Local Art, a Suspension Bridge, and an Appendectomy
During the last 2 weeks of being alone here in Italy, I have made it a point to get out of the house each day to do something . . . anything! Whatever it is, whether it's a walk into town, a trip to the grocery store, or a drive up into the mountains with a friend, they each help to break up the hours of the day and to fill a little corner of my heart with something good.
Vicenza is a beautiful city, with several places that I have not yet seen. On Halloween Day, I decided to walk into town to visit the Museo Civico, about a 30 minute walk from my house. I could get some exercise at the same time as seeing something new and interesting.
On the street side of the Museo Civico building, it says: "Corso Andrea Palladio". In other words, this was part of the "course" of Palladio, if you intended to see some of his great works around town.
Video of one of the first beautiful ceilings inside the Museum: (10 seconds)
I'll just add here that I got an audio guide for my tour because I assumed everything would be in Italian. (It was free, I just had to leave my drivers license as collateral) However, there were many things with an English translation so I didn't need the audio guide very much. I began using it at the start of my tour, but my patience seems to be lacking (yet again) to listen to each explanation in their entirety before moving on. I would much rather just use my eyes to absorb and learn and feel, than to sit and listen to a sometimes cumbersome and lengthy explanation. I should probably stop getting audio guides . . .
In the bottom right corner of the photo above, the English explanation shares the following: "This work was commissioned by the leading representatives of the city in gratitude for the escaped plague of 1572. In the foreground, in fact, the highest political officials are kneeling at the foot of the Madonna in a sign of homage and devotion. In recognition of the grace received, it is said that there was also the release of some prisoners, represented in the painting along a diagonal axis. The masses cut symmetrically by the ladder are characterised in the upper registry by fluency of movement, and in the lower one by absolute composure: a difference that could be explained by the participation of students to the master's execution of the work. It is a solemn result of the later years of Jacopo Bassano, perhaps executed in collaboration with his workshop. The colour is laid almost in patches, with quick and impetuous brushstrokes, alternating shadows with sudden flashes of light that underline the most vivid and bright hues." (referring to the painting below)
Video of a special feature in this gallery, which I have seen rarely but in a few other art galleries: (20 seconds) https://photos.app.goo.gl/kQ49EMJpxqshH8ya6
For visiting patrons who are blind, this is an opportunity for them to feel with their hands - not only a description of the piece in Braille, but there is also a matching piece out of marble or stone that they can carefully explore to understand what is in the painting. Wow. That is so amazing!!
(Painting in the video above was made by Hans Memling in 1468)
I absolutely loved seeing this beautiful fragment of an old fresco, and it appears to be the Virgin Mary.
Mary, admiring the Christ Child between Saints Monica and Mary Magdalene.
Artist: Bartolomeo Montagna, 1485.
Artist: Giovanni Bonconsiglio, called Marescalco. 1502-1511 in Vicenza.
Presentation of Jesus at the temple.
Artist: Bartolomeo Montagna. 1510.
Artist: Bartolomeo Montagna. 1485.
I absolutely LOVED this next painting: Adoration by the Wise Men.
Artist: Marcello Fogolino. 1511.
What I loved about the painting was how everyone seemed to want to be a part of seeing the Christ Child, from all stages and walks of life. The attention to detail made it especially beautiful and believable to me.
I have noticed that many of the photos I seem to take recently are centered around a mother and her child. There is just something so precious about the loving relationship between them, that the whole of mankind craves and needs and benefits so greatly from.
This next painting was made by Jacopo Bassano. It's called, "Madonna on the throne with Child, among Saints Catherine and Mary Magdalene and a devotee." circa 1530.
Madonna with Child. Made from terracotta.
Artist: Jacopo Tatti. 1550.
Artist: Paolo Caliari. 1551.
"Touch Me Not" (in Italian = "Noli me tangere")
Artist: Giovanni Paolo Lomazzo. 1568.
Just a typical family portrait, ha ha - - from the year 1553. The Valmarana Family.
Artist: Giovanni Antonio Fasolo.
The globes were made of paper and papier-mache, wood, plaster and metal by the artist Henricus Hondius. He was from Amsterdam. Made in the year 1640.
I would love to have one of those in my home . . .
Views of Vicenza out the window of the museum . . .
Shortly after I got home, a gorgeous cotton candy sky wrapped up the day.
The following day, November 1st, I drove up into the mountains with my friend, Marnie Parker. We are both part of the Wednesdays in Italy Group with several other ladies, where we go on a field trip somewhere each Wednesday. This particular week, however, most of the other ladies weren't able to join us, so it ended up just being the two of us. We had a great time!!
It was my turn to host the excursion, and I had been to Ponte Avis once before with our friends, the Garners, last October. It takes about one hour to get to the Pasubio Mountain area from Vicenza, and thank goodness we went up when we did. The very next day there was a hefty storm which not only flooded some cities in Northern Italy (mostly Milan), but it also left some snow on the mountain tops, enough that the snow was visible from several miles away. But when we went up, it was perfect weather on a perfect fall day.
We went to the Ossuary Pasubio first, a WWI Monument and tower that overlooks the valleys below. Built in 1926, it houses the remains of several Italian servicemembers and about 40 Austro-Hungarian soldiers in the crypt below.
The ceiling of the first floor has a military-themed pattern, with the soldiers depicted as angels, in between some large tiles with "elegant" criss-crossing grenades.
To get up to the third floor, you have to be very, very brave. The stairs are almost a straight vertical climb, but as long as you hold on tight to the skinny little iron railing and go nice and slow, you'll make it up just fine.
The views from the upper terrace are spectacular, so that made it all worth it. With the reds, oranges, and yellows of autumn sprawled across the mountain tops, it just takes your breath away!
Video of the views from the upper terrace: (20 seconds)
Video #1 while on the bridge, looking toward the mountains: (8 seconds)
Video #2 while on the bridge, looking down into the valleys below: (7 seconds)
Once we got to the other side, there was a whole stream of hikers coming across behind us. That meant we had to wait a while before we could turn around and head back across the bridge. There is some sway and a hint of bouncing that you feel while you're on the bridge, so it is advised to keep a safe distance between hikers. The bridge is 114 feet high and 344 feet in length, by the way.
Several hikers brought their dog across on a leash, with some canines clearly out of their comfort zone and practically choking themselves from pushing forward so hard and dragging their owner behind them. Other dogs seemed more nonchalant as they crossed. And we saw one "doggy dad" carrying his pet across, even though the dog looked a little too big to be carried . . .
We made one additional stop on our way home from Pasubio, so we could see a beautiful waterfall cascading down the mountain.
Video of the waterfall: (13 seconds)
A couple days later, I walked into downtown Vicenza again to run one little errand. I have been wanting to visit the store called Flying Tiger Copenhagen for a long time, over a year in fact. People have told me how cute it is, some even saying that it's like a European version of a Target store. I suppose it's like a Target because it has cutesy items like cards, holiday decor, and craft supplies, but maybe it's also because the prices are pretty cheap, too.
Either way, I thought it was very cute and I found a few ornaments to hang on my Christmas tree, along with some Christmas cards I can send out this season. It was invigorating to be on a walkabout with no specific agenda.
Outside the gates of the Olympic Theater was a statue of Fedele Lampertico, a local politician, writer, and economist from the 1800's. When I took the photo, I thought the statue would be of someone from an older century, perhaps a contributor to the Theater. Not so much, but still a handsome statue.
The following day, I drove with another friend, Sherry Haines, to a new place neither of us had ever been to, called Asolo, Italy. It's about 45 minutes north of Vicenza. Sherry is serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with her husband, Jeff. She is amazing in so many ways. She is charismatic, motivated, hard-working, reliable, she is fun and kind, she is a builder-upper with those around her, and she really tries to love people in the ways they need to be loved in this world. It was an honor and a privilege to spend the day with her.
After we parked in the parking garage, we started walking toward the center of town, following the embedded sidewalk signs and enjoying the history lessons along the way.
This is the ancient port of entry into Asolo . . .
A little bit of history for Asolo . . .
Sherry and I had some fun exploring several side streets, without any firm agenda.
There are occasional and whimsical ceramic scenes embedded into some buildings as you walk past . . .
I am always in awe of the steep, terraced vineyards on neighboring hillsides.
As we searched for a lunch spot, these were tempting, but we opted for something a little more hardy, like a great big panini.
After a relaxing lunch, we walked purposefully up an even steeper hill to get to Rocca di Asolo, a large fortress that overlooks the town and can be seen for miles around.
Up at the top of the trail, there is a magnificent view . . .
But I found a great photo online, showing the view of the Rocca from above.
I borrowed it from this website: https://www.asolo.it/en/the-fortress/
Then it was time to head back down into town again . . .
Short video walking through the cemetery: (13 seconds)
"Mama's Coming Darling - - "
We ate lasagna, a delicious green salad, roasted sweet potato and cauliflower, and pull-apart bread. For dessert, Sherry made two pies: apple and sweet potato (which tastes a lot like pumpkin pie). It was a fun visit and a great way to break our fast (going without food/water for up to 24 hours with a spiritual purpose in mind).
Some family news . . .
Scott is doing very well. He is safe, and he is content (for the most part) with the understanding that he probably won't be home for a long time. I talk to him every day, even though it's a little more frustrating on my end because I feel cheated during my already limited time with him on this side of the world. However, I understand that things will be getting increasingly worse as we get closer and closer to the Savior's Second Coming. I do look forward to his retirement, though . . . 31 May 2025.
They were just hanging out after church and before Jack's lunch and nap.
I got to see some of their cute little gourds that they purchased at a local farm recently . . .
Thankfully, it was caught before it got too bad, and the surgery went well. They made 3 small incisions to remove the appendix, including one in his navel. It is still tender, especially when he tries to go from sitting to standing or vice versa, but he is recovering well. He called me the day after the surgery, which was a great relief to me! I appreciated being able to see his face and to hear the whole story.
Meanwhile, down south, Amber and the girls went trick or treating with some friends for Halloween.
One more week to catch up on . . . next blog post coming soon!!
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