Day 8

The evening before (after the friday excursion and such) Soem of us went out to Dinner. Got some pizza and just leasurely enjoyed our time together. Our waitor was amusing because when he came up, Will asked him how to say something. And the waitor decalred himself out teacher. He took the the time too flirt shamelessly with us and learn our names. I had a little arguement with him that I am Alysha not Alice (in italian it is pronounced Ah-lee-cha). Then after I hung on the second floor with the other half of the students here from IU (we are all one big family living on two different floors). I listened to Liv and Erin play. Erin has actually toured check it out (this is a live recording of one of the songs she played for us): Floatsam Wake Sorry for the bad quality.

Then began Our first saturday in Venice. Woke up at noon like any responsible college student. Then went to the Billa (groceries!). Along the way we saw people gearing up for the Regatta which is the following day. Boats everywhere needless to say. We came back and I ate food cleaning out the old food from the fridge. All I can say is I can get used to olive oil bread and cheese all the time, ahaha! Nom nom...

We worked on our homework most of the evening. THat night we tried to find Harry's Bar which apparently is super famous, and the students last year used to go all the time. But when we got there it was close. Note to take when in Venice Things don't open until 8 or 9 AM and close 8 or 9 PM. So some people bought a beer and we all sat by the grand canal and just talked before some us got tooo cold from the wind. We curled into bed and slept.

Day 7

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. There wasn't much to report other than Class 9-5. I will include one funny quip about how Dominick, Alyssa, Will, Annie, Cristina, and I went to get gelatto. Alyssa was second to last to go, then Dominick. Once Alyssa got hers she exited the store and Dominick went up to pay. The Gelatto guy said, "Is she your girlfriend?" Dominick quickly replies no as he has a girlfriend. Then the gelatto guy was like "I give you this for free if you put in a good word?" Dominick just shrugs and behold free gelatto.

Today was out first "Friday excursion". We went to Padova, Italy. And saw cars and grass for the first time in a week. lol We took the train there. First we went to a chapel to veiw some frescos painted by Giotto himself. And trust me those frescoes look much more inspiring in person than projected on a wall in art history! Giotto really was amazing in being one of the first painters to use expressions in his figures so vividly. There are no photos of the frescoes unfortunately. They had me check my Camera, and we could only be there for 20 minutes. It was a very controled enviroment to avoid further damage. But here is a picture of the outside of the chapel.

Next we traveled to a market. Lots of cheap stuff. I got a shirt. Exciting no? haha Then we went to the building where the market orginated. Palazzo della Regione (the plazza of reason). Here is a statue of a horse modeled after the legended of Troy. They would celebrate it annually and actually come out of the horse! There were frescoes all over the walls as you can see. Including the Zodiac. There were lots of funny little pictures of mythology and people. This plazza is known as the heart of the city. Padova isn't very touristy but very interesting.

After that we hit up another church. This one I snuck some pictures of the frescoes.

Next we went to the thirs oldest University in Europe and the oldest university in Italy.

Universita Degli Studi de Padova is home of the first human disection and Galileo taught here. Here's the photo of me at the University! Not many pictures were allowed here there. We did see the auditorium where the first disection took place. It was built by boat builders and is surprissingly small and big at the same time. Someting you just have to experience for yourself. We also so the memorial of the fisrt female University graduate. And as the tour guide said, "the begining of the end....of men." Bahahaha!

After that we hit up a museum about the science of Galileo. Lots of science...but interesting nonetheless.

More pictures for your pleasure: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2075&id=1711770129&l=00610ffa99

Day 5

Today was lots of class lol. I had my frist experience of Italgio. I will hopefully start printing soon. Pictures coming soon! I also did some more book binding acordion fold books mostly, plus a look at some more artist books. Some made by our professor. To the left is the sketchbook I was telling you we were binding using a criptic stitch. ^^ Done all by me! WOOO Even the cover gluing. It was fun! Not perfect, but hey it was my frist time.

Today was actually cool too. The last few times it's been

85 degree plus, but today was 75 and due to the ususally heat I wore a sweater. Oh well it was glorious. First day I didn't sweat profusely. William, one of the Grad students had his birthday today! Quarter of a Century so to Celebrate the occasion I went to the BP and bought some cake mix and constructed this monstrocity that William is displaying. It fell apart a bit, thus it's lumpy shape, but we repaired that with Nutella. So it then became no mistake, but a process of Design. And a Delicious one at that. Cristina added the 25 swedish fish in the shape of a W. If you can't figure out why you fail. THe cake was delicious by the way.

Happy Birthday William

Day 4

Well woke up at 8:30 this morning and took a shower then had some breakfast, as usual. Today however did not start with class. Our assignment instead was to get "lost". So Cristina, Annie, Alyssa, and I went and grabbed some authentic Italian cappacinos and the continued on our way. We wandered about and found this adorable little campo and decided to draw there. The main point of persuasion was the benches shaded by trees. I thought this cute little calle off the campo was adorable so I drew that. It had a clothes line which are all along the lines of ideas I have for some projects here. The drawing of the Calle itself will be for a print I'm making tomorrow. 

Then 12:30 rolled around and we wandered off in the direction we believed would take us to our apartment. Then we noticed the San Marco signs stopped. So we were like WTF? we check our maps and realized we had walked much further than we thought and to the Realto Bridge across the Gran Canal and then just walked to class since we were almost there and had lost a lot of time wandering in the wrong direction. 

It was very crowded adn very touristy, but we made there. We took a stop for lunch at this deli and then took it to class and ate with the 15 minutes we had left before class. Thus began binding the sketch books we made. We'll finish them tomorrow we ran out of time all I have left to sew is the cover. 

We stopped at the grocery store the Billa on the way home for dinner. Tonight we made a delicious Penne with tomato sauce. In the sauce (which you can only buy plain in Italy apparently) were mushrooms, garlic, balsamic, pepper, olive oil....mmm.. Topped with parmesan. Good eats. 

I went upstairs to hang with the other half of the gang on the trip. For a while. But class bright and early tomorrow. We begin Printmaking which should be interesting since I've never done it before. And then more book binding or maybe caligraphy I don't remember. And after I'm going to make a journey for my project. 

Ciao

Day 3

Today I woke up at like 5AM and I don't know why... I think it may ahve been goign to bed at 10PM so I'm goign to try and stay up until midnight tonight. We're going to go out and do some night drawings later! 

Once 9AM rolled around we headed to our Orientation at La Scuola Internationale Della Graphica.  It was cool, but I don't know anything about printing, I'm curious to see how this turns out. Later was bookmaking and we started by making covers for sketch books we are going to bind for tomorrow using a Criptic Binding technique. 

But the REAL fun began this even because at 6:30 there was an art Opening at the Guggenhiem! That's right THE Guggenheim and I went!

 We even had to wait in line to get in! I felt super special. Once we got in there was a DJ, drinks, and Ea'douvears to taken in 

(while they lasted peopel were grabbign them left and right). I know, I know...I came to Venice to eat jalapeno poppers and tuna? Psh whatever it was delish. At least 

I weas like those crazy Italians that once a new tray of pork sandwiches that the cateres were carrying over their heads to 

the table. The Italians started jumping up grabbign them right form the tray! HA! I Was laughing so hard. Then these Italians infront of me were laughing too and turned to me and commented about the specticle we both just witnessed in Italian. I of course 

had no clue what they were saying so I just laughed and nodded.  

  There was lots of crazy cool art including Picasso, Pollack, Dali, and so many more! It got so crowded too. It was deffinately the happening place in Venice this evening. And I was part of it. I'm living an Venitian Fantasy.

 

Ciao!!!

Day 2 - Photos

The clock tower in San Marco Square!

    

San Marco's Cathedral

Making Dinner

Le Gran Canal

Where they fix the Gandales

Day 2

Today I woke up to the sounds of church bells  a ringing, though Venice has never really been a religous city in Italy. It was different. haha! But I still got a full ngihts sleep. As I got ready this morning I heard the music in the Vivaldi museum playing across the campo and people singing behind us. Ed later told us there is a music school in the area thus all the music, but it was rather pleasant to hear. 

Some of us met up at 11AM to go on a tour to see where the grocery store and art supply store. Along with other points of interest. We hung a talked during the Dormentia or Ceista. We Then bought some groceries. On the walk back I indulged myself in some Gelatto. nom nom...We got some good preices on the gorceries. 

At 5-ish we made dinner. Katya was our main chef, spaghetti noodles, Balsamic, onions, garlic, and bell peppers. It was delish! 

Then A bunch of the people from our aparment wandered around. And we saw some cool sites!

Day 1

We arrive in Venice much earlier than expected. The flight was expected to land at 9:05 AM, but rather we landed at about 8:30 AM not to mention we started 30 minutes late! So our pilot was booking it. Overall the flight took about 8 hours. Customs was a breeze, stamp and we were done. Pick up our luggage and realize we have 7 hours until we could meet Ed at the Apartments. So we started our journey through Venice carrying out luggage in tow.

We got our tickets and took a bus to Pizzale de Rome. The plants

here are a wierd combination of plants you

see at home and down in florida. The houses and apartments are old and colorful with tile roof tops! So gorgeous. The bus took us to the heart of Vencie and there we got on a Water bus to Giglio.  

We got a little lost trying to find the campo where are plaza was and traveled in the completely wrong direction for over an hour. it was hot, and our luggage was heavy NO FUN! But we made it to the apartments then by noon-ish and waited for three hours for Ed. And other joined us along te way.

All of us are here except for Mollie of course. We got ot know each other pick our rooms and Then at 7 seven we enjoyed a delicious Pizza Dinner with some delicious wine! This is the Italian life. We walked back and got some Gellatto. I ahd Coffee and Mint chocolate ship, mmmm. I will have more pics now that I'm not schlepping my luggage around. 

Chiao!

More photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1881&id=1711770129&l=c74589fd71

May 22, 2009 – Day 0

Well they day started with a wonderful bon voyage call from my dear friend Valerie. At 11 AM my father and I left the house to go to O’Hare airport. I went through security on problem, waved one final goodbye to my father and headed to the gate. There my two friends and travel companions Dominick and Cristina were waiting. We talked and then boarded the plane to head to Philadelphia. That was a short flight, but it was nice having Dominick behind me to make the occasional amusing quip back and forth.

We landed in Philly at about 4:40 Eastern Time. We walked through the airport to the international terminal which is forever and a day away from the rest of the airport, but there were people movers haha! Then we got to the A gates and became confused since we were at gate A4 and the gates went A1, A2, A3, A5, A7, then around the corner was A4. We had an hour to kill so we wandered back up and down the terminal. Learned of Philly musicians from the walls because “why would the walls lie to us?” While wandering we found three others head to Venice on our same study abroad trip that just arrived from Indy: Liv, Amanda, and Molly. Apparently their flight was horrid and they felt a little motion sick from it.

We boarded the plane at about 5:40 and were given forms to fill out regarding everyone’s favorite virus, SWINE FLU or to be politically correct H1N1. We took our seats and began to fill them out. Not long after our friend Molly started exiting the plane stop to inform us that she was being kicked off the plane. The flight before as I had said made them motion sick, well she threw up on the plane and was told she might have swine flu and couldn’t fly to Venice. So we’ll see how that pans out. Now’s she scared in Philly and we’re all a little pissed. No to mention she’s going to miss the orientation Pizza Dinner. She called Liv and told her she plans on flying to Venice to join us in a few days. I certainly hope so, I was looking forward to getting to know her since she is a graphic design student too, and already a BFA which I’m applying for next semester. See you tomorrow in Venice!