I haven't fallen off the earth--I just don't have internet access in my room, and have to sit in the lobby on an uncomfortable bench... and I have been wandering around Firenze since I arrived on Friday. I got in 1 museum on Friday, 3 yesterday, and two today. I was pretty exhausted this morning, and still don't feel that great... the combo of being out in the cold, walking everywhere on hard rock pavers, and the change in food and water has me a little low right now. I took a long nap this afternoon, and felt better, then went to dinner to have a light soup, and ordered the typical Tuscan ribollata (sp?) and it was fantastic, but more like a pudding than a soup, bread and beans and vegetables all mixed up--yum.
When I walked out of the hotel this moring there were snow flurries, but they did not last. When I left the trattoria tonight the streets were wet with rain, but it had stopped... and boy, are those hard cobbles slippery in the rain!
I saw the David today--entirely too many people in huge groups with guides, but I ignored them as best I could, found a chair, and just sat and gazed for about a half hour. Then I walked through the rest of the Accademia at the amazing 13-14 century paintings, and 8 Michelangeo's unfinished sculptures by the David. Back to another empty chair for a bit to gaze again. What a glorious man-a beautiful sculpture representing a new age for Florence and Italy. The marble is so finely finished, he glows. The huge hands, the confident gaze... just a wonderful think to be able to sit and look at him...
I was thinking about the Accademia this morning and the Uffizi in the afternoon, but the line to the A was long, long, and I had no reservation. So I walked to the Chiesa San Marco, and there was no line--I bought a ticket for the museum, and realized that I could buy reserved tickets for the A and the U right then--so I bought a ticket for the A at 14:00, and for the Ufizzi at 9:00 on Tuesday morning. Sweet! So, after San Marco I strolled the couple of blocks back to the Accademia and strolled right in!
Allora, it's time for bed... I'll try to write more tomorrow--I think I will walk to the oltrarno (across the Arno) and go to the Michelangelo's Piazza, and the church (can't remember the name right now) that is just up from the piazza, where you can hear the monks chanting vespers at 4:30... or so the guidebooks say:)
ciao!
When I walked out of the hotel this moring there were snow flurries, but they did not last. When I left the trattoria tonight the streets were wet with rain, but it had stopped... and boy, are those hard cobbles slippery in the rain!
I saw the David today--entirely too many people in huge groups with guides, but I ignored them as best I could, found a chair, and just sat and gazed for about a half hour. Then I walked through the rest of the Accademia at the amazing 13-14 century paintings, and 8 Michelangeo's unfinished sculptures by the David. Back to another empty chair for a bit to gaze again. What a glorious man-a beautiful sculpture representing a new age for Florence and Italy. The marble is so finely finished, he glows. The huge hands, the confident gaze... just a wonderful think to be able to sit and look at him...
I was thinking about the Accademia this morning and the Uffizi in the afternoon, but the line to the A was long, long, and I had no reservation. So I walked to the Chiesa San Marco, and there was no line--I bought a ticket for the museum, and realized that I could buy reserved tickets for the A and the U right then--so I bought a ticket for the A at 14:00, and for the Ufizzi at 9:00 on Tuesday morning. Sweet! So, after San Marco I strolled the couple of blocks back to the Accademia and strolled right in!
Allora, it's time for bed... I'll try to write more tomorrow--I think I will walk to the oltrarno (across the Arno) and go to the Michelangelo's Piazza, and the church (can't remember the name right now) that is just up from the piazza, where you can hear the monks chanting vespers at 4:30... or so the guidebooks say:)
ciao!
No comments:
Post a Comment