On the way to Florence, I stopped in Pisa...for a few hours. It was on the way.
Got lost in the rain without a map (keep forgetting to pick 'em up in the train stations) trying to find my CS host's house. Fortunately he was officiously nice and made me feel welcome when I finally got there, because the weather outside did not.
The next day, with still soggy shoes, I headed into the throng of tourists and well-dressed chimneys that are the Italians.
From outside the (wet) Duomo.
From within the Duomo (a hellish part of the domes interior--from very close up ;) ).
From atop the (100m, 463 step nave of the) Duomo.
Lucky me, this weekend in Florence it was free to go to any of the state museums. I went to the Uffizi. I ginourmous gallery of mostly renaissance sculpture and painting that I couldn't begin to appreciate.
9/30/2007
Florence, Italy
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ReplyDeletenot much for the city huh? kinda breezed through florence. well just give me a heads up when you get to rome. if you try to take that mecca on in a day i'll kick your ass ;p
ReplyDeletehey HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
ReplyDeletei'm sure it'll be one you never forget.
be well bro.
much love,
adam
Signor H:
ReplyDeleteFinalmente, I have caught up with your nifty travel blog and was, of course, interested (partisan that I am) in your visit to Firenze. Those are fine photos of the Duomo façade and cupola fresco. That cathedral, which took about 170 years to build, is (in my humble—ha!—opinion) the second most beautiful church in the world (after St. Peter’s in Rome). And Brunelleschi’s dome, which itself took fourteen years to build, has to be one of the greatest engineering feats of all time—considering its dimensions, proportion, position, and the four million bricks that form it. Unfortunately, I cannot be as enthusiastic about the mediocre fresco of “The Last Judgment, by Vasari & Zuccari (sounds like a law firm, no?), even though your photo makes it look considerably better than it actually is. Brunelleschi, himself, wanted mosaics to cover the interior of the cupola—something along the lines of the magnificent mosaics that grace the interior of the Baptistery just across the street. The octagonal Baptistery, by the way, is also noteworthy for its bronze doors by Ghiberti—the famous “Gates of Paradise” (an appropriate antidote to the images of Hell in Vasari’s fresco). When you were at the Uffizi Gallery, did you pop into Room X for Botticelli’s “Primavera” and “Birth of Venus,” as well as Room XXV for the paintings of Raphael and Michelangelo? Speriamo. The Tribune Room (XVIII) is also exceptional with the Greek and Roman statues that were once part of the Medici collection. I know that you claim not be an art fan, but these works, I’m sure, would make you change your mind. And what about Michelangelo’s “David” at the Galleria dell’Accademia? I hope you found Vivoli’s, the best ice cream parlor in the city, and worthy of comparison with its Roman counterparts: ‘Gelateria della Palma’ (on Via della Maddalena) and ‘Gelateria Giolitti’ (near Piazza Colonna). Giolitt’s was reportedly the favorite of Pope John Paul II. So, when in Rome, enjoy a few cups of ice cream on your birthday (order “una coppa di gelato misto”). And don’t forget to try “una granita di caffe’ con panna” at ‘La Tazza d’Oro’ coffee shop near the Pantheon.
Buon compleanno!
Signor V.
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