Two Weeks in Tuscany

October 18, 2005

Heading to Italy

It was really breathtaking, there were really no words to describe...you can't find anything like this at home

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October 20th

Just writing a quick hello before I head off to bed. It is 2:30 here right now...PM that is...and I am getting ready to lie down for a little nap. It is still early there and I don't know if I will be able to make it to call you before you head out to work...though I will try.

All is well here. Got up around 9:30...managed to stay up until about midnight last night, and was pretty tired, but not feeling too bad right now.

Went for a walk down into town...takes about 45 minutes, but we walked along the river and checked everything out. You would super love it here, though I don't know if you would like the crowds...lots of people in a little tiny space. :) The buses can get very crowded, and people are really patient, which is good, because that would never fly in Vancouver let me tell you.

Last night we went for pizza at the pizzeria down the street. 2 Pizza, three beer, water (it comes in like a 1.5 liter, and costs about 80 cent!) and two cafe (the little cups of espresso which is the normal coffee here) for about 30 Euro. Not too bad. The pizzas are regular size like at home...but thin crust. I was so tired I don't know if I appreciated it as much as I should have. :)

It rained all day yesterday but we managed to beat it today. It was nice and fairly warm here and then didn't start raining until we were on the bus back, which was packed! I mean like sardines. You buy your bus ticket at the tabbacci store and then put them into the little ticket machine when you get on the bus and it stamps the ticket...sort of like at home...the difference is that you can get on the bus at the front, or back...and get off in the middle. Very strange, but if you didn't you would never get on the bus, for all the people.

Anyways, we walked down the river, which is spectacular! and headed to the Ponte Vecchio (don't worry, got lots of pics) and had some gelato and checked out the jewerrly. Beautiful..but expensive! Then headed to the Via Tourbioni, or something like that, where all the fancy stores are and ran our fingers through Gucci, Prada, and Armani clothes...all the while having someone follow us around, discretely, through the store. We thought we would run out of the store, just to see if we would get a reaction...but decided to make our way slowly out. Bothered Laura that they didnt want us in there...but I didn't care...whatever.

Everyone is really nice...not much English here that is for sure. It is not hard to get by though....Boun goirno, Grazia (not grazie) and permisso (per-mee-sow), which is the polite way to say excume me...and of course...prego...your welcome. :) Laura's italian is excellente, and I should be doing pretty good by the time I get back. You can understand the signs and stuff too...not too hard to find your way around...and all the tourist markers are in English of course, but mostly everything is in Italian - including the menus.

The buildings are amazing...and all crumbly and peeling plaster...particularly downtown...and the little tiny streets that are only big enough for one car...but two try to get down at the same time. The Vespas are everywhere, and are really quite crazy...but the driving....mano! it is nuts! Like I said...they just drive anywhere, and park anywhere....the bus drivers are no different.

Anyways, we are off to Siena tomorrow - Laura and I for the day...and then Marco and I are heading to Pisa and Lucca on Saturday while Laura has her concert. Train to Siena takes just over an hour and costs about 6 Euro....each way...not bad! We are heading out early in the morning and then coming back in the evening....will miss the siesta time here...she's right...they DO close all the shops in the afternoon. Not the supermarkets, but the other stores just close up, close the shutters (everything here has shutters) and they all eat their lunch. I can understand now why they eat dinner so late, if they are eating lunch at 2 in the afternoon.

Haven't even thought about going into any of the museums yet......too busy just wandering around..but we are thinking about going to mass at the Duomo on Sunday...it is truly one amazing building.....I can't wait to see the inside, then if it is nice we will head up the Campinile, which is the tower beside the Doumo to take pictures. The skyline is incredible.

Basically, the place is gorgeous...and old...and just what I love... This truly is a dream come true.

Saw the statue of David in the Piazza del Republica...which has a ton of statutes in this big square....the loggia where they are all situated is only about 800 years old...and the carvings..mano!

Anyways, enough of that....I should head and make some lunch and then crash for a little while, but wanted to send you a little travelouge...good way to remember all this stuff. :)

We are gonna be eating later when Laura and Marco get home and then head out to a night market which is not too far from here along the river....Laura says there is some cool stuff there that we can check out. See if I can find a little trinket. Then off to bed to be up early and at the train station for an 8:30 train out of town. Should be fun!

Miss you lots

Angela

October 21th

Ciao!

Today Laura and I went to Sienna which is about an hour away (to the south). That is where they run that famous horserace every year in the middle of the main square...which right now I can't remember the name of. Ci, it's called the Piazza del Campo...got some great picture of the square and the tower that stands over it.

We headed out at about 8:30 this morning, very tired cuz I had a really bad sleep last night - still trying to adjust my clock I think...mind you, it could have been all the cafe that I have been drinking too!. I woke up around 3:30 and couldn't get back to sleep until around 5ish or so, then up again at 6:30. Didn't want to get out of bed. :)

The town is really hilly, and it was raining...downpour, almost the entire time we were there. Crazy, but the place was gorgeous! We went into San Domenico, which is a gothic church dating back to 1226. The streets are very little and just wind around the town so you get completely lost, but it was much quieter then Florence, which was a nice change, because Florence is very, very busy...particulary downtown...get used to it, but does take some getting used to, that's for sure.

Anyways, we stayed in San Domenico for a bit (lit a candle at St. Francis for Dad and Mom) and checked out the paintings...then headed over to the Duomo (Siena Duomo) which dates back to 1136. Was crazy amazing and it was free! They are doing renos right now, and had some of the marble flooring covered up so we went in and there was no charge. There was this one particular room which had the most amazing frescoes and paintings, and the ceiling! No flash photography allowed, but of course catzo stupid people were taking picture with flash cameras. Dumb asses. They also had hymnals which were super old....written and decorated all by hand, behind glass, and the detail was amazing...we just sat there for a while and gawked at the ceiling. Got some really good pictures.

Anyways, we headed over for lunch, a little resturant in a little tiny street (took a picture of the outside)...antipasto, wine, spaghetti and desert...$27 Euro for the both of us...really good price apparently, and really good food. manga, manga..that is all you do here...eat, eat, eat. har har

Passed out on the bus coming home, got back into town around 4ish and then wandered downtown for a bit. Got a fuzzy pullover for Joe at this store downtown...and got some tights for Kira...$2 Euro each.....went through the market (San Lorenzo which is near the Duomo) and checked out the stuff. They have beautiful scarves here, I just can't figure out which one to get!.

We are just relaxing now because we are heading to Pisa-Lucca early tomorrow. Laura has rehearsals all day tomorrow so Marco is taking me out by ourselves and we will check everything out...my poor feet have just about had it! har har

The clouds have been trying to break and the sun is trying really hard to come out....it is supposed to be nicer the next few days. Don't mind the rain all that much, but it would be nice to see the hillsides a bit and not have to take our umbrellas everywhere. Luckily, though it is raining, it is not cold. It is probably around 18, 20 degrees or so...very manageable.

Have to say the place is beautiful, but there is definitely a different smell to it. Think that it is the diesel, because the trucks all use that here...but sometimes it can get a bit stinky...definitely not the fresh air that is in Vancouver..I couldn't imagine the odour in the summer. har har Otherwise, it is fairly clean and most people are nice. IT is very crowded though ...I find it hard at times...get me out of here!!!!, but you just go with the flow and let it all happen, and soak it all in...and then your fine....har har

The culture shock...not much really. You get into the feel of it all, and just go with the flow...and try to not get hit by the scooters.....everyone drinks coffee here, and there is a bar on every block serving brioche and coffee...just go to the counter, order up, drink it down, and then pay. There is quite a bit of honour system there, which I think would freak N American's out because we are DEFINITELY not on the honour system at home.

Love it here...it is so old! I am taking lots of pictures and drinking too much wine and beer. har har....we are abstaining tonight...Marco tried to serve up Vin Santo - which you dip biscotti in and then eat and drink...very strong desert wine...I will bring some home. :)

Miss you lots...

Alright, I should get back and stop being rude. Oh yeah, read that the mediator quit for the teachers strike, but they are voting on recommendations this weekend. Hopefully that means that Evan can start up school again on Monday. It would be good for him to get back to learning..poor little dude.

Alright, enough whining..off I go....until tomorrow!!!

Write back if you can....

Buono sera

October 23, 2005

Ciao! buono sera!

Just walked in the house from being out wandering around Florence this afternoon. Eiya! this town is great.

Tip #1 - don't even think that you are going to walk in a straight line if you are going into downtown Florence on a weekend. The crowds....are nuts!

Alrighty...to start...I forgot that I didn't write about yesterday.

Phew....

Headed over to the Piazza della Michelangelo, which is on the other side of the Arno river (and part of the Pitti Palace) which overlooks the entire city, including the Ponte Vechhio and the Duomo. You can see all the surrounding hillside but unfortunately the mist hadn't entirely cleared up so the pictures will be a titch misty...but the view was fabulous.

Off then to Pisa. As every tourist book around tells you there really isn't much to see in Pisa other than the tower, the old wall, and the cathedral. Thankfully the weather FINALLY cleared yesterday and we managed to get great weather. Actually, it turned muggy while Marco and I were in Pisa. Wandered around, checked out the tower (funnily enough, some of the columns are longer than others thus preventing the tower from completely tipping over). The duomo was damaged during the second world war...first bombing from the American and Brits, and then from the Germans as they retreated. They have restored everything pretty good, but it is funny to see some columns purple marble, while all the others are white. GUess they ran out of white marble after the war for a while.

Off we went to Lucca...which became a colony of ancient Rome in 180 BC. The main square, Piazza del Mercato is a survival of the Roman ampitheatre. Note...you can look up Lucca on Google Earth. The roman walls still around the city and you can walk all away around the city and enjoy the wonderful views of the old, old, buildings. We trucked off the wall and wandered through the city (getting lost trying to find the amphitheater) and window shopped.....it really is a beautiful place and very calm and quiet...entirely different from Florence let me tell you!

Marco (that's Laura's husband) was a perfect tour guide and got to see lots of Tuscan countryside, and the lovely autostrada (highway) to and from Pisa and Lucca. We didn't actually pull into Florence until about 7 'clock...then off to dinner for 9 downtown. The food, the chianti (yes I actually tried red wine!!!) and the lemoncello were all fabulous. The food here is as good as everyone says, if you know where to look for it...and not the tourist shops I can tell you. They were turning people away at the door at 11 o'clock!

Alrighty...today...har har

We took, how you can say, a nice little drive up into the country, to a little town called Cosimo, which is right at the provincial ridge boundry of Florence and Arrezo. Did some major..major...detours on the way..including practically getting stuck on some very narrow, very hilly, roads that led to nowhere. Stopped for lunch (the best proscuitto and pecorino I have ever had) and headed back (it is the view and the grub that you go all the way there for). We stopped in the national park, and an incredible monestary built in the 1100's on the way back. Took a wander around...and of course, timing being everything, managed to get there when the bells were ringing for prayer. Unfortunately the chapel wasn't open for public viewing, prayers at the time, but it was very surreal, and very magical to be there...thought of you Dad and it reminded me of Westminster Abbey in Mission.

Got back into town and since Laura and Marco were pooped right out, and Laura had to rehearse for her concert tonight, decided to walk downtown by myself. After very detailed instructions, and three maps later, Laura allowed me out of the house by myself :) and I was off to the Arno river and walked allow to the Ponte Vecchio which takes about 40 minutes, but the sun was out, and I needed to stretch my legs after two days in a car. But eiya! do my feet hurt now! Wandered by the Uffizi and the Piazza della Signoria. There is a lovely statute of David (where it was originally before being moved inside) and took some great pictures of the Duomo, David, Neptune, and the inside of the Pallazo Vecchio..the ceiling was incredible and the frescoes were rather faded..you can tour inside but I will wait for that for a little later this week.

Then took off to find the Mercato Nouvo, which except for the leather handbags there isn't much too see. BUT it does have the famous boar that if you rub the nose, then it ensures that you will return to Florence. Suffice to say I rubbed the nose pretty hard. har har

Then managed to get quite lost and then found again....and hit the San Lorenzo market. Of course, San Lorenzo being another church (you can't turn around and NOT find a church in this city, but this one is somewhat special because it was the Medici's parish church in the 1400 and 1500's when they ruled the town and region). This one, in particular, I think, is my favourite. The outside is incredible, and I will be touring the inside tomorrow. It is very plain, meaning, just bricks, no marble, but the colour and the weight of it in the square is really something to behold. I have taken quite a few pictures of the outside....eiya...you have to come here just to see this!!! Michelangleo did quite a bit of work there but though the outside is quite plain, according to the guide book, Michelangelo submitted several designs to the Medici family for the facade of the church, but it was never completed.

Anyways, there is this huge street market (can you guess the name? Ci...San Lorenzo market!) which circles around the church and it has everything imaginable there....particularly the scarves and leather works.....I have already been around there a few times, but today actually decided to buy something (I have to say I haven't been spending any money on anything other than proscuitto it seems!), but I won't say what I got because it is mostly for everyone else! :)

Then back home here (after getting lost again when trying to find the right bus stop)....and now trying to rest my weary feet.

We are off to a concert at Sante Croce tonight (Gothic church dating back to 1294 and contains the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli). This church, apparently, doesn't allow concerts very often and Laura is playing principal cellist in a large orchestra. There are three different countries, encompassing about 250 people, performing the Verdi Mass Requiem. Apparently Santa Croce was the very first place that it was ever performed, and to say that Laura is nervous and excited is a very mild understatment. We are heading out early to check out the sites, and apparently the ceiling is so beautiful it can make you cry. I am reallyyyyy looking forward to this!

So I must get ready and head out...and try to find something to eat. Manga, manga!!!

Miss you all, and thinking about everyone back home. I can't believe I have already been here for 5 days already!

Can't wait to show everyone the pictures!

Love you all,

Ang

October 24th

Ciao! Buono sera!

Another installment!

First off..to continue with the Sante Croce concert last night. Per Laura's instructions Marco and I got to the church very early...8 o'clock for a 9 o'clock start (which in Italian time means 9:30). The line up was huge! And everyone was trying to be the first at the front door, regardles of the 300 people that were lined up before them. Think getting on a bus in Chinatown is hard? Come to Florence. har har

Anyways! Laura manged to save us some magnifico seats...third row center. Of course the people in Sante Croce must have known I was in town because..shocker...there was scaffolding behind the front altar (I seem to have this amazing luck with going into churches that are getting restoration work done). Anyways..amazing church..huge!

The concert started at 9:30 - Verdi Requiem..which I mentioned before I have never heard before..suffice to say I don't know if I will be able to hear it live again after the experience that I had last night. There were 250 in the choir alone...and three full orchestras (one from Florence, one from Britian and one from Germany). The soloists were literally about 10 feet in front of Marco and I. All fine and dandy...tickety boo...until the soprano stood up, and I swear to god I have never had so many goosebumps in my life. By the time she got through 10 notes I was crying....just the atmosphere, the voice, the choir, the orchestras, the surroundings and the fact that I was sitting..sitting!...in the same place that this was performed for the first time so many, many years ago..it just hit me and I lost it. I really figured out then where I really was (oh my god I am in Florence!!!) and have wanted to do something like this my entire life.

Alright..enough of that...har har...so the concert continued..everyone was in top notch form...the conductor was doing a bang up job...and it came to the third to last movement, beginning of Angus Dei, and Laura get read for her solo. Now...I knew she was going to do a solo...now...there can be different types of solos...usually the rest of the orchestra and one cello sort of thing. She was entirely by herself. 250 choir...150 orchestra...4 soloists and about 2500 audience members sat and watched Laura play the first section of the Angus Dei...by herself..and she kicked ass. Not only that..I didn't realize...she didn't tell me...but as she started playing the mezzosoprano stood up and Laura was accompanying her! I was like..what? Noone told me that it was like that type of solo! har har No wonder Laura couldn't eat, sleep, or carry on more than a 1 line conversation the entire day because of her nerves. She totally laid it all out and killed it! I have some pretty awesome pictures too. So proud of her!

Concert over and two smokes later to calm Laura's nerves we headed out..but not before I stood in front of Dante and Michelangelo's tombs gauking at the splendid sculptures...now Michelangleo isn't actually buried in Sante Croce...but the entire church is his work....was a site to behold and thought of Andrea and David the entire time.

Today

Off to the Mercato Centrale (Central Market) today which is downtown and hear the now infamous San Lorenzo market. :) (I can't seem to stay away from there!). Anyways, lots of food stalls and goodies to be had..but no luck on the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Porcini paste I have been after. I mean, they have that stuff there, but it is like Granville Island you know? Pay three times as much for something you can get at the local supermarket sort of thing. So we just walked around and then headed out.

Sat and had some brioche (pastry) and cafe latte on a sidewalk cafe (with gypies begging for change and all!), then headed over to this church called Santa Maria Novella. Built by the Dominicans from 1279 to 1357. Unfortuantely no cameras were allowed in the church, but I did manage to get a post card or two. (Dave?) The paintings, and particulary the frescoes were amazing...and no scaffolding! We managed to wander around for about an hour looking at all the nooks and crannys and were able to get right up to, and around, the entire altar....the churches are amazing, but it is the ceilings which are really inspiring....the detail and the height just makes you wonder how someone sooooo long ago managed to do something so infinitely intricate. As we were leaving there was a tomb...we tried as best we could to interpret the Latin (FYI, there is hardly any English translation of anything in Italy that I have seen). But we could figure out that the grave was of a soldier...died in 1270's and placed in the church in the 1550's. We didn't have any words to describe what we were looking at.

Laura had to take off for rehearsal after that, so I was on my own. Uffizi closed, Accademia closed...Pitti Palace open! So leaving Laura behind I headed across the Ponte Vecchio and walked through the Oltrano district, turned a corner and the craziest, larges palace I have ever seen. Got a picture! Decided that a walk through the Boboli Gardens was what I wanted to do on a beautfiul day...to check out the views and have some quiet time with the birdies and not too many other tourists trucking around the city.

Oy vay! The place is incredible! As soon as you walk through the arch to the main courtyard you are just beseiged with unbelievable views of sculptures and fountains..and greenery. History - The Palazzo Pitti was built by the Luca Pitti beginning in 1457 and in 1550 became the main residence of the Medici family. ...their own private little hideaway....and the Boboli Gardens, where I headed was laid out by the Medici's in 1549 and it was opened to the public in 1766. Wandered up the grand walkway that leads away from the Palance and up the hill, for when you turn around you have a view of the palace and the entire landscape of west Florence, including the Duomo. Grab the camera! Standing there, ready to take a picture...camera battery is dead...kaput...no more. WHAT!!!! So..here I am standing in the MOST amazing gardens I have ever thought possible and I don't have a camera!?! va bene (whatever)...Ang is on her own, all the time in the world..time to wander. So I did..two hours of wandering through trails, coming across scultpures, amazing views of the city and countryside, and fountains...it was very relaxing, no city noise, just the birds and occassional british tourist. har har It is a great place to recharge your batteries and just wander and think about everything that you have seen so far.

At one point I walked by a group and there was this little stairway leading up to this little statute, and someone in the group said 'someone should go up there to see if there is anything worth looking at'. Ah the tourist, spending their time behind a camera. Alright, I mean, I have been too, but I have also kept the camera away for part of the time, in order to just 'be' and 'see' and absorb as much, or as little, as Florence wants to give me. I am definitely not here for a photo op and find it a little disappointing to think that something of such splendour isn't being taken to its full advantage. Just thinking 'what's the rush?' Who cares if there is nothing to see - Your at the Boboli Gardens for crying out loud! har har

Va bene....

Back across the Ponte Vecchio...wandered around..got lost (somewhat purposefully through the tiny streets - they all lead to a church square anyways), then off to the Duomo (where my bus stop is)...had a paninni and grabbed a gelato and found my little spot in front of San Lorenzo and the view I cannot get enough of. There is this little ledge on one of the streets leading out from the square..I have planted my butt on it each day for the past four days now..just sitting, thinking, eating...admiring the view. Gonna have to get inside it one of these days. har har

Then home and voila! Done! We are off to Essalunga tonight..the local supermarket - think Superstore times 2, Italian style. Should be fun! All that oil and balamic vinegar..and truffles...and proscuitto.

Tomorrow - The Uffizi and maybe the Duomo

Until then...hope everyone is doing well, and miss you all lots...

Hugs and kisses,

Ang

October 26th

Ciao!

It seems like forever since I have written...but I should before I forget everything that I have done the last few days....

Ready? Here we go....

Eiya...up super early yesterday morning, and out of the house by 7:30 (with a quick pitstop at the bar for a cafe and brioche) and then to the bus to head downtown to the Uffizi for a little jaunt around the museum. Got there around 8:15 or so, and there was already an hour lineup...the museum had just opened for the day. The hour turned into only 30 minutes and we were inside. The Uffizi is as impressive as every magazine, tour book, internet site says that it is, though I have to admit that I thought it was going to be larger then it actually was. It covers two stories of the building, in a U shape, with each room running into another...so you get completely lost. We spent almost three hours wandering through checking out the Botticelli's, which I have to admit were my favourite. Saw the famous Venus painting, from no more than 1 foot away (but unlike a Monet I saw in Phoenix) this one was behind glass....but still amazing. The detail, and more so, the thought that went into creating these masterpieces is just mind boggelling.

We had a nice little pit stop on the roof of the Uffizi where there is a wonderful view of the dome of the Duomo, and with the sun out and beaming down, found a little spot to sit and just relax and rest the weary, tingling feet. (As a side note...I must be walking at least 2-3 miles a day with all the going back and forth, and museums - this is definitely a walking city that's for sure). Anyways...we stopped at this bench that sat by a window which had a perfect view of the Ponte Vecchio (about 50 feet away and two stories down) and sat and watched the street sellers hawk their wares for a little bit, then kept going and finished off the tour. It was well worth the $6 Euro (can you believe that it is only $6 Euro?)

After the Duomo, and another stop for a caffe, we headed over to the Duomo. Now we were originally going to climb the Campinile, which is the tower that is in the Piazza with the Duomo, but eh....bite the bullet right? So off we headed over to the Cupola entrance to the Duomo. We were going to climb to the top.....and a climb it is. All 463 steps..winding around and around and around....oh yeah...and around...always going up. The staircase not wide enough for two people to pass one another (they have one staircase for going up, and one for going down). Now..the great part of this climb is that at one part you come out..and you are at the bottom of the dome, in the Duomo and you look up and there is Michaelangleo's painting staring down at you. Un-freaking-believable.....then you look down...if you get the nerve, and you are staring right at the Duomo's main altar. You can walk around the entire perimeter of the ceiling and take as many pictures as your heart desires (as long as there is no flash) and stare at the wonder of the gigantic frescoe that Michealangelo painted by hand. You have to remember, that in it's time, the Duomo's dome was the largest free standing dome of it's time.

Anyways, then you go back into the stairwell and up, up, up, winding, winding, winding....then you come out..and you are even CLOSER to the ceiling. I mean, they have a protective covering against the wall, but if you reach up a little bit you can actually...if you are stupid enough and have no thought for anyone else in the world, can actually touch the paintings....you are that close...you can see the paint strokes....just incredible. I took THE most amazing pictures which I know that my brother and sister are just going to freak over. :)

Then back in the stairwell, and up, up up...then all the sudden you notice that the walls are sort of slanting inwards and you have to duck at some points to go under beams and under jutting walls, and then...then...you come to this stairwell which is more like a ladder...and you can see a light at the top. So you climb, climb...and then hit another ladder..up the ladder and you break through and you are staring at all of Florence before you. And it is very, very far down. This is, of course, the tallest structure in Florence (most buildings don't go above three stories, even the Pitti Palace is only three stories) and the view is so grand you just want to take picture after picture (which I did, hee hee). Got a fabulous shot of San Lorenzo sitting down below the Duomo...and a nice shot of the hillsides, but I have to admit that I didn't get too close to the railing, since I am not the best when it comes to heights. hee hee

Then...down, down, down.....All in all, it took about a 1/2 hour to get up, and about 15 to get down....much faster than either Laura or I anticipated.

As a present to ourselves for a wonderful job done Laura and I went hunting for Gelato. Now...gelattoria's are to Florence what Starbucks is to Vancouver..meaning there is one on every street corner..but you have to hunt to find a good one...and we hunted, and hunted, and came across one on a little tiny street - what am I talking about...most streets in Florence are little tiny streets - and had the best gelatos so far - chocolate that just make me stop in my tracks. We did as the Florentines do and sat on the steps of the Duomo, admired the tourists running back and forth with cameras in hand and eat ourselves silly.

Satisfied we were off back through the market and then realizing that San Lorenzo (the church that I admire on my little stoop) was open, decided to take a walk through. I am so glad that I did, because it is beautiful beyond compare. I mean, the Duomo is gorgeous, Sante Croce is grand....but I suppose because I have spent so much time staring at the outside of it, the inside of San Lorenzo was the most beautiful. Donetello carved the pulpits for the church, but they were unfinished and now sit on marble pillars in the middle of the church...there are several graves of the Medici family inside, the marble altar is insanely intricate, and the ceiling is divine. With all that, I found it very restful and we sat, as we do in all the churches that we go in, sat in a pew near the front and just soaked it all in. Just staring at the altar and the paintings and frescoes behind and just allowed the church to speak to us. As tourist wander by I just let the vibe of the place to come to me and spend some time in contemplation of the significance of the church and the history that is behind it. Donetello was in here...so was Michaelangelo and Brunellesci....the Medicis that ruled for so long might have sat where I was sitting...all that. What a quiet repreive it was to all the choas that awaits right outside it's door. But I suppose that is what all churches are like...a refuge from the craziness that it outside..a place to let you recharge and have some time for reflection before going back to the day to day running around that consumes so much of our time.

After leaving....it was time to come home..and I was ready. A long day of stairs and noise..time for some peace and quiet. Laura was off to a rehearsal and I was ready to make some good pasta, have some Chianti (I can't stay away from it!) and some Bach cello suites on the CD player and read a good book. Marco works late so I was on my own for a few hours...puttered and tidied up and just unwound..it has been a few crazy days. Then Marco came home...we had some nice conversation - he really is a wonderful guy, then off to bed....for today was San Gimingnano and I needed to rest my weary feet for the walking that was to come today (I think I must have walked at least 5 miles today!)....but that my friends and family...is a story that will have to wait until tomorrow because it is getting late and I have a date with Michelangelo's David tomorrow that I want to be refreshed for.

So until tomorrow night I will bid you cioa and buon sera (good night). Laura is off to a concert in the countryside tomorrow night and I will be on my own for a few hours....maybe a mass at San Lorenzo tomorrow evening, if my feet hold out, and then back here to fill you in on our adventure of today...and tomorrow.

Ciao and hope everyone is doing well. I love it here, but am starting to miss home, and the kids and hubby...only five more days....I want to go home, but I never want to leave this place.....it is easy to fall in love with Florence...how can you not?

Love to you all,

Ang

October 28

Ciao!

Just a little...har har...I am sure...a little report on yesterday and today's adventures. I am going to have to try to figure out how to put all this into a travelouge and send it around with the billions of pictures that I have taken (Alright..I have only taken 150 so far...but there is still Assisi and Trevingnano to go)....

Sigh...this country rocks. hee hee

Anyways! Where to start.

San Gimignano - this town is located about an hour away from Florence and can only be reached by bus (but we drove). By design it was built on top of the largest hill in the area to keep out nasty invaders. :) The town is known for its towers and quiet streets and is actually called the city of beautiful towers' and is the best preserved medieval town in Tuscany. There were originally about 45 towers built in the town, but only 17 are still standing.

We arrived at around 10 in the morning, and as usual with the weather right now, it was fogged in. We couldn't even see the top of the towers. However, this made the mood that much more serene and can I saw classical? We walked up the street from one of the main gates and the streets (all cobblestone) were squeaky clean...I mean clean. I have yet to see a town that was that clean. It was also very quiet, as the tourist buses hadn't started arriving yet, so it feeled almost like we had the entire city to ourselves and locals. very nice.

As we were walking up to the main Piazza lined along the street were tons of ceramic stores. THESE are the stores I have been looking for all over tuscany and Florence! Yay! Packed with colourful handpainted ceramics and alabaster accessories. Suffice to say I managed to find the demitasse that I was looking for, along with some alabaster corks, and eggcup holders.

Off for a cafe and brioche to hold us over until lunch and then to the Collegiata, a 12th century Romanesque church which is one of the most frescoed churches in Italy. All the walls and ceilings were covered in gorgeous, though some grotesque, paintings. The italians sure loved to keep up their 'if you don't follow the rule of the land you will burn in hell' mentality. That was very obvious in this church. Gorgeous none the less and we had a little sit and admire and managed to wile away an hour looking at the frescoes and marble.

Walking out of the church we were very happy to see that the fog had burned off and the light hitting the town was just magical. The towers (there are 17 original ones remaining) could be seen clearly climbing to the blue sky and we wandered around looking up, up, and then decided to go and get lost on a side street which held beautiful views of the tuscan countryside spread all around the town. Vineyards of chianti grapes (with the leaves changing colour) and olive trees almost ready for harvesting. It was really breathtaking, there were really no words to describe...you can't find anything like this at home, and we just stood in silence.....incredible.

We wandered back to the panoramic view that is on the other side of the town (it really is a small little village)...winding through quiet streets and little doorways, and dark tunnels..and came back to this little alley that dips down the hill. Before you is a view of the city and the other side of the valley...and the landscape, with villas and farms in the background was too good to pass up. Got some nice shots of the view, and then wrangled up a tourist and asked him to take Laura and I's picture. Turned out perfect...just what I wanted!

It was almost time for our pick up so headed back down to the gate and did a little bit more shopping. :)

Then we headed to a little town called Poggibonsi, which doesn't have much to say for itself other than a really great little trattoria. Antipasto, steak with olive oil and rosemary and the best tirimisu that I have had...and of course...Chianti. We rolled out of there around 3 o'clock, back in Florence and heading downtown by 4:30 or so.

Off to the market, yes again, and then just wandered around the streets. We decided to check out the stores in the Sante Croce area, which is a little closer to Laura's place and then walk home from there. Suffice to say we got home around 8:30....and we seemed to walk a million miles. What usually takes about 45 minutes to walk from downtown to her place, turned into a three hour adventure. I mean we stopped here and there, and here and there....all these different stores (and yes, they do have dollar stores in Italy!).

By the time we got home Marco was just getting in and we had literally about 5 minutes to clean up, change and head out again to the town about the city, called Fiesole (Fee-ay-sol-ay) where there is this restaurant that overlooks the entire city. Gorgeous view of downtown and the river and the other side of the city (where the Pitti Palace, etc. is). Awesome pizza and two very large beers, desert and coffee later we were rolling ourselves back to the car and home.....glass of wine later and it was time to turn in. Suffice to say I slept like a log.

One thing about Italy, which I thought was so unusual while still in Canada, is how late they eat here. I mean, we didn't even sit down until 9 o'clock, and were back home at around midnight. Not good for the weight gain, but with all the walking and running around you do all day, there is no way that you can eat dinner at a normal hour like you do in CAnada. Remember that they have their seistas in the middle of the day, and the stores stay open later, so it makes sense to have a late dinner. It will definitely be an adjustment back to the 6 p.m. dinner when I get back home.

Speaking of dinner...off to chow on some more pizza, antipasti, and a bottle of Chianti. Ran around with Laura today and now settling down for some chatting and chow.

I will get into David and the Pitti Palace tomorrow. Tomorrow morning we are off to Assisi and Perguia for the day. I am really looking forward to this little pilgrimage.

I can't believe I come home in three days! Been shopping like mad, and having so much fun. I am going to miss the city when I come home....the vibe is so great if you let it take you over. They are very laid back here....go with the flow....such a difference from home.

I am getting called....until tomorrow evening, I hope everyone is well and looking forward to showing the pics and seeing everyone again.

Love, Ang

October 29th

Ciao!

It has been a very, very, long and emotional day, so this could be a rather short travelouge, but I promise to expand on it when I have some more time. :)

What day is it today? Ah yes...

So..on Thursday morning Laura had an unexpected rehearsal so for the morning I was on my own. Managed to sleep in a bit, and took it slow getting ready and out of the house. CAught the bus down to Piazza de San Marco and off the bus to the Academia. If you didn't know where it was, and if there was no line up, you would walk right by it....there is not much marking the entrance other than the line up. So....beautiful morning standing in line. Everyone to see the same thing. Sir David. :) The line was moving pretty good for a while and then just stopped...noone was getting in, and it was about an hour and a half before I actually walked through the door.

Beautiful paintings in the first rooms that you get into, but I am almost on beautiful painting overload. Then you walk down a corridor and the Michaelangelo 'prisoners' were lined up on either side of the corridor, but still enough room to walk around them so that you could see Michaelangelo's work in beginning to reveal his scultpures. It is crazy to see the chisel marks on the marble..and the marble is so rough. I wanted to touch, but of course, so does everyone else and I just admired. :)

Turn another corner and whammo...there he is in all of his tremendous height and glory. Now there is a David in the Piazza de Signoria (just off the Uffizi and in front of the Palazzo Pitti) and there is another David on Piazza de Michaelangelo above the city, but you just don't get any grasp of the size of David until you are standing in front of the real macoy.

He is standing in a rotunda that was made speficially for him, and it is very simple white walls...no decorations, so that he can be shown off in all his magnificance. Truly this is one amazing sculpture.

You can walk all the way around him, and see him from all different angles, and with each little degree of turn his expression changes and the movement of his body changes (which is a planned design by Michaelangelo). It is particularly interesting to see the change in expression...when you face him headon he looks like he is in simple contemplation, as you face in front of him you can see the concentration and tension in his face as he gets ready to bring down Goliath. As Brother David has mentioned...his hands are really something to behold, and there is particular meaning to why his hands appear out of proportion to his body, but at the moment the reason escapes me (but I did get a little booklet on him, so I can get into that later) :)

Sat and watched him for a while...perfect view, with all the tourists passing by...young and old standing and gawking.

Then off to see the other scultpures that are in the building. They consist of sculptures from former studens of the Accademia back when it first opened back in the 1600 or 1700's. It was interesting to see the different forms and methods used by the students and you can definitely see the difference is styles from the students.

Off for some souveniers and then back out into the chaos of Florentine streets. Wandered around for a while with my face to the sun and just enjoying the sunshine.

Was starving, grabbed some lunch, and of course, some gelato. Did a little window shopping and then home for a nap. Dreamt about paintings and sculptures. Nice quiet dinner with a good book and Chianti and a visit with Marco and a nice chat until the late hours and then bed time.

I have definitely been slowing down these last couple of days in Florence. Gaining energy for my trip to Assisi, and the long trip to Trevignano tomorrow morning and then prepping for home.

Anyways...

yesterday Laura and I were off back to Palazzo Pitti, but this time to check out the Palatine Galleria and the Royal apartments of the Medici's. Again it was a glorious day (it has been sunny and about 20 degrees here every day for the past 9 days). The Galleria is set up with all the paintings and carvings that the Medici's accumulated during their time as rulers of the state of Tuscany and the rooms were breathless. I really was paying more attention to the decor of the rooms as opposed to the paintings. The ceilings were all covered in frescoes that looked like they had just been completed that week, and the furnishings looked brand new, though everything is at least 300 years old. The detail in the plaster work and the gilding was such a display of over abundance and ostentation, but in the end so beautiful. I just think about the aristans that spent so much time putting the place together you wonder how anyone had any time to really enjoy it....

Off to the Royal Apartments, which showed the replica of the Duke and Duchess' residence in the palace and to say that it was overkill is an understatment, though I would love to get my hands on the blue silk that covered the Duchess' bedroom walls and furnishings. Thankfully they had little descriptions of what the rooms were all used for so you got a good idea of what you were looking at. Made me think if Buckingham Palace is the same and if so, how anyone can live in such splendour without going slightly mad!

Off to sit in the square in front of the palace, soak in some sun and watch the pigeons looking for scraps. Then to get a gelato and take a mini tour of one of the hotels that Marco works at (he is marketing director for five hotels in Florence). Spectacular view from the Terrace of the Duomo and Campinile and Palazzo Pitti. Sigh....

Laura and I made a detour to a side street and found a little trattoria. Bruschetta and a bottle of Chianti later we were off for home for some dinner. Yummy! Chitty chat and another late night turning in...but overall a very satisfiying day..and we had to converse our energy for the trip to Assisi.

Which...I think that I will save for tomorrow. I have to admit that this town, and the sites and emotions really took me for a loop and I am wanting to soak it in and think about it for a bit before I put it down into words. I actually think that I won't be able to speak about this amazing journey without getting overly emotional.

I do not recall having experienced such a spiritual journey as what I undertook today. I had the thoughts of my family with me the entire day and particularly when I prayed in front of St. Francis at his tomb. To say I was overcome with emotion was an understatement.

But I will leave that for tomorrow......there is too much to write and I want to get it right.

As the steps to the tomb noted 'this is a holy place' and nothing more can be said then that.

Until tomorrow then...I hope everyone is well and miss you all. Can't wait to come home.

Love, Ang