BIENNALE

          The sixth week.  Everything is coming to an end and the trips that all seemed so far away are already over.  We had our last walking tour this week.  Tom showed us his work with the Tiber river.  His office works on taking back the Tiber for the people of Rome.  They have turned part of the river into a Piazza, Piazza Tevre.  It is so interesting to think of the Tiber as an edge of Rome in the center of the city.  But that is exactly what it is.  The embankments create a clear divide between the city and the concrete shore.  The interventions he showed us that they have done were simple but effective and while it will probably be a while before I can be back I am so excited for the possibilities of that organization and am hopeful that the government will stop putting up so many walls.

          On a completely different note, Meghan and I went to Venice and Florence this weekend.  I wasn't very enthusiastic about going to Venice when I first arrived as I had been there before and had gotten my fill then.  However I was easily convinced to go back when I realized that the Biennale was up.  This year it was curated by Rem Koolhaus.  REM KOOLHAUS.  It was only kind of the most amazing thing.  Dozens of countries participated and built pavilions for the Biennale each one unique and fitting for the country.  For example, the US pavilion was Office US.  The overworked and ambitious US focused on the work place setting scenes of different architecture offices.  It was interesting but the fact that it was our "fundamental" was a little sad.  Russia's theme for their pavilion was appropriately "Fair Enough,"  classic Russia.  However my favorite pavilion simply for its ability to portray every stereotype of its home country was Canada.  It looked like a lodge and was built around a tree.  It was also the only pavilion that would let us in after closing hours, those Canadians are far too polite to refuse guests.

           After a two nights and one day in Venice we headed to Florence.  Florence is a really interesting place to visit after having been in Rome for so long.  The streets are wider and straight, cars are in charge, and there is one hell of a duomo.  I am absolutely in love with Santa Maria del Fiore, the facades, the dome, the simple interior and elaborate apse.  I could have spent a week just staring at the beauty.  However I had to tear myself away to venture to the Uffizi and to see David.  Luckily we went on the first Sunday of the month making all the museums free.  The Uffizi was amazing, I had been researching Botticelli before the trip and was so excited to see so many of his works.  I have also had a secret goal to see as many Carravaggios as possible.  The Uffizi brought me to 25 works with Medusa, Bacchus and Sacrifice of Issac.  As for David, he is clearly an incredible work of art and skill.  However I think I prefer Bernini's David.  His action is just so captivating.  

Great week, better weekend.