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Published: March 2nd 2007
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For the last couple of weeks soccer stadiums here have been off limits to the public because a police officer died at a game a few weeks ago while trying to stop a fight. Now they are starting to relax the rules again and might let non-season ticket holders in. I have been waiting to see when/if I will be able to go to a game or more while I am here, next wednesday is a game, so keep your fingers crossed.
This week Alberto and I went to the airport to rescue my paintings that he brought to Italy. They got stopped at the airport until their value could be assessed. Since I had painted them I went with him and we got them back. It was insane how well they were packaged, there was no way they would have been damaged in transit. I took a picture of the case while we were opening it to load the painting into the car. Maybe I can use the smaller of the packing crates to get any paintings I will do while I am here back to the states.
Mark, Gianluca and I went to Venice for Carnivale on
train to venice
There was a protest of the war and of American politics happening in Vicenza so I was protesting the protest (basically there just weren't any seats) Saturday. We took the train in the morning and stayed all day Saturday, stayed up through the night and took a train back at 7:00 am on Sunday. We were trying to stay for part of Sunday but could not find anyone who had a room reserved that night, so we could not stay and get any sleep that night in preparation for the next day. We got some good pictures during the day of some of the various costumes, but the pictures from after dark aren’t very good because I still have not figured out how to take pictures on night mode with my camera without them becoming blurry (or without having to hold the camera still for 10 seconds after the picture is taken). On the train going to Venice we left an hour late because there was a big anti-war/anti-American protest in Vicenza which is where our big air force base is located and which is also conveniently located on the train route to Venice. We were worried that the protestors would stop trains from going through Vicenza, but after some delay we made it through the town with us only seeing a few people in the
city square when we went by. I did see the coverage on the news two days later and there was a large protest (I guess we just couldn’t see much of it from the train). Also on the train ride to Venice, we met two American girls who we briefly talked to then didn’t see again after we moved from our original place in the hallway of the train (due to lack of seats) to a cabin where we could sit down.
Once we got to Venice we walked from the station to Piazza San Marco (a very long walk), where we spent much of the afternoon and evening. The entire square was packed full of people which I tried to capture on film but it was impossible to show the scale of the crowd. About four hours after we had gotten to San Marco, the girls from the train found us and introduced us to their two other friends. For the rest of the night the four girls and the three of us hung out. We all went to dinner and then to a couple of clubs. It was fun to meet Americans who are studying in Milan
in the middle of a packed Piazza San Marco in Venice. Then, the girls who had tickets for the return trip, took a 5 am train and the three of us (who had no return tickets) had to wait until 7 am.
The trip to Venice was great we saw a lot of interesting costumes, got to wear our own masks, ate some great food, had some good drinks, met nice people and almost died of exhaustion. I slept all day Sunday (including the entire train ride home). Oh... and my camera broke in Venice so I have no camera until my old one gets sent from home.
Carnivale in Milan was the next weekend, and although I did not stay out all day (since it is much smaller than Venice's) Mark and I did walk through the Piazza di Duomo where we saw many of the same types of things as we did in Venice. THe streets in Milan were covered in confetti and glitter, the problem was that it has rained, so the streets were wet which made a nice slop/ mud of confetti everywhere.
This week I also finished my first two paintings since
I arrived in Italy and I have started an Italian class finally (which is conveniently located very close to my apartment and is around the corner from the art store that I have been buying my supplies from).
THe new news is that Ethan (Mark and my roommate) senior year will be coming here at some point. I am sure that will be great for all three of us, and I am not sure that Milan is ready for it all.
In culinary news, I think I am going to be making sushi for people here sometime this weekend (if we do not go to Monte Carlo then). Everyone at work wants me to make sushi for them now that it was leaked that I know how to make it. Also in this regard, I have now eaten cow tongue. I have had it twice at home, the first time I did NOT know what it was and just ate it anyway without asking questions. Last night I was told that we were having it for dinner. I responded that I would eat it but had never had it, little did I know that that was not true.
train to venice
little Italian girl on the train who was coloring over Dick Cheney's face (intentional?) It was interesting and amazingly large for a tongue. Also I don't really like liver but I ate it one night here too and I don't like the sanitary conditions that veal calves are kept in/ the whole idea behind it, but I did have Veal Milanese at a restaurant (WHEN IN MILAN!). So we will see what new and interesting things I get to eat next (probably without knowing what I am having).
Mauro and I also went out last week and met a few girls from the UK, two from Wales and one from London. We went out with the girls from Wales again the night after we meet them and went to Shu bar which was designed by famous Milanese architect Fabio Novembre. THe bar is designed as a sci-fi scene complete with neon running the length of the bar and in the dining room two giant gold hands holding the roof up and the ceiling decorated with circuit boards. We also got to go to Divina which is the disco designed by Novembre which is located next door. It is totally covered in 1X1 cm glass tiles that have gold plating on the underside. It
train to venice
the little we could see of the protest in Vicenza from the train was decorated in the theme of womens sexual organs (apparently it is what he is known for). It was interesting to say the least, and amazingly graphic for being done as frescos. Assuming I get the pictures from the others that were there I will add them.
That is all for now, sorry about the long blog this time.
ciao,
Taylor
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Esther & John
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What fun!
Sounds like you are having a great time. Keep it up. I'm jealous.