Visiting Murano

On Friday Kurt and I took the vaparetto to the island of Murano. This small island just off of Venice is the mecca of glassblowing. The small streets along each canal are loaded with glass shops and fornaces. We strolled in and out, admiring the beautiful pieces and speaking with the store owners, sales people and artists.
We were able to see some demonstrations inside some of the fornaces. We watched a man pull and press molten glass and within about 45 seconds it became a horse. This spectacle was more for the tourist’s amazement than it was in making a beautiful piece of artwork, but alas, we were all pretty impressed.
Best of all we went into the Murano Glass Museum where there was an impressive collection of ancient glass, old tools and tons of information about the process. The curator’s cards were so informative that I begged a museum employee to copy them for me (so that I wouldn’t be tempted to steal them!) As is the Italian way, they happily obliged and I am very grateful for all the information they shared! Graci!
Eventually, Kurt and I headed back to Venice, totally wiped from a day of strolling and staring at all the artwork. We decided a gondola ride would cap off our day perfectly. We leave Italy on Saturday and head to Vienna to visit with Sawyer’s cousin Carmen and her husband Joshua. We are thrilled to catch up with them and visit their new home town.

Sorry no pictures for this post yet! Our camera is packed in our bag at the moment! Will post pictures later.

Glass Stress Art Exhibit

Welcome to Venice! This city is so beautiful and romantic, yet Kurt and I are the "armageddon tourists" that are fixated on the idea that it is sinking. We are so stupid. :O) Seriously, the buildings and architecture are breathtaking. Beyond my wildest dreams! Last night we had dinner on the Grand Canal and then took the vaparetto all around the island. Truly, amazing.

Yesterday we went to St. Mark's Square and found the prestigious Pauly & Co. and Venizian glass shops. The price tags on the items inside we outrageous. I was nervous just looking at the glass. I took lots of pictures and the people were pretty accommodating to the tourists who couldn't buy these pieces with a decade's worth of teacher's salary. There was one shop that made me laugh as you had to be buzzed inside, they allowed no pictures even from outside their store and they actually had a sign that said "Please don't touch...you can always ask to stare." HA!

Today we walked the streets and it wasn't hard to get lost. This city was designed by a maniac. We wandered and wandered and spent tons of time looking in the shops at all of the beautiful art glass. Eventually we arrived at the InstitutoVeneto diScienzelLettere edArt (my translation would call this the Venice Institute for Science and Art?) We bought tickets to the GlassStress exhibit. Inside was a fantastic collection of contemporary glass art from all around the world. Wild pieces that were totally crazy and completely genius. The talent of the artisans was astounding. Some of my personal favorites were the table covered in glass organs and a floor to ceiling collection of glass bubbles that looked so thin that if you'd blow on them they'd POP! The exhibit was the highlight of our day and perfect example of how glass has transformed into a modern art (even in this ancient town.)

Rome = No Internet

Greetings Friends and Followers! We arrived in Rome to find out that the Internet was down in our hotel. We were able to find a small internet cafe and have uploaded a few posts...enjoy! We leave tomorrow for Venice and hope to have better luck with the internet at that hotel. Rome has been AMAZING and we are excited to travel on!

Roman Glass

Ah! Jackpot! While wandering the streets of Rome Kurt and I stumbled upon the most beautiful blown glass shop. We went inside to meet the owner and in house glass artist, a man by the name of Mazen Rankoussi. Mazen was beyond welcoming as he talked to us about his treasure trove of art glass, all handmade by himself. Mazen showed me some of the books he uses to gain inspiration and which pieces in his shop reflected Roman, Venetian, and Murano techniques. He talked to me about his life as a glass artist for over 21 years. He has lived in Roma for over 20 years, and considers himself a native of Italy. His roots however, take him back to his birthplace of Syria where he told us about how glass was discovered there dating 2000 years before Christ. That a massive fire burnt along the Syrian coast turning the beach sand to molten glass. Mazen’s work was absolutely beautiful, his shop unbelievably quaint, and his hospitality overwhelming. He gave each of us a glass bead as we left the shop wishing us good luck during the rest of our trip. Meeting Mazen and seeing all of his beautiful handmade Roman art was a total surprise and pleasure.

Vatican Museums

What an amazing day! On our quest for art both ancient and new Kurt and I set off for the Vatican Museums. We met Maria our private guide and she took us on an unbelievable journey back in time as we looked at some of the most ancient and influential art known around the world today. We looked at countless Roman sculptures, tapestries, and painted frescos. We saw the artwork of the master’s like Michelangelo, Raphael and Bernini. We were in awe of the Sistine Chapel, and amazed by the grandeur of the Basilica. We were told that because of the size of the museums we wouldn’t be able to see (even close) to everything. While we didn’t get to see much in the means of glass, we couldn’t believe all of the ancient treasures that were laid out in front of us. Because of the history of the city, they can’t dig into the ground without uncovering a new site to excavate. So there is such a wealth of art (mostly sculpture) that has been found, and at the same time, much left undiscovered. Interestingly, Maria talked to us about the difficulty modern art has in the current Roma art scene. That the city still prefers the baroque style of its past to most new and contemporary works. Hands down, the experience of visiting the Vatican Museums was made by our guide Maria, who earned her Art History PhD while studying in the Vatican libraries and museums. Thank you, Maria!

Europe or Bust!

Many of you have asked where we are going on this adventure.  Check out our schedule to know where we are in the course of our travels!

June 19 - Fly out of Chicago, O'Hare at 7:15 p.m.

June 20 - 23 Rome, Italy

June 24 - 27 Venice & Murano, Italy

June 28 - 29 Vienna, Austria

June 30 - July 2 Prague, Czech Republic

July 3 - 6 Zurich, Switzerland

Read our posts from each of these locations to find out about the amazing glass we've seen, as well as other sights and trip highlights.  Make sure to check out our photos and send us messages.  We'd love to tell you more about what we are seeing!

Our Bags are Packed!

It seems like this trip has been so long in the making.  I can't believe that the time has finally arrived.  By the weekend we will be in Rome!  That is simply amazing!  I can't help but think back to when this all started....

In the fall of 2007 I decided to write the Lilly Teacher Creativity Fellowship Grant.  In November I gave my proposal a kiss for good luck and mailed it in.  I sat back and waited, hoping that this would be my year.  In the meantime the universe decided that I would spend my summer another way...pregnant.  :O)  Kurt and I were beyond thrilled, but when the "big" envelope arrived in my mailbox saying I had received the grant we knew that some modifications would need to be made.  Luckily, the Lilly Endowment was totally understanding and said that it was fine to do the grant experience the following summer.  So here we are... Summer 2009.   Almost two years have passed since I dreamed up this grant and in that time I have gained a son, and soon an amazing European adventure.