Here are pictures from the trade show, Marmotec. There are large machines for use in the quarries (to cut blocks), and then machines for transforming the blocks into other products. The trade show also has samples of marble from different parts of the world. Pure white marble comes from Carrara, but other colors and qualities are also located in particular parts of the world.

We went from the trade show, Carrara Marmotec, up the mountain to where they excavate large blocks of marble (the small ones are ten tons). This year we went to a different cava than in previous years, and the owner of the site was able to talk with us about their operations. The weather was rainy, so we did not drive to the other quarry, but here are pictures from last year, when we had a bright sunny day.

We visited Barsanti, a family business in Pietrasanta that produces art pieces in marble, bronze and mosaics. Some are done at the direction of artists and others are commissions from customers who want artwork for their buildings (or for cruise ships).

After the visit we stopped and had lunch in Viareggio, which is one of the beaches that is easiest to reach from Florence. It is mostly a boardwalk and you pay to “rent” the place you sit, but we were able to see the Mediterranean and have a relaxing lunch.

We visited a small but very high quality olive oil company, Frantoio di Santa Tea. It has been a Gonnelli family business since 1585. We toured the production facility and had an oil tasting. Because of the way they organize production, they can produce oil from green olives, or from black olives, or from a mixture. Each has a different taste. Here are some pictures from the day.

Next up is a company that produces pieces of art from marble, bronze and mosaics.

I would like you to use the “Edit Page” function instead of the “Comment” button, if possible. I will save the comments for questions or my feedback that will not be part of the “final” version of the page.

When you enter something, start and end your comments with your name, like this:

[jeff]
blah blah blah
[jeff]

You can use colors to (or italics or bold) to set your entry apart, but try to choose ‘good’ colors. Use the button that has a capital A, and try to avoid the button with the picture of the highlighter. Also try to avoid the really light colors (like yellow).

The right side menu bar has “Company Visits” for each group as a page. There will be a link to a separate page for each company we visit. Put your comments on this page, not the “Company Visits” page. I will move misplaced entries, but it will be easier keep everything straight if you make comments on the right page. Thanks (and sorry for the confusion).

Let me know if you have other questions about this. I can meet you in the computer lounge before/after your M&M class if that would help. Just let me know what time works for you (send me an email).

Please feel free to give the website address for this blog (jeffrummel.blogspot.com) to your friends and family if you want. I’ll post some pictures and update a little about what we’re doing in the class.

People who are reading the blog are welcome to leave comments (with questions, for example) and I will try to respond to them as quickly as possible. To minimize the amount of “blog spam” the comments are moderated (by me) and so they will not show up immediately.

Most everyone seemed to have the idea for the trip, and the tour was pretty quick (small place). I’ll post some pictures later. There are now pages under the Company Visits tabs on the website where you can add your observations, analysis and questions about the visit (note that good questions are a positive contribution to the website).

The only potential hassle will be if two people edit the same part of the page at the same time. One of you will get a sort of error message from the website — just let me know if you do and I’ll go in and try to fix it. If you are just adding some text, it is sometimes easier to prepare the text off-line and then cut-and-paste it quickly onto the page. That will minimize the chances of two people saving at the same time.

You can also add comments, but I would prefer you use the Edit Page tool (top of the right menu bar). You can also upload attachments, but try to make sure the files are not too big. If I start to run out of space I may have to delete some files.

I would also like you to use the Edit Page tool for your individual journals — I will go through and fix some of your pages.

Remember that Wednesday is earlier (7:30 departure) because Pietrasanta is a bit farther away. The tour there may be slightly longer (we will see bronze, marble and mosaic production) and I’m hopeful we’ll break into two groups for this trip. We will stop for lunch on the way back at Viareggio, and you are welcome to stay there and get a train back to Florence or to ride back on the bus. I’ll see what time we arrive for lunch, but we’ll probably have the bus leave Viareggio around 2:30 or 3:00.

Thursday is a full day as well, up to Cararra with another 7:30 departure. You’ll be able to snooze a little on the bus if you want.

We will be going to Cararra on Thursday and there will be no class on Monday, so people are making travel plans to take advantage of the extra day. I hear there are some bus tours that leave Florence on Thursday at 7:30, and I wanted to let you know that we will be leaving the trade show in Cararra at 3:30 (or 15:30 if you prefer), so we should be back in Florence between 5:30 and 6:00 (17:30-18:00). So you will have plenty of time to catch your bus to Capri or Interlaken or wherever.

I will also make Monday June 16 and optional class meeting. For those that would like, I will be available to meet and talk about your journals and company visit contributions. But if you’d prefer to have one extra day for travel that weekend, you do not have to attend class that day.

We will meet at Palazzo Rucellai on Wednesday June 18 for class. Let me know if you have questions.

While we will spend most of the class “on the road” visiting companies, we do have a classroom at Palazzo Rucellai. It is most likely a bedroom in the old palace, but not the master bedroom (there are better, bigger rooms). To get there, students have to go along a twisty passage way because of the way that the palace was built originally, but also because the palace has been subdivided among the heirs through the years into sets of rooms that are not exactly contiguous.

btw, the fresco pictures on the walls are actually flat walls. The pillars and everything are done with painting the shadows to make it look three dimensional.