ITALY
Italy Cultural Reflection:
In all of Italy, there are great paintings from great artists like Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Rafaelo. Some of the best are in the Vatican museum. One of the best works of Michelangelo is the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican museum. He did the ceiling which he called the Creation and he did the front wall which he called the Last Judgment. Rafaelo also has some amazing works in the Vatican museum: he has the Transfiguration, the Madonna of Foligno and the Coronation of Mary. Some famous Da Vinci paintings are The Last Supper painting in Santa Maria Della Grazie in Milano, the St. Jerome painting in the Vatican museum, and the Annunciation in the Uffizi. With all these paintings, you end up filling many, many famous museums in Italy like Vatican museum, Uffizi, Accademia, and the Santa Maria Della Grazie.
May 21, 2006: Milano
Today we got up and went and had breakfast at the hotel and went to church. When church was over, we went and got lunch and then went to the train station and caught a train to Nice. The train took 4 hours. When we arrived in Nice, we stood in a long line, got our tickets to Barcelona and ran to catch the train right away.
May 20, 2006: Milano
Today we walked around Milan. First we walked to the duomo in central Milan. The duomo had lots of spires and on the middle one was a statue of Mary on it. We entered the Duomo and started walking around the inside. Inside there was a lot of stain glass windows and paintings with lots of different depictions. The main alter had candles and a white cloth over it. When we found dad we walked through a tunnel on our way to the castle. We stopped and had lunch before we went to the castle. When we were done with lunch we went to the castle. The castle was hollow inside but was lined with a wall and a moat. When we were done seeing the castle Mom, Peter and I went to the AC Milan stadium by tram. When we got to the store, I got programs for two games from this season. When we were done looking at the store we walked around the stadium. The stadium had huge pillars and was painted black and red mostly (the AC Milan colors). When we were done we went back to the hotel and got ready to leave the next day.
May 19, 2006: Udine to Milano
Today we got up early and said goodbye to Lina. Paolo took us to the train station in Udine to catch our train to Milan. We said goodbye to Paolo and got on to the train. After 1 hour, we got off at Verona and started looking for hotels. Mom, Dad and Peter came back after an hour and said everything was very expensive, so we decided to go on to Milano. We caught the next train to Milano and arrived two hours later. We went to a café and Mom, Dad and Peter went looking for a hotel. Two hours later, they came back and had found something and we finally went to bed.
May 12-18, 2006: Petrucco vineyard
Slovenia
Today we went to Slovenia. We got up at 9:00A.M. and had breakfast. We got in the car and started driving. After an hour we stopped at a town and got some gelatos and then walked back to the car. When we got to the border we showed our passports and they let us in. We started driving along side an aqua blue river. We stopped and had lunch at a riverside cafe. We got one big plate of vegetables and meat to serve us all. When we were done we headed toward the Alps. When we drove for an hour, we were surrounded by the Alps. We stopped in a little town called Bouce and G got fabric. We kept moving on in to the mountains. When we were really high we could see lots of snow-covered mountains. When we got to Paolo and Linaâs place in the mountains we went up a small road and stopped at the top. When we got out we ran around throwing snow balls at mom and looking at all the snow. Right at the end Peter hit Mom in the face with a snow ball. When we had to go we started heading down. When we got back to the vineyard, Giacomo and Luigi were there and their two brothers, Nicola and Paolo. We went out and played football, Giacomo, Paolo and I vs. Luigi, Peter and Nicola. We had to stop in the middle to eat dinner and then went back outside after dinner. At the end of the game, the score was 20-20 tie. Dad showed a slide show of the trip and then they all left and we went to bed.
A week at the vineyard
Today we went to church at the local church in Buttrio. When church was over Peter, Mom and I walked back to the vineyard. When we got there we started working on travelog and other work. I started reading The Da Vinci Code and then got onto the computer and worked on travelog. After an hour, Peter and I played football for a little bit. When we were done with lunch, Peter and I played more football and then did more travelog and Internet.Today we worked on homework and played football. In the evening we went over to Piero's house for dinner. When we got there we played with Giacomo, Nicola, and Paolo in the back yard. When dinner was ready we went in. After dinner we went to Giacomo's room and he showed us some of his soccer-related stuff. When it was time to go, we said good bye and then left.
Today we did homework and then went over to Icop for another game. This time a lot of people came so we played full field. When it got dark we went to a restaurant and watched Barcelona vs. Arsenal in the champions league final. When we got there it was 0-0 but after 15 minutes Arsenal scored. At the 65th minute Eto'o was one on one with the goalie; it was a hard angle but still he made it. 1-1. At the 85th minute Beletti scored for Barcelona and Barcelona went on and won 2-1. The game was so exciting I almost forgot to order and eat my pizza! When the game was over we went back to the house and went to bed.
Today we took the car and went to a hexagonal city. The city is shaped like a hexagon with a moat around it. In the center plaza you could really see that it was shaped like a hexagon. We went to the basilica in the plaza and there was a lot of paintings and sculptures. When we were done, we went to another city. When we got there we went to the Basilica there. We got our tickets and went in. There were lots of paintings and there was a kitchen. The kitchen was a round circle with a log across it to cook meat. When we were done we went back to the vineyard and had a great dinner and then went to bed.
Venice
Today we got up really early and went to Venice. When we got to Venice we got on a ferry. In the middle of the ferry we found out we were going the wrong way. So we got another ferry down the Grand Canal. We went under bridges and past gondolas and other bouts. We looked down small canals until we got to the end and got off. We started walking down the narrow streets of Venice in search of San Marcos square. When we finally got there we had lunch and then walked around the square. When we were done we walked back to the train station through the narrow streets and then go the train to the vineyard.
May 12, 2006: Florence to Vineyard
We got a train in the morning from Florence to Mestre. When we got to Mestre, Paolo (a couple we met in Nairobi that has a vineyard.) and he took us in his car to the vineyard. When we got to the vineyard we were met by Lina, his wife. We put our bags in our rooms and had a great lunch. Peter and I played football and Mom, Dad, G, and Lina went on a walk through the vineyard. After they came back we went to Paoloâs work, Icop, and played game of football. When the game was over we went back and went to bed.
May 10-11, 2006: Florence
When we woke up G, Peter, and I went to the Accademia museum. When we got there we got our tickets and went in. We first saw the painting that was of the dispute about whether Mary was a virgin which didnât end until 1854. The next room had lots of icons by Lorenzo Monaco. He painted in the 1300s and was a Benedictine monk. There was the Last supper icon, Saint Paul getting his head cut off icon, Saint Peter hanging upside-down on the cross icon, Jesus on the cross icon, Jesus being put in tomb icon. In all the paintings, he used tempura. The Jesus on the cross icon was painted in 1425-1430 and was on wood and the size of the wood is 47 by 36. The next room was filled with instruments: There were pianos, water spring bowl, trumpet marine, Hurdy- Gurdies, and others. Next we went to the room were David is so I wrote some notes on David: Huge statue with great detail. You can see veins, ribs, muscles, and finger nails. Curly hair, looking to the right. Holding sling shot in left hand and rock in right hand. Tree stump in back. Toes beat up.
David
We walked in and there it was: the outstanding David, standing 5.17 meters high, outshining everything in the room. Every thing is in great detail, the sling going across his back, curly hair, veins pulsing, rock in right hand, pupils are hearts shaped, and a tree stump in the back. Michelangelo started David in September 1501 and finished David in January 1504. From the back you see his ligaments on the back of his leg, butt crack, knee cap, and one eye right over the shoulder. From the front you see his face, eyelashes, mouths, nose, ribs, muscles, veins, toes, ears, and other eye. The sculpture is surrounded by lots of tourists but David doesnât care because he could knock us all out with his slingshot. The row leading to David is lined with unfinished Michelangeloâs. Michelangelo started David when he was 26 years old. Michelangelo started out with one big chunk of marble and that big chunk of marble is now one of the most famous sculptures in the world!
Florence
We woke up early and walked to the Uffizi. We stood in line for 45 minutes until it opened. We bought our tickets and went in and were surrounded by paintings. I went with G, and peter went with Mom and Dad. We walked up a staircase and then got to the first room. The first and second rooms were frescos from the 13th century. In the 3rd room there was a fresco of the Annunciation done in the 14th century and other frescos like it in the 4th room. In rooms 5- 8, there was a painting of the Battle of San Romano by Paolo Uccello and a Madonna and child with two angels by Filippo Lippi. Rooms 9-14 were the Botticelli rooms. The first painting was a Fortitude and a young man with a medal by Botticelli. In room ten there was a Madonna of the Magnificat and a Coronation of the Virgin (the altarpiece at San Marco), also by Botticelli. In rooms 11-14 there was the Primavera and the Birth of Venus by Botticelli. Room 15 is the Leonardo Da Vinci room. In the room there is the Baptism of Christ, the Annunciation, the Adoration of the Magi all by Leonardo Da Vinci. In the 18th room there is a painting of a Musical Cherub by Rosso Fiorentino. In the 19th room, there was an Annunciation by Lorenzo Di Credi and a Holy Family by Luca Signorelli. In room 20 there were paintings of Adam and Eve by Lukas Cranach. In the room 23 is the Virgin Adoring the Christ Child by Correggio. In the 25th room there was the Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist (Doni Tondo) by Michelangelo. In the 26th Madonna of the goldfish and Pope Leo X both by Raffaello Sanzio. In room 27th there was The Supper at Emmaus by Pontormo. In room 29 there was a Madonna with child and saints and Madonna of the long neck both by Parmigianino. In room 35 there is The Madonna of the people by Federico Barocci. In room 41 there was the Triumph by Pieter Paul Rubens and Philip IV of Spain on Horseback by Diego Velazquez. In the Collections of the 17th and 18th Century rooms, there was Sacrifice of Isaac by Caravaggio, Self-Portrait as a young Man by Rembrandt, View of the Ducal Palace in Venice by Canaletto, and a David with the Head of Goliath by Guido Reni.
May 9, 2006: Roma to Florence
We got up and took a train to Florence. When we got to Florence G and I waited at a café weâll Dad, Mom and Peter went looking for a hotel. They came back 1 hour later and had found a place. So we got all of our stuff and walked over to the hotel. We put our bags in our room and then had lunch. When we were done with lunch we went over to the internet and got 1 free hour. After internet we talked about our itinerary the next day. After dinner we went to bed.
May 6-8, 2006: Roma Sistine Chapel & Vatican Museum & Saint Peterâs Basilica
We got up early and went to the Vatican Museum. We ate breakfast and stud in line for 1 hour. When it finally opened Peter and I rushed in we got our tickets and headed for the Sistine Chapel. We went up and down disorder corroders and up and down stairs. When we finally got to the Sistine Chapel there were a lot of people. We sat in the corner looking up and the sealing and waiting for Mom, Dad, and G. when they came we got up and started walking around. I tried to video tape but the guy said it was not allowed. So I went in the crowed and got footage. Mom told us about the Sistine Chapel like Michelangelo started the Sistine chapel in 1508 and finished in 1512. It took him 3 years to paint the Sistine Chapel, and what the paintings are. The ceiling paintings are: Separation of light and Darkness, Creation of Sun and Moon, Creations Trees and Plants, Creation of Adam, Creation of Eva, Original Sin, Noahâs Sacrifice, Noahâs Flood, Drunkenness of Noah, Gioele, Eritrean Sybil, Ezechele, Persian Sybil, Geremia, Libyan Sybil, Daniele, Cuman Sybil, Isaia, and Delphic Sybil. My favorite was Creation of Adam. On the front wall is The Last Judgement with Jesus in the middle. On one side of the wall is the life of Jesus and the other is the life of Mosses. When we left the Sistine Chapel we went and had lunch. After lunch we went and saw the paintings in the Vatican Museum. The first room was from the Early Italians and Byzantines, with another painting of the Last Judgement by Giovanni and some other painting. The second room was Giotto and followers, with several altar paintings. Room 8 is the Raphael room where the Coronation of Mary, the Foligno Madonna, and the Transfiguration are housed. The last room there was paintings of animals. When we were done looking around we went to Saint Peterâs Basilica. When we walked in the first sight were the hundreds of people surrounding the Pieta by Michelangelo so we walked over. We got a good spot in the front with a great view. When we had been there for 5 minutes we went on. We walked past graves and statues of popes until we got to the statue of Saint Peter so we walked by and touched his feet. Next we went down to the graves and saw Pope John Paulâs tomb and the relics of Saint Peter. On our way out we saw 2 Swiss Guards in their uniforms. When we had walked all through the basilica, we went back to our hotel and had dinner and got ready to leave the next day.
Roma
Today we went to Saint Peterâs square and saw the pope do the angelus (noon time prayer) and then a parade. The pope spook seven languages and you could see him good on the TV. When the angles was done we went to the Plaza Navonna and saw the three fountains that were made by Brining the middle one was of four people and each one represented a river. When we were done looking at the fountains we went on to the pantheon. When we got to the Pantheon we had lunch. When we were done with lunch we went in-side. There was a big hole in the top of the roof were light came in. there we paintings and sculptures and a alter in the front. We met a security guard and he told us history about Italy. How Italy was made one country and other stuff. When we were done talking we went on. When we had walked all the way around the Pantheon we came out and started for Trevi fountain. When we got to Trevi fountain, it was surrounded by people but we got a good view. At Trevi you are supposed to throw a coin over your left shoulder with your right hand and it means you will come back to Roma and so we all did it. We went and got a gelato and then walked over to Plaza di Spana. When we got to Plaza di Spana there were a lot of flowers lining the stairs. We couldnât stay long because we had to go to church. When church was over we went back to Trevi and then to our hotel.
May 5, 2006: Naples to Roma
We got up early and got a train to Roma. When we got to Roma we had a had a hard time finding a hotel but found one in the end. We unloaded and then went out to see some of Roma that day. We first went to the Coliseum and the Roman Forum. We didnât go into the Coliseum but we saw it from the out side. We entered the Roman Forum through a big gate. We didnât have any information so we went to the other side and waited for a tour to come and we can hitch. When a tour finally came we followed them. We learned that the pile of dirt with flowers on top was were Caser was cremated and the open grass field was were Caser got stabbed in the back. When the tour ended we went back to Dad and G. when we got to them we went to St. Peterâs Basilica to see the celebration of the 500th year the Swiss Guards have been protecting the pope. But when we got there we found out that it was 91 per person. Mom and I stayed and Dad, Peter, and G went to Navonna plaza. Mom and I looked for important people; we saw cardinals, and other guards. After a weâll Mom and I went to the plaza and had dinner. After dinner we went back to St. Peters Basilica to see the fireworks. When the fireworks started they were so big in every color. When the fireworks were over we went back to the hotel and went to bed.
May 4, 2006: Amalfi to Pompeii to Naples
We got up early and went to Pompeii. We got a bus and then a train and finally got to Pompeii. We got our tickets and went in. we were surrounded by ruins. We went through the gates and went to the Temple of Apollo. There is a statue of him and right behind him is Mount Vesuvius. We walked around the temple of Apollo and then went on to Basilica were they held there court. We moved on to the Forum, a big section were there was a lot of ruins. In back there are 3 Administration buildings and in the north was Vesuvius. In the square were all public buildings and at the end is the temple of Jupiter Pompeiiâs main temple with the statues of 3 emperors in it. To the right were meat and fist markets. We moved on to the Temple of Augusta and had lunch there. Right across the street was the House of the Faun. To the right was a private area and on the left was an enlarged area and in the front was a statue of Faun and a wild haired guy. When were done wandering around the House of the Faun we started our way to Villa of the Mysteries. On our way we went into the house of the Surgeon a rich guy. In the garden there is a guy being eaten by his dogs because he looked at goddess Diana naked. When we got to the Villa of Mysteries there were lots of paintings. We went to the olive press and then got to a room full of paintings. It was roped off, but dad went over the rope and got pictures. When we were done we went to the House of the Ancient Hunt. When we got there we walked in. the house is called its name because of the painting in the back of a hunt. To the left is a painting of a the guy who looked at Goddess Diana naked being turned in to a stage. We went on to the two theatres. In the big theatre the stairs were covered with grass. But in the small theatre it was in great condition. We sat in the top of the small theatre and read about it until we decided to go back and leave. We got our bags and took a train to Naples. We got a hotel ate and went to bed.
May 2-3, 2006: Amalfi
When we got up we had another great breakfast and then went o the internet. When we were done with the internet we went on another hike into the mountains. When we got to the trail head we started walking up stairs. In the middle we stopped for lunch and then went on. When we got to a town we saw a sine that said 15 minutes free internet so we went in and went on 15 minutes. When we were done we went on and when we got to the church on the top of the mountain we found out that we canât go there so we started heading down back to Amalfi. When we got back we found out that we were having dinner with some people mom met from Munich, Germany with a new baby. So we made spaghetti sauce and a salad and brought it over. We sat down a started eating the salad and they made a tomato and mozzarella dish that was really GOOD. When we were done we started talking and a half hour later they brought out the spaghetti. Peter and I were really surprised because we forgot about the spaghetti and were really full but we ate it anyways. When we were done with dinner we went to bed.
Amalfi
When we got up we had a great breakfast and then started on a hike. We started walking up steps but they never stopped until we got to a town. When we got to the town we walked up some more steps and then got to a church from the 11 Century. When we got there it was locked up but there we some people that had a key so they let us in. the church is now ruins and there were lots of windows to look through. When we were done wandering around the ruins we walked back down the stairs and walked to the castle some how we went to wrong way so we went higher but had a great view. We ate lunch and then headed to the castle. When we got there we had a great a great view too. We walked through every thing and then headed back down to Amalfi. When we got there we went to the beach. We stayed at the beach and then went back and got money for gelatos. I got coffee and it was SO good. When we got back to the hotel we started cooking dinner. After dinner we went to bed.
May 1, 2006: Italy
When we woke up we were about to dock. So we got all of our things ready. When we docked we got off and went to the train station. When we got there we got our tickets to Salerno near Naples and got some food. We got on the train and then we left for a 3 hour ride to Salerno. We were amazed with all the green in Italy. When the 3 hours were up we got off and went to a pizza place and for 1 ⬠we got HUGE slice of pizza we each got 2 pieces. When we were done with lunch we took a bus to Amalfi on the Amalfi coast. When we got to Amalfi Mom and Dad went looking for a hotel when they came back they said "everywhere is VERY expensive, so we found the cheapest 100⬠for all of us." So we went to that hotel and it was very nice. We went and got dinner and then went to bed.