Firenze Part Two

Florence was absolutely amazing! It's so much smaller and cleaner than Rome. There were a few moments where I wished I was studying in Florence instead of Rome, but I am overall glad that I am in Rome. In Florence, there aren't really places to get away from the touristy areas, because it's so small. Because of that, I didn't really have to use Italian at all this weekend, just a few phrases or sentences to clarify what I meant when I asked a shop attendant for something, or ordering on a menu. In Rome, you can tell if the restaurant is a touristy one based on how many Italians are inside, and if the menu outside is in English. In Florence, almost all the restaurants have tourist menus and lots of Italians, because everything overflows in the small city. Florence would be a beautiful place to study abroad in, but in my opinion, it isn't the best option for cultural immersion. I would have definitely have to try harder to become immersed, as opposed to in Rome, where I'm surrounded by Roman day-to-day life and culture.

But, since I was in Florence to be a tourist, that is what I did. ISA paid for tours of the Uffizi Gallery and a walking tour on Friday, (I missed the walking tour because of my class), the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze and the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral on Saturday, and wine tasting and lunch on Sunday in the Chianti region, on the way back from Florence.

The Uffizi Gallery was nice, but I feel like I knew everything that the tour guide told us. (Props to Professor Scott in the ARH Department!) It was still amazing to see paintings by Botticelli, Raphael, and one by Michelangelo. Actually walking in the Medici family pathway above the streets of Florence was really cool, after learning about those as well. The Medici family had them built so they didn't have to mingle with the butchers and the peasants on the streets, as they had a "better than you" kind of mindset.

Botticelli's Birth of Venus

Botticelli's Annunciation

The view of the Ponte Vecchio from inside the Uffizi Gallery

Michelangelo's only painting in Florence

Madonna del Cardellino or Modonna of the Goldfinch, by Raphael

After the Uffizi Gallery on Friday and the Accademia on Saturday, we were free to explore Florence and the surrounding areas on our own. I went to an early dinner with my friends Nicole, Rachel, Lauren and Hannah, which was good but a bit touristy. We walked back to the hotel, where I finally got to see my hotel room, and met up with my roommates, Hannah M. and Hannah J. who are two of the five people I share my apartment with. We wandered around Florence, and ended up by the Uffizi Gallery, where there was a street musician playing a flute. He was so amazing, we stopped and listened for a while, and when we left I gave him a few Euros. (I believe that if the street performer makes you stop and watch/listen, you owe them some money.) We walked down to the Arno river, which is very beautiful at night with the lights on the bridge. We even walked across the Ponte Vecchio! It was something we had looked at in Italian Renaissance Art, so I was very excited to actually be on the bridge, that was rebuilt in 1345. We spent most of the night out, (but we behaved, as we were representing our home university, AUR, and ISA). We finally got back to the hotel around 2-3am, and went straight to sleep, because the next day was the Accademia, to see David!

Hannah Squared and I outside the Uffizi Gallery. We were listening to a street musician until we got too cold

The Arno River is so much prettier at night than it is at daytime. Definitely don't drink the water in Florence!

ISA told us to meet in the lobby at 10 am, so Hannah Squared and I ate breakfast in the hotel around 9:15, then went downstairs to wait. Before the Accademia, we toured The Cattedral di Santa Maria del Fiore. It was very pretty, but I was too excited for the Accademia to pay too much attention, and I don't remember much of what the tour guide said.

This clock is supposed to count down how many hours are left until sunset each day.

The fresco of the Duomo

Close up of the fresco, The Last Judgement

I donated and lit a candle for my Aunt Donna, who passed away April 20th, 2013

Outside of the Cathedral, looking up at the Duomo

The Accademia is a very small museum, and the only pieces of any real importance are Michelangelo's unfinished sculptures, and David.

My generation is known for selfies. Whatever.

Finally seeing David was just as amazing as I always thought it would be. I feel like I have a picture from every angle, but I feel no shame in that. Depending on where you are standing, the statue looks different, as your angle changes and you view different areas. Again, the tour guide wasn't able to give me any new information, because Prof. Scott had done such a good job teaching me last fall.

After seeing David, a few of my friends and I decided to climb Giotto's Campanile, or the Bell Tower, so we could get a good view of the Duomo. It's 414 steps to the top, in the most narrow, dark passage way. There are tons of people coming down as you're trying to go up. It was terrifying but we finally made it to the top safe and sound. The views were breathtaking.

After the Campanile, myself and Rachel, Hannah, and Nicole went to the leather market in the Basilica di San Lorenzo, where I bought the most beautiful leather purse and wallet. I got a fantastic deal, as the purse was originally 170 Euro, and I got it for 60 Euro, and the wallet, originally 60 Euro, I got for 25 Euro.

I went with Rachel, Hannah, and Nicole to find something to eat. I got these mini mozzarella balls, which were very delicious. Nicole got fried vegetables, which she shared with me, and were also very good. We walked back to the hotel afterwords, and made plans to go out for dinner that night. The restaurant we wanted to go to didn't have any reservations left, so I ended up going to dinner with my two roommates, Hannah Squared. We went to bed kind of early, because ISA wanted us packed and ready to go by 10, to get on the bus and head to the wine tasting.

The bus ride to Castello di Verrazano wasn't too bad or too long. We got to Castello di Verrazano around 12:30, and started our tour right away. We got to see where all the wine is stored in the barrels, and the areas where they dry out the grapes. Our tour guide described the process to us, and then led us to the terrace, so we could see the amazing view. We then went inside the dining area, so we could taste the wines and eat lunch. They served us three different wines, 1) Rosso Verrazzano, a red wine that is best enjoyed within 5 years; 2) Chianti Classico, a red wine that is best after 5 years after bottling; and 3) Chianti Classico Riserva, a red wine that is best after 7-10 years after bottling. I tried all three, but I still have not found a wine that I like. Lunch was classic Florentine dishes, from Ribollita, (similar to minestrone soup but with bread in it. It was delicious), a spicy penne pasta dish, and a selection of meats, from prosciutto, Italian salame, and many more that I can't remember the names of. I bough a bottle of the Chianti Classico for my grandfather and a bottle of white wine for my grandmother for their gifts.

I took so many pictures of the view, because of the mountains. I seriously miss seeing my Vermont mountains on a daily basis. These helped a little. 

A poem on the terrace, by Miriam Serni Casalini:
"From high Verrazano,
Vastness of the sky As the embrace of a mother, Closes the immense space.
Scenes of hills, Geometries of vineyards Lost in bundles of light accomplice cypresses.
Barbaglia glaucous olive, or maybe it's silver.
Play in the wind The sail of hawk, Beyond the castles, and then disappears.
Overlooking from up here, this sea, close my eyes.
And I get lost."

Hannah Marie and I

The room where they hang the grapes to dry before making them into wine. 

I have decided that one day, I will own a castle on a mountain in Italy. Preferably, one with a tower.

Wine tasting and photo ops with friends in the Chianti Region.

I really miss Vermont's mountains, but Italy's will do for now.

The bus ride back to Rome was very long and very boring. I was starting to get sick, which I did not realize until Monday morning when I had class. I slept most of the day Monday, which helped a little bit but not as much as it could have. Luckily, I had brought cold medicine from home, so I didn't have to go out and buy any.

Ciao!