enfinblue's Bluey (credit to Fifi for the nickname!) Diaryland Diary

"I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart." -Vinc3nt V@n Gogh

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I feel so, so fortunate. And the days remaining here are now so few. Boo hoo!

You know, I realize how INCREDIBLY fortunate I am.

I have had a wonderful week so far, with fantastic art-filled days, and SIX long evening dates wtih a wonderful, clever Italian who has been helping me with my language acquisition. He has taken me all over the countryside, taken care of me, and tomorrow we are going to a convent outside of the city. None of this I asked him to do, and in fact I insisted not, but each time he says that it is fun for him because he hasn�t done this or that in a while. Fabulous!

So why mess it up by thinking. Things are what they are. Everything is impermanence, as they say.

So, clearly, I have had a nap. I feel more like a human being right now. I got up early this morning and went to the Uffizi. I spent seven hours there, even though I was quite tired. Art is meditative, fortunately, so I was able to relax and enjoy it. It also turned out to be a horrible, rainy day, so I was lucky to be inside. Lovely!

Hmm...not sure what else to say. I hope the weather is nice tomorrow. I want to draw. I was going to draw after the Uffizi, but after seven hours and it being cold and rainy, I knew that I would be better off coming back here and sleeping for a couple of hours. And indeed I was. Now I need to decide on dinner.

I know! My life is really complicated!

One interesting thing is that, REALLY, half of France is here in Florence at the moment. Every which way I turn I hear people speaking French. I think it�s a school holiday thing. I was absolutely gobsmacked to see a school group in the Uffizi for basically the whole day today. The amazing thing is that said school group was composed of children of about ten or eleven years of age. They were sitting dutifully in front of several of the masterworks and completing exercises in a special notebook prepared for them by their school. I have to confess complete awe for the French school system if they are able to get ten year olds to look at 500 year-old religious paintings for seven hours. I mean, they were hardly even fidgeting. Although, I must add that they did ask some funny questions. One of the best was asked of one of the hunky male teachers (was kind of listening to him ;)): "Why is the cross stuck in a marshmallow?"

(And indeed, it did rather look as though it was.)

Anyhow. Vive La France!

Oh! And I discovered a new artist today. A woman, a Venetian, who did pastels to rival Degas (but older, and so, so fabulous (with not a hint of vanity, and such a fantastic touch). I am a fan.

Even though the marbles are all screwed up and they have put some of the wrong ones in there, I absolutely love the Niob3 room. Imagine copies of Greek statuary of the myth of Niob3 (her boasting to L3to about her fecundity and L3to having all of Niob3's children struck down. The statuary were in the Med!ci gardens in Rome for a couple of centuries; imagine a room full of marvelous marble statuary of the offspring of Niobe, raised arms in fear of the coming strike. So terrific! Love!

What else?

Well, I really, really, really love the Giott0, Cimabu3 and Ducci0 room. Something about that room just sums up everything that I love about Italians and Italian art. I mean, you gotta hand it to the Italians for persistence and ingenuity when it comes to the representation of beauty.

Well, I suppose I should knock off the writing. Not sure where I will go. I always feel too tired to go out to a restaurant at this time of day, but there is really nothing else to do but go to bed hungry. Ciao, bellas!

PS The weekend coming up should be interestng. I'm not sure about going to Rome on Friday, although it's somewhat tempting, but if the weather is nice I do think I'll bike with Marco (if he asks for Sunday, as I believe that Andrea wants to go to Volt3rra on Saturday). I really, really miss vigorous exercise. I could get up really early to run in Florence, but Florence is not made for running, and a hostel room is a very bad place to be getting ready and organized in the morning. Anyhow! The weather is not too likely to hold.

PS I have a big problem! Andrea pulled out his pen last night and was talking about how special that particular pen is to him because of all of the important things that he has written with it. I don't think that getting a pen for him is now a very good idea. He went on and on about it. He's very attached to many things. Kind of a sentimental guy, I would say. So...ideas??? What do you get for a very particular Italian who seems to have his favourite of everything?? ACK! :) Also, I need to find a post office. Can you believe, I still do not know where to find one in the centre. DOH!

8:28 p.m. - 2010-05-19

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

previous - next

other diaries:

stepfordtart
ohell
awittykitty
annanotbob
manfromvenus
smartypants
fifidellabon
hungryghost
hissandtell