Vibe

Vibe - (verb) (vīb)


You just gotta get loose.  Let yourself go, let your hair down and live.  Make sure you don't close your eyes too tight, because you're bound for an interesting ride.


LIDO

I have a fat ass.  These european bathing suits are great.  The cut matches their attitude.  On the way to Lido, there was a nun on the vaporetto.  I was wearing some tiny denim shorts and my American Apparel crop top.  I initially purchased this shirt for a Jane Fonda workout Halloween costume.  Lately, I've been trying to incorporate it into my wardrobe but haven't had the balls to go for it without something high waisted.  I went for it.  I was appalled by the 90's bare bellied revolution, but here I am -  a sell out.  As I walked passed the nun, she shook her fist at me with disgust.  I should start every morning off with getting scolded by a nun!  Peace be with you.


I spotted the single sexiest man in the world today on the beach.  Lido has quite a significant stretch of private beaches.  There are cabanas and only the paying customers can bathe there.  We trekked for quite a while before settling our patch of sand.  Along the way, I spotted this creature.  We joked that he should be casted for Sex and the City 3 as one of Samantha's lovers.  His electric blue speedo was so clutch.  Perfectly toned, tanned, proportional, along with a sense of swagger.  Certainly a stallion!






The floor was shaking last night in disco heaven.
Christa and I shared a box of wine in Santa Margarhita to conserve on funds.  This was no Franzia!  It was in the same container that chicken stock is sold in back in the states.  Same little plastic flip top and everything.  It was some sort of gross chardonnay and I haven't entirely convinced myself that it wasn't cooking wine.  Bartender Eddie bought us fresh mint and lime - he made a point of telling us that - 15 times.


Padova.
The streets were a bit confused with bikers, buses, light rail, and cars.  I'm not gonna lie, this is copied from wikipedia.  It summed up the chapel perfectly.


"The Scrovegni Chapel (Italian: Cappella degli Scrovegni) is Padua's most famous sight. It houses a remarkable cycle of frescoes completed in 1305 by Giotto.^[2] It was commissioned by Enrico degli Scrovegni, a wealthy banker, as a private chapel once attached to his family's palazzo. It is also called the "Arena Chapel" because it stands on the site of a Roman-era arena. The fresco cycle details the life of the Virgin Mary and has been acknowledged by many to be one of the most important fresco cycles in the world. Entrance to the chapel is an elaborate ordeal, as it involves spending 15 minutes prior to entrance in a climate-controlled, airlocked vault, used to stabilize the temperature between the outside world and the inside of the chapel. This is to improve preservation."


We had a scheduled time for our visit so we had about an hour to kill before our reservation.  In the meantime we visited the connected museum.  I nearly fainted.  I was hurting pretty bad due to lack of sleep.  I also am at the point where all this art is starting to blur together.  


Side note- I think I'm over my manicure obsession.  It was a rough one at first but if anything this trip has taught me how to relax and live frugally.  I love my nice material stuff, but it's not everything.  Sometimes you just gotta have some dirt under your finger nails and let go a bit.


Back to reality - the chapel was set in a beautiful park.  The flowers were amazing!  The most striking was a flowering tree.  We should look into stocking them at the flower shop - super unique!

The church was a pretty big deal.  At this moment in time, I'm not feeling the catholic church.  It's a shame because a few days ago, I had a truly touching and spiritual experience while sitting in one of the churches in Venice.  This church was built in order for some guy's parents to get into heaven.  Might a pricy admission fee if you ask me!  Stick two penny's in my eyes and that's about all I'd pay.  I love individual spirituality.  It pains me to see the church put so many demands on its followers.  This man commissioned the best artist around to paint his chapel.  Giotto's works were very vibrant and colorful.  It was a refreshing change to see characters with expression and life.  We were only allowed to spend 15 minutes inside and it ended with an abrupt alarm.  I left out the best part- in order to enter you must enter a glass vestibule and be fumigated.  Air is sucked out and new "pure" air is filtered in while you are essentially fumigated.  I thought it was a bit overkill.  This process is new within the last 20 years or so.  You used to be able to just walk in and hang.  Overall, I didn't think this church was too thrilling.  God was painted on the wall, that was about all I got out of it.


We had some free time afterwards and Kell and I did some damage in the food and shopping department.  We dined at an outdoor bistro.  I had been craving a nice german wheat beer and I finally got an icy cold one.  We spilt two sandwiches but our exciting food of the day was horse meat.  I didn't like it.  It was served as a bruschetta with melted cheese and rucola.  The meat was dry, smoked, and tasteless.  More chewy than anything else.  If I had to compare it to something, it would be the equivalent to a shredded piece of beef jerky.  Not a fan, but at least I tried it.  Sorry Mr. Ed.

I purchased some denim.  I've been seeing everyone sporting low crotched pants.  At first I thought they were bizarre, but then they grew on me.  I found a denim bar and tried on a few.  I settled with a pair by G Star Raw.  They're super skinny at the bottom and the top is tapered.  I really really dig them.  It's not often that I have to rationalize my wacky wardrobe to myself and others, and these pants are no exception.  Pictures of my outfit and how I paired it will be up soon.  I think it's lookbook worthy...

Part 2 of the journey: Universidad de Padova - also partially jacked from Wikipedia.

The university was founded in 1222 when a large group of students and professors left the University of Bologna in search of more academic freedom ('Libertas scholastica'). The first subjects to be taught were law and theology. The curriculum expanded rapidly, however and by 1399 the institution had divided in two: a Universitas Iuristarum for civil law, Canon law, and theology, and a Universitas Artistarum which taught astronomy, dialectic, philosophy, grammar, medicine, and rhetoric. 

From the fifteenth to the eighteenth century, the university was renowned for its research, particularly in the areas of medicine, astronomy, philosophy and law. This was thanks in part to the protection of the Republic of Venice, which enabled the university to maintain some freedom and independence from the influence of the Roman Catholic Church. During this time, the University adopted the Latin motto: Universa universis patavina libertas (Paduan Freedom is Universal for Everyone).

Since 1595, Padua's famous anatomical theatre drew artists and scientists studying the human body during public dissections. It is the oldest surviving permanent anatomical theatre in Europe. Anatomist Andreas Vesalius held the chair of Surgery and Anatomy (explicator chirurgiae) and in 1543 published his anatomical discoveries in De Humani Corporis Fabrica. The book triggered great public interest in dissections and caused many other European cities to establish anatomical theaters.

This theatre was really cool.  I stood where they put the body and looked up.  It was quite the experience.  The viewing areas were tiny.  Only about 10 inches from front to back.  Think about trying to squeeze your big mac booty into that space.  It was super taboo to dissect a human.  These people risked a lot by doing so.

On 25 June 1678, Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia a Venetian noblewoman and mathematician became the first woman to be awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree.  WOOHOO!

The train ride home was - sweaty.  I didn't look at the weather and was wearing sneaks and jeans.