I'm posting this one a little late. My internet is down and I have to post this from my friends house!
I also had to take pictures of pictures for this one as my original photos were taken on a film camera!!
This will be a very personal post. Its a thought I had while in my Art History class (renaissance to modern to be more specific)
Back in 2005, I went to Italy on an organized trip with the Cegep de Sept-Iles (oh yes, we have a cegep in there!!) I spent two whole weeks there, during the end of may, taking benefits from the very nice warm weather (in sept-iles, nice weather is maybe in July and August, never both during the same summer!), and visiting a very beautiful country. It actually was my first trip to Europe, my first trip ever.
I got there, thinking I would be jet laged, thinking things would look completely different and maybe I would be disoriented. Well, no! Milan just looked like … a normal city with red rooftops. That's what I thought at this time.
People were excited, realizing ''hey we're in Italy!! How great is this?''. I wasn't. To me, it was like anywhere else. People worked, slept, ate and breathed like anybody else in the world. So, I wasn't in awe, but I was still happy to be there. I always wanted to visit Italy, and I actually always wanted to travel.
During our 2 weeks, we visited museum, visited museums as well as visiting museums. We also visited other museums, talked about museums, visited more museums and visited these other museums as well. We also, visited cathedrals, more cathedrals and other cathedrals as well. We heard about Da Vinci and Michelangelo so much that the sounds of these name would just make our ears bleed at the end of the trip.
What I really wanted to experience is disorientation. I thought it was the main goal in traveling.
So I searched for things that were different from what I'm used to see. For example, the public toilets! How great these were for me! I really am posting a picture of a modern Turkish toilet, yes. I wasted a photo on my film camera to have a souvenir of that toilet!! I was that bored.
I'm thinking about that today and I smile at how much things have changed. I realize that Italy is a country you can't visit without having, at least, a small knowledge about what was going on there before. I didn't knew anything when I went there the first time and I wasn't interested. I wanted to see Italian culture while living with them, but I missed the fact that museums, cathedral et all the stuff I didn't like to see... WAS Italian culture.
I didn't care about these visits because I didn't know anything about it. Today, I would go back there, only to visit again everything I missed. To have that specific knowledge is somewhat amazing.
I didn't care about these visits because I didn't know anything about it. Today, I would go back there, only to visit again everything I missed. To have that specific knowledge is somewhat amazing.
That trip made me grow up though. Yes I realized the world was the same everywhere. It actually is. Even though the culture is different, the world is the same. No matter where you are, if you are surrounded with people you love, you'll be happy.
I also grew some respect towards religion. I visited the Vatican, the place I thought I would hate. I was a strong atheist and visiting the Vatican wasn't in my favorites plans at all. I got there and saw some works by Michelangelo. It was 3D paintings and I was amazed. Even though the Vatican is the perfect place for suicidal agoraphobic, it made me feel different. I'm not more religious than I was before, but I learned some respect. The fact that so many people with strong faith go there everyday, it leaves some kind of energy that makes you feel different. The strongest moment was when we got into the Sistine Chapel. I actually had tears which did surprises me a lot. I remember the Pope had recently died and the feeling sticked to the room. I looked up the ceiling to have a look at the only thing I knew from Italian art. The difference between what I thought I would see, and what I saw was huge. There was much more up there that I thought I would see. I kept silent for the rest of our visit there.
I also grew some respect towards religion. I visited the Vatican, the place I thought I would hate. I was a strong atheist and visiting the Vatican wasn't in my favorites plans at all. I got there and saw some works by Michelangelo. It was 3D paintings and I was amazed. Even though the Vatican is the perfect place for suicidal agoraphobic, it made me feel different. I'm not more religious than I was before, but I learned some respect. The fact that so many people with strong faith go there everyday, it leaves some kind of energy that makes you feel different. The strongest moment was when we got into the Sistine Chapel. I actually had tears which did surprises me a lot. I remember the Pope had recently died and the feeling sticked to the room. I looked up the ceiling to have a look at the only thing I knew from Italian art. The difference between what I thought I would see, and what I saw was huge. There was much more up there that I thought I would see. I kept silent for the rest of our visit there.
Today, I would like to go back to Italy to have a different point of view on what I saw. Now that I gained more knowledge, I'm sure I will be way much interested in their culture. I didn't found what I was looking for the first time I traveled there, but now I feel stupid that I missed the most obvious.
Looking back at my pictures from this trip, I also realize how bad I was as a photographer! My album is full of huge mistakes. Fortunately, I improved!
Looking back at my pictures from this trip, I also realize how bad I was as a photographer! My album is full of huge mistakes. Fortunately, I improved!
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