Lookout Europe, Here We Come!

[Superman]

I learned something about art. Some might say there have been just two main art periods in human history. First, the period in which human began to express themselves through art. And the second period began the Renaissance. Alright. Here is a picture of cave art. It is unimpressive except that it shows human expression. It is flat. It is a shape only. Depth and context are missing.






Here is a typical pre-Renaissance painting. It is also flat, with no depth perception. It is, much like the cave art, basically a shape or group of shapes. It is made to depict or remind the viewer of things like Mary and Baby Jesus, but not to actually look like what a human or a baby looks like. Depictions of Baby Jesus showed the body of a baby and typically the face of a grown man. Gold lame’ was used for effect.







Here is what happened in the 14th and 15th centuries. Paintings suddenly became life-like, with depth and perspective and facial expressions. Baby Jesus looked like a baby. Paintings were more like photographs. I would say better than photographs, but you have to actually stand in front of one to see what I mean. There is more beauty and expression in these paintings than in any photograph. The Renaissance began in Florence, Italy.








Pouty teen girl. Look at this expression. We know exactly what she was thinking. Her parents made her sit for this stupid portrait. Heck, we even know what that fabric felt like to touch.

[Superman]

The main repository of Italian Renaissance art is in Florence. By FAR. The Uffizi, while not as large as the Louvre, is still massive by any measure. The longest passage way is about a kilometer in length. After visiting several museums in Paris and several in Florence it is the Uffizi and not the Louvre that stands out in our memory. We saw quite a few French Renaissance paintings in the Louvre. They are pathetic compared to Italian Renaissance works. I say that as a person who is half French and not the slightest bit Italian. The ceiling alone is worth the price of admission into the Uffizi.

Brunelleschi’s Duomo which sits atop the Cathedral di Santa Maria del Fiore is an architectural and engineering marvel. It is bigger than the Dome of St. Peter’s. My suggestion: Visit Florence. Visit the Uffizi. Take a sandwich and a bottle of wine to the square at the top of the hill of Michelangelo which overlooks the city.

All that said, we did love the Impressionist art in Paris and the rest of the Contemporary and Modern art. Very much. I expected to be stunned by the Gauguin work, and I was stunned by it. And the Matisse paintings. Original art beats the pants off prints, even expensive ones. You really just have to view original art in order to understand its value, whether that be paintings or sculptures or architecture. Standing in front of a modern art painting years ago I told my sister I did not understand this art. It s showed no skill, since it did not look like a photograph of something. She said “Jim, your problem is that you are viewing art with your brain and not your heart. Art’s value is in how it makes you feel when you view it.” Art was never the same for me after that day. Thank you, Sis.

The Louvre’s only Vermeer was on loan to another museum. I REALLY want to see a Vermeer. Only 36 Vermeer paintings are known to exist. Again, you really have to see an original painting in order to experience it. Prints give you an idea what it looks like, but they are not the same as when you see the original.


Matisse:

[astrochex]

Art is fascinating. As good as your pictures are, Shaun, you know they don’t capture the true beauty of those masterpieces.

Thanks for sharing.

[creaturecat]

lotta paintings of baby Jesus in the Uffizi. the Botticelli unit reigned supreme.

[Superman]

[Superman]

Monet, and a nod to Shaun:

[Superman]

More.

[Superman]

More.

[Superman]

Some by that Dutch guy:

[Superman]

Okay I'll stop but…one more thing: Over the centuries, the Italians and the French built things mostly out of stone. The first place we stayed, in Florence, was built in the fourteenth century. That is…..in the 1300s. As the Renaissance was being born. That building is approaching 1000 years of age. Seeing the architecture is part of the “art” of experiencing these places. Italians built very impressive big things out of gorgeous marble, but French architecture is considerably more lovely. In my humble view.

[Superman]

This, from Lisa, on food:

Italy

Our first night in Florence we went to an unremarkable little bar on the sidewalk and sat outside with college kids.* We asked for some bar snacks and got this huge amazing tray of meats, cheeses, and vegetables.**

Lunch in Firenze at a different sidewalk cafe-they plied us with bread, olives, and these little pastry things as appetizers; Jim had a saffron risotto with shrimp; Lisa had a pumpkin ravioli with gorgonzola and walnuts.* Again, nothing fancy-just regular food.**
In Rome there was a little restaurant right below our flat with some truly remarkable food; the pizza with ham and oranges was a revelation.* We ate the oranges, rind and all atop a delicious blistered puffy chewy crust.* We had a different meal with spaghetti cacio e pepe (salt & pepper & pecorino cheese) and Jim had a rigatoni with bacon.* We learned the reason the pasta in Italy is so much better is that it's higher in protein-and they don't cook it until soggy.*

Even the grocery stores, though tiny, had amazing food to buy.* Like 7-11, but no Flamin' Hot Cheetos.* Lovely produce, walls of wine, in-store bakeries, prepared items like eggplant parmigiana.* In Turin we bought some pesto, tortellini, and bread from the grocery store for about $7 and wine that cost $3, and cooked in our flat.* We did this for a couple of nights.**

We thought Italians ate all the time, and huge plates of pasta, giant sandwiches, and ice cream were everywhere.* Wine was available for a song.* Did we see anyone who looked chubby?* No we did not.* Tiny skinny girls inhaling giant plates of spaghetti.* But they walk everywhere.*








France

While the food in Italy was wonderful, the food in France was a whole 'nother level of wonderful.*

Lyon is said to be the gastronomic capital of France.* Which is saying a lot.*

We discovered a bakery around the corner, Boulangerie Jules,* where we had croissants and cafe au lait each morning, and bought a baguette for later, which we ate with wonderful cheese that we got at the grocery store.* Jules is Lisa's baking hero now.*

The restaurant Le Bouchon Rouge in Lyon was our favorite, where we had Lyonnaise specialities-including french onion*soup, terrine, and a Salad Lyonnaise-which is bacon and and egg in a salad, but it is delicious.**

In Paris we enjoyed buckwheat crepes at a sidewalk restaurant-again, the restaurant was nothing fancy, but the food was superior.* We don't think French people tolerate bad food anywhere. You can pick up an excellent baguette at the Target-like store for a dollar.* We visited a good many grocery and convenience stores, in both countries, and saw no junk food whatsoever. Good bottles of wine were available for $4. Good meals at restaurants were in the $15-$20 range, and each was a culinary adventure worth much more than the price. Those people really know how to cook and bake and eat. And how to live!

In Paris, we had an amazing dinner-our last night there-involving a salad with frisee (bitter salad greens)-tomato, smoked duck breast, like the most delicious duck bacon ever, and foie gras-which is goose liver, which sounds awful but is unctious and yummy and not icky at all.**

Again, people seemed to plan their days around eating and drinking, which we heartily approve of.* We didn't see junk food.* Parisians believe you eat while sitting down, which they do a lot of.* They too, walk everywhere and eat constantly and drink wine and seem happy and healthy and fine.* *

[Superman]

Culture

We stayed in AirBnB’s. In two instances, we were in a room of someone’s home. We were located in the hearts of the old downtowns in these cities, near all the sights to see, and we walked everywhere. We ate at the restaurants where locals eat and shopped at the grocery stores where locals shop. We never stepped into any wood-framed structure. All the buildings we entered were made of stone except the airports which were steel and glass of course.

The French are not snooty or arrogant. Paris can be considered the capitol of Europe and it is a big city. Big like Chicago but 2000 years older. They don’t smile at each other as they wander around. You’d stop smiling and waving too, if you walked past 1000 people a day. Shop owners don’t want to hear your funny story from yesterday. They are busy. They want to know what kind of croissant you want and how you want your coffee.

Otherwise, both the French and the Italian peoples are very warm and nice. Their societies differ from ours in one great respect: Their lives are centered around their free time, and friends and food, not work. Shops have what we would call odd hours. At least twice a day, or perhaps just ALL day, restaurants are packed with happy people drinking wine and eating great food. These people do not sacrifice their happiness and peace of mind for the benefit of production and commerce. There, it works the other way around. American workers are the most productive on the planet, and maybe the least happy. At the end of three weeks, we didn’t really want to come home. I do not speak French or Italian, but I do love hearing the French language spoken. It, and the city of Paris, are just gorgeous.

In both Italy and France, they expect you to bring wine and food onto their trains and busses. They expect you to be comfortable. In fact, they insist.

We loved the cities we visited. If/when we visit these countries again, we will likely focus on rural settings. I have a hunch that we will like Italy and France even better when we have experienced country life there. With time spent in their countrysides, there is a risk that we will look into available real property there.

[Superman]

Relax and Enjoy

We were successful in this as well. We visited Florence, Rome, Turin, Lyon and Paris. In that order. With each landing, we considered the travel day to be for travel only, and the following day to be a leisure day for reconnoiter. On days in which we went to see something, we did not over-schedule. Frankly, we could handle a museum for about three hours before we became overwhelmed and hungry/thirsty. Then we found some things to eat and drink.

We typically walked three miles before noon. We stayed in the old parts of these cities, and walked everywhere. I think Lisa owes me a nickel. I bet her this princely sum that we walked an average of at least 5.5 miles each day we were there. I think she does not want to pay up. Her phone kept track of our steps, and she has not retrieved the data.

This is our style. American-style hotels and scheduled tours are great for some folks, but just not for us. We wish we were back at our favorite cafe on the Rue Saint-Denis drinking wine and eating French food and listening to spoken French. People-watching was AWESOME. There, and in Italy, they know that everyone has their own taste and style of dress. However expressive. And they are happy to express themselves.

[Superman]

Uffizi. Ceiling. There are probably more than a hundred of these ceiling frescoes.

[Superman]

Okay. I'll stop. Visit the Uffizi in Florence. If you are not overwhelmed by the experience, see a doctor. Something is wrong with your heart.

[Superman]

Originally Posted by astrochex

Art is fascinating. As good as your pictures are, Shaun, you know they don’t capture the true beauty of those masterpieces.

Thanks for sharing.

Very true. To experience Italian Renaissance paintings, you have to be in the same room.

Originally Posted by creaturecat

lotta paintings of baby Jesus in the Uffizi. the Botticelli unit reigned supreme.

We agree. Botticelli is THE BOMB. Nothing else like it. Raphael....similar.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by Superman

O…M…G. I am not going to throw up a bunch of pictures hoping you will have the same experience I had. You would not. But just imagine looking up into a dome that is 448 feet tall.

Built 2,000 years ago using basic tools, pullys, levers, and strong backs.

Fantastic pics supe!

[p911dad]

I am glad you could see some of the wonders of Europe, especially from being from the US. Thanks for pictures. We recently spent some time at the University of Coimbra in Portugal, founded in 1290 which is pretty old by any standard. Portugal doesn't get a lot of US travelers for some reason, it is a great old country that pretty much dodged the 20th Century European land wars and most of the really old stuff is still standing, including a few Roman temples, etc. untouched. A plus for US folks is English is widely spoken.

Univ. of Coimbra

[KNS]

Looks like you are having a fantastic time, I recall many of those cities but it's been years.

Having just returned from Spain last week I found one of the most refreshing things was the absence of tipping pressure everywhere you go.

[Crowbob]

Thank you, Supe! What memories!

I spent 10 days or so in Rome, Florence and Venice on an art tour sponsored by the art department of the local community college.

I never understood what ‘swoon’ meant until I first laid eyes on one of Michelangelo’s first frescoes as a teenage prentice under Ghirlandaio. Not impressive in itself. The mere realization that I was actually standing in the same spot where Michelangelo Buonoratti once stood and worked was overwhelming. Then came my visit to The Sistine Ceiling.

There are a few times in everyone’s life that define them. First loves, the birth of their children and for me at least, wandering Rome, Florence and Venice.