Buongiornio Mantova e Olive!!

This past weekend was our last weekend trip with Claudio (very sad :( ) On Saturday we left in the morning for Mantova also known as Mantua, a city very close to Verona. I had never heard about the city before coming here, but it was a huge center for art for hundreds of years. We visited two Palaces, Palazzo Te (some explanation I don't remember but does not stand for tea) and Palazzo Ducale (the Duke's palace) We had a wonderful tour guide who was quadralingual. She kept apologizing for her English yet was able to say things such as "spinster" and "juxtaposition" so I really think she was doing okay. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, but we were not allowed to take pictures anyways. My favorite thing about Palazzo Te was the room of the giants (http://literaria.net/RP/L7/GiulioRomanoGiants.jpg) This picture does not do it justice because it is all about the experience when you walk in the room. The giants are literally giant, and the room is circular so you almost feel as you are spinning while standing still. Before going on to the Palazzo Ducale we stopped for lunch. I had one of the most amazing interesting things I have eaten in Italy. For the first course I ordered steamed pears with asiago cheese and truffle sauce. I know this sounds like a really strange combination but it was delicious!
  
With very full stomachs we moved on to the Palazzo Ducale which has over 600 rooms. I found it really interesting that Austrians had taken over and put on their own decorations over the Italian ones. One of the rooms looked exactly like the ball room from the Sound of Music. The palace was a bit overwhelming but really cool. We got to see a lot of the paintings that we have learned about in art history class, many by Andrea Mantegna who is from Mantova. You may recognize this painting of his                             (http://eu.art.com/products/p15164620-sa-i3571900/posters.htm?ui=2125615E3D234AC2A84ECAB7081E01FB)

This painting is known to be one of the first using perspective and is therefore considered on of the first paintings of the renaissance.  After exploring the castle with our tour guide we made a quick stop in a theater that Mozart played in as a 13-year-old. After piling into the van we stopped at an outlet mall that was largely disappointing. Then we were back to Verona!

The next day we went just outside of Verona to an Olive Fair. I had no idea what to expect, but as most of you may know, I LOVE olives, so I was excited. The fair was in the country, next to an olive oil factory and there were tons of people there. If anyone was curious to know, I had a dream when I was a small child that I drowned in a sea of olives (because my mother told me if I ate too many olives I would get sick) while that dream may have seemed very strange, I realized in this visit that it was possible to drown in a sea of olives because I encountered more than I ever have in my life.

 After hanging around a bit, getting free food and wine, we headed back home for a relaxing Sunday. Now I am getting very excited for my adventures also known as fall break. I will be reuniting with some of my fellow JRFers, seeing some other old friends and meeting family that I have never met before. I will be going to both Israel and Spain. I will also attempt to speak the other two languages that have learned previously and will most likely struggle a great deal. I am still very excited and can't wait to see everyone.

Ciao! (cherish this, I may be unable to speak any Italian upon returning)