09.09.08.

a swiss tuesday...

sketched the riva san vitale city hall building...the white walls washed in light...the delicate connections between archways...the minimal ornamentation...the purity...the freshness...the warmth and glow within the courtyard.

lunch. salad and pasta cooked al dente!

after lunch. sketched the baptistery added a wash of watercolor. swiss boy about 10 years old came over and told me he liked my sketch, but in italian so i proceeded to explain to him that i only spoke un poco italiano.  turns out the boy's english was really good

after after lunch. picked up some swiss chocolate with lindsey

after after after lunch. wine and appetizers in the garden with the swiss ambassador, the mayor of riva san vitale, lucy ferrari, and others. more thought on this subject later 

06.09.08

today is a rainy saturday.  rainy days in riva are really beautiful...the clouds seems to hover on the mountaintops giving the whole town a mystical feeling.  riva is peaceful and quiet to begin with, but on rainy days the peacefulness is amplified even more.  walking to the apartment from the villa i hardly see anyone except for a couple familiar faces enjoying espressos at bar ticinio.

05.09.08

upon arrival to the "melting pot" of europe i have constantly asked myself the question of what "swiss" really means...in that, i have come to the conclusion that switzerland is simply a conglomeration of different cultures that are tied together by one main desire.  the desire to be a country of unity.  there doesn't seem to be one look or one identity.  switzerland is diverse and eclectic in almost everyway...the people, the languages, the climate, the terrain, the food.  so as of now i will sum it with one simple thought.  swissness = unity.