elephants

From 3 May to 4 July two-hundred painted elephants, roughly 140 pounds each, will storm the city. Eventually they will be corralled into Sotheby's for an auction to raise money for an endangered species of Asian elephant. Most sources are claiming that this will be London's biggest public art event on record. I love public art, but when the end of the line is an auction I have a hard time accepting it as art for art's sake. I do expect that these guys are going to brighten up the city, and of course they are a whimsical installation - but that doesn't change the fact that their priority, besides raising awareness, is making money. I like to at least believe that artists create objects for reasons other than economics...

lose yourself

3295 miles
1311 pictures
986 pages of leisure reading
34 scoops of gelato
19 train rides
12 cities
7 wellesley women
and 1 volcanic explosion...

I am back in London, safe and sound. Excepting Eyjafjallajökul, the entire trip went off without any complications and I had a wonderful time.

I am still in the process of processing, but here are some of my favorite pictures.

ha.

I'm stranded in Italy. Isn't my life so hard? 

Our trip to Budapest lasted about 3 hours without ever leaving the ground, and due to the black cloud of death wreaking havoc across all of Europe I have had a slight change of plans. Italy for three more days. Think of all the food. We are retreating to Perugia for some more of the region's best pizza and chocolate. Then, I will be taking an overnight train from Bologna to Vienna to meet up with a Wellesley friend and attempt to salvage the last part of my trip. Hopefully I will be able to fly out from there in a week as planned. We'll see. 

Things to do with my extra time here:

1. gelato, lots more of it

2. art, a fair share more

3. relax after almost three straight weeks of travel

hirshhorn

Today was my last day in Italy and, provided that the wind patterns cooperate, I will be in Budapest by tomorrow evening. 

I just found out today that I have been officially accepted at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden as a summer intern, and I wanted to share with everyone equally since I don't have regular access to a phone or internet. This was my first choice for museums in DC so I am really looking forward to working there. 

One week left!

from base camp bologna

A view of Zurich, home of Europe's largest clock face.

Melissa tea, Ali insisted.

The best pizza in Rome! But, really.

The market today in Bologna.

Six hundred and sixty six perilous steps to San Luca.

I am celebrating a birthday in Bologna, and then leaving for a romantic rendezvous at the Trevi Fountain tomorrow. There has been a slight change in the itinerary - after three nights in Rome we will be going to Perugia for some Baci. We realized that Naples in just a little too far south for a one day trip, and that skipping it gives us a legitimate reason to come back soon. I will be back in Bologna on the 10th. Ciao!

its warm in italy!

Katie and I made our way over the alps this afternoon from Zurich to Milan. I've already enjoyed some gelato Katie had a whole pizza. Of course I came to Italy for the art...