This page is about my 10-day stay in Italy this summer, when I went to Tuscany to attend a photographic workshop. It is a collection of blog posts about my days in Italy, and there might be more to come.
TUSCANY
FLORENCE BY RAIN
TUSCANY
This is a first for me, posting from the field, so to speak. I'm in Tuscany, Italy, on a farm, way out in the countryside. There are horses, sheep, donkeys, cats, there are fireflies at nights and birds singing throughout the day. It smells wonderfully of lavender and jasmine flowers, and I'm finally starting to feel the serenity and the laid-back attitude of the locals.
I'm doing a photography workshop with American photographer Drake Busath. We're having classroom teaching in a small stone cottage, and we're going on field trips to nearby monasteries and small towns.
I will post more from this trip when I'm back in Norway, since the internet connection is somewhat bumpy and erratic.
Just this one picture, to give you an idea.
SOME PICTURES
I still haven't unpacked from my Tuscany adventure. My brain is full to the rim of art, architecture, nature and wonderful meals, but I haven't been able to process it completely yet.
And, here at home I have four children who haven't seen Mom in 10 days, so this will be all for today.
Or, wait, I'll just show you a few of my Tuscany pictures.
Have a nice day!
A little girl participating in the Medieval Festival in San Gimigniano, Ferie Delle Messi.
FLORENCE BY RAIN
I just went on a photography workshop, my first week-long workshop in over three years. I just can't leave that long when my children are tiny, that's why I've waited so long. Now, my youngest is 2 1/2, and he can deal with me being away for a while. (And so can I, even if it's hard...)
First, I flew from Oslo (Norway) to Zürich (Switzerland), where I spent the night in a hotel close to the airport. Early next morning, I flew to Florence, arrived around 8:30 AM.
What a wonderful feeling to be back in that city. I fell in love with Florence from a distance, without ever being there, and when I first came there, in 2002, my feelings grew even stronger. It's not a big city, but it's so full of beautiful art and architecture. It was here that the Renaissance started, and Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Donatello among others have lived here and walked the same cobbled streets that I walked during that Saturday.
History is everywhere you turn.
But, I hadn't been here during Summer before, and yes, there was a slight change from the two previous visits: People. Thousands of tourists everywhere, and I learned that next time I visit Florence, it will be in the Fall, or early Spring.
However, it started raining. Not a gentle summer rain, but a whipping, strong, soaking rain, that had most people run and hide out in their hotels. That wasn't too bad, actually, to have the streets more to myself, and armed in my oversized rain poncho, I continued to walk, take pictures, and when the wetness started to seep down my neck, and my jeans were soaked up to my thighs, I found shelter in the most perfect restaurant: Golden view Open bar.
Kind of touristy, obviously, with that name, but, the thing is, most tourists, at least those from the North of Europe, and those from US, don't sit down for big lunches, so I had the most wonderful table, with huge windows on two sides, where I almost could touch the river Arno and the famous bridge Ponte Vecchio.
I sat for several hours, enjoying a tasty fish soup, a pasta dish and a yummy peach dessert. I read about Florence, and I wrote in my notebook.
Then, I had to venture out in the rain again, because of my appointment at the Uffizis. But that is obviously another post. Coming up! :-)
Ponte Vecchio
The same bridge, taken from my window at the restaurant!
My view across the river.
GALLERIA DEGLI UFFIZI
I started writing about my Tuscany adventure, and here comes next chapter.
When I had finished my delicious lunch at Golden View Open Bar (read about it here ), I headed out in the rain again, but quickly found shelter under the overpass on the bridge Ponte Vecchio. From there, you can walk almost all the way to the Uffizi Gallery without being rained on.
I had called in a reservation for 3PM, so I just walked past the extremely long line of people waiting to get in. (The estimated waiting time was set to 2 hours!).
I sprinted up the broad staircase to the second floor, where the main collections are situated. The gallery is shaped like a long, rectangular horse shoe, with a continuos hallway leading you to all the different rooms.
I won't tire you with everything, obviously, but, I did spend 4 hours in the Gallery, which for me is an extremely long time. I usually get tired much before that. Tired in my legs, of course, but mainly, tired in my head. It's as if my brain's hard disc can't cope with too many impressions.
This time, though, I just kept going. Somewhere in the middle, I had an iced tea on the roof terrace, with gorgeous views of the Palazzo Vecchio and the cathedral. And, yes, it had finally stopped raining, so I even enjoyed some sun up there.
I'll show you only a few paintings.
First: Simone Martini's Annunciation from 1333.
It's an altar piece, showing the Virgin Mary receiving the angel, which comes to tell her that she will be the mother of Christ. She is, which is very common, depicted with an opened book in her hand, as if she was just reading, alone in her room, and really had no clue about what was going to happen. I love the way she looks apprehensive, turning slightly away from the angel, with an expression that says "No, I don't want to go through all this! Not me, please!"
From the angels mouth, there are letters, sticking out in a relief, almost cartoon-like, forming the words: "Ave Gratia Plena Dominus Tecum" ("Greetings, most favoured one. The Lord is with thee!"
I love this picture, by the monk Fra Filippo Lippi. "Madonna with child and two angels" is painted around 1465, an early Renaissance picture. The theme is very common, of course, but the friar has painted it very different from anything seen before!
The angel in the foreground has an unusual smile, almost mischievous, or maybe proud, as he get to lift up baby Jesus to his mother. The baby looks so natural, like a nine-month-old with separation anxiety.
I stood there forever, in the gallery, gazing at this painting. It's amazing.
(And, I don't pay too much attention to the stories surrounding the painter, who apparently left his order, to marry the woman he loved, a nun, who is said to be the model for this Madonna... Supposedly a huge scandal in Florence!)
I could go on forever, but, I won't. Just want to show you what is known as Botticelli's earliest painting: Fortitude.
It was his very first commission, and the picture was one of seven, picturing different Christian and wordly values. They were hung on the walls of the Commercial Court House in Florence, and with this painting, Botticelli became famous. "Fortitude" represents the qualities inner strength, resilience and courage.
In the Uffizi Gallery, this painting is found in the last room you see before you enter the big Botticelli room, with The Birth of Venus , Spring and many other highlights. Then, in the next room, there is Leonardo's Annunciation...
Click on the links to see these pictures as well, and maybe I'll get back to posting from the Uffizi Gallery one of these days. It's after all one of my favorite places in the world!
OUR FARM
After those 24 hours alone in Florence, it was time to meet my workshop group, so after breakfast, I hauled my suitcase and camera gear over to the Santa Maria Novella train station, where I jumped on the bus for the airport. Fiumicino airport is tiny. The terminal is one single building, where everything is within a few steps. I looked around a little, to see if I could spot some Americans, but then chose to head outside, to look for our tour bus, which should be parked out by the taxi lines. It was there, the only bus in sight, and since I was early, surprisingly, the driver was all one there, just waiting for us. I chatted with him for a little while before loading my luggage and going for a stroll around the terminal.
Found a little book store, and bought an Italian magazine and some water for the trip. Then, after a little while, I headed back to the bus, and now there was a little crowd starting to form out there. There were introductions to be done, and soon after we were off, on the road to our Tuscan adventure!
My workshop group was just great! We were 18 in all, and there was a good energy going on here. Except for our two Italians, the driver and one of the photographers/teachers, I was the only non-American, but I felt totally included and I had a really good time the whole week.
This first day we went from Florence to the farm where we were going to stay for a week: Pieve A Salti, close to the little town of Buonconvento, in the Siena area.
This used to be the Bischop of Siena's Summer residence, and the main buildings date back to the 13th century.
It's beautifully situated within the gentle, hilly Tuscan landscape, between fields and woods, and there were sheep, horses, cows and cats around us. Our classroom time was in a small stone cottage on the farm, and we enjoyed our morning cappuccinos in the cosy breakfast room. I already miss it!
The first day on the photographic workshop, while driving from Florence to Buonconvento, we stopped for a few hours in San Giminiano. It's one of these medieval towns, perched on a hill, with walls all around. What is really special for San Giminiano, are the towers. Today, there are 13 of them, but there used to be over 70. The reason for these towers is debated, but it might have been defense, or just show-off.
We parked the bus down by the foot of the hill, and walked our way up to the walled city. When we approached the entrance, we were met by music, flags and people dressed in various medieval costumes. There was actually a festival going on: Ferie Delle Messi. It was pretty much like traveling in time, and, of course there were a lots to photograph. Which is sometimes intimidating, actually. When there is too much, it's really hard to find the really good.
Here you have some impressions from my afternoon in San Giminiano:
MOVING ON
MEDIEVAL FESTIVAL
The first day on the photographic workshop, while driving from Florence to Buonconvento, we stopped for a few hours in San Giminiano. It's one of these medieval towns, perched on a hill, with walls all around. What is really special for San Giminiano, are the towers. Today, there are 13 of them, but there used to be over 70. The reason for these towers is debated, but it might have been defense, or just show-off.
We parked the bus down by the foot of the hill, and walked our way up to the walled city. When we approached the entrance, we were met by music, flags and people dressed in various medieval costumes. There was actually a festival going on: Ferie Delle Messi. It was pretty much like traveling in time, and, of course there were a lots to photograph. Which is sometimes intimidating, actually. When there is too much, it's really hard to find the really good.
Here you have some impressions from my afternoon in San Giminiano:
PICTURE OF THE DAY:
MOVING ON
This picture was taken during my 10 days in Italy this summer. (I can't recall the name of the village now, but it was on the road between San Giminiano and our farm Pieve a Salti.)I choose the picture to illustrated the fact that we should always be moving on. Sometimes we need to go to another geographical place, change scenery, house, city, country,but this is not necessarily about that kind of move. It can be about moving on in life, leaving matters behind to embrace something new... And, it can be about moving on internally.Relocating in your thoughts and feelings, and maybe finding a small opening in the brick wall... An opening that will lead you to green fields of possibilities.You can choose your move.
Picture of the day:
The Birth of the Virgin, by Ghirlandio
I saw this frescoe this summer. It's in on the wall of the Tornabuoni chapel in the choir of the Santa Maria Novella church in Florence. There is a whole series of frescoes, depicting the life of Virgin Mary, but this one got to me the most. Maybe it's the fact that I'm a mother, I'm not sure, but probably yes.
In the painting we can see the Virgin's mother, saint Anne, just after giving birth to her daugher, lying on the bed in the background, while several women are taking care of the newborn little girl.
More women are entering the room, parading in their best clothes, to pay their respect and to get a glimpse of the baby. The mother is left in the shadows, behind the main scene, and we can see how the women literally fight over the child. "Now it's my turn to hold her!". The woman holding the newborn is smiling like it was her child, there is a bonding going on which the mother isn't a part of. She doesn't count here.
I feel so sorry for that poor post partum woman, lying there, propped up on her elbow, probably dying to hold her baby, to be alone with her, but without the strength to say so.
Domenico Ghirlandio was a succesfull
painter in 15th century Florence. He made two big series of frescoes for Santa Maria Novella: The Life of the Virgin, and The Life of Saint John the Baptist.
Michelangelo was one of the students of his workshop, and he has probably participated in the creation of these frescoes, painted between 1485 and 1490.
