I couldn't come up with a good title, so there is a little bit of the Italian I can "quasi" speak :o)
So Wednesday: Day of TWO museums
That's more than I have been to during my entire 4 weeks here all in one day! Crazy!
So I woke up early enough to eat and bus it on over to SMN then walk to the Bargello by 8:30 to meet everyone else whom I made a reservation for (Leader of the pack). Reservation was UNNECESSARY there were literally 3 people in line, aka there was no line, so we just waltzed on in, no ticket, no money necessary, I LOVE FREE MUSEUM WEEK, and saw the many many statues and sculptures that were housed in the Bargello. The Bargello was originally built as a house for the highest member of the city council, but then was turned into a prison, and now remains a museum containing many famous artworks by Donatello, Michelangelo, Giambologna and Della Robbia families. It was an amazing collection of works, but unfortunately one of the floors was closed (I think I started to figure out why museum week was this week).
After the Bargello we had a decent amount of time before class, so we went to see if the Florence For Fun office was open because we wanted to buy tickets for the Saturday trip to Chianti, so we went in search for the office. Took us way too long to find it and when we found it at 10, we realized it did not open until 12. Woops! So we just started our trek back to Santo Spirito to head to class! Class was class, and after class I rushed home REALLY quick to put all my heavy books away because I knew we would be going to the Uffizi later. So I made it home to Via Giovanni Fabbroni and back to Santo Spirito for a picnic that was being provided for us by Eurocentres on the deck, all within an hour. Eurocentres had bought sandwiches, so we got free paninis for lunch, and they also offered us wine and aranciata. I strayed away from the wine because I was so tired from waking up early to go to the Bargello, and I knew that if I had even a sip I would drift off soon after.
Since we got shut down from FFF that morning, after the picnic at Eurocentres, Jackie, Sam, Anna and I headed back to Via Della Pergola to purchase our Chianti trip before heading to the Uffizi. We were successful this time, and I only had a little but if agita from spending 40 euro on a day trip. I think my buyers remorse may becoming a little bit resolved... not really though, because we almost got convinced into signing up for the 200 euro Munich trip. It sounded so fun, Sam and Jackie were sold immediately, but of course me and my brain couldn't stop thinking about the decision on whether to go or not for the entire day. It was giving me hard core anxiety, and I didn't want to spend my Uffizi visit worrying about Springfest, Munich and 200 euro (shoot that does sound fun, I clearly still have internal conflict over the decision at hand).
So leaving that issue behind (not really) we went to the Uffizi to meet our party that held the reservation with us, we got our tickets very easily, didn't have to wait in line to get in, and only had to pay 4 euro for the reservation fee which Benjamin should be reimbursing us for, and we commenced our long journey up 4 flights of stairs and down two long hallways, 50 some-odd rooms and a bajillion paintings and sculptures. I gotta say it was pretty fantastic and I did appreciate it much more than when I was in the Uffizi 6 years ago, but I still think I prefer small galleries, with little amounts of artwork, so that it is easier for me to comprehend and become interested in. Regardless, I was glad I went, disappointed there were only 2 or 3 Caravaggio's...
OH THAT'S RIGHT! The second floor which was supposed to have artwork was completely bare because they were preparing a new Caravaggio exhibit... hint 2 of why they chose this week to be free museum week. You can't actually see ALL of any museum... they got us good those tricky Italians! So although we paid 4 euro total to see the Bargello and Uffizi, we were denied two WHOLE floors of artwork, and that is why they probably couldn't charge people to see half museums, but it was definitely worth the museum experience :o)
Let's see, we returned home, for dinner wednesday night I believe Claudia had a prior engagement and left us with delicious fettuccine covered in roasted garlic and oil (I left half on my plate ma!). Then she made a HUGE Caprese salad (ATE ALL THAT, DAD!! nom nom nom), and had a little bit of lettuce with salt and oil. Overall delicious dinner as usual.
Acca came over to do grammar homework with me, then we made our usual trip to Gelateria Medici. I had Pompelmo Rosso e Limone. It was so good, and we realized walking back that after you eat gelato you NEVER feel disgusting the way you do after you eat half a pint of Ben & Jerry's. It's glorious!
Slept like a rock!
Thursday, Giovedi, Jeudi.
Italian from 11-12 and 2-3. Solo grammar. I meant to wake up early and meet Jackie and Cristi at the Palazzo Pitti at 9. When I looked at my phone I had though it was ten of 8, so I had PLENTY of time to make it there, but then I realized it was really ten of 9, woops. So I had an awkward time between ten of 9 and class at 11, so I decided to go on a short 20 minute jog, which I had to do carrying the house keys, kinda annoying, but glad I did it. Then I got washed up and went to class.
After our first class we went to the Oil Shoppe, because we had two hours and it's kinda far, oh and Gusta Panino was closed under construction all week, SUCH a bummer! So we Oil Shopped it up. I had the most DELICIOUS sandwich EVAAAA. You can either order "healthy", "medium hungry", or "hungry", I chose the "healthy", a wheat focaccia. Inside it I got frittata, provolone, rucola, funghi, carciofi and a walnut sauce. It was beyond amazing, egg and cheese melted to perfection with the perfect vegetable complement of funghi, carciofi e rucola. Next time I go, no doubt, I will have to get the same sandwich, maybe add salami to it, we'll have to see.
After the Oil Shoppe we went back to our second class, learned a little, then went with a few people to see the Boboli gardens because that was also free! Gardens were gorgeous, especially when you don't have to pay 10 euro to enter them. We walked around for a while and found a grassy area with a view of the Duomo and we all just relaxed for a while, some reading and some listening to their Ipods, just having a nice and relaxing afternoon. I left the gardens around 5, walked around the Palazzo Pitti area, went into a shoe store where the salesclerk started asking me about photography because he saw my camera, and wouldn't leave me alone and made me NOT want to buy anything in the store because he was so darn persistent about me taking a picture of us together with all the shoes. It was a little creepy so I left quickly, questioning whether he actually was the salesclerk. It was bizarre.
For dinner Thursday we only had soup. But holy cow the soup was amazing, Claudia explained all the vegetables and grains she put inside, it was beyond good. She always explains how she makes everything, and she uses nothing that is bad for you, all whole grains, no butter, she is wonderful, so that must be the secret to her skinny little body, or that she works so hard every day, long hours then comes home and makes and amazing meal, hmph, she is too nice and she needs a vacation... woaaa sidetracked... anyways after the soup I was strangely really full and seemed to have a food baby growing inside me which was weird because literally all we had for dinner was the soup and then she served a piece of her home made grainy bread, corn and finnochio. Wasn't a huge dinner but felt huge in my stomach!
Regardless, Sam and I were craving chocolate so we walked on down to Medici. Always hopping with the local neighborhood Italians, and me in my sweet purple florence sweatshirt and black stretchy pants... let's just say I definitely impress the neighborhood crowd! not. I had 1.50 euro cone con Yogurt Ciocolato and Ciocolato. Yogurt has become my new favorite, it actually tastes like yogurt and isn't so sweet, and makes me feel like I am being quasi healthy so I don't have to feel bad about my gelato splurges!
So yea we didn't go out again Thursday, haven't been out since saturday we are just soooo pooped for some reason we just can't bring ourselves to go downtown, but thats okay. We went to bed early in preparation for our Friday's venture to Siena with the man Maura Mussollini!
Siena and Chianti soon to come! Baci!
having fun following you
ReplyDeletezizi linda