Sculptures

Having people in town and showing them the sights allows me to look at things once more with a "different" perspective. I can honestly say that I don’t take the art and beauty of Florence for granted in any way, and appreciate and recognize and relish all that the city has to offer everyday.

When Linda was visiting, and while she was in the Uffizi, I waited for her in Piazza della Signoria on the loggia. The loggia is a large and beautiful open building in the Piazza that contains many important sculptures, and it was built in 1382..

It was raining that day, and her admission time was at 9 a.m. and I am never in the piazza at that time of day because of school. It was amazing how crowded it was, and the rain was not keeping anyone away. The Loggia is an excellent place to sit, because it is covered, and higher on the piazza which allows a nice vantage point to see everything that is going on.

I looked around at the sculptures there, and was amazed with my surroundings. Really I have never been that fond of or interested in sculptures, but my appreciation and knowledge about them has grown here in Florence. Of course, "Il David" by Michelangelo remains one of my most favorite things on earth, and a replica of that sculpture stands in the position of the original David at the door to the Palazzo Vecchio. On the other side of the door is Hercules and Cacus (1533) by Bandeinelli. Some of my other favorites on the loggia, and the most famous, are Cellini’s Perseus-a bronze of Perseus holding Medusa’s head (1584), The Rape of the Sabine Women (1583). All of these are very violent depictions, but the motion and emotion evoked are profound.

Learning to Speak Italian

Learning to speak Italian has been a remarkable experience for me. I took Spanish for 3 years in high school, but used it sparingly over the years, and never made any headway with improving those skills.

I totally underestimated the difficulty of learning a new language....it particular Italian which is a very "specific" language. They use feminine and masculine forms, and the verb forms change to match the person. There are 14 tenses for conjugating verbs, and there are 7 forms of speaking depending on how, what when and where, you are speaking and whether you are speaking or writing.

At my school there are 6 levels. I of course started at Level 1, and today, I am finishing level 4. I feel a strong sense of accomplishment, but also that I have far to go to consider myself "fluent" in Italian. I would say today that I can speak the language, but absolutely am not fluent.

The courses are set up in 2 week segments. Few people start at level 1 as I have and stay for 6 months. Most often people have been studying Italian for years, and come to the school to take their skills to the next level. Generally they stay 2 weeks to a month. Of course, when you come for a short period of time, you want to learn as much as possible. Therefore, the 2 week courses, are CRAMMED with material.

It didn’t take me long to figure out that "my hard drive was full" and to decide I needed to repeat some of the courses. That was really helpful for several reasons: 1. It allowed me to go at a slower pace 2. I reinforced things I had learned. 3. When I had visitors or traveled, it isn’t so stressful if I have to miss class. It has taken me 20 weeks to complete 12 weeks of classes back to back.

My comprehension, reading and writing skills are definitely at level 4. I am confident when spoken to in most situations of what is being said. I can watch TV, listen to the news, and "eavesdrop" on conversations in the piazza. When it comes to speaking, I am a little behind there.

I can carry on a decent conversation. However, most of the conversations that I have are about the same things....where I am from, why I am here, what I do for a living, my family, my friends, visitors, travels, etc. My vocabulary around speaking of these things is fine and my sentences are usually pretty simple. Books, newspapers, and tv shows usually have more complex sentences, and larger vocabularies, that when reading or hearing them, I can get the "gist" of, but if I had to say those things, would really need to know and be able to use the words correctly.

It is very strange for me to sit in a classroom of very bright international students usually no older than 24, and have them run circles around me in their abilities! It has been humbling but oh so rewarding!

Walking to School in the Rain

Today, August 23, 2007, is the first day since April that I had to walk to school in the rain! Isn’t that amazing? I think the weather this summer in Florence has been a little unusual, even though it is not usually very rainy, this summer it has hardly rained at all causing drought conditions.

This week, it has rained every day, and for a person who enjoys change, it was welcome. I never realized how much I lived by the motto "Make hay when the sunshines". I guess in my "normal" life, it doesn’t matter much, because I don’t have time to do many things outside. Since I have been here, my mentality has been that if the sun is shining(or the weather nice), I will be out and about in the city. Because the weather is always nice, this has caused me to be a little manic, and I hardly ever spend any time in my apartment, painting, reading, cleaning, watching movies, and all those other "rainy day" activities.

That’s fine by me, because you can do those things any time, right?

The thing that I thought was interesting is that even though it was pouring rain, I still thoroughly enjoyed my walk to school in the rain. Florence is beautiful in the rain, it can’t be masked and the tourists slept in! The city was quiet, gray, and oh so romantic.

Every Thing's Not Perfect

In the event that you have read my blog and think that everything is perfect here in Florence, I just wanted to set the record straight. It’s not. Even through these "rose colored glasses" some things are just aggravating. Not necessarily for me, but for a lot of people, especially Americans. For example:


1. The grocery store runs out of things regularly
2. There are long lines in the grocery and they don’t care
3. The stores aren’t open at all times of the day and night
4. Electricity and everything else is expensive.
5. It is hard to walk on the sidewalks because they are narrow, and the roads are cobblestone. You constantly have to look down.
6. The Arno is dirty
7. The city is loud
8. You always have to pay for water in restaurants
9. They never serve ice.
10. You can’t find sour cream.
11. There is horse poop on the streets
12. Sometimes the streets smell of urine because it never rains and the sewers don’t move.
13. Nothing starts "on time"
14. You always have to ask for the check in a restaurant.
15. There is no bacon and eggs for breakfast
16. The mail is unpredictable and unreliable
17. There is no parking
18. You can’t drive on many of the streets
19. There are so many tourists you can hardly breathe
20. The movie theaters close in the summer

Street Vendors

There are lots of street vendors in Florence, and throughout Italy. It is illegal to purchase goods from these people, and also illegal for them to sell it, but the enforcement seems to be more for the people who purchase goods. It is definitely "Buyer Beware!". There are signs all over Italy, and notes in most of the travel guide books about the illegalities, but since illegal goods are sold everywhere, I think most people ignore it.

In New York City you can find these same counterfeit goods being sold on the streets. Watches, sunglasses, and handbags are the most popular items. In addition to it being illegal because they are counterfeit, I believe there are also permits required to sell things on the street, which these vendors do not have.

In Florence, the vendors are usually African or Moroccan. They carry their handbags in large white sheets on their backs through the city, and unfold them on the streets and set up, probably hundreds of times per day. There will be rows and rows of them on the street, and it is impossible for the police not to know they are there. When the police come by, they gather their sheets over the goods, and wait for the police to pass, then set up again. They do not try to hide that they are selling these things, but seem not to want to be caught actually exchanging goods for money.

I once saw a mother get yelled at by the police for buying a toy "helicopter" in the piazza for her son. The vendor was there also, but the enforcement of the law was with the purchaser.

I have bought bags from these vendors in Rome and Venice, but not here in Florence. If you do want to buy something, you have to be quick about it. The vendors watch for people looking at the merchandise and then seize the opportunity to apply heavy sales pressure. It is dangerous to act interested or to make eye contact with one of these vendors if you are not really interested in buying. The sales pressure is unbelievable. They will follow you down the street with the product trying to negotiate a price!

The Basilica of San Lorenzo

The church of San Lorenzo was consecrated in 393, and reconsecrated in 1059 after being considerably enlarged. Nothing of the original buildings is visible today because they were covered up by the new work ordered in the late 14th century.

The church as it stands now was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, great Florentine architect, most well known for designing the Duomo in Florence. Work began on Brunelleschi’s plans in 1421, and was completed in 1428. San Lorenzo was the church of the Medici family who ruled Florence for hundreds of years.

The outside of the church remains as it was built during the renaissance, and is rough and not much to look at. It is a surprise when you enter the building, because the inside is quite ornate, with marble floors and columns and a beautiful gold leaf carved panel ceiling.

There are many important works of art contained in this church. Some of the most important are the Martelli Sarcophagus by Donatello, and also 2 bronze pulpits by Donatello. There is a painting of the Annunciation by Filippo Lippi, one of the great renaissance painters, and another painting by Pietro Annigone, called Saint Joseph and the Christ Child which was painted in 1964. The difference in this painting and its modern elements are immediately recognizable.
Other buildings in the area and attached to the church are also of interest and add another dimension to the outside of San Lorenzo and is one of my favorite "rooftop viewings". The Biblioteca (library of the Medici use to house the manuscripts collected by the Medici, and the Campinile, and the Cappelle Medicee. In the Biblioteca, there is a staircase made of sandstone that was one of Michelangelo’s most innovative designs. It was built by Ammannatti in 1559. Michelangelo also designed the desks and ceiling of the Biblioteca. In the Cappella Dei Principi, Michelangelo’s creations symbolizing Night, Day, Dawn and Dusk are among his greatest works and decorate the Medici Tombs.

For those who say, "to hell with Renassaince art, and the cathedrals", there is a fabulous market-the best place to buy leather and other goods in Florence. Also, the food market, Mercato Centrale, is not to be missed!

What "They" Say About Americans

People all over the world like to engage in discussions with Americans about capitalism and politics. Those of you who know me well, understand that I believe in the "Love it or Leave it" philosophy, and therefore, for the time being, have left the US.

Living here gives me new perspectives on the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of American life everyday. I see things through my own eyes, and through the eyes of others. Some of the people I have discussions with have been to the US, and others have not, but there are consistent themes and beliefs from people all over the world about the US and Americans. Some of them are not surprising and some are.

Here are some of the things that in general, I hear regularly about the US:

1. It is an easier life, with opportunity for those who want it.

2. Things are less expensive.(food, housing, electricity, gas)
3. There are a lot of "conveniences" (easy to buy anything at any time of the day or night ,dishwashers, cars, washers, dryers, )
4. There are freedoms that other countries do not have ( the biggest example of this is around freedom of speech-being able to say that you disagree with or do not like the government without fear of repercussions)
5. Bush is a war monger, he has endangered the US throughout the world.
6. Americans are not as safe as they used to be, and places where Americans are, or go, also are not as safe as a result.
7. Americans are friendly, but their government is not.
8. Americans are always on a schedule, and always have a plan (not easy to relax, or go with the flow)
9. Americans drink to the point of intoxication more than other cultures.

10. Americans do not eat well, but eat a lot.
11. Americans are unaware that places and people exist outside of the USA and do not understand the political and economic impact of decisions that are made on themselves and the rest of the world.
12. Americans do not engage in politics in their own country or around the world.
13. American music rules.

Interesting, huh?