What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Bologna? Bologne, food, Italy, etc…
Well there’s also a selection of churches, museums and yes more leaning towers. I saw an incredible statue carved by Michealangelo and Nicola Pisano in the church of San Domenico. It was a magnificent piece of artistry. Very powerful and then I walked around it to the back and there was the bones of St. Domenico inside a reliquery. Wam Bam thank you M’am! It was pretty much awesome.
Then we went to the Santa Maria dei Servi in which is contained the Madonna and Child painted over 800 years ago by Cimabue. Imagine how much it has been destructed and how many people have seen prayed, cried, shouted, kissed, blessed, etc, in front of that painting over 800 years. It adds a lot of meaning to things when you think like that. I’ve learned to think like that when visting church after church after church.. it can get old, but each is special in it’s own way and impacted a selection of people lives and gave meaning to someone somewhere. It’s really interesting and you don’t have to be religious to understand that.
To answer your question, OF COURSE I climbed up one of the leaning towers. 500 steps up there baby. That means I climbed 1,000 steps altogether. The view that high is always delicious and I never want to leave.
I had the best gelato since I’ve been here. SO, go to Bologna if you want the best gelato.
Then we took a train to Rimini, a town on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. We stayed in Hostel Jammin’. It was very affordable: 18 euro/night for a four person room with private bathroom, fresh sheets, and breakfast in the morning.
The first night we got there very late becasue we got lost after getting off the train. We got lost for an hour and a half. haha We ate at a nice restaurant called The Bounty. The service was excellent, the environment comfortable, the food delicious, the beer cold, and the music acceptable. What more could you ask for?
The next day we spent at the beach. The sun was bright, it was a gorgeous day and I was ready to strip down to my bathing suit and take the beach by storm. So that’s exactly what I did. I took in some sun and jumped in and out of the water. It was a little chilly, but you know how that goes. It’s just cold in the beginning and then you get used to it. We were out there all day and then went back to the hostel and took a nap and then came back out for dinner and to celebrate St. Patty’s Day the American way.
The Bounty was pleased to receive us for a second time that weekend. This night we ate better. I had the best tortellini that has ever graced my palate. AMAZING, I can’t stop thinking about it. It was stuffed with cheese and assorted seafood and tossed in a creamy cheese seafood vegetable sauce. Oh! out of this world. We laughed and laughed and laughed and then danced and danced and danced. The next morning we woke up and were sufficiently worn out from the weekend and made our way back home by lunchtime.
Wonderful…..
Bologna, Rimini, and Eight Lovely Ladies
March 21, 2007
Assisi
First stop!!!!! The Basilica of St. Francis: built 1228, two years after the death of St. Francis. I’m sure you can deduce that it was built in his memory. This basilica comemorated his life dedicated to the simple life, in his belief, closer to God. St. Francis started life with his wealthy family and then renounced all his material possessions. He started the Franciscan Friar movement, if you will, and his tomb is kept in the crypt below the lower church.
The Basilica is composed of an upper and a lower Chapel in which many famous artists were commissioned to contribute including, Giotto, Simone Martini, Peter Lorenzetti, and Cimabue. Giotto’s fame in the Basilica is The Cycle of the Life of St. Francis which can be viewed in a series of panels in the upper church. The other artists have tramcets devoted to their work in the lower church.
The lower church gave the idea of protection when I walked in. It was painted mostly in a deep blue with huge dramatic arched ceilings. this was the only place that we have been to in which the Silence Law was striclty enforeced. It really makes a difference in the experience. Silence makes the impact a greater magnitude, possibly because your imagination can take you back a few hundred years faster in silence than not. The Upper Church was much brighter, painted in shades of white and adorned with Giotto’s work. Jesus felt like more of a friend in this church rather than a judge. I really enjoyed the visit here.
Second Stop!!!! The Basilica of St. Claire: St. Claire was the closest friend to St. Francis and started a nunnery. They are built near each other in Assisi and St. Claire’s is built in beautiful pink marble with several buttresses cascading down from the left side. It’s a beautiful story as I’m sure you can imagine. Best friends renouncing their material possessions for a life devoted to nature and God, gaining followers along their journey, dying and being honored by these enormous and beautiful Basilicas and their way of life maintained and their message passed on for hundreds and hundreds of years. Ain’t bad if you ask me.
Third Stop!!!! San Damiano: This was the Church the St. Francis frequented in Assisi. The walk to here was all downhill, which made the walk back really challenging, but onward… I was taken away on the wind, through the trees. It was gorgeous. I didn’t go inside the Church because I felt that St. Francis owuld have stayed outside. Weird, I know, but it was a sensation that came over me and I followed. I walked down a path in the park around the church and admired the statues of St. Francis; I found a solitary place in the woods where the sun shown down and sat and relaxed in silence. It was really nice. Empowering. Nature is baffling, miraculous if you look closer. I can’t say much about this experience because it was truly, very personal.
The important thing is that Assisi was beautiful and is a great day trip to embark upon.
Never leave home without it!
March 20, 2007
wine cork/bottle opener
passport or copy of it
money or a way to get it
water
needle and thread
reservation codes
confirmation letters
tickets
important emergency contact numbers
camera
sunglasses (you’ll wish you had them if you don’t)
loose change for the bathrooms
FYI: this entry will be updated regularly I’m sure
SPRING BREAK!!!
March 14, 2007
I am meeting my traveling partner and boyfriend, Chris, in Rome on the 23rd of March. We will devote 2 days to Rome aiming to view, The Colloseum, The Pantheon, Vatican City, The Trevi Fountain, and more. From there we will travel by train to our hotel in Napoli. A bus/ train will take us from Napoli to Pompeii and we will spend the day in Pompeii.
Napoli will serve as our port the folowing day where we will board a boat that will transport us to The Isle of Capri. For three days we will relax on the beautiful beaches and investigate the hidden nooks and spectacles that the Island has to offer. At the conclusion of our little R&R, we boat back to Napoli and catch a train to Monterosso, one of the Cinque Terre.
Two days in Monterosso and then we’re taking a train to Siena where I’ll play tour guide. I’ll be tour guide for pretty much the entire trip, so I’m excited. Siena will be the conclusion to our trip of Italy.
Planning ahead is the key for smooth travel and in general it will save you lots of money and frustration. The hotel prices fluctuate with the season, so spring and summer are the high seasons, of course. Travel outside the tourist season is more enjoyable because there are less people everywhere, but Italy is Italy no matter when you have the free time. Bus and train companies also run deals every now and then. For example, my bus tickets from Siena to Rome, a three hour ride were 8 euro including tax each way. That’s a REALLY good price, but you have to book 10 days in advance. Just like in the US, always read the fine print. Traveling on religious holidays is tougher because the number of trains and buses and flights are limited and prices sky rocket.
I am Jeanette Steiner and I will be your travel agent… haha just kidding…
It’s going to be a great time and Chris might even be lucky enough to meet and have dinner with Maria Pia and Franco!!!!
Ciao!
Condiments
We Americans love our condiments, just check your refrigerator door or that corner cabinet in the kitchen if you find yourself disagreeing with me. haha I’ll concentrate on the basics, however. The purpose of this blog is solely a headsup for my future travelers.
America:- Frank’s Redhot
- A1 steak sauce
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Salt and Pepper
Italy:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Lemon Juice
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Crushed red peppers
- Salt and pepper
Now…..don’t make me say “I told you so.”
: )
Oh yeah, school…
March 06, 2007
Italian with Victoria:
Because I only had one semester of Italian under my belt when I came here, I am in the beginner to intermediate Italian class. Victoria is a great teacher with a wonderful personality. She is open to all questions and comments and will eagerly engage in conversations with you outside the classroom for extra practice speaking the language. Speaking is so important when learning a new language. I try to use what I learn in class at home and everywhere, really. I am in Italy so there’s no excuse. haha. The families are very helpful at correcting our mistakes as well. Maria Pia laughs at me every day because I make her feel like she’s raising a toddler again! My philosophy is that mistakes are inevitable so you might as well just try as much as you can. It’s working, too.
Art and Architecture with Barbara:
What a unique experience to study paintings and sculptures on slides in a classroom and then walk out the door, walk for a little bit and see the original work from the 1200’s preserved on the wall or standing in a church or museum!!!! You may say, ” Ugh, art history, slides…boring!” BUT, alas, Barbara succeeds in keeping your eyes peeled by making the class fast paced. She makes them come to life with interesting details and amusing dialogue that makes every one of us giggle.
Dante’s Divine Commedy with Barbara #2:
I LOVE THIS CLASS! It’s my favorite… Barbara #2 is very wise, well rounded, and very knowledgable of the subject. She has a great sense of humor and is a hip mother and wife. She has a wonderful way of instigating the our minds to think on our own and discover our own feelings about certai passages. Barbara has paralleled the class to modern day, which is not much of a stretch, so it’s very interesting and educational.
Italian Painting with crazy Franca:
She’s crazy man!! All that turpentine must have gotten to her head… A joke A joke, she’s amazing. Personally, standing in front of the same still life for 3 hours twice a week didn’t seem that exciting. Franca makes the time fly by with her hysterical antics. She would loose her head if it wasn’t attached but ask her to critique your work and you’ll make extensive progress the next time around. She’s honest, talented, and experienced. She interacts with us on a very human level, meaning, she uses our vocabulary and even though she’s a well known artist here, she doesn’t walk aroud with her head in the clouds. I love her and really enjoy her class. She grades by progress.
Tests are mostly written: essays, short answer. Study and you’ll do fine. Don’t hesistate to ask for clarification. The classroom is also the second home. There’s only one room for all the classes, except for painting and ceramics, so we spend a lot of time in very close proximity with one another. Daniella and Barbara play lots of roles: Mom, big sis, teacher, mentor, travel agent, information, director, assistant director, banker, translator, etc. So you can imagine how amazing they truly are.
Comments anyone?
Hey fellow travelers!
Just wanted to point out the COMMENT option at the bottom of each blog page. You can do that, you just have to create a user name and it would make me really happy!! : )
You can ask questions, give constructive criticism, share stories, etc. It will give me more of an idea about what interests you.
Sincerely,
yours truly
Where everybody knows your name…
March 05, 2007
Siena is a beautiful place, but it’s not home…
Lately, I’ve been experiencing some saddness. In planning weekend excursions and spring break travelling from one end of Italy to the next, I’ve let myself get stressed out. And it is in this vulnerable state when I miss my family and friends the most…
I miss the place where people know me.
I don’t have a favorite place to go here, or a favorite thing to do. I don’t have anything to call my own other than the bed I sleep in at night and even that doesn’t belong to me. Thank you James Fauvell for sending a HUG vicariously through a letter to my good friend Eve, who’s doing the program with me. When Eve hugged me, tears poored from eyes…
I miss the place where people love me.
There’s no neighbors, no WE NEVER CLOSE, no Spot coffee, no Amanda lovin’, no Cabin Cafe, no JP Bullfeathers, no Jack Astor’s. There’s no Tremont, no Hoyt, no North Forest, no Bird Ave. There’s no purple home, no Aunt Darcy’s and no dirty apartment that I can mess up without worry. There’s no Dad to help me when I’m helpless, no Mom to toughen me up, no Aunt D’Arcy to make me feel spoiled, and no Christopher to hold my hand.There’s no Delaware Park to collect and reground myself. There’s no place to be alone, but feel like you belong. There’s no TAB to be my second home. There’s no Dad to help me when I’m helpless, no Mom to toughen me up, no Aunt D’Arcy to make me feel spoiled, and no Christopher to hold my hand…
I miss the place where everybody knows my name.
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