The hotel I'm staying at is a typical small european hotel, with a tiny elevator, and a breakfast room that also has an outside terrace. In this picture, taken from the terrace, you can just see the Ponte Vecchio. It's a great location!
This morning I headed out to the Duomo and the Accademia (yes, I've had too much culture, but I don't think I could have withstood the abuse if I'd missed it).
How to know you're out too early in Italy?
The Gelato places aren't open yet.
I was looking first for a Bancomat, and it can be hard to find one that takes our bank cards, so there was a bit of walking involved. I did find a lot of the expensive stores... like Hermes. Named after the Greek God of practical jokes, they put silly things in their windows, and hide the price tags! Silly Greek Gods!
Yes, there are a lot of scooters here. Sometimes you can't hear the suckers until they're right on top of you!
Technically, there are pedestrian crossing areas, but I don't think they are actually supported by any law protecting pedestrians. They are more like crossing suggestions. In other words, they are as good as anywhere else, and better than most places, to try to cross without getting killed. Probably.
One thing I've noticed in Italy, and it makes me laugh every time I see it, is that the Gladiator sandal fad has hit hard here. I noticed quite a few people in Toronto wearing them this summer, but in Italy...! When I saw a woman wearing them at the Colosseum, it looked like she was the sort of person who wouldn't be satisfied with just the t-shirt, she wanted the whole costume! And it still looks pretty funny everywhere else... or maybe it's just me.
The Duomo was first on the list today. I've already posted some pictures, but it is so compelling, it begs to be photographed. The green and pink exterior is not that unusual - I've seen it on other Duomos and on the Basillica Santa Croce.
There isn't a lot inside to distinguish it from other sites, so I'm not putting any of those pictures up.
Next, I had to make a quick trip back to Santa Croce, so took some pictures to make up for what I missed a few days ago. It's a beautiful building. I wish I'd had time to detour a few blocks to where Michaelangelo lived. I guess this was his local church.
I needed to pop back in to the Leather School. They have two of the fattest cats I have ever seen. They love to be patted, and will let you do so for a small fee - 2 cans of cat food and a bale of catnip.
This is the store in the Leather School. Very small, but the smell... They don't have a lot of merchandise, but it's all good quality, and better prices than most in town.
I didn't have a lot of time to browse, as I had a noon reservation at the Accademia. It's a pretty business-like looking building, but does have some nice details.
There isn't a lot there. I think most people just want to see the David and check that off their list. But there are 5 or 6 unfinished sculptures by Michaelangelo (if only that man could focus, imagine what he could have done!)
Of course, you aren't allowed to take photographs, so I can't show anything from the museum.
(Pieta)
There are some interesting reasons why the David is out of proportion. First, the right hand is very large, and is meant to show that God has given David the power to slay Goliath, as no ordinary man could do so. Second, the head and upper torso are slightly larger. This is because the statue was originally intended to be placed on top of a building and be viewed from below. At that angle, the statue would apprear in proportion. Or so they say.
I guess Italy was one of the earliest democracies - from what I've seen here, all men truly were created equal. Pity.
I didn't have a lot of time for lunch today, but did find a nice outdoor restaurant with my new favourite pasta, spaghetti carbonara. It has bacon, eggs and cheese, just like all the best salads!
Come to think of it, this tastes kinda familiar. Almost like... YES! ... President's Choice White Cheddar pasta dinner! Nom nom nom nom nom!
The Accademia is pretty close to the Duomo, so it wasn't a long walk back to see the Baptistry, which didn't open until noon.
Trish is a sheepdog I know in New Zealand - she has been daintily nipping at my heels from 10,000 miles away, making sure I don't miss the best bits, and I received a gentle tweak about the Baptistry. Compared to the Duomo, which is Yawn (and free), the Baptistry is a really interesting work of art. (OK, Trish, I didn't mean to imply you're a dog - just that you are diligently looking out for my interests - again!)
The set of bronze doors are justifiably famous. And nearly impossible to photograph without including an admirer or two in the shot.
The Baptistry is the oldest building in the Piazza.
There's not much worth seeing inside.
Yeah, that's a pretty big dome, and those tiles are realllly small. It's pretty overwhelming.
There are great details everywhere you look - no surface was spared.
It was a building well worth seeing. For some reason, I'm always impressed by the floors in these buildings, and the Baptistry was no exception. There are about a dozen different patterns in different areas, with no apparent reason. They appear to be around the same age. A mystery.
I'm also impressed by the details of the buildings I see as I walk around. Doors and hardware always catch my eye. These are pretty random.
Margaret - if you're out there - tell Aileen she was right about the mosquitos in Florence. But those poor critters have never dealt with Canadian bug dope!
Tomorrow morning, I'm off to Venice. I have no idea how I will find my hotel, but people manage every day so I expect I'll survive. Packing will be interesting, so I had better get started.
Do I really only have 5 more nights in Italy?
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