mangofandango (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mangofandango) wrote2006-05-04 09:29 pm
mangofandango) wrote2006-05-04 09:29 pm
(no subject)
Tonight's gelato flavor: tiramisu. It has alcohol and bits of cake, and it tastes like coffee. How cool is that? I already have a favorite gelateria. :) Ryan and I shared a cantaloupe one today and it was good, but not as good as my favorite place. :)
Today: coffee latte at a cafe (next time I will order a cappuccino. because I liked Ryan's better than I liked my latte), a flower market, outdoor market, and Orsanmichele. I saw the statues, Ally! There will be pictures up shortly. We also got to go inside, which was very cool. We saw art restorers at work nearby (I think it was like across the street) and we had lunch at Il Fratellini again. Then we went back to our hotel for a nap, and then hit the Accademia late, when there was almost no line and very little in the way of crowds. I saw the David today! It was so much more imposing and impressive than pictures or TV could prepare me for. The paintings and sculptures were also very cool. Did you know there is a museum of musical instruments in the Accademia? I didn't, until we discovered it today, There was a Stradivari violin (I apologize if my spelling is ridiculous, I'm too tired to try too hard :)) that really impressed the latent violinist in me. And there were hurdy gurdies! They were awesome. Ryan wants to learn to play the hurdy gurdy. :)
Annnnd my gelato is melting and a need a shower so that is all for now. I am just trying to keep basic track of what we do each day so I will remember later. Buonasera!
Today: coffee latte at a cafe (next time I will order a cappuccino. because I liked Ryan's better than I liked my latte), a flower market, outdoor market, and Orsanmichele. I saw the statues, Ally! There will be pictures up shortly. We also got to go inside, which was very cool. We saw art restorers at work nearby (I think it was like across the street) and we had lunch at Il Fratellini again. Then we went back to our hotel for a nap, and then hit the Accademia late, when there was almost no line and very little in the way of crowds. I saw the David today! It was so much more imposing and impressive than pictures or TV could prepare me for. The paintings and sculptures were also very cool. Did you know there is a museum of musical instruments in the Accademia? I didn't, until we discovered it today, There was a Stradivari violin (I apologize if my spelling is ridiculous, I'm too tired to try too hard :)) that really impressed the latent violinist in me. And there were hurdy gurdies! They were awesome. Ryan wants to learn to play the hurdy gurdy. :)
Annnnd my gelato is melting and a need a shower so that is all for now. I am just trying to keep basic track of what we do each day so I will remember later. Buonasera!
no subject
i saw your picture of st. george. i miss him!
also, if you have time, go back to the baptistry at the duomo. i will tell you a story about the doors.
there was a contest for the best design for the baptistry doors, and lorenzo ghiberti and (forgot his first name) brunelleschi were two of the finalists.
you've got ghiberti, who submitted THIS (http://www.wga.hu/art/g/ghiberti/1sacrifi.jpg) design.
then brunelleschi who submitted THIS (http://www.wga.hu/art/b/brunelle/abraham.jpg) design.
both were about abraham sacrificing his son, isaac.
the first one has much better composition and uses that weird quatrefoil shape well.
so they gave ghiberti the commission (also probably he asked less for payment) and he created the North and East doors on the baptistry. andrea pisano had done the now South doors already...
if you can, could you find ghiberti's sacrifice of isaac and take a picture of it for me? i couldn't find it when i was there.
no subject
blahblah, art history babble.
i hope you're having fun! i'm so proud of little st. georgie. hehe.