Changing My Stripes

Eh oui, for a brief period this spring the French Basketeer is changing her colors; in place of this…. 

I will be seeing this….

Si…va bene…. stupendo perhaps, I am going to Italy!!!!    My niece is studying in Florence this semester, and that sounds like a great excuse for a trip, no?

What most of you don’t know is that before the French Basketeer spoke French, she spoke Italian.  In fact, Italian rolled off my tongue more easily than French did.  The problem now is that while I understand Italian well, if I go to say something, French usually comes out.  No matter, I am planning a wonderful trip, including an overnight layover in Paris on the outbound for a quick afternoon of shopping and dinner with my dear friend Francoise.

Then it’s on to Florence, where I will stroll the streets, photograph the daily farmers markets and visit the Uffizi, Pitti Palace, and perhaps Michelangelo’s House.  I planned my trip to coincide with the monthly flea market, held on the second Sunday, and the famous San Lorenzo market on Tuesday, so there will be no shortage of things to see and do. Oh yeah, I get to see my niece Erin too, when she finishes her classes each day!

Botticelli’s Venus is there~

And….seeing that I am in the area, I plan to knock an item off my bucket list and go to Rome.  I can’t believe I have never been to Rome, but here I go.  I will have a few days by myself, again to stroll and photograph, and to visit places I have longed to see such as the Villa Borghese and it’s gardens and Gallery.  I will fill in the gaps on some of my favorite painters, including Caravaggio~

 

Oh how I want to see works like this, the Conversion of Saint Paul~

and of course, The Vatican; it’s a dream for me to go to the Vatican and The Birth of Adam~

And the sculpture, oh….Bernini is one of my favorites; David~ 

And I think the most amazing piece of sculpture ever, Daphne and Apollo completed 1625; how did Le Bernin  conceive of this, let alone execute it….look at the drape of his cloth, look as her hair flies behind as she tries to escape him, the sculpture is captured at the instant she is turning into a laurel tree.  Imagine seeing this life-size work in person here in the Gallery….wow….

This image is not as good quality, but here you can see her hair flying, and her fingers turning into branches….carved in marble….between 1622 and 1625….can you imagine? 

I am getting excited already, almost as excited as Laura was to meet Jaithan, Emily, Amy & Kymberly this past weekend.  Laura, you are too cute, even with chocolate creme on your pant leg!

Ciao for now mes amis!