Libri, foto e autoritratti.

I've been glazing over a lot of the meat and potatoes (or pasta and pizza) of what I'm doing here.  I am doing artwork, studying and such.  Really!  And learning new things.  I've maintained an A- in Italian but only because the quizzes are quite easy.  Spoken is still an ugly mess.  

I made myself a soft bound leather journal with a buttonhole stitch.  Last week we learned the caterpillar stitch; I"m still working on that one.  We finished our postcard project which will be on exhibit at school starting on Nov.27 (US Thanksgiving...for which there will be a dinner).   Current project is using a process called Image-On: printmaking creating an 'altered reality' of Florence.  I used one of my Polaroid emulsion transfers (Experimental!) for this one.  I printed it on the press on Tuesday and it turned out okay.  We'll all get a copy of one another's and bind them into a book.

Sadly I was avoiding Drawing class because I despise doing self-portraits.  This week we were drawing each other which was a little less painful.    

Started some intensive museum and tourist activities too.  There are still a lot of tourists around but not as bad as Sept & Oct.  I've been to Medici Chapel,  Bardini Gardens,  San Marco Museum, Accademia Gallery to see David again, La Specola Zoological Museum... And that's only the tip of the iceberg.  

Speaking of icebergs...it is officially cold here.  It may have been -1C last night.  I'm layering!  Turkey dinner and lots of work before our last school trip to Rome next weekend.  

Venezia

Accademia Bridge
San Marco Basilica
Me, San Marco Square

Short and sweet visit to Venice on the weekend.  Tired after last weekend and a busy week but it was great to get back to Venice ('03).  We couldn't have asked for better weather for November.  Sunshine both days and just enough flooding to say we saw it and take photos!  No wet feet.  No pigeon poop on our heads.  Few close calls with crazy marathon runners though. 

We did get to San Giorgio Maggiore for the "Gregorian Mass" on Sunday but it wasn't what I was expecting. We didn't stay long.  Looked at the woodwork, pipe organ and Tintoretto paintings in the church, then the sailboats docked outside before catching the ferry back to San Marco.  

Shopped, got lost, found GROM, before catching the 4:40PM train back to Florence.   All Good.  

Canary Islands & Boats

Linda on the new yacht in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/canary.htm

And view from top of mountain looking down on banana plantations, etc.

Two days traveling for two days in Las Palmas, but worth it. Great to see Mike/Michel. Gran Canaria is beautiful! The place, the people, the climate, food/wine. My Italian has taken a beating after being in Spain for 2+ days. WE shopped in one of the biggest dept. stores ever, got a fabulous grand tour of the area by Juan and his wife. (Taxi driver - on his day OFF! so kind). Ate tapas, drank Spanish wine.

This weekend: Venice.

Novembre!!! Arte.

    Charcoal sketch

  Memory Game Class project - linocut prints. 

Hardcover with long stitch binding. 

I wanted to add some ART content but I didn't have anything 'worthy'!  Here are  some of the things that I've made or class projects.   

Since Mom was here and Fall Break I've been busy with school mostly.  Learning new alternative processes in Photo - litho negatives, Polaroid Emulsion transfers.  And trying to finish our postcard project in Printmaking/Bookarts.  There is an exhibition of that class work this month at school.  

Tuscany Tour; end Fall Break

Photos: Roman ruins beneath San Giovanni church,  Mom and I at CasaNova Vineyard,  Guinigi Tower. 

Time continues to go crashing by.  My Fall Break week is over, Mom has come and gone, and only two months of school left.  Our plans for going to the South of France fell through so we had to come up with a Plan B spontaneously.  We had a wonderful week seeing some of the jewels of Tuscany.  We tasted wine, ate truffles, 31 year old balsamic vinegar on ice cream,  whole seabass and gilthead (Orata), rabbit stew, king prawns, eggplant, tomatoes & mozza, pasta (mom), cappuccinos and croissants, tiramisu, gelato... :-)  Food is very important in Italy.  

Lucca and Greve were both great towns.  Even Florentines love Lucca - it is just the right size.  And has a fantastic art supply store.  Oh yes, and chocolate.  Because I was missing out on the 83 steps to my apartment while away, I decided to climb the Torre Guinigi (Guinigi Tower).  Towers were built to show the wealth of various families. The Guinigi family dominated the silk industry in the middle ages.  In its heyday Lucca had 160 towers (r.steves).  Right - so i climbed the 227 steps to the top which has trees and incredible views.   Mom chose to pass and take my photo from the street below with her new ZOOM.  

We went to an excellent Mozart and Puccini concert in San Giovanni Church.  Puccini was from Lucca (Madama Butterfly, La Boheme).  The floor of the 12th century church has excavated layers of Roman ruins below the existing floor.  Amazing!!  The entire city sits on similar ruins. 

We shopped of course, but didn't buy much. Mom didn't want more to lug home.  My Italian boots remain elusive.  And speaking of shoppping, we spent one day in Florence so visited IKEA.  I NEEDED a comforter.  Lunch was also notable: baked salmon, veggies, large salad, and red wine.  Almond tarte for dessert.  I am loving my new warm cover (though it doesn't help the big sag in the mattress).  

There is so much more.  Mom got to visit one of the SRISA campus' and met my photo instructor and a few folks.  She amazed me by climbing the Stairs from Hell several times.  We tried to get flights to Madeira to see Mike and Sundowner.  900 Euros each plus hotel seemed steep for a two day visit!  

Ended the week in Rome where it was in the mid to high 20's Celcius.  Friday night we went to see Trevi Fountain which is spectaclar, had dinner outside at a small trattoria, then walked to the Spanish Steps.  Taxi back to hotel.  We shopped a little on Saturday but we had our luggage with us (luggage deposit had a gigantic line).  We parted ways at Track 24 in Roma Termini as mom headed off to her airport hotel and I caught my train back to Firenze.  :-(   Fantastic week.  

In the meantime...

No time to write or figure out why this is underlined.  Photos from the last few days:  Siena, Greve In Chianti, CasaNova vineyard, Linda-Jean&David in Florence.  

Lucca, Mom & The Week in Review

Autumn!  It's difficult to tell in Florence (due to the lack of trees and the 24-27C temps lately).  But we could tell in Lucca on our day trip Saturday.  It was meant to be a shopping trip - for coats and boots, but we forgot to calculate 'the siesta'.  We arrived around 1PM, had lunch, but the shops didn't re-open until 3:30.  I found a couple of sweaters. The other shoppers did much better.  

As always: a lot of churches...and motorcycles! 

6:30 train to Florence. Salmon dinner. 

 

The week was busy with classes, various dramas in other apartments.  Mom, Joan & Lois were in town for two nights.  I got to spend an afternoon with them, have lunch and do a little shopping in San Lorenzo market.  Their tour is keeping them very busy - sounds like fun.  They headed off to the Amalfi coast and then Rome.  Photo of us on roof of Astoria Hotel with Duomo in back.