Visiting family-Oct 16-24

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October 16-17-VICENZA
* I took a trip to visit my father’s cousin Ebe this weekend, and what a treat! Not only did the food she set before me inspire me to salivate for 2 days straight, but her house is a museum of treasures-as her father was an artist and each room, corner, hallway, shelf is a archeological, artistic piece of family history. I spent the mornings with Ebe at the table in the kitchen, watching her brown the prosciutto-wrapped roast, while chatting about friends, cooking, family. I am sipping a café, tasting biscotti sent from Milano, but savoring the smells coming from her oven. During the day, her son’s wife, Marianella, and I walk briefly through the center of Vicenza, as she gives me a very interesting piece of information about various architectural locations:

- We visited Villa Capra-La Rotunda. Here is some info that Ebe's daughter-in-law, Marianella, gave to me: "Andrea Palladio and his villas: About 500 years ago, in the twilight of the period we call the Renaissance, there began to appear near the coast of the Northern Adriatic around the present city of Venice, Italy, a group of country houses unlike any homes ever seen before. They were all within a radius of about 50 miles, and they were all the work of a single architect.
Andrea Palladio's personal history would seem beyond the imagination of even Horatio Alger. Beginning as a 13-year-old apprentice to a stonemason, he grew up to become the sought-after companion of aristocrats and intelligentsia, as well as the political, military and business leaders, of his day -- the dominant figure in his field, not just in his own lifetime, not just in the lifetime of those who knew him, but now -- more than 400 years later.
What can explain this? It seems to me that there's only one possible explanation, namely, that he did just what he set out to do: From his studies of the past and his analysis of contemporary needs, he did in fact distill timeless and universal principles.
Let us begin by looking at the needs of his time. In Palladio's time Venice was not just a city. It was the center of a vast empire with military and commercial enclaves all around the Adriatic and Eastern Mediterranean. In fact, at its height, Venice was one of the greatest military and commercial powers on earth. In population, four times the size of Rome and London combined.
Venice's power came from the fact that its forces stood astride both of the great East-West trade routes of the day: the Northern or land route to Asia and the Orient, and the Southern or sea route.
The Palladio's most famous villa, indeed one of the most famous in the world is Villa Capra - La Rotonda. It was begun in 1550 and completed around 1599. The exterior of the villa presents four perfectly identical façades with pronaoi preceded by solemn flights of steps, all in perfect harmony with the surrounding countryside, which is one of the characteristic of Andrea Palladio’s villas. The villa made a very deep impression on innumerable artists, especially in the neo- classical period, in Europe and America.
But harmony and balance, like some of the finest wines, don't travel. You can transport the double projecting portico of Villa Cornaro to Drayton Hall or the Miles Brewton House in Charleston, to Shirley Plantation in Virginia, to a pleasant home on Woodward Way in Atlanta, to thousands of other homes across America. You can transfer the 5-part profile of Villa Barbaro, the occuli of Villa Poiana, or the encircling arms of Villa Badoer. But the balance and harmony with the nature, -- the balance and the harmony that are the core of Palladio -- don't travel. They can be found only in the Veneto.
They don't travel, but they never age. Unfazed, unaffected by any pale imitations -- the villas live vibrantly today."

- The church designated Duomo was not one only-the title was bestowed on the most important, richly designed, popular church which was to house the head church advisor (the correct spelling I will obtain-Viscop?) The basilicas were not originally used as churches, but rather meeting places for more political agendas.
- Many buildings have a medievalesce center, and a more baroque façade that was added on later as tastes and styles changed-evident in the use of brick and stone versus marble, and the amount of detail/sculptural elements.
- A trip up the hills (coline) to see several Villas. " Villa Valmarana (called the villa of the dwarves) at Vicenza (begun in 1669) is worth visiting for its architectural beauty and the superb frescoes painted by Giambattista and Gian Domenico Tiepolo in 1757.
Visitors will also find a long row of statues of dwarves that stand on top of the high wall surrounding this country home. A story that all the children of Vicenza know is that of a rich prince whose daughter was a dwarf. He had a castle built with high walls so that Jana, his only child, would never have to suffer seeing normal people. Her servants were all dwarves like her. Many young princes, attracted by the wealth of Jana's father and stories of the girl's beautiful face, came to ask for her hand but as soon as they discovered her deformity, they made quick excuses and left never to return. One day the poor girl fell in love with one of her suitors, who, no less horrifide than others who had come before, fled without a word. The unfortunate princess ran to a high balcony above the road and cried out in vain for her beloved. She leaned out too far and fell to her death. Her servants, attracted by the commotion, all jumped up onto the high wall around the castle and when they saw the lifless girl, were instantly petrified because of their grief. They are still there now."


Saturday night was Michele’s (and a friend of his) birthday celebration-a true depiction of Italian brotherhood. With much help and hospitality of his mother, the celebration, along with 18 friends, was held on the ground floor of her house-with 4 courses and 11 bottles of wine (not counting grappa, prosecco, and other random bottles of sweetness alcohol). The night continued on for 5 hours (after the preliminary tranquility of welcomes and nibbling of antipasti-sausages, olives, tiny sweet onions, panini, chips, etc) with pasta Bolognese, roasted potatoes with olive oil, grilled vegetables including peppers, zucchini and eggplant (melanzane, pepperoni, zuccha), a roast of mixed white meats (turkey, pork and chicken) with a prosciutto wrap, a pure chocolate torte (completely chocolate-dark and dense and immediately-in-love, and a special, traditional yellow cake with a cream filling a yellow sugar glaze (representing polenta) with several chocolate birds nestled on the surface (representing the baked birds used in the traditional polenta dish). Songs were sung, jokes told and retold (often for the “benefit” of the American, but I can guess I was a bit of entertainment in and of itself), panini thrown across the room at delirious others, toasts made, glasses refilled, shifting of seats and conversations. I had a wonderful time and was welcomed right into the crowd, though with Marianella’s kindness and great humility, I felt comfortable being myself among this loud, friendly gang of friends.

On Sunday, Ebe and I decided to take advantage of the crisp, clear morning. She borrowed a bike from a neighbor and we took a ride around the way. Although I couln’t hear everything she was describing to me, it was fun to let her lead the way-kind of sweet in her stride-back straight, head uplifted, assured in her journey. I tried to capture in an image the view of the mountains-but as usual the clouds mask their clearness and add a sense of mystery to the entire backdrop. Beautiful all the same-following the corn fields, the ringing of a local bell tower.

October 18-22- the WORK week
* I am starting to feel that with school and work, I am stressed out during the day, and am feeling the same was I did in the US....and I am wondering about what it is that I want here-as i am now living and working and breathing regularly the culture of Italians (eating quickly a brioche at a cafe, hanging my clothes to dry after the wash, going to the grocery store or buying bread specifically at a Paneficeria) -and I must decide how much I want to be "regular" and how much I must take advantage (and when) of my fortunate situation! What do I want to accomplish? And are there things that I cannot forsee that will contruct my experience without preconception? YES!! And I will be talking to my boss to lessen my hours so that I have time to adventure again, and also not to run from one thing to the next in such hurry that my heart pounds when the bus is late!

* At school, there are about 20 students from all over Europe that attend regularly, and 4 or 5 floaters that materialize in class a few times a week. The teacher, Claudia, is energetic, and kind. We are learning basic grammar, very useful for writing correctly and speaking with more precision. I am organizing a night out for a bunch of my peers in the class-we will meet for pizza next week and chat....in what language? It seems that Italian is the link!!!!

* On Friday there was a strike-a full day bus strike across Italy (si chiama un "scioppiro"). We had to arrive early to school, because the buses only operated for several hours throughout the day. I walked home from class, which took me about 30 minutes. That evening, after work, I was lucky enough to find one of the few buses whose drivers ignored the strike, or somehow felt otherwise about it. Interesting this use of power, to contest contracts, money, time, who knows. Many people went to work with bicycles, motorinos, etc. Trains between cities were not affected, but when transportation within a city shuts down, you can imagine the chaos and frustration!

* Also on Friday evening, at the apartment we all celebrated Alina's acceptance into a doctoral program here in Florence for political science. She studied for the exam for a month, and received such high grades that she also received a scholarship. Friday night we cooked dinner for her, another feast, and ate together at our candlelit table. That night I was feeling ill, but someone the food and laughter eased my aching head ("mal di testa"). Lapo cooked a pork roast with roasted potatoes. I made a mixed salad and a caprese. Sung Mi ( my other house mate) make antipasti (filo dough with sausage in the middle) and for dessert we had a chocolate pudding with panna (cream). It was our first "insieme" or together, and it was enjoyable. They are a sincere but energetic crew-as Lapo may walk around the house playing a Mexican whistle, and Alina (his girlfriend and also our housemate) will help you with anything you want accompanied by a smile. Sung Mi and I talk while we prepare lunch at the same time, which is often the case during the week. She cooks some traditional Japonese meals, Alina cooks delicious meats, pastas and desserts, which her grandmother taught her in Romania (but which seem Italian to me).

* I've decorated my room a bit, and it feels a little more familiar. I have a plant. It resides happily on my desk. My desk is dedicated to making art, reading and my bed for typing, watching DVD's, and sleeping. I do my homework (or "compiti") at work, when there is a lull in the demand (or when my boss does not have anything else for me to do, ie, he is not around). I hung a mirror last night, which came crashing down to the floor, splintering into thousands of large pieces, fragments and dust. At 1 am, the entire house came to my aid, and while I was half asleep in bed, with my feet dangling, they helped me sweep the dangerous mess, which I dreamt about the entire night....a lesson learned about the force of gravity.

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