A Tale of Two Cities. Part Two: London and such

Part two of my story begins with me rediscovering how to speak English. I had not realized how accustomed to speaking Italian that I had become! On the plane I accidentally requested a cup of tea in Italian instead of English. It was odd, but I felt as though I could actually feel my brain switching gears and reverting back to my roots. The flight was beautiful, and I was delighted to see the snowy mountaintops and glistening coastline. At this point I was full of energy, and ready to tackle London. I was also happy to discover how seamlessly I seemed to get myself all the way from my hostel in Venice to Chelsea's front door in London. Mind you, this requires just about every mode of transportation imaginable; foot, water-bus, normal bus, plane, train and the metro (or as the Brits say- the tube). When I arrived at the correct place near Chelsea's apartment, I settled down on a stoop to read my 1-euro copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray, and I waited. I was distracted by the red English phone booths, fair-skinned inhabitants and backwards traffic. After spending months in Italy, it was so strange to be in a place where I actually blended in. It was quite a shock and relief to be left alone by the men, and to for once feel inconspicuous. Soon I was happily reunited with Chelsea.

For my first night in London, Chelsea and I went to see Sweeny Todd in the theater district. It was a wonderful show, and I was excited to see Imelda Staunton play Mrs. Lovett. She is the brilliant British actress that played Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter movies. I also got to eat Indian food for dinner, which was a nice change of pace. Don't get me wrong, I adore Italian food, but it was nice to try something different. 

Brick Lane street art

The next day we wandered around Brick Lane, and I was intrigued by the many thrift shops, oddities and street art. I felt as though I had stepped into a bubble that was probably what Brooklyn in the 90's must have been like. Later that night I went with Chelsea and her flatmates to see a student performance of As you like it, which is a Shakespeare comedy. I don't know much about acting, but I thought the students did a fabulous job, and I was thoroughly impressed! Afterward I experienced my first English cider; a popular British beverage. I thought it almost tasted like a fruity, sparkling wine, and I quite liked it. 

On Friday morning I tagged along on a trip to the English countryside with Chelsea and her fellow Ithacans. I admit, I was sad to leave London after only just arriving, but was eager to see the country as well. After about an hour and a half bus ride through rolling hills and sheep pastures we arrived at the castle in Warwick. They have turned the site into a tourist attraction, but I liked it anyways. They had a peacock garden, a dungeon, and very interesting tour through the interior of the castle. It was very interesting to think about the things that once took place in medieval times. As the day wore on, I started to feel rather sick and nauseous, but tried to carry on as normal. However, as soon as we boarded the bus to go to Stratford, I knew I was in dangerous waters. 

Warwick Castle

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Last picture before I died

Shortly after the bus began moving I was forced to stop the bus, run off into the bushes and re-experience my "full English breakfast."I felt significantly better afterward, and re-boarded the bus. Onward we went, to our bed and breakfast in Stratford, my health becoming more and more miserable every minute. As soon as we arrived, I quite literally ran to the bathroom, and well...I shall spare you the details. Clearly my questionable English breakfast was not sitting well, and wanted out. The next 8 hours were a veritable hell to be quite honest. During my time in Stratford, I became well acquainted with that bathroom floor, which luckily was spotless and accommodating. At one point I peeled my face off the floor for a moment and took in my surroundings for the first time. I honestly could not think of a better place to be on my death-bed. The beds were comfortable and clean, and everything was very pristine and Englishy. I however, was not very pristine. I eventually gathered the strength to go downstairs and introduce myself to the woman who owned the b&b, and perhaps see if she had any ginger-ale. She was the sweetest woman alive, and touched my face like a gentle grandmother and said (in a delightful accent) "you poor dear, you look so pale." I learned that the name of the b&b was coincidentally The Hollies. She told me that when she was my age she discovered she could not have children, and got a dog, which she named Holly. Such a sad story from such a lovely woman, and she gave me some soda water and sent me back to my bathroom floor. 

In the end, my time in London was not as I had hoped. However, I do not blame London itself. I blame its breakfast mostly...The rest of the trip was slow and sluggish, and my body just wanted to be in a bed. My body also wanted desperately to see The Hunger Games, which came out while we were in the countryside. I don't know if you are familiar with The Hunger Games, but I can tell you I read the first of the three books in one day over Christmas break and have been waiting impatiently for the movie release. Alas, I must now wait until my return to the states to see it, which is quite tragic indeed. I hope someday to return to London and actually see the city in its entirety. If I do return though, I will never be able to look upon a full English breakfast with anything but pure loathing. 

A Tale of Two Cities. Part One: Venice

On March 16th (Last Friday) I arrived in Venice with my favorite blonde travel companion, Kelly. The journey went pretty smoothly aside from an awkward walk through 4 cars of moving train. However, when we finally found our real seats, we were delighted to discover an entire compartment just for us! This is when the literary references started flowing...namely Harry Potter ones of course! "Why Kelly, I think it's about time we changed into our robes. We'll be arriving at Hogwarts soon!"

I have also decided that Venice has healing properties. I embarked upon my journey with a very obnoxious cough, but was soon cured by the sea air and magical atmosphere. For the first day we simply wandered the streets, marveling at the magnificent amount of detail contained in every inch of the city. On every windowsill perches a window-box with fresh flowers, or a stone gargoyle peering out at you. Even the simplest of streets are filled with intricate stonework and lion-headed door knockers. Kelly and I share a sense of wonderment and creativity, so we were perfectly content to get lost in the winding streets and canal-side corners. 

The next several days were spent sitting on docks, drinking wine and eating chocolate while writing, reading or sketching. Venice is the perfect place to indulge one's geeky nature, which is probably why I felt so at home. The dialogue exchanged between me and Kelly during our time in Venice consisted mainly of literary references, fantastical nonsense and Italian. 

On our second day we decided to catch a water-bus to the two Venetian islands of Burano and Murano. Burano is famous for two things: easter-egg colored houses and lace-manufacture. I fell in love with this little island and its eccentric color palette. Kelly and I spent a glorious afternoon eating oranges, kiwis, chocolate and drinking a bottle of white wine while sitting on the canal. We created scenarios in which we grow old in Venice. I shall paint and draw portraits while Kelly writes enthralling and fantastical stories. We will live in a terra-cotta colored house with a sea-horse wind-chime, and not one piece of furniture or dish in the cupboard will be the same. We will also have a little dog and a boat, and many attractive and not at all creepy Italian men to choose from! 

A blissful lunch

My future retirement home!

Murano was also lovely, but my most prominent memory is of Kelly and I accidentally buying cappuccinos for 4 euro....each! We foolishly did not think to check the price before we stopped in for a quick caffeine fix. After we enjoyed our perfectly ordinary beverages, we went to the counter to pay, and the man said quattro euro! To which we thought...ehhh okay. Then he had the nerve to say that we were EACH meant to pay quattro euro. After we were done shitting bricks we slapped our coins on the counter and sulked out of the establishment. Henceforth, we will ALWAYS remember to overestimate the price of coffee in unfamiliar places. In the end it turned out to be a hilarious joke, and throughout the remainder of the trip we would often break a silent moment with a vengeful cry to the Venetian gods for that four euro coffee.

The beverage in question...

One of my favorite afternoons in Venice was spent in San Marco Square. Kelly and I were drawn in by a group of minstrels and a very vigorous violinist that were serenading the crowd in the piazza. We (being the vagabonds we are) decided it was okay for us to just sit in the very center of the huge square. There is nowhere to sit unless you want to commit to ordering something at an actual restaurant. And really, what crazy person would ever spend 4 euro on one cappuccino?! Strangely enough, this questionable seating arrangement caught fire, and soon there were people plopping down all around us! At this time we were busy filling our journals and reading our books, which is apparently a very scenic thing for two little blonde girls to be doing. Frequently during the entire trip, in situations like this, we would catch random passersby taking a photo of the pair of us. We eventually decided that we should charge a fee to either the individual photographers or the city of Venice itself for the services we were providing. I swear though, Venice is the kind of city that would inspire even the most lackluster individual to whip out a journal and jot down a creative thought or maybe let slip a Harry Potter reference. Speaking as someone that does both of these things on a regular basis, you can see how I may have gotten carried away. 

A popular mode of transportation in Venice

Ultimately we were forced to leave Venice; a true tragedy to be sure. Perhaps the sheer absurdity and horror of ever leaving a city of such magic and wonder literally made Kelly sick. In all seriousness though, our exit from Venice was anything but graceful. Povera Kelly, and her mystery sickness, throwing her suitcase down the Rialto steps, will forever live in my memory. Eventually we figured out how to get ourselves to the airport, after a water-bus and a regular bus. Two things one does not want to experience while sick, but I shall leave Kelly to tell her own tale. In the end we parted tearfully at the Marco Polo airport, and I made my way to London, while Kelly set out for Scotland in search on Nessie.

Stay tuned for part II!

Oh that hat...(it is Kelly's, but we shared)

A note to my followers

My sincerest apologies for being off the grid for the past several weeks. You see, first I had exam week, which was altogether unexciting and unworthy of a blog entry. Secondly, I spend ten days in Venice and then London, both of which deserve an entire novel of description. However, I have returned to Florence at last, and will try to make up for lost time. Please stay tuned for a two-part tale of my adventures in two exceedingly different cities...

Roman Holiday

This weekend has now replaced the previous in terms of my "favorite weekend in Italy award."After much anticipation, I caught a train to Roma on Friday morning and eagerly rode the 1.5 hours to my destination. Upon arriving alla stazione, I ran into Kelly's arms like I was her long lost love returning from war (which I pretty much am!) Kelly proceeded to take me on a wonderful adventure that included cappuccini, gelato, the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, the Roman Forum, sunshine and many hugs. I was graciously invited to stay the night with Kelly's host family; an act that led me to purchase some thank you tulips.

The next day began with more cappuccini and blood oranges, which sound suspicious but are very delicious! Then Kelly took me to see some ancient bones in a Roman crypt. I was not allowed to take pictures, but I shall steal some from the Internet to give you an idea. As an avid bone lover and anthropologist, I was blown away by the intricacy and sheer volume of these ancient skeletal designs. It was slightly eerie to see the bones of probably thousands of Roman martyrs, but I thought it was so fascinating!

The rest of the day involved hours and hours of wandering around the back streets of what Kelly and Colleen call "real Rome." I was able to experience the touristy sites as well as the cobblestone-covered streets less traveled. Later that night I sat beneath the moonlight in front of the Colosseum and shared a bottle of wine with Colleen and Kelly. Life does not get much better! We were then reunited with Sage and John, our fellow SLU-goers, who have been abroad in France since September. The night was filled with more city exploration and wine consumption, all in a responsible fashion I assure you!

The next day, Sunday, was my favorite! After a hasty visit to the Vatican where we got our slates wiped nice and clean, we quickly set off to dirty them up again. The five of us wandered to many different corners of the city, acquiring various cheeses, olives, fruit, chocolate and you guessed it-wine! We then hiked to the Borghese gardens and sat in the sunshine while enjoying a lovely picnic. The whole thing made me deliriously content! I love that it is perfectly acceptable to sit anywhere in Italy and enjoy a bottle of wine with your friends. That night we fought off hoards of men at a bar, using a strategy that involved all members of our group. This reinforced my idea that I must find at least one male friend in Florence! Sadly, my last night in Rome had to draw to a close, and we all retired to our respective beds with weary feet but happy hearts.

I had a very nostalgic train-ride back to Florence on Monday, and arrived just in time for my 3PM class. Overall it was a magical weekend, and I was very grateful to see my friends! Part of me almost wishes I decided to study in Rome, but let's just attribute that to another honeymoon phase. Many more adventures to come!

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

   Perhaps it is the large dose of vitamin D I am finally getting, but my week has started off quite wonderfully. In the past two days I have spent a lot of time wandering around the city in the sun, sketching various scenes. This city really is picturesque, and I am filling my brand new sketchbook with many delightful drawings. I had my ego handed to me on a plate last week when one of my drawing professors very simply told me I was drawing incorrectly. I admit I can be slightly arrogant when it comes to my crafts- drawing, painting and dance. Suddenly I had the rug pulled out from under me, and since then I have been contemplating my whole foundation of art. I have been trying this new strategy of sketching, where I only use pen, and I draw very quickly and loosely. Apparently I was focusing too much on detail and complexity. I shall attempt to remain open and adaptable...

Some scribbly samples...

La Piazza Della Repubblica 

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte San Trinita

Galleria dell'Accademia

I am starting to appreciate my long afternoons of solitude. Yesterday after my early class, I went to the Museo della Specola. I admit I was skeptical, because I was told it was a museum full of taxidermy. I was picturing the janitor from Scrubs with his army of stuffed squirrels. I was pleasantly surprised by a huge zoological exhibit, and another whole wing for anatomical wax sculptures. The first part is devoted to countless cases of every kind of animal you can imagine. There were three whole rooms devoted just to birds! It was actually really amazing, and I wandered around for hours, sketching of course!

There was also a fascinating wax anatomy exhibit, which I found absolutely amazing! 

This weekend I am taking a trip to Rome to see Kelly, Colleen and other friends from SLU that are visiting from France. I am sure to have many adventures and stories to report upon my return!

The Agony and the Ecstasy

This weekend may have been my happiest since arriving in Florence! I was content to stay in the city and enjoy the lovely weather and copious amounts of kiwi and gelato. It was sunny and in the 60s all weekend, which I don't mind bragging about considering the last few weeks of cold!

On Friday I went on a walking adventure with Riley to the outskirts of the city. We walked up a very steep, hilly pathway up to the Piazza Michaelangelo. This is a huge open terrace/piazza on a hill outside the center of the city. The piazza is beautiful, and was created to provide a spectacular view of Florence. It was also quite a leg workout to hike to the top!

I also went to the much anticipated Danza in Fiera festival! It was held in a huge, old military fortress in the city. Riley and I approached the fortress, quite unprepared for the massive amounts of bun-headed girls crowded around the entrances. Once we made it inside, we were bombarded with dancers, people selling dance apparel, dance company representatives, loud music and an atmosphere of frivolity! We walked around and tried to understand the layout of everything. In the end, we ended up browsing through all of the buildings and watching a fantastic ballroom competition. We planned to return the next day for round two, and to get in on some free classes!

Today I returned to the festival, but this time I was prepared. I was wearing a leotard and my hair in a bun, and I was ready to knock over some twiggy ballerinas in order to get a spot in one of the classes. The atmosphere reminded me of the many dance competitions I experienced growing up...but on steroids. Trying to get a spot in the limited classes was close to impossible, but we managed to get into a pilates for dancers class. While waiting for class to start, we walked around and peered into the classes that were already in progress, as they have windows in all of the studios. I glanced down at my program, to try to figure out which classes were in which studio, when I saw the name Polina Semionova. Most of you will not recognize that name, but she is a rock star in the ballet world, and someone I have idolized for years. I used to watch youtube videos of her on a daily basis, and here she was, in the flesh. I attempted to watch her as she taught a ballet class, but I was not the only awestruck fan crowded around the windows. 

A visual...

I felt like a drug addict in a meth lab, completely strung out on dance, and experiencing an odd sort of emotional pain. The pilates class helped a bit, but with the language barrier, and a whole new set of italian dance jargon I did not know, I gave up on trying another class. It is hard for me to describe the combination of relief and frustration I felt in this dancer parallel universe. It was amazing to be in an environment where everyone shared my complete obsession and passion for dance. On the other hand, it was a horrible tease...Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink. 

I was able to watch some breathtaking ballet and contemporary performances this afternoon. Several of which brought tears to my eyes. I think I either need to find a dance class or some counseling services soon. Either way my body is restless, and only dance is the cure!

Mummies and Yummies!

Ciao ciao!

Today was a lovely day in Florence! It was sunny and perfect, and I finally got some much needed vitamin D. I spent several hours walking the streets with my new friend Leah, and discovered an unlikely flavor of gelato...yogurt? It was amazing, trust me. I have also been returning to a specific gelateria every day in order to try a very strange, but highly recommended flavor that includes ricotta cheese and figs. They tell me everyday that they ran out and will have more the next day...sounds like a scam, but if it is, I'm okay with it.

I also got to see the Archeological Museum in Florence! I was thrilled to see real Ancient Egyptian mummies, canopic jars and hieroglyphics! I couldn't understand why the other girls in my class were so grossed out...I think it is utterly amazing that I was in a room with ancient dead bodies! You could even see blood stains on the cloth, and they had hair and petrified skin! COME ON THAT IS COOL!

In other news- Last weekend I went to a Gavin Degraw concert in Nonantola, Italy! Don't worry if you've never heard of him...nobody has! We caught a ride with my amazing host parents, who coincidentally were driving to Bologna for work. After tromping through a lot of dirty snow, we found the train station in Bologna. Now I must confess, Bologna did not make a good impression on me. It was very anticlimactic to arrive in a dirty, snowy city, and then have to walk about 3 miles to the station. From there we went to Modena, a smaller town/city about 30 minutes away. Modena was very cute, and I laughed deliriously over a street called F.Crispi. In my defense, I was somewhat delirious from hunger and exhaustion by that point. To sum up a long story, we had a great time at the concert that night, but the next morning was less than ideal. We hauled our not so eager butts to the station in the morning, very ready to return to Florence. On our second train from Bologna to Florence we were forced to squat like hobos because we had no seats. This was entirely our fault because we missed our original train....oops. It looked a lot like this... What an adventure!

This weekend is supposed to be BEAUTIFUL and sunny and 65...who's jealous now New York?!?! I plan to attend a dance festival that will be here for the whole weekend. They have performances, dance apparel, information and visiting dance companies in all genres! A whole festival just for me! I also plan to take a long trek to the yonder regions of Florence, up in the hills and out of the city. It can't be that far because I can see it all from the river. I need some nature in my life!

Arrivederci!