Mr. Berlusconi strikes again

Everyone's favorite "lovable" Italian politician strikes again. Makes me miss Italy just a lil' bit :):

Check out this story:
Berlusconi's harem of 14 women revealed

(Thanks for the tip, Georgette!)

Ciao e Grazia Firenze!

I leave Florence on Thursday morning. It's hard to believe that I have been here for almost three months. It's truly a beautiful city and I have really enjoyed my time here. Here are a few things that I learned while I was a temporary, wannabe Florentine:

• Bad pizza and bad wine do not exist in Italy.
• Dogs are well dressed and allowed just about everywhere.
• Long knit sweaters, leggings and boots are the general outfit of choice for fashionable Italian women.
• Bisteca Florentine is a speciality in Florence – a huge hunk of meat that’s charred on the outside and virtually raw on the inside.
• Italians have individual gestures to communicate just about everything.
• Apertivo is way better than Happy Hour --- buy one drink and an all you can eat buffet of hot and cold food is included.
• Coffee Bars are the best. The best espresso, cappuccino and pastries are served to you by well dressed Italian men. A great place for a snack and people watching.
• Paninis and wine on the go – love it!
• Italian trains (non Eurorail) go everywhere: however, they are incredibly slow and run only if there is not a strike.
• Italian politicians give American Tea Partiers, hippies and anarchists a run for their money – at least in the insanity and scandal department.
• Italians seem a little disappointed when you clarify that you are from New York State not New York City (Then again, I think this may be true everywhere).
• The statue of David is not a disappointment and leaves even those who may not be that interested in art absolutely awestruck.
• Italians take pride in their appearance. Their version of “dressing down” is still pretty darn nice. Heck,I didn’t feel comfortable wearing a sweatshirt to class.
• "Bo" means “I don’t know.”
• Many dance clubs have drink cards. Bartenders stamp your card with every drink and you pay the bouncer on your way out.
• I wish we had more piazzas in America (just a thought).
• Tips are included in restaurants (sometimes a service fee or "coperto" is added on) and for taxis.
• “Vai in la boca di lupo” directly translated means "Go in the mouth of the wolf." The expression is used to wish someone good luck.
• Italians take their time with dinner but barely spend a minute on breakfast.

This is certainly not an exhaustible list but aptly consolidates a lot of the memories and experiences that I have had while in Florence. I have really loved my time in Italy and hope to return some day. Ciao Bella Italia!

Picture One by Jaya Bird: Scuderi, one of my favorite coffee bars.

A Wish for the New Year

On New Year's Eve I headed up to Rome to meet my friend, Debbie and her friend, Susan. Debbie and I were roommates in Manhattan several years ago.

Debbie and Susan suffered the after effects of the snowstorms that hit the U.S.'s east coast. They had quite a horrific time getting to Italy. Their flight was delayed by a day, their eventual journey was entirely too long and Debbie's suitcase did not arrive with her.

Still, on New Years Eve we enjoyed drinks at our swanky hotel bar, had some great pasta and rang in the 2011 surrounded by crazy Romans and incredibly loud fireworks at Rome's famous, Trevi Fountain .


Traditional legend says that by tossing a coin into the Trevi fountain you ensure a return trip to Rome. This practice makes the fountain a popular destination for visitors from all over the world. In fact, an estimated 3000 Euro are thrown into the fountain every day. The city of Rome uses the collected change to subsidize a supermarket for the its needy citizens.

We decided to tweak the tradition a bit by using our coins to make our wishes for 2011. Best wishes to all for a great new year!

Buon Anno!

Photo One by Susan: Debbie and I at the Trevi Fountain.
Photo Two by Jaya Bird: The Trevi Fountain
Photo Three by Jaya Bird: A reveler jumps into the fountain to ring in the New Year and enjoy his champagne.
Photo Three by Jaya Bird: A young Italian girl celebrates 2011 with sparklers.

Mi Amica Italiana

This is my friend, Ilaria. We met through Languagetandem.net. The site pairs Italians who are looking to improve their Engish with English speakers who want to speak better Italian.

Ilaria have been getting together at the Bibloteca delle Oblate for coffee and/or lunch for a couple of hours each week to practice English and Italian. Ilaria’s English is much better than my Italian but I feel myself getting more comfortable with the language each time we meet.

We discuss our different cultures, our family and friends, Italian and American politics, and what we are doing right now -- including my classes and her job search. Ilaria is a writer and is looking for work in Florence or nearby. Currently, she is taking a social media and website building class at the Casa della Creativa . She has been in the city for about a year but is originally from Elba Island which is located right off the Tuscan Coast.

I am really enjoying getting to know Ilaria. It's during our conversations I feel that I am learning the most about Italy.

The Italian Version of Choking on a Pretzel

After just a few weeks here, I've learned that Italians' reaction to the name Silvio Berlusconi is almost always the same --- a sad shake of their heads. They are generally quick to distance themselves from the nation's Prime Minister. It seems that the 76 year-old leader's string of gaffes rival those of former President George W. Bush and current Vice President Joe Biden.

Most recently, the Berlusconi government decided to severely slashed the nation's arts funding down to its lowest level in 20 years. The dramatic cuts set off a series of protests in the form of strikes, opera and play cancellations and museum closings. The arts and enterainment community are up in arms.

However, I guess Mr. Berlusconi decided that these cuts did not apply to him. The Prime Minister reportedly used public funds to make improvements to the art that adorns his personal office --- the classic statue of Venus and Mars. Venus was given a new hand and Mars was given back his, um, manhood.....

Picture by Jaya Bird: Poster at a Berlusconi campaign office down the street from my apartment.

Class Field Trip

My conversation teacher Lucia, ended our week with a field trip to Mama's Bakery (admittedly an American chain) on the other side of the Arno River. She had never tried a bagel (she liked them!) - and I was happy to enjoy a taste of home (a plain bagel with cream cheese and sun dried tomatoes).

Picture by Random Tourist: Left to Right - Jacob (Nantucket, USA), Me, Lucia (Firenze), Simone (Switzerland) at Ponte Vecchio.

David on the Move

On Friday, I was heading home after enjoying apertivi with Katherine (from California, she is now living in Florence with her husband) and Erika (Mexico) when I saw a crowd gathered near the side of the Duomo. They were standing in the middle of the street staring up at the famous cathedral and furiously snapping pictures. The statue of David was on top of the Duomo.

You read that right. Check it out:

When I walked back to the piazza the next day, it had been covered with grass and David had been moved to the front of the Duomo.

After a stint in front of the Duomo, the copy of the David was moved to Piazza della Signoria and will continue to appear at other significant spots in Florence. Each location represents a spot where city officials had considered placing the famous statue back in 1504.

The real David was originally commissioned to be placed on top of the Duomo but can now be viewed at the Galleria Accademia.

This virtual "Where's Waldo" with David is a part of the Florens 2010 Festival. Running from November 12th-20th, Florens 2010 is a biannual celebration that includes over 150 events that promote art and culture.

Picture One by Covegni Florens 2010: Florens 2010 logo
Picture Two by Jason Fuller: Replica of David on top of the Duomo
Picture Three by Jaya Bird: Replica of David in front of the Duomo

One of my Favorites in any Language

I bought this yesterday --- hopefully I will be able to read it someday soon. I bet Mr. Darcy sounds even more romantic in Italian!

Troppo Pioggia

It's been a quiet week here in Florence. It has been raining since Sunday. Last night I attended an Appertivo (kind of like Happy Hour but with free food) Language Tandem last night at Casa Creativa off or Piazza Del Duomo. These kind of events bring together local Florentines and expats around the world, and allows them to practice their English and Italian - respectively - in a relaxed enviornment. It was definitely an unique experience -- I not only met some Florentines but also a few Americans, an Iranian and a Brazilian. I've only been studying Italian for three weeks so I was mostly listening but I was encouraged by the fact that I understood about 90%.

I had my final art class today. One again we sketch it the Pitti Palace. It was was relaxing and surreal to just hang out for several hours in such a grandiose setting.

Picture by Jaya Bird: Pitti Palace (unfortunately I was unable to take pictures inside)

Fast Food...Italian Style!

After another week of my intensive Italian class my head was spinning. I decided to reward myself with lunch at Il Due Fratellini -- The Two Brothers (Thanks to Mari Wright and Panini Girl for the recommendation!).

Located near the Duomo and my school, Il Due Fratellini serves fresh paninis and wine. Customers can order their lunch to go (portare via) or enjoy it while standing on the nearby sidewalk and cobblestone street. The good folks at Il Due Fratellini also provide these shelves to hold your wine --- so you can use both hands to wolf down their insanely good paninis:

My lunch consisted of a panini with prosciutto, goat cheese and arugula --- and a glass of red wine. All for a total of 3.80 Euros - how's THAT for a value meal! I'd take this version of fast food over Mickey D's or Burger King any day.

The Florence Flood

At the Accademia di Europea di Firenze I have grammar class from 9am-10:30am and then conversation class from 11am-12:30pm. During the 30 minute break between classes I usually venture out with some classmates to the nearby bar for much needed cappuccino or espresso and sometimes a cornetto (croissaint). Today, we were heading towards Gilli to get our morning snack when we heard marching band music on the nearby Piazza della Republica.

Dozens of well-dressed (seriously, I wonder if they get their outfits from Gucci or Armani) Italian army officers were standing at attention while one shouted orders.

After returning to class I asked our conversation teacher (l'insegnante), Lucia about the scene. She said that on November 4, 1966 there was a great flood in Florence. The Arno River overflowed --- about 11 meters ---- killing many people, damaging the town center and flooding the surrounding fields for many days after.
The ceremony at the Piazza della Republica was done to mark the anniversary of the horrific flood of 1966.


Picture One, Two and Three by Jaya Bird: March on Piazza Republica in commemoration of the Florence Flood of 1966.

Barking Lot

I saw this sign outside a pharmacy (Apotheke in German) in Munich. It was one of the few places that had a place to "park" your pet outside. It seems that European really love their dogs and take them EVERYWHERE.

I have found this to be especially true in Italy. Not only are dogs stylishly dressed in fitted sweat suits, sweaters with angel wings and detailed leather jackets, but they are taken along on trains and buses and brought into cafes (called bars in Italy), actual bars (as in drinks served by a bartender), clothing stores, bookstores and even really nice restaurants.

Bailey would love it here.

Huh. It really is leaning over.

When I come across famous places, people, and things my first connection is usually to a pop culture related memory. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is no different. Today, I went on a tour of Pisa and Lucca, Italy with my schoolmate Erika (Mexico).

When I think of the leaning tower of Pisa I think of the movie, Superman III (with Christopher Reeves). In the final scene, Superman flies to the tower and fixes it by making it lean again. Earlier, "Evil Superman" had messed up the tower by straightening it.

Our bus left from Florence's bus station at 9am, Saturday morning. I have heard that there isn't much more to Pisa other than the tower and the square it sits in - Piazza dei Miracoli. Our driver seemed to have the same general underwhelming opinion of the town and declared the two hours we were to spend there would probably be too long.

We arrived in Pisa in about 40 minutes and I have to say everyone was right. While Miracle Square is pretty impressive and houses Pisa Hospital, a Cemetary, the baptistry, the cathedral, Santa Maria Assunta and of course its bell tower - the leaning tower of Pisa --- that's about all there is.

According to our tour guide, the leaning Tower of Pisa currently leans at a 5 degree angle. The tower's construction began in 1173 and it took three architects to complete the structure. It began to lean because the ground was soft as just a few hundred years after the birth of Christ Pisa was underwater. The design and appearance is similar to the turrets found on Mosques - a tip towards the influence of nearby Turkey.

Standing right next to the tower is the Cathedral Santa Maria Assunta. Just about every inch of this truly magnificent church is adorned with sculptures, paintings and other works of art.

The piece that stood out to me was the old preaching pulpit. It stands a quarter of the way back from the altar. Back in the day, the priest would use this pulpit to preach while towering over his congregation. Different scenes from th Bible are depicted on the structure --- including the killing of the first borns by Kind Herrod and the crucification. In all, over three hundred different figures are sculpted on the it's paneling. Holiding up the raised platform are three women symbolizing faith hope and charity. At the base lions representing the strength of Catholicism. When the pulpit was built a few hundred years ago most of the attending congregation couldn't read or write - the art helped get the message of the Catholic Church to them in a way they could understand.



After our tour of the cathedral we drove about an hour to Lucca, Italy. Lucca is a quaint town filled with classic churches, an amphitheater and is surrounded by an ancient wall. In this old world town a very new age festival was taking place: Lucca's Comic and Game festival (apparently continuing the comic book theme that had started for me at Pisa...) -- scores of teenager were dressed up as various superheroes and video game characters. It was strange to see kids in elaborate costumes strolling down the narrow cobblestone streets and into the Japanese Anime exhibit. Truly old world meets new.




Picture One by Jaya Bird : Me at the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Picture Two by Jaya Bird: Old Preaching Pulpit at the Cathedral Santa Maria Assunta
Picture Three by Jaya Bird: Lucca Comic and Game Festival