Week 7
Week seven was a week that passed slowly for some of us, and was mostly a week of consolidation and revision as far as classes were concerned.
It was obvious that Caitlin was succoming to some kind of a ‘stomach flu’ and apart from a couple of brave attempts to continue on with the rest of the group she remained in her apartment for much of the week. The language classes at the istituto entered their second month and the demands on the students have slowly been ‘ratcheted up’. The amount and quality of Italian that is being used when we are all together it is really something to behold, and we have clearly passed that stage where beginning students wonder if ‘they are ever going to get it’. It is in their heads now and whether we are in a pizza shop or a church there is always lively conversation as to which word means what.
President Karas and her family were still with us for the first two days of the week and they shared in our Monday afternoon exploration. We have spent some time discussing and examining different architectural styles and the group is now quite adept at recognizing and evaluating architectural elements and decorations.
On Monday our visit to Santi Giovanni e Paolo (called San Zanipolo in Veneziano) was focused on comparison between another great gothic church that we have studied; the Frari. We met in the campo Santa Maria Formosa and walked through to campo San Giovanni e Paolo where we stood in front of this magnificent edifice and discussed its history and external structure. It has a very strong physical resemblance to both the Frari and Madonna dell’ Orto and it is always a delight for me to watch students reactions as they enter this church and realize that it’s interior is not what they expected.
25 of Venice’s Doges are buried inside this towering church and it is a repository of paintings and sculptures created by her most famous artists.
We spent time examining the major elements of its interior, and then the students were given time to wander around and make their own discoveries. It was interesting to note that Lorenzo, president karas’ son was very taken with the reliquary containing St Katherine of Siennas foot!
We left Santi Giovanni e Paolo and travelled through the Corte Millione, across the Ponte Rialto and through San Polo to The Frari where a small group of the students and the Karas family spent time with Titian’s Assumption of the Virgin and Giovanni Bellini’s Madonna Enthroned with saints. Meanwhile the rest of the students had gone on to Jessica and Alyssa’s apartment and were preparing an afternoon tea of an assortment of antipasti.
After the Frari, the rest of us followed and we held a party to thank David and Ruth Ackroyd for all that they had shared with us, and because they were leaving on Wednesday, to wish them goodbye. They have been a major part of this past month’s activities and we will all miss them.
To make sure they remember their time with us we gave David and Ruth an Intaglio print of Carnevale figures and President Karas a print of a canal scene.
Tuesday began with a cool foggy morning that promised afternoon sun, and while the students were in Italian Classes, I met with the Karas family for some final adventures before they caught their train that evening. It was a day that I will not forget easily!
We had decided to go across to San Giorgio and climb the Campanile for a view of the city, and we met at the San Zaccaria vaporetto stop. We waited for the Vaporetto that I have caught many, many times before, but for some inexplicable reason the # 2 boat did not come to the stop, and seemed to be going to the adjacent one. It seemed not to be following any timetable either. We not only waited for a half of an hour, but walked backwards and forwards from stop to stop; quite unsuccessfully I must tell you, for at the end of the half hour we were still on the San Marco side of the Bacino looking across at San Giorgio. There was a young man at the vap stop who kept saying something about the change, but the word he used only stirred a distant memory, and its meaning never quite surfaced.
Just as I think Jane was questioning my ability to navigate around Venice, we caught a vaporetto that was ‘wandering by’ and made the 2 minute trip across to San Giorgio. We entered the church promising Lorenzo the view of his life, only to find the church completely deserted. I think you could have walked out with any of the amazing artworks housed there without being challenged by anyone. The campanile was closed and we walked back outside because there was nothing else to do. Outside the fog had upgraded itself from morning mist to pea soup, and even if we could have ascended the Campanile it was clear that we would have seen nothing! At this stage my reputation as a tour guide lay in tatters and I had no idea what was going on other that the fact that I had clearly offended a number of the gods.
Halfway across the bacino as we retraced our journey the word ‘sciopero’ finally bubbled to the top of my memory……”strike…..it means strike…they are on strike!”
And so for the rest of the day we were forced to ride a very limited ferry service that left from strange places at strange times. We walked across to Fondamente Nove and caught a vaporetto across to Murano where we visited the same old glassblowers in their workshop and of course the stores that sell this specialty of Murano.
The Karas’ spent an afternoon riding gondolas and making their own adventures, and David, Ruth and I met them at 5.30 for a quick snack in Campo Santa Maria Formosa. The strike was still in effect and it was decided not to trust public transport to get to the railway station so we went to San Zaccaria and put the family aboard a water taxi.
I had organized another water taxi to pick David and Ruth up the next morning at 5.00 am and they came to Sant Elena to the local bar and had a final pizza with me before going home early to pack.
On Wednesday evening the students came to the Rawlings’ apartment where I cooked pasta with a sauce concocted from sausage, fresh tomatoes and peperoncino. Dessert was a new discovery of mine. Meringatto! Yum.
The rest of the week has been taken up with the rhythm of work.
On the weekend Jessica, Alyssa, Kyle and a friend from their Italian class, took a trip to Bologna. This is a sure sign that the students are now comfortable enough to begin their own adventures, and I think we are going to see them do this more often in the future.
The weather turned bitter cold and blustery on Sunday evening and the coming week looks as if it will be a time to be inside studying.
Until next week
Ciao, ciao
John
John Rawlings, Director FVCC Semester in Venice
Caitlin’s Blog
Well unfortunately this past week didn’t hold too much for me! I got very ill on Sunday and was basically out until Thursday. I couldn’t attend school or even leave my comfy couch. I don’t know what happened, it could have been the flu or it could have simply been something I ate. Who knows? Three of my friends here in Venice from the Istituto brought me three bouquets of flowers, which made my day much better! After I finally felt better, I was able to venture out of the house again and go visit friends. My favorite day of this week was Saturday though. Kyle left the house on a break that was much needed by all, and Erika and I just had a fun “girl’s day.” Other than that, I had a week full of being sick and recovering! I am finally better now though, so all is good. Ciao.
Erika’s Blog
The first four days of this week, Caitlin was deathly ill, sprawled on the couch for two days straight in a perpetual state of sleep or curled in a fetal position while I hovered like a nervous mother hen, dabbing her forehead with cold cloths as she wished for the sweet taste of death. When she wasn’t retching, she was practically comatose. I began to wonder if anything would make her better because none of my remedies seemed to be taking effect, my limited remedies from my somewhat new found domestic repertoire, but eventually the darkness parted and she began to feel better. She’s not only recovered, but has a new found appreciated for life and food, eating like a ravenous hound, and to join in the fun. I have also.
So on Friday, Caitlin and I had our first Chinese Italian experience. We were both just craving Chinese food on a new level of food craving, and we recalled that we had seen a Chinese restaurant once before on our way to Bar Verde (Green Bar), one of our favorite bars that plays amazingly awkward and strange music videos from all over the world. We decided to give it a try. Now, I have always been extremely hesitant about trying ethnic food in foreign countries, because, in general, the experience is always a bad one for me. So I was a little nervous about building my hopes up towards something that could be…less than desired or necessary to my specific palate. We arrived at the restaurant and we were the only people there, which did not help to ease my nerves in the slightest, but we comforted ourselves in fact that it was early for Italians to have dinner, being 6 verses 8 or 9. The little waitress was so adorable and so excited to have people in the restaurant that she was extremely accommodating to us. We went a little crazy, ordering sweet and sour chicken, sweet and sour beef, hot and sour soup, egg drop soup, spring rolls, and fried rice to split between the two of us. We were served in courses, spring rolls first. After that first bite, we knew that it was going to be a worth-while experience. Each bite brought new sensations of extreme happiness, until my heart felt like it would burst because it couldn’t contain so much ecstasy. It was an amazing meal, and neither of us are sure if it’s because we hadn’t had Chinese food in such a long time and the prolonged separation made it taste better or if it really was just that good. Either way, it was amazingly delicious.
Jessica’s blog
This week has been one of many discoveries and adventures. Italian Language Class 2 started on Monday and is still a brain buster as always, but is actually fun. I find myself listening to other people talking and I can understand almost everything they are saying! My responses and question asking, however, are little to be proud of but I am working on it. I am also starting to explore more and more of Venice and Italy. Monday night my roommate Alyssa and I went out to a nice dinner at a restaurant called Vedova. It was a small typical Venetian restaurant with great food and a warm atmosphere. I ordered a dish with squid, white wine, Garlic, and Ink. Yes, ink. I have to say that I am not a huge fan of the ink dishes. It looks like mud with slippery bits in it, which was not appetizing to say the least! I am proud to say that I at least tried it. Upon leaving the restaurant and heading home to our apartment, our Vaporetto was illuminated by huge lights that were shining across the Grand Canal onto the buildings across from them. Naturally, we hopped off at the next stop and investigated the action. What we found was very exciting. We stopped and talked to a young man with a large camera, and asked him what was going on. He told us that was where Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp were filming their movie “the Tourist”, and he was paparazzi that had just gotten pictures of them only an hour before! He then proceeded to show us those pictures and tell us about the in’s and out’s of paparazziing. We made plans to meet up the next night, and had a great conversation about our home countries (his was Belgium, and his colleague was from London), work, and life in general. On Wednesday, we were on our way to have dinner at John’s house, when we discovered that the movie set had moved next to Angelina Jolie’s Palazzo, right across the Grand Canal from our very own vaporetto stop. Very exciting indeed!
My adventures in Venice have also included venturing out to the Lido with Kyle and seeing the beach. The Lido is beautiful, and full of seashells. A great place to just walk along and think of absolutely nothing. The waves are so beautiful when they crash and swirl around the rocks of the piers. I wish I could see it in the summer, and swim.
Since our trips to Vicenza and Verona, I have been emboldened to take adventures of my own now. So, this weekend Kyle, Alyssa, and Melissa (a woman from our language class) headed out on a weekend excursion to Bologna. Bologna, for those of you who do not know, is known to be the food capital of Italy, and that is TRUE! We spent our time walking all over the city. We climbed 495 stairs to the top of a tower that used to be the houses of Bologna, and were able to see all of Bologna from there. It is a beautiful city surrounded by gorgeous green rolling hills topped with old houses, and ancient churches. We spent the rest of our time eating the delicious food Bologna had to offer us. Tortellini, Gelato with fresh strawberries, Vin Brule, Lasagna, Chicken with ham and cheese, crème Caramel, Brioche, and the best hot chocolate with cream a person could wish for! After all of this eating we decided that we would work it off by walking up a beautiful long covered walkway to get to the San Luca church at the top of a hill. It was a very long walk, but the hike made the church seem so much more beautiful. The view from San Luca was almost breathtaking. A true Italian Vista.
Alyssa’s blog
Una Settimana Buona! (A Great Week! [Implying quality - not temperament] )
=] Thanks to my wonderful teachers at the Instituto, I am becoming a bilingual human. In six weeks, I’ve learned more than what I did in three years of Spanish! I can chat. I can order, I can listen, I can write… It is the most wonderful experience; I get to communicate on a-totally-nother level! I realize how unique the English language is, and how fortunate I am to have learned that first! I love English slang. All my friends here know this. I pay way more attention to it now. For example: “a-totally-nother level?” I just split the word “another” and inserted the idiom of choice. I say things like this all the time. Our poor friend, Kamo, has the hardest time listening to us. He says how we say things sounds nothing like the way it’s taught. And it’s true! Like, the word “computer.” When we say it, it sounds like “compuder.” Haha…
We have wanted to travel to nearby destination cities since we arrived, but have been a bit timid. Since John took us to Vicenza and Verona, we have been on a craze to go somewhere, anywhere! The first plan was Paris. Its springtime, of course the trip would cost more than my tuition! We chose the more economical route, within the Italian boundaries, to the “food capital,” of Bologna. What fun we had!! Day one was beautiful. Day two was raining, but even more spontaneous and fun than the first! We climbed all the way to the top of San Luca. There are 666 arches to pass on the steep trek. I did the math, and if each arch equals five steps (probably an underestimate) than we walked AT LEAST 3330 steps. What a workout. It’s ok, because we had to work off the amazing tortellini we had at Tony’s. Tony was the cutest Italian man ever. We got a great picture with all of us girls and Tony. Awe!
This experience just gets better and better! I love the people I’m here with, and am so lucky to learn from these amazing teachers, inside the classroom and out. I could never “forget” where I come from, or think badly about it, because every place is its own, and every person is their own, and every story should be told. Though, I do love Italy’s.
Until you read again,
Alyssa XOXO
Kyle’s blog
I will start by saying how unbelievable it is to be in our eighth week in Venice! We, as a group, certainly have not taken this experience for granted, yet many days I simply cannot recall because the weeks pass so quickly.
Last week commenced our Level 2 Italian classes. For the most part, we covered review material, but that is always a nice refresher. The class will introduce, very soon, new material (i.e., new verb tenses, vocabulary, etc.). I am really enjoying language classes, and Italian itself is so beautiful. I find myself improving tremendously every week, thanks to the Istituto and a group of great teachers.
I took a giro con miei amici questo fine settimana. Siamo andati a Bologna and we had a great time. The trip was much needed, as it was apparent that my roommates and I needed some separation; plus, I have the travel bug like none other.
Ciao
Outside San Giovanni e Paolo
Santi Giovanni e Paolo
Santi Giovanni e Paolo
Zanipolo
Zanipolo
Afternoon tea at Jessica and Alyssa's apartment
Looking through the fog at San Giorgio
San Salute
Murano
Murano
Dinner at the Rawlings apartment
Jessica and Alyssa in Bologna
Bologna
Guess where?
Caitlin's photo
Caitlin's photo
Caitlin's photo
March 9, 2010 at 9:09 pm |
Thank you John and students for this terrific insite into the Venice Abroad experience! I love every word, every video clip and every photo!!!! xox rusti