Feathers and other fly things: Just a Little Too Late

Obviously, I haven't written in FOREVER! so, tonight I am going to sum up the rest of my trip in Italy... the amazing experiences I haven’t told you about yet. Here are some highlights:

Daruta:
Field trip day, and in the words of Julia, I wasn't in the mood for anything too "field trippy", but overall, Daruta was pretty chill. We went on a tour of the main Ceramics workshop where some of the best Italian pottery is made. We saw the whole process, from a lump of clay to the finishing painting touches. It was so interesting to see how every single piece of pottery made is completely different than the next. They were all hand made, hand painted, and hand inspected.

The pieces that don't pass inspection are then taken back through the system and even that smallest flaws are addressed and fixed. I bought a beautiful plate for my mom that now resides in our living room. The colors match perfectly!

Hand-painting in the workshop
The plate I bought for myself
Startin' from scratch
Sydney and Courtney were our paparazzi for the day... and every other day

Assisi (1):
The first time I went to the beautiful little town of Assisi was on a class field tripWe were only there for a couple hours, and had just enough time to talk from one side of the town to the other and tour the Basilica of Saint Francis.

This was the best tour we had all 3 months! Our tour guide was a monk from Pennsylvania. Haha, yeah.
He was an American monk. Most of the monks, nuns, and priests there are from everywhere around the world EXCEPT for Italy. The Catholic religion is still the "religion" of the country, but hardly anyone practices it anymore. Isn't that sad? Monk Michael (as dubbed by me) had his stuff together. He was very enthusiastic and very passionate about the church, and more importantly, his religion. Unlike most people I came across in Italy, Monk Michael was a Catholic because of what Christ did for him, not just because it was in his blood Saint Francis was similar to Monk Michael in this way, Christ was the most important part of his life. Before he gave his life to the church, Francis was the playboy of Assisi. He made a name for himself and his family for being very wild and crazy—living the sex, drugs, and rock n' roll life. As a young man, he suffered an important life struggle and finally saw past his own selfishness. Francis saw the light of Christ and the muck of his own sin. He decided to give his life to Christ my becoming a monk and doing EVERYTHING in the name of Jesus. He pierces his own hands and side, making sure that the wounds never healed. He wanted to suffer more than Christ, because he believed he was unworthy to live a life more comfortable than Jesus'. Monk Michael understood Francis' philosophy of religion. He understood why Francis suffered the way he did and why he put himself dead last. Most of all, Monk Michael wasn't a monk in Assisi because he worshiped Saint Francis, but because he respected Francis and worshiped the God who saved his life from sin. It was so uplifting to hear him explain each fresco with the passion that so evidently resided in his heart. His explanation of the cross was more real and adoring than any other I heard in Italy. Monk Michael obviously saw past the tradition and repetitiveness of religion and saw into the heart of its reason.

just a pretty house

pretty house!

Saint Francis' Bacisillica

I spy two very small girls

monk sighting

friends

Florence:
Our Florence week started out in Siena. We arrived in Siena at night in the pouring rain, with empty stomachs and knew nothing about the city. Sara Beth and I separated from the group and wandered around on our own. We happened to stumble upon the beautiful and striking town center that is the home of the famous horse race in the summer. The next day, we walked all the way around the city and toured it as a group. My favorite part of Siena was the Church. The church museum had this awesome overlook, the highest point of the city. From this spot, you could see and 360 degree view of the city and the surrounding countryside, including miles and miles of rolling Tuscan hillsides.
This view was just breathtaking!
From Siena, we traveled to Florence. We did so much in Florence, because there is so much to enjoy there! It is definitely one of my favorite cities in Italy. First, we visited the Florence Cathedral. what a sight! Our first night in FLorence, we joined one of Laurel's friends (a girl who was studying in Florence at the time) to a club in the middle of the city to see a beetles cover-band. This was one of the best nights in Italy! A bunch of us went over there together, but the only ones to stay until the show was over were Mikus, Laurel, and me. We had a great time dancing in front of the stage, singing along, and flirting with the band. I'm still not sure if there were British, American, or Italian! They had perfect English and spoke with every accent! The next day, we all went to the museum of Roberto Capucci, a dress sculptor. This was so cool! The dresses were amazing and completely impractical! Then we saw the David. Yes, THE David! I snapped a quick pic (which was very illegal) and my flash accidentally went off! I was so stealth though, that I didn't get caught. Phew! After seeing the David, we went on a tour of the Leather School, a very old, very high quality leather workshop. Everything they make is made the same way it was made when the school was started. They use the same tools that have been used for years, years, and years. We were shown the process of adding gold leaf to a leather coaster. The woman who toured us around was the owner of the school, and she introduced us to her sister who hand-makes custom, one-of-a-kind bags. They are very expensive and very beautiful. She uses soft, hand dyed and hand softened leather and embellishes every bag with antique, ethnic or special beads that she collects from around the world. Lastly, we went to the Ferragamo shoe museum. I was in the same room as shoes that once adorned the feet of some of the most widely-known women in the world such as Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, and Nicole Kidman.

Siena's famous town center at night
Siena's famous town center during the day
At the Chigi Palace in Siena! Tossing a coin into the well... that I dubbed the wishing well.
Getting some water. I was thristy!
Peace, Chig
The Siena Cathedral

In Florence! In front of Ponte Vechio-- famous old bridge
some of the girls, waiting on Taquila to lead us to the beatles
just chillin on the steps
The BEATLES!!
Me and the band
Roberto Capucci
sing it, mister!
Roberto Capucci
Roberto Capucci
The Leather School
Gold leaf coaster
soft leather

Mikus and me in Florence! Good times

Cinque Terre:
After spending a few days in Florence, most of the group went to Cinque Terre for the weekend. Cinque Terre (five lands) is a part of the italian coast comprised of five small Italian farming villages and is known as one of the most beautiful places on earth. We through the area for two days, and there is no other way to explain its beauty than though pictures, so I hope these satisfy your curiosity:

Florence with the Fam:
My whole family came to visit me in Italy for Spring Break!! (I don't think they really came to visit me as much as they came to visit italy, but I take what I can get).

While they were here, we spent most of our time in Florence. Even though I had already been in Florence for a couple days, my love for the city grew stronger as I spent more time enjoying all that it has to give. my two favorite things we did while we were there were 1. climbing the dome of the Duomo Cathedral, and 2. visiting the David again. Climbing the Duomo was one of the coolest things i did during my whole three months in Italy. The whole Dome itself fascinates me. The church itself was completed with a hole in the roof for the dome to fit onto long before anyone knew of a way to make it. Like the movie Avatar, the dome was an anticipation of greatness. Climbing to the top of the Dome was a lot different than I expected it to be. There was not one continuous spiral staircase to the top, or a ramp that wrapped around the whole dome.

There were all kinds of passageways, little windows, winding staircases, steep ladder-like staircases, and curving hallways. How on earth was this built in a time of such little knowledge of technology or physics? It is truly a feat of importance.

Thinking about it today still gives me goose-bumps. How many men died while making such a huge structure?

There is nothing to catch anyones fall in case an onlooker might lean a little too far over the edge of the railing. In addition to the structure of the dome, the painting inside the dome, that is viewed from the floor of the cathedral, is mind-blowing.

It is easy to take the fesco for granted from the ground, but getting so close to it made me realize how talented these artists were. To be viewed from the ground with such ease, the artist had to have a great perspective. He had to be able to paint figures that are approximately 10 feet tall with the right amount of detail and right brush-stroke thickness and shading to be viewed from the ground as an intricate scene. Up close, the painting looks dull and rough... but from the floor, the scene comes alive.

What talent! This kind of skill is not found in people anymore.... not at all. Next, The David. What is more astounding than the David? The statue itself stands 14 feet tall and the epitome of perfection. It is known worldwide as one of the most important statues ever made. Any-educated-one can recognize his face or his perfectly sculpted butt from a mile away. Only David and Brad Pitt can boast such perfection? They are both aesthetically perfect. There is nothing about either man that anyone in the world would change... and the face and butt of both are recognized by both women AND men of all ages from anywhere on the globe. For a reason that I will never know, God decided to smile on me that day I went back to see the David. The museum was quiet, and the workers were getting ready to close for the night. My family and I had just spent about 30 min staring at and remarking on the awesomeness of the figure before us. After gawking, we fiddled around in the gift shop... and while the lady behind the counter was checking out my 5 postcards picturing David's ass, I stared at the man walking through the door, trying to figure out why he looked so familiar. "Oh," I thought, "it's just Brad Pitt".................. "BRAD PITT!!!!". My heart beat in a frenzy as I stared at the man I had fallen head over heals for in middle school walk about an arms-length away from my limp body. I finally snapped back to reality and decided it would be a good idea to clue my family in on this awesome moment. They were still innocently looking at postcards on the opposite wall. By the time Brad reached the far end of the room, my family realized what was going on. As Brad paused by the door, Angelina appeared from behind a corner, followed by about 5 small children. I just saw the entire Jolie-Pitt brood. "!!!!!........!!!!!!.......!!!!!!" is all the went through my mind. Mama and I were on cloud nine for the rest of the night, no one could wipe the foolish grins off of our faces as we walked down the street, squealing like little girls about what had just happened. David and Brad. Thanks, God! Here are some pics from the week:

Paris:
Paris. Just the name is eloquent. Paris is hands-down the most amazing city in the world. It contains a magical power that can make even a grown, lumberjack of a man, fall on his knees and worship Monet.

The city itself is one of the most beautiful man-made creations in the world. The architecture is gorgeous,

and even the most important buildings are only about 10 floors high. Because of this, the city is very spread out, unlike New York City that grows up. Parisians love flowers; there are quaint flower shops spotting every block, and flower markets covering the streets.

So much color! Unlike any other big city I have visited, Paris has parks everywhere. These are not just patches of grass with basketball hoops; they are manicured, colorful, carefully thought-out gardens full of flowers, green green grass,

beautiful statues of French aristocracy and Greek mythology, merry-go-rounds, bocce ball courts,

and reflecting ponds. Wild swans, ducks, and geese wander the grounds and waters as birds sing songs above your head. Just walking into one of these parks is an experience in itself. People dot the walkways in reclining chairs, relaxing on their midday break from work. While children whirl around you as they play a game of French tag (much more charming than American tag). The city is not the only fascinating thing about this city; the people that inhabit Paris are all graceful and exhibit class in the way they live.

Even the less fortunate may not smell like a bouquet of flowers, but they look clean and appealing. Both women and men have such beautiful style that comes easy to the eye, no one looks as if they are trying too hard to look right. They just all exhibit natural beauty.

The place I am describing sound like Utopia, but I promise you it exists! The people reading this know what I’m talking about, and the ones who haven’t wish they did.
I could go on and on about Paris and how wonderful it is, but I’ll refrain myself and write about what I did there. I traveled to Paris the weekend everyone else went to Prague. Just Lauren Mikus and I were there, which was such a breath of fresh air! We stayed at a tiny bed and breakfast with an older couple.

The woman (was originally from America, but had been living abroad (mostly in Paris) since she was 14. She is married to Christian Monbrison, a French Aristocrat. Why do they have a B&B if they are French Aristocracy, you may ask? Well, the French government LOVES its tax money. They tax so much out of the rich, that hardly anyone has old French money anymore.

They have lost everything that once exhibited their wealth and are now left with the smallest apartment I have ever stepped foot in, sleeping on a futon in the “living room” while their guests share the only bed, and a small house in the country, for which they use as a B&B also. Despite this, they are amazing people. Christian is in the midst of writing his biography, but is very smart and personable. Most of the time we were there, Mikus and I wandered from museum to museum, admiring all of the French impressionist artwork.

One night, Christian took us out in his car for a tour of the city. He took us from place to place and explained the importance of everything. He knows more about the history of Paris and France that 99% of Americans know about their home country and states.

At most every stop, Christian would stop the car, telling us “parking here is deeply forbidden by law, but I know a secret place… now, do as I say and do not get out of the car until I tell you.” What an adventure! We never got caught by the police, but we sure did get honked at when he stopped the car in the middle of the most crowded avenue in all of Paris so we could all get out and take a picture in front of the Arc de Triumph.

What an adventure! Christian is the best sweet-talker I have ever come across. He “ran into” the owner of the most prestigious restaurant in all of Paris, and after Christian told us the entire history of the building, the owner let us walk through the dining rooms. Our last stop of the night was at a bar called “The Guillotine”. This bar holds the only guillotine that can be found in all of Paris. What a night! I will never forget it.

Assisi (2):
How could Assisi be any better than it was the first time? Easter! Everything is better on Easter weekend, right? All of the girls had big plans for Easter—mass with the Pope, Venice, Paris…. The list goes on. Sara Beth and I wanted to do something special, though. We put off making plans, in hopes that something awesome would come up last minute. This usually isn’t a good idea, but with Sara Beth, everything always seems to fall into place… and it did! (She’s my good luck charm). Sara Beth’s mom knew a lady from Assisi who is originally from the states. She tours America for a couple of weeks out of the year to give Umbrian cooking lessons, and Sara Beth’s Atlanta home was one of those stops. The lady’s name is Anne and she is a character if I’ve ever met one. Nothing stops Anne. She is very energetic and very in charge. Anne welcomed us into her home with her husband and two children for the weekend. They were all so kind and by the time it was to depart, no one wanted to say goodbye. Anne cooked every meal for us and taught us a lot about Italian cooking. One morning, we helped her to peel potatoes, clean house, and prepare for that night’s dinner. Anne wanted us to experience Easter in the true Umbrian fashion, so she went out of her way to take us to the traditional bread blessing, to teach us how to make each traditional easter dish, to take us to her neighbor’s home, and to introduce us to her hilarious best friend, Peppa. Peppa is one of the funniest people I have ever met. She didn’t speak a word of English, and we didn’t speak a word of Italian, but we communicated with her as if we had known her our whole lives. Peppa lives alone in a typical farm house. She cooks and works up a storm. Peppa single-handedly cooked our Easter lamb in her outdoor bread oven (pictured) and made our Easter pasta from scratch. What a great friend! It would take forever to explain everything we did that weekend, so I will attach pictures instead:

Main gate to the small Umbrian town of Assisi

Trying to be artsy

The Basilica of Saint Francis

Lady painting an awesome painting of the view before her

"ti amo Maria"

The View

Sara Beth and me

The sunset

The first night, there was an Easter procession. The whole town was demanded to turn their lights out, silence filled the streets along with thousands of people and Mary walked from the top of town to the bottom, to join her beloved son at the cross... an experience like no other. Men and monks walked with bare feet and masks, carrying crosses and a drum beat a loud, slow tempo. Then, the onlookers with candles in hand, followed the procession to the basilica.

Mary with seven sword through her heart.

Helping Anne cook with our aprons, Arkansas razorbacks... i guess, and "rather be 40 than pregnant"

Vintage vespas

Our backyard for the weekend. Pictures don't even begin to express it's beauty

Me with the donkeys

Anne's Husband, Pino, restores Medieval architecture. This is their house: a Medieval farmhouse restored into beautiful farm home. They lived in it for 11 years as a barn--sheep and pigs literally living on the ground floor. They had 2 babies and no indoor plumbing!

Quaint corner of the main room in the house.

It's Italian tradition to have your Easter cheese bread, wine, salt, and oil blessed by the priest the day before Easter. They place their neatly made baskets on the alter... in our case, someone even put their newborn baby on the alter to be blessed with the bread!

Adorable old lady with her Easter basket

Old, rugged cross sitting outside of the church

This baby is officially blessed!

sweet little Italian boy

Sara Beth and me with Peppa and Ringo when we brought her Easter flowers! "per MI??"

Peppa's outdoor bread oven. This is where she cooked her own Easter cheese bread and our Easter lamb!

The Easter basket Anne made for Sara Beth and me! How sweet? She wanted us to feel like part of the family

Easter breakfast just for Anne, Sara Beth, and me.... that's wine in the coke bottle

Us with the Pasta Peppa made for our Easter dinner

Sara Beth and i set the table for Easter dinner!

Our new family! From the top left: me, Julia, Ceagan, Sara Beth, Anne, Pino

Buona Pasqua!

Milan:
All 20 of us went to Milan one week for a field trip. Milan is the strangest city I have ever been to. You know that feeling you get when you experience something unlike anything you have ever experienced before? Kind of that uneasy, surreal feeling? That’s how I felt the whole time we were in Milan.

The city itself is very “closed”. The buildings are all very modern and solid. They look unwelcoming and unfriendly. Shop windows are not screaming at you from the street and people keep to themselves. It is an insider city; if you don’t know where to go… you can’t go anywhere. Even the most well-known, sophisticated stores are hidden from the public. This description might be strange, but there is no easy way to explain Milan. Inside, it is beautiful, warm, and exciting, but from the outside, it is cold, uninviting, and quiet. Graffiti covers every wall and even the canal has more trash than water. To say the least, it was not my favorite. But we got to do 3 awesome things while we were there. 1. We got a tour of a famous “modern” home.

(models were shooting a lacoste photoshoot outside, while we were getting a tour inside) The style of this home was considered modern in the 30’s, but now it’s a little more vintage. I loved it though! It was a beautiful home and a lot of it reminded me of home for some reason. 2. We got to walk around a very upscale boutique owned by the sister of the editor of Italian Vogue. 3. We got to meet new and upcoming Italian designers a-lab.

They didn’t know any English, but welcomed us into their studio, where everything from inspiration to final products resides. We got the chance to ask questions, and more importantly, try on some of their last season clothes. I fell in love with a blue jacket and actually bought it! 500 Euros in the store, but I got it for only 100 E! By the end of the week, Milan had grown on me a little.

Barcelona:
The weekend after our Milan excursion, all 20 of us traveled to Barcelona. Barcelona is such a fun city! We ALL went on a bike tour together. Just picture 20 American college girls riding bikes in a huge group through a crowded Spanish city. We were a spectacle! A trip to Barcelona is not complete without Sangria and Gaudi. Here are some pics from the weekend: