Florence (Part 1)
FLORENCE
(March 10-12)
On Thursday, March 10, I headed up to Florence.
The trip started kinda iffy. On Tuesday, I couldn't find anyone to go with me to Florence, so I was gonna fly solo. Then, Hallelujiah! Nicole jumps on board. Then the next day, Henrietta and Father Mike join in. Hooray, we became a happy little foursome.
Our hotel was pretty sweet for a 22.50 a night plus free breakfast, which saves about 8 euro. It was smack dab in the center of Florence!
Of course, Florence, the hotbed of the Rennaissance is known for it's artwork...and it's everywhere you look. I read in a tourist book that doctors treat about 12 cases of faintedness a year, that is, people who become overwhelmed just by looking around the city. Though I didn't see anyone sitting on the curb breathing into paper bags, I have to admit, I can almost believe that statistic.
So where do we start in a place filled with such wonders?
The Duomo
Having caught a glimpse of the tower on our way to our hotel, we rushed, liked moths to a flame, over to the Duomo, which is the official image of Florence.
The outside of the Church is covered in pink and green marble, and of course, being Florence, beautifully carved statues overlook every inch of the entrance.
After touring the inside of the Cathedral, we climbed to the top of the dome. This was no easy feat. There are over four hundred steps, and towards the end, you're more scaling the walls than climbing actual stairs.
While we were at the top of the dome, a lightening and hail storm hit the city and we had an amazing view of the city under dark clouds for about eight minutes before we had to rush back inside to save our skin.
David
Of course, you can't go to Florence and not see Michaelangelo's famous David. I was prepared to be let down by the experience for three reasons:
First, after being in Italy for a month, I have literally seen thousands of marble statues. After awhile, once you've seen one marble statue, you've kinda seen them all. Second, I had already heard so much about the statue and seen it in pictures that I didn't figure it would shock or surprise me in any way. Third, the first night we arrived, we saw the replica of David in Piazza della Signoria, (which by the way, uninformed travelers think is the real thing...it's not...just shows you gotta do some research). So, I thought, how different could the real thing be?
I don't even know how to describe the experience. The David is amazing. By far the most wondrous piece of artwork I have ever seen! The detail, the perfection, the care that was put into every last detail makes it seem almost alive. It is absolutely beautiful from every angle, and it was originally supposed to have its back against the wall so half of it was never meant to be seen. But that didn't stop Michaelangelo from making every part perfect. We gaucked for ages. I wandered around the rest of L'Accademia (the museum it sits in) in a daze. I can't imagine that the Mona Lisa or any other famous piece of artwork could touch the David. Michaelangelo's talent and this piece of art are clearly ordained by God. There's no other way to explain it's perfection.
Giardino di Boboli
After two failed attempts and a good yelling from a police officer, the third time we tried to get into the gardens near Palazzio Pitti was the charm. It was worth it! These expansive gardens, which sit across the Arno river and rise into Florence's hills, have amazing views of the city.
I couldn't help but a get a sense of pomp from being in these gardens. While the gardens were beautiful and serene, I just know some royal family hundreds of years ago kept this beauty and wonder all to themselves, never letting any of the commoners go inside. No doubt this is where they had fancy parties, impressed foreign heads of state with the grandeur of this scenery, and talked about how much better they were than everyone else as they strolled along in their expensive hats.
These thoughts were beginning to adversely affect my experience as we walked through the gardens. Then, I just imagined I was a princess and these were my gardens. As long as I was imagining myself a snobby royal and not a commoner peaking in through the gates, I was able to enjoy myself.
The Life
The coolest thing about Florence is simply the rhythm of life there. It's touristy, yes, but somehow that doesn't matter. It is still charming. There's old bridges, beautiful artwork, guys playing guitar in the street, violinists playing under archways, people walking their dogs, and kids frollicking in Piazzas - the city is just alive. It's other worldly.
I wasn't able to do the town justice in just three days. I will definitely be going back!
(March 10-12)
On Thursday, March 10, I headed up to Florence.
The trip started kinda iffy. On Tuesday, I couldn't find anyone to go with me to Florence, so I was gonna fly solo. Then, Hallelujiah! Nicole jumps on board. Then the next day, Henrietta and Father Mike join in. Hooray, we became a happy little foursome.
Our hotel was pretty sweet for a 22.50 a night plus free breakfast, which saves about 8 euro. It was smack dab in the center of Florence!
Of course, Florence, the hotbed of the Rennaissance is known for it's artwork...and it's everywhere you look. I read in a tourist book that doctors treat about 12 cases of faintedness a year, that is, people who become overwhelmed just by looking around the city. Though I didn't see anyone sitting on the curb breathing into paper bags, I have to admit, I can almost believe that statistic.
So where do we start in a place filled with such wonders?
The Duomo
Having caught a glimpse of the tower on our way to our hotel, we rushed, liked moths to a flame, over to the Duomo, which is the official image of Florence.
The outside of the Church is covered in pink and green marble, and of course, being Florence, beautifully carved statues overlook every inch of the entrance.
After touring the inside of the Cathedral, we climbed to the top of the dome. This was no easy feat. There are over four hundred steps, and towards the end, you're more scaling the walls than climbing actual stairs.
While we were at the top of the dome, a lightening and hail storm hit the city and we had an amazing view of the city under dark clouds for about eight minutes before we had to rush back inside to save our skin.
David
Of course, you can't go to Florence and not see Michaelangelo's famous David. I was prepared to be let down by the experience for three reasons:
First, after being in Italy for a month, I have literally seen thousands of marble statues. After awhile, once you've seen one marble statue, you've kinda seen them all. Second, I had already heard so much about the statue and seen it in pictures that I didn't figure it would shock or surprise me in any way. Third, the first night we arrived, we saw the replica of David in Piazza della Signoria, (which by the way, uninformed travelers think is the real thing...it's not...just shows you gotta do some research). So, I thought, how different could the real thing be?
I don't even know how to describe the experience. The David is amazing. By far the most wondrous piece of artwork I have ever seen! The detail, the perfection, the care that was put into every last detail makes it seem almost alive. It is absolutely beautiful from every angle, and it was originally supposed to have its back against the wall so half of it was never meant to be seen. But that didn't stop Michaelangelo from making every part perfect. We gaucked for ages. I wandered around the rest of L'Accademia (the museum it sits in) in a daze. I can't imagine that the Mona Lisa or any other famous piece of artwork could touch the David. Michaelangelo's talent and this piece of art are clearly ordained by God. There's no other way to explain it's perfection.
Giardino di Boboli
After two failed attempts and a good yelling from a police officer, the third time we tried to get into the gardens near Palazzio Pitti was the charm. It was worth it! These expansive gardens, which sit across the Arno river and rise into Florence's hills, have amazing views of the city.
I couldn't help but a get a sense of pomp from being in these gardens. While the gardens were beautiful and serene, I just know some royal family hundreds of years ago kept this beauty and wonder all to themselves, never letting any of the commoners go inside. No doubt this is where they had fancy parties, impressed foreign heads of state with the grandeur of this scenery, and talked about how much better they were than everyone else as they strolled along in their expensive hats.
These thoughts were beginning to adversely affect my experience as we walked through the gardens. Then, I just imagined I was a princess and these were my gardens. As long as I was imagining myself a snobby royal and not a commoner peaking in through the gates, I was able to enjoy myself.
The Life
The coolest thing about Florence is simply the rhythm of life there. It's touristy, yes, but somehow that doesn't matter. It is still charming. There's old bridges, beautiful artwork, guys playing guitar in the street, violinists playing under archways, people walking their dogs, and kids frollicking in Piazzas - the city is just alive. It's other worldly.
I wasn't able to do the town justice in just three days. I will definitely be going back!
posted by Amy at 11:39 AM
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