Cinque Terre

The trip to Cinque Terre was the definition of last minute planning. A group of Furman students, including myself, had planned to go on a three day weekend in November. However, we were told that we had better do it as soon as possible, because come November, many of the restaurants, shops, and hotels close for the winter. Yikes! What followed that announcement was a day of frantic trip planning. Luckily, there were 8 people interested in going and we were able to find a great deal on a hotel. Whew!

View from the train.

There were little water caves all long the coast.

A swimming hole we found.

I arrived in Cinque Terre with my travel bag and a Rick Steves' book tucked under my arm. If you haven't guessed yet, I have become a Rick Steves' junkie. His recommendations are fantastic and usually reasonably priced. I definitely have Rick Steves to thank for many of my best traveling memories. End shameless plug. 

The vineyard trail.

This picture was taken from several hundred feet up, but you can still see the rocks on the bottom!

View from the Via dell'Amore.

The funny thing is that in the midst of all the time I spent planning and pouring over my Rick Steves' pages, I managed to miss one of the most telling lines in his description of Cinque Terre. He wrote something to this effect: Cinque Terre has a way of slowing down time and stopping your momentum. How very true this was! Once we arrived in the beautiful city of Monterosso, I completely forgot about the Music History test I had just taken, the planning I had done, and the long train ride. 

First day of hiking!

Manarola.

Vineyards in Manarola.

Cinque Terre literally literally mean “5 lands” and is named such because it is made up of 5 small towns on the Italian riviera. Each of these towns is unique and boasts beautiful views from the sheer cliffs on which they totter. As we hiked through through towns, I felt that I truly experienced the delicate balance that exists in this place. The houses, churches, and restaurants in Cinque Terre are all painted a different pastel color, and are nestled in the cliffs overlooking the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. From the top of the hills, this pastel jungle looks a if it may slide right off the mountain. It was like nothing I have ever seen before! 

View of the cemetary from the trail.

We started our day bright and early with a hike on the via Dell'Amore, the pathway between the first two towns. Every twist of the trail offered great photo ops. We continued to mosey our way through each of the towns, stopping to enjoy every beautiful view that we came across. In Manarola, the second town, we came across a deep water swimming hole. At the time, we were standing hundreds of feet above the swimming area, but we could still see the rocks at the bottom of the ocean. The pictures don't lie – this was the most clear water I have ever seen. 

View from the trail.

After Manarola was Corniglia. Corniglia is the only town that is not directly on the water. Instead, it is higher up in the mountains, overlooking the sea. In Corniglia we stopped at a wonderful sandwich shop to pick up a panino and some fruit. Rick Steves also recommended Alberto's gelateria, which we had to try for ourselves. The dark chocolate gelato was to die for! It was an excellent pick-me-up before our hike to Vernazza. 

We saw so many musicians serenading the tourists.

Was I ever glad that I brought my walking shoes with me to Cinque Terre! The trails were quite steep at times, but I suppose that is what you'd expect of cliff hiking. I think the best way to describe the hike was exotic. On one side was a jungle of vineyards and indigenous plant life. On the other side – the Mediterranean.

A few of the 450 stairs we had to climb to get to Corniglia.

After the hike we decided that we needed some beach time, so we took the train to Monterosso. Monterrosso is the only one of the towns not on the cliffs, so it was the perfect location for some quality time in the sun. For the next couple of hours, we splashed around and then fell asleep on the beach. We were so spoiled! 

Corniglia.

After hitting the beach, we decided to backtrack to Vernazza for dinner. I had heard that while in Cinque Terre, I needed to try some seafood, foccacia bread, and PESTO! Pesto was last on my list, so I ordered some at our restaurant in Vernazza. The dish was called trofie al pesto and it did not disappoint. I still don't exactly know what trofie is, but the waiter assured us that it was handmade and tasted great with the pesto. It was the perfect way to end such a wonderful day!

On our final day in Cinque Terre, a couple friends and I decided to go back to the deep water swimming spot in Manarola. We got up early and headed back to our favorite spot. It was the most wonderful morning swim. Even though we didn't have googles, we could still see the bottom, which I think was about 20 or 30 feet deep. 

American flag!

The last thing I did in Cinque Terre was go to Mass in a little church perched high on the hills of Manarola. It was the best way to end the trip. Cinque Terre was jam packed full of sight seeing, swimming, hiking, and eating, but I can honestly say that it was one of the most peaceful and relaxing trips that I've ever been on. It was so nice to forget about my check list and planner for the weekend, and just thoroughly enjoy my time in this unforgettable place.

Sunsets in Tuscany

I always intended to get back into running during my time in Italy. Well, that is until I got to Italy. The Tuscan countryside is indescribably beautiful, but it is also indescribably hilly. Let's just say that I finally understand the meaning of the saying “uphill both ways.” Instead of running, a friend and I have taken to going for little walks in the countryside. The hills are covered in vineyards with some of the most mouth watering grapes I've ever seen. It's almost impossible to go for a walk without picking a few (bunches of) grapes. Yes, this is probably violating all sorts of laws, but we reasoned that we're supporting the wine community enough to allow for a few grapes every now and then. 

As we've discovered on these walks, the most beautiful parts of the day in Arezzo are sunrise and sunset. The sunsets in Greenville are beautiful as well, but the Accademia is essentially on a large hill overlooking the entire city of Arezzo, so we have vip sunset seating. I've watched a lot of the sunsets from the rooftop of one of the school buildings. The view from the rooftop is fantastic, but it left just a bit to be desired. It turns out, if you really want to see the sunset in all of its Tuscan glory, the aqueduct is the place to go! A group of us jumped over the proprietà privata sign (we couldn't read it anyway), and climbed onto the acqueduct to watch the glorious sight that awaited us. 

 

Growing up, one my favorite cds to listen to was a David Wilcox cd called “Nightshift Watchman.” The album art depicts David Wilcox standing on the hillside overlooking a city I assume is Asheville. Sitting on top of the aqueduct, looking at the spectacular vista spread before me, I was overcome by a sense of nostaligic melancholy and wonder at the same time. Nostaligia because I was remembering sitting around our table after dinner, singing the Nightshift Watchman with my Dad. Melancholy because I am almost halfway across the world from my family. Wonder because I was sitting on a piece of ancient architecture, likely built by the Etruscans when Arezzo was founded, watching the same sunset that the Etruscans would have watched. No matter how extraordinary the sunset feels, it is really quite ordinary. Twice a day, we experience this exchange between light and dark, but somehow, it never ceases to amaze me. This semester is giving me the opportunity to slow down and appreciate the ordinary aspects of life, and for this, I am so grateful. 

Wine Tasting

I realize how much pretentiousness is oozing from this little post, but I just can't resist! The wine tasting came at the perfect time – right after our final Brahms rehearsal. We all rushed out of the rehearsal room and donned our Sunday best for what would be a purely delicious Italian experience. We felt very classy, walking down the street in our colorful dresses, cameras in hand. 

 

And this is when hilarity ensued.... we literally stopped rush hour traffic because of all the old men (and I really do mean old) pulling over to say ciao. At first, we were slightly horrified by this awkward moment, but pretty soon we were just laughing about it. I suppose that's what you'd call a cultural experience!

After an eventful walk into town, we arrived at a very elegant wine and pastry shop, tucked away on a small side street. We were welcomed by two gregarious brothers, Stefano and Paolo, who told us all about their family owned shop and gave us a short history of the Tuscan wines that we sampled. I am no wine connoisseur but I thought the wine was excellent! I'll definitely be paying Stefano and Paolo another visit before I leave – there's always room for wine in my suitcase!

Museo di San Marco

In a previous post, I mentioned that my favorite part of Florence was the Museo di San Marco. The Museo is actually the Dominican convent where Fra Angelico lived and painted. Because his frescoes are considered an important part of art history, it has been converted into an art museum.

I first heard about Fra Angelico when my little brother studied him for a project. My mom made him this elaborate habit so that he looked like a little friar when he presented his poster. So cute! My next introduction to Fra Angelico occurred in my freshmen year at Furman, during a class in which we studied painting and poetry. I remember seeing Fra Angelico's Annuciation, on the overhead projector, wondering what it would be like to see it in person. 

 

Well, there I was, standing in front of this magnificent fresco on a Saturday afternoon. Of course, I remembered what it looked like from class, but there was so much more to this painting than can be seen on an overhead. For instance, Gabriel's wings actually sparkle. Apparently, Fra Angelico crushed pieces of glass and rocks and incorporated it with the paint to achieve the effect. No glitter needed! I wish I could have brought my camera inside and taken pictures up close – it was absolutely stunning. The rest of the convent did not disappoint either! Each room has its own painting, depicting some event in the life of Christ. The crucifixion was a common theme, especially for the hall where the novices stayed. It was such a peaceful experience, and was a wonderful break from the busy streets of Florence! I can't wait to go back with my Mom :)

Shannon, our FABULOUS tour guide.

The gardens outside the convent.

 

Learning How to Listen

The past few days at the Accademia have been exhausting! The pianists and singers (9 of us altogether) have been working on Brahms' Neue Liebeslieder, and had the opportunity to work on it with an Italian music professor. Prof. Marzola was an organist in college, as well as a vocalist, accompanist, and conductor. He teaches at the Music Conservatory in Milan, and is also part of several Baroque music ensembles. Needless to say, I was a tad bit intimidated by him!

He spent hours rehearsing with us, pouring over the music measure by measure. I thought that I had been pretty meticulous learning the piece. So much for that! Prof. Marzola put our ensemble through the musical gauntlet! He had an idea of how every note should sound and wanted to make sure that we did as well. He stopped us after almost every measure because we weren't playing expressively enough, or because we weren't being completely true to the score. The frustration during the rehearsals was palpable, but it was exactly what our ensemble needed. Listening for subtle musical expressions and mood changes was difficult at first, but after a couple of days, I started to notice a substantive change in the ensemble. Not only did we sound more cohesive, but we were finally making music. The master classes and rehearsals truly transformed the way that I thought about the piece, and myself as a musician.

If there is one thing that I've learned in Italy, it is how to listen. Anyone who knows me at least halfway decently will know that I love to talk. I have always wanted to be a better listener, and being in Italy is giving me more lessons than I expected. There is nothing that will make you stop and listen more than not being able to communicate with 80 % of the people that you meet! 

Before I came on this trip, one of my Furman professors told me that this experience would change my life. At the time, I thought that was a bit of an overstatement, if not false altogether. Now I'm wondering if the idea is not so far fetched after all. Being thrown into a completely new environment teaches you a lot about yourself (I have to remind myself this every time I feel frustrated by a new experience). Yes, we are on this trip to travel, but first and foremost, we are students. This semester feels the least like “school,” yet I feel the most like a “student.” How's that for ironic?

The pictures have nothing to do with the post, but I thought it might be fun to include some more pictures of Arezzo. 

A leather shop that we found.

I'm definitely coming back with one of these bracelets!

A beautiful garden that we pass on our way into to town.

More of the garden.

Art Study in Firenze

The idea of me trying to paint or sculpt something is quite amusing. Hilarious, really. I distinctly remember being in the kindergarten, and having my best friend teach me how to properly draw my family. I kid you not, I couldn't even manage to figure that one out. Forget perspective, I'm still working on my smiley faces! Despite being rather artistically challenged, I've always had an appreciation for works of art and have enjoyed learning some art history throughout high school and college. The little knowledge that I had definitely gave me a greater appreciation for everything that I saw on our art study in Florence. 

Santa Maria Novella

The gates of paradise. So beautiful!

Our train for Florence departed bright and early (7:35), which was a little rough, but the first we did when we got to Florence was eat breakfast, so that was nice. I've begun to discover that you can't go anywhere in Italy without eating something. Not that I'm complaining.... :) 

DELICIOUS.

After breakfast, we were ready to seize the day and see as much of Florence as possible. I've seen pictures of Florence, but for some reason, seeing it in person was a completely different experience. The churches are works of art, and seeing them in all their grandeur had a way of making me feel very small. I'll always wonder if that's how Moses felt as he looked at the burning bush, or how the apostles felt at the Sermon on the Mount. These churches took decades to build, and demanded absolute dedication during their construction. I can imagine Brunelleschi pouring over his books, drawing sketch after sketch of Santa Maria del Fiore's dome.

The Duomo

The beautiful facade on the Duomo.

The belltower. We arrived just in time to hear the bells.

All this thinking about art got me thinking about why humans have the desire to reach perfection. Granted, some people get pretty darn close (that becomes very obvious when you walk through the streets of Florence), but why do the rest of even try? There is just something very natural about striving for perfection, or at least appreciating it. It's a subtle (or maybe not so subtle) hint of how small we really are --  that there is another greater perfection if you will, that we instinctively recognize and imitate. All of these things became apparent when I looked up at that cathedral. I can only imagine what I'll feel when I get to go inside!

Another view of the Duomo.

Waiting in line to see the David.

Seeing Michelangelo's David elicited a similar response from me as well. Again, I can't even tell you how many times I've seen pictures of this particular sculpture, but there is nothing like seeing it in person. First of all, David is MUCH taller than I expected. Our tour guide told us so many interesting things about the statue, including the fact that his hands are actually a bit disproportionate. Her guess was that Michelangelo wanted to make him seem more lanky. My interpretation? He was clearly meant to be a pianist. 

Unfortunately, I couldn't get any pictures inside the Accademia, but this is what we saw along the way.

We came upon this wedding party during our walk.

Our next stop was the Museo di San Marco. I have so much to say about this experience that I will have to save it for another blog post. It was my favorite part of Florence...so far :)

After San Marco, we split up for lunch. Our group found a restaurant called Zà Zà that was featured in my handy dandy Rick Steves' books. Although it was a bit on the touristy side, the atmosphere was really exotic and we had a great time. I tried the homemade pesto, which was delicious. 

PESTO!

Inside Zà Zà.

 

After lunch, we had the rest of the afternoon to do whatever we wanted. I went with a small group to Ponte Vecchio, which is a bridge that  gives everyone a fantastic view of the Arno river. It was a little bit of a walk to get there, but it didn't disappoint. The scenery gave us plenty of photo opportunities and was a great place to enjoy some yummy gelato. 

View from the Ponte Vecchio.

The Arno River.

As we headed back to the train station, I began thinking of all the places that I want to see next time. Florence was definitely the type of city that demands a handful of day trips. There is just so much to soak up and enjoy. I have a feeling this will be the first of many posts about Firenze.

We saw sooo many masks.

A little shop hanging over the river.

Ciao,

Mary