Home...finally

We were delayed in leaving Munich, due to a mechanical problem with the aircraft, a "sheared starter shaft" which is not only alliterative but also ominous.  The airline put us up in a hotel in nearby Freising, which included dinner and breakfast. The return home was loonnngggg but otherwise uneventful. We are glad to be home!

Munich

Made it to Munich, uneventful trip. May not report again until we are home or on our way home.

Heading North

Today we said farewell to Florence. It's been a good week, but I think we are tired of vacationing and ready to be home.

That said, we will have a final weekend in Munich with our friends there, as a stepping stone, before flying home on Monday. And then back to work on Tuesday!

Winding Down

Our last full day in Florence saw us visiting the Church of the Holy Cross (Santa Croce), outside of which stands a statue of Dante, father of the modern Italian language.

In most other cities or countries even, Santa Croce would be a massive, impressive edifice. Here it is just one among many. It is spectacular, nonetheless.

This is the City of the Dead. Only here could one remark, Oh yes, here also is buried Rossino, Machiavelli, and Alfieri. Among the greatest dead guys buried here are Galileo (except for the fingers in scientific reliquaries in the Museo Galileo), Michelangelo (although he was moved to Rome), and a cenotaph commemorating Dante. There are also tombs, or memorial plaques, it wasn't clear, to Enrico Fermi and Guglielmo Marconi.

Also: fantastic art. What a surprise. Fantastic altar pieces by Giotto, frescoes commemorating the heroics of the saints, including St. Nicolas who not only tossed bags of coins over a wall to keep poor girls from an awful fate, but also reviving from the dead three boys who had been pickled in barrels. I happen to like this stained glass window of Elias (Elijah) on his chariot of fire, or maybe his chariot is just on fire.

Also fantastic: this restored painting of Christ Descends into Limbo by Bronzino, who painted many of the Biblical figures with the faces of Florentine patrons. He put his own face as Kind David's.

Tomorrow we will do a light morning and in the afternoon fly out of Florence, via Vienna, back to Munich. A weekend there and then home on Monday.

Rome in (half) a Day

If yesterday was overwhelming, today was evening more so.
We took the fast train from Florence to Rome (1.5 hours), except we missed the 8:14 train and the next 2 were full (or so we were told) so we didn't get down until almost 11:30.
We hopped on a double-decker tour bus--it turns out there are at least half a dozen competing companies, although we didn't realize it-- thinking, correctly, that would be the easiest way to see the major sights of the city. We didn't have the time or energy to invest in several museums, and skipped the Vatican entirely except as a drive-by.

Rome is easily as overwhelming as Paris, London, or Washington, a cultural and political capitol. Only here the culture goes back well over 2000 years. It's amazing how much of it is crammed into the central area, behind the Piazza Venetia, itself dominated by a huge monumental structure.

Behind this is the Roman fora, the Palatine hill, and of course the Colliseum. The sun was brutal, the lines more so. We skipped the long lines into the Colliseum and walked around the archaeological ruins of the Roman fora (I only show a few of the 100 pictures I took), but the heat and uneven ground was tiring, so after an hour we returned to the bus.

We saw such sights as St. Peter's basilica at Vatican City, although we did not get off, and we did get off for a while, walked by the famous Trevi Fountain (I did not toss a coin in because I would have likely hit someone), had a light meal, and went onto the Pantheon.

We were pretty tired by that point, so back on the tour bus, finished up around Rome, and then a quick train ride back to Florence, which despite the masses of tourists feels less intense than Rome.

We'll have an easy day on Thursday, and then fly to Munich on Friday.

Please Excuse Us, Our Brains are Full... of Art!

We got up relatively early to get our reserved tickets for the Uffizi, the main gallery, though by no means the only one, in Florence. Last time we faded after one wing; while we didn't see everything in the Uffizi, we did spend 3 hours there!

Unfortunately in many Florentine museums one cannot take pictures (fair enough) so all I can offer is a shot of the main corridor...all the famous pictures are in rooms off to the side. Most famous are Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Spring, which I leave to you to find on the internet.

We did get great views of Florence from the windows of the Uffizi, including of the Arno River and the Old Bridge (Ponte Vecchio).

We took lunch and the afternoon easy, and then had dinner at a local restaurant we've grown to like (Terra Terra). After dinner we went forth and headed to the Galleria Accademia, which is open late on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And there was no line.

There we saw the famed David of Michelangelo. Again, no photos allowed; here is a copy of that statue, in front of the Palazzo Vecchio.

Along side many of these classic painting were some modern art. I feel sorry for these poor artists, who have to go up against some of the most famous, and arguably best, art of the past 25 centuries. And what they produced looked like a disassembled refrigerator. I value modern art, but when going up against David you'd best bring your very best.

I can't offer you many photos, but here is another shot of the Duomo, well-lit even at night.

Tomorrow won't be any easier on our brains, as we are doing a quick day trip to Rome!

Lunedi....

Every day when we start our, the neighborhood is dominated by the Duomo...

This morning however we started by visiting the Chiesa Santa Maria Novello, across from the train station. Fabulous, if bloody (and I could understand how some might be unnerved by it), Christian iconography; alas, photos of any kind were not allowed. We also toured the refectory. Santa Maria Novello was Domenican run, and so most of the paintings, icons, and frescoes where of the trinity of leaders of the Dominenican order, Dominic himself, St. Peter the Matyr, and St. Thomas Aquinas, who tamed pagan Aristotleian philosophy for Christianity. Keep in mind that originally Aristotle was viewed, in the 11th and 12th centuries, as pagan and highly suspicious. Aquinas so rehabilitated Aristotle that, a few centuries later, when Galileo proved Aristotle was wrong on a few points, he was viewed with hostility. (There were other factors as well--it wasn't simply anti-science hostility.)

We went from Santa Maria Novello to the Basilica San Lorenzo, looking for the Medici apartments, but they are closed on Mondays, as are many museums. We did find an extensive outdoor market, and Donna bought a new purse. (Later in a shop near our hotel I bought a new computer bag, Florence being famous for its leather products.)





After another picnic lunch in our room (yum) and nap, we returned to the Palazzo Vecchio and toured again the Museo di Palazzo Vecchio: the fabulous extensive apartments of the Medicis.

The rooms were as ostentatious and fabulous as anything at Versailles, or almost. In addition were many outstanding paintings and frescoes, many centered not only Biblical themes but also classical Roman myths (I started to write Greco-Roman, but it was pretty thoroughy Roman, naturally..)

Tomorrow we tackled the Uffizi, the Louvre of Italy, though not as extensive but nearly as overwhelming. For Wednesday we are thinking about going down to Rome, which is only 2 hours away by train.

Sunday in Florence

As a starter, a picture of the Palazzo Vecchio, the Old Palace where we were married 12+ years ago...

Sunday morning we slept quite late and even missed collazione (breakfast at the hotel). We did make it to 11 am services to the St. James American Episcopal church, just a bit west of the historical old part of the city. A lovely service in a beautiful church.


We then walked along the Arno River and tried to find the Spirito Santo church. We did more or less find it, and a small museum beside it with some old statuary. Next to the church was a square with a small market, emphasizing organic foods, and we bought some supplies.

After another picnic lunch and long nap in the room, we went to the Museo Galileo, which used to be the Institute of the History of Science. They've updated it and made it quite fantastic, with some very lovely pedagogical displays.

The museum is full of old scientific equipment, including recreations of Galileo's experiments; great examples of technological fetishism, such as the massive orrery show above (a mechanical representation of the movement of the planets). The most memorable, however, is of course the scientific reliquary: Galileo's middle finger, as well as his forefinger and thumb. The museum is fantastic and we highly recommend it, at least for any science nerds like us.

We're having a relaxing time (as can be seen by our oversleeping and missing breakfast), and often just hanging out in our hotel room, nicely airconditioned. I am reading a novel "The Baron in the Trees" by Italo Calvino, a famous Italian absurdist. I've read a number of his other books, but not this one. Many of his books are really a sequence of miniature absurdist gems, such as Cosmicomics and Invisible Cities but this one has a full, if picaresque plot. Quite a good thing to be reading in Italy. (Donna is reading an Alexander McCall Smith novel, one of his 44 Scotland Street series.)

Arrived in Florence

One of the other instructors at the school, Morten, very kindly drove us down to Florence from Trento. Not surprisingly, traffic on a Friday evening was heavy. 

We checked into our hotel, the Hotel Benivieni, only a few steps away from the famed, massive Duomo, Santa Maria del Fiore (Mary of the Flowers). The hotel is quite nice for our needs, with a reasonable sized room, air conditioning, and not too noisy.

Friday evening we walked around and settled on a light dinner on the Piazza Signorini near the Palazzo Vecchio, where we were married 12 years ago.

Saturday morning we walked across the Ponte Vecchio (everything here is vecchio, or "old") and ended up walking through the Boboli gardens, which overlook the Palazzo Pitti (which we did not go in, not yet) and all of Florence.

After a picnic lunch we bought a few books at an English-language bookshop direcly across our from our hotel--planning for a leisurely week--and after negotiating a local shop had a picnic lunch of bread, cheese, salami and wine in our room.

In the afternoon we went inside the Duomo--did I mention it was massive?--and then toured the Duomo museum.

There will be many pictures to come! We have a week here, so we are taking it easy.

Another fab-u-lous dinner

We drove a short distance from Trento to the small village of Sorgni, clinging to the side of the valley amid the vineyards.

Donna joined us after a day of exploring Trento, including the science museum and the cathedral museum.

The purpose of the trip, of course, was to eat another fabuous meal. Eggplant (melazzane) wrapped around cheese; risotto con gamberi; other items I could barely identify.

Tomorrow we wrap up the school. I think the students' brains are full--I know mine is! One of the other organizers will pack us into his car and drive us down to Florence as he is heading to a coast village just a little further. < br/> Once we are ensconsced in the Hotel Benivieni and, with luck, have internet, we will resume our posts.

A couple of pictures for your Wednesday

Donna arrived in Trento last night. Walking around the town she commented she could understand how I had raved about it all these years, and how one would want to keep coming back to such a place.
Here is a picture of the Piazza Duomo, the heart of the old city, with its tower and the fabulous fountain of Neptune.

Right next to the rail station is a statue of Dante. The city of Trento shielded him once when he was in flight from his enemies. Of course, Dante, whose Divine Inferno caused his Tuscan dialect to be the father of modern Italian, is sort of like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, though culturally rather than politically: every Italian town, at least in the northern half, wants to claim he slept there on one occasion or another....

Die Zauberwochende

Over the weekend I went back up to Munich, and met with Donna who flew in Saturday morning. We stayed again with our friends Uli, Karin, and Anja.

Saturday evening--after a restful nap for Donna! -- we all went to a local production of Mozart's Die Zauberfloete (The Magic Flute), with orchestra and singers from the village of Oberhaching, and performed in a large barn.  Despite how it may read, it was wonderful. The orchestra was very good (it turns out there are many people living in the village who play in the Munich symphony orchestra) and the singing was outstanding, really incredibly good.

Sunday we had a relaxing day (well, only slightly relaxing, as we were trying to figure out a sim card for Donna's phone) and after lunch I headed back to Trento and have been busy lecturing at the school.

Donna will come down Tuesday night to Trento.  On Friday the school finishes and we will go to Firenze (Florence).

Spectacular views

After a heavy rain last night, the air has cleared although the temperature has not dropped much. Still we have some spectacular views of the valley around Trento.

Not only the views from Villa Tambosi, but inside the restored Villa itself, including some restored frescoes. When these were rediscovered, it slowed down renovating the Villa because art historians had to be called in and the Villa itself could not be significantly changed. Still, an inspiring place to do physics!

This afternoon I return to Munich, where Donna will fly in. I return to Trento on Sunday, and Donna will follow a few days later.

A "tipico" dinner

One of my students commented he was enjoying the pizza here.

Pizza??!!

True, pizza did originate in Italy, but too often what you get here is merely a reflection back of the American version, in order to better attract tourists.
Although I enjoyed the pasta here, I particular enjoy trying truly unique Italian specialities, often from a particular region such as Trentino. Restaurants around here may offer "tipico" (typical) food, and if this is their sole offering they can get a tax break as a way of sustaining local culture.

Last night the school went to such a restaurant, in the mountains on the far side of the valley, beyond Sopramonte and on the way to Lago di Garda.

It was, of course, a fabulous meal. I can't even begin to describe it (and if I did, you might not care for it...raw meat....donkey rolls--not a euphemism) but it was all fabulous and in fact quite an affordable price. THIS is what I hope for when I come to Italy, not pizza.
(To the credit of my student, he raved over the meal, and took a picture of every dish to show to his girlfriend back home.)

La Scuola

Trento, home to the European Centre for Theoretical STudies in nuclear physics And Related ares (ECT-STAR or ECT*), is spectacularly located in the Dolomites, massive limestone mountains on the southern border of the Alps. It's very hard to not be impressed by the sights surrounding the city.

Home to the famed Counter-Reformation Council of Trento, the city center is very much still a medieval city, with stone-paved streets, a soaring cathedral (duomo), and a fountain of Neptune.

As a lecturer at the school, I have been lent an apartment owned by the University of Trento, which overlooks the Adige River, and is just a few blocks from the Duomo.
My excuse, er, reason for being here is the Nuclear TALENT Summer School on Computational Many-body physics, essentially an intense 3-week graduate course on numerical methods in computing the quantum wavefunctions of atomic nuclei. The course is hands on; there are 3 hours of lectures each morning (which after 3 weeks = 45 hours of lectures which is equivalent to a 3-unit, 1 semester course in the U.S.) and the afternoons students work on writing programming assignments laid out in lectures.

The ECT* is located at the restored Villa Tambosi, in the community of Villazzano on the outskirts of Trento, a short bus ride away from the city center. Originally the interior was not so grand, but after years of slow renovation it's very pleasant inside and out. Of course, this is the most impressive shot I have.  Almost as good, if not better, is the commanding view of the valley from the Villa.

The school itself is advanced and intimate, with only 22 students, including two of my Ph.D students, Bill and Julia.

Travels and Trento

After a lovely weekend with Uli, Karin, and Anja, I caught a train from the Munich Hauptbahnhof (main train station) to Trento.

And that's when my adventures began.

Due to construction on tracks up to the Brenner pass between Austria and Italy, the train stopped in Innsbruck. Passengers were shuttled by bus to Brenner, where we boarded another train. This went off smoothly, apparently has been going on for some time, and I arrived on time in Trento.

Unfortunately, the person who was to meet me at the train station was not there.  And I did not have his phone number.

It was late (approach 9 pm) and I was tired. Fortunately I have been to Trento many times, so I hiked over to the Hotel America, where I have stayed before.

Despite the name, many of the staff do not speak English.  They do speak German, however, and it's pretty easy to ask for a room. (I probably could have pulled it off in Italian if necessary.) Luckily one was available and they did not overcharge me for it.

The next morning, I went to the bus station and caught the bus to the institute.

Alas, I caught the bus going in the wrong direction, and was treated to a 45 minute tour of the lovely mountain towns on the opposite side of the valley from where I was supposed to be.

I just stayed, stubbornly, on the bus, and eventually made it to the institute. (Also having been to Trento, I knew where I should be and when I was going in the wrong direction.)  My colleague who should have met me apologized profusely, and I said since I had made a big mistake myself that morning I could not be very angry.

So now I have joined the summer school, which began last week, and am working with my colleagues to plan lectures, and working with students on their already-ongoing projects.