Venezia!

Yesterday we got in to Venice! We went to the grocery store and our professor made us Gnocchi. The drinkers got a lil tipsy on some wine and interesting things were said. Our professor did tell us that we are the funnest group she’s ever gone with. Today after class Mel, Katie, Alisha, Markay and I wandered around the city for hours. It was incredible! I’d rather wander here than anywhere in the world. It’s such a maze! And there are cool masks everywhere. Every corner you turn here you want to take a picture because your view looks like a postcard. It’s so gorgeous here. The houses look so Italian and it’s crazy that they’re on the water! My parents, Grandma, and Aunt come tomorrow and I thought I would just take a taxi to their hotel…but oh wait taxis are only in the water here haha. When we were walking around we saw a pretty cathedral and it happened to have a concert going on inside. The choir was SO good! The first soloist had an angel voice to match the setting. We found a vintage market that we walked through too. We also went by St. Mark’s Cathedral. Where we saw a seagull kill and eat a pigeon! It was messed up. I hate seagulls now..and guess what? It’s our state bird. I have never been so mad at a bird in my life. Oh and we watched a little girl walk up to the sacrifice and watch the seagull kill the pigeon..umm hey mom-get your kid. Then all these people were taking pictures of it. It was weird and I’m officially scarred. Anyways, I love Venice! And I get to see my family tomorrow! Yipee!

P.S. There is a man playing the accordion outside our hotel and I could die, I’m s happy.

Fanta is so good in Europe!

View from our hotel window. 

Facetiming my dog! I miss her!

Making Gnocchi. 

Alisha and me.

Mel and I love the creepy music the hotel manager plays in the
morning.

Isn't it gorgeous?!

Markay.

Alisha.

Vintage market.

Choir performance at a cathedral.

Top of St. Mark's. 

Palaces and Stuff

Today we went to the Borgello. It was really small and uncrowded-which was awesome! It was originally built to be a prison, which is crazy because it's so beautiful. We saw Verrochio's David. It was neat to see because he was Leonardo Da Vinci's teacher, so he was probably the model for the David. We also saw Donatello's Davids. Then we went to The Pitti Palace and went through the costume gallery. The clothing was gorgeous and it was fun to see what we have been learning about in Costume History. Then we went through the Boboli Gardens outside the Pitti Palace, it was so green and just beautiful. We leave for Venice tomorrow, I'm really excited!

From the hotel.

Inside the courtyard of the Borgello.

The Borgello.

The Borgello.

View from inside the Borgello. 

Just to tie up your horse on the streets of Florence.

The Pitti Palace.

GORGEOUS chandelier inside the Pitti Palace.

The Boboli Gardens.

Giardino Boboli.

View of The Pitti Palace from The Boboli Gardens.

View of Florence from The Pitti Palace. 

Viva Italia!

Yesterday was wonderful. I got fabulous sleep the night before, so I was ready for a good day, and a good day it was. We started by going to the Medici Chapel after class. The Medicee’s were a very powerful family in Italy. Four of the Medicee’s became Popes. And four of the Medici women married European royalty. The chapel was GORGEOUS. The mural on the ceiling was all biblical stories, from Adam and Eve, to The Fall, to Cain and Able, To Abraham, to the birth, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. It was so fun to actually get what was going on in the paintings. I snuck a picture. Some of the Medicee’s were buried in the tombs in the Medici Chapel. Michelangelo made the room were they were buried. The sculptures were incredible. One depicted day and night, where night wasn’t finished. It was so cool to see an unfinished sculpture. I can’t believe people can carve amazing sculptures out of that marble, chisel by chisel. I have never wanted to take pictures of something so badly, but I got in trouble by a worker when I tried. In the chapel there were Relics. Back then churches would have Relics at their cathedrals that were pieces of a saint’s body, like a finger, or foot put into these pretty cases and people would pay to come see these relics, which brought the church income. It was creepy and cool to see the relics at the Medici Chapel. After the Medici Chapel, we walked by the Piti Palace and over the Ponte Vecchio bridge, which I learned that Nazi soldiers refused to bomb this bridge because of how great it was. It really is so pretty. Then I went and did laundry and read the play “How To Make a Rope Swing” for class. Then we went to dinner as a group (besides a couple) to this awesome, authentic place called Trattoria. Afterwards me and some of the girls got gelato and walked up to the Pizza le Michelangelo, which is a plaza that overlooks all of Florence. It was magical. Walking up smelt like rain on warm concrete and flowers. Once we got up there the view was incredible! You could see all of Florence twinkling in the night. The river was gorgeous with the lights reflecting on it. The clouds were pink from all the lights. You could see lines of old street lamps that looked so fun from far away and you could see the Duomo in all its glory. It was so beautiful. When we walked down we saw a firefly…um yeah, perfect finishing touch to a beautiful night. And the weather was perfect! 

Today we went to the Uffizi. All the artwork was cool. My favorite painting there was Botticelli's Birth of Venus. It is so interesting to me. I thought about buying a print of it, but then realized later in life I didn't want to have to explain to my little boys why there is a naked woman hanging on our wall. After the Uffizi we went over to the Academia and went to the exhibit where Michelangelo's David is and The Prisoners. It was such a sight! This is what got Michelangelo the gig to do the Pieta, which then got him the gig to do the Sistine Chapel..so, yeah it was pretty amazing. The corridor was lined in the Prisoner sculptures that were unfinished. It was so cool to see these lives forming out of these blocks of marble. Then at the end of the corridor was a dome with David in all his glory. The David is huge! I was so surprised. The detail is impeccable. The hair, the veins, the muscles, the toe nails-wow! David's hands and head are very large compared to his body, which could be because the statue was originally to be placed on top of a cathedral, or because it was thematic of the renaissance and using your head and your hands to create.  
Now I am sitting in the breakfast room at my hotel. It has such an incredible view of Florence. We're going to wait and watch the sunset. Also, I got news from my dad that next week we are going to be able to access the archives in Sospirollo that has our family history in it. The priest will have to watch us. It is such a blessing that we even got permission to do this. Oh I cannot wait! We will be able to do a lot of family history. 

Best restaurant at the best indoor food market.

Ceiling of the Medicee Chapel.

Baptistry doors.

Piti Palace.

Laundry time!

Katie, Mel, Morgan and me.

The whimsical carosal in one of the piazzas.  

One of the best places to get gelato in Firenze.

Alisha, me and Mauri.

View from the Piazza el Michelangelo. 

About Michelangelo's Prisoners. 

Another one of the best places to get gelato.

View from my hotel.