SOYMILK!!!!!!!!!
So, if someone were to ask me what was the most exciting thing that happened to me today, I would not say "OMG I saw the Brancacci Chappel and Pontornmo's Annunciation and they were SO AWESOME!!!!" (that would be second most exciting); no, I would say: "I FOUND GELATO WITHOUT MILK IN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" YES I HAVE HAD GELATO!!!!! It was sooooo good. I got Melone and Pelmoro Rosa (Grapefruit) and it was really amazing. Like, seriously. And so far, I am not feeling ill, so I am very apt to believe the woman that it was in fact milk-free. Yay. I feel like now I understand everything here a little bit better.
I also managed to ask whether there was milk in the gelato IN ITALIAN. GO ME!
Anyway, I've had a pretty great day otherwise, and I had a very nice afternoon yesterday.
Yesterday after Italian class, Mary-Grace, her roommate Kamisha, and I went to Pisa. We saw the tower, looked around at the tourist stands, etc and enjoyed the slightly cooler weather (I don't know why, but it was just slightly cooler in Pisa... it's only like an hour away though, so it doesn't really make any sense. maybe because it's closer to the sea? I don't know). We also went to a supermarket, because we had time to kill before our train came and it was much bigger than the one near our appartments in Florence, so we were excited. And guess what--THEY HAD SOYMILK!!!!! So now I have some. And that is good.
And then today I went to some churches across the Arno. I started at Santa Maria del Carmine, best known for housing the Brancacci Chappel painted by Massaccio and Masolino in the early 15th century. The frescos in this chappel are generally considered the first real paintings of the Renaissance. It was pretty amazing. Unfortunately, it cost me 4 euros just to go the one little chappel, but I think it was worth it. They had a really nice gift shop too and I bought myself a REALLY really nice little book on Michelanglo and a very nice little book on the Medici. I am excited. Then I walked around a bit because it was only like 3:00 and nothing was open again until 4 and I was in a part of the city that I hadn't really been to before. It was very interesting, just walking around. I saw lots of different kinds of houses and I think I found the old city-wall, which was pretty cool.
Then I went over to the Piazza Santa Spirito and got a very nice sandwhich, though I think the cashiers were laughing at my Italian. I sat outside in the Piazza to eat, and witnessed a bit of the seedier side of Florence, I think. I had read in my Frommer's guide that this piazza was a bit seedy late at night, but that it was fine during the day and early evening, so I hadn't been at all worried. And I mean, nothing happened, obviously, there were just some rather sketchy people around. And not like dangerous sketchy, just like... very dirty. And some of them had really sad-looking dogs. I felt bad for the dogs, actually. Seriously though, even the pidgeons in this square looked a bit bedraggled. And yet, the trattoria where I bought my sandwhich (which was right on the square) was really posh and snooty. I don't get it. Anyway, then I tried to go into Santo Spirito, but it was closed for restoration :( At least, that's what I think it said. But I didn't try the door. I probably should have, considering here that's what you have to do somethimes.
Such as at Santa Felicita, where I went next. It was totally deserted outside, so I didn't know if I should go in or not, but the gates were open so I figured I should try. Anyway, I tried but I tried the wrong door the first time so I got really frustrated and discouraged and sat down disgruntledly on the steps. Then another woman came and tried a different door and she went in, so then I went in. And I was very very very glad I did. I saw Pontornmo's Annunciation and Deposition/Entombment and they were really really amazing. Totally worth the 1 euro for the light box. I was actually much more moved by them than I had been by the Brancacci Chappel. It's interesting, because I was always planning on going to see the Brancacci Chappel, but I never would have gone to Santa Felicita if I hadn't seen a magnet of the Annunciation in a gift shop and thought it was so beautiful. But I'm so glad I went.
Anyway. Then I came here. Back at good old "Into The Wed Internet Cafe". Yay. At least the chairs are nice here.
Tomorrow I am going to Siena, and I think next weekend I am going to go to Bologna and Mantua.
I also managed to ask whether there was milk in the gelato IN ITALIAN. GO ME!
Anyway, I've had a pretty great day otherwise, and I had a very nice afternoon yesterday.
Yesterday after Italian class, Mary-Grace, her roommate Kamisha, and I went to Pisa. We saw the tower, looked around at the tourist stands, etc and enjoyed the slightly cooler weather (I don't know why, but it was just slightly cooler in Pisa... it's only like an hour away though, so it doesn't really make any sense. maybe because it's closer to the sea? I don't know). We also went to a supermarket, because we had time to kill before our train came and it was much bigger than the one near our appartments in Florence, so we were excited. And guess what--THEY HAD SOYMILK!!!!! So now I have some. And that is good.
And then today I went to some churches across the Arno. I started at Santa Maria del Carmine, best known for housing the Brancacci Chappel painted by Massaccio and Masolino in the early 15th century. The frescos in this chappel are generally considered the first real paintings of the Renaissance. It was pretty amazing. Unfortunately, it cost me 4 euros just to go the one little chappel, but I think it was worth it. They had a really nice gift shop too and I bought myself a REALLY really nice little book on Michelanglo and a very nice little book on the Medici. I am excited. Then I walked around a bit because it was only like 3:00 and nothing was open again until 4 and I was in a part of the city that I hadn't really been to before. It was very interesting, just walking around. I saw lots of different kinds of houses and I think I found the old city-wall, which was pretty cool.
Then I went over to the Piazza Santa Spirito and got a very nice sandwhich, though I think the cashiers were laughing at my Italian. I sat outside in the Piazza to eat, and witnessed a bit of the seedier side of Florence, I think. I had read in my Frommer's guide that this piazza was a bit seedy late at night, but that it was fine during the day and early evening, so I hadn't been at all worried. And I mean, nothing happened, obviously, there were just some rather sketchy people around. And not like dangerous sketchy, just like... very dirty. And some of them had really sad-looking dogs. I felt bad for the dogs, actually. Seriously though, even the pidgeons in this square looked a bit bedraggled. And yet, the trattoria where I bought my sandwhich (which was right on the square) was really posh and snooty. I don't get it. Anyway, then I tried to go into Santo Spirito, but it was closed for restoration :( At least, that's what I think it said. But I didn't try the door. I probably should have, considering here that's what you have to do somethimes.
Such as at Santa Felicita, where I went next. It was totally deserted outside, so I didn't know if I should go in or not, but the gates were open so I figured I should try. Anyway, I tried but I tried the wrong door the first time so I got really frustrated and discouraged and sat down disgruntledly on the steps. Then another woman came and tried a different door and she went in, so then I went in. And I was very very very glad I did. I saw Pontornmo's Annunciation and Deposition/Entombment and they were really really amazing. Totally worth the 1 euro for the light box. I was actually much more moved by them than I had been by the Brancacci Chappel. It's interesting, because I was always planning on going to see the Brancacci Chappel, but I never would have gone to Santa Felicita if I hadn't seen a magnet of the Annunciation in a gift shop and thought it was so beautiful. But I'm so glad I went.
Anyway. Then I came here. Back at good old "Into The Wed Internet Cafe". Yay. At least the chairs are nice here.
Tomorrow I am going to Siena, and I think next weekend I am going to go to Bologna and Mantua.