I walk out of my apartment and stare directly into the bright sun. It’s the perfect day for a walk in Florence and in this walking city there is no shortage of places to travel. The sun is beating down and with a haze hanging in the distance I start on my daily walk. I step over the crooked walkways and cross the street, dodging cars and pedestrians alike.
I still dart through the thin crowds turning as I go into the rowing club looking for Alberto.
The small dark green door is easy to miss at first sight, but behind the doorway is something worth looking into. I walk down the wide stairs and open the glass doors below. The lady inside greets me, “Buongiorno!” she says. I inquire about Alberto, who has promised to meet me. She then tells me Alberto is currently out on the water. “Come back in one hour,” she says clearly.
I decide to spend my time strolling along the banks of the river.
Upon arriving in Florence, Italy as a study abroad student, it is easy to get caught up in the beauty of the churches and cathedrals, the smell of the croissants, the taste of authentic Italian food, and the feel of the air as you walk along the Arno River.
What we tend to have difficulty accepting though is our fifth sense, the sounds that result from the hustle bustle of the city, most particularly the emergency vehicles. Living near the hospital, my ears do not stop ringing from the sirens of ambulances that pass on the hour, and if I am lucky, I will get to hear church bells chiming at 4am as well.
These sounds caused so much annoyance for me that I actually forgot to appreciate the true sounds of Italian culture, its music.
Before I came abroad, I had a friend who pointed out her fondness over street performers, and little does she know that if it was not for her, I do not think I would have ever experienced the true sounds of Florence. These musicians, although all separate groups, are collectively so incredibly talented that they attract large paparazzi- like groups who video and snap pictures of their performance.
Jokes on them though because listening to these street performances does not require electronic devices, just ears.
Whether they are playing on string instruments such as violins or guitars, blowing into a trumpet, or singing, these artists deserve the attention of our ears. They are a true representation of the culture here in Florence as they liven up each street corner and square with their melodies and songs. Although this is a different take on music, especially because the way in which music is created and performed is different in each country, it is worth unplugging the headphones from your ears because experiencing tunes so authentic and natural will come few and far between in the future. Too many of us students get so fed up with sounds of the bustle of the city that we forget to enjoy listening to a large part of the Italian culture that is present around each corner for free!
Walking the streets of Florence can uncover many different experiences, the Giardini di Boboli evoke a similar idea, as down every pathway are new and exciting sights. My favorite place I encountered is known as the Knight’s Garden.
While heading towards this spot I was
encouraged to continue going up, past all the tourists that crowded around the bottom and up to one of
the highest look out points. After venturing off to the side and up a small
spiral staircase I encountered wonderful views, but not the ones I was
expecting to see. While I saw the mesmerizing familiar city line, the garden
offered something else too.
The Knight’s garden, a rooftop garden above
the fountains and ornate decorations, is a stepping stone between historic
Florence and the surrounding Tuscany countryside. The hills beyond the garden
flow freely as you get a panoramic view of the cypress trees and olive groves.
Sometimes, if the signs and food doesn’t remind you you’re in Tuscany you would
never know, but here up above the city you are reminded by the colors you see
in the hills.
You can spot many Italian villas nestled right
between the hills where you can imagine the simplicity only such a retreat can
offer. It’s a simple escape from the city, where you are connected to Tuscany
and the magnificent city of Florence all at once. The view will remind you that there is plenty more of
Italy to uncover as well.
The walls supporting the Knight’s Garden were
made by Michelangelo in the 1500s. When they improved the Gardens, they created
a villa for a knight, currently the Porcelain museum, and they added the
gardens as well. Beneath the gardens there is an irrigation system that helps to water the many
greenery spread around the hillside, it’s invention was one of the firsts of its
time. Standing in a space that was so integral to this society was humbling.
The plants surrounding the rooftop were not in
full bloom, but they were taken care of with precision, the gardeners just
waiting for the spring to approach and with it the new blossoms.
The fountain in the middle of the square was
also adorned with statues of monkeys, adding a mystic vibe to the scene.
Standing in the middle of such a unique place, I never wanted to
leave. When it finally became time to make the descent down through the rest of
the gardens I thoughtfully said my goodbyes to the panoramic view of Tuscany
and parted towards the city once more.
In one of the first rooms of Palazzo Pitti’s temporary Animalia Fashion exhibit, there’s a small sign stating that none of the clothes on display involved harming animals. However, the sign adds, the issue is still important to consider.
The exhibit, which showcases nature’s influence on haute couture, begins in a long hallway of narrow rooms. The couture pieces were blocked from admiring viewers by velvet rope and a raised platform, transporting the viewer to the runway stages that they made their debut on.
Each room is backdropped by a cloth sketch displaying the animals that the nearby pieces were based on. With some of the pieces the influence was obvious. For example a golden snake, placed on the back of a navy gown, is clearly inspired by the animal kingdom. Othertimes it takes a little looking to realize how the piece reflects nature. This is the case with another snake inspired piece, a vest with twisting tubes that reflects the animal’s movements rather than have direct snake imagery.
The clothes are a reflection on how nature both fascinates and terrifies us, with many sources for inspiration. A bridal-style white gown has graceful curves that would perfectly reflect the moonlight that inspired it. The prickily nature of the pufferfish is seen in boldly spiked jacket. No matter which direction the inspiration came from, it’s clear that nature has an impression on fashion.
This impact is felt both ways, but it doesn’t always result in something to be admired. Many of the rooms also display stuffed birds and insects in glass, reminding viewers of how fashion can cruelly collide with the natural world. From hunting animals for prized fur to environmentally harmful factories, nature and fashion can be a dangerous combination.
The exhibit showcases hypocrisy in the fashion industry. They take influence from the beauty of nature, yet play an active part in its destruction. The message of the gallery is the same one as the sign in the front of it: it’s important to reflect on how fashion can impact nature.
Animalia Fashion will be at Palazzo Pitti until May 5, 2019.
Finding the balance between appreciating detailed Italian pieces of metal and fighting the urge to throw away the key.
Upon my arrival in Florence, I was instructed to check in at the table my program set up in the airport in order to receive the keys to my apartment. Although the many hours of packing before leaving the United States combined with jetlag left me little time to ponder over being responsible for my own set of keys, it did not take long for me to realize that these little pieces of metal were what distinguished me as being a resident of Florence for the next couple of months.
Fast- forward to a couple of days later when I discovered that old, intricate metal keys were the only way to navigate through my apartment. Not only did I have two keys, which I used to fumble my way into my apartment everyday for the first month, I had a key to access the wardrobe in the living room as well as two other keys that allowed my roommates and I to enter the outdoor patio that is conveniently attached to our apartment. Those keys tended to be temperamental, so I had to choose which one I would use to fight with while going to war with the lock and door. In fact, all of them were a bit temperamental. Or maybe it was because they were placed in the hands of someone who has been swiping their ID into dorms and classrooms for the past three years. Either way, these old style keys are difficult to use on outdated pieces of furniture, so what was once thought of as unique additions to the apartment are now objects of frustration and annoyance.
Metal is largely part of the artwork here in Florence as it is seen welded into sculptures, onto the doors of apartments, or as rustic objects in older apartments, including the keys. I either find myself trying to embrace the old Florentine lifestyle with old keepsakes because these objects are actually beautiful pieces of history, or find myself on the verge of throwing down the keys that will keep me locked out of my apartment until used correctly.
A tourist (or perhaps just me), will find it very easy to get lost in Florence.
The curved roads here are different from those back home. It’s hard to tell when the brick-lined street you’re walking on will spill into a piazza or turn into a narrow alleyway.
This isn’t something to raise alarm, it’s part of the city’s charm. After all, when you get lost you never know where you’ll find yourself.
I’ve discovered some amazing places whenever I’ve gotten lost in the city. Just this morning I stumbled into a hole in the wall with a coffee vending machine. I got myself a shot of espresso for 30 cents that was surprisingly good considering the fact that it didn’t come from a barista’s hands.
Not that you should rely on random vending machines for food or drink. If you ever get lost in Florence, try to make your way to somewhere that offers food. I usually find myself at a coffee bar, enjoying a shot of espresso and observing the city around me.
There’s a lot of activity in the streets of Florence. You’ll find cart vendors selling anything from antique books to leather goods. The many piazzas around town offer excellent places to sit and relax with your friends. To top it all off, you’re guaranteed to be surrounded by some gorgeous old-world architecture.
Of course you don’t want to get too lost. Make sure you have a cell phone with data that will help you find your way back to where you’re staying. But if you’re on your way to the Duomo and make a wrong turn, use it as an opportunity to explore somewhere new.
It might be tempting to stay in the touristy areas of Florence, but this offers only a glimpse of the city. In order to see it’s true nature without having to wait in line, walk around the city and step inside a shop that you didn’t make plans for.
It’s nice to get out of the city air every once in a while to recharge on a nice day. Luckily, I had just that in mind when I found out about the Giardino dell’Orticoltura, or the Horticulture Garden of Florence. This garden is outside of the city center and has an air of mystery surrounding it.
The greenhouse in this garden was built as the result of a movement for more green space in the city, and for all the nineteenth-century splendor it was built in, did not have all of the crowds I was used to in Florence. I was anxious to see what I might find and if it would even be open.
As soon as I crossed the street, I was met with the open doors of the park. It was a lot bigger than in the pictures online. After walking a lap around the garden, I sat on a bench and tried to be as quiet as I could be. I found myself listening to the birds and writing in my journal. I could hear the people reading a few benches over turn the pages to their book every now and then. Others had parked their strollers next to the benches while the children slept. Some were taking a smoke break or reading the newspaper. There were many pathways lined with small pebbles, so that when people walked by even a few meters away you could hear their feet crunching the ground beneath them. I watched the people walk past with their friends and their dogs. I saw people sit down on the grass right next to the smaller flowers, the first of the little weeds that were starting to pop up in mid-february.
The greenhouse was a sight to see. It sparkled the sun off of its clear windows which stood out against the white structure inside. It was completely empty inside, but there will be flower exhibits in late April that I’m told will fill the building with color. The tropical trees around the greenhouse make it very picturesque. Even on a colder day, the trees lend a feeling that the warmer weather will soon be here. The park itself seems out of a magazine, scattered statues of dogs are all around the place. What stands out to me is the decorated taxi that is in the grass on a raised bed. The taxi is covered in fun childish paintings and drawings of cartoons. After translating the message in the window, I learn it is the Milan 25 car, which was a taxi driven to cheer up children in hospitals. The taxi was decommissioned and replaced, so the old one is in the park for everyone to see and visit.
Although I wanted to stay in the quiet park all day, I decided to start making my way back to the city center. The streets were nearly empty on this side of Florence, and I noticed there was a lot more car traffic than I was used to in the historical district. I had to wander down the street to find a crosswalk, and when I did I found another small outdoor area. My directions were telling me I should cut through a park, but once I saw it I told myself I needed to make a detour. As soon as I saw the amazing Fontana Della Fortezza da Basso, a fountain with benches and sidewalks that was conveniently placed next to the base, I knew I had to come back here many more times in my days in Florence. I encountered many more Florentine sights on my way back, but none stuck to mind quite like the outdoor spaces did. I had never seen this side of Florence before and it seemed everywhere I turned, I had a new memory of this fantastic sun-filled day.
As my plane landed in Florence, I immediately reached for my phone to switch it off airplane mode. To my initial horror, it read “No Service”. A wave of panic rushed over me as I attempted to calculate the texts I would need to send and the posts I would need to like. As I sat in the cab to my new apartment with an unusable phone, I began to truly see and appreciate Florence.
The prioritization of social media drastically takes away from living in the moment. Frequently, I catch myself scrolling through my phone rather than being present. Checking Instagram appears to be therapeutic: you check it when you’re happy, sad, and anything in between. It is harder to concentrate on one task with the temptation of social media within grasp. I am not blind to the fact that this social mutation is detrimental. The misconception is that individuals think they cannot live without connection to social media. The lack of mindfulness is where people go astray; however, the moment at the Florence airport was a wake up call.
Since arriving in Florence, I have noticed that I am checking my phone less. Maybe it’s due to the lack of service, but my mind seems lighter and less worried about what others are doing or posting. In hindsight, social media created an anxiety and fear of missing out. For me, once the step had been taken to disconnect from the virtual world, it was much easier to appreciate what was in front of me.
SPEL Photography student Donald Blair shares his beautiful textures created through macrophotography.
I decided to explore the textures of the world through macrophotography; often combining composited, and augmented graphic elements. I opted to take this approach to convey the way I see the world through my unique perspective. I often get lost in the tiny minute details of sight, sounds, and textures that most people never notice. Although I could not find away to express sound through this particular part of the creative process, I was able to show the visual textures that I often get lost in. This is a body of work I plan to continue for a long time to come. I find it is a unique way to explore my surrounding world as I travel through life. I am able to capture the actual textures of my journeys across this awesome planet, in a way traditional travel photography often neglects.
I expanded upon the scope of this project by incorporating my playful and imaginative side by making these images represent a visual story of inter-dimensional space exploration. This work pulls from my previous works where I try to convey a somewhat psychotropic/cosmic travel experience. This collection of photographs take the observer through three separate stages of a transient voyage. The first series of images focuses on Dimensional Travel through light to reach a new universe. Part of this series titled “Warp Drive” is also currently on exhibition at FUA’s DIVA campus.My Dimensional Travel series begins with images that are shot straight and less processed. Then it gradually approaches an increasingly augmented perspective. The Dimensional Travel series then morphs into my other two series. The second series of images explore the planetary cosmos of this new universe. And, the last series of images pull the observer down to the new planetary landscapes that exist in this new exciting realm. Although each section of these three series are different, they culminate into a single cohesive body of work that I call Cosmic Travel.
The Dimensional Travel series starts by exploring a macro photographic study of bent light. By focussing in on the textures of a fresnel type prismatic light refractor, differing liquids, and transparent/translucent objects; I was able to observe the world in a way that recalls the moments of my life since childhood when I would get lost in wonder as I would gaze through objects that would bend and manipulate light. Things such as looking through the side of a glass top table would present a new universe to me. I was able to see beyond my present reality as the glass would warp and bend the light as it passed through. It also is symbolic of the way sci-fi movies and television represent cosmic travel by the warping and bending of light. For example: when Star Trek would engage warp speed, or teleportation; or, when Dr. Who would travel in his Tardis. This also alludes to my own cosmic experiences that lifted the veil of reality,by presenting a new way of looking at the world in which I exist.
I knew when I applied to the Special Project Experiential Learning (SPEL) Journalism course that Florence was one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I thought it would be the perfect spot for me: a relaxed, artistic, history-filled setting that would appeal to my old and free-spirited soul. It turns out I was right on the money (and so much more). As I’m getting ready to head back to Charlotte, my heart grows heavy. Although I have only spent two months in Florence, it’s evident to me that I have found a home away from home.
The thought first crossed my mind just a few days after my arrival. I assumed assimilating to a whole new country, language, and culture would naturally take time, but surprisingly, a sense of ease settled in me very quickly. Since I have always been curious about everything, I wondered: is it because Florence is the total opposite of Charlotte, a metropolitan city nearing 1 million inhabitants; or that everything is within walking distance, or maybe it’s the “homey” vibe that Florence just gives off that makes me feel so comfortable here? Whatever the case, it didn’t take long for me to tell my parents and friends that I wanted to move here. It was a big revelation for me because after all of the trips I’ve taken in my life, the closest that I ever came to thinking, “Yeah, I can see myself living here,” was Miami and Los Angeles. Not even Lima, Peru, my birthplace, and where almost all of my relatives live made the cut. Quite the opposite – I’ve repeatedly said that while I love visiting Lima, I could never live there. So when it dawned on me that I could actually picture myself living in Florence, I was shocked, but it was a good, welcoming realization.
Now that my time here is coming to a close, the reasons for my love of Florence have become clearer. I believe one of them is the persevered presence of its antiquity provides me an endless supply of imagination. As a writer, I read and write every day. Staying in Florence gave me a burst of creativity. I wrote articles for FUA during the day, and incessantly wrote my own stories at night. Whether it was in my apartment’s living room with the windows open or in a café down the street by the Duomo, the words poured out of me, and it was simply wonderful.
Another reason for wanting to stay would have to be the breathtaking beauty of the city. Raised in a place where skyscrapers dominate the skyline, Florence offered a nice change of scenery. Instead of having the Bank of America Corporate Center, Duke Energy Center, and Bank of America Stadium in the horizon, there was the Duomo’s terracotta-lined dome, Giotto’s bell tower, Palazzo Vecchio’s Torre di Arnolfo, and the surrounding hills of the valley that the city lies in. At times, it made me feel like I was living hundreds of years ago, when Florence reigned supreme during the Renaissance.
Though I’m happy to return to my family and friends, I’m also sad to leave Florence. I’ll always carry the memories with me. I don’t know when I’ll return, but what I do know is that one day I will.
