Weekend Walk

My friend took the train from Munich to visit for the weekend. I have been tired and cat-like lately but I brought home this tray of treats yesterday morning that fueled a wonderful afternoon walk.


First we went back to the Cimitero Monumentale, which I have proclaimed my favorite place in Milan. It was supposed to rain all weekend and the grey light through this stained glass was amazing. Not only is the sculpture interesting here, but also are the many ways people want to be remembered. And all the ways light is part of that. With stained glass, candles, skylights, relief sculpture and this huge tomb at the entrance with a dome and rose windows, I could spend all day here.

Looking Through the Books

At home I have a giant old dictionary I found in my studio space in New Orleans. I keep it partly because it is an excellent paperweight and partly because it has great secrets hidden inside. Not just the definitions of english words but newspaper clippings and scraps of wrapping paper. How do I recreate this greatness while far from home? While posting aa million postcards you sent to me last year, I have rediscovered old letters and these two images I took with my camera one day. Hello LSU outside the studio at night (why wasn't I at home) and cat-on-desk. There are still a few hundred postcards to post but stay tuned. I'm getting there.

Without Even Looking

The screen on my digital camera crapped out the other day. We've had some adventures; this is our second trip to Italy together. It is really A's camera but I have borrowed it to keep in my bag at all times for travelling. Now I have these photos without looking. Like this sunset while walking home from the train station this afternoon.




And this shot at Centrale Station in Milan. I figured out how to borrow a bike in this city and I am unstoppable. I can get lost so much faster on a bike! And since there are no traffic laws, it is very exciting! I had enough trouble going anywhere near where I was aiming (roughly, the center of town) so I didn't snap any guess-and-shoot photos while riding. There will be more. And if you have a digital point-and-shoot camera that you don't need anymore because you take all your photos with your phone, well let me know. I have a great camera at home but it isn't ready for long trips.



Milan celebrates International Women's Day by 1)giving women yellow flowers called mimosas, because they got the crap end of things in the workforce for a long time and 2)giving free admission to all women to many art museums in town for the day to give appreciation for the fact that those museums are filled with naked women. Thanks, Milan!

Florence, part I

I had two days off of school this week so I took the train to Florence to visit some of my art history lessons. I went two years ago, but this time there were no crowds, no heat, and short lines. It was supposed to rain, but it held off for 2 days while I walked up and down hills at the edge of town and sat for a long time on ledges overlooking tuscan hills that are famous for a reason.



On the second day, I waited at a bus stop while ominous clouds formed overhead. I stepped on the bus and it began to pour. The bus sped through the city center and then up the backside of a hill, up a twisty road lined with glittery wet trees and huge fancy houses. It dropped me off in front of a beautiful church. The clouds were clearing, the sun was setting and lights turned on all over Florence. I sat inside the church to listen to vespers sung by Benedictine Monks before walking home in the dark.

Underwhelming

Someone told my friend that going to Lake Como is a bit disappointing. Maybe they meant that there isn't a lot to do in Varenna, no bars or nightlife for college students. But I think that is the point of visiting this. One hour from Milan, on a cheap, local train, you can get a tour of the southern part of the lake, and see the Alps. Maybe the person who downplayed this is from Switzerland, or lives in the Alps. But it is pretty amazing.



Two Sundays ago I took this trip, sat on the left to appreciate the full splendor of the lake, walked from Varenna to Fiumelatte, the shortest river in Italy. In early Spring, it is a trickle. There is one bakery open, more like a doorway open into a worskshop with one kind of cookies, bread and two types of pizza. It was lovely. I sat on the water, walked slowly,and foolishly did not get on the ferry when I had the chance. It will bring you to a few different towns. It was a little cold, so in the early afternoon, I sat in the sun and waited for the train back to Milan.

In the Mail!

After three trips to the post office, Keep Writing number 39 is in the mail. I'm going to wait longer than usual to post the actual card as nothing in Italy is quick or efficient. I was worried about the stamp-buying but we worked it out on my third visit. And look at these things! They even feel nice. It's been beautiful here in Milan and I've been home studying with the windows open. I'm taking a few days off now to visit my favorite art history lesson...Florence. Meanwhile, expect mail in a few weeks. After a long lunch break. And a 6 hour strike. And then a coffee break. And maybe a stroll. And then one day after that.

Creepy Art

Something I like about speaking some Italian is that I get the general idea of somethings but not entirely what is going on. It makes television hilarious. And this art show that I attended. Is somehow related to skin and beauty and the beginning of the show had tiny models of old pharmacies and these wax hands and, my favorite, different kinds of bathing devices. I went twice because it was free and interesting and I missed the English explanations the first time.