“Turn Right at the Dalai Lama.”
Near the end of our time in Firenze we had an art show at an internet cafe. Each of us got to pick one piece to hang. It’s really nice to say I got to display my artwork in ITALY! They even had a little reception planned with appetizers and drinks…at a Mexican restaurant. We needed a way to remember which street the internet cafe was located. Fortunately there was a large poster of the Dalai Lama on the corner of the street. (There was a Tibetan Mandala exhibit going on.) So when one of the ladies in our group asked, “What street is the cafe on?”
“Turn Right at the Dalai Lama.”
San Gimignano
The day trip to Siena also included a visit to San Gimignano. It is famous for three things…the awesome medieval architecture — specifically the towers. Vernaccia di San Gimignano, the white wine only grown in the surrounding area. And most importantly, San Gimignano is famous for it’s World Champion GELATO!!!! That was the very first thing we did once we got into town. Made a beline to the gelato place as if our lives depended on it. Actually they *did* depend on it. We were on the verge of heat stroke. Despite the heat we hiked up to this look out point and enjoyed something that rivals the gelato…. a strong breeze! Oh it was nice. We found some shade (also very nice) and sketched for a while. Then it was off again to head back to Firenze.
Burnt Siena
You know like the sienna paint… It was named after the city of Siena. You just learned something. No need to thank me. I think I failed to mention in all my previous Italy blogs about how hot it is in the summer. It’s hot. Like HOT, hot. And super sunny. And humid. And we walk a lot. Thank God that many of the hilly streets of Siena were in the shade. It was especially hot in the Piazza del Campo, which is a large, sloping piazza. We were pretty toasty. And that means…time for gelato!!! Some of the ladies in our group climbed to the top of the Torre del Mangia. It was very tall, and I may have mentioned it was very hot, so I opted out this time. Instead, the rest of us checked out Palazzo Communale. I talked to a woman who had vacationed in Siena five times. She told me about the Palio di Siena horse race where riders represent the city wards. And how one year the Wolves had won the race and were going into the other wards and howling. She also spoke of the love the people of Siena have for their city. And that she felt it was infectious.
Much like Lucca, I felt we were in Siena for too short a time. Not nearly enough time to truly get a sense of the Siena this nice tourist spoke of, which called her back again and again.
Mental Postcard Moment
Just when I thought I was getting tired of Firenze (gasp!) our group headed up to San Miniato to see the panoramic views…which are breath-taking!
We took the bus up to the top of the hillside, and perched there is the Church of San Miniato, where monks still chant mass at 5:30pm. One monk runs in a bit late…he has allergies and sneezes a number of times. Then pulls out a hankie and blows his nose. Not exactly what I expected to hear from chanting monks….what a treat! Ha! It was interesting to watch, even more to listen to…minus the sneezing.
After mass we wandered around the cemetery and took pictures as if we had just arrived in Italy and were not into our third week. The cemetery had some beautiful statues, their age showing by the severity of marble eroded away. The puffy white clouds just adding to every photo. Then music suddenly washed over San Miniato like a gentle wave. The song; Everything by Michael Buble. So on a hill above Firenze I sang along to:
…In this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It’s you, it’s you, You make me sing.
You’re every line, you’re every word, you’re everything…
It is so peaceful up at San Miniato. No buses practically running you over. No crowded streets. No gypsies begging for money. I sat on an old brick wall under a cyprus that has probably been there just as long, if not longer, and just breathed in the view. I don’t think I moved for at least 20 minutes. The Duomo standing firm at the center. The winding streets that don’t make sense, with names that changed at least once. The quiet Arno River hugging the south end of the city. The typical Etruscan hills dotted with villas and tall cyprus trees.
It is this view of Florence that will etch itself into my heart….
It’s you, it’s you, You make me sing.
You’re every line, you’re every word, you’re everything…
Parlami d’Amore!
That’s the title to my Italy Theme Song. During the entire month I was there I heard this song repeatedly. It’s a good thing I like the song! Parlami d’Amore is by an Italian group Negramaro. Every time I travel there are certain songs that just stand out as the theme song of the trip. Not because of what the song is…just because of the number of times I heard it. Drops of Jupiter by Train was my Louisiana song…and every time I hear the song I think of Louisiana. So it’s no surprise this happened in Italy. The other theme song we heard a number of times is Everything by Michael Buble (this will be part of the San Miniato blog). Since I was there for a month, it seems fitting I’d have two songs.
Parlami d’Amore played in the clothing shop in Siena…. in the little grocery store on Dei Servi…. the gelato place… on M-tv Italia. Yep, they even have a video. My roommates and I had no idea what they were singing…but we *loved* the song. We’d get excited every single time we heard it. We finally figured out the title meant Talk of Love. Any song with love in the title has to be good, right?? Here’s the video:
“I’m Your Venus, I’m Your Fire” …or, My Time at the Uffizi
We went to the Uffizi. What I remember most about the Uffizi is the Botticelli room. That’s probably because I spent a lot of time in there… And by “a lot of time” I mean ten minutes…but it felt like 30. I’d like to say that I was so awe-struck by the shear talent of Botticelli’s work, that I had to sit down in order to soak it all in. I’d love to say I was inspired beyond all imagination. Or that I was trying to feel his motivation. But in reality I was trying to *not* feel the raging cramps ripping through my mid-section. Kinda hard to appreciate art when Aunt Flo is seriously harshing your mellow. Ironically, Venus is the Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty and fertility. Fertility. Damn you, Venus! However, if I focused on a Botticelli hard enough, I could momentarily forget the pain and nausea and realize how awesome it was to stare at such paintings.
Female problems aside, I wish we had gone to the Uffizi when we first arrived in Florence. Or within the first few days. Because by week three we were so inundated by art, much of it started to blend together. Luckily our guide David walked us through the “more important” rooms of the Uffizi. Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Da Vinci. Check. Check. Check. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy seeing it ALL. But I think it was sensory overload. If you held up a piece of Renaissance or Gothic art and asked me if I saw that specific piece…the answer is “yes,” even if I’m not sure, the probability is in my favor.
In addition to all the beautiful art… we saw Rob Reiner and his family at the Uffizi, too. Hey Rob… Tiramisu! You’ll love it!
(and yes, the title is from the Bananarama song, hehe)
“Want to be My Homey?”
Street vendors. They are everywhere in Italy. The kind that are there “illegally.” We were warned many times NOT to buy from the guys who spread out a blanket on the ground to sell their fakey Prada (or “Prado” …what movie is that from?) purses and wallets. Most of the time we just ignored them. But in Venice, these illegal vendors are much more vocal and attention-seeking. While in Venice, I was with Kristin and Kathy, and we passed one such vendor. He asked if we’d like a purse….we keep walking…said he’d even give it to us for free… still walking…. then he says after us, “Want to be my homey??“ We just about fell over laughing.
(Is it “homey” or “homie?” Guess I’m not gangster enough. Mmmmeh!)
How Venice Stole My Heart…
Once again I’ll let the photos speak for themselves, but it’s easy to see why I love Venice!
I {Heart} Venice!
There is just something about Venice. It is the epitome of what Italy was to me before this trip. Every time I imagined Italy, thoughts of canals with bridges and gondolas came springing to mind. Going to Venice was the highlight of my trip…no doubt. I loved seeing the rolling Etruscan hills, but I am a “water girl.” I love the water. I need to be near water. Venice reached my soul. From the intriguing history of how Venice came to be, to the sheer artistic nature of it all…it’s so impressive.
I cannot wait to get back to Venice. I could spend weeks wandering around and getting inspiration for paintings.
Speaking of inspired… We got to see the collection of John Singer Sargent paintings of Venice…in Venice! How cool is that?? I have admired Sargent’s work, but seeing his pieces in person in the city that inspired such paintings…that was beyond memorable. Staring at a particularly stunning piece, Corner of Church of San Stae, Venice, I told Kristin and Kathy, who were both with me, “We’re not worthy.” They both agreed.
We walked the entire length of Venice… at least once. We took the water bus down the Grand Canal numerous times and quickly became “experts” of the public transportation. (Get a 24-hour bus pass, it’ll save you lots of Euro!) We saw more Murano glass shops than any one person should. We walked the uneven floors of the Church of San Marco and walked by the Bridge of Sighs. Of course there was some gelato to be tried, too. And yes, it does taste different in Venice….nah, I just made that up!
We went to the Biennale to see what contemporary art the artists of the world had to offer. Each country had its own gallery to display. Some had a group of artists, others selected only one to represent the country. My favorite was the France exhibit called, “Take care of yourself.” Artist Sophie Calle asked 107 women to submit their interpretation of a “break up” e-mail she had received. They were allowed to do whatever they wished, read it, dance, act, draw. My favorite (no surprise) was the Italian woman’s submission.
We also took the water bus over to Burano on Sunday…laundry day. I love laundry day, and laundry day on Burano is an artist’s dream….or *this* artist for sure! Brightly colored houses with stark white sheets or a variety of contrasting clothes all hung out to dry in the summer sun. It became my “thing.” Ruth had her “thing” with the nuns, especially nuns on bikes. Mine was Italian laundry…look for a painting series, oh yes, it will happen!
We did all of this…in three days. It’s no wonder I want to go back!
“I’m Looking at the Menu…”
Which is code for “I’m checking out the guys.” We arrived in Venice to blue skies and bright sun….but that was nothing compared to the hotness of Venetian men. Oh my lamb! There is some definite “eye-candy” in Venice. But that is not why I *heart* Venice. Although it did make my time there that much more enjoyable, I’m not gonna lie! Maybe it was the fact that they’re Italian. Maybe it was that they all had tanned olive skin. Maybe it was that most of them had their shirts off while driving around the canals in their boats. But with a tour group of only women…we all took notice! And it wasn’t just one or two handsome guys, it was the vast majority of guys we encountered! Don’t believe me? Just ask any one of the ladies on the trip and they’d agree. Linda said it best when we were admiring this phenomenon, “I’m looking at the menu…”
*Note: Sorry for the lasp in posts, I was sick last week, but feeling better now!
