Florence for Dummies

    My little brother just graduated from high school yesterday. And I think I have officially become the "you're growing up too fast" adult every time I think about how grown-up he has become. Yikes. I can feel the "well, back in my day" and "young people these days" adult lurking right around the corner.

   I get to see him and my family in a few days, which is really exciting because I haven't had someone to torment in far too long and I am terrified of loosing my edge, ya know? I need my little brother back so we can continue our usual bickering and bantering. Life gets quite boring without it.

   In preparation for his first time in Florence, he has been asking me about what he should and shouldn't pack for our adventuring together, which has got me thinking. What should Americans know before they leave America and visit Italy, or more specifically, before they come to Florence..?

So... here are a few insider tips and tricks on how to do Florence, Italy like a pro:

1) When asked if you're an American, either put on your best British accent or just claim you're from Canada. Trust me when I say it makes life a teensy bit easier.

2.) If you want the good, authentic gelato, stay away from the stores that sell it in giant piles for high
prices, like this:

What you really want is super cheap gelato that comes in tins that look like this: 

3.) This plays well into my next tidbit: when looking for good Italian snacks and pastries, generally, the cheaper they are, the better and more authentic  they will taste. 

4.) Wearing shorts, neon colors, or white sneakers and sandals will mark you as a tourist almost immediately. Italians rarely wear shorts. They prefer wearing black and darker colors, and white sneakers/ sandals are just very American looking for some odd reason. 

5.) No matter what you do, or how hard you try not to, you will probably look like a tourist, so please go ahead and take photos of everything. You're not gonna want to forget this experience. 

6.) Get super lost and not sure where to go?? Look up and try to find the Cathedral de Santa Maria del Fiore (also known as the Duomo), which looks like this: 

                                

It is the tallest building in Florence and serves as an excellent reference point to help you find your way back to where you need to be. 

7.) Speaking of the Duomo, the closer you get to it, the more expensive everything will get, because it is the most 'touristy' spot in Florence. Try wandering away from it if you feel a little adventurous. Chances are you'll find places that are just as good, and a little less expensive. 

8.) When you go to restaurants, expect to get the entire meal put on one check. It is not customary for Italians to have restaurants split up their checks. Your server will most likely just lump it all together and leave it to you to decide who pays for the entire meal. So be prepared with cash, Splitwise, or Venmo to pay each other back for your meals. 

9.) Want to avoid the long lines for museums? Try to get to museums and galleries earlier than they open, or visit them on Tuesdays and Thursdays- the lines generally aren't as long then for some reason. (Also April- August is peak tourist season). 

10.) Buongiorno/ Ciao is 'hello'

        Ciao/ Arrivederci is 'goodbye' 

         Grazie is 'thank you' 

           Permesso is 'excuse me' 

            Dove is 'where is' 

Hope this proves helpful should you ever find yourself in Florence, or in Italy!! 

--Leah 

The Power of the Artist

    I probably should have finished this post a few weeks ago, but even when bouncing around the world, procrastination still proves to be a constant companion.

    There are many words that one could use to describe an artist- a reclusive hermit, a strange character, creative genius, unpredictable and uncontrollable... and now, after this semester, I have one more synonym to add to that list: cross-cultural socialite.

    Being an artist means having powers that could rival Iron Man, Captain America, or any of Stan Lee's creations (in my humble opinion). Artists bring any vision, any intangible thought, to life. They  shape the lenses through which the world is seen. They can shift public opinion, move the heart, and communicate across generations and continents. And, as I have now learned, they can connect with any person, regardless of cultural background, age, ethnicity, or gender, without saying a single word. Artists, I have found, are almost entirely immune to the normal social restraints that govern every day life. They do not need to be fluent in any language, native to any land, or devout to any religion, in order to connect with the people around them. They simply need to begin creating something.

   There are many seemingly insurmountable challenges that travelers face when visiting or living in another land. I would be so bold as to claim that language barrier is one of the most difficult of those challenges to overcome. If you do not speak or understand the local language, you are always one step behind, always on the outside of the circle. And that is quite an ostracizing feeling.

    But... when you are an artist, the only language you need be fluent in is that of creation. You see, I have found that people, no matter their background or genetic makeup, no matter their ethnicity, religion, gender, or age, are drawn to artists like my dog is drawn to chocolate cake (bless his little pudgy heart).

    Over the course of this semester, I have had the opportunity to wander around Florence and sketch different things that have caught my eye. I'd like to think that I am creating a "visual journal" of sorts. And in the process of working on this journal, I've discovered the cross-cultural power that comes with being an artist. The more I drew, the more people I met from all walks of life.  In fact, whenever I'd get lonely, I'd just grab my sketchbook and go find something to draw, fully expecting to make a friend or two in the process. According to my notes, I met over 25 people, hailing from Kenya, Russia, Korea, India, and all  other corners of the globe. It was quite an interesting phenomenon, one which I fully intend on capitalizing on as I continue pursuing the artistic path.

Below are photos of some of the things that I've done this semester and a brief description of who I met while working on that piece. Hope yall enjoy!

Watercolor painting of The Apennine Colossus by Giambologna- While painting this, I met an adorable little girl name Margherita. In my limited Italian (and her speaking only Italian) she told me that she was five years old, lived in Florence, and loved to paint. She watched me paint for almost twenty minutes, later introducing me to her family as her artist friend from America. 

Sketch of the statue of Christ and St. Thomas by Verrochio- I met a young Italian named Michele who was studying sculpture at a school very close by. He luckily spoke English fluently and told me all about the history of the sculpture and the sculptor, who happened to be one of his favorites.

Sketches from the Bargello museum- I met a young couple while sketching here- the husband was from Russia and the wife was from France. they had been visiting Florence for the week and lived together in Russia. 

Sketch of Michaelangelo's 'Prisoners' and watercolor of Saint Barbara- I met a couple from Dubai, India- the wife had studied art when she went to university and this was their first time visiting Florence. 

Watercolor of Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria- I met a spunky old Italian man named Nikolai who didn't speak a lick of English. He counted every window that I drew, every statue, every pillar, making sure that I had correctly depicted each building. Only once I had made his suggested modifications did he pronounce it "bellisima" (beautiful).