Wednesday, June 4
Monday, June 2
FESTIVAL OF THE REPUBLIC
I got up with a list of things to do and what did Italy decide to do? Have a holiday! Everything except souvenir shops, restaurants and gelato shops are closed. And "number one" on the list was for... number two (he said with a total lack of restraint on bathroom humor). Yes, I was in need of "carta ingienica" (toilet paper). Now it looks like I'll have to take the next step in total Italian "immersion". The bidet!
Today is the Festival of the Republic and marks this day (June 2) in 1946 when the monarchy was abolished and a republic created. This was done in great part because the monarch supported Mussolini during WWII. He and his family were exiled forever from Italy, as their punishment. And stretching the point, I suppose, it is collateral damage that I will be stuck with the bidet for a day.
Even the walk to the gym was fruitless. Closed.
I dumped my gym stuff, grabbed the camera, ordered my favorite sweet treat from the shop down the street and just started walking. Most of the day was in the Oltrarno (south of the Arno) in an aimless zig and zag.
The following is the result of my aimless walking.
Postcards for sale (still north of the Arno). Need I say more. No, I'm tired. No silly banter here.
A detail from the carousel in the Piazza della Repubblica (still on my way to the Oltrarno).
Santo Spirito church (west of the Pitti Palace). The tour book says it is "one of the most important examples of Renaissance architecture in Italy." Brunelleschi, of course, is the culprit. It is amazing how he brought classical Greek architecture inside with all the columns.
Close-up of the arches in the Santo Spirito...give ma a break, I was playing. It's digital. No cost. Who cares? I was having fun.
Ah!! I remember this statue mentioned in the paper (The Florentine). It is the only statue carved by an American on public display in Florence. The artist is a rather young guy to have such an honor.
Do you need an explanation? Ok, it is from a very working-class neighborhood not far from the Pitti Palace. At least this is not like my trip around the world. There were scores of "clothes drying" pictures. Count yourself lucky, this time.
Taken three bridges from the Ponte Vecchio looking east.
Fisherman along the Arno. By the way, the carp are mighty big.
A spillway three bridges west of the Vecchio.
My day had to end abruptly. Nature called. No paper needed though. But on the dash to the apartment I noticed that the chairs, that were in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, had been moved in front of the Loggia della Signoria. (Yes, there was drum beating and goings-on this morning but one can only dash down the stairs in a smelly condition so many times a week...I have no idea what went on this morning).
Anyway. When I came down from the bathroom I thought to wait around with my camera but went to get a snack instead. When I came back they had just opened up the barriers and I got a nice seat. Everything starts here at nine or nine-fifteen. Makes things cool but it's bad for pictures. Most that I took were from far away and are as grainy as a picture spray-painted on a bed of sushi rice. But it will give you an idea. I took lots of video but can't figure out how to load it onto Blogger yet.
There were two orchestras. The first was a military group, tall fuzzy hats. I haven't found out who they are as yet. The second group was the Gioacchino Rossini Philharmonic.
The first band as they were setting up.
The light was gone so, of course, that is when the band started.
As the first band was finishing I decided to take some video from the side. When I got to the left side of the Loggia there weren't but a few people there. How nice. But there were even fewer ON the stage. So why not crawl up the wall and sit behind the band? I did. It was great! Slowly about twenty others, with brass and no pride, followed suit and took permanent root there. Nobody made us leave! (Although someone should have made the guy on the cell phone or the endless coughing woman leave....but, I wasn't put in charge....an oversight, I'm sure!) I kept my mouth shut and just moved farther onto the stage. So, for the next hour and a half I had a great spot behind the musicians and right under my favorite Pio Fedi.
A shot out to the audience.
Shot from behind the second band.
The only better seat than mine. She just leaned out her window!
Today is the Festival of the Republic and marks this day (June 2) in 1946 when the monarchy was abolished and a republic created. This was done in great part because the monarch supported Mussolini during WWII. He and his family were exiled forever from Italy, as their punishment. And stretching the point, I suppose, it is collateral damage that I will be stuck with the bidet for a day.
Even the walk to the gym was fruitless. Closed.
I dumped my gym stuff, grabbed the camera, ordered my favorite sweet treat from the shop down the street and just started walking. Most of the day was in the Oltrarno (south of the Arno) in an aimless zig and zag.
The following is the result of my aimless walking.
Postcards for sale (still north of the Arno). Need I say more. No, I'm tired. No silly banter here.
A detail from the carousel in the Piazza della Repubblica (still on my way to the Oltrarno).
Santo Spirito church (west of the Pitti Palace). The tour book says it is "one of the most important examples of Renaissance architecture in Italy." Brunelleschi, of course, is the culprit. It is amazing how he brought classical Greek architecture inside with all the columns.
Close-up of the arches in the Santo Spirito...give ma a break, I was playing. It's digital. No cost. Who cares? I was having fun.
Ah!! I remember this statue mentioned in the paper (The Florentine). It is the only statue carved by an American on public display in Florence. The artist is a rather young guy to have such an honor.
Do you need an explanation? Ok, it is from a very working-class neighborhood not far from the Pitti Palace. At least this is not like my trip around the world. There were scores of "clothes drying" pictures. Count yourself lucky, this time.
Taken three bridges from the Ponte Vecchio looking east.
Fisherman along the Arno. By the way, the carp are mighty big.
A spillway three bridges west of the Vecchio.
My day had to end abruptly. Nature called. No paper needed though. But on the dash to the apartment I noticed that the chairs, that were in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, had been moved in front of the Loggia della Signoria. (Yes, there was drum beating and goings-on this morning but one can only dash down the stairs in a smelly condition so many times a week...I have no idea what went on this morning).
Anyway. When I came down from the bathroom I thought to wait around with my camera but went to get a snack instead. When I came back they had just opened up the barriers and I got a nice seat. Everything starts here at nine or nine-fifteen. Makes things cool but it's bad for pictures. Most that I took were from far away and are as grainy as a picture spray-painted on a bed of sushi rice. But it will give you an idea. I took lots of video but can't figure out how to load it onto Blogger yet.
There were two orchestras. The first was a military group, tall fuzzy hats. I haven't found out who they are as yet. The second group was the Gioacchino Rossini Philharmonic.
The first band as they were setting up.
The light was gone so, of course, that is when the band started.
As the first band was finishing I decided to take some video from the side. When I got to the left side of the Loggia there weren't but a few people there. How nice. But there were even fewer ON the stage. So why not crawl up the wall and sit behind the band? I did. It was great! Slowly about twenty others, with brass and no pride, followed suit and took permanent root there. Nobody made us leave! (Although someone should have made the guy on the cell phone or the endless coughing woman leave....but, I wasn't put in charge....an oversight, I'm sure!) I kept my mouth shut and just moved farther onto the stage. So, for the next hour and a half I had a great spot behind the musicians and right under my favorite Pio Fedi.
A shot out to the audience.
Shot from behind the second band.
The only better seat than mine. She just leaned out her window!
Sunday, June 1
1943 High School Prom
It certainly doesn’t seem like I’ve been here a month. But technically my first month ended on Thursday.
Before setting foot on Italian soil one of my goals was to do most of the Firenze tourist stuff the first month. And that I’ve done. All the major sightseeing in the Centro Storico is complete. Of course I will do more looking but I can wander farther a field.
In that vain and weather permitting, I am meeting with Rosario on Wednesday (he is my friend who lives part time in LA and part time in Montevarchi). He is a tour guide of sorts. That is, he works for a holiday resort and he often escorts tours to neighboring cities, giving them gems of information on the way. He drops them off and then picks them up at the end of the day to get them back to the resort. Since he has been so busy it has been difficult meshing our schedules, so I am tagging along with him when he escorts a group to Siena and San Gimignano. I’ll get to see the countryside on the drive and once we dump the busload of tourists I’ll get a private guide for the day.
Then (again weather permitting) I have reservations to spend four days in the Cinque Terra, beginning Friday. The hotel (as well as most others) is perched high up the hillside and requires (apparently with some rooms) hundreds of stairs. Therefore I am traveling with just my backpack. The computer and steamer trunks filled with cold weather (little used) clothes will remain here.
It has been a warm yet pleasant day. Overcast, mellow and lazy. Sixteen flowers on my new gardenia bush have opened filling the air with the scent of a 1943 High School Prom. Or perhaps, if you lean to the macabre, you might just imagine a funeral home. Nonetheless the air in my apartment is heavy with the perfume of fresh flowers. Outside there is a blanket of mock orange covering the still air of the city.
Your pictures for tonight are: the aforementioned mock orange, a detail from the base of a statue by Cellini (of Perseus slaying the Medusa), a relief of the Medici coat of arms, accordion players and the entry of the Palazzo Vecchio.
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