I had one of the best weekends of my life last weekend. We went to Ischia, an island off the coast of Naples, where I had two meals that EQUALED Il Gatto e Il Volpe. We were taken care of by a quaint family that ran the youth apartments who cooked us the best home food I've ever had. Each family member had a different speciality (pizza, pasta, seafood, fruits) and all of the food (including the fish) was as fresh as could be. I had a swordfish steak for 9 EURO.
And here we run into the principal problem of this chronicle -- I'm having too many adventures too quickly to adequately recount. I have written them down in my notebook, and maybe at the end of the trip I will go back over them.
But for right now, life is moving too fast for verbose contemplation.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Almost forgot
MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT MENDICANT
Monday, October 15, 2007
Florence Like a Harpoon, Daily and Nightly
This is the tale of my visit to Florence. Pictures forthcoming.
When I am disoriented and tired, my Italian kinda goes by the wayside, so I had a bit of a job explaining to the middle-aged lady that she was in my seat. Due to the first in a series of Wacky Train Hi-jinx, we did not get seats in the same cabin. However, the others must have managed to occupy my cabin at some point, because I was later mocked for falling asleep listening to Vanilla Ice's "Ninja Rap."
Travel Tip #1: When given the choice between a rolling suitcase and a backpack, pick the backpack. Pulling a suitcase on cobblestones is NOT fun.
Florence was gorg. The first thing I noticed (other than, to my terror/excitement, a McDonald's) was that it smelled like NOT urine. Also unlike Rome, there were few natives oot and aboot. Florence was clean, scenic, and touristy. ("50 points to Florence House," Adam said at one point, to which I added, "Two e-props.")
The trip to our hostel went smoothly...until we were told our hostel didn't actually have room for us. This was the first in a series of Leadership SNAFUs that Justin had to deal with. Luckily, they simply transferred us to another hostel five minutes away. (At Hostel #1, Becca was utterly transfixed by their aquarium. "These are the best and most active fish I have ever seen, she said." Shrug.)
Our true hostel had three bathrooms, a kitchen, and a ridiculous four-inch key that had to be turned just so. The owner explained to a nervous Justin all of the things that could potentially go wrong with the process.
Florence has four major attractions -- the Basilica of Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi, and the Duomo.
S. Croce is a large church with a large collection of art and dead people. I saw the tombs of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Rossini. There was also a dedication to Dante, but not Dante's body because SOMEONE decided to keep it (I'm looking at you, Ravenna.) The thing that made me happiest was Galileo's tomb. I couldn't resist grinning like an idiot when I saw his inscription. For some reason, it was like seeing the last resting place of a grandfather. In a maudlin display of nerdiness, I made sure no one was around, then whispered "Eppur Si Muove" and bolted.
After we wandered through the city for a while, we caught the glittering city lights off of the Ponte Vecchio. I have nothing to say, but much to show.
Afterwards, I had the best meal of my life at Il Gatto e La Volpe, a small restaurant in Florence that was painfully unaware how good its cuisine actually was.
Appetizer: Foccacia with spicy tomato chutney
Primi Piatti: Gnocchi con pesto e gorgonzola, Tagliatelle con salmone, Tortellini con bacon
Secondi Piatti: Pollo con marsala, Pollo con pomodori picanti, Pizza con i funghi
I'm not a gourmet or epicure or whatever, but I nearly died of happiness. Oh, side note: the name of the restaurant is a reference to the two characters from Pinocchio. After I figured this out the decor made a lot more sense.
Our first stop the next day was the Uffizi, an old Florentine mansion that housed some of the finest art in the world. Not being schooled in the art of, er, art, only two things appealed to be -- ancient Roman Imperial busts and the Niobe Room.
Having just learnt about the rise of the Roman Empire, seeing Julius, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Otho, Vespasian, and Marcus Aurelius was like meeting an internet friend for the first time. Julius Caesar looked, well stately but kind of naive, frankly. Augustus Caesar was a bad-ass Harrison Ford type. Nero looked like a sissy deviant. (Go figure.) Marcus Aurelius had four or five different busts/statues. He managed to look contemplative in ALL of them, whether he was fourteen or forty. In fact, he reminded me a little of Ross. My favorite bust was Vespasian, a merry old prankster who was kind of the Seinfeld of the ancient world -- always smiling, telling jokes and NOT killing his subjects in fits of pique. I felt an instant connection to him, and not just because he looked like my grandfather, but partially because the bust was so incredibly well done.
The Niobe room is a large, extremely well-preserved room that is full of statues and paintings that recount the myth of Niobe, in which Niobe learns an important lesson about snubbing Goddesses. I have little else to say about the Niobe room, save that everyone should go see it in person.
The Duomo was our next stop after the Uffizi. I can't even begin to describe its inside, so I'll focus on the mundane. Tourists are people who love to pay to exert themselves physically.
Travel Tip #2: If you love to pay to exert yourself physically, go to the Duomo in Florence. It is exactly what you love to do and they let you pay to do it.
We paid 6 euros to climb the 463-step bell tower and got the best view of Florence possible. On the way up, I counted each individual stair and was disappointingly enough, one stair off.
I ate dinner at McDonald's, reasoning that after the previous night's feast, even pretty good food would taste like ashes. After the Duomo, the plan was to take the train to Venice where we would stay at the hostel of Champions...CAMP JOLLY! But that is a tale for another day. Sera, loyal readers.
When I am disoriented and tired, my Italian kinda goes by the wayside, so I had a bit of a job explaining to the middle-aged lady that she was in my seat. Due to the first in a series of Wacky Train Hi-jinx, we did not get seats in the same cabin. However, the others must have managed to occupy my cabin at some point, because I was later mocked for falling asleep listening to Vanilla Ice's "Ninja Rap."
Travel Tip #1: When given the choice between a rolling suitcase and a backpack, pick the backpack. Pulling a suitcase on cobblestones is NOT fun.
Florence was gorg. The first thing I noticed (other than, to my terror/excitement, a McDonald's) was that it smelled like NOT urine. Also unlike Rome, there were few natives oot and aboot. Florence was clean, scenic, and touristy. ("50 points to Florence House," Adam said at one point, to which I added, "Two e-props.")
The trip to our hostel went smoothly...until we were told our hostel didn't actually have room for us. This was the first in a series of Leadership SNAFUs that Justin had to deal with. Luckily, they simply transferred us to another hostel five minutes away. (At Hostel #1, Becca was utterly transfixed by their aquarium. "These are the best and most active fish I have ever seen, she said." Shrug.)
Our true hostel had three bathrooms, a kitchen, and a ridiculous four-inch key that had to be turned just so. The owner explained to a nervous Justin all of the things that could potentially go wrong with the process.
Florence has four major attractions -- the Basilica of Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi, and the Duomo.
S. Croce is a large church with a large collection of art and dead people. I saw the tombs of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Rossini. There was also a dedication to Dante, but not Dante's body because SOMEONE decided to keep it (I'm looking at you, Ravenna.) The thing that made me happiest was Galileo's tomb. I couldn't resist grinning like an idiot when I saw his inscription. For some reason, it was like seeing the last resting place of a grandfather. In a maudlin display of nerdiness, I made sure no one was around, then whispered "Eppur Si Muove" and bolted.
After we wandered through the city for a while, we caught the glittering city lights off of the Ponte Vecchio. I have nothing to say, but much to show.
Afterwards, I had the best meal of my life at Il Gatto e La Volpe, a small restaurant in Florence that was painfully unaware how good its cuisine actually was.
Appetizer: Foccacia with spicy tomato chutney
Primi Piatti: Gnocchi con pesto e gorgonzola, Tagliatelle con salmone, Tortellini con bacon
Secondi Piatti: Pollo con marsala, Pollo con pomodori picanti, Pizza con i funghi
I'm not a gourmet or epicure or whatever, but I nearly died of happiness. Oh, side note: the name of the restaurant is a reference to the two characters from Pinocchio. After I figured this out the decor made a lot more sense.
Our first stop the next day was the Uffizi, an old Florentine mansion that housed some of the finest art in the world. Not being schooled in the art of, er, art, only two things appealed to be -- ancient Roman Imperial busts and the Niobe Room.
Having just learnt about the rise of the Roman Empire, seeing Julius, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Otho, Vespasian, and Marcus Aurelius was like meeting an internet friend for the first time. Julius Caesar looked, well stately but kind of naive, frankly. Augustus Caesar was a bad-ass Harrison Ford type. Nero looked like a sissy deviant. (Go figure.) Marcus Aurelius had four or five different busts/statues. He managed to look contemplative in ALL of them, whether he was fourteen or forty. In fact, he reminded me a little of Ross. My favorite bust was Vespasian, a merry old prankster who was kind of the Seinfeld of the ancient world -- always smiling, telling jokes and NOT killing his subjects in fits of pique. I felt an instant connection to him, and not just because he looked like my grandfather, but partially because the bust was so incredibly well done.
The Niobe room is a large, extremely well-preserved room that is full of statues and paintings that recount the myth of Niobe, in which Niobe learns an important lesson about snubbing Goddesses. I have little else to say about the Niobe room, save that everyone should go see it in person.
The Duomo was our next stop after the Uffizi. I can't even begin to describe its inside, so I'll focus on the mundane. Tourists are people who love to pay to exert themselves physically.
Travel Tip #2: If you love to pay to exert yourself physically, go to the Duomo in Florence. It is exactly what you love to do and they let you pay to do it.
We paid 6 euros to climb the 463-step bell tower and got the best view of Florence possible. On the way up, I counted each individual stair and was disappointingly enough, one stair off.
I ate dinner at McDonald's, reasoning that after the previous night's feast, even pretty good food would taste like ashes. After the Duomo, the plan was to take the train to Venice where we would stay at the hostel of Champions...CAMP JOLLY! But that is a tale for another day. Sera, loyal readers.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Fare Firenze, Vengo a Venice
I am leaving for Florence, then Venice in less than an hour. I plan on acquiring many picture-units.
Last night, in celebration of completing our first Civ course, Matt (who I call Lolmatt) and I hooked up the Falcon to the big TV downstairs and played Super Nintendo. Maggie had a couple of rounds of Mario before the spirit-breaker that is the Koopa horde finally got the best of her.
In other news, the Redfields have left us. Losing any professor just as you're getting to know him is an annoyance; losing the Redfields is a tragedy.
--
Once, twenty years ago, one of Redfield's grad students rushed into the Professor's office "with his hair disheveled" and told the Professor that he'd couldn't sleep.
"Why?"
"I've been reading Plato and there's no reason to believe the world exists!"
"What else would it do?"
It was as though a cloud lifted from the student's face. "Oh," he said quietly, then left the room.
This kind of serene clarity (combined with a gentle sense of humor) is exactly what every teacher should have, and if not, fake.
Last night, in celebration of completing our first Civ course, Matt (who I call Lolmatt) and I hooked up the Falcon to the big TV downstairs and played Super Nintendo. Maggie had a couple of rounds of Mario before the spirit-breaker that is the Koopa horde finally got the best of her.
In other news, the Redfields have left us. Losing any professor just as you're getting to know him is an annoyance; losing the Redfields is a tragedy.
--
Once, twenty years ago, one of Redfield's grad students rushed into the Professor's office "with his hair disheveled" and told the Professor that he'd couldn't sleep.
"Why?"
"I've been reading Plato and there's no reason to believe the world exists!"
"What else would it do?"
It was as though a cloud lifted from the student's face. "Oh," he said quietly, then left the room.
This kind of serene clarity (combined with a gentle sense of humor) is exactly what every teacher should have, and if not, fake.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
INTERNET HERE STILL SUCKS
"Oh, they've encased him in carbonite. He should be quite well preserved...assuming he survives the freezing process, of course."
I do not look proportional.
The mendicant to my left stole my hat.
We were looking at A STONE LION. It had a spine coming out of the back of its, uh, back.
Monday, October 8, 2007
The System Is Down
Um, my internet situation is getting worse...if you can believe that. The crappy 56k-speed wireless cafe nearby has ceased to work, and now I'm stuck using the hotel's computer for two euros an hour.
Also, chances are we're going on another trip this weekend since it's another four-dayer. Current plans are to go to Venice, where we have found a hostel to stay in for 15 euros a night. (15 Euros! THIS IS RIDICULOUS.)
I'm out until I find a better/cheaper way of blogging. A dopo.
Also, chances are we're going on another trip this weekend since it's another four-dayer. Current plans are to go to Venice, where we have found a hostel to stay in for 15 euros a night. (15 Euros! THIS IS RIDICULOUS.)
I'm out until I find a better/cheaper way of blogging. A dopo.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Cumae-lative Weekend
Professor Redfield told us this morning that when FSU was rated the best party school in the nation (and the U of C was rated the worst) he went to a conference at FSU, bought a huge amount of FSU sports clothing and wore it around campus for weeks.
Another time, he had taken his five-year-old daughter to a U of C football game. The Maroons were a yard away from their opponent's end zone. Three downs later, they hadn't moved an inch. They decided to try for a field goal.
"This is a field goal, Emily," he said. An ornery man two rows ahead of him turned around and glared.
"You're one of those critical 'Chicago' types, aren't you?"
The Professor, irritated, went home.
--
Today, we went to Cumae, an ancient Greek colony/mining town. Cumae is by far the most beautiful place I've ever seen in Italy.
Apparently, this place was settled by pirates and mendicants (the Professor said they were analogous to Vikings) who sought their fortune and heard there was money to be made in the mine.
We hiked up this beautiful vista to the ancient Acropolis, which was where most of the holy places were located.
I had this amazing experience where I climbed to the top of the vista and looked out at the Mediterranean and the tiny town, harbor, and beach. Out in the distance, two chariots were racing up and down the beach.
I felt closer to the ancients than I'd felt the entire trip. Something about seeing this landscape (which hadn't changed in millenia) versus seeing Pompeii (which had) really helped me relate.
For some reason, I couldn't get "May the Force Be With You" out of my head. You know that scene in A New Hope where Luke's looking out at the Tatooine skyline? (It's called "Binary Sunset.") The wind was blowing in my hair and I was watching the chariot races back and forth.
I can't reproduce it. I can upload some pictures when we get back to the Casa San Giuseppe.
Afterwards, we walked into an ancient, gorgeous series of tunnels that may or may not have been mentioned in the Aeneid.
--
At night, we stayed in this incredibly rustic (Ross would say "Quaint") Italian villa that was totally adorable. The owners had homemade everything (from pasta to wine), served us dinner themselves and even packed us bag lunches. The bag lunches had cheese, tomatoes, a sandwich, a pear, a banana, and water. They were among the most delicious things ever.
We had two birthdays during our stay. Both nights, the staff made these delicious Italian pastries and sang "Happy Birthday" in Italian to the birthday boys. On the second day, the elderly hotel owner bent down and kissed Harrison on the cheek and said "Come Mamma."
I don't know if I'll ever be fed or cared for as well in any other hotel.
Another time, he had taken his five-year-old daughter to a U of C football game. The Maroons were a yard away from their opponent's end zone. Three downs later, they hadn't moved an inch. They decided to try for a field goal.
"This is a field goal, Emily," he said. An ornery man two rows ahead of him turned around and glared.
"You're one of those critical 'Chicago' types, aren't you?"
The Professor, irritated, went home.
--
Today, we went to Cumae, an ancient Greek colony/mining town. Cumae is by far the most beautiful place I've ever seen in Italy.
Apparently, this place was settled by pirates and mendicants (the Professor said they were analogous to Vikings) who sought their fortune and heard there was money to be made in the mine.
We hiked up this beautiful vista to the ancient Acropolis, which was where most of the holy places were located.
I had this amazing experience where I climbed to the top of the vista and looked out at the Mediterranean and the tiny town, harbor, and beach. Out in the distance, two chariots were racing up and down the beach.
I felt closer to the ancients than I'd felt the entire trip. Something about seeing this landscape (which hadn't changed in millenia) versus seeing Pompeii (which had) really helped me relate.
For some reason, I couldn't get "May the Force Be With You" out of my head. You know that scene in A New Hope where Luke's looking out at the Tatooine skyline? (It's called "Binary Sunset.") The wind was blowing in my hair and I was watching the chariot races back and forth.
I can't reproduce it. I can upload some pictures when we get back to the Casa San Giuseppe.
Afterwards, we walked into an ancient, gorgeous series of tunnels that may or may not have been mentioned in the Aeneid.
--
At night, we stayed in this incredibly rustic (Ross would say "Quaint") Italian villa that was totally adorable. The owners had homemade everything (from pasta to wine), served us dinner themselves and even packed us bag lunches. The bag lunches had cheese, tomatoes, a sandwich, a pear, a banana, and water. They were among the most delicious things ever.
We had two birthdays during our stay. Both nights, the staff made these delicious Italian pastries and sang "Happy Birthday" in Italian to the birthday boys. On the second day, the elderly hotel owner bent down and kissed Harrison on the cheek and said "Come Mamma."
I don't know if I'll ever be fed or cared for as well in any other hotel.
Friday, October 5, 2007
A Nobel Ambition
Upon watching an episode of the West Wing, where everyone's in awe of President Bartlet's Nobel Prize.
Professor Redfield: "Well, after all, Economics is a second-rate Nobel."
Professor Redfield: "Well, after all, Economics is a second-rate Nobel."
Pomp(eii) and Circumstance
Nothing in Italy comes easy. Nothing in this world that's worth having comes easy. A trip to Pompeii was worth having.
I honestly didn't know what to think of this trip, for several reasons. For one thing, we were going to Naples but not to Naples. Imagine going to New York, then staying in Armonk the entire time without venturing out to the City. This is what we were supposed to do.
Maggie said that she loved Naples, but she also wanted to make sure no one got robbed or shivved. Moreover, we were running on a tight schedule and there probably wouldn't be time for such a trip.
All of these concerns were put to rest by Pompeii. My only previous memory of Pompeii was this sixth-grade tale "The Dog of Pompeii." Google it for more details. For some reason, I'd had the misconception that much of Pompeii was burned, instead of covered in ash.
Pompeii is breathtaking. It's gorgeous, creepy, serene, and menacing all at the same time. I'll upload my pictures later. The Internet here has severe problems.
We're actually staying in a charming little villa outside of Naples. The staff here cooks us full dinners (pasta, meat, salad, bread, and amazing dessert) and even packed us lunches for today. Rural service = everything that urban service isn't.
The things I miss most, other than consistent Internet and my friends, are barbecue sauce and ice.
Last night, I dreamt I was on Jeopardy!, but my buzzer failed to work properly. The net result was that I had 3,500 in the middle of Double Jeopardy!, while my opponent to the left had 75,000. (This did strike me as odd.)
Double Jeopardy! was full of frog-related categories, like, "Frog Habits", "Famous Frogs", and "Frog Delicacies." But for whatever reason, I was unable to answer any of the questions. (I remember one question regarding which restaurants in France served frog legs that I completely blanked on.)
Kermit presented one of the clues in a category, but Steve Whitmire refused to talk to me because I lost.
I honestly didn't know what to think of this trip, for several reasons. For one thing, we were going to Naples but not to Naples. Imagine going to New York, then staying in Armonk the entire time without venturing out to the City. This is what we were supposed to do.
Maggie said that she loved Naples, but she also wanted to make sure no one got robbed or shivved. Moreover, we were running on a tight schedule and there probably wouldn't be time for such a trip.
All of these concerns were put to rest by Pompeii. My only previous memory of Pompeii was this sixth-grade tale "The Dog of Pompeii." Google it for more details. For some reason, I'd had the misconception that much of Pompeii was burned, instead of covered in ash.
Pompeii is breathtaking. It's gorgeous, creepy, serene, and menacing all at the same time. I'll upload my pictures later. The Internet here has severe problems.
We're actually staying in a charming little villa outside of Naples. The staff here cooks us full dinners (pasta, meat, salad, bread, and amazing dessert) and even packed us lunches for today. Rural service = everything that urban service isn't.
The things I miss most, other than consistent Internet and my friends, are barbecue sauce and ice.
Last night, I dreamt I was on Jeopardy!, but my buzzer failed to work properly. The net result was that I had 3,500 in the middle of Double Jeopardy!, while my opponent to the left had 75,000. (This did strike me as odd.)
Double Jeopardy! was full of frog-related categories, like, "Frog Habits", "Famous Frogs", and "Frog Delicacies." But for whatever reason, I was unable to answer any of the questions. (I remember one question regarding which restaurants in France served frog legs that I completely blanked on.)
Kermit presented one of the clues in a category, but Steve Whitmire refused to talk to me because I lost.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Romp(eii) in The Pomp(eii)
So, starting soon I'm going to be in Naples. We'll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy, at least according to the numerous things I've heard about it. Actually, we're going to Pompeii, because Naples is so friggin' dangerous.
I am not unready, though. I have a Batman belt buckle, my wits, and a large Max Working in my pocket.
We shall see who crimes whom. (Talk to you guys Sunday, I think.)
I am not unready, though. I have a Batman belt buckle, my wits, and a large Max Working in my pocket.
We shall see who crimes whom. (Talk to you guys Sunday, I think.)
Monday, October 1, 2007
Got to admit, it's getting better
Today, I spent three hours trying to help my professor's wife (who is an impressive academic herself) download the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy. This proved more difficult than it sounds. For one thing, DSL is extremely rare in Rome -- even more rare is a place that will let you plug your computer in, as opposed to using their computers.
Mrs. Redfield wanted to use her daughter's iTunes account, which required all kinds of monkeying around. Her battery was in not good shape and only held thirty minutes of charge.
It took us two hours to download the thing because the hotel we connived our way into letting us connect only had 56k.
So picture me and Mrs. Redfield stuck in a tiny closet, her holding her computer just so (the fragile modem was constantly in danger of falling out) while I held her charger against the wall socket because it also kept falling out. For two hours. When it finally finished downloading, IT DIDN'T EVEN WORK.
Regardless, it was actually not as bad as it sounds, because Mrs. Redfield is an amazing conversationalist. She's taught Rhodes and Fulbright scholars, and she's been with the University for longer than I've been alive.
She then bought me lunch at Rosso Pomodoro, this really upscale place. (She's been raving to our Italian lector about me, apparently.)
Mrs. Redfield wanted to use her daughter's iTunes account, which required all kinds of monkeying around. Her battery was in not good shape and only held thirty minutes of charge.
It took us two hours to download the thing because the hotel we connived our way into letting us connect only had 56k.
So picture me and Mrs. Redfield stuck in a tiny closet, her holding her computer just so (the fragile modem was constantly in danger of falling out) while I held her charger against the wall socket because it also kept falling out. For two hours. When it finally finished downloading, IT DIDN'T EVEN WORK.
Regardless, it was actually not as bad as it sounds, because Mrs. Redfield is an amazing conversationalist. She's taught Rhodes and Fulbright scholars, and she's been with the University for longer than I've been alive.
She then bought me lunch at Rosso Pomodoro, this really upscale place. (She's been raving to our Italian lector about me, apparently.)
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