Monday in my sketchbook course we went up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, which has gorgeous views of the city, and then to do some watercolor paintings in the Giardino di Rose. It was my first time using watercolor, so it wasn't the most successful, but the garden is breathtaking! I'll have to go there again to take more pictures but here are a few anyway, including a quick sketch.
The rest of the week wasn't too eventful, however the UCI Road Race did their annual tour through Toscana. Cyclists from all over the world came to compete in the race, going through neighboring towns and ending in Firenze. While I had classes throughout the week I did manage to see some of the race, that ended a few miles from my apartment. The Women's US team came in first place during the time trials!! Go USA!!
This past weekend I traveled out of Firenze for the first time alone, to Naples to visit my friend Lauren who had come to visit me in Firenze earlier this month. Traveling alone was kind of a nightmare but when I finally did get to Pompeii it was well worth it.. We went to Sorrento to catch the Ferry to Capri, which is probably the most beautiful place I've ever seen in my life. We immediately got on a smaller boat that toured the whole island, where we got to see the houses of famous fashion designers Giorgio Armani and Sophia Loren, and got to go inside of the famous Grotta Azzurra! The pictures came out horrible but I did get to take a video.
The Grotta Verde
The next morning we went to Pompeii, which was a much different experience. The air was filled with an uneasiness, an emptiness, still bearing the weight of the city that was no longer habituated. Seeing the bodies preserved in the ashes was overwhelming to say the least. I saw the body of a child who couldn't have been more than two, and it wasn't until that moment that the totality of it really hit me. While the ruins were not as vibrant as Capri, they still held a lot of energy, and it irked me long after I left.
No comments:
Post a Comment