We chatted for a while. His wife was really good.
Friday, March 28
Steve
I met Steve Buscemi yesterday. With Jennie and Marian. It was great.
We chatted for a while. His wife was really good.
We chatted for a while. His wife was really good.
Monday, March 17
Sicily.
We just got back from Southern Tour and I am very exhausted. It was so good.
Day 1: We woke up super early and I didn't get to take a shower so I was super grumpy in Naples. We went to the Archeological Museum there and it was really incredible. They had a great collection of mosaics and a weird exhibition of 19th century paintings of ancient times, with bathing ladies and togas and stuff. They were super corny. The Farnese Bull was also there (kind of in the basement) and that was really somethin'.
From the museum we got on a boat to Sicily,!
Day 2: We slept on the boat and had to wake up at 5:30 again without a shower so I was still super grumpy. We were in Sicily, though, and that was really nice. The weather was perfect and the first thing we did when we landed was stop at a fancy shmancy pastry shop and got the best cannoli for breakfast and all kinda felt a little pukey.
From there we got back on the bus and went to see some ruins in Segesta and it was so beautiful and sunny and there were flowers everywhere and we hiked up a hill and looked at the landscape and the ocean and it made me a little less grumpy.
In another town there was a Caravaggio show of all the paintings he did while in Sicily. It would have been cool but the exhibition space was the worst possible ever and they were all packed into a really narrow and packed hallway. oOoOOooh well. It was still good to see.
Day 5: We had a little day trip to Noto, a city nearby with a lot of baroque architecture. It was pretty cool - The Duomo there had been badly damaged by the earthquake, and in restoring it they kept all the architecture the same but the walls were all completely blank white, except in a few chapels which were of course extravagant. It was a pretty cool effect to have the ridiculous excess of the baroque all without color.
That afternoon a lot of people went to the beach in Ortegia, but Jennie and Becca and I opted out and went for a walk. We ran into everyone else after the beach. They were in the house of a RISD grad/EHP guy who bought a little house in Ortegia and lives there three months out of the year. It was the most perfect little house with a perfect view of the ocean. He was a really sweet guy and even got Giorgio to put down the nintendo to fly some sweet paper airplanes.
Day 6: Another day trip, this time to see ruins. We first stopped at Morgantina, which is a set of ruins with a huge network of tunnels and towers. It was fun and there was a lot of climbing.
From there we went to Piazza Armerina, which I was really really excited for but it was all being renovated and covered with tarps so we hardly got to see anything. It was a villa with mosaic floors, with hunting scenes and battles and animals and gods. My favorite part was covered up, though. There's a floor with images of ladies in their bikinis playing with beach balls and pin wheels and stuff. Ancient Roman bikini time. It's the most fun thing and I'm so dissappointed that we didn't get to see it. Juan smooth talked some worker into going down and getting pictures of them for him, but I don't have these pictures.
sad.
That night we stayed in Enna, which was kind of just a rest point for us. There wasn't much there at all, but we got a really good little dinner from a tiny family place where the owner and his wife sat down at the next table to eat their dinner while we were there.
Day 7: More little trips, slowly making our way to Palermo. We went to the small towns of Cefalú and Monreale. Both these towns had churches with almost identical apse mosaics. It was really interesting - parts of the island were mostly muslim until the 11th century when it was taken over by the Normans, who then had a whole lot of people to convert to Christianity. They made these churches in the 12th century, with Byzantine-style mosaics and a lot of non-figurative patterning.
In Cefalú there was also a little museum with not much in it besides the Antonello da Messina's portriat of a guy, and a room full of taxidermied birds.
That evening we ended up in Palermo, where from the bus I saw a guy selling taxidermied ducks on the street for €5! I tried to go back but it was too far away and too late.
That night we went to a really great little restaurant and got the cheapest and most delicious dinner maybe that I have ever had.
Day 8: Pretty much everything we tried to see in Palermo was closed. We tried to go to the Galleria Nazionale della Sicilia, but that was closed. We saw a few more churches, and Ezio took us to a park with some really giant and really interesting trees that everybody climbed. Afterwards we walked around and found some really cool neighborhoods with colorful painting and kids climbing on really dangerous looking piles of wood, presumably preparing for a bonfire. That evening it really began to get to me that Palermo is really dirty and there's poop everywhere.
Day 9: Our last day in Palermo, we went to the archeological museum. It was small, but had some interesting etruscan things - including some vessels with carved reliefs which are apparently quite rare. It had a beautiful little courtyard with a fountain and goldfish and a banana tree.
After the museum there was some free time and we went back to the park with the cool tree, where there was a giant flea market. Jen bought a stuffed pheasant for €8 and I am so jealous!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got a sparkly leotard though, which is almost as good but not really.
AND then home! the ferry ride back was horrible (waking up at 5 am, no shower, hot stuffy room) but it didn't matter because we were on our way back to the Cenci.
All in all it was a really great trip and we all ate more cannoli than any human should reasonably eat in a week.mmmmm,
Feeling dirty is maybe something I should get more comfortable with if I ever want to travel again.
Day 1: We woke up super early and I didn't get to take a shower so I was super grumpy in Naples. We went to the Archeological Museum there and it was really incredible. They had a great collection of mosaics and a weird exhibition of 19th century paintings of ancient times, with bathing ladies and togas and stuff. They were super corny. The Farnese Bull was also there (kind of in the basement) and that was really somethin'.
From the museum we got on a boat to Sicily,!
Day 2: We slept on the boat and had to wake up at 5:30 again without a shower so I was still super grumpy. We were in Sicily, though, and that was really nice. The weather was perfect and the first thing we did when we landed was stop at a fancy shmancy pastry shop and got the best cannoli for breakfast and all kinda felt a little pukey.
From there we got back on the bus and went to see some ruins in Segesta and it was so beautiful and sunny and there were flowers everywhere and we hiked up a hill and looked at the landscape and the ocean and it made me a little less grumpy.
In another town there was a Caravaggio show of all the paintings he did while in Sicily. It would have been cool but the exhibition space was the worst possible ever and they were all packed into a really narrow and packed hallway. oOoOOooh well. It was still good to see.
We went to this little quarry that was beautiful and smelled like nature, and a couple of thousand years ago people had carved giant giant columns for a temple that never got finished because of an earthquake, so a few of them were still there in the ground. We (including Rob) climbed all over them, and so did Ezio's kids and that made everyone's maternal/paternal instincts jump into overdrive. It was scary. The place was so beautiful though.
Our hotel that night in Selinunte was reeeeally nice. They had a complementary fish dinner for us, where they told all the vegetarians that there was fish in every course even though there wasn't, so they were all hungry and grumpy. sorry guys.
Day 3: I finally got my morning shower and was happy. We walked a few blocks away from our hotel to some more ruins which were even more beautiful and had even more flowers and even more opportunity for climbing/injuring children. There were three structures, one of which was the one with the unfinished columns from the quarry. We climbed and frolicked and put flowers in our hair. It was the nicest day ever.
We had a six hour bus ride to Ortigia, so by the time we got to the hotel we just got dinner and went to bed with high spirits.
Our hotel that night in Selinunte was reeeeally nice. They had a complementary fish dinner for us, where they told all the vegetarians that there was fish in every course even though there wasn't, so they were all hungry and grumpy. sorry guys.
Day 3: I finally got my morning shower and was happy. We walked a few blocks away from our hotel to some more ruins which were even more beautiful and had even more flowers and even more opportunity for climbing/injuring children. There were three structures, one of which was the one with the unfinished columns from the quarry. We climbed and frolicked and put flowers in our hair. It was the nicest day ever.
We had a six hour bus ride to Ortigia, so by the time we got to the hotel we just got dinner and went to bed with high spirits.
Giorgio had that nintendo the whole time, and was playing with it in the most beautiful places.
I got to sit next to this for like half the bus ride.
Day 4: We got to Ortigia the previous evening. When we woke up we had a breakfast of the best warm croissants ever and it was so nice. We had a little tour of the town, and some churches there. St. Lucy is the patron saint of Sicily so we saw a lot of sculptures of ladies holding eyeballs on a plate. The Duomo, or main church on the island was originally built in the 5th century BC, and then turned into a Christian church in the 7th century AD and then redone and then damaged in an earthquake and then redone again in the 1800s. It was a really cool structure that covered over 2000 years of architecture.
Earlier in the afternoon we had a few hours for lunch, and went to the market. It was the best market I've ever been to and everyone was so nice and the food was so good and so cheap and there was an old man selling cheese and piling everyone up with samples and there were fish tables and a few of them had piles of live octopus and eel and squid and it was so cool. Ortigia really is kind of paradise.
After lunch we went to an archeological site in Siracusa, where there was a giant man-made cave where they used to bake prisoners. It was pretty gruesome but also pretty incredible. There was also a giant theater carved out of the natural rock formations, with some smaller caves above them that we climbed in. It rained a little, but we waited in the caves until it stopped and then there was a rainbow.
Perfect.
Earlier in the afternoon we had a few hours for lunch, and went to the market. It was the best market I've ever been to and everyone was so nice and the food was so good and so cheap and there was an old man selling cheese and piling everyone up with samples and there were fish tables and a few of them had piles of live octopus and eel and squid and it was so cool. Ortigia really is kind of paradise.
After lunch we went to an archeological site in Siracusa, where there was a giant man-made cave where they used to bake prisoners. It was pretty gruesome but also pretty incredible. There was also a giant theater carved out of the natural rock formations, with some smaller caves above them that we climbed in. It rained a little, but we waited in the caves until it stopped and then there was a rainbow.
Perfect.
Ducks in the fresh pond in Ortegia!
Duomo.
Look at that face!
Day 5: We had a little day trip to Noto, a city nearby with a lot of baroque architecture. It was pretty cool - The Duomo there had been badly damaged by the earthquake, and in restoring it they kept all the architecture the same but the walls were all completely blank white, except in a few chapels which were of course extravagant. It was a pretty cool effect to have the ridiculous excess of the baroque all without color.
That afternoon a lot of people went to the beach in Ortegia, but Jennie and Becca and I opted out and went for a walk. We ran into everyone else after the beach. They were in the house of a RISD grad/EHP guy who bought a little house in Ortegia and lives there three months out of the year. It was the most perfect little house with a perfect view of the ocean. He was a really sweet guy and even got Giorgio to put down the nintendo to fly some sweet paper airplanes.
Day 6: Another day trip, this time to see ruins. We first stopped at Morgantina, which is a set of ruins with a huge network of tunnels and towers. It was fun and there was a lot of climbing.
From there we went to Piazza Armerina, which I was really really excited for but it was all being renovated and covered with tarps so we hardly got to see anything. It was a villa with mosaic floors, with hunting scenes and battles and animals and gods. My favorite part was covered up, though. There's a floor with images of ladies in their bikinis playing with beach balls and pin wheels and stuff. Ancient Roman bikini time. It's the most fun thing and I'm so dissappointed that we didn't get to see it. Juan smooth talked some worker into going down and getting pictures of them for him, but I don't have these pictures.
sad.
That night we stayed in Enna, which was kind of just a rest point for us. There wasn't much there at all, but we got a really good little dinner from a tiny family place where the owner and his wife sat down at the next table to eat their dinner while we were there.
Day 7: More little trips, slowly making our way to Palermo. We went to the small towns of Cefalú and Monreale. Both these towns had churches with almost identical apse mosaics. It was really interesting - parts of the island were mostly muslim until the 11th century when it was taken over by the Normans, who then had a whole lot of people to convert to Christianity. They made these churches in the 12th century, with Byzantine-style mosaics and a lot of non-figurative patterning.
In Cefalú there was also a little museum with not much in it besides the Antonello da Messina's portriat of a guy, and a room full of taxidermied birds.
That evening we ended up in Palermo, where from the bus I saw a guy selling taxidermied ducks on the street for €5! I tried to go back but it was too far away and too late.
That night we went to a really great little restaurant and got the cheapest and most delicious dinner maybe that I have ever had.
Day 8: Pretty much everything we tried to see in Palermo was closed. We tried to go to the Galleria Nazionale della Sicilia, but that was closed. We saw a few more churches, and Ezio took us to a park with some really giant and really interesting trees that everybody climbed. Afterwards we walked around and found some really cool neighborhoods with colorful painting and kids climbing on really dangerous looking piles of wood, presumably preparing for a bonfire. That evening it really began to get to me that Palermo is really dirty and there's poop everywhere.
Day 9: Our last day in Palermo, we went to the archeological museum. It was small, but had some interesting etruscan things - including some vessels with carved reliefs which are apparently quite rare. It had a beautiful little courtyard with a fountain and goldfish and a banana tree.
After the museum there was some free time and we went back to the park with the cool tree, where there was a giant flea market. Jen bought a stuffed pheasant for €8 and I am so jealous!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got a sparkly leotard though, which is almost as good but not really.
AND then home! the ferry ride back was horrible (waking up at 5 am, no shower, hot stuffy room) but it didn't matter because we were on our way back to the Cenci.
All in all it was a really great trip and we all ate more cannoli than any human should reasonably eat in a week.mmmmm,
Feeling dirty is maybe something I should get more comfortable with if I ever want to travel again.
Friday, March 7
You're a jerk, mussolini.
We're leaving for southern tour tomorrow! I'm so excited. We're leaving at 7:30 in the morning. mmmbblggaah.
It's going to be good, though. The past few days have been rainy and grey and gross and I think I spoke too soon saying it's beautiful out.
I went swimming today and right now all I can think about is stupid mussolini and how mad I am at him. It was rainy out and he had to have the grand idea of marble stairs with no treads or anything so I slipped on them and hurt my leg a lot. I've got a big bruise and I'm not going to want to walk around in Naples tomorrow. Thanks a lot Muss.
Last night we had a louisiana seafood boil!!!!!!!!! It was so fun! Becca boiled up a big pot of shrimp and dumped it all out on the table. it was sooo good and we all sat down and ate too much. It was delicious and fun.
Art history in the morning was pretty good. We went to more churches and saw more art. We saw some caravaggios and some caravaggesques.
anecdote:
Caravaggio would buy really expensive and extravagant outfits and then wear it every day until it was rags and buy another one.
Thanks Ezio.
anywayanyway things are really crazy and i need to eat dinner and pack and get to bed really soon because we have to be up so early. Going on trips always makes for the weirdest dinners because all I have is an onion, a half a stick of butter, some hot dogs and a can of pineapples. It's gonna be great.
It's going to be good, though. The past few days have been rainy and grey and gross and I think I spoke too soon saying it's beautiful out.
I went swimming today and right now all I can think about is stupid mussolini and how mad I am at him. It was rainy out and he had to have the grand idea of marble stairs with no treads or anything so I slipped on them and hurt my leg a lot. I've got a big bruise and I'm not going to want to walk around in Naples tomorrow. Thanks a lot Muss.
Last night we had a louisiana seafood boil!!!!!!!!! It was so fun! Becca boiled up a big pot of shrimp and dumped it all out on the table. it was sooo good and we all sat down and ate too much. It was delicious and fun.
Art history in the morning was pretty good. We went to more churches and saw more art. We saw some caravaggios and some caravaggesques.
anecdote:
Caravaggio would buy really expensive and extravagant outfits and then wear it every day until it was rags and buy another one.
Thanks Ezio.
anywayanyway things are really crazy and i need to eat dinner and pack and get to bed really soon because we have to be up so early. Going on trips always makes for the weirdest dinners because all I have is an onion, a half a stick of butter, some hot dogs and a can of pineapples. It's gonna be great.
Sunday, March 2
Freaky Friday
This weekend has been pretty great, and a little more action packed.
On Friday there was so much going on. Jennie found a flea market where all the clothing vendors from Porta Portese go during the week. It was so great. They had all the same great things but a fraction of the people - only a few middle aged ladies - so it was all the greatness of Porta without any of the stress. And no stress = more room/time to think = much better purchases. I got a really beautiful dress (like the dress of my dreams pretty much) and it doesn't even have holes in it.
After the market I did Critical Mass! In Rome! It was so fun. Critical Mass is an organization (kind of?) of bikers and everybody meets on the last friday of every month on their bikes and ride around and annoy cars. It's international, and I've done it a few times in Boston. Don't worry mom it's super safe.
And after critical mass I came home and ate a quick and delicious dinner of steak and gorgonzola.
That evening there was an event where all of the art galleries in Rome were open late, so Becca and Alisha and I went but realized that contemporary art in Rome is just pretty bad. It was absolutely disappointing.
Yesterday it was cloudy and gross and I just kind of bummed around the Cenci not getting as much done as I would like. In the evening though, Becca and I got restless and went out for wine and cheese at this really nice place, and then came back and watched 13 going on 30. It was great.
And today was so beautiful!! Not having any Porta Portese obligations, Becca and I went to a little park on the hill in Trastevere that kind of smells like dog poop and sat on a blanket and enjoyed the sunlight. It was so warm and perfect, but somehow all the Italians are still wearing winter coats and scarves. It was totally obscene.
Also there was a wine festival today. We went and tasted all sorts of wines and I feel like I kind of learned how to identify things, and we discovered some pretty great wines. I'm still not at a proper snob level, but you know, piano piano.
And then Becca cooked a rabbit for Marian and Libby and Me! It was really tasty but kind of sad.
On Friday there was so much going on. Jennie found a flea market where all the clothing vendors from Porta Portese go during the week. It was so great. They had all the same great things but a fraction of the people - only a few middle aged ladies - so it was all the greatness of Porta without any of the stress. And no stress = more room/time to think = much better purchases. I got a really beautiful dress (like the dress of my dreams pretty much) and it doesn't even have holes in it.
After the market I did Critical Mass! In Rome! It was so fun. Critical Mass is an organization (kind of?) of bikers and everybody meets on the last friday of every month on their bikes and ride around and annoy cars. It's international, and I've done it a few times in Boston. Don't worry mom it's super safe.
And after critical mass I came home and ate a quick and delicious dinner of steak and gorgonzola.
That evening there was an event where all of the art galleries in Rome were open late, so Becca and Alisha and I went but realized that contemporary art in Rome is just pretty bad. It was absolutely disappointing.
Wing doesn't have a bike Oh NO!!
Yesterday it was cloudy and gross and I just kind of bummed around the Cenci not getting as much done as I would like. In the evening though, Becca and I got restless and went out for wine and cheese at this really nice place, and then came back and watched 13 going on 30. It was great.
And today was so beautiful!! Not having any Porta Portese obligations, Becca and I went to a little park on the hill in Trastevere that kind of smells like dog poop and sat on a blanket and enjoyed the sunlight. It was so warm and perfect, but somehow all the Italians are still wearing winter coats and scarves. It was totally obscene.
Also there was a wine festival today. We went and tasted all sorts of wines and I feel like I kind of learned how to identify things, and we discovered some pretty great wines. I'm still not at a proper snob level, but you know, piano piano.
And then Becca cooked a rabbit for Marian and Libby and Me! It was really tasty but kind of sad.
Roma o Morte. Seems just a little silly on such a beautiful day.
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