Author: mfilak

The Most Beautiful Part of the City of Fashion

Blog postings for Milano, Homepage
by mfilak

  During my stay in Italy, I’ve been relatively convinced that the most impressive cathedral would be the Duomo in Florence. In a lot of ways, this sentiment was definitely correct. However, upon entering the Cathedral of Milan, I was shocked and amazed. For whatever reason, perhaps because Milan is widely regarded as being the capital of the fashion world, I wasn’t expecting to see a lot of beautiful structures. I was extremely pleasantly surprised by Milan’s cathedral. As we climbed to the very top of the building, I was struck by the most beautiful view. It was truly incredible to be physically among the spires and statues atop of the cathedral. It was a very unique and beautiful experience. This, of course, was before having entered the cathedral itself. The giant pillars were simply incredible. As we strolled around the pews, an organ played in the background. I could smell the incense in the air as May’s Sun gently cascaded through the amazing stained glass windows. I’ve been waiting to feel a real connection with a cathedral here in Italy. Having been raised Catholic, I expected to feel much more in tune with my faith here given that culturally, Italy is a very Catholic country. For whatever reason, the Cathedral of Milan was really the first time I felt that way. I would certainly recommend visiting Milan’s Cathedral if you find yourself in the city of fashion. Even though it isn’t as flashy as the Galleria Vitorrio Emanuele II, but it’s a beautiful sight that is worth remembering.

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Poppi: from Unknown to Unforgettable

Blog postings for Poppi
by mfilak

      Poppi. A week ago, I knew nothing about it. Today, it’s a different sentiment entirely. Have you ever heard “good things come in small packages?” That pretty much sums up my experience in this small Italian town. We kicked off our brief stay in Poppi with a trip to Romena Castle. We learned about the rich history of this beautiful (particularly demolished) structure. The rain poured, but it did little to dull my interest in everything that we were learning. For example, it was interesting that the prisoners were kept in a tower. In this tower, the prisoners were placed on different levels in accordance to the severity of the crimes committed. Even more interesting was drawing the comparison between the separation of these criminals and the manner in which Dante was inspired by it. To me, it’s fascinating that the different circles of Hell cited in the Inferno were inspired by towers just like the one we saw. Having studied Spanish for several years, it was very exciting for me to realize that I was able to understand a large chunk of what was being said in Italian regarding the castle. Language is a passion of mine, so to feel this way was very gratifying for me. I realized then that I would love to be able to take the time to learn Italian. Perfectly, we later participated in a basic Italian lesson! Learning to introduce ourselves in Italian was also interesting to me. Being that Italian and Spanish are both Romance languages, they share many traits. However, there are also many subtle differences that can be confusing. After this experience, I certainly plan to continue working on my Italian speaking skills. I would absolutely adore being able to speak this beautiful language one day in the future. In essence, my visit to Poppi is one I’ll remember. I wasn’t familiar with this tiny gem of a town coming into Italy, but it has definitely left it’s impression on me now!

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Streets of Water

Homepage
by mfilak

“I will never forget experiencing Venice for the first time. It feels like you are transported to another time – the art, music, food and pure romance in the air is like no other place” (Elizabeth Barkley). Several months back, I was thrift shopping for some decorations to hang in my house. I stumbled across a relatively cheap, very colorful print of some gondolas passing by some clearly European buildings. Without really knowing what it was a picture of, I bought it and put it on display in my living room. As I hung it, I remember absentmindedly looking back at my roommate behind me and telling her, “Yeah, I think it’s Venice. I’m pretty sure that’s the city with the boats.” Having returned yesterday from the beautiful city that is Venice, I can confirm that yes, my print is in fact of this city. For having been found randomly in a bin of prints in a thrift store, it captures the essence of the city remarkably well. Now, when I return to my house in Slippery Rock, I will inevitably see that painting and be brought back to the peaceful gondola ride I took through the Grand Canal in Venice. By the way, I think it’s important to mention that I came incredibly close to not going on the gondola ride at all. To be honest, I didn’t know how much I’d get out of it, but it made my entire day. Prior to this ride, though, I was able to spend a few hours walking around this new city alone. I admired everything from the sound of the water softly sloshing against the sides of the canal to the heavenly scent of cooking food wafting from the water-side restaurants. Because I was alone I was able to take it all in at my very own pace. I recommend this to anyone, especially on trips during which you’re consistently with the same group of people. There’s a certain beauty in discovering a new city while at the same time rediscovering yourself.

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Firenze

Blog postings for Firenze
by mfilak

                 Traveling from Rome to Florence felt like traveling from New York City to Pittsburgh.      I enjoyed my time in Rome. Of course, I did. The architecture there is so far beyond amazing that it was incomprehensible for me and I certainly recommend that anyone visiting Italy make a point to visit there. For that exact reason, though, there are a ton of people in Rome.  This doesn’t necessarily make the experience less memorable, it just makes it a little uncomfortable from time to time.      When we arrived in Florence, I was  blown away by the different atmosphere. Although of course it was raining, I felt a certain sense of comfort when I saw the pedestrian-friendly streets and beautiful architecture.      My favorite attraction in Florence (which I would recommend to anyone who is coming to visit) was definitely seeing Michelangelo’s David. I, first of all, was surprised by the deep emotion behind this statue. I had no idea that the moment which Michelangelo wanted to capture in this spectacular work of marble was the moment of uncertainty between having seen Goliath for the first time and making the realization that he had the potential to emerge victorious. On top of this deep symbolism of the work of art, I was truly blown away by the physical sculpture. It’s colosal! The details are also simply incredible. From the top of the head to the very toes of David, the detail is simply impeccable. I didn’t even realize when I came to Florence that this would be one of the most incredible things here and I’d never forget it.      Secondly, to me, there’s always been a certain art in experiencing the people that make up a city or culture. One of my other favorite experiences in Italy has been getting the opportunity to take a cooking class regarding the cuisine of Bologna. First of all, it was very interesting to learn about Italian cooking as being somewhat secular and certainly a lot less cohesive than the way I’ve viewed it before. On top of this, though, I was able to interact with an Italian woman who didn’t speak any English. I don’t speak any Italian either. The most interesting aspect of this, for me, was that she was able to coherently teach me how to roll out the pasta noodles entirely through charades and by taking my hands into hers to teach me how to do it. It really was an incredible experience. I recommend making an effort to communicate with as many people as possible when traveling. 

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Relativism and Rome: a Journey of Self Revelation

Blog postings for Roma, Homepage
by mfilak

Have you ever felt completely and utterly consumed by the mundane problems you face in daily life? I have. In fact, I think that anyone who had the glorious pleasure of spending time around me at any point during this past semester can attest to the fact that I was drowning.  As it turns out, all I needed for a bit of a reality check in terms of the magnitude of the issues I was facing was a visit to the city which houses some of the oldest still-standing structures of all of human history.  I recommend that if you’re feeling like the world is crashing down around you because your dryer has broken (an actual issue I faced this semester) that you sit alongside the Pantheon in Rome. As I was there, I couldn’t help but to think of all that has happened around this incredible structure in the close to 2000 years during which it has been standing. Originally constructed as a place of polytheistic worship, the Pantheon has seen, at the minimum, a major switch in religious intention as the building was eventually converted into a church. My mind raced as I did my best to take it all in with the possibilities of the kinds of events that have taken place inside the walls of this place… And even more so in the case of the Colosseum! In what world could anyone possibly focus on how disappointing it is that you’ll need to study a little harder in a class that’s giving you problems when you’re literally standing mere feet away from the very spot where crowds of 70,000 watched gladiators fight, sometimes to the death? It would hard to imagine anyone doing so. Maybe though, if all of this talk of insignificance hasn’t you feeling blue, you could spend some time at the Trevi Fountain, which is also located in Rome. Despite the crowds of people, this majestic Baroque fountain is nothing if not a sight to behold! To feel completely engulfed in tradition, my friends and I hurled coins from our hand over our shoulder to bring us good romantic luck… at least, so says Italian folklore. If maybe a little luck could help you out of whatever funk you might be in, this is the ancient fountain for you! In essence, I have already been changed by the enormity and the age of things I’ve seen here. Pictures don’t do any of it justice. I hope that I’m able to carry with me the way that these historic monuments made me feel in comparison to the universe. By realizing just how small I am, my place in the world is beginning to make more sense.  I only hope that my perspective continues to develop as this trip unrolls.   

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