Rodin: The Human Experience at the Portland Art Museum

I don't remember what year it was, but when I was attending University of Oregon (1991 - 1992 and 1995 - 1996) at one point the school's art museum (conveniently near the history building and the library) had a Rodin exhibit. I fell in love with The Kiss, and liked many of the works in general, but thought the bust of Balzac was horribly ugly.

As it was, being a Romance Languages major led to me having a Balzac/Stendhal class (French) at around the same time we were learning to talk about art in a Spanish conversation class. In addition to visiting the museum on our own, we were going to each pick one piece of art and then visit as a class and talk about our selected pieces.

While reading Balzac I had seen at least one picture that did not seem to resemble the bust at all, so I brought in a picture and we gathered round the bust and talked about that. As my classmates gave their impression of the piece, they described a personality that sounded very much like all accounts of Balzac. I realized Rodin knew what he was doing.

I have a fondness for the piece now, so was happy to see it at the Portland Art Museum as part of their exhibit Rodin: The Human Experience. I learned a lot more.

The arrangement of an exhibit and the descriptions that are chosen can detract or enhance. This exhibit was done very well.

One of the points they made was how the cavernous depths of the holes Rodin uses for eyes add to the expression. I agree. They said it, but also they had the art displayed in a manner where you can readily see it. The bright lights were helpful here. I remember the Jordan Schnitzer museum as pretty dim. It set a quiet mood, but it is only now that I realize how that can downplay important details.

I had never seen the Fallen Caryatids before. They are emotionally moving on their own, but a little bit of explanatory text made me think more. They have sunk down, not tipped over. They are fallen but they are still carrying their burdens, at least partially. Maybe that means more to me now. They are beautiful.

They put the best context on The Burghers of Calais that I have seen, but part of that was separating them so you could get a sense of the individuals.

I liked this bust because the soft features and delicate braids are a reminder that even if Rodin often chose to make things blunt and overstated - maybe even grotesque - he did not have to.

Sadly, what we do not have is great pictures of any of them. If you notice a weird angle or centering on anything, it's probably because I was trying to crop out people. All part of the human experience.

And altogether it is a reminder that no matter how wonderful art is on its own (art for art's sake), my enjoyment has been greatly improved through teachers, language, friends, and thoughtfully designed exhibits.

https://portlandartmuseum.org/exhibitions/rodin-the-human-experience/

http://jsma.uoregon.edu/

Transition: Italy to Oregon

That's all the travel information I have for Italy at this time, but I will always hope to go back. There are lots of places that I haven't seen, and even if there weren't there are still wonderful cousins.

One thing we have talked about is them coming to visit us. For family visits, it is easier to send people from the one family in the States to Italy then to bring all of them here, but it would still be nice to get some of them here and show them what Oregon has to offer.

There are a lot of things to think about there. Travel involves the sites that are beautiful or interesting, but it also involves how normal life goes.

So even in a fairly localized area here, there are many ways of experiencing Oregon. If you want to do your mountain climbing and biking and hiking and windsurfing, that is one type of experience. Going to a Timbers game would be a different one. (Though it would probably seem pretty tame to them.)

Even just showing them pizza in America would raise questions. Chicago Deep Dish is a legitimate style, perhaps hard to find here, but then there is think crust New York style too. Completely different; both valid.

(I feel comfortable saying that, though if I were from Chicago or New York I think that could get me in trouble.)

So we could order Pizza Hut or Domino's, and that would be one type of experience, or Schmizza or Nonna Emilia's, and none of them would be like what we get in Vicenza; which would be most important to experience? If I wanted to introduce them to casseroles for American food, or a steakhouse or a place that focuses on fresh local food, those are all possibilities. Personally I think one of the best things about here is that we have restaurants with food from so many different countries. I don't really go out for US food.

I guess food carts would be a necessity.

The next few posts will cover places we have gone as a family in Oregon this summer. Close may not be exactly the right word, because they include jaunts to The Dalles and Florence (the Oregon Coast is way different from being on the Adriatic), but they were all day trips.

And while I value those trips on their own and for the blogging material, there is always that question, would I want to share this with my cousins? Would they enjoy this thing more, or that other thing? There never enough time for everything, so you have to choose.

Italy - Try the gelato!

I can't say this is dining in Vicenza, because it is everywhere. We had gelato in Vicenza, yes, but also in Marostica, Soave, Verona, and Rome (at the airport).

The very first time I went to Italy it was in October. Even so, I had gelato at least twice, once in Venice. Every other time has been in spring (usually May, March once), and with the warmer weather comes more gelato.

I couldn't usually tell you the names. I took a picture of this sign because of the unusual spelling. Chocolate is cioccolato. The only other name I noticed was Venchi, which we had at the Rome airport. A map shows me now that there was a Venchi in Il Centro in Vicenza too, but I hadn't noticed it then.

I'm not sure how much it matters. At Ciokkolatte, my cousin told me that it wasn't the best gelato there. I thought he meant in Vicenza, but when I asked him, he mentioned a place in Venice.

That was interesting, because he got me gelato twice on the same day in Venice (in October) and was not satisfied either time. I know it was because he wanted to give me the parlor experience when you get fancy cookies adorning the gelato, and we kept only finding cones available, but it was okay. Cones are portable and a good time, and gelato needs no adornment.

My only real regret is that I should have tried the Palladio flavor. Palladio is a famous architect who designed many of the buildings in Vicenza and was an influence on Jefferson and Monticello. What flavors would capture a 16th-century master architect? Apparently it involves a hint of lemon.

I don't have any insider tips for gelato. Some places probably are better than others, but none of them have been bad. Just have it, multiple times. It is pretty standard to get two scoops, and I appreciate this because it means I can try new flavors while still always having stracciatella.

We all scream for gelato.

Dining in Vicenza - McDonalds

"Dining" and "McDonalds" in the same sentence? Yes, I don't have a problem with that.

Again, this was our first time staying in a hotel instead of with my aunt. The groceries I brought were fine for most of the breakfasts, but for a break I wanted to have at least one breakfast out. Initially I thought it would be in the hotel restaurant, but they kept being disappointing, as previously mentioned.

There was a McDonald's nearby, and walking there and back would allow me to get a closer look at some other nearby businesses. It was scary making my way through the roundabout - which clearly did not have pedestrians in mind - but I made it.

The first nice surprise was seeing that the Superfriends Happy Meal had a better than usual gender balance. They had to pull from super villains to do so, but lots of popular characters spend times on both sides of the line now.

I also immediately noticed these kiosks. I placed my order with the staff, but I later used a kiosk like this at the airport. It was interesting in terms of the general move toward automating everything, but I can at least see that it makes a lot of sense at an airport, where people come through speaking any number of languages.

The menu was pretty similar, except for the desserts. There was even a McCafe.

Sometimes when traveling we have noticed weird things, like un-toasted English muffins in rural Pennsylvania. Here the cooking methods seemed exactly the same. I thought the muffin still tasted a little different, but if you have different grains growing in different soil, there can be subtle differences.

And the doughnuts were delicious. They were cake doughnuts enrobed in chocolate, but it was a slightly different type of cake, with little bits of cinnamon and sugar. That is probably something more European, though different from Italian pastries I've had.

Actually, I know the McCafe in the McDonalds nearest to us uses a local bakery, so that may be the area where there is more innovation. It wasn't like finding lamb-burgers or black buns; it was really pretty similar to being at home. The food was still good, and it was a nice change of pace for one day.

I am not saying that if you are in Vicenza that eating at McDonalds should be at the top of your list; there are lots of wonderful Italian restaurants and bars that you should enjoy. For one meal, though, there are worse things that you can do. And if you do go, get the doughnuts.

Dining in Vicenza - Righetti Self-Service

On this trip I had noticed more of an emphasis on restaurants that have "everything".

If that is a new trend, then the development of a restaurant like Righetti makes more sense, but its web page says it has been around for thirty years. Also, that it has a web page, in English, is pretty different too. Everything about Righetti surprised me.

It is cafeteria style dining. There are counters for different types of food, usually with three or so selections. That makes it very easy to customize the meal, and provides a lot of variety.

This seems like it could be ideal for traveling parties or diverse groups with different tastes, but I am still at the point where it is more that I thought it was interesting than that I liked it. This is somewhat unfair, based on a really bad reaction I had to the meatballs that was probably not the restaurant's fault. The polenta was good.

Still, one of the main things I remember before I had to run and find the bathroom (that was awful) was seeing a big drawer of rolls with tongs where you could fill your own bread basket. The concept was cool, but there were mainly the hard white rolls. I could see one multigrain roll that looked like it would be softer and taste better, but it was buried under so many of the white rolls that there was no way of getting to it -- an interesting idea with poor execution.

I don't think that's not a reason to go to Righetti. The location is convenient, right in the Piazza Duomo. There is outdoor dining and several different rooms inside, allowing for smaller groups to maintain some intimacy.

It is also very popular. At lunchtime the place was swarming, but it cleared out very quickly as the lunch hour ended.

Our cousins paid, so I am not sure what the surprise at the end of dining referred to on the web page is. I know that you don't pay until after you are done. That can be convenient in that you only have to pay once even if you keep deciding to add things, but it does seem to leave the restaurant open to being stiffed. They've stayed in business for thirty years, so it must work out.

Piazza del Duomo, 3, 36100 Vicenza VI, Italy
+39 0444 543135

http://www.selfrighetti.it/inglese/Righetti.html

Dining in Vicenza - they have everything

We went to three restaurants where I was told this, though I only know the names of two.

I kind of wonder of this is a newer thing, to have a restaurant that serves pizza and pasta and meat. I think it may speak to a recognized need to have casual dining that is not a bar or a pizzeria only. Making the pizza toppings available on a regular crust or on bruschetta also seems new, but was pretty common.

I still only have pictures of family there.

Fantasy - Spaghetterria, Bruschetteria, Pizzeria 
Via Torino, 8, 36077 Altavilla Vicentina VI, Italy
+39 0444 370480

 This is my favorite, and I know it because we went there twice.

We went there twice because it is the most conveniently located -- we can walk from one aunt's apartment to there. Because of its proximity and variety of choices, three sets of cousins are there together almost every weekend.

The pictures here do show a little, in that you have a outside dining area that is still covered, and with a large window looking in. This was helpful for the restaurant staff, keeping them able to see us, and allowed one cousin and the owner to gesture at each other. (Some familiarity has developed there.)

I have in my notes that they had free peanuts, but now I mainly remember the bread sticks. I think it was that we ate inside the first night and outside the second time, and the peanuts were inside. You could take them outside, but you have to remember to do so, so look out for peanuts.

They have many good options, but I am going to recommend the gnocchi al quattro formaggio. My mother had it both times.  (And I had it once, but I had a bruschetta delicata the first time.)

I really enjoyed Fantasy. In the States we would not use that name for that kind of restaurant -- it gets used more with "adult" video stores -- but it was good food, prices seemed reasonable, and even some of the closer restaurants still require going up into the hills, making Fantasy's location one of its draw.

https://www.tripadvisor.it/ShowUserReviews-g194669-d3754763-r241400360-Fantasy-Altavilla_Vicentina_Province_of_Vicenza_Veneto.html


Bulldog's Holland Pub
Via Tovo 21, Altavilla Vicentina, 36077 Altavilla Vicentina, Italy
+39 330 485 214

 

Speaking of location, both Fantasy and Bulldog's are in Altavilla, but Bulldog's feels farther, and higher up. I will say that I have not spent enough time to have a feeling for where the different neighborhoods are in relation to each other.

When you enter, there is initially a traditional pub layout, but you can go out and down to a patio with lots of tables, covered by an awning, and with a view over the city on the other side.

I think the selection of beer is wider here, which is not unreasonable for a pub. I am not sure why it is Holland, but they do have more sandwiches than most places, some like subs and I think even hamburgers.

There were two things that were interesting about it. One is that the menu (which is huge) has code numbers for everything, and it is preferable to give the wait staff the number instead of the name. This can be a convenience for guests who don't speak a lot of Italian.

In addition, the food (possibly not every dish, but a lot of them) came with little flags in them. I think the flags were supposed to indicate country of origin, though I question the accuracy. The pizza with the zucchini and the quesadilla both had British flags. My salami and pepperoni pizza had an American flag. I do not remember my mother's tagliatelle Bolognese having a flag, so maybe only the "foreign" food gets flags, but I am not sure I understand the system. Also, the pizzas are square.

We had a great time there, and there are ways in which dining at Bulldog's is more of an experience than Fantasy, though there is nothing wrong with just dining.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g194669-d2691389-Reviews-Bulldog_s_Holland_Pub-Altavilla_Vicentina_Province_of_Vicenza_Veneto.html

Antica Osteria Dalla Croce

I can't find a web site for Antica Osteria Dalle Croce, but there are several positive reviews on Google and Trip Advisor: https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g668522-d3163660-i193228622-Antica_Osteria_dalla_Croce-Arcugnano_Province_of_Vicenza_Veneto.html.

It is a little out of the way from Vicenza. Not only is it about 11 kilometers away, but the route we took wound back and forth and climbed upward. It was a beautiful driver, but perhaps better for experienced drivers.

This is Lago di Fimon. The restaurant overlooks it in a way, but in a way you don't see it.

There are so many flowers, herbs, and shrubs that unless you go to the wall it is easy to not know that there is anything outside of the garden. The restaurant is known for using local food, and that includes growing their own herbs, and possibly some of the vegetables. Still, much of the flora is there not to be eaten, but to be seen and smelled.

It is a gorgeous place to eat, and as night fell and the lights were lit it was simply enchanting.

The food was very good, but the atmosphere was unforgettable.

It did require going down several steps to get to the garden, and I do not know if there is an accessible entrance. I would call first if there are concerns.

Antica Osteria dalla Croce
Via Santa Croce 93,  Lapio,
36057 Arcugnano, Italy
+39 0444 273088