tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89546261969892472332024-03-05T12:14:16.069-06:00Enchanted Etymologist<i>If I don't write to empty my mind, I go mad. - Lord Byron</i>Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-17135255352196443452015-07-11T09:27:00.001-05:002015-07-11T09:30:44.995-05:00And That's a Wrap, Folks!I'm sorry that I haven't posted in awhile! It was recently brought to my attention that I left all of my faithful readers hanging in Venice and failed to provide closure for my trip - my sincerest apologies. I will rectify this situation now.<br />
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Venice was amazing! After my "Grand Tour" the next day I went to the Academia with Elyse, Preston and Hunter to see my favorite Titian painting:</div>
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Then they were planning to go to the Bienalle, a worldwide modern art show that is held in Venice. As a not very cultured person who has never liked modern art I did not particularly want to pay the 30 euro admittance fee to see art I didn't really care about. However, having separated from Natalie (and thus from our hotel keys) I had little choice. It wouldn't have been much of a problem, I could have just gone home and waited for someone with keys to show up - but it was raining....again. As previously related I was struggling to live a poncho-less existence. After lunch with Hunter (pizza and cappuccino) and a tete-a-tete he had managed to convince me that I should go to the Bienalle - boy was he right!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDi2DljnRlC16wbO8MXK1R9WGOD5zA8pRnFJLdWouQvyRmWVcS07pcA-r1NEA-io0j_ulwsR_QSyzGeAFXm15ynMSpAEif0J0WFty26H6ia0Bj0WAWCMIwOGFwFUEIv7uFSMVNDLAnDfA/s1600/FullSizeRender+215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDi2DljnRlC16wbO8MXK1R9WGOD5zA8pRnFJLdWouQvyRmWVcS07pcA-r1NEA-io0j_ulwsR_QSyzGeAFXm15ynMSpAEif0J0WFty26H6ia0Bj0WAWCMIwOGFwFUEIv7uFSMVNDLAnDfA/s320/FullSizeRender+215.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKUz6kuKllXzBll9OTlnjv-YYLuURvgzpxoRUHetahp6GnOulutaVbmRihHQwUD_EuXTTRwpMWexWwRZ_ZCkIGiIgzq9Ib_lPZ9CgBr9RTLf62F5GIGZ4dqJSUBTBq7eMIU3J0VB1AVo/s1600/FullSizeRender+228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKUz6kuKllXzBll9OTlnjv-YYLuURvgzpxoRUHetahp6GnOulutaVbmRihHQwUD_EuXTTRwpMWexWwRZ_ZCkIGiIgzq9Ib_lPZ9CgBr9RTLf62F5GIGZ4dqJSUBTBq7eMIU3J0VB1AVo/s320/FullSizeRender+228.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The art at the Bienalle was fascinating:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKy4wYgMjZaisGH19_P1FPbO-HKbjI5mTGY6Dcz5woKeSLQLi9zojDsB6SvjdJIz7r6VL38CtZaCDum14lNAKru8MjSAeg7Q8gv1bSim7MA10sNNPV9-v7Ev71sklE-v092EMkqkkvVZU/s1600/FullSizeRender+217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKy4wYgMjZaisGH19_P1FPbO-HKbjI5mTGY6Dcz5woKeSLQLi9zojDsB6SvjdJIz7r6VL38CtZaCDum14lNAKru8MjSAeg7Q8gv1bSim7MA10sNNPV9-v7Ev71sklE-v092EMkqkkvVZU/s320/FullSizeRender+217.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The art was divided into separate small house-like structures that were allotted to different countries.</div>
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My favorite was Japan:</div>
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After the Bienalle, Preston, Hunter and I went to the Lido to meet Alex and Hope. The Lido an island that abuts the sea instead of the Grand Canal. It was very fun walking along the beach. Hunter and I sang hymns and Elyse found a dead crab which she named Edward and gave a fitting funeral and burial. Then we went to dinner (I tried a Spritz) and rode the vaporetto home as the sun set, seeing Venice from the sea as it should be seen.</div>
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The next day it was time to leave Venice. It was one of the best experiences of my entire life - seeing Venice after taking a course entirely devoted to studying its art and history. </div>
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Then it was into the trains for an exhausting day of travel. Back at the castle we had our finals - which totally stressed me out! I studied some in Venice at night and then on the train ride back. We also had a wine tasting: </div>
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And went to the Dolomites, one of the most beautiful sites in Italy:</div>
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Michi, Princess Mary's grandson, is an avid hiker and he took us up to see a glacier and then we hiked back down:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDo3ewdfnbMnoYTQZCODqKxs6SuZMfrDIhAvV4HjlX9D6_5YQluxCjqUcmrgw_cscFtGVe5tR3h0SnnIiyYd01SF07afUOOPY9RB3S_IhoAlEUYgj9H3F_LmcSXFOpeN3Z5mgCr9u0n4/s1600/IMG_2670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDo3ewdfnbMnoYTQZCODqKxs6SuZMfrDIhAvV4HjlX9D6_5YQluxCjqUcmrgw_cscFtGVe5tR3h0SnnIiyYd01SF07afUOOPY9RB3S_IhoAlEUYgj9H3F_LmcSXFOpeN3Z5mgCr9u0n4/s320/IMG_2670.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The next day, after our final, I rappelled down the side of the castle (again with Michi's guidance). It was a blast! </div>
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Our last night at the castle Dr. Redman made us an Italian supper to speed us on our way. It was very good! I brought a homemade cobbler (I picked the fruit for the filling from trees at the castle). Princess Mary came for dessert and had two servings of my cobbler! I was so happy she enjoyed it.</div>
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Then it was time to leave the castle. Staying at the castle had been a wonderful dream come true. I will never forget it and I strongly desire a return trip (Brigitte told me they want me to come back...I am happy to oblige!). Natalie, Hunter and I set out for the train station, lugging our ridiculously heavy (in my case) luggage up the monstrous mountain of a hill to Dorf Tirol. </div>
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We were so thankful for Hunter, who helped us quite a lot with out luggage. Natalie and I spent a miserable night at a hostel in Bolzano. There was no air conditioning and it was over 90 degrees! But the hostel had breakfast the next morning and was very clean, so it definitely could have been worse. Then on to Milan where we spent the night again.</div>
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We were determined not to spend a night in Milan without seeing the city, so we went to dinner in the historical center and looked at the Duomo (not sure why it's called that) from the outside. The church was already closed by the time we made it into the city. </div>
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After walking around Milan and eating dinner we returned to our hotel (the nicest hotel we stayed our entire trip to Italy!) and checked our luggage, repacking and making sure everything was ready for our trip home. I ended up getting a grand total of 3 hours sleep before embarking on my 20+ hour flight home...not optimal. Here I would like to provide a brief overview of United's service. ALL United flights run late. I never had a flight my whole trip that left, or arrived, on time. Which ended up being an asset in Munich when it took us a ridiculous amount of time to clear not one, but TWO security points - we had never left the airport...I did not understand that one at all. Then when we finally landed on the tarmac in Texas, exhausted and so ready to go home, we had to wait for over an hour in the airplane for an entrance to the airport to open up. Apparently a lot of flights from Houston were sent to DFW because of bad weather in Houston...it was getting to the point where I thought they should deploy the slides used in ocean landings and just let us slide down and go home! But finally we were allowed to get off the plane and I was officially HOME!! :) </div>
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I really miss Italy. It was so peaceful there, in the Tyrollean mountains. It was so cool there (always got down 60 degrees at night....) but I am very thankful to be home safe, back with my family who I missed dreadfully! School will start back up in a few weeks and my Chick-fil-A is about to re-open, new, shiny and clean! Soon my life will be back to normal. I will never forget my stay in Italy. It was a beautiful, lovely dream. A paradise that I got to taste for a fleeting moment. Hopefully I will be able to return someday. But until that time, I will live my life here, an adventure in America, one day at a time! Thank you for reading!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKRSTm5s8qGtK78k4RwmWhznlwR7kmGvbIB4Y96_laoQve-TQUHaLa-hSApMbHCvCc-eDVp5WeAebLSVI9X1JU5NKwVlt0qQhrzIsxsJr2AnSkpPKedqfax3-Jg0lDgKZc5U6J2_ltTM/s1600/FullSizeRender+212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKRSTm5s8qGtK78k4RwmWhznlwR7kmGvbIB4Y96_laoQve-TQUHaLa-hSApMbHCvCc-eDVp5WeAebLSVI9X1JU5NKwVlt0qQhrzIsxsJr2AnSkpPKedqfax3-Jg0lDgKZc5U6J2_ltTM/s320/FullSizeRender+212.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back at Home with my Family</td></tr>
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Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-74719420129707458412015-06-21T17:26:00.002-05:002015-06-23T01:28:01.629-05:00The Grand Tour...of Venice<div class="MsoNormal">
My second day in Venice dawned very cloudy (not a
precipitous start to my avowedly poncho-less existence). The plan was to meet
Dr. Rosen, a UTD art history professor, at the Piazza San Marco to begin a tour
of Venetian churches and artwork. We rose early, afraid of getting lost, and
took the vaporetto to San Marco. The church and Doge’s Palace are gorgeous!
Delightfully unsymmetrical and different than anything else I have seen in
Italy. Because of our temporal fear, Natalie and I arrived quite early. We then
went on a search for food. I had, I kid you not, the best breakfast ever that
morning! Two fresh, hot Nutella filled croissants and a latte machiatto (which
has become my go to drink). </div>
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Soon Dr. Rosen arrived and we explored the piazza,
standing under the cover of the library to avoid the showers. After a detailed
look at the architecture of the piazza, San Marco and the outside of the Doge’s
Palace:</div>
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we moved on to the Dominican church San Giovanni e Poalo. The
architecture on the inside reminded me of the Duomo in Florence. Compared with
other churches in Italy it is relatively unadorned, most of the walls are made
of simple brick. </div>
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There are gorgeous paintings and many tombs embedded in the
building’s walls. Dr. Rosen once lived in Italy, so he was very knowledgeable
about the structure and the history behind all of the artwork. It was so nice
having a guide (as previously stated, Venice is not a particularly easy city to
navigate). After the Dominican church we headed over to Santa Maria Dei
Miracoli, Ezra Pound’s favorite church in Venice, often called the Jewel Box. </div>
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As Dr. Rosen pointed out to us, most structures (like San Giovanni e Paolo) are
made of brick and the brick shows through. Santa Maria Dei Miracoli is
completely covered in marble, porphyr and other stones so as to render it even
more elaborate and gorgeous! Also, in contrast to San Marco which has varied
and not in uniform architecture and style, Santa Maria Dei Miracoli was built by
one architect who had the sole charge of the building. This central planning
figure gives the chapel a cohesiveness and uniformity which is often lacking in
Venetian architecture. I also had a cappuccino in the small campo abutting
Santa Maria Dei Miracoli. I wasn’t sure I needed more caffeine…but Dr. Rosen
said he always recommends more coffee, truth be told I required very little
persuasion. Drinking coffee in Italy has been one of the great pleasures of
this trip. After we admired the Jewel Box thoroughly, we moved on to the
Franciscan church, the Frari. This church possesses some amazing artwork as
well, most norably The Assumption of the Virgin by Titian, my favorite Venetian
artist. </div>
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The colors and perspective of the painting are reminiscent of Raphael,
the illustrious composer of The School of Athens which I was blessed to see in
the Vatican museum. I did not like the Frari as much as San Giovanni e Paolo.
It was bigger and more elaborate. The architecture did not remind me of the
Duomo (which you might recall is my favorite church in Italy). It was lovely,
highly ornamented and elaborate. Titian’s painting is the alter piece and was
exquisite, but the church as a whole was not my favorite, that is reserved for
the Duomo and perhaps the Jewel Box, which, though highly ornamented, is still
simplistic in architecture. And with the Frari our tour was done – a full day
of touring, right? Wrong! Still much more to do. Natalie was not feeling well,
so she left and went back to the hotel. With her loss I was left with a lot of
people that had not been to Murano. I was definitely game to go back, seeing as
I had not bought half of the things that I wanted the day before. So to Murano
we all went, a jolly little group. Amazingly I was able to find all of the
things that I had wanted to buy previously. It was so fun! Then Hope, Alex and
I decided to go visit the Jewish Ghetto for dinner and have some falafel.
Unluckily, we forgot that it was Friday night until we were almost there. Even
so, we decided to see if the restaurants were still open since it was still
well before sunset. They were not – a tragedy. Instead, in a stroke of irony,
we went to a little streetside café and had pork chops and French fries with
very little ketchup. I am going to be so happy to get back to my large bottle
of Heinz, I am so tired of rationing the one to two packets of ketchup I get
in Italy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We then went home to the hotel to pick up Natalie and go
find Olga’s house. After wandering for awhile, we found it! Eureka! </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0wmZ73brV6V2n9OeThSB_cLPefureqPhP6tqGeEIR2egffDecx9k8MlbSFFiOQREdocXDt4UcyL2hwO42ZUC9GATbhw8OcHY3wVip5QUB20048iwNbCWoP01g2KJF1dkS1yevsI1B0g/s1600/FullSizeRender+198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0wmZ73brV6V2n9OeThSB_cLPefureqPhP6tqGeEIR2egffDecx9k8MlbSFFiOQREdocXDt4UcyL2hwO42ZUC9GATbhw8OcHY3wVip5QUB20048iwNbCWoP01g2KJF1dkS1yevsI1B0g/s320/FullSizeRender+198.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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And right
after that – it started raining. But I valiantly resisted the hagglers trying
to sell me a pancho and instead ended the evening thoroughly soaked, but five
euros up – a success to my way of thinking. On the way back to the hotel we
stopped by Grom, a gelato place (Travel Tip #9 for anyone going to Italy: GO TO
GROM!) that was recommended to Natalie and me by Gaspare, our Roman friend.
Hope was impressed, both because that place is just stinking impressive and
because all of the flavors and the cones and cookies are gluten free, which
meant she could have anything. Then home and time for sleep. A long day, full
of fun! Venice just might be my favorite city in Italy! It is definitely tied
with Rome as of now…one more day to edge out the Eternal City. Until next time,
goodnight from the city of the Winged Lion!<o:p></o:p></div>
Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-72905082453710741682015-06-21T16:31:00.000-05:002015-06-23T01:33:42.208-05:00Venice: The City of the Winged Lion<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCGGSRvuInLjpzLDfszg0vCbZZT-aqLIZYbtbLg-_boGTQa61EF5qodBl2Ect6Lbdis0foKckG667_U_k0mzNitAefGBiYMZI2LgLpGJzN606hdwlhNq06Bg4YddmhNL_QEVvZZllVxY/s1600/FullSizeRender+190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCGGSRvuInLjpzLDfszg0vCbZZT-aqLIZYbtbLg-_boGTQa61EF5qodBl2Ect6Lbdis0foKckG667_U_k0mzNitAefGBiYMZI2LgLpGJzN606hdwlhNq06Bg4YddmhNL_QEVvZZllVxY/s320/FullSizeRender+190.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Latte Machiatto at the Train Station</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Again, I am sorry for the late posts. WiFi was a nightmare in Venice once again - but I am back and should have many posts forthcoming as soon as they can be transcribed from my notebook to the computer.</span></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br />So...arrival day in Venice was quite the debacle. Natalie and I, after our experiences in Florence, decided that arriving in a new city during rush hour is not a good thing. So we got up at 6 am and caught a train. </span></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br />We arrived in Venice around noon and set out to find our hotel and some very much needed food. Upon leaving the train station I was immediately spell-bound by the magical city of Venice. Gondolas and vaporettos vie for dominance of the Grand Canal while tourists and locals walk leisurely over the bridges. It is beautiful!</span></span></h2>
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<h2>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">After wandering around for awhile we finally found a panini place where I decided to get lunch and a coffee: worst mistake ever! Not because the food was bad (it was actually quite tasty) but because Natalie found a much better place to eat just a few minutes down the road. It was a homemade pasta hole in the wall. She got a to go carton of pasta with bolognese sauce for 5 euros, and it was very, very good! One of the great things about having Natalie for a travel buddy is our shared passion for good food. We have eaten our way across Italy, and we always share food. I have gotten to try double the Italian food that I would have experienced if I had just traveled alone.<br />After lunch we wandered some more, looking for our hotel. For those of you who have never been to Venice, let me set the scene. There is water everywhere! Not only the Grand Canal, but many other, baby canals block your progress. The streets are very poorly marked and the buildings are built so close together that it is almost impossible to see landmarks (as opposed to Florence where we could see the Duomo from practically anywhere). I had a very good map (thank you, Leah!) but we still could not find our hotel. A nice man finally noticed our plight and walked us to the door of our hotel (for a small fee). The main problem was that we were looking for a building big enough to be a hotel. Our abode can scarcely be called a hostel, let alone a hotel in the Texas sense of the word. A small room with four twin sized beds and a bathroom that we share with the rest of our floor...certainly NOT the Ritz. Natalie and I were a few hours ahead of Hope and Alex so we decided to go to Murano and look for souvenirs. Here is where I enlighten my readers to Travel Tip #7: If you find something that you know you like, buy it, regardless of the expense. I found several things on that island that I knew I wanted for gifts for people back home, but I decided to keep looking...bad idea! All of the shops started closing at 6 and I was left with nothing but a big pile of regrets and beautiful memories of exquisite glass...tragic. </span></span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjADuErzTaeW4ete27jgiT18HGi3atQGkdhjCREDEp4KpcPXwQ4ziiBA0f85YDzzbhyphenhyphenfWexajNfLdDoN0cwCrK-i0QHwceHmKoJd4h8UoeOrtrMv02tzq3hyumhzMwAC0JeCJSICuyrJgI/s1600/FullSizeRender+193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjADuErzTaeW4ete27jgiT18HGi3atQGkdhjCREDEp4KpcPXwQ4ziiBA0f85YDzzbhyphenhyphenfWexajNfLdDoN0cwCrK-i0QHwceHmKoJd4h8UoeOrtrMv02tzq3hyumhzMwAC0JeCJSICuyrJgI/s320/FullSizeRender+193.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">On the Vaporetto to Murano</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGuyiOyeGkedZJyJ6fPN3whYSfsoRMtMNzXJ4zdDrvmrrs6tojqlc1n4XpZ6M1rR4oXMY_q0m4c5WdqIwfu7jqMgiB92cXCyoT9TV_zSIzxAx_Gi5WsPYQRnbwDand6YDytiPuak2kcB8/s1600/FullSizeRender+186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGuyiOyeGkedZJyJ6fPN3whYSfsoRMtMNzXJ4zdDrvmrrs6tojqlc1n4XpZ6M1rR4oXMY_q0m4c5WdqIwfu7jqMgiB92cXCyoT9TV_zSIzxAx_Gi5WsPYQRnbwDand6YDytiPuak2kcB8/s320/FullSizeRender+186.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Glass Sculpture on Murano</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">When all the shops on Murano started closing, Natalie and I took it as a sign that we should move on. It also started raining, one more clue it was time to head back to Venice. Not sure I have put this in writing before, but just for the record: I do not have an umbrella or a rain poncho, and the raincoat I brought rarely gets put in my bag because of its bulkiness. I have valiantly (or stupidly) resisted buying an umbrella/poncho from the myriad road side vendors who repeatedly hassle me to buy one. With the forecast this weekend it will be a miracle if I do not cave...but that is the goal! I do not want to spend the money on something right before I come home that is not particularly useful to me once I return. Now back from my tangent...once back in Venice we looked up restaurants at the hotel for potential dining options. We had heard from Dr. Redman that food in Venice is often underwhelming and we wanted to be sure we got a good option. I found a place called Travena San Travaso that looked promising according to Yelp and Trip Advisor (also, Travel Tip #8: Yelp seems to be the rich person place to review restaurants. If it says that the restaurant is affordable, this could mean anywhere from 17-30 dollars per meal. Trip Advisor is much more close to the college student's notions of "affordable"). We decided to go to the Traverna and eat...not a good choice. At this point in time I would like to write a brief disclaimer. On Thursday I had woken up at 6 am in the morning for our bus ride after staying up until almost 1 am packing. That means a grand total of 5 hours of sleep - not enough for any human being, I don't even know if superman would be ok with that much sleep...in any case certainly NOT optimal. With that being said, my experience at this restaurant was the worst I have ever had at any restaurant in the history of my restaurant dining life bar none. Here is how it went down:I ordered the pasta with Duck sauce. When it came out, it was a dark black mass of pasta that smelled atrocious, though visually stunning:</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">I asked the waiter if it was the Duck sauce pasta, he said it was "dark sauce" pasta, which was not what I ordered, then he stormed off. I did not want to eat the black pasta, both because I wasn't sure how much it costed and because it smelled very unappetizing. So my friend called over one of the waitresses and asked her if the pasta I had was the Duck sauce pasta. She said no and that she would take care of it. I usually do not complain, but I did not want to pay 15+ dollars for something I did not want to eat. The waiter then came up again and said that he had worked here 15 years and that I did NOT say duck sauce and he was NOT stupid! He yelled at me in front of the whole restaurant and called me a liar. It was terrible! I have never been treated that way in a restaurant in my entire life. It was a traumatic experience. </span></span></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYv8doYZc2f_-4eTHn4vtcAuXIDeJJzLzjAe3JzLFxiH_QPmmnmXfoOc4pNaspNK9mLjFqdhdZpiZZKb1o907ft1hpJCgZj-WIOQvu1zAQW83IiLOO5H2Ed2i9uZrEM_LwjweKf8OwdU/s1600/FullSizeRender+192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYv8doYZc2f_-4eTHn4vtcAuXIDeJJzLzjAe3JzLFxiH_QPmmnmXfoOc4pNaspNK9mLjFqdhdZpiZZKb1o907ft1hpJCgZj-WIOQvu1zAQW83IiLOO5H2Ed2i9uZrEM_LwjweKf8OwdU/s400/FullSizeRender+192.jpg" width="300" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br />Travel Tip #9: I would highly advise not going to the Traverna unless you do not mind getting yelled at and treated like an idiot. I was not setting out to ruin this waiter's evening. I was calm and collected, and did not call him stupid. I just did not want to eat that unappetizing dish. It is not something I would ever order. What really upset me was that he accused me of lying and yelled at me in front of the entire restaurant which was a humiliating experience.<br /><br /><br />The food is not cheap either. I paid 16.50 for pasta and a Bellini. On the way out of the restaurant we asked to speak with the supervisor and were asked why we wanted to speak with him. Upon saying we had a question, we were informed that he does not speak English, so we could not communicate with him. It was a shockingly awful experience, and one that made me yearn to be back in the good ole US of A where I (as a consumer) am always right. Working in the food industry I understand that in a capitalistic meritocracy one cannot treat a consumer that way. If any of my friends from Chickfila are reading this, please remember that though customers may try our patience sometimes, no customer should EVER have the type of experience I did at a restaurant of any kind in the US. Common human courtesy (if not marketing intelligence) should be enough to make this interaction obsolete.<br /> <br />After dinner we returned to the hotel and went to bed. It was a long, full day. Seeing Venice for the first time was fascinating! Though I was less than impressed with the people of this magical city. We will see how interactions with the locals improve upon closer acquaintance. Until next time, goodnight from the city of the Winged Lion!</span></span><br />
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Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-73780688983365697222015-06-17T06:53:00.002-05:002015-06-17T06:53:31.099-05:00Sacred Heart Fires and Cooking DinnerSunday night, upon arrival at the Castle we settled back in, cooked dinner and did some homework, then climbed to the top of the tower to view the Sacred Heart Fires. In South Tirol there is a tradition to climb, high up the mountains, and light fires in beautiful shapes (crosses, hearts, etc.,) in celebration of God's deliverance of the Tyrolleans from the Napoleonic forces. In the 18th century, as Napoleon's troops marched ever closer to the Tirol, many of the leading family in the area met together to discuss strategy. The Abbot recommended that they dedicate themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and trust that he would save them. The Tyrolleans committed to setting the fires once a year on a Sunday evening in memoriam of this dedication and salvation from Napoleon's troops.<br />
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My pictures of the fires did not turn out so well, but it was a sight well worth seeing! The fires are gorgeous on a dark night, glowing across the valley. It is a ritual, a lovely tradition that requires a great deal of commitment as mountaineers hike up into the mountains, carrying kindling and petroleum in their backpacks.<br />
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The next morning, Monday, was relatively uneventful. The highlight of my day had to do with food.<br />
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Lunch with Brigitte was sumptuous, as always. Dr. de Rachewiltz was not feeling well, so she made some chicken soup! So sweet. She is not only an amazing cook, but a very nice person as well.<br />
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Tea with Mary was a grand affair. It rained all day, so we could not have tea on the terrace, rather it was moved into Mary's apartment. Kasey and her family were there (it was nice to meet her mother and siblings) along with a UTD art professor, Dr. Rosen, who came to show us Venice this weekend and arrived on Monday, Betsy (a literature professor from St. Andrews, I enjoyed talking to her about Jane Austen), most of the students and Michi - a full house! It was the largest tea I have attended, full of conversation and learning.<br />
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Then later that night I made dinner for the group. It was very fun! I have never made gravy or pork chops before, but they turned out well. I was pleased.<br />
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Then it was time for reading and my bed! A very cloudy, rainy day, redeemed by good food and conversation. More to come soon from Castle Brunnenburg!<br />
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Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-91324747176812683072015-06-16T15:54:00.000-05:002015-06-16T16:00:11.184-05:00Florence Part TroisOur third day in Florence was super packed! We walked over 25,000 steps, almost 12 miles, and subsisted on a diet of gelato and McDonald's, but more on that later.<br />
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The first thing we did upon waking up Saturday morning was to get ready to catch the bus. We then caught said bus into the city center, arriving well ahead of our ticket time for the Uffizi Gallery. While waiting for our ticket time we went in search of the Vivoli Gelateria, a recommendation of my cousin Melea. I had googled the address and screen-shotted the map from the Uffizi so that we could dart over and grab some gelato. But we could not find it. So my friend, Alex, turned on her data on her smart phone and guided us to the Piazza Santa Maria Novella where google maps claimed that the Vivoli Gelateria resided. But there was nothing there called Vivoli, just a little, obscure gelateria. We went in (by this time it was perilously close to our ticket time for the Uffizi) and got some gelato. It was the best gelato I have had in my entire time in Italy! After the first bite I asked the lady behind the counter "Is this Vivoli?" She said yes. So I thought maybe we had stumbled across my cousin's recommendation. But after looking at the maps again I'm not sure it was the right one. Regardless, in attempting to follow Melea's advice I got the best gelato I've had thus far - so either way she's a genius. Thank you, Melea!</div>
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Tip #5 for Italy: When in Florence, ALWAYS eat the Biscotti flavor from the nameless gelato place in the Piazza Santa Maria Novella. It is, without question, the best flavor I have had thus far. It was also all I ate that morning besides some banana chips (Travel Tip #6: NEVER go touring around Florence, in 95 degree weather and nothing but gelato in your stomach - BAD idea). We ate on the go and arrived just in time for our ticket time to the Uffizi. The Gallery was amazing! Such lovely works of art by masters like Leonardo da Vinci (not everything he painted is in the Lourve or Milan!), El Greco and Botticelli. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Random Roman Guy that I Liked</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Centaur!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annunciation by Botticelli</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGcv3A2subAo9wEqRlyYKabpBapNNgMj3Wkh30PR0bD94xSH_4Cx7jYiouAx59TVZa07_vWORASTYO0AvgQozAzBER3U3Yg7A_Z7jdqBXUcnRL3F-5aiMEVYZYUsmXOrvdLXEYc_DpgY/s1600/FullSizeRender+157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGcv3A2subAo9wEqRlyYKabpBapNNgMj3Wkh30PR0bD94xSH_4Cx7jYiouAx59TVZa07_vWORASTYO0AvgQozAzBER3U3Yg7A_Z7jdqBXUcnRL3F-5aiMEVYZYUsmXOrvdLXEYc_DpgY/s320/FullSizeRender+157.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birth of Venus by Botticelli</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYcFKEJ86PAkwBSxqcwjAD4yq-Dkksep3r3_TMbuYJz-yQctJeGOSeOm8bdsMcpfLXIs062N7LfjqhyphenhyphenL_LevhaLFhJrmWH2VolgGfw6BM_vClA4plMsRPZ0HsPAroPM3iok5CS8IoroQ/s1600/FullSizeRender+158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYcFKEJ86PAkwBSxqcwjAD4yq-Dkksep3r3_TMbuYJz-yQctJeGOSeOm8bdsMcpfLXIs062N7LfjqhyphenhyphenL_LevhaLFhJrmWH2VolgGfw6BM_vClA4plMsRPZ0HsPAroPM3iok5CS8IoroQ/s320/FullSizeRender+158.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medieval Painting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wlSfe2VYEpA_ZtSj-3F0gvRhIpkHzlQOsRoFbnIRmIrdI6roJRj2ET3gF0fwBmrVGMWBJd9WexVhP9NKjzIj2FyEOR7vWw8t-vC3Y7I2Q5CBfzAaKyFaklC9SE6RrjOWL4tkZnfgaK8/s1600/FullSizeRender+159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wlSfe2VYEpA_ZtSj-3F0gvRhIpkHzlQOsRoFbnIRmIrdI6roJRj2ET3gF0fwBmrVGMWBJd9WexVhP9NKjzIj2FyEOR7vWw8t-vC3Y7I2Q5CBfzAaKyFaklC9SE6RrjOWL4tkZnfgaK8/s320/FullSizeRender+159.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another Random Roman Guy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGsxXDUNy_b_1H-pVPCP5ARReOLeFdU9hNYn1K-qi47j2hECJ5kbO0R5df5mBq4q13SPNSP-VzddtDfQ5EyPAPfShd_Pzh22JnFh6t-eVzDuSeFUic3gdvyMIcwpidASDbRTgay4qdMKQ/s1600/FullSizeRender+160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGsxXDUNy_b_1H-pVPCP5ARReOLeFdU9hNYn1K-qi47j2hECJ5kbO0R5df5mBq4q13SPNSP-VzddtDfQ5EyPAPfShd_Pzh22JnFh6t-eVzDuSeFUic3gdvyMIcwpidASDbRTgay4qdMKQ/s320/FullSizeRender+160.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Greco Painting</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Primavera by Bottecelli</td></tr>
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It was very fun! We wandered around for over two hours, enjoying the art and feeling very cultured. Then we left and Alex separated from the group to find some coffee (wonderful idea in Florence, the espresso is to die for) and Hope, Natalie and I went in search of Santa Croce. After walking all over creation we were extremely miffed to find that Santa Croce was closed! It started raining as we walked back towards the Duomo, our chosen meeting place. In the Piazza Della Signoria (lovely replica statues there!)<br />
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We were separated from Natalie by another parade of people in medieval costumes:</div>
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I almost had a heart attack. She doesn't have a phone that works outside of WiFi and Hope and I looked and looked and could not find her. It was a terrible scare! Finally we decided to continue on towards the Duomo, where we were supposed to meet, and hope that she was able to make her way there. Beneath the shade of that glorious dome we met up again. It ended up being fine, but I had a minor nervous breakdown considering what would happen if I never found Natalie - not a pleasant half hour. </div>
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We dropped off Hope with Alex so they could go to dinner and Natalie and I went on our merry way in search of The Oil Shoppe, another recommendation by my cousin, Melea. After about thirty minutes of fruitless searching (I am hopeless at directions, even my screen-shotted map did not help much) we found The Oil Shoppe. Keep in mind that at this point I had only eaten banana chips and gelato all day and have walked over 20,000 steps in the glaring sun with very little water because I did not want to pay a euro (or two!) to go to the bathroom (I would also like to again draw the reader's attention to Travel Tip #6...please learn from my mistakes). With my stomach growling in hunger, imagine my horror when I saw that The Oil Shoppe was already closed! It was awful! At this point Natalie and I decided that we were going to eat NOW! So we went to McDonald's and had a wonderful dinner with LOTS and LOTS of ketchup (for .25 euros each...robbery!) Then we went to the nameless gelato place in the Piazza Santa Maria Novella for the second time in one day...and I'm not even ashamed. That gelato is scrumptious:</div>
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We caught the bus back to Tuscany and that was the end of a long, tiring day touring Florence. Many emotional ups and downs, good gelato and beautiful art made it an unforgettable rollercoaster ride. The next day, Sunday, we made our way back to Castle Brunnenburg - home sweet home. I was so thankful to be back in the peaceful, cooler mountains. It's paradise up here! Florence was lovely, but there is nowhere in Italy so near and dear to my heart as South Tirol. The closeness I feel to the earth and to God in this stunning countryside takes my breath away. A fitting end to a long week, going to sleep, sweet sleep, on these sacred, steep slopes. My Florence adventure is at an end. More to come from Venice this weekend! Goodnight from Castle Brunnenburg. </div>
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Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-29275341155707899162015-06-16T15:18:00.001-05:002015-06-16T15:18:21.862-05:00Just a Few More PicturesSo since the blog cut me off yesterday, I wanted to put the rest of my pictures of the Duomo and, of course, food up for you to see.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Duomo</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbscKfDyCBoXnFmppclcM8zOFeeyT9dCQZmSsH6UqGj21Py_xy99ZFP4vgqKjR2Q6PmbZzePd_dwo4rrIrG1OgycilIrTxDEu8u4iMiIX61lCjIVN0ZHvqaWZts6DxOw2tzmEvsVv0Uw/s1600/FullSizeRender+148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbscKfDyCBoXnFmppclcM8zOFeeyT9dCQZmSsH6UqGj21Py_xy99ZFP4vgqKjR2Q6PmbZzePd_dwo4rrIrG1OgycilIrTxDEu8u4iMiIX61lCjIVN0ZHvqaWZts6DxOw2tzmEvsVv0Uw/s320/FullSizeRender+148.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKkPg774KWdbyxwLrubupUzSnInLmr-MW9ZM__PJZVtTCG3n5N09-Of3JwiOMvf9nZLh4DPhux1Ctc-CLdsGXtaUijBGmUtda6enoXHwuw-BlsMOO3uW-UMl0lAyldkSxV8nWelGVF_o/s1600/FullSizeRender+146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKkPg774KWdbyxwLrubupUzSnInLmr-MW9ZM__PJZVtTCG3n5N09-Of3JwiOMvf9nZLh4DPhux1Ctc-CLdsGXtaUijBGmUtda6enoXHwuw-BlsMOO3uW-UMl0lAyldkSxV8nWelGVF_o/s320/FullSizeRender+146.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On top of the Duomo</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Free Champagne</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potato Puree Ravioli</td></tr>
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We also heard some great music on our second day in Florence. There were several parades that we saw during the course of time in the city. On Friday, while in line outside the Duomo, a band marched through playing jazz type music - very beautiful! It was a good, exhausting day. And that is FINALLY the end of the second day in Florence.Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-5350564739019609852015-06-15T17:10:00.000-05:002015-06-15T17:14:52.640-05:00Florence Part Deux<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">So, basically the highlight of June 12th was seeing Michelangelo's David. </span></div>
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The original is so much bigger and more perfect than what I was expecting. It was an unforgettable, peerless experience. The Academia, one of the chief museums in Florence. Is known for being the home of Michelangelo's David and The Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna - both of which are stunning:<br />
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We also saw Madonna by the Sea and many other paintings and sculptures. The Academia had a large collection of gold plated medieval paintings. We looked around for the Primavera and Birth of Venus before we realized that they were in the Uffizi Gallery (which leads me to Travel Tip #5: know what you want to see, very often you will end up at a museum, knowing there are important works there, but if you do not know what you want to see, you will be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of artwork).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annunciation</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madonna by the Sea</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unfinished Michelangelo Pieta</td></tr>
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After a solid two and a half hours wandering around the Academia, we left and meandered over to the Duomo. The Duomo in Florence was easily my favorite church in Italy thus far. The austerity and simplicity - though stunning grandeur - of the architecture was more palatable to me (more what I am used to in my own churches). The walls were not cluttered with statues and gold-leaf, rather the stone was grey and severe while above the congregants heads the glorious dome soared - undeniably a window into the divine and unmitigatedly the centerpiece of the church. Nothing distracted from its awe-inspiring power as the window to heaven. I also appreciated the allusion to Dante's <i>Inferno</i> with Satan eating Judas (Dante was a Florentine writer, and his influence can be clearly seen in the Florentine churches). <br />
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After we looked around inside the church and marveled at the majesty of the dome and the fantastic feat of engineering (and sheer luck) it took to build it, we went to stand in line to climb both the bell tower and the Dome itself. The plan was to climb the bell tower, then go to the baptistry, then climb the dome, but by the time we made it out of the bell tower we were afraid the church would close without us climbing the historical dome if we did not go straight over there. So we ended up climbing over 50 flights of stairs in a very sort amount of time (1000 stairs...not fun!). We kept getting piled up in the narrow stairways, waiting in the dark. It was very stuffy, we were packed tight as sardines as we waited for the crowd to move forward...claustrophobia was definitely a problem for Alex and me, but the view was worth it! Florence, in all of her glory, spread beneath us, stretching as far as the eye could see: breathtaking: (addendum: apparently I have reached my limit on the amount of photos blogger will allow in one post...I will post a picture from the crown of the Duomo next time).<br />
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By the time we had toured all over the Duomo the hunger and exhaustion were real and we went in search of food. The street side vendors in Italy are always trying to get you to come into their restaurants. We got a good deal that night when the host offered us all free champagne if we would come to his restaurant - needless to say we acquiesced. Once again, exquisite food! Though not even comparable to Brigitte's cooking. I had a ravioli filled with potato puree in a delicate asparagus sauce. It was delicious! Then we went to a gelato place that was on the list of the top twenty gelato shops in Florence! Por Che No (Why not) was very good, though I had a hazelnut flavor that I did NOT like (a very weird experience for me as I usually love gelato). Thankfully I had two other flavors as well which balanced out the nastiness.</div>
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Then back to San Marco Piazza to catch the train to the apartment. A full, fun day of touring! And that was the second day in Florence. More pictures to come next post! I miss everybody in Texas!</div>
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Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-42323993939682945092015-06-15T15:41:00.000-05:002015-06-15T15:41:06.119-05:00In Which I Give Up on Cs: Florence Part OneHello faithful readers! If you are still reading my blog, that means you are one of my true friends...you're officially THE BEST!! Florence was a great experience. I didn't have wifi though, so this is my experience of Florence in three parts.<br />
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The first day, June 11th, we left the Castle early and got on a bus in Dorf Tirol to Merano. Then we caught the 8 o'clock train to Bolzano where we had gelato:<br />
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Sooo good!! We also wandered around the city and looked at some of the churches and piazzas:<br />
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It was definitely a glasses day! Alex, Hope and I were all in our four-eyed glory (it's no fun to put in contacts at 6 in the morning!) and Natalie was the only non-librarian of the bunch. We also went to the Bolzano Civic Museum to look at the native artwork and Tyrollean dress:<br />
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After touring Bolzano for awhile (Alex and Hope got some dried fruit...more on that later) we caught a high noon train bound for Bologna Centrale. Sadly, this was a regional train - not one of the fast ones - so it took over five hours to get to the station. This is where Travel tip #4 comes in: Do NOT travel on the trains in Italy without snackage. It was awful! I ate gelato and a small breakfast of Nutella and bread...then nothing else for about 11 hours. It was very hot on the train (no air-conditioning on the regional trains...basically, if at all possible, avoid the regional trains). Alex and Hope shared some of their nuts and dried fruit, but man shall not live by dried fruit alone...it was definitely rough. We made our connecting train from Bologna Centrale to Firenze Santa Maria Novella and arrived around 6 pm. Then, one LOONNNG bus ride later, we arrived in Tuscany to our lovely apartment. We had the whole apartment to ourselves - heavenly. This is the view from the terrace:</div>
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Tragically, the man who owned the apartment was not present when we arrived, so we had to wait for him to show up before we could go to dinner. Remember, that I have not eaten any "real food" all day. My diet has consisted of nutella, gelato and dried fruit. When he does show up we have to file all the tourist paperwork...not fun. Meanwhile, on my Yelp app, I have discovered that there is one AND ONLY ONE restaurant within walking distance of our rural - and admittedly lovely - Tuscan getaway. It is a very expensive Italian restaurant. But by this point I am desperate! I convince Hope, Natalie and Alex that we should go out to eat. It was well worth the euros. We ate out in the garden. A sumptuous meal of spaghetti, wine, bread and tiramisu. After all day without substantial substance...paradise.</div>
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Then back to our Tuscan villa and bed. All in all, an exhausting - but successful - day of travel. Passports, people and packages all accounted for. And that was my introduction to Florence. More to come from the hills of Tuscany!</div>
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<br />Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-12768037967795187182015-06-09T16:35:00.001-05:002015-06-10T02:02:46.795-05:00Climbing (Continued) and CappuccinosToday was one of my best days in Italy thus far (I know I keep saying this...but my trip really does seem to be getting progressively better). Before I dive in and tell you all about my unforgettable experiences today, let me catch everyone up on what's been going on at Castle Brunnenburg since the last time I wrote.<br />
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On Sunday we had a day of rest. As previously stated I made peanut butter cookies for the Princess to take to Sunday tea - they were a fantastic success! She seemed to really enjoy them, and I know the other students did as well. It nice to have a taste of home. After tea my friend Hope and I had a photo op on top of the castle. We had dressed up for tea and thought some fun pictures were in order. It was a blast!</div>
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Yesterday - June 8th - I was awoken in the middle of the night by a terrible thunderstorm! I had to close my window (which I usually leave open) to keep out the rain. I promptly fell back asleep, but was surprised the next morning to hear from Dr. de Rachewiltz that we had had some hail! Other than that, it was an uneventful Monday. Classes were intriguing. Dr. de Rachewiltz spoke about fairies and dwarves and the mythology of the Tirol, subjects which I found fascinating. Alex, Hope, Natalie and I also finally bought our tickets for the Uffizi and Accademia (Tavel tip #3: do NOT leave buying tickets for museums until the last minute...not my smartest decision). Luckily we were able to get tickets for both with a little shopping around. Elyse, an art and performance major and one of the students here, also gave us a brief overview of the most important art pieces to see in Florence, a very propitious presentation. The two highlights of the day both had to do with food - shocker!</div>
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We made a communal dinner which was very good:</div>
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And as always tea with Mary was exquisite. She also showed us her collection of Egyptian scarabs. Her late husband, Boris, was an Egyptologist and collected Egyptian artifacts. It was amazing to see all these pieces of ancient, Egyptian, history in this castle high in the Tyrollean mountains. </div>
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This morning I got up and ate bread and Nutella - the best way to start the day! In Dr. Redman's class we've been analyzing The Merchant of Venice, a Shakespearian play. Portia, one of the main characters, is one of Shakespeare's most complex and intelligent female leads. We also looked at more of the artwork of Venice and examined the development of government and social institutions (such as the confraternities and dowry laws) in the Venetian commune. </div>
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After class we had a delicious lunch, made, once again by Ms. Brigette. Here are pictures from lunch on Monday and Tuesday:</div>
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The weather today - June 9th - was absolutely gorgeous! After lunch Michi, Dr. de Rachewiltz son, took us on a hike up to Vinschgau via Gangleg to see the irrigation system of South Tirol and some Roman ruins. There were also reconstructions of dwellings that archaeologists had found in the mountains. It was sprinkling, but never actually poured, which made it very nice for hiking because it was not hot. We passed a small mud slide along the creek. The mountains are stunning:</div>
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On the way back to the town we stopped and looked at this:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesus and the Two Thieves</td></tr>
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And had a brief discussion about Tyrollean customs (the ways in which they welcome spring) and food legislation where we discussed the values of quality versus quantity (i.e., whether using pesticides or genetic modification to mass produce food is merited when it is known to damage the quality of the items and may damage those who consume them). It was a very interesting discussion, particularly because two of the girls in our group are going into law and one is very interested in environmental and food law. A consideration of differences between the European Union and the United States way of handling these issues also enriched the discussion. </div>
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After this short lecture we descended into the village where Michi treated us to coffees. My cappuccino was very good (I don't think I have to say again how much I enjoy Italian espresso). Then we took a ride down the street to a pizza place.</div>
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When we had finished our Italian dinner it was time for the ride home. I spoke with Michi about books and different Italian desserts. It was a very fun evening. I cannot express with enough fervor the beauty of the Italian countryside. Being here is a blessing, and I will never forget the effect these majestic mountains have had on me, or the awe-inspiring experience of sleeping in Brunnenburg Castle in the middle of a raging thunderstorm. Until next time, goodnight from Castle Brunnenburg!</div>
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Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-43075100606427690672015-06-07T06:57:00.004-05:002015-06-07T06:57:51.556-05:00Climbing, Crises and CookiesYesterday - June 6th - was an interesting day, to say the least. Two of my fellow students and I decided to take the cable car up the mountain and hike down. It was a beautiful hike, the trails were very well marked and it was a lovely day, though a little cloudy so we could not see as much from the summit as we would have liked:<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tirolean Rose</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cable Car</td></tr>
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The scenery was beautiful!</div>
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On the way down the hill we had a bit of a crisis. One of my hiking buddies, started feeling nauseous and had a sharp pain in her side. We made it back to Castle Brunnenburg - just as the clouds started releasing their abundance of rain - and told Dr. Redman about our health concerns. After careful observation we sent her off to the hospital, afraid it might be an appendicitis. It was a bit scary! But she returned later that night with some medication and a reassurance from the Italian doctors that she would be alright. Today she seems much better.</div>
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Last night I also made myself dinner - gnocchi, which I had never tried before. It was very good!<br />
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And now we come to the very exciting part of my tale. Princess Mary de Rachewiltz loves peanut butter. For our tea today I made some peanut butter cookies for her from peanut butter I smuggled all the way from the United States! I hope she likes them. It was an interesting experience baking in an oven that has its degrees in celsius and substituting ingredients based on what I had on hand or could get at the Despar (the local "supermarket"). They do not typically carry brown sugar like the dark brown sugar we have in the states or molasses, so I used white sugar and honey instead. I tried one and it was pretty good! Hopefully Mary likes them. Today has been a restful sabbath day. I listened to a sermon online and have been doing homework and enjoying the sunshine. The weather is perfect in the mountains. After our rain last night it is cool and sunny today - lovely. </div>
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Hope everyone has a splendid weekend! Good afternoon from Castle Brunnenburg!</div>
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Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-29837153746148006492015-06-05T09:56:00.001-05:002015-06-05T09:56:33.566-05:00Continuing the Course: Chickens, Conservation and CommoditiesSo, I realized that for my past two posts I have entitled the piece with "C" words so I'm trying to continue the tradition. We'll see how long I can keep it up. Alliteration is always awesome, adding another amazing aspect to annotation. Though the thrilling theory that the use of alliteration makes writing easier to remember may in fact be true, the consequence of choosing "C" words based only on their letters, can commonly confuse the connotation of the composition; "C" words can not always cut it. Regardless of the title of my post, I have some interesting things to share today.<br />
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After leaving my computer yesterday I went to Dr. de Rachewiltz class where we read aloud from the Homeric Hymns - a thrilling experience. I love reading aloud and it is truly becoming a lost art. Dr. de Rachewiltz has a rich voice and it was a pleasure listening to him read. We also analyzed the story of Metis, Athena's mother, which was an interesting subject as the very night before I had told the story of Athena's birth to my peers. If I believed in coincidences....man that would sure be a strange one!<br />
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After Dr. de Rachewiltz class we decided to hike down into Merano (about a 45 minute hike) to go to the light show honoring a Chinese poet and the illustrious Ezra Pound. After getting lost twice (and having to call Nik, Mary's grandson, who is an absolute angel) we finally made our way into the town proper. Of course the first order of business (because we were, ridiculously, still early) was to go to a gelato place and feast on the heavenly ambrosia and nectar! Gelato is, without a doubt, one of Italy's greatest treasures.<br />
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The food was good. Then we looked for some bus information to determine what time the last bus left so we could make our way to the station in time to catch the bus up to Dorf Tirol (hiking down was not too bad, but there was no way we could hike back up in the dark - lots of loose rubble and steep climbing). Imagine our surprise when we discovered that the last train departed in less than fifteen minutes! We high tailed it over to the bus stop and did not see one beam of the light show. But it was not a complete loss - we got that gelato!<br />
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And this view:<br />
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We also saw a statue of what I think is Atlas - that was pretty epic!</div>
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When we got home we we ate dinner - oh the pleasures of pasta! - and started the long wind down to bedtime. As I was getting ready for bed (I had just taken off my glasses, which made this experience even scarier) I saw something on the wall. It was a huge (relatively, if you know me you know all vermin are bigger in my eyes) SCORPION!! I immediately screamed for help and promptly lost all rational thought as I began the inevitable freak out phase of the night. Natalie, my fearless friend, came to my rescue and stomped on it, bringing that poisonous pest to a definitive demise!<br />
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After that things were relatively calm at Castle Brunnenburg. I went to bed around midnight (narrowly avoiding turning into a pumpkin) and woke up this morning refreshed. We descended the mountain once again (oh 45 minute hike, you are good for my Fitbit, but not for my feet!) and attended the market in Merano that has lots of commodities for consumption! I bought a lovely Italian shirt, a bratwurst and the inevitable serving of gelato.<br />
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Upon our return to Dorf Tirol, Natalie and I decided to go to the grocery store and the fruit stand to stock up on food for the weekend. These are the fruits I got at the stand:<br />
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The strawberries taste like little cubes of sugar...and just 1.80 euro - just saying... I also got to hold a chicken!<br />
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And now, sadly, it's time for me to hit the books! Good night from Castle Brunnenburg! Tomorrow I will continue my chronicle - ciao! </div>
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<br />Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-19276712190105645742015-06-04T06:36:00.001-05:002015-06-04T06:36:20.308-05:00Coffee, "Companion" and other Cool ThingsToday, June 4th, has - so far - been one of the best days I have spent in Italy. Once you've seen the Colosseum and climbed Palatine Hill, you realize that the most interesting thing about Italy is definitely the people. Dr. de Rachewiltz and his family are some of the most well educated and intriguing people I have ever met! His wife, Brigette, is - as previously mentioned - a fine cook, but what I did not know is that she is originally from Austria. Today I ate lunch with the family and got to know them all a bit better. I spoke to her about The Sound of Music - which she seems to like - and her certification in Sustainability, one of the most difficult certifications to obtain. The family was welcoming and gracious; it was a pleasure listening to their conversation and learning about their lives and how they ended up living at Castle Brunnenburg.<br />
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Lunch was pasta, for the first time since I have been in residence at Brunnenburg, and it was scrumptious! Ms. Brigette also offered me some of the Brunnenburg wine which was sinfully delicious. They grow the grapes on their vineyard here and bottle the wine themselves. It was a unique and unforgettable dining experience. Rose and Kasey, the two ladies who work on the farm, are both Americans. I talked to them about how they made their way to Brunnenburg and their dreams of the future, as well as the all important question of Disney movies and heroes versus villains. It was fascinating to see how much I share with these girls - and even the de Rachewiltz family - who live so far from Texas; yet all of us share a fascination with this mountain, a love of fireworks and an appreciation for good food, wine, coffee and conversation.<br />
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At the end of the meal they offered me some coffee - I must say that the coffee in Italy is superb. The small cups filled with espresso and then shot through with a dash of milk and sugar have made this bitter drink (for the first time) one of my favorite treats.<br />
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Dr. de Rachewiltz, with his study of etymology, has reignited my love of words and languages. Yesterday he broke down the word "companion" for us in class. He examined how the two root words: "com" - together or with - and "pan" - meaning bread - combine to form the word's meaning which is literally "one with whom to eat bread". Today I experienced wonderful conversation, with stellar companions over a meal of bread and pasta.<br />
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During class with Dr. Redman this morning he went over the layout of Venice and also discussed the role of food in the social hierarchy of the city and the multiculturalism which one can see through the variety of the ingredients. As a maritime city, and one of the greatest trading Republics of antiquity, Venetians were heirs to a myriad of foods including ingredients and dishes from the Middle East, China, mainland Italy and Greece. The importance of food as a bond between cultures and peoples, as well as individuals, has been one of the main themes of both Dr. de Rachewiltz's class and Dr. Redman's lectures on Venice. It was amazing today to see these themes in action in a real world setting as I experienced true companionship through food and wine.<br />
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Good afternoon from Castle Brunnenburg!<br />
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<br />Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-55896455132951058052015-06-03T13:14:00.004-05:002015-06-03T13:14:42.836-05:00Country Chic<div>
June 2nd at Castle Brunnenburg was full of fun and excitement! When I got up the first thing I did was go to see if my clothes had been cleaned (they had) and hang them on the line to dry - I felt very accomplished:</div>
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The castle is a champion of sustainability, which means that they like to be self-sufficient and use as little energy as possible. They use solar panels and hang their clothes on the line to conserve energy.</div>
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Then on to breakfast (wonderful as always - Nutella is decadent) and Dr. Redman's class. We had a special visitor for lecture, Mary de Rachewiltz, the Princess, came to speak to us about her book. She is a charming lady, sharp as a tac and well-rounded. She can speak multiple languages fluently and is gracious and eloquent. She answered all of our questions about her book and told us tales about her time as a secretary in a German hospital in World War II. </div>
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After Dr. Redman's class we went to lunch. Brigitte made us the best dessert I have had in Italy thus far and, as always, the entrees and salad were scrumptious:</div>
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Our second day of class was a national holiday in Italy (Republic Day - their version of the Fourth of July) so instead of lecture with Dr. de Rachewiltz we had a field trip. We hiked for what seemed like hours (pretty sure it was only about twenty minutes) up the mountain to Schloss Tirol, a big castle that dwarfs Brunnenburg. </div>
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Unbeknownst to me, Dr. de Rachewiltz had been the director of the Schloss Tirol Museum for 21 years! He knew the place inside and out. He took us on the best guided tour of my life, explaining in depth all the artwork and sculptures, and how they had found the many artifacts that were on display in the Museum - very Indian Jones like stuff. Archaeologists discovered the age of the building based on the rings on trees used as timber for the roof and floor of the castle. By measuring the distance between rings they can match the boards with the year the tree was felled and date the castle! Dr. de Rachewiltz tour was informative and extremely interesting. </div>
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Then back to the town, Dorf Tirol, for some exploring - we never did find the fruit stand. We returned to the castle for dinner. I cooked for Natalie. We had zucchini, eggplant and shallots with tomato sauce and a tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad. </div>
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I was very surprised at how well it turned out since I usually don't cook. Thank you mama for the advice! </div>
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After dinner we had to do homework. I was up until midnight reading all of our texts, but they were very informative. One of the books assigned (as I think I've mentioned before) is The Odyssey. I was assigned two books from that, and those were a pleasure to read. </div>
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This morning - June 3rd - I woke up and went to breakfast. I made myself a cappuccino - sorry, no picture, but believe me it was good! - and then went to class. No Mary today, but we went over the history of Venice in preparation for our Venice course, looking over some important dates and terms. It was particularly interesting to learn about how the IV Crusade (which I learned about last semester) affected Venetian architecture and artwork. When the Venetians sacked Constantinople with the Christian Crusader army they brought back much spoil and many building techniques which make Venetian buildings a unique blend of Gothic, Byzantine and Islamic styles. </div>
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Then lunch - I ate my meal before I remembered to take a picture, but here's one of dessert:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">It was a chocolate pudding with tangy whipped cream and ripe apricots</span></td></tr>
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Then on to Dr. de Rachewiltz's class where we discussed etymology some more (very intriguing) and The Odyssey! Then the "exciting" part of my day - while skipping back to my dorm I fell! <div>
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I scraped up my hands and bruised my back a little, but I'm ok. The dangers of wearing flip flops in the mountains...not my smartest decision. </div>
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Now, as the day draws to a close, I sit here listening to the birds sing, thinking about all the reading I have yet to do, and enjoying the peace that Italy offers. The beauty of this mountain shows the mighty power of God and the sky shouts out his praise. I am so thankful to be here! </div>
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<span style="color: #260000; font-family: Georgia;">To one who has been long in city
pent, ’</span></div>
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<span style="color: #260000; font-family: Georgia;">Tis very sweet to look into the fair </span></div>
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<span style="color: #260000; font-family: Georgia;">~John Keats, </span><i style="color: #260000; font-family: Georgia;">Sonnet
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Goodnight, friends, from Castle Brunnenburg.</div>
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Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-59886999729740825672015-06-01T15:10:00.003-05:002015-06-03T13:18:37.398-05:00Nothing much happened today...just tea with the PrincessHello faithful readers! Today was the first day of classes at Castle Brunnenburg. As promised I took pictures of my dorm:<br />
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We started class at 9 am this morning with our Venice course. For the first day we had a quiz and some in depth discussion of Mary de Rachewiltz book, <i>Discretions</i>. Mary de Rachewiltz owns Castle Brunnenburg and is a Princess! Her book is an autobiography that tells about her fascinating life and her relationship with her father, Ezra Pound, one of the most famous 20th century American poets and a very controversial figure. Outside the window to the classroom we could see the Alps:<br />
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After this class we adjourned for lunch. The food at the castle is the best I have had in Italy thus far. The produce was grown on the slopes of Tirol. Italy's practice of utilizing locally grown produce ensures that food here is top notch:</div>
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Then we had our Sustainability class with Mary's son, Dr. de Rachewiltz. It was very good! We are going to read The Odyssey, which I am super excited about (which anyone who knows me well will understand completely). After the class Natalie and I had tea with Princess Mary!! It was so fun. She is a fascinating lady. She is still sharp as a tac - though almost 90. It was an unforgettable experience. Now to bed! Goodnight from Castle Brunnenburg.</div>
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<br />Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-43577687633505830822015-05-31T14:38:00.001-05:002015-05-31T14:38:16.368-05:00At the Castle: My Odyssey from Verona to MeranoHello all! Natalie and I made it to the castle today at around 5 - it is GORGEOUS here! But I am getting ahead of myself. First, for our tour of Verona.<br />
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We spent the afternoon Saturday walking around Fair Verona - one of Shakespeare's favorite settings. We saw Juliet's Balcony, the Roman Arena and various and sundry churches, piazzas, restaurants and walkways. The bridge in Verona is a particularly beautiful place to watch the sunset. We were tired of Italian cuisine (shocking I know!) so decided to have the age old American classic McDonald's for dinner (two cheeseburgers and one large fry later I was one happy Texan).<br />
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This morning we started out on our epic journey from the heart of Verona to the hills of Merano. One very long bus ride (we got a little lost...ok more than a little, a ten minute bus ride turned into an hour), two trains, one short bus ride and a steep hill later we arrived at Castle Brunnenburg, high up in the South of Tirol. On the way my suitcase handle broke...that was fun. But we made it safely! We were welcomed by the other students, most of whom arrived before us, and rushed off to dinner with Dr. Redman.<br />
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The food here is amazing! We had a cold dinner prepared by Brigitta, the lady who works the farm, full of organic vegetables grown onsite and cheese, freshly baked bread, olives and more. We were also allowed to sample the wine that they bottle here at the castle made from grapes grown in their vineyards. It was exquisite.<br />
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The castle runs solely on solar power and since it was rainy today I had a FREEZING shower! But the weather is perfect. Right now I sit typing in the wide open window, enjoying the cool mountain breeze. I will post pictures of the dorms tomorrow. Until then - goodnight from Castle Brunnenburg!<br />
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Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-40370895638414907642015-05-29T13:04:00.001-05:002015-05-29T13:04:16.373-05:00The Middle...and The End: Rome in Just Three Days!May 28th: Yesterday Natalie and I went to Vatican City. We got up around 8 and ate breakfast; breakfast at Adele's is different than an American breakfast, but no less delicious! We had frittata, cheese, bread, jelly, juice, cappuccino and salad (like ACUTAL salad with tomatoes and mozzarella).<br />
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Then we caught a tram (super packed, we barely fit!) to the Vatican. I was nervous we'd be late, so we went early. We got to the Vatican at around 10:30 - our tour was not scheduled until 12:30! So we looked around the gift shop and waited, we also had some great conversation!<br />
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When the tour started the sheer amount of art was overwhelming! Pablo, our tour guide, started us out with an overview of the Sistine Chapel artwork, commenting on the history behind each piece. Unfortunately, cameras are not allowed in the chapel so I do not have any pictures to share. However, I have a lot of pictures from the next leg of our journey.</div>
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The next step was to go see all the original Greek and Roman statues which the Vatican has collected throughout the years:</div>
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After that came the tapestries:<br />
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And then the paintings...the paintings were exquisite! I particularly enjoyed the Raphael Rooms:<span id="goog_1514915221"></span><br />
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Then the crowning glory of the Vatican Museums - the Sistine Chapel. After that we shopped for a little while, getting some souvenirs for our families (which I can't show here because they follow this blog) ;) Finally we made our way into Saint Peter's Basilica:</div>
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While we were in the church Pope Francis entered to perform Mass, which was pretty cool! Then - my phone and camera unanimously died and I was left to finish out the day (sadly) picture and text free. :( Natalie and I had a lovely dinner at a roadside cafe (white wine and pasta for me - muy delicioso) and then we searched high and low for the Trevi Fountain which is supposed to ensure a return visit to travelers who throw in a coin. Unfortunately, the fountain is undergoing restoration, so we were not able to throw in a coin. I took this as a sign that we were FOR SURE coming back because we needed to have the opportunity to throw in a coin. </div>
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Today - May 29th - was our last day in Rome. Natalie and I went on a whirlwind tour of all the places we missed the first two days, First we went to the Pantheon, a heathen temple converted into a memorial for the Christian Martyrs. </div>
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Next we went to the Keats-Shelley House, a memorial dedicated to two of the most famous poets in British Romanticism. The room where John Keats died is preserved in the house as well as many first editions/manuscripts of his books and his personal letters. It was a moving experience for me to see the place where one of my favorite poets died, to walk where he walked and to read his thoughts about the Eternal City.</div>
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They had a drawing by John Keats of THE Grecian Urn...maybe I'm fan-girling but I was about to pass out.</div>
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This is a picture of Natalie and me on the terrace of the Keats-Shelley House...<br />
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The Compete works of Percy Shelley</div>
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Painting of John Keats</div>
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This is me after I just saw all of that awesomeness...</div>
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After the Keats-Shelley House we went to lunch! Our friend Gaspare, the Italian man we met on the Metro, had recommended a pizza place and a gelato bar to us. They did not disappoint:</div>
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Then it was time to see some more sights. Natalie and I split up. She went to some art museums and churches while I went to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill - anyone who knows me well knows that Ancient Roman history is one of my all time favorite things...it was amazing to see!</div>
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Now all that remains is dinner and SLEEP!! I'll check in tomorrow from Verona! :) Goodnight, my friends!<br />
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Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-24354577612307590022015-05-27T11:20:00.002-05:002015-05-27T11:20:19.394-05:00Italia 2015: Arrival DayMy adventure to Italy started off with a spectacular flourish. I left on time from DFW Airport and arrived ahead of schedule on May 26, 2015 at the beautiful city of Milan. I tasted Indian Cuisine for the first time during the flight, an interesting experience:<br />
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Then we changed our dollars to euros (I would NOT recommend changing money in an airport for anyone who is considering traveling to Europe) and continued in our quest to find the train station with a grande total of 3 hours sleep between us. We made it successfully to Milano Centrale (by God's grace) and were greeted by a scene straight out of Harry Potter. I found myself looking around for platform 9 3/4:<br />
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The trains in Italy are fantastic! Very comfortable and quiet. We had a hard time not falling asleep, but stayed (semi) awake with a valiant effort. On the train we met Gespare, a very kind, intelligent Italian man who looked at our map of Rome with us and explained how to get around the city. He also mentioned some must see tourist locations and his favorite place to get Tiramisu (which I specifically asked for). He told us of some affordable, authentic Italian restaurants and the best places to get Gelato.
After a long (but extremely fun and comfortable) train ride we arrived at the Roma Termini station in Rome. The station is huge (by this time I was regretting my thinking I NEEDED a hair dryer, two razors, a straightener, shampoo and all my denim products - seriously, who needs all that?) and we lugged our luggage all over creation looking for bus tickets which are NOT sold in the metro station. After much aimless wandering we found the bus ticket booth (right outside the doors to the station!!) and were on our way to our hostess' house. Adele, our hostess, is just about the sweetest person alive! She welcomed us with open arms (literally, she hugged us!) and gave us a tour of her house and some water (Natalie and I were super thankful for the water even though it was fizzy - travel tip #1: never travel without a water bottle, it's definitely worth the space in your bag/a few dollars).
We rested for awhile then went across the street to a pizzeria that Adele recommended:<br />
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The food in Italy is SOOOO good! Very fresh ingredients. The pizza has very few toppings which make for simplistic, but STRONG flavors!
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Today - May 27th - we went to the Colosseum. It was a very satisfying historical experience:<br />
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Then we went and ate (pizza again, but it was very good!) On our way to the Roman Forum we got caught in the rain...without an umbrella!<br />
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We caught a train home (thoroughly cold and drenched) and now we are chilling (pardon the pun) until tomorrow! Thank you for your prayers for our trip. I will continue to update the blog with our adventures and provide traveling tips for those who with to see Italy someday in the future.Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-3620410900812801662012-01-26T23:00:00.003-06:002012-01-26T23:14:16.448-06:00The Sorcerer's Bane<em>The Spell</em><br /><br />A full moon shone through the open window, the scent of night blossoming jasmine filling the air with its pungent aroma. The sorcerer stood in the center of the room, meditating. His eyes were closed. He looked near sleep. Only the perfect stillness with which he held himself showed his wakefulness. <br /> Suddenly his eyes snapped open – brilliant blue, shining in the moonlight. He turned with a flourish of robes, stalking towards an oil lamp set on the floor, and igniting it with a softly spoken incantation. <br /> His movements were graceful, almost inhuman in their silence. He ghosted back to the center of the room, the small circle of light illuminating the shadows. <br />Bowls full of flower petals sat in a circle across the room. Intricate symbols were drawn in the center of it, like a gigantic piece of art work.<br /> He stood straight as an oak, his eyes trailed towards the full moon. A blast of wind shot through the window, almost blowing out the lamp, but it survived, struggling back to life with the perseverance of a wildfire. <br /> His imperial gaze overlooked the room – it was ready. He opened his mouth, and a rich, resonant voice echoed through the room.<br /><br />“Like the lily, strong and bright,<br />Like the rose, a stunning sight,<br />Sweeter than the nectar tree,<br />I call your beauty unto me,<br />Hair dark as night, I desire,<br />And a spirit filled with fire,<br />Now come to me, my lovely dear,<br />From all other worlds, to me draw near.”<br /><br /> The window swung shut with a resounding crash. A cold wind blasted through the room, clearly otherworldly as the window was now shut.<br /> Sunlight filled the room, lighting all but the darkest corners.<br /> A girl appeared in the center of the circle of flowers, her long hair flying around her head in a halo as the wind persisted. <br /> The sorcerer waved a dismissive hand and the wind dissipated. They stared at each other in silence for a few moments, the girl confused, the sorcerer astounded.<br />“You are gorgeous,” he said, breaking the silence. His voice was full of awe. The girl looked around, her eyes wide and scared. Apparently the spirit full of fire part of the spell hadn’t taken. <br />“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered, walking up to her slowly. Her gaze darted around, looking for escape. “I won’t hurt you. I called for you. You are very special.”<br /> “What the hell is going on!” he jumped back as the frail flower exploded into song. “Troy! What did you do to me?” She looked up at the ceiling, as if trying to see through to the sky above.<br /> “I do not know any ‘Troy’.” The sorcerer said, haltingly. “I brought you here. . .” But she talked over him, as if he was not even there.<br /> “What did that boy do to me?” she rolled her eyes, looking at him through dark lashes, “Just diet coke indeed. He must have gotten a hallucinogen off of the streets. I’ve told him a thousand times not to mess with the drugs, and now he’s fed some to me. . . you are a very strange hallucination.” She added, smiling. “That’s a compliment by the way,” she added quickly, “What are you doing?” <br />She looked around the small, dark room, marveling at the rose petals and lilies scattered about. <br />“What’re all the flowers for?” The sorcerer stood, frozen in surprise, unable to answer her. She was acting very strangely. He had been prepared for some discrepancies of culture . . . but this was all very odd. <br />“The flowers were for the ceremony.” He said, sitting gracefully on the floor. Just because she wasn’t scared yet did not mean she would not be – particularly when he started explaining how she had gotten there. He meant to make himself as unthreatening as possible.<br />“Huh.” She sounded unimpressed, “what kind of ceremony? Some hokey weddingish thing? Do you suppose that what you imagine while on hallucinogens from the street is like your deepest desire or something? Cuz I don’t think I want to be in a dark room with some,” she looked him up and down, taking in his dark cloak and the dagger sheathed at his hip, “vampire wannabe and flower petals everywhere. It seems just a little on the crazy side for me.” She paused, seeming to be waiting for a reply of some kind. He sat in silence, wondering what a hallucination was, but since she wasn’t screaming in terror he took it as a good sign.<br />She smiled, throwing herself down into a sprawling sit across from him. Deciding he was not going to reply she added. “Guess it is a little strange to ask your hallucination if you are crazy – I mean it is obvious isn’t it?” She leaned back on her side, propping her head on her hand. “I guess I should just wait until the drugs wear off or something.” She leaned towards him conspiratorially, “I knew I shouldn’t go out with Troy. He’s a bad boy – motorcycle, bad history – you know what I mean.” She lowered her voice, “he even has a rap sheet.” She nodded wisely, “Christy told me. We don’t know what he did, but it can’t have been that bad . . . probably alcohol possession or something. I mean he didn’t go to jail or anything. I would never date a felon! But he does have that aura you know . . . sort of bad, but – not that bad.” She sighed, dreamily. “I guess I have to break up with him now,” she looked sad at the thought, “I can’t have people feeding me drugs, it just isn’t right.” She broke off her rambling, looking at him slyly, “You’re pretty quiet you know that? Can’t you say anything? I feel like such a jabber box.” She waited a moment, but he was obviously still in shock or something, “I’m Natalie by the way,” she smiled sweetly, “just so you know. <br /> I feel like I should introduce myself . . . sort of weird cuz it’s like I’m meeting my own mind.” She looked at him expectantly, pleased with herself for having such a philosophical thought. His palms started to sweat. He did not know what she wanted from him, but he was starting to realize that he had gotten more than he bargained for when he had spoken that spell. All he had wanted was the most beautiful wife in the world. What he had gotten . . . well he wasn’t sure what he had gotten. <br />“So what’s your name?” she asked, looking at him like he was a blockhead. “It’s usually customary to give it when someone tells you theirs.”<br />“Oh!” he said, starting from his reverie, “Of course.” He straightened his shoulders. “My name is Vladimir Alessando Branric Robert Le Fay.” Her jaw dropped.<br />“You cannot be serious! Really!” She shrieked with laughter. “I cannot believe that my subconscious could name someone that even if I am high, that is just too mean. What was I thinking?” He looked offended, standing up, and pacing the ground next to her.<br />“I am from a great family lady. The Le Fays have been held in highest regard since the time of Morgan – the matriarch of my line. We are the greatest family of sorcerers in Camelot since Morgan vanquished the evil Merlin Ambrosius."<br />“Wow! I have some imagination! This is as ridiculous a dream as I have ever had.” The sorcerer regarded her in shock.<br />“You are not in a dream lady! I am indeed a Le Fay – descended from the illustrious Morgan – and I brought you here to be my bride.” She laughed gaily.<br />“Oh I highly doubt that.” She got gracefully to her feet, brushing the dust off of her hands onto her – he blushed as he saw them – rather revealing trousers. “I’m dreaming – it is the only logical explanation. Either that or I’m high, though I prefer the former. <br />Besides if you are a magician, or wizard or whatever then where is your wand?” She arched her brow, challengingly. She was on equal footing with the man, though he was almost a foot taller than her. His cloak and renaissance boots would have – on anyone else – appeared ridiculous, but he carried them well. <br />“I do not need a wand. The words of power are all I require.” He loomed over her, not threatening, but not backing down either.<br /> As she stood under his shadow she began to doubt. What if he was telling the truth? Of course it was impossible . . . but there was something about him. An air of power and danger that was frightening. <br /> “I don’t believe it. It is a trick to scare me. If you really are what you claim then prove it.” He stood before her, perfectly tranquil.<br />“I dare you.” Her voice was quiet, but firm.<br /> The man narrowed his eyes, stepping away from her into the shadow beyond the small lamp light.<br /> <br />“I call you power, from the sea,<br /> Come Fire, and her teacher be,<br /> Dust I desire, show the way,<br /> And wind to blow her doubts away.” <br /><br />She smiled as he began, but at the end of the chant she shrunk back in fear. Water exploded into the air, a pulsing light at its heart – the red light of fire. Dust cyclone around the fountain in a halo, sounding like a small hurricane. She screamed – terrified – and immediately the apparition faded. The boy stood there, silently, his dark cape still, his boots impeccably shined.<br /> “You are a wizard?” she asked, taking a step back. She could not have slept, or even dreamed through that. The wind had felt so real. This was no hallucination. <br /> With belief came shock. She trembled with cold, adrenaline making her skin crawl.<br /> “No of course not!” he scoffed, and she took a breath, “I am a sorcerer.” She gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief, but she could not forget what she had seen. <br /> “Why am I here?” she took another step back and he followed, staying at a distance, but never allowing her to get more than three feet from him. She moved, he moved, always maintaining the distance.<br /> “It is as I said. I called you here.” His eyes were dark, deep. She could not see any emotion. The shadows veiled them.<br /> “Why?” She ran into the wall. She had nowhere to go. She shrunk back as far as she could.<br /> “Because I wanted the most beautiful girl in the world for my bride,” he took a step closer, changing the distance between them . . . two feet now.<br /> “What about Helen of Troy? You know ‘the face that launched a thousand ships’ and all that?” Her voice was loud, she was nearing hysteria.<br /> “Helen was a blonde. My spell was for the most beautiful dark beauty. I have . . . sort of a thing for brunettes,” he smiled, moving nearer still . . . one foot. <br /> “But I’m nothing special,” she panted, her heart beating fast, “There are lots of people more beautiful than I am. My best friend Christy is lovely. She is the captain of the cheer squad. . .” she knew she was babbling, but she couldn’t stop.<br /> “They did not have all of the . . .” he searched for a word, “qualities I desired.” Natalie’s heart pounded, adrenaline humming through her veins. He was going to kiss her, and she knew instinctively that if he did she would not find any of this strange. Her distance was the only thing keeping her sane –<br /> And then she saw it. <br />It was as beautiful as a rescue ship to a drowning man. It shone brightly, like the first dawn a released convict sees, free of the prison.<br />The Exit sign. <br />It was the type of sign that she had seen throughout all her life, red – bright. She had seen it at movie theaters, schools – even hospitals, but never had it been more welcome.<br /> She took a deep breath. Everything was moving in slow motion. He was mere inches away now. <br /> She shoved him with all her might, her head reeling, and ran at a mad dash towards the exit. She did not look back – not even when she heard him fall to the ground with a great crash.Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-68901916817927226072012-01-24T23:11:00.003-06:002012-01-24T23:15:02.284-06:00Archress<em>The Grounding </em><br /><br /> “Who will be next to go up against the Manipulator?” The Warden’s voice rang through the stadium, echoing from the rafters. The Manipulator had beaten twenty-three competitors using his particular skill – shaping emotions. He was the current poster child of The Grounding, the undefeated champion. <br /> The Grounding was many things, a night club, a black market . . . but mostly it was a place for elect to fight using all their skills. The Grounding was open to all, but the most common fighters were seers and manipulators. Their particular skills were honed by this type of illegal fighting. <br />Telepaths were in demand. The Grounding could make money on a willing Telepath fighter, charging outrageous admission fees to the general populace. They made the best fighters. A strong telepath could make an opponent stand still for a beating. <br /> “What, no takers?” the last adversary of the Manipulator lay, groaning on the ground, a warning to all of what was to come should they be foolish enough to accept the challenge lurking in the Manipulator’s eyes. <br />“No one brave enough to take on this monster of mayhem?” The Warden’s voice was scornful, as he eyed the crowd, hoping to incite a taker.<br />“I will,” the girl who had spoken was known only by reputation. She was the baby sister of Marc – the self-proclaimed King of telepathy – and not many would dally with her for fear of incurring his wrath. But at The Grounding anyone could challenge, regardless of position. The warden smiled nastily, “Ok little lady. Manipulator, here’s your competition,” he took her by the hand, drawing her roughly into the ring. The crowd went wild.<br />The tall man looked at the slight girl with a frown on his face. It was not his habit to fight ladies, in fact he looked down upon it . . . but he could not refuse her at The Grounding. <br /> “Alright then,” he said his voice soft and smooth. The girl jumped a little at the sound of his voice, the British accent surprising her. She frowned at the clear calmness of his gaze – he thought he would win easily. Like a lazy lion he stretched while walking to the left corner of the mat.<br />“Ladies and gents,” called the Warden, “get ready for the fight of the night! Miss Emma Grisham has challenged the Manipulator.” He covered the microphone with his hand, speaking to Emma quietly, “And might I inquire, Emma what is your gift –”<br />“No,” interrupted the Manipulator, his eyes cutting quickly to the Warden, before returning to the girl, “this is hardly a fair fight as it is, let the lady’s talent remain a secret.”<br />The Warden nodded his agreement, turning back to the crowd. “Well gents, this boy’s got class. He has let the lady’s keep her talent a secret! Fine gentleman that, eh?”<br />The crowd cheered in light of his sporting chivalry and Emma smiled to herself. This was a fight she planned on winning, and the secret of her talent was just an added bonus.<br />“Assume position,” shouted the Warden.<br />Emma retreated to the right corner of the sparring ring and awaited the sound of the horn.<br /> <br />Nathan tensed his temple and began to work his magic. The base instincts of human emotion were the easiest to forge – greed, lust, envy; – were all easy to arouse. The human mind always leans towards its dark side. <br />On the opposite corner of the mat Emma smiled again her sweet girlish smile; this boy had no idea what he was getting into. As the sister and daughter of telepaths she had learned at the age of six to guard her mind from even the strongest broaches, and though this was a different kind of attack – a sneaking entrance instead of a full on assault – it would be just as easy to shield herself. <br />The crowd watched breathless as the Manipulator lowered his head and worked his mind games. In The Grounding, most fights were fought for control of the mind. Telepaths, manipulators, enchantresses . . . occasionally a shapeshifter and a techaton would get into it – that was interesting – but for the most part people came to watch the drama. Two people standing silently, fighting for control . . . that was the real draw. They were experiencing quite a show now. The Manipulator was always one of the most dramatic in his actions. His gaze was intense, catching his subject, and he made them do the most bizarre things. His power – emotional control – lent itself to stunning feats of intrigue for the audience. He was a favorite with the crowd.<br />Now the people soaked up his charisma like a heady wine, watching him with hungry gazes to see what he would do to his slip of a girl who dared to challenge him. Only a few people were actually watching Emma– a relative unknown to the shadow world – and they were not taking note of the fact that she looked far from cowed. <br />The crowd waited with bated breath. The battle had been raging for several minutes, though no outward sign had been made. Finally something moved, it started as a motion seen from the corner of one person’s eye, and grew stronger as the whole crowd turned to stare at the girl – she was moving.<br /> <br />The girl, Emma, he reminded himself, approached him slowly, a glazed look in her eyes, the type of look all his subjects wore under his spell. Her walk was slow and seductive the very picture of the emotion he had aroused in her. She threw her arms around his neck in a passionate embrace and kissed him. <br />He kissed her back, marveling at the sweetness of the moment. He was not usually so emotionally compromised himself, but her innocence intrigued him. He deepened the kiss, unaware of the chaos that was about to occur.<br />Emma kissed Nathan with fiery passion – lust. Such a base emotion; she would never forgive this man for trying to arouse that in her. She would teach him a lesson not soon forgotten.<br />The Manipulator was oblivious to all else, the taste of victory sweet. He tightened his grip on the girl, she was thought by all to be a strong defender against mental attacks, obviously a misconception. He would have to talk with Marc. The Company was no place for a beautiful girl who couldn’t guard her mind. His hand twined in her hair as he maintained his grip on her mind.<br />The entire arena was holding its breath when a click resounded through the arena.<br />Nathan opened his eyes to see her standing in front of him, eyes perfectly sober – angry even – a colt 44 caliber suspended in midair pointed directly at his head.<br />“Archer,” he said, in awe.<br />“Archress actually,” she said, regarding him coldly. Her turquoise eyes sparkled and her face was flushed with victory, still she kept the gun suspended in mid-air and trained on his head, the anger had yet to leave her face, “surrender now.” <br /><em></em>Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-52480212715103564322010-06-14T11:46:00.005-05:002010-06-14T12:08:56.065-05:00The ThiefRobin Hood . . . a man, an idea - a thief. I have recently finished my first version of Robin Hood - which I thoroughly enjoyed - and am now moving on to the next chapter in the saga. <br /><br />The folktale has been turned by many different authors into successful novels all of which I am planning on reading. Once the bug bites you you want to read everything ever written about this famous man, Mr. Robin of Locksley. <br /><br />I have always adored the Robin Hood tales. A story about someone so brave and dashing . . . I cannot but be enthralled. The countless renditions of this classic story through music, media and books proves that people have always found Robin Hood fascinating. <br /><br />What have people through the ages found so gripping? Was it that he was one of the first people bequeathed Super Hero status? Or perhaps that while he considered himself above the law, he still used his awesomeness to help the poor instead of using his "powers" for his own gain? Or was it that he stood against the tyrant Prince John and did what he could to halt the growing of John's power by stealing the people back their taxes? <br /><br />I believe that the appeal of Robin Hood is different for everyone. Some people probably just appreciate the love story between Maid Marian and Robin (I know I do) while others find in it a fulfilling philosophical argument - is it right to steal from the rich to give to the poor if the rich are taxing the poor right to their graves? <br /><br />Everything in it draws me to the story, from the dashing and honorable Robin, to the beautiful and good Marian. The loyal Much and Will Scarlett, to the evil and unscrupulous Sheriff of Nottingham. The characters are timeless . . .<br /><br />Robin Hood is a myth. . . but his tale could very well be true. His story of love and loss, honor and thievery is very likely based on truth of the times. Who is to say that in Sherwood there was not once a man named Robin Hood, who with his band of Merry Men made life for the poor of Nottingham a little easier, and stood with all of this heart against the tyranny of John . . . <br /><br />P.S. - Ms. Hawkins I am SO sorry that your comment never got shown! I accidentally pushed "reject" instead of "publish". Please forgive me! It was an honest error. You comment was very encouraging! Thank you for reading!<br /><br />Enchanted EtymologistEnchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-5884277894650225252010-03-21T21:06:00.002-05:002010-03-23T10:32:44.687-05:00Anthem(See below for explanation)<br /><br />The Death of Logos<br /><br /><br />The spirit . . . the mind – how different are these two entities which inhabit the human psyche? The essence of the human – I am, I think, I will – is found in the mind. Most scholars would agree that the “spirit” or “soul” is the core of humanity. But isn’t the mind the core? It is with the mind that we think, feel, and create. <br />If the mind – the essence of “I” – is broken there is no longer an individual. The great “We” reigns supreme and there is no reason to have either guards or locks at the Palace of Corrective Detention. The mind – the will, the spirit – is broken. A being not capable of thought has no will, and thus is unable to act. To such a being self preservation means nothing, there is no self to preserve. <br />The person who has surrendered to the indoctrination of “We” has no desire to act in discordance of the whole. To this person that is all there is, the overwhelming desires of We. “I” has no place in the thoughts of the mindless. Persons with no will have no need of prison bars to hold them; they have tethered themselves by surrendering their ability to think. The creative thought which would make escape possible has been executed on the altar of the majority. The Council has nothing to fear – the prisoners have no desire to escape. <br />When will is surrendered along with conscious selfish thought the desire to live also perishes. What kind of existence is a life free of “I”? If there is no me to begin with, then the truth of the matter is that “I” am already dead, and a dead man needs not fear anything. The lone prisoner does not know to fear death, for what is death to him? He is not a person, not an individual. He does not exist – only “We”, and if “We” wills it then he is subject to the whim of “We”. <br />There is nothing to fear in death to the dead man, the only thing that he must fear is life. Living without a mind, a mindless existence, is a life that no man would – should – wish for; unable to act, to desire, to love, to think . . . to be. To be free one must have one’s own thoughts, ideas, and beliefs. If the ideas are another’s, then ego is a slave to the other’s superior mind. The thoughts must be owned, the desires personal. The majority may desire something – that does not bequeath it with goodness.<br />The prisoners have no will and no identity. The question raised – by the absolute void of will and inability to action – is why there are any locks at all. If the prisoner has no will, reason, or inclination to escape why go to the – fairly futile – effort of securing rusty locks? The answer can be found in the survival instinct humanity possess. When faced with dire straits – where death is imminent – life will break forth. The instinct to survive – even if there is no sense of self – remains intact. The fear of pain, the terror that the final death of the body holds for creatures awakens the latent and instinctive fear of death.<br />Though the prisoner may have a strong urge to save the body from pain, the lock on the door prevents him from attaining this goal. He lacks the creative and innovative thought necessary to formulate a plan at escape. The surrender which forbids him conscious thought has signed his death warrant and he is helpless to thwart the sentence.<br />Being carried away in the mob of majority is comfortable. In the crowd there is no pressure to make choices and thus no fear of mistakes. Thought – logic – is hard. It is bleak, sad and lonely . . . but if humanity does not use its soul – its mind – what are we but cattle? Cattle are beasts led by the wind and the grass, shuffled around by forces outside their control. The mind is the most important thing humanity possesses, and a logos – no thought – is the fatal weapon.<br />Is pleasure preferable to pain if in the bliss of ignorance one loses oneself?<br /><br /><br />EXPLANTAION: The Ayn Rand Institute hosts an "essay contest" every year for students. The essays are based on one of Ayn Rand's books and - depending on which grade you are in - you are allowed to write and submit <B>one</B> essay on either <em>Anthem</em> (8th, 9th or 10th grade) <em>The Foutainhead</em> (11th and 12th grade) or <em>Atlas Shrugged</em> which is for college students, graduate students and/or anyone who is "re-attending" college. I read Anthem - a good, if disturbing, book - and wrote an essay. My <I>prompt</I> for this paper was - <I><B>"The old locks and lack of guards in the Palace of Corrective Detention indicate that prisoners never try to escape. Why do you think they do not? Explain." </B></I> This might help you better understand the content! Hope you enjoyed. . .Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-90877941590404751222010-01-03T16:28:00.011-06:002010-01-03T17:49:10.370-06:00Slumber Party Fun!See below for an explanation of this story. . .<br /><br /><br /><strong>Death and Truth</strong><br /><br />It is so interesting this time we live in, you and I. So different from the ancient world in which I grew up. That place has now passed beyond myth and legend. No one knows the true story of the gods, how they came to be, what was their purpose. But I can tell you all you could ever wish to find out. Open your minds and discover the Truth.<br /><br /><br />Everything you know is a lie, now that is a very un-promising way to begin a tale, which I well know, but it is the Truth and you had best live with it. You think Zeus was King of the gods of Olympus and Hera was his cold-hearted Queen - hah - those days are long since past. The only power in this world is death. Everything, even the gods, tremble before it. It despises those who would try to outwit it such as Heracles and Theseus. Have you guessed yet who I am? Let me clue you in to my little secret. I am the consort of the most handsome and ruthless god of all. He is cold and majestic in his wrath and only those he favors can stand against death's boundless call. I am Persephone - the iron Queen - and this, is my story. . .<br /><br /><br />I met Hades when I was a scant score of years or so. He was enticing - as all bad boys tend to be - and I fell hard and fast for him. . .the Truth of the matter was he had no idea that I existed. My mother had hidden me from the court on Olympus. Even Zeus - at that time the strongest of us - did not guess at my existence. How to get him to notice me? That was the question, and it was soon solved with a visit to Hecate and a few favors from Aphrodite. I would put aside my divine splendour for three days, and during that time - I had to <em>die</em>. <br /><br /><br />It was a simple plan made even more devious by the fact that I knew certain things from my mother - simple things she let drop easily - such as the fact that Hermes was off chasing a wood nymph around Croatia and had been abandoning his his duties as chaperone of mortals to the otherside, resulting in Hades, the lovely Death god himself, being subjected to this job. I soon put my plan into effect , for, finding a willing family to take me in and pretend I was their daughter (for the promise of fruitful crops that year) I swallowed the potion that would strip me of my immortality and fell into a stupor. <br /><br /><br />I cannot explain what it was like to be dead. . .it was strange. I could look down on myself from a great height. I am not sure where exactly I was during that time, Olympus or Uranus, but I saw Hades come to me, saw him stare into my sightless eyes - I saw the split second in time, suspended as I was out of it, when his cold, dead heart melted and he fell in love with me. I had <em>won</em>! But still he did not know that I was a goddess. <br /><br /><br />He carried me down into the depths of the Earth and laid me in a bed of silk and satin. For two days he searched for something to revive me, but even Hades cannot release someone from Thantos grip once he has them and for those two days he was hopelessly and helplessly lost. He plunged into the depths of depression, swore to his Furies that he would die himself without me. <br /><br /><br />I almost lost him that day - the day of my resurrection. He had the dagger, tipped with dragon's blood, ready to plunge into his heart when I awoke and stopped him. You will never begin to imagine the wonder that filled his eyes, he still thanks Thantos everyday, though I explained everything to him. And that is how I caught the Lord of Death - a love story to rival Helen's, eh? Zeus is dead and gone, as are Hera, Lord Poseidon and Demeter, but Hades and I live on.. . .the only beings that Death cannot touch. . .<br /><br /><br /><br />EXPLANATION -<br /><br />On New Year's Eve I had a very fun slumber party with some of my special friends. We stayed up until four O'clock the next morning (New Year's Day) and one of the fun things we did was write some stories in a time constraint. As you know if you read my blog often I have written under a time constraint before, but this time was different. My friend (who knows me well) gave to me the challenge of creating a Greek Myth. At first I did not want to attempt such a feat (Greek Myths in their splendour are - as far as I am concerned - above reproach or change). I told my friend this and said that I would just write about something else. . .then I got to thinking about two of my favorite characters in mythology. I scrapped the story I had been writing instead of my own personal Myth and started this interesting tale - I hope you enjoyed it!<br /><br />*<strong>DISCLAIMER</strong>* - this is a fun story made purely for enjoyment. . .the facts of the Greek Myths have been changed to fit my plot. This is a raw story that has not been edited so it could definitely be better. . .Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-67852313030228837192009-11-05T09:52:00.006-06:002009-11-05T10:00:29.472-06:00NaNoWriMoHello all!<br />Did you know that November is national novel writing month? Well it is and I have joined the website (NaNoWriMo) dedicated to helping budding writers to finish a 50,000 word book in thirty day! Quite challenging I must admit! It is quite freeing however to be free of the weight that comes with (for me at least) <I>excessive</I> editing. I will edit, are re-edit a passage until it is just a shade of its former bulk. Though this adds to quality it reduces quantity and this has been a problem for me when trying to finish any of my novels that are "in the works". I am enjoying this great opportunity (thank you Mr. Eric!) and if anyone would like to check my progress the link to the site is above. I know you will all be very encouraging throughout the difficult weeks ahead!Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-89046769708324324902009-10-12T19:59:00.001-05:002009-10-12T20:02:31.833-05:00Fahrenheit 451Knowledge vs. Ignorance<br /><br /> Knowledge versus ignorance – which would you choose? Throughout history this has been a predominate idea in literature, movies, television and philosophy. Is ignorance really bliss? Would you sacrifice your happiness for the light and wisdom that knowledge brings? In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury’s masterpiece, Guy Montag risks it all and takes the red pill.<br /> Knowledge . . . ignorance – they are personified so clearly in Clarisse and Mildred. Clarisse is a light in the dark, bookless world Montag lives in. A kind of Athena she shows him the path to wisdom and knowledge. It is she who opens his eyes. With the taste of her knowledge still lingering on his palette he desires more, more – more! This is why he begins stealing books. He believes that they will teach him, that he will learn from them, that they will show him the light, and help him to taste again that alluring seductress knowledge.<br /> Mildred represents ignorance. Cut off from reality she is trapped in a matrix of her own design. Blissfully ignorant of the death hurtling towards her she is lost in her delightful fantasy. She is a sheep, blindly following the dictates of her ignorant government, not thinking for herself – and she loves her ignorance. She loves the parlor (which represents ignorance) and hates those loathsome books (the shining light of reason.)<br /> Knowledge and ignorance are shown through the books “reason” and the parlors “bliss”. They are the antithesis of each other. The Fire Chief likens books to “pores in a face”. Books show the flaws of the universe – of humanity. Though if taken at face value this is a bad thing, it is actually a great marvel. Through books we see that we are not perfect, and yet we see heroes striving for greatness. The great Heracles was of a surety not perfect, and yet he ascended to Mount Olympus because of his epic struggle to be more than his fate allotted to him. <br />The parlors (or “families”) in contrast make the world out to be all hunky-dory, beautiful – perfect. This is great if all you desire is peace of mind, but it is not true. True peace only comes through truth and sooner of later this fake peace will turn into what it is – rubbish. If everything is perfect, all nice and orderly, there is nothing to live for. There is no way that you, a simple human being, can make a difference in an already perfect world. You cannot change it for the better or the worse, you can simply be – this is a sad and horrible misconception.<br /> The third metaphor for knowledge and ignorance in Fahrenheit 451 is the society, or government and the scholars “book covers”. The government set out to create a world without controversy. They banned books, seeing that all they did was “cause trouble”. This was an ignorant and misinformed decision. Instead of creating a perfect world, they created a society where the common man could not think for himself! <br />On the other hand they pushed the scholars into absolute abandon. Now instead of thinking quietly and causing no harm these professors spend their days memorizing books, turning themselves into outlaws, criminals against this ignorant people. These “book covers” know that after the dust settles humanity will need the knowledge they have stored up to begin anew. They know that it is they who will – in the end – be witness to the greatest rebirth the world has ever seen. <br /> In conclusion, Fahrenheit 451 is a warning. A warning to beware we do not let ignorance conquer us. A warning to swallow the “knowledge” pill, however bitter it be – and a warning to look to the future and protect it, to live in the present – and to always remember the past.Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954626196989247233.post-5012661019361995092009-10-09T20:03:00.002-05:002009-10-09T20:10:30.641-05:00The Problem With Democracy<I>Hello Bloggers! I had to read (for school) <U>Lord of the Flies</U> and <U>Animal Farm</U>. After reading these intriguing books I was ordered to write a paper with my view of what the "perfect" balance of a government would be between strict, control and absolute, boundless chaotic freedom. This is the paper I wrote. Feel free to comment, in fact I would appreciate any comments immensely!</I><br /><br /><br />The closest to a perfect government (or the balance of power between “control” and “freedom”) is Democracy. In theory this form of government is “fool proof”. The officials are elected “for the people, by the people”. They are given power based on their merit. This philosophy of government is flawed. It is subject to the whims of humanity; humanity as a whole is easily led astray – this is not a good thing. In short a Democracy run by reason not by feelings would be the purest balance between Chaos and Dictatorship. The problem with Democracy can be summed up as “the human problem”.<br />In contrast with Democracy, Anarchy presents none of these “control” problems as no man has control over another. Anarchy (by definition) is the absence of government, and hence, the abolishment of control. There are flaws in this type of non-government too! The main flaw of the philosophy of Anarchy is that (again) humanity is not perfect. As in Lord of the Flies people would run wild. In this fear driven society Maslow’s Needs would be limited to Physical Needs and Safety Needs. Social, Esteem and “spiritual” or “aesthetic” would be out. To conclude this idea, it is clear that Democracy presents the finest choice. It controls people more than they like, but it also protects them and forms a sense of “stability” in their life. Democracy is, therefore, the subject of this paper.<br />There are two problems with Democracy. One - the written law and spoken word are not held in high enough reverence. Two, officials who are elected – for the people, by the people – are corrupted by their hunger for power.<br />The first (of many) problems with Democracy (in practice) is that it does not abide by the written and spoken word (law). Using the United States as a model we will explore Democracy’s problems. The Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights were put into effect to make the “powers” that government had over the citizens of its country into writing so that it would not be subject to change, and to protect the rights of its people. The Constitution and Bill of Rights are well written and if the Untied States actually did practice what it preaches this country would be as close to a true Democracy as anyplace in the world. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights are (sadly) not upheld as they should be. An example of this can be found in the incident in Ohio where protesters (using their right of free speech) were slaughtered by U.S. soldiers. Another example is the right of Americans to have and bear arms which has been restricted by the “hand gun license law”. This law prevents the carrying of a gun without the proper “permission” from the authorities. The written and spoken law is not considered “unchangeable”, but rather is subject to amendments and the passing of new laws which widens the governments control over our personal freedoms.<br />The second reason our country is not a true balance of power between “control” and “freedom” is that once in a position of power our officials are corrupted. This is shown throughout history. One example of this (though it is a moral and not a practical corruption) is the recently discovered fact that supposedly “Christian” men were entertaining harlots at their abode. Power, no matter how small, corrupts, and the greater the power the greater the corruption. Though we hear it said “all men are equal” yet isn’t the very fact that the government issues laws telling us that they believe that they know more than we do? This shows us they think they know best, revealing that they believe “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others” (Animal Farm). <br />There are many people who disagree with me, who would say, “The United States is the best place to live! Where else would you rather live? We are the richest and most blest people in the world!”<br />To those people I would say – the reason we are the richest people in the world is because of Capitalism, not Democracy! I agree that this is the best place – and the only place I would want - to live. This is the closest to a true Democracy we are likely to find in the world – until people start living by reason and not emotions. <br />In conclusion, a true Democracy is the balance between “control” and “freedom”. To bad for us this perfect government does not exist!Enchanted Etymologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804670986143972002noreply@blogger.com1