Dal 27 al 30 aprile 2011 si svolge a Firenze il workshop del “Festival del Viaggio” dedicato a scrittura e fotografia e che vedrà la presenza di scrittori, studiosi e viaggiatori.
Le iscrizioni sono aperte dal 9 marzo al 15 aprile 2011 sul sito www.festivaldelviaggio.it, dove si possono trovare tutte le informazioni e la modulistica per la partecipazione. Il corso è a numero chiuso e le domande dovranno pervenire all’indirizzo info@festivaldelviaggio.it. Saranno valutate motivazioni e curricula degli aspiranti partecipanti.
___
From April 27th to April 30th, 2011 the workshop of the ‘Festival del Viaggio‘ will be held in Florence. The workshop will be dedicated to the arts of writing and of photography, and will count on the participation of professional writers, scholars, and travellers.
Admissions and selections are open from March 9th to April 15th 2011 at the website www.festivaldelviaggio.it, where you can find all relevant information and forms to participate. Admission is limited so that both personal intents and curriculum – to be send to info@festivaldelviaggio.it – will be evaluated.
Tourists come to the “Windy City” for all kinds of reasons be it the sports, the architecture, the lake, shopping, etc. There is always something to find for everyone. Having grown up in “Chi-Town”, I thrive on driving down the highway with the skyline in front of me, watching the Sears Tower and John Hancock building tower over the city. Looking from side to side in the city, you cannot help but be constantly distracted by flashing lights of the theater, shops or restaurants as you continue to follow the flow of pedestrians that guide you up and down the streets. I always love to go to Navy Pier, one of Chicago’s great tourist attractions on the lake, to take a ride on the Ferris Wheel or walk through Millenium Park to laugh at your pictures off the “bean”, a contemporary steel sculpture that is actually shaped like a bean and reflects the Chicago skyline. Although it does not compare to the museums of the most renowned artists in history, the Aquarium, Planetarium and Field Museums were my favorite weekend adventures when I was a kid and find myself even today wanting to return to these places to have a fun and exciting day in the city. It cannot be forgotten that Chicago has some of the best sports life in the country and nothing compares to a sunny day at Wrigley Field watching the Cubs baseball team play while eating a hotdog, or spending the night in the Bull’s and Blackhawk’s home arena, the United Center, with thousands of other Chicago sports fans bonding, cheering, and celebrating with each other. I love Chicago for its excitement, versatility, and opportunity and it definitely welcomes anyone that wants to experience the culture of the city.
Florence, on the other hand, is known around the world as a site of the most renowned Renaissance art, architecture and history, housed in museums such as the Uffizi, Galleria dell’Accademia, Bargello and many more. But beyond these first few essential tourist sites there are hundreds more spots to get a feel for the real Florentine culture, such as small churches, Italian shops, or piazzas. My first recommendation is to wander down the streets and alleyways of the city until you really don’t know where you are. Being able to orient yourself in relation to some of the many major landmarks in the city, such as the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio, Santa Maria Novella Railway Station, Piazza della Santa Croce, or the Palazzo Vecchio, will enable anyone to learn about city and also discover all of its special niches off the beaten track. Restaurants, cafes, shops, and bars line every street you may find yourself on and there is nothing better than stopping for a homemade Italian meal, a cappuccino or pastry, and maybe even some of the best gelato afterwards. My first experience in Florence was sitting in a small café while just watching a flow of Italians stop in for a quick drink while standing at the bar and conversing simply among each other. Just listening to the fluidity of the Italian language and watching the hand gestures and expressions of Italians when they laugh and talk to each other cannot help but make you smile even if you cannot understand what is being said. My second recommendation would be to walk up to the Saint Michelangelo’s Square, which sits on top of a hill not far across the river, and see the most amazing view of the city from above. It allows you to appreciate the beautiful location of the city as it sits among the mountains of Tuscany. Being able to appreciate both the history and the beauty of the Florentine lifestyle is the most important aspect of traveling to this one of a kind city.
During the week of November 15, 2010 until November 21, 2010, we had the pleasure of attending a photo exhibition by a Czech photographer, Frantisek Kratky. The exhibition was held at the Auditorium al Duomo, right in the centre of Florence, and is another part of our expanding Life Beyond Tourism project.
Many students and professors from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and several other countries, attended the event to support this beautiful cultural encounter. Although this exhibition reveals breathtaking photos of Italy’s major cities such as Rome, Florence, and Venice during the nineteenth century, there is more to their histories than just the interesting pictures. This event represents one of the primary aspects and goals of Life Beyond Tourism. It demonstrates the establishment of a cultural link between Italy and the Czech Republic and reveals how a man such as Kratky is extremely interested in discovering a culture other than his own. The manifestation conveyed more than just the major tourist attractions of Italy at the time, such as Brunelleschi’s Dome and Saint Peter’s Square. It instead revealed beyond the gorgeous architecture and into the deeper culture of Italy such as its people on the streets, the animals in the countryside, and the way the two interacted during the time period. It is here that one’s life beyond tourism actually begins. It is only when one starts to interact directly with the culture and environment in which they are surrounded, that they can create an intercultural dialogue that establishes a powerful link between two cultures.
The Zakopane Style was introduced to architecture by Stanisław Witkiewicz in the nineteenth century, and we can now find fragments of this style in present buildings. The name of the style comes from the name of the place where this style first appeared in buildings – Zakopane. Now, it is a popular touristy city comprising within Tatry mountains. Unfortunatelyk, many tourists do not return the attention on this beautiful wooden architecture.
In the nineteenth century, Zakopane was a small village. In 1890, Stanislaw Witkiewicz settled in Zakopane. He is a painter, architect and theoretician of the art who has extended this city. He imitated on góral (the occupants of mountains) traditional building, and he added to these the elements of secession. Witkiewicz extended the country hut so that the magnificent villa came into being. Villas were placed on high underpinning brick stones. Walls were adorned with bas-reliefs and floral and geometrical patterns. A veranda called przyłap, and a little room on the loft – wyglądy – were the different characteristic element of houses. The Zakopane style was proclaimed national style. The Witkiewicz’s style found his imitators in different cities, not only on mountain terrains. In this style also furniture, home equipments, clothes, articles from chinas, musical instruments and souvenirs were made. The elements of góral culture also influenced composers and writers works.
At present, museums commemorating former customs of the inhabitants of the mountains are located in ancient villages, and it is possible to examine both traditional dresses and furniture and equipment of flats.
LIFE BEYOND TOURISM BLOG 