station. So not only did we get ripped off, we had to go out of our way to walk around the construction that is going on, in the pouring rain, and then walk back to my apartment. We, at last, made it to my place at 4 am. We got online and told our people that we were back and safe.

We slept.

Day 88: St. Andrews

2008-11-28T12:48:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 3 am. Not on purpose. Greg's snoring was out of control. I laid in bed contemplating whether or not I should just get up and get ready because I thought that I'd never be able to fall back asleep. Just kidding.

I woke up 15 minutes after the alarm began at 8 am. The alarm was actually playing music which my mind must have ignored due to it being..music..and not so annoying sound that every creature in the world must hate.

I jumped in the shower and got dressed. Greg and I then made our triumphant stroll to the course. We were taking pictures on the way and were surprised and how mild the weather was. It was cold under normal circumstances, yes, but this was Golf-at-st-andrews-day and nothing could have stopped us. We arrived to the course and inquired about playing at the Old Course which was our main goal anyway. We were told that due to frost, the course wasn't open and we'd have to wait until 9:30 for George (the starter) to give the okay. We waited and were told to check back at 10:30. We walked around to the different golf shops and got to see some clubs from the 1800's. One costs 2,750 pounds. No big deal, I guess. We went back to the course and checked the status. It was still closed. We waited around and George told us to go ahead and check out the clubs and he'd try to put us in as soon as he could. We checked out the clubs and went down to the locker room. It was sweet to be able to sit where all the greats have sat.

We went back upstairs and back to the first hole of the Old Course, which is about 400 yards away (and we walked back and forth between about 3 times by now). Finally at about 11:30, George let us begin.

At last, what we've been waiting for! We tee'd up and swung away. Greg's went straight as an arrow and mine... not so much. What made things so much better was the fact that the sun came out and it was truly a perfect day for playing. We battle through the first few holes until we both became loose. Greg shot 4 pars in a row and I had a few pars myself. We had a great time and both shot pretty well considering it was the Old Course. So much history and intimidation comes with it, yet the course didn't seem to be so terribly difficult.

After golfing it was nearly dark. We turned the clubs in and headed back to the hotel. We stopped there for a while because they had provided us with the password for the internet. We talked to both of our Mom's and filled them in on what we've been up to. We headed back to the hotel briefly and then made our journey through some less familiar streets. We found the castle and heard the sea water hitting the coast. He could only see part of the castle walls because of how dark it was but both agreed to come back the next day to see more. We also saw the ruins to the Cathedral. We continued on walking and came across a haunted building. We can't say much about why it was haunted, because it would scare you guys, but just know that it was, indeed, very scary. We headed out for lunch to a place called Little Johns. We both got cheeseburgers and fries again and they were unbelievably delicious. Probably so kind of weird Scottish Cow or something. It was at this point that we decided it would be a perfect opportunity for a pub crawl. We would go to the pubs that we passed and try some beers that we would normally drink. We ended up having 3 different kinds: Amstel, Fosters, and Tennents. We then headed back to the hotel because we were ridiculously stuffed.

We hung out at the hotel and wound down for the evening. Greg got in the shower and within minutes I was sleeping.

Day 87: St. Andrews

2008-11-27T12:05:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 7:30 and showered for art history class. We met in front of the Palazzo Strozzi to see the palace. Next we saw the Palazzo Rucellai by Alberti. And then we were off to S. Trinita to look at Girlandaio's Sassetti Chapel frescoes. We ended the class by visiting the basilica of S. Spirito by Brunelleschi.

And then I ran home. On the way, I stopped at SACI to print out my intinery and then went through the central market and got a couple scarves (you know, its cold up north). I got to the apartment and finished packing some things and rearranging the room so that it'd be ready for when Greg and I returned on Saturday night.

I left the apartment at 1 and headed to the train station. I got on the train to Pisa Centrale and listened to the iPod on the way. I got off the train there and transferred to one that led to the airport. I got to the airport and wandered around for a bit until they opened the check in line. I checked in, went through security, got my passport inspected, and waited by the gate to board. I was there for about an hour and read while waiting. I finally boarded and sat in the exact same seat as the one I took to London (because Ryanair has an open seating, so its first come first served for seats). We took off and I finally finished How To Be Good. I talked to a few girls heading to Scotland and then before I realized it, we were landing.

I exited into the terminal and went upstairs to look for Borders. It was non-existent. I wandered around for a while longer and then walked back downstairs and finally found Greg. He was carrying this heavy duffle bag that had become his enemy during his travels. We took a bus to the Waverly train station.

From here we bought the train tickets and boarded the train. We were on the train for a little over an hour and were discussing some very philisophical topics such as how heavy the duffle bag was, how thanksgiving was going back home, and how tight it will be to golf the Old Course. We finally arrived to Leuchars station and from there split a taxi with a couple. Our driver dropped us off at 38 Market Street at the Hoppity House. We rang the bell, knocked, rang the bell twice, knocked, shouted, rang the bell and held it in, and then made exasaperated screams. We wandered through the streets and I finally walked into a restaurant to ask if we could use their phone book to call the owner of the hotel. Once we got through, he was at another place of his and had thought we weren't coming so he had headed there. We met up with him and checked in to our room. Finally.

Then it was time to have our Thanksgiving feast. We looked around Market Street, going back and forth and finally deciding on (believe it or not) a chinese place in which we could get chicken and rice. We had a couple budweisers and ordered a sampler platter. The lady brought the plate out and expected us to each pay 5.40 pounds for that single plate. We politely explained to her that she was nuts for trying to charge us such amount and we sent the plate back. Hah. Next try: The grocery store.

We walked aimlessly through the store and finally picked up a loaf of bread, salami, peperoni, cheese, and pringles. We paid and headed back to the room to eat. On the way we passed a place that smelled so delicious that we both agreed that it would be best to eat there. We dropped off our lunch meat and headed back to the restaurant. We ordered cheeseburgers and fries. Happy Thanksgiving. And Thank You. It was delicious.

We ate this in the room and then went to sleep. Goodnight Chaps.

dia ate sicks

2008-11-26T14:39:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 7:59 and headed for the shower. I got dressed, grabbed the camera and tripod and took the bust to the fresco bottega. I filmed the students mixing color and preparing the cartoon. I got some footage of them transferring the cartoon for the sinopia, and of them applying more plaster. I went to lunch with the students and had some amazing pasta and meatballs from a small bar nearby. I got some footage of them actually painting on the fresco. And then it became 1 pm and I was late for book arts.

I finally got to book arts at 2 and told Patricia of the reason I was late. And then, I ventured out again to my apartment to get some money and then to some art supply stores in search for decorative paper and book cloth. All the stores seemed to be closed when I needed them most and was forced to ride around on the bike until they opened. At last, at 3:30 they did and I bought some decorative paper as well as some paper for my signatures for the next book we're doing on Monday. I got back to the Fuji center right at 4 and nearly everyone had already left. I did some more work on the stamp book and then headed to SACI.

I went upstairs to the library where I spent the next 4 hours doing research for my term paper. I found some images and articles online as well as some sources in the library. At nine, the library closed so I grabbed the bike and headed out. On the walk through the gallery I realized the back tire was extremely flat. Luckily, Alessia helped me grab a bike pump (how amazing that someone had a bike pumped) and I was on my way.

I made it home and talked to Greg online for a while before his flight. He leaves at 7:45 Cincinnati time for Edinburgh, Scotland. He should arrive a couple hours before me tomorrow (We're going to go golfing at St. Andrews!). For dinner, I made spaghetti and sauce with some garlic bread. After dinner, I did some research for the trip this weekend.

Now, it's time to sleep. Goodnight!

e i g h t y - f i v e

2008-11-25T14:29:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 9 and showered. I went to SACI at 10:30 am and then headed to the design center at around 11:30. I worked on my design stuff for a while. I took a break at 2:30 and ran back to my apartment for lunch. I had some of the leftover pasta that I made last night. Still delicious. I went back to the design center and continued working. I had my iPod hooked up to iTunes so when the class left at 4, I was rocking out. I ended up staying at the design center until 7 because I was so focused and in the zone. I loved it.

I ran over to SACI to grab the video equipment in order to tape the 2D exhibition in the SACI gallery. I helped Libby with setting up the food and then got some pretty good shots of people checking out the art within the gallery. However, It seemed that when the food ran out about 20 minutes after the gallery opened, people seemed to vanish through the cracks. I was surprised at how quickly the gallery emptied.

I hung around for a while talks to some friends. I then grabbed my backpack, camera, tripod, and bike and made yet another adventurous ride home with all 4 items (luckily it wasn't raining this time). I got home and tried to make some rice for dinner. Needless to say, my first time attempting such a feat failed miserable. After recuperaing from such a letdown, I got ready for the Jazz Club.

I love the Jazz Club. The fact that so many SACI students come together as well as the fact that we had 4 SACI students, who otherwise would be in different parts of the U.S. if it weren't for this school, all unite and play some incredible music, is riveting. They played two songs and were asked to play another. They weren't sure what to play so they decided to freestyle the entire thing. The music they created was so good. Alonzo freestyled some lyrics and Carl had a really nice solo on the drums. Brandon and Jeff both rocked their bass and guitar respectively.

At about 1:30 am, I felt it necessary to head home and get some rest. And I did.

ochenta y cuatro

2008-11-24T14:22:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 8 am wide awake and wondering why my light was still on. I got up and showered, had some frosted flakes and headed to the design center to plan out my life for the next three weeks. After accomplishing this, I went to SACI for art history. During class, I began outlining my term paper and doing some reading on the subject (I paid some attention to the lecture too).

After class, I had to go directly to book arts. During class I finished my book and continued working on the stamp book. From class, I went home and read some more of the Inferno. I then went to the supermarket and got some groceries that will hopefully last me a while because my funds are running severely low. I made some pasta with egg plant, yellow pepper, chicken, and spices for dinner. It was delicious, of course. I spent the rest of the evening relaxing and talking to friends.

I went to bed at 12.

Day 83: Rome & Tivoli

2008-11-23T14:10:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 7 again, showered, and felt energized for the day that lay ahead.

We left for the bus at 8:15 and took it to Villa Vorghese. We got to see a ton of amazing artwork by some pretty incredible artists. Two of which being Caravaggio and Bernini. One a painter. One a sculptor. Both awesome. My favorite from Bernini was the Apollo and Daphne that does a remarkable job and conveying a freeze frame in the history of mythology as well as time itself. The way that the figures are portrayed allows the viewer to visualize the moments leading up to Apollo having Daphne just within grasp. (Oh, and let's not forget to mention Raphael. We saw his School of Athens in the Vatican yesterday which I left out of the post for some reason).

And then it was time to get back on the bus for an hour ride to Tivoli. Our destination: Villa d'Este. Here we viewed some of the most beautiful fountains I've ever seen. The garden is filled with them which makes it a very serene space indeed. The villa is pretty nice too, I must add. We then headed to Villa Adriana, which is the largest of the Roman Villas. We walked around for a bit and then Brad, Nathan, Jeff, Alonzo and I ventured off on our own. I met a dog I named Adrian (clever, huh?) and then the 5 of us explored the sites of the Villa. We talked, laughed, meditated and made the most of the afternoon. After a couple of hours we all met back at the bus for the long 3 hour ride home. I slept for a while of it. I then drew and listened to music. I slept again and then we were in Florence.

I walked to the train station to get the bike and rode home. I talked to my parents online, had some tuna salad for dinner, and fell asleep at around 11 with the the lights on and still clothed.

Day 82: Rome

2008-11-22T13:46:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 7 am a bit delirious. It was a mixture of a new environment and a lack of sleep that left me slightly out of character. I showered and headed down for breakfast. After breakfast everyone seemed to have gone back to sleep but I wanted to see some of the early things on the itinerary so I sucked it up and grabbed my things.

The first stop was a museum that included a perspective trick. As you look at the architecture it seems to go back in space for quite a distance revealing a seemingly tall statue at the end. However, the lady working there walked back and she appeared to grow taller as she descended down the hallway. When she reached the statue it only came to her waist. It was brilliant. After this I began to drastically fade and the tiredness grew immensely.

I fought through and made it to the coffee break where I devoured a cappuccino and an espresso and felt revived and rejuvenated. Next we stopped at Bramante's Tempietto built over the spot where St. Peter is supposed to have been crucified. We got to see some delightful views of the city before heading to the Farnesina, a villa modeled after ancient Roman villas.

And then came the time in which we traveled to another country (yes, its true): the Vatican. We viewed various museums throughout and so more artwork than can be written here. We broke for lunch and then walked through some more galleries on our way to the Sistine Chapel. Once there, I was amazing. The fact that it only took Michelangelo 4 years to paint the entire ceiling is remarkable. The Last Judgement fresco was brilliant as well. It's tough to put in to words how compelling art like that is, but trust me, its magnificent to say the least. After the Vatican we headed to St. Peter's Basilica. After a while here, a group of us ventured off to see another church. However, we got turned around somehow and ended up near our hotel. At the sight of this, my lack of energy that consumed me in the morning returned and I decided to stay behind.

I took a bath and finished A Kiss Before Dying (which I give 2 thumbs up) and then napped for a while. I met up with kathryn, Melissa, and Heather and we went to a pizza joint for dinner. It was there that I discovered that all four of us are only children. What are the odds? After hanging out with them for a while, I went back to my room and relaxed. I read some more of The Inferno and went to sleep by midnight.

Day 81: Rome

2008-11-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

My alarm didn't go off. I woke up at 6:19 am. I panicked. Brushed teeth while dressing, grabbed bag and bike and ran out the door. I arrived to the station at 6:28 am. I called Alonzo to see what train they were on and ran to catch up. I made it.

On the train I read some more of my book and then took a little bit of a nap before arriving to Rome. We took a crowded bus to our hotel. Once we checked in, I took a quick shower to wake up and fix the outrageous hair that I was sporting from the morning rush.

We met in the lobby and ventured towards the former University of Rome. Next, we went to the S. Luigi dei Francesi church and viewed some work by Caravaggio. We saw his famous Calling of Saint Matthew. After this, and finally, we stumbled upon the pantheon. It was massive and incredible. Words can hardly even begin to describe how amazing it was to see this in person. The dome of the pantheon is the top of a perfect circle of which the pantheon was built upon. The next few stops include: S. Maria sopra Minverva church (which includes a statue by Michelangelo and frescoes by Filippino Lippi), Palazzo Venezia, and the church of S. Pietro in Vincoli.

Next, THE collosseum. We got to walk around inside and it was spectacular as well. Knowing the history and the age of this architectural masterpiece made it almost surreal. I walked around and envision what it must have looked like when it was brand new. The people in the crowd cheering and applauding the brutalism that transpired within. We all split up and group of us walked around for a while longer before getting some lunch. I had some pasta with cheese and a cappuccino. We then met at the Forum to see some incredible ruins of the city that was once so prosperous.

We attemped a few more churches throughout the day including: the church of Ss. Martina e Luca, the Gesu, Sant'Agostino, Sant'Agnese, the Piazza Navona, San'tIgnazio (which had a fake dome painted on a canvas on the ceiling), and atlast the Trevi Fountain. The fountain was magnificent in scale and beauty. It was built by Niccolo Salvi and later continued by Guiseppe Pannini.

I made a wish and threw a coin over my left shoulder as I faced opposite the fountain. We were then given free time. I wandered back to the hotel and met up with Alonzo and Brad. We rested for a while and then met up with some others at a restaurant near our hotel. We each got salads (which is what the restaurant is known for). After eating we all got some wine and headed back to the hotel. We played some chess, listened to music, played some cards, and then once the wine had been consumed, we wandered the streets. We came upon a piazza which a lot of other people came upon too. We spent a while there talking and having a good time. At last, at about 2 am we decided to go back.

I was exhausted from the extremely busy day and fell asleep almost immediately after laying down.

day eighty.

2008-11-20T14:48:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning at 9 am, was in the shower when the most peculiar thing hit me. I had totally slept through my 8:30 am art history class. This is what I was talking about in yesterday's post. I've become to overloaded with things that they have distracted me from the things they shouldn't distract me from. I rushed through the shower and took the bike to class. I snuck in the class quietly and just as I was sitting down, Helen made a comment that went something like:

'and here is a work by donatello, kind of late aren't we, this is a statue he did when was young, over an hour right, and he used the lost wax method...'

My entire life I've hated being late to class and being the center of attention at that moment where everyone looks at you and you know they are all wondering why you're late and then when Helen makes it known verbally it increases that awkwardness by 100%.

After class Helen drove her point even more by directly stating the obvious about my tardiness. I just said I had no excuse and that was the end of that. Had I tried to explain my severe case of being overcome with too many things, she wouldn't have understood.

I met with the video team and we headed to a couple of SACI apartments to shoot the interior of it. It was fun and we had some good times. I was pushed around on a rolly chair to get some nice motion shots of the space. After we were done taping, I grabbed my backpack and bike from SACI and headed to design. I spent 3.5 hours designing some more of my book and sent some comps to Matt, my advisor, to get his opinion about it. After class, I went to SACI to meet with Katerina, the director of the school of art, and Julie Barnes who is a dean at BGSU. We had some gelato and talked about my experience and the good and bad that has come with it. It was nice talking to them and it was relaxing to sit down and reflect a little bit. After this I went directly home, grabbed my clothes and ran to the laundry mat. I did the laundry, read some of my book grabbed some cereal and milk for the breakfast potluck at Melissa, Kathryn and Liz's apartment. A lot of people showed up and it was a great time, as all of the times with SACI students seem to be. It's said to think that there is only 3 weeks left with these people. After some talking, eating, drinking, talking, and 2 and a half hours I decided to venture home.

I caught up on all the blog entries and now hope to get everything packed up and ready to go for my weekend trip to Rome. Goodnight!

[79]

2008-11-19T14:30:00.000-08:00

I was supposed to film the fresco class this morning but it was canceled so I got to sleep in until about 11 am. It was delightful to finally catch up on sleep. I woke up and showered and did the usual routine. I headed to book arts at 1 and worked on a new book. I had a terrible headache though and ended up going home at about 3:30. I sat on the bed and seemed to have drifted off into a deep sleep. I woke up at 4:30 and it was pitch black in my room. I looked at the clock and saw the 4:30 and honestly thought it was 4:30 am and that I had slept all evening. I then realized that I was supposed to be at SACI at 4 so I panicked and rushed off towards school.

A side note/thought: I've become so overwhelmed with everything lately. There has been so much that I've had to deal with. It's tough to balance it all and it has caused me to overlook some of the things on my schedule (as you will see with tomorrow's post..nice foreshadowing, right?). I have my studio classes and final projects that I've been working on, a lot of taping recently at times that I'm not used to which has seemed to have distracted me from the things that I should be used to. Not to mention art history taking over my life with the final exam and ten page research paper that I'm sure no matter how amazing I feel it is, will never impress Helen who is quick to point out mistakes. I'm traveling a lot too and only have a few weeks left before I leave the people I've come to grow pretty close to. It's tough and I'm trying to balance it all. I've never been so scattered before. I need to just take a deep breath.

The rest of the crew was finishing up an interview when I arrived. Soon after, Heather had to leave so I did the last interview with a post-bac student named Nicole. I went upstairs afterwards and got the bibliography ideas for my research paper topic. I re-printed the slides for the final exam and then headed back downstairs. I went to tape the film night but only 3 students showed up. I talked to Tina (the teacher who shows the films) and she recommended that I come to her class and tape that. It's just so very tough to have to go to and spend entire class periods for classes I'm not enrolled in. It's fascinating, don't get me wrong, but it's as if I need more time than is allotted for my days to actually flow properly. I watched the film though. It was called the Ignorant Fairies. It was actually a pretty decent movie.

After the film, I rode the bike home and called Papaw. I told him about Venice and what I've been up to, how I've been overwhelmed, and what my future plans are. It was nice to talk to him. I also got to talk to mom and Greg online for a bit which was good. I also rearranged my room and inflated a blow up couch that Pedro had left behind. I was excited about that. I then went to sleep.

seventy eight

2008-11-18T14:21:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 8 am, showered, ate cereal and headed to SACI. We had a video meeting that began at 9:15 and afterward we did some student interviews. I left the school at 12:40 and grabbed a quick sandwich before heading to design class.

I spent a lot of time on designing my book in class. I was there from 1 - 7 pm. I did a lot of brainstorming and narrowed down my conceptual ideas. I worked on the cover and some initial spread ideas. I listened to my ipod as I was working and was really in the zone. It felt nice to devote so much time to it. I'm really focused on the book and am excited to watch it all come together.

I went home and made dinner which consisted of tuna, mayo, spices, tomatoes, onions, and pasta. My specialty it seems. I had a few glasses of wine and then met up with Pedro and his girlfriend to head to the Jazz Club. We had a nice discussion on the way about various topics. It was Pedro's last night so we had to go out and celebrate. When we arrived to the Jazz Club I ran into a lot of fellow students from SACI which I loved. It was nice seeing them outside of the studio and us all enjoying ourselves. After a little while Alonzo, Brandon and Jeff got up on stage and performed 3 songs. Alonzo sang while Brandon played bass and Jeff guitar. It was incredible and all of SACI was pumped.

We walked home, continuing our talk and then we said our goodbyes. I slept.

seven d seven

2008-11-17T13:58:00.000-08:00

I woke up at ten am, showered and had some cereal.

I grabbed my things and went off to art history class. I was sitting there when I realized that I had totally forgotten to tape the High Renaissance class that began at 8:30. The fact that I got home so late on Sunday night, It totally slipped my mind. So then I grabbed the camera and recorded some of the Early Renaissance class which didn't go well because every single thing seemed to be going wrong. I couldn't find a proper place for the camera and was being a distraction to the class and to Helen, which I hate doing.

After class I went home for a little while before my one o'clock class. I went to book arts and we exchanged our stamps for our group book. I then began working on the book and getting everything together for that. I ran out to the paper store to buy some paper and ended up leaving class right at 4. I went home for a little while and then headed to the Paperback Exchange which is an English language bookstore located near the Duomo. I wanted to buy the Divine Tragedy but it was too expensive. So then I went to the library at school and check out their version of the Inferno which is torn apart and quite frankly beginning its deterioration process.

After this, I went home and spent the evening talking to friends and reading some more of my book before finally drifting to sleep.

A dream: I was laying in my bed and had opened my eyes and before me was the Virgin Mary with angels surrounding her. I began to feel a tightening in my chest, a tingling sensation and began to lift out of my bed and rising up. I had a shrinking feeling and then it ended. (I didn't wake up though, I just ceased the dream. I actually remembered the dream on Tuesday. The bed I was laying in was the exact bed that I sleep in here. It felt so real).

Day 76: Venice

2008-11-16T16:11:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 7:45 am. I showered, packed my bags and headed to the hotel for breakfast. I had the same as yesterday but made a little ham sandwich for lunch.

First stop: The accademia gallery. We spent a while here and saw quite a few frescoes. One that I really enjoyed was the last Supper in the House of Levi because it was orginally painted as a Last Supper but was later changed to a supper in the house of Levis because the artist was challenged that his Last Supper had inappropriate figures.

Second stop: Peggy Guggenheim Collection of Modern Art. At last, modern art! It was so nice seeing all of the cubist and surrealist work that was housed here, including my boy Dali.

Third stop: Museo del Settecento Veneziano. There were a lot of famous ceiling frescoes here as well as some paintings that depict that carnivale that takes place in Venice each year.

[Lunch - Slice of Pizza and a hot dog that was baked into dough, haha]

Fourth stop: Scuola Grande di S. Rocco and Frari Church. The Scuola had Some really nice frescoes were also here and have been compared to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. The church included some of the coolest wood carvings I've ever seen.

Heather, Jane, Kathryn, Melissa, Michelle and I all rode a Gondola! The gondolier sang and whistled throughout and pointed out some buildings of interest. We went just as the sun was setting and it was a beautiful thing. The way the sun sets on the water in Venice is simply awe-inspiring.

We headed to the hotel, picked up our bags and took a long crowded boat back towards the train station. There train departed at 6:30 so I waved goodbye and waited a bit for my train. At 6:57 I departed Venice for Bologna. During the train ride I read more of A Kiss Before Dying and then had an hour layover in Bologna. While there I had a hot chocolate. I finally made it back to florence at about 11 pm. I waited for 40 minutes for a bus to come to Campo di Marte so that I could get to Santa Maria Novella. I finally made it home by 12:15 am.

Sleep.

Day 75: Venice

2008-11-15T12:08:00.000-08:00

7:45 am: wake up and shower.

8:15: breakfast at the main hotel. We were given: cereal, ham and cheese, biscuits, bread, fruit, yogurt, orange juice, coffee, tea.

8:50: visited monuments at Piazza San Marco including: the Piazza itself, the Piazzetta, Doge's Palace and the Basilica of S. Marco. Within each we viewed frescoes and other works of art. My favorite part was walking over the Bridge of Sighs which connected the palace to the jail. It is called such because as prisoner's would cross and get a glimpse of the light and water of the Canal they would sigh knowing that they were about to be placed in jail.

We took a break and then checked out the basilica of S. Marco. Inside was filled with mosaics. It was so beautiful. Be broke for lunch. I had a cheeseburger and Irish Coffee (cappuccino with Baileys). Next we took a boat to Murano which is known for its glass. We got a demonstration of someone blowing glass. He made a vase and a horse. After going through the shop we headed to the boat and went to Torcello which was a favorite spot of Hemingway. Then we went to Burano which is known for its lace. After a while there, we took the boat back towards Venice.

An hour and a half later we arrived. Kathryn, Melissa, Heather, Jane and I all wandered around the city and went to various shops along the way. After a bit we ran into some other students and formed a giant group. We set a game plan to meet for dinner and ended up going to a Chinese Restaurant. I ate baked duck, fried rice, and split dumplings with pork. There was a big fiasco with paying the bill that basically went like this: We were handed a check with just prices, no words to accompany them, then we tried to add up our meals and then hope that it matched the price on the check (it didn't), so then we had to finally just each pay individually. It was a very complicated situation.

We went back to the hotel for a bit then we walked around as a large group. We finally settled on a place in the S. Marco piazza and listened to someone playing the piano inside one of the restaurants. We spent a few hours here with the large group and it was this moment that I probably enjoyed the most. Getting to know the other students and have an all around great time. After everyone left, Alonzo, Jeremy and I were left. We sat around talking and were approached by the police. They asked for our passports (which I didn't have with me) and then after about 10 minutes of us all standing in an awkward circle as they filled out some form, they said 'thanks' and walked away. Very weird.

I went to bed.

Day 74: Venice

2008-11-14T11:52:00.000-08:00

[notes from the moleskine sketchbook]

5 am: wake up, shower.

5:40: leave for train station.

5:50: arrive to station, realize I forgot my pass. Ride bike back to apartment.

6:05: arrive at station (part 2)

6:24: depart from Firenze SMN to Firenze Campo di Marte train station.

6:38: depart for Bologna for another train.

10:08: arrive to Venice. I walked around as soon as I got there and marveled at the beauty that lay before me. I saw the Grand Canal and had a mini panini on one of the bridges. I read some of the new book I picked up entited, A Kiss Before Dying.

11:25: met up with the rest of the class. I took a separate train than them so as to use my Eurail pass and save money on the overall cost of the trip. Once they arrived we checked in to the hotel. Alonzo, Allie, Jeremy and I shared a room that was actually separate from the hotel and the rest of the class. We then went to the church of St. Giorgio. We looked at the various artwork and then went up to the top of the campanile and got to see a very beautiful view of Venice.

3:30: free time. Alonzo, Eve, Jeremy, John and I walked around the streets. We found a small convenient store and bought some wine. I went to a bench right next to the canal opened the wine and watched the sunset create the most beautiful color I may have ever seen. It was remarkable. We headed back to the hotel. We met up for dinner with a good portion of the class. I had Baked Fish lasagna that was delightfully delicious. I tried tiramasu and flan for the first time. We then had a few people come back to our hotel room since we weren't connected to the main hotel. We opened more wine and spent the evening conversing, laughing, and enjoying ourselves.

2:30 am: sleep.

dia seventy three

2008-11-13T13:36:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 8am and felt the worst I've felt since the sickness began. I had an awful cough; the type of cough that makes you not want to cough because its so bad. I showered, got dressed and reluctantly walked to the Medici Palace for art history. I got my headsets, stood around for a few minutes while Helen talked about the exterior, and then turned in the headset and walked home. I drank some tea and went back to sleep.

I woke up at noon, got dressed, ate some spaghetti for lunch and headed to the design center. I spent the entire class working on the cover and a map idea that I have for the book. I left the design center at 4:30 and headed to the supermarket to get a can of soup. I devoured the soup once I got home then went to lay down again. I didn't sleep though, I read a new book I picked up yesterday called 'A kiss before dying.' I talked to mom for a bit online and then drank some more tea. I cleaned my room so that when I get back Sunday it won't be a disaster. The floor was full of tissues and clothes.

I just took some more medicine and am listening to music, getting ready to go to bed and get about 6 hours of sleep before heading to the train station.

'Night

7 2

2008-11-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

I set the alarm for 8 am. Hit snooze 6 times and finally crawled out of bed. I showered, got dressed and headed to Heather's to pick up the camera and tripod. I then took bus 33 to the Fresco studio. I got some nice process shots there, as well as some more classroom shots with different students. I only shot for about an hour before taking bus 23 back to Santa Maria Novella. I grabbed a tea from the cafe and headed to SACI for a video meeting. We discussed future plans for shooting and shot some ideas at each other.

Next up: book arts. I finished my coptic stitch and got my paper for the group book we've been working on in which we will all exchange editions of our stamps with each other so that in the end we each have a copy of the book.

I went back to my apartment after class and relaxed for about an hour and talked to my mom online. I then went back to SACI to do some research for my art history paper. I began reading The Inferno by Dante and it is extremely interesting so far. We follow the pilgram on his journey through Hell and Dante breaks down the various levels of it. A lot of artists based their hell scenes on the descriptions that were given by Dante in part one of his Divine Comedy. I printed out the review slides for the final art history exam and then headed downstairs to tape Film Night. However, Tina wasn't there tonight so instead I watched the film without getting the equipment out. We watched Stealing Beauty and it wasn't the most exciting film I've ever seen. The acting was mediocre, except for Jeremy Irons who is a gifted actor. It dragged on forever too, but maybe my agitation was due to my cold more so than the actual movie itself.

After the movie, I rode my bike (oh, I must mention that Pedro let me have his bike since he is leaving in a few days to go to Barcelona) back to the apartment. I made some crepes (awesome) and then got ready to head to the Jazz Club.

The Jazz Club was amazing. There was someone playing guitar, bass, drums, and eventually a flute and piano. A woman, who had an amazing voice, sang a few songs too. I left there around quarter after 1 am and headed back on bike, in the rain, to my apartment. I was pretty hungry so I made a little spaghetti, drank some Vitamin C tea, and am now laying in bed with my eyes beginning to get extremely heavy!

Goodnight!!

seventy one

2008-11-11T14:39:00.000-08:00

As I tossed and turned throughout the night, my throat progressively worsened. I woke up with the most awful soreness in my throat that made it difficult to swallow. I hit the snooze about 15 times in a row before finally getting out of bed.

I shaved off my beard today. Back to the basics. I showered, ate some cereal, drank some delicious tea to help to soothe my throat and headed to SACI for the video meeting. We went through the tapes and numbered them chronologically by date shot and viewed some of our shots. I was impressed with them and am excited to get back to BG to begin the editing process! I went to the design center, stopping for some food on the way. We had a guest lecture by Patricia (my book arts teacher) to all of the students who are interested in making booklets for the last design project. During this time, I worked on my stamp for the group book we're doing in book arts.

After class, I made a depressing walk home in the cold rain with my nose running faster than my stride. I went to the supermarket to hopefully buy some cold medicine but without luck. I bought a few groceries and headed back to the apartment to mope around in my sick state. I gargled salt water, made a couple posts in the blog to catch up, and took a nap.

Two hours later, I woke up. I went to the bathroom and tried to use the power of persuasion against my mind to feel better. It didn't work. I made some soup and then talked to Greg online. My throat worsened and so I made some tea which helped. Now, I will spend the evening laying around trying to stop my nose from running and watching Over the Hedge.

Goodnight!

Seventy [already?]

2008-11-10T09:03:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 9:30 am, got a shower, ate some corn flakes (when will I get tired of them?) and headed to art history. I doodled during the lecture because I'm afraid that if I don't I will fall asleep unexpectedly. It's not that the lectures are boring or that the information within them is boring, its that there is so much information given that it can be mentally overwhelming. I do find, though, that I retain a lot of the information even though I am sketching.

I headed to book arts, on the way stopping for a panini for lunch. We were given a demo for the next book and then Jenn and I walked to il Plastico for some material to make our covers out of. I finished up one book and began a new one before calling it a day and heading back to my apartment. I talked to my mom for a bit on gmail and then headed to the design center to work on my stamp for book arts as well as to export my identity to a .pdf so that I could send it to Camilla.

After the design center, I went to SACI to film the Open Drawing. From there, I ventured back home and had dinner. I called Papaw to fill him in on what has been going on the past week. A few minutes before I called him, I noticed that I was getting a runny nose. I figured it was ok because my throat felt fine, but then a few minutes after that thought, my throat started to hurt.

I took some Tylenol and then talked to Greg for a bit. I went to bed.

69: Urbino, Sansepolcro & Monterchi

2008-11-09T08:35:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 7:15, had the coldest shower imaginable and then headed down to breakfast. They served us fruit, yogurt, and some cake.

We got on the bus and headed to Urbino. There we saw the birthplace of Bramante and Raphael as well as some other monuments. We saw the Ducal Palace which was built for Federico da Montefeltro. We broke for coffee and then saw the House of Raphael, which is where he was born. It included work from his father, also an artist, including a little well in which his father would ground his pigments. We saw 2 oratories, which are small chapels belonging to religious societies.

We broke for lunch. I had a ham and cheese panini and a water. I was scrapin' low for money at this point because I had taken less than I actually needed. We met back at the bus and embarked on our two hour journey towards Monterchi. We only saw one thing there which was the Madanna del Parto which reveals a pregnant madonna. A half hour later we boarded the bus again to make our last stop in Sansepolcro. Here we saw various things including the Civic Museum and the Cathedral. Within both included wonderful frescoes including the Resurrection by Piero della Francesca.

We finally boarded the bus for the last time and made another two hour journey back to Florence. I got home and made some pasta for dinner and got my things organized for the week to start.

I slept.

68: Arezzo & Assisi

2008-11-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 6 am and showered. Got some last minute things together and headed towards Piazza Independenza. I boarded the bus, got comfortable and began my nap as we made way for Arezzo.

Upon arrival, we headed to the church of S. Francesco to view some frescoes by Piero della Francesca that illustrated the Legend of the True Cross. We saw some various other things including a fake dome that was painted on canvas and then applied to the ceiling of a church. The dome only looks realistic from one vantage point and is interesting to view it from other angles. We also saw: an alterpiece by Lorenzetti, Piazza Grande, Gothic Cathedral and the House of Vasari.

At noon we returned to the bus for a while before stopping at a rest stop for lunch. I had a chicken sandwich and some chips. It was ridiculous expensive there. We then continued on to Assisi. There we saw the church of S. Francesco that includes the Life of St. Francis which are some amazing frescoes by Pietro Lorenzetti. Helen wasn't able to talk to us about the frescoes, though, because students from Rome had reserved the upper church for a prayer.

Other things we saw in Assisi: church of S. Chiara, the central square, church of S. Maria sopra Minerva, and the S. Rufino Cathedral. We then headed back to the bus for a 40 minute ride to the Counter-Reformation church of S. Maria degli Angeli. This area also includes the site in which St. Francis had died. Back to the bus for another 2 hour ride to our hotel.

We checked in, threw our things in our respective rooms and then went downstairs for dinner. We had 2 long tables for the 50 of us. Our first course was pasta with tomato sauce, in which they topped our plates 2 - 3 times. It was marvelous. Helen had mentioned that they served meat too but I figured that since we were getting so much pasta because they weren't going to serve us meat. I was wrong. Next, they served us salad and lentils. Then, they served us 2 pieces of pork and one peace of veal. And then, to top it all off they served us little pieces of pie for dessert. All the while, the group of us (Alonzo, Jeremy, and Brad) all split 4 bottles of wine between us. Needless to say, we each felt great and the atmosphere of the room and the others around us made the evening even better. We stayed up til about 12:30 am and finally had a push up (yes, push ups) competition before bed. Prior to sleeping, I deemed it appropriate (and thankfully so) to drink 6 cups of water.

I fell into slumber.

the sixty seventh

2008-11-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 7:30 am. I heard someone shuffling around so I had to jump up and claim the shower before them! I got ready, grabbed the video camera and tripod and headed for the bus stop. I took bus number 8 to the Orsini stop (about ten minutes) and walked through some streets until I came upon 23-r (the address of the fresco shop). I met with Mario the instructor and then spent three hours learning about the fresco technique and filming the students at various stages in the process.

I left at 12:30 and took a random bus that I found that took me to Santa Maria Novella (the train station). I walked to SACI and returned the tripod. I then walked home and had lunch. I did laundry and then headed back towards SACI. I spent a few hours logging some tapes. I left SACI at 7 and headed back home again. I made pasta (go figure) for dinner. I then retreated to my room where I put away the clean laundry and straighted up my room. I packed my backpack with an extra outfit because I'm leaving tomorrow morning at 6 am to travel to 5 towns around Italy before returning Sunday at 9 pm.

After those tasks were completed, I spent about an hour researching things to do and see in Barcelona (this is a foreshadowing).

Now, It's 11:30 pm already and I must try and get some sleep before the busy 2 days ahead of me. Goodnight!

66

2008-11-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning at 7:30. I showered, ate some corn flakes, a banana, and drank some OJ. I got ready, hit play on the iPod and headed to San Marco. I met up with the class and Helen showed us around the Fra Angelico Museum where we got to see work by, you guessed it, Fra Angelico.

After class, I went home and had some leftover pasta for lunch. I received an email from Heather to shoot the Fresco class tomorrow, so I spent a while trying to figure out which bus I should take to get there. Bus 8.

I left a little before design class began to take some photographs for the last portion of my identity system. During class, I put some final touches on the Identity and began exploring ideas for the book. I went to SACI after class to film the advanced painting class. The batteries were dead on the camera and there was a big fiasco about finding the battery charger. I plugged the camera into the wall and then filmed Alonzo painting for an hour. I started it when he had blank tiles in front of him and let it tape through to show the final piece. It should be cool to time lapse it and show the painting seemingly appear on the tiles.

I packed up the camera and tripod and my backpack and hopped on a bike with all three. Let's just say that trying to ride a bike at night with 3 things and slight rain wasn't the most fun I've had this week. I got home and made chicken cordon bleu and french fries for dinner. I then began my self portrait sketch. Intertwined between sketching, I talked to my parents on gmail and some friends on AIM.

Now it's bedtime!

dia sixty five

2008-11-06T05:14:00.000-08:00

I set my alarm for 5:50 am so that I could see the election results. Obama won!

I went back to sleep until about 11 am. I woke up, showered and had breakfast. I read some articles about election night and viewed McCain and Obama's speeches. I went to class.

In book arts we learned how to do a new type of book. We use screws to bind it all together which is perfect because it allows me to still be able to show the progress of my final book while still being able to add to it once I get home. Since the book is converting this blog into a physical form, I want to include the journey home as well. The book will be submitted to the teachers 2 weeks before my journey has actually concluded so this is the perfect solution.

After class, I went to il Plastico, a plastic store (believe it or not), to pick up some screws for the book then went home to make dinner. I had pasta with tuna, onion, tomatoes, spices, and mayonnaise. I spent the rest of the day flipping between sketching ideas for the book and emails. I relaxed for a bit and then attempted to sketch a self portrait. It didn't go as well as I wanted it to, so now I have to master the sketch to prove to myself that I still got the knack for drawing.

I went to bed at 12:30 am.

eight squared

2008-11-04T08:49:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 10 am. I thought it was early in the morning still. I looked at the clock and realized I had overslept. I jumped out of bed and got dressed. I made a quick sandwich for lunch and ran out the door.

I got to SACI for the video meeting at 10:30. I discussed my degree audit with Heather for a bit and then we started the meeting. We were given our tasks for the week. I left the meeting and headed to the design center for class. The only problem was that I forgot to set my watch back and hour so I ended up arriving an hour early.

In class, I made some pretty good progress on the Identity. I'm going to finish it all on Thursday and then move on to laying out my book. I can't wait. I have so many ideas for the book. After class, I went home and showered. I kept it simple for dinner and made spaghetti. I then decided to spend the evening reading articles, reading my book, and talking to family. I stayed up until 2 am attentively watching the polls come through until I finally fell asleep.

il giorno sessanta tre

2008-11-03T12:55:00.000-08:00

I woke up to my own accord this morning at 8:40 am. I ate, you guessed it, cereal. I showered. I gathered my things, grabbed a hoodie, and went to SACI.

I dropped off the travel books on Paris and London that I checked out and then headed to Art History class. At the end of class Helen distributed our midterm exam results. I got a B. Yes. I'm so excited that I did well enough to pull it up with the paper and final exam. Now that I know what to expect for the final, I think I'll be more prepared mentally for it.

After art history I headed to book arts. I ate a sandwich that I had made this morning for lunch. I'm on a strict budget at the moment, which means no more spending 3 euro on paninis. I went into the classroom and Cathy, the serigraphy teacher informed us that Patricia is out sick. We each signed a piece of paper declaring our presence and then I left for the design center. I worked on some cover ideas for the book I'm making.

I went home around 3 pm and began finishing up the blog entries for the past week. I'm finally caught up now! I watched three episodes of Entourage and talked to some friends and family online. I had some spaghetti that Antonio made for dinner. I've spent the rest of the evening browsing the net, reading articles, checking out Facebook, and listening to iTunes.

I'm going to read some of my book and get some sleep. Goodnight guys!

Sixty 2

2008-11-02T20:55:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 8:30 wide awake. The fact that I had actually stuck to the schedule and had been used to waking up so early, it was refreshing to know that I had to full day to do absolutely nothing. I had cereal for breakfast and got a shower. I posted a couple of entries and read some articles about the election.

I then got dressed and headed to the Ikea Shuttle. I went to Ikea for one reason. To get a blanket because the thin one that was provided to me isn't really a blanket at all and is, in fact, quite useless. I walked through the store and ended up buying more, of course. I ended up getting: A blanket, a pillow, a candle, a pan (the one's here are so scratched up) and a bamboo plant. I took the shuttle home.

Once I got back to my room I hooked my iPod up to my computer and listened to some music as I straightened it up. I wanted to clean it so that I could have a fresh start to the second half of the semester. After getting it done, I made dinner: Fried potato cubes and bean soup that I found at the store.

I spent the rest of evening doing some pointless web browsing for apartments in London if I were to ever get a job there, haha. I also started some planning on what I should take to my apartment back in Bowling Green for next semester. I talked to my parents for a bit and then went to bed at around midnight.

sixty first day

2008-11-01T20:49:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 7:15 and was shocked to see that everyone was still sleeping (our train was schedule to arrive to Florence at 7:30). The French father told me that the train had been delayed two hours. I went back to sleep and then woke up at around 8:45. I got my shoes on and put my book back in my backpack. I spent the next 30 minutes or so with a real sense of happiness as we approached Florence. The sun shining through the window and the wind was hitting my face (warm wind too, not the cold air that I had been used to the past 8 days). We arrived to the Campo di Marte station and I had to wait a few minutes to catch a train to the Santa Maria Novella station. I remember walked through the train station and was just overcome at how amazing the past 8 days had been. I had actually experienced something that seemed so far fetched a year ago.

I got back to my apartment, showered, and wrote a couple of the entries for the blog that I wasn't able to post during my week of travels. I went to the supermarket and bought some groceries for the next couple weeks. I made some spaghetti for dinner.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing. I talked to friends and family and told them a little bit about my trip. I called Papaw to let him know that I had made it home safely and filled him in on all of the cool things that I did and saw. I went to bed at around 11:30 and had a truly relaxing night's sleep.

Day 60: Paris

2008-10-31T20:37:00.000-07:00

The 4th and final day of Paris started promptly at 8:30 on Halloween. I had some cereal, showered, packed my thigns up, deflated the air mattress, and then headed out.

I first went to the Musee d'Orsay and saw some of the great artists that I remember studying, and that you probably undoubtedly have heard of. Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, and Cezanne pretty much controlled the top floor of the museum. I saw the famous Bedroom by Van Gogh, and some of the figure studies by Monet. I walked around the rest of the museum and saw some realist painting that I really liked. I love realisim in painting and the way that the artist can create an environment that seems so real. It has always fascinated me.

I met up with zach at 12:30 and headed to the Pantheon. We ate at a small cafe before going inside. The pantheon is a massive structure that seems to suck you in. The floorplan is open, no pews or alters, with just frescoes and some sculptures. We saw the pendulum which miraculously gives the exact time. It is something that has to be seen in person to full appreciate the science behind it. We went down to the crypt and saw the various tombs of our history as well as the amazing architecture that was present even under the church.

Zach and I separated and I headed to the O'chateau Wine Tasting. They taught us varous techniques for how to properly drink and taste wine. There three ways to handle wine: through sight, through smell, and through taste. The guide taught us a way in which we can get more flavor out of the wine by doing a sort of gargling procedure which allows the wine to diffuse throughout one's mouth. We tried three wines: 1 white and 2 red which all tasted so much better than the wine I've been drinking thus far (perhaps the amount I spend on the wine has something to do with it?).

I went back to the apartment afterward, picked up my things, said my goodbyes and thank yous, and headed to the Metro for my last journey of the 4 day expedition towards Bercy station. As I arrived I was shocked to see so many people waiting in such a small lobby for the train. It has been delayed 15 minutes, but since I arrived 45 minutes early, I had to wait an hour to board. I finally did and shared the cabin with a French man and his two daughters. We chatted a bit and then I read before falling into a relaxing slumber.

Day 59: Paris

2008-10-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 8:30 and did the usual routine. I left the apartment and stopped first at the Arc de Triomphe. I climbed the stairs to the top and took some pretty nice cityscape photographs. It was cold but the weather was clear enough to see pretty well. As I descended to leave, I was told that I had to wait for the procession that was taking place to end before I could head down to the Metro. The cop told me 10 minutes, which actually took about 30 minutes. It was so windy at the procession and the cold decided it did not want to let up.

Finally, I took the Metro to the RER train and headed to see Corbu's Villa Savoye. I just took a Modern Architecture course last semester so it was exciting to see a house that we studied up close and to actually walk through it. The house was located in zone 5, however, so I had to buy separate bus passes and a different train ticket back (which doesn't really make sense considering you pay so much for the Paris Pass which is supposed to include the travelcard, but it only covers zones 1-3).

Before boarding the train back, I stopped at a cafe and had a chicken club on a panini sub with a hot chocolate. I took the RER back and then transfered back to the Metro and headed to the Grevin Museum (which is a wax museum). I saw all the celebrity wax models but was also interested to see some important historical figures such as Da Vinci, Dali, Hitchcock, and Hemingway.

I met zach at 4:30 at the Eiffel Tower. It was raining and freezing but she still bought tickets to go to the top. The view was amazing and it was well worth it. I remember back in the summer telling my parents that I was going to go up on top even though I am (or maybe I just was) afraid of heights. We went in the evening so it was pretty cool to see the transition from daylight to night and witnessing all of the lights turning on. We met a few kids from Canada up there who were traveling through Europe and also got to witness a proposal.

We headed back to Zach's apartment and then the unthinkable happened. I ate McDonald's. It was the only option, truly, and as long as I don't have McDonald's in Italy (which would be ridiculous to do with such lovely food to make) then I'll be okay.

I watched American Psycho with Christian Bale for the first time ever and then went to bed.

Day 58: Paris

2008-10-29T20:04:00.000-07:00

My first true day of visiting the sites in Paris began at 8 am. I showered, ate some cereal (which I had purchased last night before going back to the apartment) and headed to the Louvre.

I took the Metro and actually ended up directly underneath the Louvre. I walked out of the gate and saw the inverted pyramid and it suddenly hit me that I was there. It was surreal seeing it. It must have been amazing for others because a ton of people were taking pictures. I walked through the line and presented my Paris pass. My first target: Mona Lisa. I weaved through the crowds and walked towards the room that Mona lives. On the way I passed a Cimabue panel that we had discussed in class. I said hello to it and carried on my mission. As I walked in the room there was a crowd of people surrounding the painting. I made it to the front and was suddenly let down by how anticlimactic it was. It was small; way smaller that I had ever thought. It was also pretty far away since they roped the crowd off. It was also placed behind glass which made it awful to photograph. I tried anyway though, as did the rest of the room.

I continued to walk around the Louvre and view some pretty amazing 19th century paintings. I tried to find the Renaissance hall but instead found a room full of rugs with gold striations. Let down, and hungry, I left for the food court located near the museum. As I ate, I planned my next few stops. I took the train for about 20 minutes to visit the Dali Museum. It was amazing, but more so was the town that it was located in. It consisted of a lot of little shops and had many artists set up hoping for customers for them to paint portraits of. This area also marks the first time I tried the Crepes.

I went back to the center of Paris and headed towards the Cathedral of Notre Dame. I got to view the monumental size of the church from the inside and see all of the French Gothic architecture that provides its structure. I tried to look for the crypt but after many failed attempts of asking where it was, I gave up. I had dinner near the Cathedral and then headed back to the apartment. I was exhausted from the long day and even though we through a movie on, I was asleep within 10 minutes.

Day 57: Paris

2008-10-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 4:30 am. I got some last minute things together, ripped of the sheets from my bed, and checked out of the hostel.

I got to the station and went through security before boarding my Eurostar train towards Paris. I slept for about an hour of the trip. I woke up and got a muffin and water from the concession on the train and read some more of the book.

I arrived to Paris at about 9:30 am Paris time (8:30 am London time) and began my trek to find the Hard Rock Cafe to pick up my Paris Pass. I asked a few Parisians for some assistance and they seemed happy to help. This dispelled the preconceived notion that Parisians hated Americans. So that was good. 30 minutes of walking and I finally strolled through the Hard Rock doors. I picked up the pass and then used the wireless internet to plan some of the things I wanted to do and got to chat with my mom on gmail. I ordered a hamburger and fries and then borrowed my waiters phone to call Zach and let him know I was in town.

I took the Metro (the Parisian equivalent to London's Underground) to meet up with Zach and his roommate, Matt. We took a few trains to get to their apartment. The apartment is extremely small, but has a lofted area that has enough room for one of the beds. The other bed is located in the living room/kitchen/dining room area. I dropped of my bags and Zach and I ventured off into the center of the city. We saw the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Louvre, and Notre Dame. We met up with a couple of his friends and went to eat at 'Creperia de Cluny.'

After eating, we went back to the apartment. I was given an air mattress (which was amazing considering I had assumed I'd just be crashing on the floor). I registered for my spring semester classes back at Bowling Green and then watched Caddyshack.

I went to bed.

Day 56: London

2008-10-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 8 am.

I took the bus to Oxford Street and went inside a giant Borders Bookstore. I looked through the new Eminem book, and thought about buying a couple new novels. I didn't though. Instead I got a couple magazines and went to the Starbucks located in the bookstore. I got a Venti Mocha Cappuccino and looked through the mags. The weather was rainy and cold, so it was relaxing to sit indoors with the coffee.

After leaving the bookstore, I walked to Renior Cinema. I got a ticket for the film Burn After Reading starring Pitt, Clooney, and Malkovich. I was surprised that the film was included as part of the London Pass, so I jumped at the opportunity to see it. It was pretty funny and even hilarious at parts. I also went to see Ben Franklin's house. I got a tour of it and learned that the owner before Franklin was a doctor who had thrown the bodies of his experiments into a pit and buried them. They recently discovered the graves and had some of the bones on exhibit. The tour guide also showed us some of the rooms of his house. Each looked very similar, meaning that they were all square and shape and included a fire place.

My fourth day in London was pretty laid back because I had seen so much in the first three days. I went back to the hostel after Franklin's house and got everything together. I ran to the train station to pick up my Eurostar train ticke to Paris and then talked to Mark, one of the roommates at the hostel. He told me about how he lives in India now and basically spends his days meditating. He was explaining, as best he could, about spirituality and told me some of his own stories. He wasn't preaching about it, though, just merely telling me of his experiences and said that its different for everyone.

I went to sleep.

Day 55: London

2008-10-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

I woke up at what I thought was 8 am, but since it was daylight saving's time in London, it was really 7 am. I had breakfast, showered, and got ready for the day.

My first stop was the Houses of Parliament. It was raining and since I had left earlier than I thought, the houses weren't open. However, I saw them from the outside and got to shoot some photos of Big Ben, so I was happy nonetheless. I also saw Westminster Abbey before taking a bus towards Hyde Park. When I got off the bus, I went right rather than left and ended up cutting through Green Park. This worked out beautifully though because I stumbled upon Buckingham Palace. Just as I arrived, they were doing the changing of the guards.

I then made my way in the proper direction towards Hyde Park. It is a beautiful park with gorgeous gardens of flowers and plants. I saw a poor rat that was sick or something on the way because he was just sitting on the sidewalk, but anyway, I digress. I walked along the trails and found an amazing tree that's branches grew up and then bowed down towards the ground on all sides. Thus, you can walk into the tree and be totally engulfed by its limbs. As I continued on, I came across the Princess Diana Memorial Walk and walked along the Serpentine lake. There were some interesting looking birds by the lake that would dive into the water and catch crawl dads, or crawfish, or as one british person told me: yebby.

Next, I went to the Royal Albert Hall. This space is used for many things, but most frequently is used for concerts. We got to a tour of the entire building and learned a little bit of the history. For instance, although Albert had planned the creation of the hall, he had died before it could be built, so his wife built it in his honor. Throughout the staircases of the hall you can see a lot of A's located on the railings to further exemplify her love for him.

After Royal Albert Hall, I stopped into the science museum and looked through the store at all the little trinkets before taking the bus to my next location. When I got off the bus, I stopped to eat. I had a piece of pizza and some cheesecake (this was the first time I've had cheesecake since beginning my European journey and it tasted so good). After eating, I went to the Museum of Brands, Packaging, and Advertising. I got to see the transition of various packaging designs over time which I found to be extremely interesting. I also saw memorabilia spanning from the early 20's all the way to present day. I took the bus back to the center of town and on the way must have dropped my travelcard.

I had to buy a 1 day bus pass for the rest of my traveling for that day. I went to a theatre called Curzon Mayfair in SOHO. I saw an Italian film (english subtitles) called Caos Calmo. It was pretty good, but the fact that I was watching the film in London added to the excitement. After the film, I was exhausted and took the bus back towards the hostel. I bought some ravioli from a little supermarket to heat up at the hostel. I showered, read some of my book, and then went to sleep.

Day 54: London

2008-10-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 8 am, showered, and went downstairs for the free breakfast. Choices: cereal and bread. I had a bowl of corn flakes and some toast with jelly. I left at 9 am and began my first true day of London sightseeing.

First, I went to the London Eye. It was a beautifully sunny day and I thought that I should seize the opportunity to check out the view. The eye continuously moves and takes 30 minutes to travel around the entire thing. It is similar to a ferris wheel, however the capsules allow you to stand and are entirely closed in, with enough room for 20 people comfortably. The views were great and I was able to see a lot of the major landmarks. The London Eye wasn't included as part of the pass and costs 15 pounds to go up.

After the Eye, I took a ride on a boat in the Thames River Cruise. The guide pointed out a lot of landmarks along the way and it was cool to be able to be on the Thames. After getting off the boat, I visited the Tower of London. I went through the very parts of the tower, and read about the history of what it was used for and its expansion in size and shape throughout time. The tower of london is more of an army base than a single tower, and includes many small towers with a larger portion in the center. I also viewed the the Crown Jewels which included alot of the crowns and other pieces of garment that the Royal families have had thoughout history. After the Tower of London, I ate a sandwich and potato for lunch and headed to the Tower Bridge. Inside there are videos giving the history of the bridge and its means of construction. It only takes 1 minute for the bridge to lift in order for ships and large boats to pass into the port easily. I also viewed the steam engine that is used to propel the bridge to raise so effortlessly.

I went to the design museum. It wasn't covered with the pass, so I spent a while looking through the bookstore which had a lot of fascinating things. Many intriguing books and little things that were interesting. For instance; salt and pepper shakers that hug eachother. What is a trip without a little bit of danger and forced reckoning of safety. I looked to the left (as taught before crossing a street) and went to cross and then, instinctively stopped and put up my hands and in doing so a bus had barely grazed the tips of my fingers. Not a normal bus. A giant, red, scary bus. I was instantly in shock and frozen with fear. I stepped back to gather my composure. My heart was racing so bad and I couldn't help but think about if I had decided to jog across to the road rather than walk. It was crazy.

However, I did brush this off and regain my ability to think. Why does London have to have streets that are opposite what I'm used to? Huh?! I head to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. I get my ticket and walk around the gallery and read a little bit of history about the Globe. After about 30 minutes, I meet in the lobby with others to begin a tour. We are told about the construction and how the current Globe is really the third version and wasn't actually built until the 20th century by a filmmaker who wanted to pay hommage to Shakespeare.

Next up, the Tate Modern museum. Needless to say, I was pretty tired by this point, but was excited to see works by Picasso as well as some pretty neat cubist statues. I walked through the floors and examined the works that stood out to me most. I was a little frustrated that I couldn't get into some of the exhibitions and that they wanted more money to see some. However, It was definitely worth seeing what I did. I walked along the Millenium Bridge, which is a pedestrian bridge that is very cool visually. I saw the St. Paul Cathedral and then took the Underground (the subway system in London) back to the hostel.

I got online and checked emails, talked to family, and then showered. I wrote in my journal the events of the day so that I could easily type them later for the blog. I went to bed at around 11:30, after talking to another one of my roommates, a girl from Italy, for a while.

Day 53: London

2008-10-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 5:30 am.

I got dressed and got to the station by 6:15 am.

The train departed at 6:30 and I was on my way to the Pisa Airport. I slept a little on the train, waking up once and freaking out because the kids behind me on the train who had earlier been talking about going to the airport for the London flight as well, were no longer audible. I turned around and couldn't see them. It wasn't until I stood up and saw them slouched over sleeping that I was finally able to breathe again.

We arrived to the airport at about 8:15 am. I checked in and got my boarding pass. I then ate a flanti and went through security. I got the passport stamped and then sat in the terminal. The expected departure time was 10:10 am, but it got delayed 40 minutes and we weren't able to actually board the plane until 10:50 am. The plane wasn't as small as I imagined it would be. I was able to get a window seat even though I was close to the last one to board. I ordered a snickers for 2 euro and finally landed at London Stansted at 12:45pm.

I took a bus in which I had previously booked called Terravision to the center of London. The bus ride was over an hour long and difficult because I had to carry the bag on my lap and hot because the air conditioning vent was messed up. I finally made it to the heart of the city at 2 pm. I bought a 1 day travelcard since my London Pass was only good for 3 days, and I am spending 4 days there. I took the underground (oh what a beautifully crafted system of travel) to King's Cross Road. I spent 20 minutes trying to find my hostel before finally stumbling upon it. The hostel was called Clink Hostel and I checked in, went upstairs and dropped off my bag in the 8 person room. I then began my next adventure: to pick up my London Pass. I took the bus this time and ended up kind of near the London Travel office that I needed. I walked for about 15 minutes and went inside. The time was now 4:43 pm and I remember vividly the time because the door said that the office closed at 4:30. I ran upstairs and asked if I could please pick up the pass and thankfully was allowed. I then went to Planet Hollywood to look at the pass and the sights that are included within it, and to eat. I ate a hamburger and fries and mapped out some of spots to go to on Saturday.

Wireless internet wasn't free, so I bought 30 minutes worth of time for one Great Britain Pound. I emailed the family and looked up some more information on what I should see. I went back to the room and met three kids around my age from Iowa. They are each stationed on an American base in England for the semester and traveled down to London. We all went to a club and spent a few hours there. I finally made it home around 1:30 am and went to bed.

Fifty Two

2008-10-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

Today began at 7:15 am. Brutal. I need to stop staying up so late when I know that I have to get up early the next day. The excitement of ordering the plane tickets distracted me though, and it was worth it.

I showered, got dressed and headed for the Duomo. We got to climb to the top. Over 400 steps led the way. It was more tiring than I thought it would be because most of the steps were spiral and seemed to take forever and almost seemed steeper than it should have been. The view at the top was amazing. I was able to see for miles in all directions. I remember trying to pinpoint where my apartment was but with no luck. Helen taught a few things about the structure, reinforcing repeatedly that it will appear on the final exam. Note taken. After descending the stairs once more, we went to the Hospital of the Innocents. This hospital was used as a place where mothers who could not take care of their children, could dispose of them. The hospital, or orphanage, would then raise the children, which led to many of them staying around to look after the new arrivals. The heartbreaking thing, though, is that some mothers would place a bracelet around the child's arm, while keeping a matching one for themselves, in the hope that they will someday be reunited with eachother.

After class, I went back home for a while and had a sandwich for lunch. I took the bike to the design center to work on my identity before class started. In class we went over each of our projects and our plans for our last. My idea is to turn this blog into a book, including each entry, and also including photographs in the back that give a visual representation of my journey. After design class, I went to SACI to pick up Libby's laptop that she was letting me borrow for fall break so that I could use the internet during my trip. While there, I paid Sam for the Venice trip that will take place in a couple of weeks. I paid 186 Euro since I used my Eurail pass to save money on the trip.

I finally made my way back home and did some cleaning up so that my room would be in some kind of order when I return from my trip. I did some more planning for London and Paris. I ordered the London Pass and Paris Pass, which both seemed like the best deal at the time. Both passes also included travel cards which allowed me to travel freely on the subways and buses. I then shoved all my clothes into my suitcase and headed for the laundry mat. When I arrived, the washers were occupied so I had to wait for 20 minutes before I could even begin. I took the book I've been reading and also met a couple of people from New York. After the drying was complete (even though it wasn't actually dry, it never is it seems) I went back to the apartment. I packed my backpack with 3 outfits, then got my 4th outfit (the one I'd wear) ready to go. I showered and then went to bed at around 1:30 am.

The 51st

2008-10-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

Today I woke up at 10 am and got ready for the day. I showered, of course, obviously. I did some last minute touch ups to my books for an event that will occur later today. I made a mortadella sandwich for lunch, with mayo and mustard, fresh tomato, pepper, and cheese, and undoubtedly bread.

I got my things together, grabbed some supplies, and headed off to book arts. I began class today at 2, rather than 1, because we just had to go in for an individual critique with Patricia. I showed her all my books and made some suggestions for how I may improve some of them. I really enjoy the class and can't wait to expand into some more techniques.

After the critique, I went to SACI to pick up the camera and ran into Brad. He was also taping at the Design Center so I scheduled to meet with him at 5:15 to switch cameras. I arrived to SACI a bit early and talked to Libby for a bit and checked in on the class that I was supposed to tape. However, they were just sitting around talking, chatting rather, so I felt it unnecessary to waste the tape on it. Since I was at the design center already, I worked some more on my Identity. However, the program kept quitting and I wasn't able to get some of the things I wanted to get done prior to the critique which is going to be tomorrow.

I went back to SACI to film the Film Series that is offered through SACI, in which Italian films are shown to students weekly in the evening. I spoke to the woman presenting the films and she recommended to film the film shown next because it is more discussion based and she was thrown off a little and kind of felt put on the spot. I put the camera away and ran upstairs to meet up with Brad. He is doing a photograph series in which he places wet clay/water mixture onto the faces of people and takes close ups. I was selected as one of the lucky winners. It was actually pretty fun. Afterward, I rinsed off my face in the sink and ran back downstairs to watch the film from the Film Series. The film was 'Down by Law' and it was surprisingly funny. It was mostly in English (which was nice) but the acting was pretty noteworthy as well.

After the film I went home and did some research for fall break. I also ordered Greg's plane tickets to Scotland. It's finally happening!

I went to bed around 1 am.

Day 50!!!!!

2008-10-21T17:42:00.000-07:00

Today I woke up at 10:15am, 2 hours after what my alarm was set for. The batteries died in it, making me miss one of the video shoots I was assigned. Perfect way to begin the day, I'd say.

I got up and showered, ate some cereal, and read emails. I was shocked to receive some comments on the blog from some people. Cinque Terre left me a comment for example, and Mr. Anonymous left a comment concerning Eurostar, yet I can't get a real representative to answer the phone. I left for my design class at 12:58.

In design, I worked some more on the Identity project. It's a large project but I'm having a blast putting it together. I also checked some train times. After class, I came home for a sandwich and then borrowed Antonio's bike to go to the train station. I booked the overnight train from Paris to Florence as well as the Venice trains. I stopped by SACI to try and find Sam, the receptionist, but he was gone for the day. I rode the bike to the design center to work some more on the Identity. I tried to print some things off for printmaking, but once again the printers failed to do what they're made to do.

I went home and made dinner; spaghetti with spices and a weird meat that my roommate bought. It's almost as if it wants to be a salami or peperoni but with a unique flavor. I also made garlic bread by rubbing olive oil on the top of the bread and sprinkling garlic powder and pepper on top and baking it.

After dinner, I did some more research for my fall break trip. I booked the hostel that I'm staying in in London as well as looked into some of attractions. I helped Greg book his flight from Edinburgh to Florence and back. I then talked to some friends I have that have been to London to get their input. Now, It's late and I'm tired from looking at the computer for so long today.

Goodnight!

7 squared

2008-10-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

Today I woke up at 8am, showered, grabbed some book arts utensils and headed to SACI. I had to film the High Renaissance class today that dealt with Michelangelo. Afterwards, I planned the trains that I'd need to go to Venice and talked to Sam, the receptionist about them. I wrote a couple of blog entries to catch up from the weekend, and then went out to try and find a post office to mail my absentee ballot. Sam mentioned that I'd be able to get a stamp from the tobacci shop, but I had no luck at the two I tried.

On the way back to SACI, I stopped to get an apple juice. Not a little mini mone like from Vernazza either. A giant box one. It was delicious. I then went to art history. Today, Helen discussed Brunelleschi and some of his pieces including the Florence Cathedral and its dome.

After class, I went through the central market to try and get some good angles for one of my books in book arts. I grabbed a sandwich on the way to class. I got to book arts, which was a work day, and began the last of the 11 books that we've made so far. It's a long process, and I'm still not done. The critique with Patricia is on Wednesday, so I'll work on it tomorrow to do the finishing touches.

After class, I went home and checked emails. I had some leftover pasta from last night for dinner and then read some news stories and talked to some friends from back home. I went to eurostar dot com to order my train ticket from London to Paris when the unthinkable happened. I ordered the ticket, paid for it, and then, at the last possible minute, the point of no return, realized that the date was wrong. I had purchased the ticket for the 21st (tomorrow) instead of the 28th. I started to panic. I emailed eurostar and got an automated response stating that it would be 14 days until they could get back to me. I couldn't believe it. I consulted my mom about the situation and there wasn't much I could do. She recommended to try and call my credit card company to cancel the charge, but when I did, they informed me that they already gave the authorization to eurostar. They recommended to call in a couple of days and try and dispute the charges, but the ticket I purchased said non-refundable. I'm hoping that they'll understand that it was purely accidental and that I must change the date, and hopefully can do so without facing a penalty fee.

After the ordeal, I also talked to Papaw. I told him of the situation and he informed me that there's nothing that I can do now, that its out of my control. We talked about some other things too: politics, my trip to Cinque Terre, food. I got off the phone with him a little bit ago. Mom told me that her and Greg are carving pumpkins. I can't wait to see! Also, happy birthday Tony!! It's time for bed.

Buona Notte :]

[48] ... continued

2008-10-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 9am. We got dressed, ate some granola bars (no 4,50 euro breakfast this time), and headed downstairs. We were told we had to check out by 10 am, so we ran back upstairs and grabbed our bags. We ripped the sheets off the bed, grabbed our towels, and headed back down. We were given back our deposits and charged for the room and breakfast. They allowed us to store our bags in the cafeteria, thankfully.

We headed out for the second day of our hiking expeditions. We walked to Riomaggiore and was able to see the town during the day. We walked through the various stores, and then down to the marina. We got some strawberries and ate them while we walked around. We spent about an hour there before boarding the train to go to the opposite side of Cinque Terre, to the fifth town: Monterosso. I forgot to mention that when we arrived in Corniglia the day before, we found pieces of bamboo that we used as walking sticks. Also yesterday, we left the bamboo sticks outside the restaurant in which we ate the anchovies and mussels. So, before we actually got to Monterosso, we stopped in Vernazza to get our walking sticks. We had to wait an hour for the train to get to Monterosso (sure, we could have hiked, but rumor had it that its the most treacherous, and takes 2 hours, and we were sore, and, and...) Upon arrival, we were pleased to see a sandy beach. The weather was perfect for the beach too. I didn't feel the water but it surely looked refreshing. We ate at a small cafe there. I got bruschetta and a panini with proscuitto (ham) and olive sauce. We walked around for a bit longer and then, once out of money completely, headed back to Manarola. It was around 3:45 when we returned to the hostel, however they were closed until 4. Once they opened, we grabbed our bags, said our goodbyes, and headed down to the ocean. Alonzo watercolor painted and I sketched the town. I read a little bit more of the book and then we headed to the train station to go back home.

We left Manarola at 5:46pm and headed to Pisa for a 10 minute layover. We then got on the train to Florence and I again read. Oh, I've been reading a book by Nick Hornby called How To Be Good. I'm diggin' it. We arrived to Florence at about 8:30. We each went to our respective apartments. I stopped at the supermarket on the way home to get some much craved apple juice, as well as some cereal and milk. I got home at about 9, and made dinner. Pasta with tuna and mayonnaise mixed with various spices. I checked my emails, talked to Greg about the Scotland trip, said hello to some friends, said goodnight to Mom and then went to sleep.

[47] ... terre ...

2008-10-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 8:30 am. We headed downstairs to the breakfast that cost us 4,50 euro. It consisted of bread, croissant, cereal, banana, and orange juice.

I went upstairs to shower and get ready for the day because everyone is kicked out of the hostel by 10am. We left the hostel at 9:30 and began our day.

First, we walked down towards the place where we had the beer and looked at the ocean. We walked around the trail and saw the city of Manarola from the perspective that you'd see if, if you were to ever google it. We continued on walking towards the next town over, Corniglia. We saw on a sign that a trail card is needed to proceed through the towns. At the checkpoint for those cards, we purchased ours. A two day pass costing 8 euros each. We figured that Corniglia was close. An hour later we arrived. We climbed the 382 steps that must be done while at Cinque Terre. While there, we had lunch. I had a piece of pizza and a water. We went through various shops and said ciao to everyone. All the people we came across were very nice.

We hiked on, and came across a less traveled trail to our right. We followed it, of course. It led us to an abandoned structure, resembling the foundation of a house, however; the archway in the front was still intact. We took photos in front it. Inside, we found a pitchfork. Again, more pictures. As we were leaving we found a friend. His name was Mr. Praying Mantis, and he was excited to see us, as apparent from the stance that he took when we got close. I took a picture.

We found our way back to the main trail and followed it for about 3 minutes before finding a sign for the beach. We could see the ocean from the trail and knew that the beach was about 150 meters below us, but we followed the trail anyway. We went down, around, down, across a path that was about 1 foot wide, if that, down, to the side, around some plants, down, through a vineyard, down, down, through an abandoned tunnel, around, down and finally made it to the beach. It was a rocky beach, full of a smooth round rocks made of multiple colors. We spent about 40 minutes down there, looking at them all, relaxing. I took my shoes off and stood in the water, even though it was cold. It was amazing to have no worries, to just stand there and contemplate.

We finally made our ascent back to the trail, exhausted and thirsty. We were hopeful that the next town would come soon, yet again we were fooled. 2 hours later we arrived in Vernazza. The trail to get there consisted of mostly downhill stairs. I felt sorry for the people walking from Vernazza to Corniglia because they had to ascend them all. We arrived to Vernazza at around 3:30pm. We made a reservation at this restaurant that is supposedly well-known for tourists who travel there. They didn't open til 7. We walked around for a while, checking out souvenir shops and local markets. We then sat for a bit, and each of sketched. It's pretty amazing how much I've been sketching again while I've been here. I guess Italy brings out the art in everyone. As we sight saw, we found a restaurant that had the same things we were going to get at the other (we looked at the menus...and prices) for less. We then canceled our first reservation. I got some local wine from the area. A white wine that the lady described as dry, in which I though 'ew,' in which I bought because it was the cheapest bottle that had the name of the area.

We finally sat down for dinner at around 6:30. The host took our drink orders. We asked for apple juice, and he brought back a bottle of about 8 ounces. 3 euro. The owner of the restaurant brought us each a surprise. Rice mixed with cheese and baked, cut into squares and served to us. I think that's the proper name of it. They were good and it was nice that he did that. And now for the main event. Anchovies in a lemon sauce. When ordering, I was hesitant. But, I love trying new things and anchovies are popular in Cinque Terre. They looked just like minnows that I used to fish with growing up. They tasted better than they looked. The sauce in which they were cooked made them tender and the olive oil, pepper, and tomato that accented it, made the experience even better. Next up, and the second dish in which I was a virgin to, stuffed mussels. They were so incredibly good. Definitely not what I expected in terms of texture. A great dining experience. Even though it was expensive, it was well worth it.

After dinner, we boarded the train to head back to Manarola. Upon our stop, though, the door didn't open to let us out. We ran through the cabin to the other door and were too late. We were taken to the first town, Riomaggiore. We then walked to Manarola which was about a 20 minute walk. So in the first day, we hiked 4 of the 5 towns. We made it back to the hostel at about 9:30pm. I showered, read some of my book, put the ipod on, and was asleep by 11:15.

[46] cinque...

2008-10-17T01:08:00.000-07:00

I slept til noon. I got up, had a salami sandwich, and began packing for my weekend trip to Cinque Terre. Once I was packed, I also placed everything from the floor of my room on my bed so that the cleaning person could easily vacuum. I also checked the mail and finally received my absentee ballot!

At around 3:30pm, I headed down to the train station to once again try and reserve seats for the train. After waiting in a ridiculously long line for 30 minutes, I approached the window. I already knew of the time that I wanted to switch too, yet the clerk assigned us a time that was 30 minutes less than what I told Alonzo. I called him to inform him of the change and he said that he could meet me at SACI. I went to SACI to try and find a lock for the lockers at the hostel, as well as print out my hostel reservation email. The printers didn't work and there were no locks available. I went to the store to grab a water and then met up with Alonzo.

We got to the station and the bin in which the train was expected to arrive. As the departure time approached we went searching for answers. We found out that the train in which we were given wasn't coming and instead we had to take the 5:26pm train (the one that I had asked for from the clerk). We got on a train that headed towards Pisa Centrale and were forced to stand the entire way because of how crowded it was. I assume because of the combination of the train MIA and the fact that there was a strike. Because we had to get on this other train at the last minute, we didn't have the proper ticket that said our itinerary. Once we got on the train in Pisa, we ended up sitting in the first class section, unscathed. The seats were nice, lots of padding, plenty of leg space and, well, first class.

We arrived to La Spezia and ran into a couple of people our age. We asked there where they were going and they told us Monterosso, which is the last of the 5 towns that make up Cinque Terre. We found our train to Manarola (the second of the 5 towns) and boarded. It was completely empty which made the 10 minute commute to our destination eerie and exciting at the same time. We finally made it to Manarola.

Once we arrived, we went through a long tunnel and came out at the base of a steep hill. There, directly in front of us, was a small cafe still open thankfully. We each got a piece of pizza some chips and a tea and sat on some steps outside the cafe. After refueling our bodies, we made the hike up the steep hill previously mentioned. A 150 meter walk, I presume. We found the hostel, checked in, got our keys, and headed to the room. The room was completely empty (much like the train, odd, huh?). We made our beds and since it was only 9ish, we decided to see what all was happening in the town. We asked Ricardo, the desk attendent, if he had any suggestions. He told us a small cafe in which people sometimes play guitar. On the way we found the ocean and spent a while looking at it, and the hill with the houses from google images that I've seen countless times. We went into the cafe afterwards, ordered a couple birra moretti's and relaxed. Ricardo was correct, some people did play the guitar, nothing inparticular, just strumming. Alonzo and I discussed art (ironic, I know) and gave our interpretations of what certain things mean, etc etc.

We went back to the hostel around 11:30 and did a little bit of sketching before finally being manually placed in the dark at midnight when the lights went out. I slept.

the 45th

2008-10-16T00:56:00.000-07:00

Today began at 6:45am. I woke up to study a little bit more, you know; the last the minute cram session. I made a bowl of cereal, obviously. I then got dressed and headed to SACI for the first art history exam of the semester. I was nervous.

The exam began at 8:15 am. In part one had 9 slides in which we were asked to list basic information including: artist, title, date, original location, location now, patrons, description, and analytical analysis. Part two consisted of 2 slides, with two pieces of art on each. We were asked to list all the information above as well as compare and contrast between the two works. The third part asked us to write an essay describing how the Romanesque and Gothic periods served as a proto-renaissance for Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting in Florence, Siena,and Pisa. I finished the exam at 11:25.

Next, I went straight home. Threw off my shoes and fell into a comatose-esque power nap that just made me more tired. I had a salami sandwich for lunch and then gathered my things to go to graphic design. We were given a work day and I completed a couple more aspects for my Identity system. I left a little early and headed to Heather's to do one load of laundry. I washed the clothes there, then carried them to a local laundry mat and dried them. They came out damp though, but I folded them anyway. I met a woman at the laundry mat who arranges and plans trips for middle aged women to visit Florence and the surrounding cities. Pretty interesting.

Afterwards, I went home. I did a little bit of planning for my Cinque Terre trip and then made some dinner. I had some tortelini pasta. Later in the evening, Antonio let me borrow his bike to ride to the train station to try and reserve a new seat, because of a train strike that was taking place during our original departure time. They were closed.

I rode the bike home, which was refreshing as the wind bounced off my face. I talked to friends for a little bit then fell into a much needed sleep.

44

2008-10-15T15:31:00.001-07:00

I woke up at 9:45, ate some cereal, and continued studying. I showered the night before because Paolo said he'd still be working on the apartment. I studied until nearly 1pm. I dropped the laptop off at Heather's so that she could use it to call home.

I then went to book arts. We critiqued our first project. Mine is a photo-booklet that reveals the seven parts of the central market: meat, cheese, bread, pasta, fruits, vegetables, and fish. After the critique, Patricia gave us a demo for the next project. I then went to pick up my laptop and headed home for dinner. I made chicken and had green beans (mashed up, of course).

After dinner, I got back into studying. I went through each slide on the powerpoint, quizzing myself verbally. I'm sure I sounded weird to the roommates, but it helps. I then had the powerpoint reveal slides randomly and totally blanked out. I panicked and freaked out a bit. Memorizing 120 slides isn't so easy. I decided to take a shower and a break from studying. After the shower, I went through the slides one more time and then went to bed at around midnight.

dia 4 3

2008-10-14T17:45:00.000-07:00

This will be fast. I'm mid studying, in the zone, and have to get back to it.

I woke up today at 8:30am because Paolo, the landlord was coming to fix the heating in the apartment and needed us to be out of the bathroom by 9 am. I straightened up my room, ate some cereal, and headed to Heather's. I dropped of my laptop so that she could use Vonage to call home. We then went to our Tuesday meeting for video to distribute the week's tasks.

I went to design class. We had a guest speaker, Andrea Rauch. I taped his presentation. I left design a little bit early to take the camera back to SACI. I then went to Heather's to pick up my laptop. I ran to the supermarket and got a few things. For dinner I had chicken with fried potatoes. I began cutting out flash cards at around 6:30 pm. I got them all cut out and organized. They are just the powerpoint slides, scaled down to flash card size. I've spent the rest of the night writing details of each of the 151 flash cards on the back. I'm tired, crashing from the coffee, but determined to still study a bit longer before going to bed.

The exam is on Thursday so I will devote most of my day tomorrow to studying and preparing myself for the exam. I must do well.

Goodnight!

42

2008-10-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

I woke up today 5 seconds before the alarm went off. I though for sure the alarm battery had died and I'd overslept my art history course. Luckily, I did not. I got up, showered, ate some cereal (frosted flakes with cut up banana) and packed my bag to leave for class.

We met at the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. We spent 2 hours inside, looking at various works from the early renaissance era. Class went a little late, so I made a quick dash to my book arts class directly after. I worked on my first assignment, which is going to be a photo book that deals with il mercato centrale, the central market in San Lorenzo. I have all the pages and covers done, I just have to print out the photos and put the final touches together.

After class, I came home and had a piece of pizza for a late, much needed lunch. I watched the first episode of Heroes which was awesome. I also watched the latest episode of Entourage. I sat around for a bit, and then made dinner: a cheeseburger. I topped it with freshly sliced tomato and pepper.

Now, its 7:15 and I head to SACI for a review session for my art history exam on Thursday. I expected it to be an hour long. However, three hours later, I realized that my prediction was way off. She over every work on the study guide was was really awesome. It was difficult to sit in one seat for three hours, but will be so beneficial in the end.

I just got home a few minutes ago. I chatted with the parentals, brushed my teeth, and now I'm ready to get a nice night's sleep. Ciao!

the forty first day

2008-10-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

I slept in til 1 pm. It was marvelous.

I got up and showered, had some cereal, checked emails and then went to SACI. I got a couple novels, some travel books for London and Paris, and then came home. I talked to Greg for a bit online, then made dinner.

For dinner, I had pasta with meat sauce. It was delish. I wasted some time surfing the net then set up the dining room table with all of my art history stuff. Computer to type, book, supplemental reading, notes, study guide, slides, and a notebook. I began going through the slides and looking up information about each. I drank a redbull because magically that helps the process. After a few hours of that, I decided it was time to sleep. I have a very busy week ahead of me, especially in preparing for this exam, and expect the next few nights to consist of more energy drinks, and four to five hours of studying. Wish me luck.

I will now begin one of the new novels and sleep. Goodnight!

40

2008-10-11T05:01:00.000-07:00

I woke up today at 6:10 am, quickly showered, ate some cereal, and headed for the bus. I got to Piazza Indipendenza at 6:45, sans bus. A few students were there, and I realized I could have not rushed so fast. I wanted a window seat though!

The bus arrived and we boarded. We departed at 7:15 am and made a dash for Siena. The next hour is a blur due to falling in and out of consciousness. Helen made an announcement that we made it, I put on my shoes, and got off the bus. We visited: the Domenican church and then headed to the Campo for a coffee break. Before dispersing, Helen told us that each year, twice, they have a horse race in the Campo. The winning team then celebrates for the entire year with banners, flags, and constant partying until the next competition.

For breakfast, I had a croissant and a water. We were told to meet up at 8:55 am at the fountain in the Campo, yet when I went, no one was there. I called Michelle and she pointed me and a few others in the correct direction. We saw the Baptistery, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, and the Cathedral. We saw a ton of works and received some interesting information at each place. For example, Siena wanted to extend their Cathedral to make it a gigantic structure (so as to out do Florence's Cathedral) but lack of planning haulted the project. The facade, however, still stands and we were able to climb it.

Afterwards, we went back towards the Campo and went inside the Palazzo Pubblico (Siena's Civic Palace) and had a guest lecture from Gordan Moran, an art historian whom, along with others, are declaring that a fresco supposedly done by Simone Martini is fake. It was extremely interesting. He said that they have 65 reasons why they believe its fake, and may have discovered a 66th the same day we were there. After this, Helen showed us a few more frescoes and finally let us break off for lunch. I had a giant slice of Sienese pizza with sausage and spicy peperoni. It was awesome. I shared a little bit of it with my friend, Pigeon.

After eating, I walked around the various shops and finally bought a bracelet. After an hour for lunch, we all met back up at Nannini, which specializes in sweets. I bought a cube of chocolate from this giant piece they had.

We all gathered and then headed for the buses. It was a 45 minute drive to San Gimignano which allowed for a much needed rest. When we arrived, we hiked the up and down hills until finally reaching the center of town. We saw some of the towers, which lends its name as the Manhattan of Tuscany, because they resemble sky scrapers.

We went inside the Collegiata and saw the chapel of S. Fina, whom was paralyzed at the age of 10, but spent her years prior to this volunteering and helping the poor. Her suffering was even exaggerated by letting rats nibble at her feet so that she could suffer as Christ did. The fresco depicts her soul going to Heaven and the three miracles of her life, allowing her to become a Saint. We saw some other frescoes within the church before trotting over to the Civic Museum. Helen pointed out a few frescoes, including an unusual one that may depict a brothel. After she had finished we were able to climb the tallest tower in San Gimignano. It had about 10 floors of stairs (added on to the 3 floors of the Civic Museum). The view was breathtaking and so peaceful. The air in both Siena and San Gimignano was very clean, too.

After we all made it back to the ground, Helen took us to a small fort called the Rocca, where she gave us Wild-boar salami and pecorino cheese with some local white wine. It was amazing.

We finally made our way back to the bus, where many kids slept on the way home, myself included. We got back to Florence at 8pm and I walked home. I made a salami sandwich for dinner, talked to mom, and tried to plan a trip in which Greg could maybe meet me in Scotland to golf at St. Andrews, which would be amazing.

I then went to bed.

(all pictures of the trip to Siena and San Gimignano were uploaded to the 'another flickr 2' link on the right)

dia thirtia ninia

2008-10-10T14:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, I finally got to sleep in. I slept til 10:30, ate some cereal, and got a shower. I read some articles online, checked gallup for the current poll predictions, and headed to SACI.

We had our first interview for the video today with Mary, the president of SACI. I helped set everything up but could only stay for a portion of the interview because I had class at 3. I met Helen and the rest of the class at the Uffizi and, after 30 minutes of waiting in lines, we finally made our entrance to the museum. We saw works of Ghiberti, Duccio, and Bottocelli to name a few. We were there for three and a half hours, and although it can be exhausting hearing so much information, it was still interesting to see the works that I've seen in books. For example, being able to see the Birth of Venus when its full size is incredible.

After class, I walked with Lauren towards our apartments. She broke off at a grocery store and I continued on. For dinner, I made a pizza that I bought at the store the other day. I had a birra and relaxed for a while. I did some research on paris and the must see things while there. I also looked into some design firms in London, and perhaps I'll be able to stop in and check them out.

I talked to a few friends from back home online, and listened to some music. Now, with only six hours between me and the sound of my alarm, I must sleep. Tomorrow is Siena!

Ciao!

38

2008-10-09T14:51:00.001-07:00

I woke up today at 7:20am. I showered, got dressed, ate a pear and headed to the Duomo. We met in between the Duomo and the Baptistery doors and went over the door made by Ghiberti as well as Andrea Pisano. We then went to Orsanmichele and viewed the niches in which statues were placed to represent the guilds of Florence. We got to go upstairs and view the original statues which were awe-inspiring. We then began our small hike through the streets, along the Arno, across the river, and finally ended up at the amazing Brancacci Chapel, which contained frescoes that were restored after a fire, and also represent the beginning of Early Renaissance painting.

Class ended at 10:30, and on the twenty-five minute walk back towards my apartment, I stopped at the supermarket for yet another round of groceries. I got 2 pomodoro sauces, 2 basilica sauces, 2 types of pasta, bread, mortadella, cheese, tomatoes, bananas, tuna, mayonnaise, cereal, cookies, milk, 2 juices, cream cheese, a pizza, and a red bull for the soon to be study session for art history. Our exam is next Thursday and today Helen gave us the review sheet...48 pieces of art that we have to be able to identify, describe, compare, and analyze. Please wish me luck.

I went home, made a mortadella sandwich with fresh tomatoes. I checked emails and then headed back out for my 1pm design class. I worked on the collages that were due a while back, tweaking them. I also worked some more on the Manual while also researching some travel stuff. I went home at 4. I made pasta with tuna, spices, garlic and mayonnaise. It was pretty good and exciting to try something new.

At 5:15, I headed to the train station. I presented my research to the lady behind the counter and she was very willing to help. However, with the eurail pass (that I paid so much money for) only a certain number of seats per train may be used towards it. Therefore, the train from Brussels to Amsterdam and Amsterdam to Paris were both booked. But, I could still pay 160 euro if I wanted. Yeah right. I walked all the way home, upset that things weren't working out.

I talked to mom for a while online, did some new research and came to the conclusion that I will just spend my fall break in London and Paris. I talked to Ashley and she told me of an apartment she is staying in while in Paris for 4 nights. I emailed the landlord and inquired for my own stay lasting from October 28 - November 1. The cost is 180 euro for 4 nights, so split evenly, will work out to only 22 euro a night. This is amazing to me, since we'll have our own apartment and won't have to worry about sharing a room in a hostel.

The time is late, and I want to get a nice night's sleep for once this week. I will talk to you all tomorrow. Ciao!

thirty-seven

2008-10-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

I woke up today at 9:20 am. I showered and headed to SACI for a video meeting. We went over the week calendar and viewed some of the videos we've shot. We set up the interview room for Friday's interview with SACI president Mary Beckinsale.

After class, I grabbed a salame toscano sandwich, and then headed to book arts. After class began, I ran to my apartment to grab some money, then went to Salvini to get some paper for my next book. I'm making a photo book to correspond with our first individual projects.

I went home after class and ate some leftover spaghetti for dinner. I found that the flight to Scotland was only 30 euro round trip today(40 if you include a 10 euro fee for checking in at the airport [huh?] and 10 for using my credit card to book it). I booked it. I'm so pumped up to be able to play golf there. I was reading about the different holes of the Old Course at St. Andrews and they seem to be pretty crazy. I can't even shoot well on an easy course, so this should be interesting.

I talked to my mom online during the research of the trip. I also found a hostel for 20 euro a night. I can't wait. I took a little nap but am pretty exhausted still. So, even though its early, I must get some rest for my busy day tomorrow.

Ciao!

Day 36

2008-10-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

I've been waking up before my alarm clock. This has been awesome because I get to sleep longer than I feel I would otherwise. I got up today at 8 am, showered, and headed to SACI to log sheets for the videos I've shot so far. The rest of the team then met at 10:30 am to discuss the next week and to get video assignments.

I went to design class at 1, and worked some more on my Identity Manual. During class, I also did a bit of research for my future travels. I have a pretty packed schedule with traveling but I'm so stoked about it. I'm making the most of my time here, for sure.

After design, I met at SACI with the advanced painting class. I was in charge of filming their meeting with the Santa Maria Nuova hospital. The class will create tiles that will comprise the work of the bathroom of the new hospital that is being built. It's pretty cool to see that some SACI student's will have their work showcased permanently in the same city as so many other great artists.

I went home, stopping along the way to get something for dinner. I got ravioli. I made a cheesy tomato sauce to top it and a glass of milk to accent the composition. A yogurt was also enjoyed for dessert.

After dinner, I talked to Mom for a second and then talked to Greg. We discussed a bunch of things. Once such thing being the idea of going to Scotland to play golf at St. Andrews. I began doing some research as we were talking and got pretty excited at the possibility. Although it may replace Nice, I think that the experience will be a more memorable one for me.

It's been a very long day and I've been up now longer than I anticipated. I'm going to get a good night's sleep (hopefully mosquito-less) and prepare for tomorrow.

Goodnight!

treinta y cinco

2008-10-06T11:13:00.000-07:00

the alarm seemed to take forever to go off, and then when it finally did, I didn't want to get up. I did, though. I jumped in the shower and froze. The water was hot but the air around me was not, and so turning the actual hot water off to dry took a lot of strength. I got dressed, grabbed a water, and went to SACI.

I arrived to SACI, got the tripod from Libby, got the video camera ready, and went in to Helen's High Renaissance art history class to film. She had the blinds mostly down and so the only option was to film the slides on the screen and record her audio. After filming, I ran to an art supply store to buy book cloth. It cost 5,76, a perfect match for my six euro. On the way, I cut through a street and was surprised to see some kind of demonstration. I saw a lot of Firenze flags and cops, so I snapped a quick photo and left. I went back to SACI and ran into Libby again. Since I spent my money on book cloth, I borrowed 2 euro from Libby and got a ham and cheese sandwich before class.

Class began at 11 am, and this time I was on the student side of things, listening to Helen speak about Donatello and Ghiberti. It was quite an interesting lecture, and even though I was tired, I was fascinated by it all. Donatello was the man. He is cited as inspiring Michelangelo himself. Donatello also created Florence's first David (and Ironically, Michelangelo created the last, and the most well-known).

After class, I walked towards book arts. I ran into Nicki on the way and mentioned a new Itinerary for fall break. I then headed to class. Today we made the shell for the japanese stitch books that we made last wednesday. I have pictures!

After book arts, I went home. I was pretty hungry and so I made good old fashioned spaghetti. I mixed two sauces, added some spices, and cut up fresh tomato for the sauce. I drank some pineapple juice with it. After dinner, I did some research for fall break and another trip I want to take to Cinque Terre. It's a beautiful area composed of five towns that all stretch along the Riviera coast.

Now, the plan is to shower, read some of my art history book, and avoid mosquitos at all costs. Ciao!

day thirty four

2008-10-05T15:13:00.001-07:00

I woke up at 5:30 am, on the train still. I asked Alonzo the time, went to the restroom and then waiting 30 minutes until the train stopped in Florence.

It felt so good to be home. I walked back to the apartment, still cold. I tried to get online to inform my parents that I was home, but the keyboard wasn't working in order for me to put in my password. I went to sleep. I slept until 1:30 pm before waking up for a shower and lunch. For lunch, I had chicken cordon bleu which tasted amazing because it was the first meal I'd had since the fries.

After lunch, I called Papaw and Mom to tell them about my day. I recounted everything that I've written in the last few posts. I then went to do laundry to wash the urine out of my jeans. I got back from laundry and made dinner. For dinner, I had vegetable soup. I then called home and talked to Greg, Mom and Justin on the speakerphone. I told them about the weekend, and had them cracking up and what I had to go through.

I then bought some plane tickets. A ticket to London for fall break and a round trip ticket to Barcelona in December. The tickets cost 135 euro. After ordering tickets, I got out my notebook and wrote these 3 entries. It's been a very long, exhausting, exciting, fun trip.

I'm now off to bed. Oh, what a beautiful bed. Goodnight!

[33] ...fest

2008-10-04T14:50:00.000-07:00

And so the true adventure began. . .

12:25 am - We went to the top of the staircase and Alonzo, Dana, and I laid down. I was exhausted and was happy that we were inside, opposite the cold of the Munich night.

1:30 am - I was awakened, unfortunately, by the sensation of being wet. Dana had peed her pants and the puddle thought it'd be kind enough to make its way to me. The urine soaked the back pocket of my jeans, near the waist and extended to the back of my knee. The bottom of my sweatshirt also fell victim. After the immediate shock, and the fact that it was disgusting, I changed into a pair of gym shorts.

3:15 am - We slept for what seemed like 2 minutes longer, and i was again awakened. This time by an employee of the hotel staring at me. I instantly jumped up, explaining that we were trying to contact our friends, which I'm sure he didn't care to hear. He was kind, though, and just asked us to leave. As soon as we went through the round doors of the lobby, the bitter cold hit me head one. Now, only in gym shorts and a jacke,t I began shivering. We walked a block over and entered the train station.

3:30 am - To our relief, there were a lot of people sleeping here. We found a decently warm area, inside a locker room. We literally stuck our bags and our upper bodies into the locker. This would prevent anyone from messing with us or trying to take our bags. I heard laughs, a lot of them, because of our position. However, this didn't matter. Their laughs were so minute compared to the sleep that I needed.

5:00 am - As soon as I got comfortable enough to begin dozing off, the police walked through the locker room, waking everyone since the businesses were opening soon and people would be using the lockers.

5:20 am - Next up, the underground subway. We sat on the benches for a while, trying to sleep sitting up. We finally agreed to lay down on the ground away from the flow of the general traffic, beside the staircase.

7:30 am - We were again awakened by the police, but the reason was due to Dana throwing up over the side of the platform on to the tracks. They asked if we needed an ambulance for her, but we said no. Dana was saying that the reason she was throwing up, she felt, was due to some food she must have eaten.

We then decided to go upstairs in the train station to the Burger King and at least be in an area that wouldn't have more cops waking us up. Dana slept some more, and I brushed my teeth and walked around the train station. It cost 50 cents just to use the restroom, but it felt good to brush my teeth and atleast try to wake up. I bought a couple bracelets in the store.

9:30 am - Alonzo finally got a hold of the girls who got the hotel. It turns out that they had gone to another hotel while we were in the restaurante and when they called, miscommunication led us to the original hotel.

10: am - Alonzo and I went to the hotel and immediately laid down on the bed. We slept until 11:45. I showered, and again put on the gym shorts. We left there at noon.

We went through the train station, I got some potato wedges, and we tried to find a locker for all of our bags. They were all full. We finally began walking to the festival, which was about a 10 minute walk. We found a table that mostly empty and asked if we could join them. There were three of them, older gentleman, who were also Italian. We had a couple beers there before walking around and then eventually going to another beer tent. At the second beer tent, we ran into some other SACI students. We spent only a few hours here, and then we were off to the train station. As we were leaving, Nicki realized that she didn't have her wallet. We went back, looking for it, but to no avail. We headed for the train, finally boarded, and got to sleep on the couchettes.

[32] oktober...

2008-10-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

These are from the notes that I scribbled in my notebook throughout the journey. Read them. Love them.

___

- Woke up at 6:40 am, showered, gathered last minute things (water, packed the toothbrush) and left for Santa Maria Novella train station.

- Got Eurail pass stamped.

- Waited for train to Bologna. Boarded at 9:40 am. My first train experience. I loved it. It was nice viewing the landscapes pass me, blurred colors and a smooth ride.

- Got off at Bologna. Ate a proscuitto con provolona sandwich. Sat around for train to Munich. Talked to a girl who is traveling Europe for two months. She told me that Switzerland is super expensive. We talked for a while and finally the train came 25 minutes late.

- Our seats on the train are in their own cabin. There are six seats. 4 of us, 1 other person, and an empty seat. Dana and I both split three seats allowing us to spread out. I finished the novel. It was amazing. On the train, we met a kid from Austria (born in Croatia) named Marco. He invited us to go snowboarding in Innsbruck, Austria. He also told us some german beer that we should try.

- After seven grueling hours, we arrived in Munich. I was instantly rejuvenated with a new found energy. We walked to the festival. On the way, we met some weird Italians that kept hitting on the girls. There were five of us that went: Dana, Nicki, Hallie, Alonzo and I. The Italians were incredibly drunk but nice. They bought us a round of beers. Beers cost 8,20 euro. Alonzo and I split a cigar. I drank two beers during the 3 hour stay at the festival. On the way out of the tent, Alonzo and I asked our waitress if we could keep our glass. She said yes, but to put them in bag so no one sees. Awesome.

- Dana got sick after leaving the festival, so we went hotel hunting. The first hotel wanted 190 euro for 1 person. It was crazy. We tried a few othrs and finally came up with a plan.

11:40 pm - Nicki and Hallie went and got a room. Dana had to use the restroom so we went into a nearby restaurante while the girls were inside. They called us and then we snuck into the hotel and went to the room numbers they told us: 353 and 357. We knocked on the doors but no one answered. We tried calling the girls but we couldn't get any reception. We decided that, instead of trying to leave and call, we would camp out.

And so the true adventure began. . .

Thirty One

2008-10-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

Today began early. I woke up at 7:40, surprisingly energized. I got ready, gathered my things, and headed to art history. I met Heather and Libby outside of SACI, and was informed that I missed a meeting yesterday. I felt awful about the fact that I missed it, and upset at myself for being so careless.

I sat through the art history lecture, which started off fine, yet became increasingly difficult as the time went on. Towards the end of the two hour class, my stomach became to growl and it seemed that the clock was going slower than it should have. Class dismissed at 10:30 and I went home, had a bowl of cereal, and read before my one o'clock class. I went to design, and worked on my identity and some of the corresponding parts of the regulations manual.

At 4, I traveled back to the apartment, excited to try a new sauce that I found for dinner. It was a pesto that combined ricotta and almonds. It didn't taste as I imagined, and so with the help of spices, tomato sauce, milk, and cheese, I finally created something that I thought tasted decent enough. After dinner, I again read. I've become so encompassed in this book. I'm 365 pages deep since Monday and have experienced one of the most prolific books I may have ever read.

Francesca came over this evening as well. She came to collect rent, but also to drop off the receipts that I requested. Although I sent her the amount she wanted for the first month's rent and security deposit back in June, she claims that she didn't get 40 euro of it. This is so because, I imagine, she was charged some kind of international tax or fee for receiving a wire transfer. So now, she expects me to pay this amount, when I've already paid once the amount she wanted. It's ridiculous and I tried to explain my point, many many times. Not only did I have to pay a fee to wire the money, but now she expects me to pay a fee that SHE was charged.

I talked to a few friends and family about my weekend plans. I leave tomorrow for Munich and will spend 2 nights away from Florence. I'm so excited about the trip and am even more thrilled to be able to travel to a country that, a year ago, would have been make believe. I look forward to telling you guys all about the trip when I return. It is now 12:21 am, and after getting some things together, I will sleep until 7 am. I will shower, get dressed, and then begin my Oktoberfest Journey.

Ciao and Auf Wiedersehen

The Big 30

2008-10-01T15:01:00.000-07:00

30 days in, already.

I woke up at 10:30 am, got ready, and read some articles. I made scrambled eggs and had toast with jelly for breakfast. I grabbed my ipod, backpack, and headed to book arts. Today was a work period and I finished my five books. We are making a case for them on Monday so I kept the books in the classroom. I really like them and can't wait to show you guys the final product, case and all.

After class I ran to the supermarket and got a few necessities: stuff for dinner, milk, fruit, juice, etc. I came home, emptied the contents from my backpack to the fridge, and checked emails. I talked to mom, erin 1 and then began making dinner. I made pre-made chicken cordon bleu, with corn and bread. With it, a glass of white wine. Duhlishuss.

After dinner, I talked to erin 2 for a bit, and then called Papaw to tell him some stuff about the apartment. I have requested receipts from my landlord, and to her various attempts to avoid giving me them (long story, but she isn't renting this apartment legally and so she is afraid to give receipts that actually state that I'm paying her for rent, whatever) Anyway, she sent an email claiming that the lease document was 'good enough' to prove my housing; however it is not. I insisted that I must receive the receipts before I pay her the next month's rent. At the sight of this, she quickly agreed to giving me receipts... we'll see if they are what I asked for or if another lame excuse will try and replace them. She is doing a lot of shady stuff in an effort to get as much money as she can out of me. She must think that I'm some stupid foreigner unable to see through the illegal things she is trying to do. Anyway, I digress.

After talking to Papaw, I read for a while and then I began planning the train routes that we'll have to take for our fall break trip. The plan, as of now, is to hit up Paris, London, Amsterdam, and Bern in a sort of European Loop over the 10 days that we have to travel. It took a while to lay everything out, time wise, but after 2 hours of checking timetables, I believe I have a pretty decent Itinerary. Paris from Friday to Sunday. London from Sunday to Tuesday. Amsterdam for Wednesday and Thursday. And, finally, Bern from Friday to Sunday. It will be intense, but well worth the experience. If any of you have any recommendations for 'must see' places in any of those cities, please let me know.

After doing the planning, I took a shower. It's easier to take them at night because of the 8:30 am class tomorrow. So, now, with less than 8 hours to go before that class starts, I must sleep. Goodnight!

29

2008-09-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 9:45, showered, and left for a video meeting at 10:30 am. We went over the week's schedule, received our taping assignments, and learned how to do log sheets for the videos we do capture. We will watch each video and determine the level of shooting to figure out which footage is good or may need to be re-shot.

The meeting ceased at 12:30 and I went to grab a panini on the way to design class. I got a proscuitto sandwich con fontina. I headed to class. During class, I organized my new syllabus and presented it to Camilla. We went over some things, but I'm excited that I will be able to expand upon the identity that we have to do. I spent the remainder of class working on the icon and logotype. On Thursday, I will begin the layout of the guidelines manual for the identity.

After class, I went home and hooked up the mic. I tried to call home, but the mic was cutting in and out so I had to hang up. I talked to mom for a bit online and then had dinner. Leftover tortellini and some pineapple juice. I read some more of A thousand Splendid Suns and took a nap. I woke up, got a shower so that I don't have to try and take one in the cold of morning tomorrow, and then called Papaw. I filled him in on the trip to Pisa and what I've been up to. I mentioned the new roommate, Pedro, and told him that he is planning on going to Barcelona for a month in November. I think it would be fanstastic to possibly go and visit him for a weekend and get to see the area. It will be nice having Pedro with me as well because, although I know some spanish, It may be difficult to navigate through the city. I also told him about the trip to Munich coming up and also about the books that I've started.

After talking to Papaw, I read a few articles online about what's going on with the U.S. economy. I also checked out the website: www.couchsurfing.com. The search fuction is down but seems like a pretty exciting way to travel through Europe.

Now, before bed, I am going to read some more of the book. I don't have class until 1 tomorrow, so I'm going to enjoy sleeping in! Buona Notte!

twenty eight

2008-09-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

Today began at 9:45 am when I woke up, got a shower, grabbed some money and headed on an adventure. I went to a store called il plastico and got thin transparent plastic to use as covers for some upcoming book projects. I then went to a paper store and got a ream of colored copier paper for the excellent deal of... 8 euro. I can't believe its that expensive. That's like 12 US dollars. I'm still baffled.

I then made my way to Santa Maria Novella for art history class. Helen told us about the piazza and facade before entering the church. The interior of the church contains some of the most beautiful frescoes I've seen so far. The way the artists told stories through their paintings is nothing short of remarkable.

After art history, I rushed over to book making. We were given demos on different japanese stitching. We were then given the remainder of the time to work on our own books. This is where the clear plastic and color copier will come in to play. It's a long process, but I should have them done by Wednesday afternoon.

After book arts, and at the beginning of a headache, I strolled through various streets towards the Duomo. From there, I found the American Express. I exchanged 465 us dollars and received 311 euro. To my shock and delightment, I found 65 euro nestled away in my passport that I must have set aside the last time I exchanged money.

After the pit stop at AMex, I wandered around trying to find the bookstore I found online. After about 25 minutes of aimlessly walking Florence streets as if it were a maze, I stumbled upon the store. I bought two books. Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. I began reading both, but really got into A Thousand Splendid Suns. The last chapter that I read gave me chills. I'm excited to continue it!

After having to put the book down to get some school work done, I screened a few videos and critiqued them for my meeting tomorrow with the video crew. I made some dinner: Tortellini con proscuitto and a glass of milk. I had a yogurt for dessert and ended up spilling some of the number pad of my keyboard. I cleaned it all up immediately but now my keyboard is acting really funky. It automatically adds extra characters and spaces when I type. I am going to try and clean it and hopefully it will work better tomorrow.

Now that I've gotten all my work for tomorrow caught up, talked to my family through gmail, and had an ice cold water, it's time for bed. Until tomorrow, goodnight!

dia ventisette

2008-09-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

Today I slept til noon. Even after waking up, I laid in bed wondering when this cold will retreat. Finally, I got up and got a shower. I ate lunch, a ham sandwich with cheese and tomato.

I browsed the net for a while and then packed up my pile of clothes and headed to the laundry mat. I found a new place, closer, but just as expensive. When I arrived, the two large washers were in use so I had to wait 25 minutes just to begin. While waiting, I met a couple from Calgary, Canada. They were nice and were in Florence as part of their bus tour around Europe. Although they both said its nice to see everything at once, it has been exhausting for them to be continuously moving and on a strict schedule. I finally got to wash my clothes. I dried them for the suggested time, yet half of the articles were still damp when the dryer ceased. I folded everything, brought it all home, then hung the damp clothes on a line to dry.

After laundry, I made dinner. It wasn't so much as making dinner as it was combining random items. It consisted of pasta, some left over alfredo sauce, and a touch of tomato sauce with various spices. It turned out decent enough. After dinner, I began research for the paper that I'm going to write for Art History. I'm going to compare the 'hell scenes' in various Last Judgement frescoes and sculptures from the Byzantine through the Early Renaissance. It's quite interesting to view these portions of the art because the artist was able to use their own creativity to portray hell since there is limited factual evidence, as obversely apparent with other Biblical scenes.

After living in a room full of tissues and water bottles for the last couple days, I decided it vitally necessary to clean my room. I took a small table from the kitchen and stacked it on a table already in my room to create a shelf like structure. Artistic, eh? Here are the results of my restoration:

And so, now that everything is back to normal except my nasal passages, I am going to rest and prepare for the week ahead of me. Goodnight!

26

2008-09-27T22:55:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 6:10 am, got a shower, got dressed, made a caffè, grabbed a water, got the itinerary, and skipped off to Piazza Indipendenza to meet the class at the bus. We rolled out at 7:15 and made our way toward Pisa. I dozed off a few times, read the historical introductions that Helen provided us with, and with only an hour of driving, we arrived. The bus parked about 10 minutes away from the Cathedral so we all walked.

We arrived to the Piazza dei Miracoli which includes the Cathedral, Baptistery, Campanile, Camposanto and the Museo dell'Opera del duomo.

1. Cathedral: The cathedral was amazingly immense. It's monumentality reflects its the glory of the maritime republic of Pisa, with the largest Romanesque monument in Tuscany. Inside the Cathedral is the pulpit of Giovanni Pisano. When Helen had gone over this in class, I was in awe of the craftsmanship and spectacular detail of the pulpit. Giovanni carved figures out of marble in almost complete round, leaving much depth and dramatic scenes in every angle. Giovanni was the pupil of his father Nicola and this piece, he declared, set him above his father and was his true masterpiece. Because his father had broken ground with his portrayal of a nude male, Giovanni created and successfully revealed a nude female within a church.

2. Baptistery: The baptistery was very nice. The acoustical sound within it was incredible. A woman sang and the echo of his voice carried for a few seconds after she finished. Therefore, every note was overlapped and expanded which created a beautiful combination of sounds. Also, within the baptistery was Nicola's pulpit. This pulpit was created in 1260 and Giovanni, his son helped with some of the parts. Nicola's pulpit was also the first to ever use a male nude. The baptistery is also interesting in that from the outside it has a dome shape, but on the inside there is a cone within the dome.

3. The Campanile: or better known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The first three stories that were completed had caused the soil to sink, leaving the tower angled. The next architect, who added the remaining floors, counterbalanced the tower, yet left the original lean. Therefore, the tower actually has a bent look to it because the top of the tower is actually perpendicular to the ground. It cost 15 euro to climb the tower, which I immediately paid. The climb was nice, it was difficult and fun because you could feel the lean. Once on top, the view was breathtaking. You could see for miles in every direction.

4. The Camposanto: the camposanto is a gothic cemetary which has a large collection of sarcophagi, which inspried Nicola Pisano. The camposanto was bomed accidentally causing a fire that melted steel on many of the frescos. Some were restored though, and were magnificent in scale and detail.

5. The Museo dell'Opera del Dumo: The museo included a lot of art from the cathedral and other buildings and allows people to view them. It also includes models of the different buildlings which allows you to view all the intricacies of each.

After lunch, we traveled to the second stop of the day: Lucca. The walk to get in began by going through the old wall that used to contain the city. Helen told us that you can walk, run, or bike on top of the wall, which is probably 30 feet tall, and that there have been cases of severe injury and death from people not paying attention while up there. I didn't go up there.

Lucca is a very beautiful city and contains many cathedrals and monuments. One that stands out to me is the tom of Saint Zia (a local saint who lived in the middle ages). It is located in S. Frediano. The story goes that she was trying to sneak bread to beggars under her apron. When stopped by authorities that demanded she reveal what she was carrying, she told them flowers. When she opened her apron, flowers spilled out in place of the bread that she was carrying.

I also tried a local doughnut type creation popular in Lucca called Frati. We checked out a lot of different places such as: the Gothic Cathedral, S. Giovanni and Reparata (which has floors from the 1st century, early christian, medieval, and gothic periods). S. Michele, and finally concluded it all with local St. Zita cake (vegetable cake: it looks as if its topped with spinach and beans, but truly and honestly tasted very good).

We left Lucca at 7:30 and finally stopped at San Marco at 8:30 pm. I walked home, exhausted. When I arrived home, a second wind hit me and I felt inspired to try and make Alfredo sauce from scratch. With dinner, I had pineapple and a glass of water.

After dinner, I checked emails and relaxed for a while. Although my nose was running all day, my throat felt a lot better. I took some nyquil and went to bed.

The 25th Day of Florence

2008-09-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

I woke up several times throughout the night, finally getting up at 8:30 am. I suppose because I had gone to bed so early, I was naturally awake 12 hours later. I slept for a while but it didn't seem to help. I woke up with my throat feeling worse than last night. I wanted to take more nyquil but I couldn't because of how drowsy it makes you. I laid in bed for a while, watched the new office, and finally got motivated enough to take a shower. After the shower I had a meatball sandwich for lunch.

I went over to Nicki's at 2 to begin planning fall break as well as try to get the trip to Munich for Oktoberfest finally figured out. While there, I got to play with a puppy! It's so nice to be able to hold a dog and it makes me miss mine even more! After a little while we headed to the train station. On the way I saw the fake David statue.

At the train station, we were quickly informed that the days in which we wanted to take the train were booked. We originally wanted to leave on Thursday night, taking an overnight train, putting us in Munich for all of Friday before taking an overnight train back that night. That way we can use the trains as our hotel and spend the entire day in Munich. However, because the trains were full, we came up with a new plan. We are now going to leave Friday morning at around 9 am, get to Munich at 6 pm on Friday and then spend the night in Munich and spend all of Saturday there. Then we will take an overnight sleeping train back to Florence on Saturday night. I'm super excited about the experience! Although it seems that most hostels/hotels are booked, we are thinking that there may still be some rooms available, especially if people don't show up. But, if there is not, we're prepared to camp out for the full 27 hours in Munich without sleeping.

We left the train station and went to a travel agency. They helped us find the trains we needed and printed out the tickets for the times that I mentioned above. Although I have the Eurail pass I still had to pay 45 euro out of pocket. 25 euro for the sleep cabin on the way home and 20 for the Eurostar tariff. The Eurostar is a train that goes faster than others, bypassing certain stops which in turn costs more. After getting the tickets, we went to SACI, and then parted ways. I came home, getting a pretty bad headache on the walk. I reheated the pasta from last night and relaxed. As I type this, my nose is stuffed up, temples are throbbing, and it hurts to swallow. So, tonight I will take two shots of Nyquil and rest before a very busy day in Pisa tomorrow.

Goodnight!

Day 24

2008-09-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 7:30 am for my early day. And, what do you know, I have the sorest throat ever. I showered, made a caffè, grabbed a water, and left for class.

Art history was in the classroom today and Helen went over Italo-Byzantine art. It was a very interesting lecture, and even better since I had a full night's sleep. I typed the notes this time instead of handwriting them and was able to get a lot more written. I can type faster than I can write so this method seems to be numero uno from now on.

After class I walked around the open air market in search for some sunglasses. I finally found a pair I liked. The guy told me seven euro, I offered four, and we settled on five. Here they are:

After getting the new shades, I ran home for a while. I ate the rest of the torettini from last night and relaxed for a bit before graphic design class. I headed to class at quarter til 1 and prepared for the long three hours. When I arrived, I began working on the collage, attempting to finally finish it. But, the program was going so slow that I finally closed out. I guess I'll work on that some other time. I did, however, make some decent progress on the Identity. I'm doing the different sections of the Central Market. I'll post some mock ups when I get the chance.

On the way home from class, I stopped to pick up a few last minute things from the supermarket. I talked to mom for a second online, read some of the NY times, watched a funny david letterman youtube clip about McCain standing him up, and then made dinner. I made homemade meatballs from scratch (a feat that i'm very proud of). To accompany them, I made pasta and tomato sauce. I had with it some butter bread and a glass of water.

After dinner, my throat worsened. It hurts to swallow and my nose won't stop running. I've sneezed atleast 10 times today, which is very unusual for me. And so now, even though it's only 8 pm, I am going to take some NyQuil, pop some more Tylenol, drink a glass of cold water, and lay in bed until the drowsiness sets in, allowing me to hopefully sleep off this cold.

Goodnight!

[23]

2008-09-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

Salve! [Hello!]

Today began later than I thought because instead of hitting snooze, I turned the entire alarm clock off and slept for another hour. I got up, read some NY times, and got a shower. After getting dressed I made scrambled eggs with mortadella. I also had a glass of orange juice and some toast with jelly. I grabbed my backpack and went to class.

Today in book making we were shown different transfer techniques. I'm familiar with the xerox transfer, which allows you to convert an image from a photocopy to another page by using acetone. She showed a few that I hadn't known, such as using contact paper. You stick the paper to the image and soak it in warm water. Once the paper the image was on is completely wet, you can rub off the paper, leaving the image on the contact paper. You can then adhere that to the book or project you're working on. After the demo, she allowed us to work on our own to catch up on some of the projects. The only project I had to catch up with was the star accordion:

It took a while to carve out each piece in order to make the three planes of the book. It closes into a regular book and can open as an accordion or all the way into a star.

After class I came home to get the names of some ingredients for future cooking ventures. I went to the supermarket to pick up some things, dropping 16 euro like it was nothing. I came home, checked some emails, and then made dinner. Dinner tonight was tortellini con prosciutto crudo. I copied Lucio's technique and added peas to the tomato sauce. It tasted very good! With it, I had pineapple juice and red wine.

After dinner, I discovered that I could create 'sets' on flickr and organize the images into their own little photo albums.

Here are the links to the sets:

Flickr1 and Flickr2

(flickr only allows you to store 100 mb per month of images, so I had to create two accounts. Once more space opens they will be updated so make sure to continue to look at both!)

Ciao!

double deuce

2008-09-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

I slept so wonderfully last night that it was tough to actually get out of bed. I finally gave in to the alarm clock and got up. I read some of the New York times website and then got a shower. I packed up my computer and headed to Heather's apartment to use her mac to finish up some last minute collage work. I had 2 nearly completed, and had to layout the third. The files are so large and annoying to deal with. I'm going to rework them, with some new ideas on Thursday while in class. When I tried to open the files, they would take forever to load, and alternatively, took forever to save, a few times actually freezing the program. It was frustrating because the labs in which we should be able to work in, are full with classes almost every day. I think I will try and go to the design center at different times to meet with teachers and see if they would find it a distraction if I were to creep into the back of their class to work on some things. I had lunch at Heather's as well. They've been so genuinely hospitable to me.

After finally saving the last file, I ran to class. I was 25 minutes late. I hate being late to class and especially on a critique day. However, I'd rather have my work completed and show up late, than to show up on time and have nothing to show. A teacher won't take into consideration punctuality when you come unprepared. A teacher, however, will most likely overlook tardiness if the work shown is desirable. I showed my three collages to the class and was shocked at the lack of criticism of the supposed critique. Camilla made a couple comments, asked the class if they had anything to say, and then almost instantly dismissed the group away from my monitor back to their seats. A few people complimented me on the collages, but I was expecting more feedback. Class went extremely long, and because of the less-than-stellar morning, I wasn't so in to spending three hours looking at the same files. I spent some time researching hostels, trains, emails, and other design work.

After class, I went back to the apartment. It was around 4:30 when I got back and so I straightened up the bedroom, made the bed, organized some papers, and then began brainstorming some dinner ideas. I finally decided to go with chicken and fried potatoes. I poured some olive oil in two pans, sprinkled some peperoncino in both, some salt and pepper in the potato pan, and loaded it with sliced potatoes. I put a piece of chicken in the other and naturally added spices as I saw fit. A pinch here and there, eyed to precise measurement, to create a magnificent meal. I coupled the dinner with red wine and a glass of milk.

After dinner, I began brainstorming ideas for the Identity that is the next project in design. We have to come up with an Identity for the area of San Lorenzo. I believe for mine, however, I will focus on the Central Market (as I did with the collages) and come up with an Identity for the interior of the market. I have some ideas of using color to represent different areas. I also can already see the mark that I'm going for. I've begun sketches and hope to narrow down some of the ideas by class on Thursday.

I also spent some time catching up on the political news. There's always something new to read up on and its quite entertaining the way each side attacks the other. I'm patiently waiting for my absentee ballot. I know that this election will come down to my vote. So, remember that it is I who decided the outcome of the election. Unless McCain wins.

I made a coffee, which is awesome to be able to make myself. I added milk and sugar of course. Then I became wired. I started looking at different fashion, luring me in to possibly getting my own suit while here. I guess it's ok to think this way until I see the price tags. If I do get one though, best believe that you all will be the first to know.

I talked to mom for a bit online and she sent me a recipe. I will try it out soon. It's called: chicken tetrazzini....wait for it... with a twist! We'll see how it goes. I have to find some canned goods (cream of mushroom) so if anyone knows where to find this, let me know.

A'las, I'm exhausted and the bed I made earlier looks so comfortable. I will see you all tomorrow! Goodnight!

Veintiuno

2008-09-22T13:53:00.000-07:00

Today began at 10 AM. I showered, looked up where S. Croce is, picked out the best possible route, grabbed a banana, and ran out the door.

The walk took longer than I expected and I ended up meeting the Art History class late at the Basilica of S. Croce. We saw a lot of the church and museum that connects to it. Class went over a few minutes, therefore making me inevitably late for bookmaking. I got to the class just as she was finishing up the demo, however, I examined an example of the book and figured out my own means of creation. I left class at 3:30 and headed home for a late lunch/snack. I made bruschetta with tomatoes, onion, basil, garlic powder, pepper, olive oil, and a touch of peperoncino. It was delish.

After this I attempted to work on my collage. However, the mac I borrowed from Libby's ram wasn't sufficient enough to open my document. I'm going to borrow Heather's mac tomorrow to finish it up before class. I then rested for a bit by trying to take a nap only to wake up what seemed like 2 minutes after my eyes closed. I left for the video meeting.

Lucio, Heather's husband, made us dinner. Stuffed ravioli (heather, what were they called?), two kinds of eggplant, one fried and one cooked with mozzerella and tomato sauce, bread, spinach, and fresh mozzerella and tomato. It was a fantastic meal and tasted great. Lucio did an excellent job. We also viewed the old SACI promotional video and discussed what we liked and disliked about it. We're going to view some other videos and see what kind of techniques they used that may be interesting to consider for ours. There is so much information to cover within the video; however, I'm certain that we will come up with a fresh, revitalizing approach. I got home at 10:30, thirty minutes ago, and am exhausted from my day. I'm looking forward to getting a relaxing, long night's sleep to prepare for the hecticity (just go with it) that is going to consume tomorrow.

Buona Notte!

Twenty.

2008-09-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

I slept til noon.

I showered, made a sandwich, read the NY times online, and grabbed some things I'd need for the design center.

I designed two collages at the design center. I was there for about 2 and a half hours and the computer was going ridiculously slow. A girl who is helping with the video, Libby, is allowing me to borrow her mac tomorrow so that I can finish the third collage.

I came home, sat around for a while, and then reheated some pasta that I had the other night, adding new sauce, peperoncino with aglio (garlic) spice, and pepper. With it a glass of juice. I checked some emails and read some things from gallup.com. I talked to Antonio for a little bit and then wasted some time on the adobe and apple websites, doing fake orders to see how much things really cost. An imac and a macbook pro is only $5,000. I quickly closed that window.

I also spent some time looking up recipes and such to see what all I can make for the dinners to come. I love cooking and being in Italy only perpetuates that. I'm also craving cheesecake so perhaps I can make one from scratch soon. I'm excited for this week, and am very interested to see how the classes go. I've been really motivated so far. I'm also loving the weather. It's been in the 70's and my room has been pretty cool throughout the day. I'm able to sleep comfortably, even though the supposed comforter that was provided with the room is thinner than a sweatshirt.

I'm astonished, also, that I've been here for 20 days already. It is flying by so quickly. I was walking home from designing today, thinking about how smoothly everything is going at the moment. It's easy to fall in love with the way of living here. Being able to take coffee breaks as needed to take strolls through the streets. Although it is beautiful, there is a lot that can be fixed. People allow their dogs to defecate on the sidewalks without cleaning up after them, they throw down wrappers and cigarette butts without thinking twice. There is graffiti everywhere, ruining the architecture that was once excellent. There is a smell at times too, reminiscent of porta-potties, that seems to linger in certain areas. With all good things, there are bad, and I suppose Florence is no exception.

However, there are times when the air has the freshest, most crisp aroma to it. Occasions when the breeze feels perfect on your skin, and it is during those moments that you can't help but to close your eyes and smile at the remarkable ambience that surrounds you.

Ciao.

Day 19

2008-09-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 9:30 and showered and read the NY times online. After a little while, Vincent came in to say goodbye and then packed up his things to head back to France. It was great to meet him and hopefully our paths will cross again some day. I went out to the kitchen shortly after he left and there was a shopping cart in our kitchen. Inside, a note from Vincent: "I give you a caddie for your next shopping!" I cracked up in laughter. I can just imagine him carrying this heavy cart upstairs, banging the staircase with easy step.

The kitchen was disgusting. I had to do something about it, so I flipped into cleaning mode and made the kitchen spotless. I scrubbed the sauce and grease that had been caked onto the stove top, washed all the dishes that seem to pile up (i wash all of the dishes I use immediately, however some don't have the same courtesy). I also organized the shelves with all of our food and misc. items. I had to scoot the fridge over to make room for our newly acquired bike (which weighs so much, I don't know if it can honestly be used. Also, can you just imagine me walking down the streets of Florence with a shopping cart? Talk about standing out). After cleaning, I made scrambled eggs with melted asiago cheese, biscuits with jelly that was accompanied with a glass of tropical juice. I took pictures of the kitchen, to document a setting which I'm sure will not last longer than 3 days.

After breakfast, I looked up some flight information so I was prepared for when I called Student Universe back. They had my departure flights home beginning at 8:50 am and lasting all the way until 5:30 am (italy time). So if I were to go to the airport at 6:50, I'd be traveling nearly 24 hours in planes/airports for layovers. I finally called Student Universe when I found a flight for the same price, same day, and less time. The representative, Liliana, called United and worked out a better deal for me. Now my flight leaves at 8:50 am but I will get home at 1 am (italy time). Although the day will be long, it won't be as long.

In between dealing with this, I called my grandpa and chatted with him for a while. Because of the whole electric thing, I haven't been able to get in contact with him. I told him about what I've been up to and about the flight thing. After talking to him, I ran to the supermarket to get a few things. These things, which didn't seem like a lot, ended up costing me 31 euro. I was shocked. I went home. On the way in I met the new roommate (the one who took Vincent's room). His name is Pedro and he is from Mexico. We talked briefly, then I put the groceries away, and checked emails. I called mom and talked to her for a while too, we talked about Nice, France and how they have a lot of remarkable things to see. I would definitely like to see this place while I'm here. I hope to see as many places as possible!

After speaking to her, I made dinner. Chicken and peas. Finally, a break from the pasta. I had a glass of white wine it. After cleaning up, I watched the first two episodes of Entourage, read an article about Bradley Cooper, and then posted this entry.

Now, I intend to catch up on some other tv shows that I'm missing and relax for the rest of the night. Ciao!

one eight

2008-09-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

I went to bed last night at 3 am, woke up this morning at 8:15. These short nights of sleep must end, and will end tonight!

All of the people that are helping with the SACI promo video that I'm making met at Heather's at 9 am. We went over the tentative calendar and tried out each camera to get familiar with the different settings on them. After the group left, Heather helped me find some trains to Munich for Oktoberfest. For now, the estimated date of travel is October 2. I'm excited. I also had lunch there, two pastas, ham, mozzarella, bread, and wine. Perfecto!

I then went to SACI to meet up with Nicki to tell her about the trains. We looked up some eurail pass info for her, and then met in the SACI lobby for a tour of an exhibition at Marino Marini Museum. The artwork presented (mostly painting, with some drawings and multimedia) was by Jules Maidoff, who is the founder of SACI. He founded the school. (http://www.julesmaidoff.com/) We walked around, and then proceeded with a fireside chat-esque Q and A with Jules. He is very articulate and explained some work, some principles, and some disagreements with various topics.

After the exhibition, I went back to SACI to drop of the video camera (Jules was my first true taping so far for the video) And there, at last, was my camera cord! So, within the inclusion of this post, you may find the flickr link to the right updated with new pictures! (a new link is also there, so that I can show more pictures..check out both frequently) As I returned home, I finally got to relax. The initial plans were to travel to Munich tonight and spend all day tomorrow at Oktoberfest, but the lack of train availability pushed us to the 2nd, which was better because now we have more time to plan the trip. I made dinner and had wine, cleaned my room, and have spent the last couple of hours doing nothing except listening to music and uploading photos. Ah, the weekends are so nice.

And I shall rest for tonight; for tomorrow is unknown; tomorrow is mysterious; tomorrow is...

Day Seventeen Point Five

2008-09-18T23:39:00.000-07:00

So, a few minutes after posting Day Seventeen, Vincent invited me to go out with him and his two friends. When I walked downstairs to meet them outside, I had no idea what was in store for me. We were riding bikes! I was instantly scared because I'm not so used to the Italian way of driving.

We rode our bikes all the way to the bottom of the hill at San Miniato (which I mentioned previously) and stopped at a restaurant there. Vincent and Hillary had some food, while we all split a bottle of white wine. The bottle cost 28 euro, which we split.

After this, we rode around some more, and attempted to stop a small bar that they knew of. It was closed, though, so we headed to a 'electronic' music club. They were charging a 13 euro cover charge, so we skipped out of that place in an instant. We finally headed to a small winery. I got a mix drink that tasted a little like when you mix cranberry juice and orange juice. It was good, and not strong at all. While there, Vincent's colleague left and took the bike I was using with him. Therefore, Vincent, Hillary, and I walked home. It took about 20 minutes, but it was refreshing. The night air here is so good compared to Cincinnati. I just arrived back and wanted to let you guys know of my biking rite of passage.

Goodnight!

Day Seventeen

2008-09-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

Four hours went by way too quick.

I woke up at 8 am, startled from the alarm. And then upset because of it. I got up, dressed, and left for Art History. Surprisingly, no heavy eyes found me while listening to the lecture. I had to distract myself at times by sketching, which I hardly do anymore. Who knows though, perhaps Florence is just the cure to get me motivated back into drawing. I had to take a mini break, about half way through the 2 hour lecture, to walk around and wake up a bit. When I returned, Helen commented about my leaving. She said to please try and stay during the entire lecture because it is very possible to miss something important. She then, wonderfully and with complete generosity, she showed me the slides I missed to quickly catch me up.

After class, I checked the mailbox for the cord. Still nothing. I really hope that it was not lost in the mail. I then ventured home for breakfast and a quick nap before my 1 o'clock class. I got home at 10:40, made scrambled eggs and toast with jelly. I talked to Vincent for a bit about how tired I was. Complaining makes things so much easier, I think. Then attempted to take a power nap. Set the alarm for 12:30 and when it went off, reset it for 12:40.

Graphic Design was tough today. Not that it was difficult, but that the sleep my body needed was now catching up with me. I worked on the computer the whole time, once again starting over with my collage. Finally, I was able to go home. I ate some pasta for a late lunch at 4, then wandered to my bed, where I slept for 2.5 hours. It was a remarkable rest. Now, almost two hours after the nap, I'm wide awake, re-energized, and ready to get some reading done. Unfortunately, my lack of sleep mixed with the forced concentration on the computer forced me to put on my glasses once I woke from my nap. Today marks the first day since I've been here that I've worn them.

I talked to mom today and the power has finally been turned back on at the house. They went for 48 (i mean 86) hours without electricity. It's crazy! However, one of our fish died, which upsets me.

Sometimes, when I lie down, I'm amazed at how relaxed I am here. I can imagine being home and it comforts me, but it is so peaceful in Florence. Now that the weather has become cooler, and I've grown slightly accustomed to my schedule, It seems that I can now, finally, breathe. I get this weird feeling when I think about where I am, and the journey that I've taken so far to get here. It's been tough, especially the planning stages. Last year, I would have thought this experience to be unlikely to ever occur. I worked hard though to make sure that it happened, and it has. I'm thankful for my safety while here, and especially grateful that I am able to remain in close contact with family and friends back home. I thank you all for commenting on my entries because it helps to alleviate any anxieties that I would have if I had to be completely shut off from you all.

Grazie.

16

2008-09-17T18:42:00.000-07:00

It has been a very exhausting day. it is now 3:44 am. I will update this post tomorrow to tell you about my day! It was so adventurous!

Goodnight!!

* * *

Four hours of sleep has left me tired, but I have to update this post and tell you about my yesterday.

I woke up at 10:30 am, attemped to take a shower. The water was ice cold, and remained ice cold until I finally gave up. I got dressed, ate a pear, and headed in the direction of the Duomo. I've noticed, as I'm sure millions of others have, that the Duomo is an excellent guide. I knew of a supply store near there, so once I found that, I was in business. I had to go to Zeccio to get some decorative paper for book arts. After this, I went to SACI, dropped serigraphy (because I don't want to be loaded with too many classes and miss out on Florence itself), checked for the camera cord, and then cut through the market on my way to class. I stopped at some vendors to try and haggle the price of a pair of sunglass from 8 euro down to 3. He said no. Maybe next time!

I went to class and we made one book, and started another. Both were accordion style and I will show you them once they're completely finished. During the break, I went to get an espresso and burnt my tongue. After class, I went home to make lunch, which was actually reheated pasta and ravioli. It was pretty good, but I found out that Italian culture isn't so into the whole reheating thing. When their pasta is done, it is time to eat. No questions asked.

I spoke to my mom on the phone, whose power was still out. I still can't fathom going through that. I thought 2 - 3 hours of no electric was bad. I watched the beginning of Trainspotting, and then Vincent got home. He was going to watch a soccer match, then he'd give me a call once he got back with his car at 10:30 pm. We were going to Pisa! He had to pick up his friend from the airport and asked me if I'd want to tag along. Of course! While he was gone, I worked on my collage for design.

We ended up leaving for Pisa at 11 pm, with her expected arrival time to be 11:30, we were surely not going to make it on time. We talked on the way about our different cultures and how our way of living differs where we grew up. We also talked about some traveling that we've each done. We finally made it to the airport at 11:50, which was fine because her flight was slightly delayed. After getting her, our adventure truly began. We spent atleast 30 minutes driving around in circles, over the Arno River, back around, to the center, the outskirts, and finally found a map of Pisa. We looked, figured out our best plan of attack, and set sail. We had to park and walk to the tower, and it was truly breathtaking to see in person. All of the times I've seen it in books could not compare to what it is like in person. It's like that with everything I've seen so far. Pictures just don't cut it. After seeing the tower, we went to a small cafe. We each ordered a sandwich, and three drinks, with the total coming to 35 euro. I was shocked, I couldn't even articulate my thoughts. I guess because it was the only place open, they could get away with it. I reluctantly paid, and we got back in the car at 2:18 am. I fell asleep almost immediately. We arrived to florece by quarter after three, and finally arrived to the apartment and parked at 3:30. I tried to get online, but the compare was going super slow and I was so exhausted. I posted a brief message on this post, then went to bed.

Four hours went by way too quick.

quindici

2008-09-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

It was very difficult to motivate myself to get out of bed this morning. I set my alarm for 9:30, although I actually got up at 10:15. I showered, read some forums (some of the most interesting stuff I've read in a while) and then worked on a collage for design class. I finished with the collage at 12:35, and rushed to make a sandwich before the 1 o'clock class began. I wore jeans today because it is still chilly. I love it. I'm so happy that the heat has subsided and I can get full nights of sleep. Trust me, if you were in this room, you'd be thankful too.

During class, we had a guest speaker come in to talk about collage, photo montage, continuity, and discontinuity amongst graphic design. It was interesting to see the different styles and inspired me to start over on my own collage and pursue a different avenue. During class, we were given a break to get a coffee. Espresso was the chosen one and it tasted so good! Once back in class, Camilla kind of introduced the next assignment, which is to design an Identity for San Lorenzo Square. I already have some ideas and am really inspired to begin working on both. During class, I talked to Nicki about going to Oktoberfest this weekend, and we're thinking we can get a small group of people that want to go. It should be a blast and I'm totally pumped for it!

After class, I went to the SACI building to see if I've received my camera cord yet, but still nothing. I also wanted to ask about the trains here, but I was directed to go see a travel agency. I'll do that tomorrow. On the way back to the apartment, I stopped at a little vendor in the market to ask how much the sunglasses were. He told me six euro, I said thanks and began to walk away (because I didn't have any money on me at the time. As I was walking, he yelled, 'five euro!.' I smiled, walked home, and grabbed some money for the supermarket to get more groceries. The last trip lasted me 9 days, which in the long run will save a lot of money. Unfortunately, I figured out my daily budget while here. It is so scary that I don't even want to write it in this entry for hope that by not writing it, it isn't a real figure.

I turned in an application for a 'Carta Record' at ilcentro supermercati (which is like the kroger plus card that I mentioned previously) I bought: yogurt, milk, two cheeses, mortadella, eggs, bread, two pastas, two sauces, 6 big waters (1.5 liters each), juice, two Birra Moretti's, a bottle of wine (Chianti), tomatoes, pears, bananas, and some pepper for 27 euro.

I went back home, talked to some friends online, and started dinner. I made penne rigate pasta with a combo of sauce, basil, and pepper. I had a glass of wine, milk, and some bread with it. Delicious. Vincent came home and our dinners overlapped a bit. He had ravioli. He is traveling to Pisa tomorrow to pick up a friend of his and I may tag along. Its about a 40 minute car ride and should be fun. After dinner, I helped Antonio with some photoshop stuff that he's doing and then called my mom. The power is still out there and they were forced to get rid of a lot of the fridge contents. It's so crazy to think that the hurricane offset the weather enough to do so much damage to Ohio.

It hasn't been a terribly long day, yet I'm looking forward to relaxing for a bit before bed.

Buona Notte! Ciao!

fourteen

2008-09-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 10 AM, showered, ate a pear (oh man, so delicious) and headed towards the Duomo. I went a new route, which seemed to be pretty fast. I examined the map before leaving my apartment so I cut through some streets like I've lived in Florence my entire life. I even heard some Italians say, "Man, he must have lived here his entire life."

Okay, I made it up.

I got to the Duomo and met up with my art history class. We were given head sets to wear so that we could hear Helen speak while we were inside. We got to see the main Nave and the art/architecture that makes it up. We also got to go underneath the floor, which was my favorite part. Underneath you can see the remains of some Roman houses that existed long before a church even claimed the site. You could also see two floors to churches that existed before the current Florence church. There existed an Early Christian floor as well as a Romanesque. It is so intriguing seeing all of the different eras of architecture at once.

After the hour and forty-five minute personal tour, class was dismissed. I went to an art store called Salvini to try and find some decorative paper for Book Arts. They had none and so I headed home to pick up some other paper that I needed and to grab a quick sandwich. Book Arts began at 1:30 today (usually, it begins at 1) and we learned how to create an accordion book. It was really fun and takes an extreme level of craft to make. I love this kind of stuff, though, as craftsmanship is always something that I devote a lot of time to. After the accordion book, I made my sketchbook for the class. I will show you pictures of both as soon as I can.

After class, I went home. I had a pretty bad headache since art history, I assume from trying to focus on the top of the dome at all the art. I normally wear glasses, but I became so used to them that when I took them off, I would get headaches. So, since I've gotten to Florence, I haven't worn them once. It's been nice to not have to rely on them so much. The weather was pretty chilly today, which may have had something to do with the headache also.

I called mom today because Tony mentioned that a lot of power had gone out in Ohio. She said ours has too, and went out yesterday at 2:30 EST. She told me that in some places the power will be out for an entire week. She also mentioned that my grandpa and uncles house is out of power too. After speaking with her, I relaxed and watched a movie. I then made dinner and began thinking of some ideas for my design project. I have to make three collages. I'm contemplating whether or not to make three separate pieces, or to make a series of three.

Now, due to popular request, I present 10 Italian words/phrases:

Good Morning = Buon Giorno
What's your name? = Come ti chiami?
How are you? = Come stai?
Fine, thank you = Bene, grazie
How old are you? = Quanti anni hai?
Where are you from? = Da dove vieni?
What's your job? = Qualè il tuo lavoro?
Can I have a coffee? = Posso avere uno caffè
How much does it cost? = Quanto costa?
I speak a little Italian = Parlo poco Italiano

Day 13

2008-09-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

I can't stress enough how good it felt to sleep in this morning. The fan felt so great that I used the sheet to cover up with. It was a remarkable feeling of not having anything specific to wake up for, and to just...rest.

I got out of bed, and figured it would be pretty close to noon. I was shocked that it was only a little past nine. I got online, checked some emails, and got a shower. I talked to Heather who mentioned stopping by and seeing the apartment later in the afternoon, and then headed out to do some laundry. I wanted to get everything clean again so that I could start over with the beginning of the second week already here.

I went to a lavanderia about 10 minutes away. I put all my clothes into one of my suitcases and used that to transport them. The washer took two tokens, which costs 3,50 Euro each. The dryer costs another token, so for one load (a pretty big load) costs 10,50 euro. Hopefully, I won't be visiting the lavanderia too often during my stay because it is so expensive. But, it's necessary and complaining probably won't change that fact.

I went home, cleaned the room so that everything was organized, attempted to use the vaccuum, gave up because of how incredibly awful it was, and made lunch. While the clothes were drying, I ran next door to the supermarket and got some fries. Now, my intention was to make something reminiscent of home: a burger and fries. Although, it seemed to look decent enough, the truth was that it was covered in grease and didn't taste as appetizing as I had hoped. I ate the burger and only a few fries because when coming I planned to eat healthy and exercise as often as possible.

After eating, Heather, Lucio (her husband) and the children stopped by to check out the apartment. We tried out a microphone she brought with Vonage to see how well it worked. It works nicely, and only costs 3 euro. She let me borrow it for the night and tomorrow I will try to get my own.

After they left, I called my mom and talked to her for a while. Vincent returned in the evening and we talked about what he's doing for his PhD. We tried some cheeses that he bought and had a beer as well. We also fixed the dvd player. It's funny because instead of it working normally, where the disc drawer will open and extend outward, we took the entire top of the dvd player off so that the disc can be inserted from the top since the drawer is stuck. We each had pasta for dinner and I told him about Ravenna, showing him pictures. We said our ciao's and headed to our respective rooms. I spent a while catching up with friends on aim and browsing some websites. Finally, it is time to get some sleep and prepare for the week to come.

And so, I conclude this entry with a quote by Leonardo DaVinci:

"Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgement will be surer."

TW3LV3

2008-09-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

Rise and shine at 6:20 am. I got ready, grabbed the camera, and I was off. I walked to Piazza Adua (near the train station) and met the group of students going on the trip. There were 46 of us. We went to Ravenna. Rewind.

Once everyone arrived to Piazza Adua, we walked five blocks to Piazza Indipendenza, which is actually closer to my apartment than Adua. We boarded the bus and were off on our journey. Within five minutes, I was sleeping. Awakened by Helen's voice on the intercom, I wiped the drool from my hand, and tried to listen. Helen speaks amazingly fast, with only slight room for breaths. Her passion is heard through her words and it is quite obvious that she loves Art History. My hand was tingling from leaning on it, causing it to fall asleep. We were at a rest stop for breakfast. I got a 'ciaocolato' muffin. It was rich, but good. I also ordered an espresso and re-boarded the bus to read a paper that Helen gave us on a brief history of Ravenna. This was wasteful in a sense because about 4 minutes later, she began giving us a verbal reenactment of the entire history of Ravenna. She talked for the remainder of our bus ride, which was around 40 minutes. It's relieving and scary that she knows so much. Relieving in that she is fluent enough to answer any and all questions about the topics, yet scary in that she says so much, it is sometimes tough to take it all in.

We saw many places in Ravenna, and a lot of pictures were taken, which I will try my hardest to caption once I can upload them. I will just list the places in the blog. We started off with the Mausoleum of Theodoric. Later, we saw: Theodoric's palace chapel, Baptistery of the Arians, Neonian/Orthodox Baptistery, and the Museo Arcivescovile.

And then it was time for lunch. We went to this place that serves sandwiches on flat bread. I got, you guessed it, mortadella. With it: mozzerella, pomodoro (tomatos) and mayonnaise. It was very delicious and filling.

And then the tour picked back up. We saw: Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, San Vitale (church), Tomb of Dante, San Francesco (church), and lastly ended with Sant'Apollinare in Classe. (Once I get pictures up and caption them, it will be easier to visualize each destination, rather than me trying to describe each place in the entry).

After the last church, we were able to check out some of the shops to get drinks and use the restroom before the bus ride back to Florence. I got a fragola (strawberry) ice cream cone that was perfect. We departed the church at 5:40. On the bus, I tried to sleep, which didn't happen, because the bus must have hit every bump imaginable. We arrived to Florence a little before 8, and were dropped of at San Marco. After the short hike home, I was finally able to relax. My roommates Vincent and Antonio were in the dining room/kitchen. I shared a Birra Moretti with them, told them of my day, and then ventured back to my room.

I called my grandfather to wish him a happy birthday. He told me about his get together with the family yesterday and how his day was going. They had a cookout and played some games, which sounded fun, and is something that my family and I always do together. I miss it. We discussed my trip, future adventures, and some project ideas for classes. I tried to call home after talking to Papaw. Greg answered but the connection kept cutting out. Luckily he was on gmail so I told him about my day and we discussed some other topics. Mom got on afterwards and we talked about the party and what they've been up to. It's so nice to have an outlet to communicate with them through when it's not possible to call. The fact that everyone can read these entries also helps with keeping everyone up to date with what I do.

And so, after being up for 16 hours, seeing a beautiful city, and speaking to my family, it is time to rest. Goodnight! Buona Notte!

XI

2008-09-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

I would like to give a special shout out to my fan for working miracles last night!

I woke up at 8:23 am. Got ready and headed to Heathers for the start of an intense day. I had my first caffè ever (grazie, Heather). After a couple cookies, and a wardrobe change for Isabella, we were off and running (walking) towards the bus station. We grabbed a four ride bus pass, finally found the number 22 bus, and boarded. Alas, my first bus ride in Florence. I sat by the window to try and view some of the area as we traveled to find the post office that allegedly could possibly maybe have a letter that was sent me just two days before arriving. As we got off the bus, we walked around the center of the road, up a different street, and arrived to the PT -- Postale Italiane. (doesn't make sense, does it?) Heather helped with the translation, I handed over my passport, and observed the teller. She went to a bookshelf thats contents where hidden from my angle, and then began to walk back towards us (no!). Then, stopped by another attendent and went back to the bookcase (yes!). Then, she came back to us, with no letter. I was upset that the letter was lost, and even more upset at the fact that someone took the time to send me a letter, and it was so horribly handled.

By the way, Italians love babies. Atleast five people came up to us today to talk to the baby. It was pretty crazy. Normally, Italians have no interest in us. They just walk by with hardly a glance. But, as soon as a baby is around their demeanor totally reverses.

After the post office, we boarded the number 35 bus and headed to the Lost and Found to hopefully find Heather's backpack. They didn't have that either, so we were 0 for 2 for the day. We boarded bus 17 and headed back towards San Marco in the center of Florence. We went to the Central Market, which was a great experience. This was the first time entering, and it is filled with tons of fresh food: meat, fish, cheese, bread, fruits, and veggies. They have samples everywhere, which was pretty fascinating as well. I ordered (in Italian) 2/10 of a kg of mortadella. I also got some apple juice, milk, and a water. After the market, we headed back to Heather's place. She helped me fill out a form to get a super market card that gives discounts. Kroger plus card Italian style.

I arrived home and 1pm and was already tired. I relaxed for about an hour, made a sandwich for lunch, drank some apple juice, and then headed to meet the Art History class for our first field trip of the Baptistery and then to San Miniato al Monte. As I was walking, I apparently got mixed up in the streets, couldn't see the Duomo (which is hard not to see) and started to panic. I remember Helen (the teacher) saying that if we miss the mandatory field trips, then we have to make it up by writing a paper. That's the last thing I wanted to do. I finally found the Duomo and began running towards it. I got to the group, sweating. Then we headed inside the Baptistery where Helen explained a lot of the art work, some of the architecture, and some sculptural pieces. We also got to see the floor of the old baptistery underneath the current floor. The old baptistery was discovered during an excavation along with many other Roman buildings and houses that existed before the Renaissance.

After the baptistery we headed to San Miniato. The hike was so intense. We walked from the Duomo through some streets, across the Arno River, through some streets, through a gate, up a hill, up a stairy type hill (where it was one step up then flat for a few steps, then another step up, etc.) up some stairs, up a rigid pathway, and finally made it to the the building, which is one of Florence's oldest. As soon as we entered, a down pour presented itself. We went through and looked at some of the features, and then listened to the Gregorian chants (which i recorded the audio to and will post the link here once I get the camera cord). Monks sang songs that have been chanted since the Middle Ages.

After leaving San Miniato, I walked home and thankfully the rain had made the temperature cooler. It took about 40 minutes to finally get here, and on the way, I crossed over the Ponte Vecchio, a popular bridge in Florence. While walking, I also saw David by Michelangelo in the distance and now know exactly where to go to see it in more detail when I get the chance. I tried to swing by SACI to see if the cord had arrived yet, but they were closed. Exhausted from the day, I relaxed, read some news articles online, made dinner, showered, and then posted this very entry. amazed?

I took a ton of pics and can't wait to show you all!

Until tomorrow,

Ciao!

ten

2008-09-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

First of all, I want to take a moment to recognize the heroes, remember those lost, and pray for the families that were unfortunately affected by the events of September 11. 7 years has passed and yet the memory will never fade.

Today began early. I woke up at 7:22, got dressed, and headed towards SACI so that we could check in and confirm our identity for the Permission to Stay form. When I arrived, the line was out the door. Luckily, because I had an 8:30 art history class, they let us skip to the front of the line. Haha, suckas! After checking in, I left to go to the meat store that has 1.5 liter waters for one euro and got that, a yogurt, and a pear. On the way back to the class, the line extended out the door and down the sidewalk atleast 30 meters. Crazy.

Art History was good. It is really interesting, but I think that I'm going to enjoy the field trips more because I will then be able to see the things she is talking about in real life. She talks so fast during the lecture its insane. She is so knowledgeable about the things she says that it is as if she is just speaking to someone non-chalantly about her childhood memories. The class was two hours, and because of my horrible night's sleep, it was tough to manage. Right after class, I spoke to Elizabeth about my scheduling options. I'm still undecided about whether or not to keep serigraphy (even though it seems to be an interesting class) just because I don't want to take on more than I can handle. If i take serigraphy I'll be taking what is equivalent to 18 credit hours. I want to be able to enjoy my stay here while still balancing classes, so chances are that I will probably drop the serigraphy. Wait and see.

After speaking with Elizabeth, I spoke to Sam at the front desk about how to get a letter that a family friend sent from back home. The letter arrived before I came to the apartment, so the mailman probably took it back to the post office. The post office in which my letter will hopefully be in a 30 minute bus ride. Also, it has been almost 2 weeks since that letter arrived, so chances of it actually being here are slim, but I'm trying to remain optimistic. Often times, employees of the post office will take whats inside for themselves if a letter is not claimed. Wish me luck!

After leaving SACI, I walked to the American Express. I converted some cash, and somehow winded up not getting what i should have. Short about 5 euro. She told me that there is a 5 euro commission but once I told her I was a student, she said that there will be no commission, but she probably didn't think I'd catch on (which by the time I did, it was too late anyway) and probably pocketed the 5 euro. It seems that some Florentine's can be pretty shady. When I left AMex, I began walking in the wrong direction. I turned around, and then ended up in the really wrong direction. I came upon the Arno River, which was a lovely surprise. It was a pretty setting, and I wish I had my camera on me to document it. I will for sure return and snap a picture soon. Finally figuring out where I was, it took me about 25 minutes to get home. I made a sandwich for lunch, grabbed the books I made yesterday to show Nicki and then snatched my camera (just in case I stumbled about something wonderful again) from my desk.

I took a new route to class, which seemed quicker. On the way I went under the street in live on, through a tunnel filled with graffiti. I forgot to take a picture. So much for grabbing the camera. In class, we talked about some of our initial ideas and then the advanced section of the group was allowed on the computer to look at previous work and some images that Camilla provided for us. After 3 hours of almost nothing, I returned home. But before doing so, I spotted a fan on the one of the shelves in the design center. I asked the secretary at the front desk if it would be ok to borrow this fan. She said yes and delighted, I scurried home. As soon as I plugged in the fan, It was like instant relief. Aside from the headache I'd gotten from the messed up monitors in the design center, I was feeling great! After a little bit of relaxation, I had dinner. Pasta with sauce, peppers, tomatoes, onions. Antonio made it and it smelled just like the pepper steak sauce my mom makes back home. I was instantly drawn to the smell and Antonio graciously offered me some.

After dinner, I headed to Heather's apartment. It is very nice, air conditioned, has a terrace, and is basically everything I wish mine had. The room's are nice, with a ceiling that reveals wooden planks, shelves above the tv stocked with books, and two bathrooms. Did i mention AC? After a few minutes, the two of us headed to SACI for her lecture. I filmed the speech which was really interesting. We also discussed a little bit about expectations and such for the video project that I'm doing. After the lecture, I walked home, stopping on the way to pick up a pint of Birra Moretti. I stuck it in the freezer 35 minutes ago, and can't wait to crack it open after posting this entry.

And so, I raise a toast.

To the heroes of 9/11 and the men and women still fighting for our country. To their safety, their hearts, and the hope that they will remain strong. Salud.

9.

2008-09-10T13:25:00.000-07:00

9% of my stay here is already over.

I want the weather to become colder, but the length of my stay to slow down. The experience so far has been great, and I know it will only become better. Also, be sure to check out the Flickr link on the right! I've added a few more photos!

Today, I woke up at 10 AM, once again with a decent night's sleep. This little fan, although stubborn at first, has become vital to my survival. After checking the 'net and following my usual routine of email checking, forums, and news, I made some breakfast. Scrambled eggs (its so easy to make!) and yogurt. I didn't feel so well this morning, but I rested for about an hour before heading to class.

Book Arts. Second Day. We made 3 little books. Each with a different type of stitching. 1-stitch, 2-stitch, and french stitch.

The blue is the one stitch, and has the binding visible on the outside. I also constructed the back cover to close into the front cover, concealing the pages. The green is the two stitch, and is made by stitching two separate signatures (bundles of folded paper) together with one thread, making the binding tight, and almost hidden. The orange is, of course, the french stitch, which allows the thread of the binding to be completely hidden. It was really fun, and surprisingly challenging, to make these. It's tougher than it seems to fold a stack of papers in such a way that they are all even and flush. After class, a couple of girls and I went to a supply store called Salvini where we picked up some paper for next week. We will be making accordion style books, and are required to create our own sketchbook for the class.

After getting back to the apartment, I made a sandwich. Once again: mortadella bologna, cheese, tomato. I turned on MTV but it was nothing of interest, so I went to my room. I'm not sure if it was tiredness or just slight boredom but I laid down in my bed to relax for a while. Surprising, I took a nap, which probably isn't good because I have to wake up at 7:30 AM tomorrow and now will be up later than I already am. After awaking, I made dinner. Pasta with olive oil, basil, peppers, and freshly cut tomatoes. It was kind of bland but luckily I also made some fresh bruschetta that helped to add flavor to the pasta. Another glass of wine and a cup of milk.

My arm started really hurting me and is beginning to drive me crazy. My mom is going to try and call the doctor to ask about what the process is for it to heal and how long this may take. Hopefully it doesn't take long, because i'm not supposed to apply deodorant near the wound, for obvious reasons, which makes it kind of embarrassing, for obvious reasons.

After dinner, I cleaned up, and talked to my mom some more on gmail. I've also been spending the last half hour jamming to some Led Zeppelin which has been extremely comforting.

Tomorrow I have to be at SACI at 8 AM with my passport so they can identify me, I suppose, when they turn in the Permission to Stay forms. Also, nearly a week later, is my second Art History course. I'm very excited about this and am looking forward to learning more about Florence.

Have a great night!

Ciao