dov'e la mezza staggione?

pretty day today!

"Non abbiamo di piu la mezza stagione".  This, I've heard, is a common topic of convo, meaning we no longer have the "half season".  As far as I understand, the idea can be used literally to mean that in recent years the seasons change very quickly, suddenly winter is here & it is cold!  A reference to global warming, I think.  Or, you can think of the mezza stagione (half season) as more of a transitional period of any type.  What happened to the mezza stagione??   Right now I am sitting in my room, listening to David Bowie, drinking a mint tea & thinking about... the mezza stagione as a transitional period in my own life!  I am in the mezza stagione.  Very deep, my friends. :)

I always hope that in my writing you are getting my sense of humor.  Dry & only funny to me! 

Recently, I went to a cool museum, the national museum of Roma, Montemartini.  It is out of city center in an industrial zone, housed in an old steam power plant (or something like that).  The collection  consists of a bunch of nice marble statues (my favorite!!) & one nice mosaic floor.  The contrast between these ancient statues & the more modern power plant equipment is visually interesting.  A nice change from a stuffy old building.  To be honest, this was a couple weeks ago & I am catching up.  I figure you hadn't seen any marble in a while.  

This museum was "molto particolare", one of my favorite Italian descriptions meaning unique, different, unusual.  You can use it to describe something good or bad and it's best to really draw it out, mooolto particolaaare.

athena, probably due to the helmet

great torso!

nice struggle!

there was some type of music going on there that evening, cool setting!

Also, a couple of weekends ago I took a nice day trip to Umbria with my Irish pal.  We hopped on a train up to Orvieto, which we had heard was a quaint Umbrian hill town.  It didn't disappoint!  You may have heard of Orvieto, it is commonly known for producing a nice, white wine.  I had heard somewhere that Orvieto is "perched on a volcanic plug" & this phrase has stuck in my head.

From the train station you can take a charming old funicular up the hill to the center of town.  (do you know what a funicular is?  a big cart that goes up the side of a steep hill, kind of like a tram that is pulled up)  We wandered around checking out the sights in the small town.  There are several lovely churches, including this one below with an usually decagonal (?) bell tower.  The inside of some of the older churches are very plain compared to the baroque decorations commonly seen in Roma.  Plain in a nice, rustic way.

pretty stained glass inside

the token laundry shot!

And then, you are walking through the narrow streets looking for the main cathedral, the Duomo of Orvieto...  you follow the flow of the people as the street opens up to... this!   

the breathtaking Duomo!

It really blows you away!  It is difficult to get a good photo because it is so huge!  It is perhaps the most incredibly ornate structure I have seen yet!  The exterior is covered in mosaics & intricacies!  Absolutely covered.  You pay to go in & view even more spectacular intricacies & some very fine art.  My friend & I marveled that there was no surface that was not embellished or decorated in some way.
If I recall correctly, this cathedral took... 300 years!!! to build.  I believe it.  

Another striking thing was the striped exterior.  This effect was created with contrasting bands of travertine & basalt.  I found it fascinating.  

striped!

Oh my, this was so cute!  All these kitties hanging out with a fabulous view of the umbrian countryside.  When I first got to this spot there were only two kitties & while I stood here a few more showed up!  I think one more came over by the time I left.  So sweet :)  I miss my cat!

Orvieto was a success!  We also had a delicious lunch, I had the most exquisite black truffle pasta ever.  I have really enjoyed what I've seen of Umbria!

In other news of my life in Italia...  things seem to be looking up on the job front!  Turns out that I won't have to go home for visa purposes as I thought I might have to.  This is a relief!  It would have been nice to see family & friends & collect some purple pants that I wish I would have brought along... :)  but, overall I am happy I'll be staying because I think I need that continuity for my sanity at this point.  I wasn't looking forward to speaking English for a few weeks either.  Even though I still speak Italian like a 7 year old, I try diligently.  

Also, I will tentatively state that I will be starting work in December!  I am keeping my fingers crossed that the stress vacation will be ending shortly!

This weekend I had gone to an art show, una mostra!  Displaying art by Botticelli & Lippi, from Firenze.  You are probably familiar with Botticelli's "spring" or "birth of venus", right?  (below) During college we had a poster of "spring" in our house to oversee our debauchery!  The mostra was great, I went with some friends who restore art & they are a huge wealth of knowledge!  These paintings weren't at the show but...  I wanted to put them in here.  Because they are beautiful!!

My roomie is so great, she asks me today.  Anni, what do you think about christmas decorations??  She is all jazzed to decorate the place, it is her first christmas in the apt.  She said, you are american, you really like it, right???  I do like it.  Hopefully, amica Elysia will be able to make a visit over the holidays!  I am getting pre-excited for her visit & prepping to have some good laughs & good gelatos.  

Il ringraziamento is just around the corner, I wish you all a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!  Enjoy yourselves some tachino!  I will be thinking of you & giving thanks for everyone who has touched my life.  I feel lucky to have such great friends & family & to have such wonderful memories of times spent.  Grazie mille a tutti! 

xoxo