Tuesday, 5/6/03
This is my last morning at Santa Chiara. I spent my last night here already. I prayed that today I wouldn't need excitement, giddiness (especially not giddiness) or excessive happiness, but only tranquility. And this morning tranquility is what I have. I have this calm, yet exciting feeling that the moment has finally arrived. I can pack, smile, and do nothing but get ready to go home. I'll see my parents in less than 36 hours.
Wednesday, 5/7/03
9 hours! I'm on the flight home, over the Atlantic ocean. We're about to be shown "Chicago", but until then I'll write. Tuesday was a very good day, a very good day. I woke up and started swinging my arms around out of excitement.
After lunch the "non-non architecture" group gave our gifts to the instructors/admin/cooks, etc. Then I went up to Kate's room to help her "focus" on packing. We listened to the Beatles, then the Bridget Jones' Diary soundtrack. If you step on top of Kate's bed, then to the radiator, then up to the window ledge, you can sit up there. There are diamond shaped bars across the big window, but one corner was sawed off, so Kate climbed through to the scaffolding on the other side. There has even been scaffolding on Santa Chiara all semester! I sat on the window sill and Kate translated the article on Legolas from her LOTR magazine for me. She's picked up some Italian pretty well. Next I helped Morgan proofread a paper she wrote for a scholarship application.
At check-out Amanda gave us our room deposits back and when I found out that we could buy the Italy Spring 2003 directories with American dollars, I was overjoyed. She gave me change in Euros. Somehow those Euros keep turning up! I ran to the bookstore and got the book on Tuscany that I thought would be a perfect gift for Grandpa. Now I have gifts for everyone! I was ecstatic.
After 9 everyone had already left for CoCo Palm. Valerie and I went, and got our gelati. I got melone, which tasted exactly like cantaloupe, a citrus mix which tasted like grapefruit, and creme. They were all good, but not my favorites.
I lugged all my stuff downstairs, then went to Kate's room again before we moved all the luggage to Piazza Garibaldi for the bus. Kate has become one of my favorite people. She is so funny with all her daydreams. Morgan thinks it is nuts how the two of us just go off on Lord of the Rings all the time.
We packed the bus and left Castiglion Fiorentino at 12:30am. A lot of other students who weren't leaving quite yet came to see us off. I discovered that the reason I hate goodbyes is because I want to cry but can't, and because if I say goodbye to someone I don't know too well, I regret not getting to know them better. So I would rather just wave happily.
We all slept the three hours to Rome. We got there at 3:30, and waited until after 5 to check in. We got one the plane with no incident, then got to Frankfurt after our boarding time, so we had no layover! Hurray! Now I'm watching the Q-tip clouds over the Atlantic.
[The end.]
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Wrapping up the semester!
Saturday, 5/3/03
Last night after dinner I played "Settlers of Catan" with Karin and Valerie. It's Karin's favorite game, and a German game. I found out from the game that "ritter" means "robber".
This morning Morgan and I went to Cortona. I mainly wanted to go again because I didn't get postcards last week, but it was just as beautiful as before. I think Cortona is my favorite Tuscan town. The only thing I bought was a Tuscan cookbook. As soon as I got back, Kate and I went to get our hair cut. I just now packed most of my stuff. I think it might all fit!
Monday, 5/5/03
I'm in the courtyard in an attempt to stabilize myself once again. I have a knack for having a whole lot of fun, and thinking I'll have a great journal entry, then something comes along and ruins my mood before I have a chance to write.
I should start with yesterday. Church was wonderful, even though the heat made me dead tired, as usual. Anziano Waite told me that some of the members requested my testimony, since it was my last Sunday. I was nervous, but I did it, and he translated for me. I said goodbye to everyone then left.
I was walking back to Santa Chiara when I met Kate and Morgan coming out to go to studio. They told me that Taeg had moved our final review from 2:00 to 1:30. It was 1:40. I ran upstairs, threw on some different clothes, and ran up the steep road to studio. Taeg wasn't even there, and we didn't end up starting until after 2. The review went well, though it lasted five hours. With my projects, the reviewers have kept bringing up religious allegory and stuff. This time, Taeg's friend, who is teaching in Rome, kept talking about the "darker side" of my project, a flight of steps that go nowhere. It seems to imply death. I think that's hilarious, that I've gotten stuck with the symbolic projects all semester.
After dinner our studio hosted a party in the courtyard with wine and pastries, and a slide show of our powerpoint presentations. I had to be careful and smell the pastries to make sure I didn't eat one with alcohol. Andrea from Kansas showed me some things that Nicole had put all over the study center, little garlic cloves wrapped up and attached to string, just to help people notice details about the space that they wouldn't have otherwise. She put these little wire weed-like sculptures across some metal beams that span the hallway directly under the groin vaults. I never knew those little beams were there, and it really complemented the vaults to have something organic under them.
Next, I went with Karin, Edit, Kate, Crystal, and Carmen to the carnival to ride the spinny ride. It looks like the Sombrero at Six Flags, but it's very different. It doesn't spin very fast, but it jostles you up and down so you bounce around. There are no seats, just a bench around the edge, and the Italian kids would even go jump around in the middle and go flying. It was such a blast! We rode it twice. Edit, Kate, and Carmen tried to dance in the middle the second time, but didn't last very long. Edit landed on top of a little Italian boy twice.
Then we went to CoCo Palm and I got ice cream, though I was really full from the dinner and pastries. I decided to get fruit instead of rich chocolate because I was full, and I ended up getting coconut and green apple, which was the best ice cream combination I've ever had. It was absolutely divine!
I forgot to mention that before CoCo Palm, Karin put money in the punching machine and we all took turns punching it. I sucked. I guess I just don't have much anger in me. Edit and Karin kept naming it after certain guys. Then they told Carmen to think it was her parents. She got a really high score.
So, with our gelati we went and sat on the ledge on the opposite side of Piazza Garibaldi. People kept asking me if I was drunk, though I hadn't had a drop of alcohol. Then Kate, who was very giddy, got up and started doing the dance from the video "Lady Marmalade" at the end of Moulin Rouge. It was really funny.
[a stretch of complaining, because let's face it, when you spend 3 months with the same set of people, you get sick of each other]
In 48 hours, I'll be with my parents and I have never wanted a moment so badly in my entire life.
After lunch today I went up to the studio to help pack our models. Then I crashed on Carmen/Val/Bekah/Crystal/Marie's couch for not nearly long enough. By the way, their house is called Casa Vespa. Valerie and I went into town, so she could sell her cell phone, and I could find gifts. There is one shop in town called "Claudia" that has beautiful glass figures. I got Grandma a glass heart that has colored pieces on the bottom that give it a pretty effect. For Grandpa I knew that I wanted to get a book on Toscana. But I simply didn't have enough money. So I got him a beautiful glass globe from "Claudia".
At dinner it was "dress crazy night". I was really not in the mood. I couldn't bring myself to dress up. But everyone else was really funny. I was very quiet at dinner. We gave Taeg a pipe for a gift. He was ecstatic. We also all signed the postcards we're giving to all the other instructors/administrators/cooks, etc. What we did, was Sophia got a postcard of Castiglion and cut it into 14 sections. We each took one part and reproduced it in our own media, own style. Then they were all put back together. It looks really cool.
Well I'll have to start in the journal I got in Firenze now. 48 hours, 48 hours, 48 hours, 48 hours, 48 hours, 48 hours, 48 hours, 48 hours!
Last night after dinner I played "Settlers of Catan" with Karin and Valerie. It's Karin's favorite game, and a German game. I found out from the game that "ritter" means "robber".
This morning Morgan and I went to Cortona. I mainly wanted to go again because I didn't get postcards last week, but it was just as beautiful as before. I think Cortona is my favorite Tuscan town. The only thing I bought was a Tuscan cookbook. As soon as I got back, Kate and I went to get our hair cut. I just now packed most of my stuff. I think it might all fit!
Monday, 5/5/03
I'm in the courtyard in an attempt to stabilize myself once again. I have a knack for having a whole lot of fun, and thinking I'll have a great journal entry, then something comes along and ruins my mood before I have a chance to write.
I should start with yesterday. Church was wonderful, even though the heat made me dead tired, as usual. Anziano Waite told me that some of the members requested my testimony, since it was my last Sunday. I was nervous, but I did it, and he translated for me. I said goodbye to everyone then left.
I was walking back to Santa Chiara when I met Kate and Morgan coming out to go to studio. They told me that Taeg had moved our final review from 2:00 to 1:30. It was 1:40. I ran upstairs, threw on some different clothes, and ran up the steep road to studio. Taeg wasn't even there, and we didn't end up starting until after 2. The review went well, though it lasted five hours. With my projects, the reviewers have kept bringing up religious allegory and stuff. This time, Taeg's friend, who is teaching in Rome, kept talking about the "darker side" of my project, a flight of steps that go nowhere. It seems to imply death. I think that's hilarious, that I've gotten stuck with the symbolic projects all semester.
After dinner our studio hosted a party in the courtyard with wine and pastries, and a slide show of our powerpoint presentations. I had to be careful and smell the pastries to make sure I didn't eat one with alcohol. Andrea from Kansas showed me some things that Nicole had put all over the study center, little garlic cloves wrapped up and attached to string, just to help people notice details about the space that they wouldn't have otherwise. She put these little wire weed-like sculptures across some metal beams that span the hallway directly under the groin vaults. I never knew those little beams were there, and it really complemented the vaults to have something organic under them.
Next, I went with Karin, Edit, Kate, Crystal, and Carmen to the carnival to ride the spinny ride. It looks like the Sombrero at Six Flags, but it's very different. It doesn't spin very fast, but it jostles you up and down so you bounce around. There are no seats, just a bench around the edge, and the Italian kids would even go jump around in the middle and go flying. It was such a blast! We rode it twice. Edit, Kate, and Carmen tried to dance in the middle the second time, but didn't last very long. Edit landed on top of a little Italian boy twice.
Then we went to CoCo Palm and I got ice cream, though I was really full from the dinner and pastries. I decided to get fruit instead of rich chocolate because I was full, and I ended up getting coconut and green apple, which was the best ice cream combination I've ever had. It was absolutely divine!
I forgot to mention that before CoCo Palm, Karin put money in the punching machine and we all took turns punching it. I sucked. I guess I just don't have much anger in me. Edit and Karin kept naming it after certain guys. Then they told Carmen to think it was her parents. She got a really high score.
So, with our gelati we went and sat on the ledge on the opposite side of Piazza Garibaldi. People kept asking me if I was drunk, though I hadn't had a drop of alcohol. Then Kate, who was very giddy, got up and started doing the dance from the video "Lady Marmalade" at the end of Moulin Rouge. It was really funny.
[a stretch of complaining, because let's face it, when you spend 3 months with the same set of people, you get sick of each other]
In 48 hours, I'll be with my parents and I have never wanted a moment so badly in my entire life.
After lunch today I went up to the studio to help pack our models. Then I crashed on Carmen/Val/Bekah/Crystal/Marie's couch for not nearly long enough. By the way, their house is called Casa Vespa. Valerie and I went into town, so she could sell her cell phone, and I could find gifts. There is one shop in town called "Claudia" that has beautiful glass figures. I got Grandma a glass heart that has colored pieces on the bottom that give it a pretty effect. For Grandpa I knew that I wanted to get a book on Toscana. But I simply didn't have enough money. So I got him a beautiful glass globe from "Claudia".
At dinner it was "dress crazy night". I was really not in the mood. I couldn't bring myself to dress up. But everyone else was really funny. I was very quiet at dinner. We gave Taeg a pipe for a gift. He was ecstatic. We also all signed the postcards we're giving to all the other instructors/administrators/cooks, etc. What we did, was Sophia got a postcard of Castiglion and cut it into 14 sections. We each took one part and reproduced it in our own media, own style. Then they were all put back together. It looks really cool.
Well I'll have to start in the journal I got in Firenze now. 48 hours, 48 hours, 48 hours, 48 hours, 48 hours, 48 hours, 48 hours, 48 hours!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Stargazing, finals, and final trips to Firenze and Roma
Tuesday, 4/30/03
As I was going to bed I got in one of those giddy moods, and Cady and Karin said I was a drunk, a non-alcoholic drunk. I don't remember what happened, except that at one point Cady suddenly started singing the screeching violins from Psycho, and I screamed, then half cried-half laughed. Very unsettling memories. Then a few minutes later we were talking about hearing ceiling sounds and the conversation shifted to rat fights in walls and ceilings. Cady was doing something in the bathroom and she suddenly popped around the wall and screeched at me like a rat! I screamed, and Karin screamed louder just because she was startled by my scream. Tammy next door banged on the wall for us to shut up.
Friday, 5/2/03
I'm finally on my way back to Rome, my favorite place in Italy. The only places that may rival it would be Capri or Venice.
Tuesday afternoon Morgan and I, as well as a couple of Kansas girls, went to CoCo Palm for gelati. I was dreadfully late to mixed media, as CoCo Palm didn't reopen until 4. But it was so worth it. I can't believe I never had gelato before that. It was divine, so divine that I even came back after dinner.
So I went to mixed media over an hour late, and did some work on my 3d model, cut up my collage and arranged it on my model. But I didn't finish because Paolo was too tired to help me. I'm going to miss Paolo so much. I think he's my favorite professor ever.
Later, Karin and Edit were going to the Velvet Underground for dancing (every Tuesday), and I decided to stop in just to see what it looked like. No one was there, so we decided to go look at the stars for a while. Me, Karin, Edit, and Kate went and got blankets and carried them up toward the tower. In the Piazza Municipale we actually passed the Mayor and were embarrassed because Edit and I both had blankets wrapped around us. Then it turned out the tower was gated off, so we went up a side road that dead ended at the top of the hill. We just laid the blankets down on the road, because no one else was around. We had a nice time, though the street lamp made it hard to see anything other than the big dipper.
Now comes the funny part. We went back to the Velvet and I went in to see what people looked like on the dance floor. But we still had the thick wool blankets. I was waiting for Kate because she only wanted to stay for a few minutes, but when she kept dancing I began to get self conscious, holding two huge blankets in the entry way of a pub where I was in view of everyone there. Then Jesus asked me what I was doing. Finally, I told Kate I would take her water and go. I went.
Wednesday I skidaddled to Firenze. We had round trip tickets to come and go as we chose, since there was no organized field trip that day. On my way, I remembered that I was supposed to meet with Paolo about our mixed media exhibit. I made a mental note to find him before dinner. My goal in Firenze was to just walk around the city and enjoy myself, and find a gift for my brother. I went to the Duomo one more time, hung around the Loggia de Lanzi, the Uffizzi, and went through the markets. I saw a spray paint artist by the Uffizzi. His paintings were absolutely beautiful, amazing. They were very surrealistic, most with some kind of body of water with a boat, and one or two planets in the space above. It was amazing how he could manipulate the spray paint with his tools into such detail.
When I got back right before dinner, I ran into Paolo and he told me that I had failed and my project had been put through the grinder. Only two people had showed up to class, and he was mad. But all the rest of us went after dinner to mount all our collages on chipboard and put them on easels for display.
We had a final the next morning. I came back from the exhibit to find Karin, because we were supposed to have a study group, but I couldn't find her anywhere. I was very frustrated after 30 minutes, and wouldn't go back to my room, so I sat in the dining hall with Idalia and Morgan, who were working on Sociology. At length Karin and Edit did show up. They had been in the Colorado studio talking to Jen about the Renaissance.
Well, my final day in "The Eternal City" has come to a close. The first thing I got there was a pen. Now it's 6, and I'm completely exhausted. I planned on taking the 7:15 train back, but by 2:30 I was so tired I knew my legs could only tolerate the hour long walk to the train station.
Back to yesterday, after the final and lunch I took a nap then went to studio cleanup. We emptied and mopped the entire floor of our classroom building. I didn't mention before that we were renting those classrooms since the south wing of Santa Chiara was closed off, and there's a Priest who lives directly below our classrooms. On my way down the stairs one night, I was trying to find the light switch, and accidentally rang his doorbell! Luckily, I remembered "pardone" and "mi dispiace" and he understood that I needed the light. It was really embarrassing, but he is a kind old man.
May 1 is a festival day, so all this weekend the town is holding a carnival and market. Carmen, Cady, and I went to the carnival. It was small, in the playground next to the Piazza Garibaldi. The market we saw in the piazza was just farm equipment and we were disappointed until we discovered the rest of it up and down the main road alongside the arch. I got a beautiful white shirt for €5.
To today! I'm really glad I came again, though I didn't see anything amazing. I was just saying my own farewell to the city and getting to know different parts of it. First I stopped at Santa Maria della Vittoria to see Bernini's "Ecstasy of St. Teresa". It's supposed to be his masterpiece, but I was a little disappointed. The light from outside wasn't shining on it like it's supposed to, and it was too high to really see well.
Next I stopped in the Pantheon and the church next to it, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (with Bernini's elephant in front) then headed toward the Travastere to see Bramante's Tempietto. The Tempietto, where according to tradition Peter was crucified, is in a tiny courtyard of San Pietro in Montorio, which is on top of a high hill with good views of the entire city. Unfortunately, the Tempietto is closed for restoration, but I was able to get a photo of it through the gate. I ate lunch in a little grassy area next to the church.
The great thing about Rome, is that although it's a huge city and very touristy, it's still inviting, and has many quiet places hidden in it. Florence and Venice are fast paced, as is Rome, but there's no privacy in the other two, no place to eat lunch without masses passing by. There are so many monuments in Rome that span the city, that when walking between, you are sure to make several discoveries along the way. Every corner it seems has some mysterious ruin. And why is it that the banks of the Tiber even feel less exposed to the masses than the Arno? There are trees lining the Tiber, and large paved areas on the lower level of the water that feel removed from the rest of the city. "Roman Holiday" calendars are sold everywhere and I had to really restrain myself from buying one.
From the Tempietto I went to St. Peter's one more time. I just had to start heading in the general direction of the dome and ended up being cut off by the university. I didn't particularly like that part of town. But I got there. The cathedral didn't impress me as much this time, but I'm still glad I went. I think I love Bernini's piazza more. Probably because there are drinkable water fountains and I filled up my bottle and cooled my hands. It was an hour's walk back to Termini and my legs felt like they would fall off. But here I am, safe and sound, with twenty minutes until Castiglion.
As I was going to bed I got in one of those giddy moods, and Cady and Karin said I was a drunk, a non-alcoholic drunk. I don't remember what happened, except that at one point Cady suddenly started singing the screeching violins from Psycho, and I screamed, then half cried-half laughed. Very unsettling memories. Then a few minutes later we were talking about hearing ceiling sounds and the conversation shifted to rat fights in walls and ceilings. Cady was doing something in the bathroom and she suddenly popped around the wall and screeched at me like a rat! I screamed, and Karin screamed louder just because she was startled by my scream. Tammy next door banged on the wall for us to shut up.
Friday, 5/2/03
I'm finally on my way back to Rome, my favorite place in Italy. The only places that may rival it would be Capri or Venice.
Tuesday afternoon Morgan and I, as well as a couple of Kansas girls, went to CoCo Palm for gelati. I was dreadfully late to mixed media, as CoCo Palm didn't reopen until 4. But it was so worth it. I can't believe I never had gelato before that. It was divine, so divine that I even came back after dinner.
So I went to mixed media over an hour late, and did some work on my 3d model, cut up my collage and arranged it on my model. But I didn't finish because Paolo was too tired to help me. I'm going to miss Paolo so much. I think he's my favorite professor ever.
Later, Karin and Edit were going to the Velvet Underground for dancing (every Tuesday), and I decided to stop in just to see what it looked like. No one was there, so we decided to go look at the stars for a while. Me, Karin, Edit, and Kate went and got blankets and carried them up toward the tower. In the Piazza Municipale we actually passed the Mayor and were embarrassed because Edit and I both had blankets wrapped around us. Then it turned out the tower was gated off, so we went up a side road that dead ended at the top of the hill. We just laid the blankets down on the road, because no one else was around. We had a nice time, though the street lamp made it hard to see anything other than the big dipper.
Now comes the funny part. We went back to the Velvet and I went in to see what people looked like on the dance floor. But we still had the thick wool blankets. I was waiting for Kate because she only wanted to stay for a few minutes, but when she kept dancing I began to get self conscious, holding two huge blankets in the entry way of a pub where I was in view of everyone there. Then Jesus asked me what I was doing. Finally, I told Kate I would take her water and go. I went.
Wednesday I skidaddled to Firenze. We had round trip tickets to come and go as we chose, since there was no organized field trip that day. On my way, I remembered that I was supposed to meet with Paolo about our mixed media exhibit. I made a mental note to find him before dinner. My goal in Firenze was to just walk around the city and enjoy myself, and find a gift for my brother. I went to the Duomo one more time, hung around the Loggia de Lanzi, the Uffizzi, and went through the markets. I saw a spray paint artist by the Uffizzi. His paintings were absolutely beautiful, amazing. They were very surrealistic, most with some kind of body of water with a boat, and one or two planets in the space above. It was amazing how he could manipulate the spray paint with his tools into such detail.
When I got back right before dinner, I ran into Paolo and he told me that I had failed and my project had been put through the grinder. Only two people had showed up to class, and he was mad. But all the rest of us went after dinner to mount all our collages on chipboard and put them on easels for display.
We had a final the next morning. I came back from the exhibit to find Karin, because we were supposed to have a study group, but I couldn't find her anywhere. I was very frustrated after 30 minutes, and wouldn't go back to my room, so I sat in the dining hall with Idalia and Morgan, who were working on Sociology. At length Karin and Edit did show up. They had been in the Colorado studio talking to Jen about the Renaissance.
***********************************
Well, my final day in "The Eternal City" has come to a close. The first thing I got there was a pen. Now it's 6, and I'm completely exhausted. I planned on taking the 7:15 train back, but by 2:30 I was so tired I knew my legs could only tolerate the hour long walk to the train station.
Back to yesterday, after the final and lunch I took a nap then went to studio cleanup. We emptied and mopped the entire floor of our classroom building. I didn't mention before that we were renting those classrooms since the south wing of Santa Chiara was closed off, and there's a Priest who lives directly below our classrooms. On my way down the stairs one night, I was trying to find the light switch, and accidentally rang his doorbell! Luckily, I remembered "pardone" and "mi dispiace" and he understood that I needed the light. It was really embarrassing, but he is a kind old man.
May 1 is a festival day, so all this weekend the town is holding a carnival and market. Carmen, Cady, and I went to the carnival. It was small, in the playground next to the Piazza Garibaldi. The market we saw in the piazza was just farm equipment and we were disappointed until we discovered the rest of it up and down the main road alongside the arch. I got a beautiful white shirt for €5.
To today! I'm really glad I came again, though I didn't see anything amazing. I was just saying my own farewell to the city and getting to know different parts of it. First I stopped at Santa Maria della Vittoria to see Bernini's "Ecstasy of St. Teresa". It's supposed to be his masterpiece, but I was a little disappointed. The light from outside wasn't shining on it like it's supposed to, and it was too high to really see well.
Next I stopped in the Pantheon and the church next to it, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (with Bernini's elephant in front) then headed toward the Travastere to see Bramante's Tempietto. The Tempietto, where according to tradition Peter was crucified, is in a tiny courtyard of San Pietro in Montorio, which is on top of a high hill with good views of the entire city. Unfortunately, the Tempietto is closed for restoration, but I was able to get a photo of it through the gate. I ate lunch in a little grassy area next to the church.
The great thing about Rome, is that although it's a huge city and very touristy, it's still inviting, and has many quiet places hidden in it. Florence and Venice are fast paced, as is Rome, but there's no privacy in the other two, no place to eat lunch without masses passing by. There are so many monuments in Rome that span the city, that when walking between, you are sure to make several discoveries along the way. Every corner it seems has some mysterious ruin. And why is it that the banks of the Tiber even feel less exposed to the masses than the Arno? There are trees lining the Tiber, and large paved areas on the lower level of the water that feel removed from the rest of the city. "Roman Holiday" calendars are sold everywhere and I had to really restrain myself from buying one.
From the Tempietto I went to St. Peter's one more time. I just had to start heading in the general direction of the dome and ended up being cut off by the university. I didn't particularly like that part of town. But I got there. The cathedral didn't impress me as much this time, but I'm still glad I went. I think I love Bernini's piazza more. Probably because there are drinkable water fountains and I filled up my bottle and cooled my hands. It was an hour's walk back to Termini and my legs felt like they would fall off. But here I am, safe and sound, with twenty minutes until Castiglion.
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