Amanda's Italian Adventure

"Paris is always a good idea." -Sabrina

2010-05-26T05:12:00.000-07:00

What trip to Paris would be complete without:
...a visit to the Louvre? Check!

...having your picture taken by the Eiffel Tower? Check?

...waiting 2 hours to get to the top? An hour to get down? Check, and check!

...visiting a Gothic church and checking out butt...ressses. Check!

...getting some sun at the Luxembourg Gardens? Check!

...climbing the hill to Sacre Coeur? Check!

...watching 6 lanes of traffic swirl around the Arc de Triomphe? Check!

...visiting something to do with government and politics? Check!

...catching a girly show at the Moulin Rouge? Okay, so I didn't.

Ich bin ein Berliner

2010-05-25T03:55:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Berlin on May 16. Our first stop was the Berlin Zoo. I think this may be the first time that I have seen an actual panda. I have to say that I was not really impressed with the zoo. I wouldn't go so far as to say they were neglected, but the animals were mostly in cages and not in habitats. It was kind of depressing to see a massive lion sleeping on a subway tiled shelf.

Near the zoo is a church that was bombed during the war. It was interesting to see that the Berliners had rebuilt the church around the ruins as a reminder of the war, rather than erasing history. I found this to be a common theme in Berlin: to erase, memorialize, or build anew?

Some groups have chosen to memorialize their cause. This is the Jewish Memorial. It is a field of concrete boxes all the same dimension except for their height. The ground plane is varied and creates hills and valleys and adds to the vertical differences among the boxes. You begin a walk through the memorial almost tripping on the low boxes and in the middle, the boxes tower over you. The architect says that there is no significance to the size, number or height of the boxes. You are left to find your own meaning. Also, the architect made several universally designed paths through the boxes so that people of all abilities can experience the memorial. Universal access was definitely more prevalent in Germany than in Italy.

We did a free walking tour from New Europe, which really means that it is tip based. They give tours in most major European cities and I would recommend them to anyone, not just cheap college students. The guides have a different perspective on a city than just historical dates and monuments and they are working to get a bigger tip, so they make it entertaining. Our guide took us to a parking lot just adjacent to the Jewish Memorial and asked us if we knew where we were. It turns out that the parking lot is above the location of Hitler's bunker where he was reportedly found dead when the Soviets arrived. This site is an example of erasing history. However, out of respect for the millions that died, I don't think that this is a site that should be memorialized but at the same time, I don't think it should be totally erased.

Our next stop on the tour was Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall. If you are in Berlin, don't waste your time finding Checkpoint Charlie...it was a total tourist trap. I found it ironic that the Berlin Wall, that for so long so many people wanted it torn down, had to have protective fencing placed around it to keep some parts of it still standing.

This photo is inside the Memorial for Victims of War and Tyranny. It is kind of controversial in Berlin because it is for anyone who died, not necessarily only for the "good" guys or the heroes. Still, I found it to be really moving as the statue is a mother holding her son

Our next jaunt was to the Jewish Museum with an addition designed by Daniel Libeskind. It is a really unique building that is kind of lightning bold shaped in plan. Libeskind is also the architect selected for the September 11 memorial in NYC.

On our last night in Berlin we made a visit to the Brandenburg Gate. It is located on Parisier Platz, named that way after Napoleon came and conquered. This is the location of the French and American Embassies. The American Embassy was designed by Frank Gehry. Also on this square is the famous Adlon Hotel. Never heard of it? Me neither until our guide told us it was the hotel where Michael Jackson hung his baby over the balcony.

Our last day in Berlin we went to the Reichstag, or where the German parliament meets. It was originally built in the 1890's and was refurbished by Sir Norman Foster in 1999. He added a open air glass dome over the top of the meeting chambers. It allows for natural air ventilation and provides for a transparent government. It is free and open to the public...which means that everyone goes there. We waited in a long line in freezing winds with every school group in town!

The last thing we did before boarding our night train to Paris was to go deep into East Berlin to the Eastside Gallery. It is a portion of the Berlin Wall that was left standing that has been given over to artists that paint their freedom of expression across the wall. Some of them are redone by new artists to commemorate what had previously existed.

Overall, Berlin wasn't my favorite city. Because of the way it was rebuilt after the war and due to the division between East and West, there is no central part of town to go to hang out and people watch. I am getting a little travel weary and am glad that I will be in Paris for an extended amount of time.

Prague, Czech Republic

2010-05-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

After Munich we headed to Prague. There are quite a few K-Staters there and we were lucky to get free lodging from them as well as the best tour of a city I have been on! My former roommate Alyssa is studying there, so it was good to catch up with her.

We took a train from Munich to Prague. Due to construction on the track, we had to change trains in Pilzn, which is where Pilsner beer is from. Our train was delayed and so we ended up missing the connection and ended up in Prague an hour later than what we had told our friends. The Czech Republic doesn't use Euros, they use the krown. So, we had to go to the ATM before getting a metro pass. Our options were 1,000 or 2,000 krowns! It was kind of weird pulling 2,000 out of my bank account, but that equaled about $100 USD.

Our Prague friends cooked us dinner the first night that we were there and they made fajitas! It was nice to have a change of flavors from Italian and even the heavy German food. The next day was our only full day in Prague, so we began our whirlwind tour. First we went to Prague Castle.

Being a castle, it is located on the highest point of the city and afforded us some nice views.

There is a really pretty Gothic church and this is a picture of the oldest section of that building.

Around the castle are a bunch of royal gardens. One of the inhabitants of the garden is a rather raucous albino peacock.

We crossed the river and hit the main part of the city. On the way, we were able to see St. Charles' bridge.

Prague is home to a very accurate astronomical clock. We were able to get there in time to see the figures on the side move and ring the bell. It was also a special celebration of the police, so there were batallions of police performing complicated routines with their rifles while marching around.

A common thing that we have seen while in Europe is locks that are locked to bridges. I guess the trend is to buy a lock with your lover and as a symbol of your intentions, you lock it to a permanent structure and throw away the key in the river. Kind of romantic.

A visit to Prague can't be complete without a visit to the Frank Gehry building with the nickname of "Fred and Ginger."

Prague was interesting in that it was the first formerly Communist country that I had visited. I was greatly surprised by the beauty and the ornateness of the architecture. However, there is still the mark of Communism on the people. Our next mode of transportation was to be bus. The information that we had told us the bus left at 9:30 from the train station. When we got to the bus stop, the sign said that it left at 10:30. After going to buy a reservation for the bus, we found out that actually the bus left at 11:30. Nobody seemed to really care that the sign was wrong. That's just life in Prague.

Neuschwanstein Castle and the Alps

2010-05-23T06:16:00.000-07:00

It was a lifelong goal of mine to see the Neuschwanstein castle and I am very glad that I was able to. I joined a tour and had a great time meeting other people from around the globe. There were people from Canada, South Africa, Sweden, The Netherlands, Taiwan, Australia, and England. It was a 2 hour train ride to the town of Fussen and then a 10 minute bus ride followed by a 20 minute walk up to the castle.

The first castle that we saw is called Hohenschwangau and was built by Mad King Ludwig II"s father. Ludwig built several castles in his lifetime, but his favorite was Neuschwanstein.

It was designed after several scenes from Wagner's operas, Ludwig's favorite composer.

It was kind of a dreary day and seemed to rain on us at the most inopportune times.

The Bavarian countryside was absolutely gorgeous and one can see why Ludwig wanted to retreat to this location.

The sun did manage to poke out from the clouds a few times and softly illuminated the valley below. We weren't able to take photos of the castle interior, but we could take photos out of windows. I was a bit disappointed with the tour of the interior becuase less than a third of the castle is completed. Ludwig died before it could be finished. However, it was a castle with the most modern equipment, including a telephone!

The castle is backed by a deep gorge and there is a bridge that spans the gorge. The postcard photos are almost always of this side of the castle.

After our tour of the interior, our guide took us on a trail into the gorge. It gave us yet another perspective of the castle. Overall, it was a very enjoyable day.

First Stop: Munich

2010-05-23T05:40:00.000-07:00

My after study travels began with a few days in Rome with some friends from the University of Texas - San Antonio. Then, I met up with my after travel partners Laura and Emily, both from K-State. We had quite an adventure getting to Munich on time. Always be sure and double check the dates on your tickets, especially if using a third party! We booked a night train that left from Rome at 7:00 pm and arrived in Munich at 6:30 am. After having to have our tickets changed to the correct date, we found out that the train company had overbooked our cabin and instead of 6 people, there were 11! Things got resolved, but needless to say, we didn't get much sleep. The trains have been extrabooked lately due to the volcanic ash cloud.

We arrived at our hostel quite early and weren't able to check in until 2 pm. So, we did a tour of the concentration camp Dachau (see following post). Then, after we had checked in and showered, we headed towards the historic center of town, Marienplatz. Here the Rathous, or city hall, is located.
It is a very Gothic building and there was ornate gargoyles and spires all over!

In Munich, there is actually quite a bit of modern architecture. This is partly due to the rebuilding that happened after WWII. Rena Wandel-Hoefer and Wolfgang Lorch designed this new synagogue, Ohel Jakob, which means Jacob's tent.

Another part of European culture is soccer. The Munich team had just won an important game the night before we arrived and its fans were still celebrating. Everyone was wearing red and white and some were even sporting traditional leather pants with their soccer jersey. What would Tim Gunn say about that?

We ran into a group of K-Staters and had dinner with them at a beer garden at the Chinese Pagoda in the English Gardens. How more multicultural can you get?

This was my first experience with German food and German beer. I got a currywurst, which basically a hot dog with red curry sauce, pommes frites, and a Weiss beer.

Overall, Munich was a very pleasant city. It was interesting to fall asleep in Italy and wake up in Germany. Even though they are so close to each other, they are worlds apart, culturally speaking. A benefit to being in Germany and in a larger city is that most people speak some English. That was helpful, because I speak no German at all.

Dachau: Arbeit Macht Frei

2010-05-23T04:32:00.000-07:00

The very first thing we did in Munich was to take a tour to see Dachau, the concentration camp that is located nearby. In 1933, Dachau became the first concentration camp to open and became the model for all other camps. Dachau, and all of the other camps, had three words written on their gates, "Arbeit Macht Frei," which means, "Work Will Free You." This was an effort to disguise the camps as places for "rehabilitation."

By the end of the war, over 2,000 camps were located across all of Europe. There were many different types of camps and sub-camps and their nomenclature was all part of the Nazi propoganda. Dachau was considered a work camp where prisoners were forced to do hard labor with little or no food. It was not considered to be an extermination camp, but still, thousands died there. The extermination camps came later with the advent of the Final Solution and were mostly located outside of Germany.

Dachau was opened as a place to send Hitler's political opposers. As the camp system grew, Dachau became home to many different types of prisoners: criminals already in prison, Soviets, homosexuals, asocials, gypsies, prostitutes, Jehovah's witnesses, immigrants, and anyone who was considered a threat to Hitler's power. On Liberation Day, over 34 different nationalities were represented among the survivors.

The camp was originally built with barracks that held 208 people each and the total capacity of the camp was around 5,000. However, by the end of the war, these barracks were holding 1,500 to 2,097 each.

After the war, Dachau was turned into a refugee camp and the refugees lived in the barracks. The barracks were eventually torn down, so only the administrative buildings and crematorium are original.

Dachau did have a gas chamber, although it was never used. The gas that the Nazi's used in the extermination camps was called Zyklon B and was invented by a Jewish chemist that won a Nobel prize. It was originally used to fumigate pests and it was never imagined that it would be used on humans in only a few years. The gas chamber was very clearly labeled "brausebad" or shower to minimize the panic of the victims.

Immediately following the gas chamber is the crematorium, where four ovens were kept going by actual prisoners of the camp. Thousands were dying and the Nazis needed an efficient way of getting rid of the remains. Once you were assigned to work in the crematorium, you weren't expected to live very long. These workers and even some SS guards were regularly assasinated so that word wouldn't spread to other parts of the camp what was happening in this building. At the very end when panic among the guards was rising due to the close proximity of the Allies, mass graves were dug near Dachau. The registered death count for Dachau is 31, 951, but there were thousands of deaths that went uncounted, like the mass graves and a train of prisoners from Birkenau.

Dachau was liberated on April 29, 1945 by American troops. We were at Dachau a little over a week after the 65th anniversary. Survivors and liberators return every year to commemorate the day. They are all very old and not as many are returning each year. Our guide said that she feels priveleged to have personally met some of these people and worries about in the future when guides will not have had that opportunity. During an interview with former prisoners, the question came up, "What made survival possible in such conditions?" The response was unanimous, two things: solidarity and unity among all of the prisoners regardless of their race, politics, religion, etc. and a strong hope that they would all escape one day and to be able to tell the world what had happened and to ensure that it would happen...

...NEVER AGAIN.

Tivoli: Villa d'Este and Hadrian's Villa

2010-05-23T03:41:00.000-07:00

On April 28, our class ventured to Tivoli, the playground of the Romans where they could escape the heat of summer. We first stopped at Villa d'Este.

Villa d'Este's grounds are difficult to navigate because you often end up at a dead end in the path, even though you can see your intended destination.

The various fountains helped to cool the air with their gentle mists.

This is the Wall of 100 Fountains. We counted them and think they are a few short...or our 4 years of higher education has failed us.

The fountains were like geysers and made a great noise like a natural waterfall.

One side of the garden overlooked the suburbs of Rome. And no, you can't see the dome of St. Peter's from here.

Our next stop was to Hadrian's Villa, an architectural wonder of the world! It covers over 250 acres and only a fraction of that is open to public currently. The most impressive figure is that all of this was constructed in 20 years! The picture above is the Emperor Hadrian's private reading island.

What Roman ruin would be complete without its very own bath? The baths were really impressive. I can only imagine how immense they were when they were complete!

We were able to walk underneath the great ceilings of the baths and got to see how the high vaults and arches were constructed. I wonder how many bricks were put into this complex and who made them all?

This colonnaded pool is probably the most recognizable image from Hadrian's Villa. The water was filled with fish and turtles, some of them quite large.

Elephants, Giants and Mermaids...OH MY!

2010-05-23T02:51:00.000-07:00

This post is a little belated...our class went to the Parco dei Mostri on the afternoon of April 21, so over a month ago. It was devised by the architect Pirro Ligorio, who completed St. Peter's in Rome after Michelangelo died and also built Villa d'Este in Tivoli (see following blog).

There are enormous statuse of the fantastic and whimsy that pop out from behind trees along wooded paths.

The scale is impressive and also the freedom of imagination was in opposition to the order that we had seen in Villa Lante only that morning.

There is even a house for giants that was intentionally built at an angle. Going inside the rooms is like going through one of those funhouses at a carnival...it toys with your sense of balance.

It was a beautiful day and actually the first day that I could call "hot" while we were in Italy. I was thankful that there was such abundant shade and such beautiful foilage.

The sound of a waterfall teased us as we wound our way along the paths.

These giants are wrestling in an eternal battle to the death!

This mermaid has two tails?! That's a first.

We all thought that this sculpture looked like the Cave of Wonders in the Disney movie Aladdin. I wonder if this is where the inspiration came from?

Whirlwind Tour

2010-05-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

Wow! The last two weeks have flown by. I am just about to eat my last meal at Santa Chiara. I won't be able to update my blog for about a month, but stay tuned. I will continue to update it this summer and report back on all of the cities I will have visited.
Tomorrow I leave for Rome. Going to spend some more time there with some friends I made from the University of Texas - San Antonio. Then, Saturday I am meeting up with my travel buddies and we are taking a night train from Rome to Munich. After Munich we will travel to Prague and visit some K-Staters studying abroad there. Then we will hop back into Germany and visit K-Staters in Coburg. After Coburg, we will head North to Berlin. Then, Berlin to Paris where my travel partners fly home on May 22.

I will be staying in an apartment in Paris until the 27th of May and fly to Rome to meet up with my Mom, Dad and sister! I am so excited to show them what I have been experiencing first hand. I will be taking them to Castiglion Fiorentino, Florence, Venice and Rome. We fly out of Rome on June 8. I will fly back to KC and then fly to Utah on the 9th so that I can be home for my birthday on the 10th. Then I will drive with my family to Grand Junction, Colorado so that I can be a bridesmaid in my best friend Carly's wedding on the 12th! Whew! Are you exhausted reading this? I am getting very excited and can't wait to begin my adventures!

Bagnaia: Villa Lante

2010-04-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday we took a bus to Bagnaia to visit the Villa Lante. We had a perfect day to tour gardens with temperatures reaching 70! Villa Lante is a pleasure garden that stretches up a slope and uses gravity to make water flow through various water features. You begin the tour at the most structured and formal garden that creates a maze of hedges.

There were many beautiful plants that were just beginning to bud and bloom.

This water feature is meant to be a table...the trough in the middle is used to float wine bottles and to keep them chilled.

The garden had a great number of fountains of enormous scale.

This handrail twists back onto itself and channels a cool stream of water that you could dip your hand into as you ascended deeper into the grounds.

The source of the water comes from a grotto that is the most natural and rugged feature. It is supposed to symbolize our primeval beginnings and the belief that all life is dependent on water.

The sunlight was filtered through centuries old deciduous trees and the water features added to the humidity making a very cool microclimate.

The garden was filled with little caricature carvings that helped to funnel the water.

The slope creates a sense of mystery by blocking views into the adjacent gardens.

My favorite part of the day was when I left the formal garden and roamed the 'wild side' of Villa Lante. Here in Castiglion there is not a lot of open green space. For a few minutes, I got to escape the built environment and linger in nature. I wish I had a blanket and a picnic lunch to make a perfect day complete. In the afternoon we travelled to another garden. Stay tuned for another blog post...I took too many photos and to do each garden justice I decided to split up the images.

Orvieto, Perugia, Montepulciano and Pienza!

2010-04-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

The week before Easter we went on our field trip Orvieto, a hilltop town near Rome. This is the location of the other K-State Italian Studies program, so after our tour we spent the afternoon with our fellow K-Staters. The program there is a little different in that those students live in apartments in the city and their study center is only open until 5 PM. Even though Orvieto is beautiful, I am glad that I chose to study in Castiglion. One reason is that because Orvieto is closer to Rome, it has more tourists. Castiglion is relatively untouched and very much Italian.

Our next field trip was to Perugia. This happens to be one of my favorite cities that we have visited. The original Medieval town was taken over by a "naughty Pope" and he enclosed the town with brick, blocking almost all sunlight. To enter into the historic center, you have to go up escalators that take you through the ruins.

Perugia is a sprawling city with beautiful views from all sides. On a clear day you can see all the way out to Assisi. This is also the town that Amanda Knox was studying abroad in. It is hard to imagine that such a beautiful city could have been the scene of such a horrific crime.

In Perugia, the stone has a wonderful color. Not quite the pink marble from Assisi, but a warm stone. The historic center has been nicely preserved and few cars are allowed inside.

Perugia also has a modern city that is navigable by the new Mini Metro system. We hopped off one of the stops to see some "great architecture." These buildings were designed by Aldo Rossi and the picture above is of a bank.

This building on the opposite side of the piazza is a multi use building, with shops on the lower floor and residential units above. Needless to say, I was greatly disappointed by yet another famous modern architect. The piazza and buildings were very sterile.

This past Wednesday we visited Montepulciano and Pienza. Montepulciano is famous for its great tasting wines...and all you Twilight fans, this was one of the filming locations for the movie.

It started out as a foggy day. We visited a Renaissance church and spent about an hour inside sketching its perfect proportions. Then we moved on to Pienza for my favorite part of the day.

Pienza is a utopian Renaissance town that was created by a man that later became Pope Pius II. The hills around the town have remained untouched since the days when Renaissance painters first captured their beauty. This is also where parts of The English Patient were filmed.

My favorite part of the trip was the lunch that was provided for us through our program. We had unlimited Montepulciano wine, which is very drinkable; three kinds of bruschetta; a delicious, generous portion of white lasagna; three types of meat: chicken, roast beef, and pork sausage; and then for dessert, tiramisu. I was nearly full after eating the lasagna, but somehow managed to fit a little bit more into my stomach. After lunch I sat on a park bench overlooking the valley below basking in the golden sun. It was nice to finally have some decent weather on a field trip day!

Buona Pasqua!

2010-04-07T23:54:00.001-07:00

Buona Pasqua or Happy Easter! In Italy, Easter is kind of a big deal; in Castiglion, it is an even bigger deal. The town of Castiglion Fiorentino has maintained some of the Easter and Holy Week traditions since the 13th century...which is the 1200's! During that time, Italian religious culture was more tuned to the afterlife rather than their life here on earth. The fear of the afterlife made it necessary to do a lot of penance and pilgrimages. Processions throughout the medieval towns allowed for a replacement of lengthy pilgrimages. This past week, three processions were scheduled: one each on Tuesday, Wednesday and Good Friday. The Passion is reenacted on Thursday on a rocky hillside. Due to uncooperative weather, one of the processions and the Passion play were canceled. I had the opportunity to be an actor in the Passion as a member of the Jewish tribunal and later, by removing my hat, a member of the crowd. We didn't get to perform, even after a rescheduled showing on Easter Sunday.

The processions are organized by brotherhoods, three of which are still active in Castiglion. They are not a religious order, but the members serve the Church as volunteers. The three different brotherhoods wear different colored robes and are affiliated with a church in town. The Company of Misericordie is affiliated with Chiesa San Francesco and they wear black robes. They were originally founded in Florence during the Plague to assist the sick and dying. To provide protection from the contagions, and to provide anonymity while performing works of mercy, the members donned long robes and pointed hoods that covered the face entirely except for the eyes.

The Company of Jesus is affiliated with the Chiesa il Gesu. Members of this order wear blue robes. The last company, the Company of St. Antonio, are also affiliated with the Chiesa San Francesco. Members of this order wear white robes. Despite their resemblance to the robes of the KKK, the robes and orders have no relation to a sect, they were founded for a social purpose, much like the Knights of Columbus. Unlike the Knights of Columbus, men and women and even children can belong to a brotherhood. Oftentimes, whole families belong to the brotherhood.

The processions are led by a different brotherhood each night. Each brotherhood has three crosses carried by volunteers. Each member of the brotherhood carries a wax torch and they process in silence. Only the muffled sounds of soft-soled shoes and the rustle of long robes and rosaries fill the streets.

Some extra penitent souls walk barefoot. The processions begin at the church associated with the brotherhood leading the procession that evening. They wind their way through town pausing to say prayers of the rosary at all of the churches they pass along they way. Many of the streets in town are very steep and the men carrying the crosses were struggling. This added to the extremely moving experience.

On Wednesday, I watched the procession as it went past Santa Chiara and then met the procession at its ending point in the Piazza San Francesco. It was rather eery knowing that the man behind the robe was looking at me while I was looking at him. I didn't know whether to smile or to remain somber to show my appreciation.

The torches drip wax onto the stones of the streets. Even now, a week later, you can still trace the path of the processions through the town.

On Good Friday I participated in the procession starting at the Chiesa il Gesu, which is next door to Santa Chiara Study Center. The townspeople follow after the band of Castiglion, playing somber marches with only a little discord.

The band is preceded by a statue of Jesus that dates from the Middle Ages. The Easter Vigil Mass begins at 11:30 pm. We arrived an hour early and weren't able to get a seat in the main nave of the church, we were stuck 6 on a pew in the side aisle. The Mass goes on for about a half hour. At midnight, with the sounds of cymbals and a band, the enormous two story main doors of the church are thrown open and 6 men in blue robes run in carrying a statue of the risen Jesus with a banner flapping along behind. From our vantage point, we couldn't see the men carrying the statue. We could only see Jesus with his arm outstretched and the banner flying in mid-air. At the same time, firecrackers are set off in the piazza outside the church. These weren't any sort of normal firecrackers...they were military strength diversionary artillary! The Mass continued along just as any normal Easter Vigil after that. Only one person was baptized at the Vigil.

Holy Week and the events leading up to Easter were very special here in Castiglion and I felt very privileged to have been a part of the processions and to have been invited to be in the Passion play. The whole town was abuzz with making Easter a special holiday and Easter Monday is a national holiday, so we didn't have classes. It was a very relaxing weekend and very moving.

Spring Break: Northern Italy

2010-04-01T01:42:00.000-07:00

After a very blustery trip to Venice, the girls from K-State headed out in search of a Spring Break paradise. Our travels began with a short jaunt to Vicenza. The famous architect Palladio was very active in that region and we were determined to see some of his work.

We learned a lot during this trip...you really need to do your homework. We were told that you could see all sorts of Palladio's work with just a short walk through town. However, we had all of our Spring Break luggage with us. Luckily we all had backpacks, but they were quite heavy. After a little bit of a wild goose chase, we made it out of town on a bus to see the Villa Rotunda. Unfortunately, we hadn't researched the opening hours and arrived a few minutes past the afternoon closing for siesta. Chris Curtis, a boy from K-State joined us for this part of the journey. Ever the optimist, he quipped, "Once you've seen one side of Palladio, you've seen them all." This picture was taken through the iron gate and luckily for us, each side of the building is identical. We returned back to the train station to continue our journey to "fair Verona where we lay our scene..."

We found our hostel and ditched our bags as soon as we could. We only had an evening in Verona and so we were eager to fit as much in as possible. One of the attractions of Verona is that is the setting for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. This balcony is supposedly Juliet's balcony and hundereds of lovers flock here each year to pin love notes on the walls.

Our next day was spent travelling to Milan and exploring the city in the later afternoon. We visited the Duomo, one of the first Italian Gothic churches that we have been inside. The height of the interior was very impressive and much taller than all of the churches we had been to. Adjacent to the Duomo is the famous Gallery with shops like Prada...and McDonald's. We ate dinner on top of Rinascente, a department store with rooftop views of the Duomo. Unfortunately they were doing renovations, and our views were extremely limited.

For something that is used so often and in such an industrial way, the train station in Milan is truly beautiful. The lobby is made of carved marble and has such a sense of grandeur. It recalls a different era when the train was king of transportation. The train shed is made of steel and glass and was quite revolutionary structurally for its time.

We finally arrived in Riomaggiore, one of the towns considered part of the Cinque Terre. All five towns are located rather remotely on the coast and only the trains connect all of the towns, as the mountains are too rugged and treacherous. We rented an apartment and when we checked in, we found out that we had been upgraded to a top floor apartment with views of the marina. Later walking around the town and looking at postcards, we found our terrace on the postcard for Riomaggiore! We opened up the shutters and windows and were lulled to sleep by the sounds of waves crashing on the rocks below. We had a kitchen and we were able to cook a few dinners there, something that was both economical and a lot of fun. Rick Steves would be proud of us, as he highly recommends cooking for yourself and consuming regional specialties. The region around Cinque Terre is known for creating pesto, so we had both red and green pesto with pasta.

The Cinque Terre is also a national park and there are hikes that connect each of the towns. They vary in difficulty from being able to take a baby stroller to some pretty steep climbs. We only hiked to the next two towns and then I took the train back. The first portion of the hike is only supposed to take 20 minutes, but we stopped and took a lot of photos, so it took us much longer.

The world really is a small place because we rounded a bend in the path and found one of our fellow K-Staters from the Orvieto study abroad program watercoloring. We ran into that same group of K-Staters the next day at the beach in Monterosso. We saw that there was someone swimming in the freezing cold Mediterranean and wondered what crazy person would be out there only to realize that we knew him!

The sunsets were very beautiful and we were able to sit on our terrace and soak up a few rays. I really am a fan of Italian shutters. They allow air to come into the room but keep a lot of the light out, allowing for privacy. Shutters also create a sense of life for a building facade, as the shutters are almost never in the same position.

The towns of the Cinque Terre are very colorful. The boats and the buildings are in much brighter hues than in Castiglion Fiorentino. The color of the water also changed greatly depending on the light, from bright blue to a deep blue to a shade of grey.

We ended our Spring Break with a few days in Florence. We took that time to get to know some of the backways of the city. We also climbed the dome of the Duomo. I am not really claustrophobic or afraid of heights, but the climb up and down is not one that I would want to do on a daily basis. We were in Florence for the Spring Equinox and met our History of Science professor, Giovanni, to witness the Equinox at the church Santa Maria Novella. The cosmographer of Cosimi de Medici set up a series of solar experiments to more accurately determine time. He discovered that the Julian calendar was off by 12 seconds a year, which adds up over the course of 1,000 years. Thus, the Gregorian calendar was implemented.

Our last night in Florence we went to a restaurant recommended by our hotel called Trattoria il Trebbio. It was the best meal that I have had while in Italy. It took us over two hours to eat it, as the service is conveniently slow. I ordered gorgonzola ravioli and was stuffed by the time that my pork steaks arrived. It was a family run affair and a bit of a one man show. The maitre'd was seating people, taking reservations, taking orders and serving food. We were seated right away and only a few minutes later they were telling people it would be an hour wait. We were pleased to see that local Florentines were eating at this restaurant, unlike all of the other tourist traps that we had been to before. As we got our bill, I was going to tell the maitre'd how great everything was. I got out, "This was the best..." before he wrapped his arms around me and plopped two fat kisses on either of my cheeks. Rather red in the face, I realized that the poor man had been running around and was glad that somebody appreciated his hard work. I will definitely be going back.

We had many wonderful adventures and learned a lot by trial and error. I feel more prepared for my aftertravels when I will be leaving Italy for other parts of Europe. However, we were very glad to arrive back "home" at Sta. Chiara. I also gained a new appreciation for my country and the freedoms and liberties that I have taken for granted.

See You on the Lido!

2010-03-25T03:31:00.000-07:00

This will be the first installment of my adventures of the past few weeks. Everyone at Santa Chiara journeyed to Venice on Tuesday, March 9 and we stayed there until Saturday, March 13. We were "blessed" with the opportunity to see Venice in a light that many tourists and even Italians have never seen. Forget the wonderful Tuscan sunshine, we were blinded by a blizzard!

Venice used to be a thriving port city and at its peak, a population of over 200,000 people. Unfortunately today, there are only about 60,000 residents. I think this is due to the inconvenience of transportation, as they are completely reliant on boats. Also, there are very few professions other than tourism, as over 6 million tourists a year flood the city. That is a flood that may do more damage to Venice herself than the waters that flood San Marco square.

We had the pleasure of visiting the church of San Marco with Paolo Barucchieri, the founder of the school at Santa Chiara. Paolo's father was involved in the art world and on the threat of the invasion of the Nazi's, Paolo's father hid crates of priceless art in their home. There is a jeweled screen that is enormous behind the main altar. Paolo told us that was one of the pieces his father kept in their home!

Venice is unlike any city in the world and has attracted many unique characters throughout the years - from sailors to musicians and artists and a very special patron of Modern Art...Peggy Guggenheim. Tony's wife has been a curator and is a lover of art and especially loves Peggy Guggenheim. We were very lucky that she accompanied us to Venice and gave us a personal tour of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. We saw artwork by Max Ernst, Alexander Calder, Jackson Pollock and many other artists. Venice is the birthplace of Vivaldi and we were very lucky to be able to attend a concert of his Four Seasons and some other pieces by Mozart. The musicians were animated and provided almost a theatrical performance while playing their instruments.

Rather than a metro or bus system, Venice has "vaporettos"...slow moving ferries that make occaisonal stops along the banks of the Grand Canal and routes to the surrounding islands such as Lido (where our hotel was located), Murano (famous for its glass) and Burano (famous for its lace). Because of the blustery weather, I found myself dreading every time we had to take a jaunt on the vaporetto as I felt motion sick due the violent rocking and constant slamming into the piers at each stop.

Venice also has some touches of Modernism in a bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava. Also, we visited a gallery that was designed by Renzo Piano and took a rather unrewarding trip to the cemetery island to see a mausoleum built by a "famous" architect. As I have been discovering, great architecture isn't necessarily designed by "famous" architects. I find myself being amazed more by the vernacular architecture that came to fruition through necessity.

Overall, I have to say that I didn't really enjoy Venice. I feel that the weather had a significant impact on our perception of the city and hampered the need to wander the many alleys to get a true feel for the city. Luckily I will be heading back to Venice with my family, so I hope that I will have a better time once the weather cooperates.

Siena: Cold, Rainy and Carsick

2010-03-07T03:02:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, we took our field trip to Siena. It was a rather cold and rainy day and the ride up was not the greatest. I began to feel carsick only moments outside of Castiglion. The bus driver was having problems with the defrost and it was very hot and steamy. Mercifully, I fell asleep with my head against the cold window and that helped cool me down and prevent any actual sickness. I still felt queasy most of the day. That combined with the less than perfect weather to put a damper on my mood. Needless to say, I think I need to revisit Siena and give it another chance.

After arriving in Siena, we went to the Campo and Palazzo Pubblico, one of the main attractions for which Siena is known. The Campo is a large, sloping piazza that twice a year holds a horse race called the Palio. In the Palio, 10 of the 17 neighborhoods in Siena compete. It is a lottery system to decide which 10 compete and a lottery for which horse each neighborhood gets to ride.

On nice days, the Campo is filled with people sitting and relaxing on the brick pavement. It is rather a unique place and like I said before, I think I need to go back to experience it as it is meant.

As with every other Italian town, Siena has its own Duomo. It is in its very own distinctive Sienese Gothic style. Siena and Florence have always been in competition with each other, as both were banking towns. The Sienese wanted to expand their Duomo so that it would be larger than the Duomo in Florence. Their plan was to use the main nave as the smaller portion of the cruciform shape and to extend the new nave perpendicular to the existing portion. After a short period of construction, the Plague hit Siena and the project was never completed. Had it been completed, it would have been one of the largest churches.

The cathedral in Siena is known for its pavements. Tony said we were pretty lucky to have been able to see as many portions as we did because in an effort to preserve the floors, they are covered up for most of the year.

Connected to the Duomo is the Piccolomini Library. There were only a few books on display that contained illuminated texts with Gregorian chants. The ceiling was beautiful! I am glad that Josh pointed out the little door into that room, because it would have been easy to miss.

Siena, like many Tuscan towns, contains a Medici fortress. Surrounding the high walls of the fortress is a nice green space containing fountains and treelined paths. It will be nice to return during warmer weather when all of the fountains and water features are operational. To get a little perspective on how fortified the walls really are, Alli is standing against the wall in this picture.

It is going to be several weeks before I post another blog. On Tuesday we are taking an extended field trip to Venice and that is the spring board for our Spring Break. During Spring Break, the girls from K-State and I are going to Vicenza, Verona, Milan, Turin, Genoa, the five towns of Cinque Terre and are ending with a few days in Florence. We won't be returning until March 21, so look for another blog post later that week. Ciao!

Lucca, Pisa, and Viareggio

2010-03-04T02:02:00.001-08:00

Well, Ciao from the Mediterranean coast! We had a wonderful weekend staying in Lucca with a day trip to Pisa and Viareggio. Tony took us to Lucca, and guess what?! No rain! It was forecasted as a 90% chance and we didn't even see a drop.

Tony loves classical music and his favorite composer is Puccini, who just happens to have been born in Lucca. This is a photo of Tony posing outside of Puccini's house. There are Puccini concerts every night and us girls decided to try and attend. However, it was 17 euro, too rich for our tastes.

Lucca is a Roman town, complete with its own ampitheater. However, this ampitheater has been converted into a "mixed use" building. There are shops on the first level occupying the arches and apartments up above.

Lucca is a very flat city. Although it is nice not having to climb hills, it makes landmarks, like campaniles and domes, more difficult to navigate by since they are not readily visible. There are very few cars allowed inside the city walls, so many residents ride bikes.

There are several places to rent bikes and one happened to be less than a block from our hostel. Us girls rented bikes, complete with baskets and brrrring-brrrring bells. It was an interesting experience since I haven't been on a bike since my tragic bike accident in 6th grade. Amazingly enough, it all comes back pretty easily, just as the saying goes. We rode our bikes around the city walls that have been turned into a park, complete with old men playing dominoes and couples making out. It is 4 kilometers around the walls and we went around twice. I now remember why I had a gelled, extra wide bicycle seat back when I was ten.

We stayed at a hostel in Lucca that was more like our own apartment, especially since there were no other guests the first night and couple with a baby joined us the second night. We felt very safe in the city. The next morning we were off to Pisa to do our touristy visit to the Duomo there. We did not go up into the Campanile (the Leaning Tower) because it cost 15 euro! However, the Duomo was free to enter and was quite beautiful. Almost every square inch was decorated and the distinctive Pisan marble stripes lined the arches.

We left the touristy Campo of Pisa and walked towards the center of town and saw a courtyard designed by Vasari. We also saw a church that had been raised from the Arno River. The town of Pisa was actually quite pleasant once we escaped the mobs of large tour groups...and it isn't even the 'high' season yet.

We were hungry after our walk and found a little bar that has been open since 1898. The had row after row of delicious treats for all to enjoy. I had a really hard time choosing which decadent snack to select.

We then travelled to Viareggio and visited the coast. It was a rather warm day and we were able to take off our winter coats while walking along the beach. Some of the girls dipped their toes in the water and got a little wetter than what they bargained for. I am not one for sand between my toes and freezing water, so I took some rather hilarious photos of the happenings.

Our last day in Lucca we made the trek up the Torre Guinigi. It is a medieval watch tower that has several trees growing out of the top. It was a rather perilous hike up some open riser metal stairs, but it was well worth the journey. It offered us a panoramic view of the misty mountains and sleepy town.

The tower walls had moss growing on the walls and provided a softness to the otherwise formidable stonework. Overall, Lucca has been my favorite little town to visit, besides Castiglion, of course.

Assisi and First Project

2010-02-25T05:15:00.000-08:00

Our first project was due on Sunday. It was our task to select a space within Castiglion Fiorentino that needed a little modification in some way. We did some analysis of the space and then developed a "Modest Proposal." My space was a courtyard that is located between two high schools: one is the arts based school and the other is the technical school. My proposal was to add some stairs to make an outdoor classroom and a place for the students to hang out between classes.

This was our first experience of spending an extended amount of time in studio all working to create a final project. It was also my first time watercoloring and I am pretty surprised at how well it turned out. We will have to see what my professor Tony has to say.

Our field trip this week was to Assisi. Of course, we were prepared for rain. However, we were pleasantly greated with grey skies that in the afternoon turned into partly cloudy, blue skies. It is truly amazing what a few sun rays can do to liven up a town and my mood. I had been to Assisi in 2004 while it was raining and only saw the middle and lower churches of San Francesco. This trip we got to see several of the other churches in town, including Santa Chiara or St. Claire, the namesake of our study center. The body of St. Francis' dear friend St. Claire was entombed in the crypt and had been found under the altar uncorrupted during a more recent renovation. However, when they exhumed the body, her face began to rapidly deteriorate. They sent her body to France to have a wax mask made to preserve her likeness. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed in the churches. Our tour guide told a story of an American tourist that asked her why there were so many statues of cats in Assisi. She was puzzled by the question and then responded that to him those statues may look more like an American housecat, but those are Italian lions!

After lunch, we were left to our own devices. Some of us walked up to the Rocca Maggiore, a ruined fortress. The views from the fortress site were absolutely breathtaking. On one side, the town spills down the hill into a valley below, not unlike the Salt Lake Valley. On the other, a mountainous wilderness is punctuated by the occaisonal watchtower and hilly pasture where sheep can be found grazing. It was a very stark divide between civilization and the primeval forest.

The sun had finally been able to break free from the clouds and was streaming "God rays" down onto the valley floor below. The play of light and shadow, as well as the recent rains, made the colors extra deep and gave great contrast.

Assisi turned out to be one of my favorite field trips that we have been on so far. The town was very quaint and a new vista was around every medieval bend. The streets were stepped in some instances where they were too steep. They were even steeper than the hills in CF!

The town of Assisi is very linear in plan and has a great deal of elevation change. It made navigating fairly easy, as the next stop on the tour was visible from the starting point. In the distance, you can see San Francesco. The church is actually a Papal basilica and is property of the Vatican. The Romanesque church that was built in the middle is very luxurious with many frescoes by Giotto, Cimabue, Lorenzetti and many others. Our tour guide, and myself, felt that St. Francis would be appalled at the wealth that went into the church. The tomb of St. Franics is in the lower church, which was built later and is more along St. Francis' aesthetic. The upper church is Gothic in style and is the location that was damaged by a severe earthquake that killed several monks and fresco restorers. While we were in the middle church, a man wearing a hat was walking around inspecting various aspects of the building. It turns out that he is in charge of the very prestigious restoration team. Some of his friends and colleagues were among those who died when the upper church's ceiling collapsed.

Well, sorry this took so long to update. We have been having internet difficulties. I hope to update you on my weekend travels to Lucca, Pisa and Viareggio within the next day or two, so stay tuned. But for now, that's all folks.

Bella Roma

2010-02-16T03:12:00.000-08:00

We made it back safe and sound on Sunday after travelling to Rome and Pompeii. We were exhausted after our journey and were very happy to return to our 'home' at Santa Chiara. Alli has a pedometer and kept track of the miles that we walked each day. In total, we walked 60 miles in 6 days. The maximum for a single day was 14 miles, 2 of which were done in the Vatican Museum winding our way to the Sistine Chapel! While at the Vatican, we made a visit to St. Peter's Basilica to see the splendid architecture. However, as we walked in, we found the basilica was set up for Mass with pews in the main nave and curtains on the right side of the church covering Michaelangelo's famous sculpture of the Pieta. I grabbed a program and used my limited Italian to decipher what was happening. I opened the front cover and written in red, it said that Pope Benedict XVI was saying Mass in celebration of the 15th World Day of the Sick! We crowded our way to the end of the barricades and landed behind some exuberant Asian tourists. We had a view of the main altar and decided to stay around to see if Mass would begin soon. All of a suddern, the Asians in front of us decided to leave, so I wedged my way in to the very front. A few moments later, Mass began and seemingly docile nuns lept up onto their chairs to get a better glimpse of B16. From my vantage point, I was able to take some pretty good photos considering how far away I was from the action. This was the point in the trip that it would have been beneficial to have lugged the telephoto lens with me! A very kind man that had a ticketed seat in the congregation offered to take a photo with my camera. It is to him that I give credit of the photo above.

We went back to St. Peter's another day to try and climb the dome and get into the crypt, but the line was too long for us to wait. I know that I will be back when my family comes to visit, so I was not too disappointed.

The day that we saw the Pope we had a scheduled tour of the Vatican Museum. The company we booked our tour with didn't know that the museum was closed that day. Personally I found it to be much more rewarding to go back to the museum on my own time and linger or skip past less engaging pieces. This sculpture is entitled Laocoon and I just love the way emotion is seen throughout the body form and facial expression.

Another site that I went back to numerous times was the Colosseum. The first time was on a tour with a large group of people and guess what...it was raining! Rain followed us on the first few days and it even snowed on the way to Pompeii, but the weekend turned out to be much warmer and we had blue skies for our photographs. So, I went to the Colosseum at night to see it lit up and again in the morning to see it with good sunlight. I have heard that it is good to get the audioguided tour if you enter the Colosseum and your ticket also allows you to get into the ancient Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. Another thing that I will be taking my family to when they visit.

At night, the Colosseum and many other Roman sights take on a different glow and are worth visiting at various times of day. For example, the Trevi Fountain is illuminated at night and hundreds of tourists, and annoying street venders selling fiber optic statues of the Colosseum, crowd the steps.

The Pantheon is another site that is worth visiting at different times. The sunbeam traces a path around the coffered dome throughout the day. I had been told that the dome was so tall that the rain evaporated before hitting the multicolored marble below. That is not true because the first time we visited...it was raining. Raphael the artist, not the turtle, is buried at the Pantheon.

Our scheduled itinerary with K-State ended on Friday at the ancient ruins of Pompeii. Our History of Science professor Giovanni (it seems like everyone is named Giovanni here) got us into the site without having to pay the entrance fee and took us to the archaeological labs that are not open to the public. The scientists there were very proud of their findings and got great joy out of our ooohs and aaahs. They had a loaf of bread, slightly charred, that was almost completely whole. They had large quantities of a type of pea that is no longer found on Earth. They had wax tablets and textiles and a basket! It was truly astounding at what we saw on the shelves and in open containers.

Mt. Vesuvius was shrouded in snow and provided an ominous reminder of the fate of so many people trapped in the city and along the coast. Of course, one of the most famous artifacts from Pompeii is the casts of the imprints left by people buried in the ash and hot gasses. The scientists have learned a great deal about the people that lived and died in Pompeii and yet there is much more to be excavated. The Italian government has run out of money for the project and so the scientists are just trying to preserve what has already been uncovered with the hope that the things left buried will be safe for a few more years to come.

All in all, Rome was a very rewarding trip. It gave me a sense of confidence in my navigation skills and I gained a little more insight on my host country. Rome is a very different place from Castiglion Fiorentino. I am glad that I can visit such amazing wonders in such a short journey, but I know that Castiglion Fno (as the train sign abbreviates) is where I am supposed to be. In Rome, I tried to practice my Italian with different vendors and many times they would just answer back in English. It came across to me as kind of an insult, as I felt I was labeled as a foreigner even though I am trying to immerse myself in their culture. It was very strange to be able to eavesdrop on a conversation of complete strangers speaking English as they were walking down the steps of the Piazza di Spagna. I much prefer the sometimes awkward exchanges with the locals, such as Bruno the owner of the laundromat or the Moretti bus driver taking me to my first watercolor class. Rome, minus the typical sites that define it, could be mistaken for any other large city.

After just getting back, we will be travelling to Florence on Wednesday. It is also time to make final Spring Break plans. Several of us had wanted to go to Greece, but due to its economic situation and recent transportation strikes, I am rethinking my options. The economic downturn is being felt here too, as there is a train strike scheduled for Friday, the day we were going with our professor to the nearby town of Cortona. The key words of this trip are "Be Flexible."On our last day in Rome, we made a short excursion to Santa Maria in Cosmedin. In the portico of the church, the Bocca della Verita, or Mouth of Truth, can be found. It is rumored that if you stick your hand into the mouth and are a liar, your hand will be bitten off.

Also at the church, a relic of St. Valentine can be found in a side chapel. It was kind of a happy coincidence as the day that we visited the church was Sunday, February 14th!

"Who's performing at half-time?" "Yes."

2010-02-08T09:46:00.000-08:00

I am sorry that it has been so long since I have updated my blog. We have had a very busy week. Last Wednesday we went to Florence for our field trip. We got to see a lot of buildings, but didn't get to spend a lot of quality time absorbing the architecture. The only thing that we were absorbing was the incessant rain that seems to only appear on travel days.

When I was here in 2004, I hadn't learned about the architecture, only about the history surrounding it. I was much more appreciative of the things that I was seeing this time around. We got to see Santa Maria Novella, Santa Croce and the Pazzi Chapel, Palazzo Strozzi, and the Palazzo Vecchio. After lunch, we went to the History of Science Museum to meet our proffessor for a tour. They have several of Galileo's original scientific instruments. They also have Galileo's right middle finger. I guess even in death he is giving the finger to the all those who thought he was a heretic.

This weekend was jam-packed with activities. On the first Friday and Saturday of the month, the nearby town of Arezzo has an antiques fair. The main streets are lined with all types of junque. There was jewelry, furniture, books, instruments, and even African masks. We walked around for several hours and our professor Tony took us into some buildings that we had only passed by on our previous tour. There are several works of art from famous artists even in this small town. This crucix was done by Cimabue.

Sunday was also a day of fun. Carnivale began last weekend and lasts for the next three Sundays in preparation for Lent. Children dress up in silly costumes and spray confetti or silly string on innocent bystanders. Foiano is a nearby town that has held a Carnivale parade since the Middle Ages. Our group ventured over to Foiano by bus and joined in the festivities. There are four neighborhoods that compete with their floats and each year they are bigger and better. It is quite interesting to watch the mechanized floats squeeze through the narrow and crooked streets. They fold up to fit through the narrowest opening and unfurl their wings/tentacles/appendages in more open streets. Many of us got confettied by small children who quickly scampered for cover behind their parents. One of the local artists that teaches at Santa Chiara was in charge this year for designing a float. It was Alice and Wonderland themed and had people of the neighborhood dressed as cards leading the procession. The music they danced to was "Poker Face" by Lady GaGa and a few AC/DC songs.

So, after we returned to Castiglion Fiorentino, we relaxed for a little while. A few of us went to the local pub, The Velvet Underground (lovingly referred to as the VU) to watch the Super Bowl. We talked about staying until halftime and when I asked about the halftime entertainment, it turned into a bit of an Abbott and Costello moment. They didn't play any American commercials and it started after midnight our time. I was kind of rooting for the Colts, because I know that Lauren would want me to! We made it to the Saint's first field goal, and then headed for home.

Tomorrow we leave for an extended trip to Rome. Our History of Science teacher is taking us to Pompeii on Friday. We are going to see the research labs that are on-site. Look for a new post next week after we return on Sunday.

2010-01-28T13:16:00.000-08:00

Here are just a few snapshots from around Castiglion Fiorentino:

Castiglion Fiorentino began as a walled city fortress. Each hilltop town had two entrances: the Porta Romana and the Porta Firenze. This is just outside the Porta Romana.

This alcove is near the Porta Firenze.

Since Castiglion Fiorentino is a hilltop town, the streets are very steep. This climb is one we make at least once a day!

There are several churches, or chiesas, in CF. This is a lunette above San Francesco.

This is the school's courtyard. Some parts of the building date back to the 1500's. It used to be an orphanage and convent during the 1920's.

This is the view of the Tuscan hillside from our courtyard.

Sta. Chiara is located next to a piazza and a church called Sta. Collegiata. This is a view from the portico of Sta. Collegiata looking down Via S. Guiliano, the street where Sta. Chiara is located.

Outside of the city walls is a flower shop. I was amazed that the flowers were still blooming and fresh, but it doesn't really get below freezing here.

Even though it doesn't get below freezing, it can be very windy and cold. After traipsing around CF one afternoon, we stopped in a bar and had a 'cioccolata calda.' It is like a hot chocolate, but it is so rich and creamy you have to eat it with a spoon!

My two roommates, Amy and Emily, and I at the Bar delle Mura.

The city was begun by the Etruscans and they started the fortification by building a tower and high walls. This is the highest point in town and gives a good view of the Val Di Chiana or Valley of Chiana.

The tower as it stands today.

View of Sta Collegiata standing at the front doors of Sta. Chiara.

2010-01-26T11:57:00.001-08:00

We made it safely to Castiglion Fiorentino without any delays or disruptions. More to follow...

2010-01-25T05:11:00.000-08:00

I found out today that the airlines charge for a second bag on an international flight. However, both of my checked bags are under 40 pounds, so no oversized baggage fees bogged down this traveler. I guess this picture could be considered my first day of school picture taken with the new backpack.
I am sitting at the Kansas City Airport and so far so good. We had a few snow flurries last night, but this morning is looking pretty clear. There is supposed to be rain in D.C. so we may have a bit of a bumpy ride. Everyone in our group was here on time and most were 15 minutes early.

The 4:15 wakeup call definitely woke me and my roommate Laura up. We stayed at the Hyatt Place near the airport. Thanks Dad for the rewards points that got us a 42" flat screen and a very spacious room! I kept thinking how 'American' the hotel was and how it will compare to upcoming hotel stays. I took a really hot shower, as it may be the last time I can fully control the shower temp for the next few months. Well, I had better get all of my technology packed up so I can prepare for boarding. Ciao!

2010-01-21T11:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I have begun to pack and make lists...and more lists...lists of lists even. I can't believe that this semester has finally come! I have been thinking about and planning this trip for four years now. I think I have a pretty good idea of what to expect, but I am expecting a few curveballs. For those just joining my adventure, I will give a back story:

I am in my 4th year as an Interior Architecture and Product Design student at Kansas State University. It is a five year Masters program, so I will have one full year left after I return from this semester abroad. I will be going abroad through a program conducted by Kansas State and in conjunction with Italart. The school that I will be attending is called Santa Chiara and is located in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy. It is just a short train ride from Florence. I will be going over to Italy with 12 other K-State students and a K-State professor. I will be taking classes from the K-State professor, an Italian professor at the school, and from a local watercolor artist.

Each Wednesday is a field trip day, so I will have many opportunities to see different sites. There are also a couple of extended trips (4-5 days) that are included in the program. Also included in the program are meals that are cooked by local Italian ladies and a laundry service. The dining hall, classrooms and dormitory are conveniently all located in the same building. I will have two roommates from K-State and we will share a room and private bath.

Well, I had better get back to packing. I am going to do a trial run of my backpack and other luggage to make sure it is not overweight! I'll let you know how that goes.