Archives: October 2008
Sun Oct 19, 2008
Firenze!
After being in the Tuscany area for the past week I have decided that it is my favorite region in all of Italy. Granted there are still many regions I have not yet visited! Our first night in Tuscany was spent in Siena. In Siena we admired the beautiful architecture of the gothic Duomo, which was very similar looking to the Duomo we saw in Orvieto. Every time we visit these huge masterpieces I am always amazed and in awe of all the time and the creative genius that goes into them. We also visited the Piazza del Campo where the famous horse races take place. The bus ride from the small Tuscan town of Pratovecchio, where Chef Francessco prepared one of the best meals I have ever had, to Florence had some of the most beautiful scenery. The hills were full of fall leaves in all shades of orange, yellow, and red. The gorgeous drive was an added bonus to the week and weekend that we had in Florence. I went to Florence with no expectations and it took me away by storm. The thing that I enjoyed most about Florence is that the new and the old mix so well together. Whether it is a building that has been around for centuries like the Duomo or the Pitti Palace or if it is a building that was built in the last century, they all blend in well together giving the town a true historic feeling. The main thing that I learned this past week was to truly enjoy the history of art. Although Rome has so much great history and huge historical monuments, for some reason I was more taken aback by the history in Florence. It was such an amazing experience getting to see all the works done by Michelangelo, Leonardo, Giotto, etc. in the Uffizi museum and then the world famous statue of David in the Accademia. It was so neat to actually see the works of these famous artists/architects that I have heard about since elementary school. What you do not realize when you are young is how much you will one day appreciate and admire these works of art. I was so appreciative of the opportunity to see these famous works for myself. I did not realize how much I was going to learn and enjoy all of the art history. With my new found love of art I am all that much more exited about my visit to the Louvre over midterm break.
The beautiful scenery from Tuscany
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Thu Oct 09, 2008
From Here to There and Back Again.
This past weekend we went to the amazing city of Sorrento. Upon arrival we immediately found the water and looked out over the beauty Sorrento holds. The sun was just beginning to set behind the mountains so it was the perfect time to catch the scenery. At a nearby hotel a wedding ceremony was going on and the bride, looking perfect, was taking pictures with her new groom. The day was perfect for a wedding. Seeing this event unravel right in front of me was amazing. My major is Hotel and Restaurant Management so we are always learning the importance of events such as weddings. Everyone in the wedding party seemed so relaxed and happy so I can only assume the event was a success for the hotel.
The next day we had the opportunity to visit the island of Capri. Capri is magical with a historical feel but at the same time such a modern atmosphere. We took a boat tour around the island which was very relaxing, and iit was nteresting to see and hear the history behind Capri. We were then able to go up to the middle and main part of Capri. There are three parts to the island of Capri, the middle level which is called Capri, has expensive shops and expensive restaurants. The people were all dressed in professional attire and were enjoying a meal and drink together. Even though the restaurants and shops were nicer than your everyday store, we were greeted each time with a warm ciao. I feel it is so different from America when in an expensive store you don't always get the warm welcome that everyone deserves. It was a wonderful weekend followed by an interesting week of field trips.
On Tuesday in class one of our professors, Susanna, introduced the field trip that we would have on Wednesday to the towns of Deruta and Assissi. It's so interesting to learn about cities and buildings one day and then to actually be standing in front of them on the next day. We started out Wednesday in the town of Deruta. We spent a small portion of the morning seeing the many shops filled with homemade ceramics and chinaware. Later in the afternoon we visited a ceramics factory and had the opportunity to experience the entire process of how the famous Deruta pottery is made. Seeing the entire process all the way through really makes the prices seem more reasonable. A simple bowl starts out as a piece of clay and is formed into something amazing. The bowl will go through stages of being heated, painted and glazed until it arrives at the unique piece of work it truly is. After leaving Deruta we headed over to the town of Assissi to visit the church of St. Francis. We had a guided tour around the church with a friar. Susanna had previosly lectured about St. Francis on Tuesday, but it was a wonderful experience to actually be there and witness the many paintings which are dedicated to his life and accomplishments. We went down under the church and saw where the remains of St. Francis are today under the church alter. All in all another great week of learning and seeing some of the many sights Italy has to offer.
The first picture above is of the pottery created in the town of Deruta. The picture below the pottery is a view of Sorrento with the sun setting in the background.
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Sun Oct 05, 2008
A Night as an Italian Employee
Its 4 a.m. on the morning before I leave for Sorrento, and as I lay here in bed awoken by the smell of the morning pastries cooking in the oven; I can’t help but remember the knowledge of Italian food and the operation of this culture, that I have experience through working this past week. The work experience is a new one for the program and was developed to relate our field of study at Auburn, my being Hotel and Restaurant Management, to the cultural aspect and understanding of a different culture. Once I found out my placement was BBQ, a restaurant right past the palace, my reaction was a little bit of excitement mixed in with a great deal of nervousness. My nervousness was a combination of different things; first the idea that I had never really worked in a restaurant and secondly that after eating there twice before I knew the language barrier was going to have a very strong presents.
Once the day of work had arrived, Erin and I walked to the restaurant both thankful that we had someone else experiencing this with us. The restaurant was this family owned and operated placed that by the décor reminded me of the bar in Auburn “In Italy”. The feeling of the restaurant was evident right away; they took care of its employee’s. We walked in to find the staff all sitting at a table eating and socializing as a family. Erin and I must have been offered at least three times in a mater of five minutes if we wanted anything to eat or drinking. Once the customers started to arrive I was placed with the bartender as his assistant. It just so happened that they had an inspector coming the next day which worked out great because it gave us more to do, clean; it’s funny how something are universal and the way to clean is one of them. The bartender knew a little English and so our conversation were primarily based on the point and follow method; he points, I follow. The thing I liked most about being behind the bar was seeing the artistry put into the drinks. In the US bartenders tend to be better in the more upscale places, but here in a small town restaurant the bartender had put just as much time and creativity into every drink almost as if he was creating a potion. After taking my second smoke break within the hour with many members of the staff, which I don’t smoke, it accrued to me that working over here is a matter of slow pace and personal freedom to stop and start as you please but in good judgment.
My next section of the night was in the kitchen with Erin were our job was to clean the dishes being used that night. I think the biggest difference between the two countries’ kitchens was the required three compartment sink in the US and the fact that it doesn’t exists fully over here. The dishes were clean but the strict guidelines of water temperatures and sanitation hot box are just not as hot or practiced in the same manner. I believe through watching the food being prepared that this is partly do to the Mediterranean diet style and not having as much contamination due to less meat being consumed; but also just the quality of ingredients. Everything from to sunflower oil used for frying things, to the thin freshness of the pizza’s and the lack of heavy sauces with cream on every noodle; there is so much more purity with this style that the plates just didn’t seem to hold the remnants the same way. Once our night was over it was obvious that we were not getting out of there with out some form of payment, in this case it was food in the form of a huge pizza. I feel that this gesture more then any other proved that doesn’t matter the pace or style at which you live, when you show your appreciation for someone it creates a level of respect and fondness no matter which country you are in.
Erin with our payment for our night of work
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