Standing in the Spotlight

We all love, on various levels, being the center of attention; I am no exception. I received an email from professor Bersson, the man in charge, a few days ago telling me (and all the others going) that at some point during the trip any one of us could play tour guide to the rest of the group, be the center of attention. This scared and excited me all at once since I had never set foot over seas, but I kept reading to understand what exactly would be expected of us.

Since all 12 of us going come from a variety of educational interests, professor Bersson thought it would be great that each of us takes a few hours one day to share our knowledge with the rest of the group, lead an informal discussion on whatever gets us excited that is in this great city. One of the ladies going is a professor of English Lit, so we have a list of books to read (if we want) that were written in or takes place in Florence. So she will probably take us to the location where the books were written, or where they took place, and lead the discussion on the authors and books. A few are interested in the food and wine aspect of the city, so I can see a wine tasting/tour happening. Since you all know what a photography geek I am, you know that's what I will focus on.

I googled photo museums in Florence, one came up; I am sure there are more museums that have photography exhibits, but this is the cream of the crop! The Alinari Museum is the place to go to learn all you want about photography. Since I am currently taking 'History of Photography' this is on my top 5 places to want to see before I leave. This museum was established in 1852, about 13 years after the first photograph, so it houses daguerreotypes, calotypes, large format cameras, and so much more. I could go on, but I don't want your eyes to glaze over.

To add a win-win aspect, if any of us do decide to play teacher, professor Bersson will treat us to lunch or dinner. All for it! He did tell us that he is stressing quality, not quantity, since this is to happen after the 'formal' part of our day... still excited, so I do believe I'll do it.

Cupid and Psyche, not sure where
this is, but it's a favorite

On another topic.... I am still in need of some ideas for projects. I figured that I have so many picture opportunities that I could stretch this trip into multiple projects. One can be specifically for the trip
grade, any others I could use for a portfolio grade (different class altogether). A friend of my grandparents, who had been to Florence before, told me to do a project on the Ponte Vecchio; doable, but I won't know how much I can eke out of that subject alone. I did come up with a possible title for a project, "Expression Through Stone". Sounds kind of cool doesn't it! Italy is big on sculptures, and not just the face expresses emotions.... Any other ideas? A friend suggested fire (since I discovered my inner pyro a few semesters ago), but I will have to research paintings and stain glass to see how that one will work.

A Piece....

Since I have never left the country (I will not count going to Canada as a family vacation because at the time it didn't require a passport), I have done all of my "exotic" travel through pictures. The internet is such a wonderful way to do just that. The down side, your one request could bring you more of what you don't want than what you do... so be exact in what you type.

So to give you an idea, a very small idea, of what I will be seeing.... here are some pictures to get you just as excited as me.... or not. I will happily admit to turning into a major geek when I get to talking about this trip.

A Map of the general area of where I will be.... and that is the hotel where I will be staying. The write up I got says that it is family owned and "remarkably well located" to where we will go and what we will see.

This is the famous Baptistery with the beautiful 'Doors of Paradise' by Ghiberti. To see this up close and personal will probably make me cry. Not ashamed to admit my new found love of architecture and it's details.

'The David' and not my favorite version, but the one in Florence. I have been informed by a good friend, who has been there before, that despite my hatred strong dislike of this particular version, I will still be in awe. I would love to go to Rome to see my favorite sculpture's version... maybe another time (I will think positive that it could happen).

This is the Duomo, the main cathedral in Florence. Not much to say about it other than this was done by Arnolfo di Cambio and Brunelleschi (I had to look that up, so please no thinking of how impressive that was) and it just looks magnificent.





Here we have The Church/Complex of San Lorenzo. Just beautiful, right! Please keep in mind that there is so much more to see inside, i just don't want to overwhelm you with such awesomeness all at once.

Bernini's David! Fantastic right!

Next, we have the Loggia die Lanzi... basically a really big, open space that has lots of beautiful sculptures. I'm sure there will be another version of the David here that I will, no doubt, criticize and be in awe of at the same time (dang my bias towards Bernini). 

Last, but very far from being the least, we have the Ponte Vecchio. I hope to get a picture as beautiful as this one, but I am not holding my breath on that. This bridge has markets all along it's length, and I will be seeing what I could get here in the way of Christmas presents. 

This selection of photos is only a tiny slice of what I will be seeing and photographing, but it gives you an idea of the magnitude of this trip. 

Kind of funny, but before I had gone to the meeting letting us know what we would be seeing I started reading Dan Brown's 'Inferno'... basically everywhere that Robert Langdon travels to in that book, I will be visiting myself. I happen to take the book with me to the meeting (thinking I would have time to read a little), when I heard the list of places I pulled the book out and said "like in here...." The professor in charge decided he should be reading the book as well.

If any of my fellow blog followers have been to Florence and has a fantastic idea of what my project should be, let me know. How do I narrow down 10 days in art paradise into one little photography project?! What should I focus on? What would you like to see in a 'coffee table' kind of book? I have time to think of an idea, but any help would be greatly appreciated!

When a door closes....

So back in February I was invited to go on a study abroad trip to... VIENNA, AUSTRIA!!! How unbelievably cool is that?! And to be personally invited by the professor in charge was just the icing on the cake.
Well, that cake got a little stale! I could not raise enough funds on my own for the trip, so I had to decline my spot. It is not a trip sponsored through JMU so I couldn't get any grant/scholarship/loan money to help with the cost. I was heartbroken, but not enough to really be a problem. 
While nursing my wound, my mom and sister-in-law kept reminding me that when one door closes, another one opens, and in most cases that other door winds up being so much better.... cue the new door opening please!

In April I had received an email from the director of the Adult Degree Program, which I am a part of, that said: 
     The Adult Degree Program, Outreach and Engagement, and Dr. Robert Bersson... have collaborated to make a study abroad opportunity available to ADP students. If you always wanted to study abroad but a full semester isn't possible, here is your chance to spend 10 days in Florence, Italy.

FLORENCE!!!! Ever since I took my art history courses at Southern Virginia University I have wanted to go to Italy. Now, here is my chance, waiting for me to pluck it up and do whatever I could to make this trip a reality.
I told my mom (let's face it, she will be watching my kids, so she had to give her approval) and she was all for it. Mostly because this trip would only be for ten days, whereas the Austria trip was for six weeks. Thanks to a generous uncle I already had my passport (had to be prepared fore Vienna), so all I had to do was to become best buddies with Sallie Mae to get the needed funding, since this trip was sponsored by JMU I had that option. Tuition, airfare, food (staying at a hotel), entertainment, and all that other touristy stuff taken into account, I sold my soul filled out my application and sent it off for approval.
Fast forward through the "endless" waiting for school verification, for the actual deposit into my account, and I can say with utter glee that I am fully paid up for the trip, flight has been purchased, and I am now at the stage of making a list of things that I will need to remember to bring, which shouldn't be too long.