Tag Archives: florence

Sep1

Checking in from Florence

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Arrival in Florence always takes one’s breath away. The charm of its Renaissance streets and the majesty of the Duomo, the River Arno and its main bridge, the Ponte de Vecchio.

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For me, though, it’s the quiet splendor of its maze of winding roads, quaint tabernacles, adorned windows and doors, and the little neighborhoods off the beaten path that wow me as I think of all the famous minds that graced these streets before me.

Walking in the footsteps of the Medici, Michelangelo, DaVinci, Ghiberti, Brunelleschi, Giotto and Dante, to name just a few. A time in history so rich in creative boom that it has scarcely been matched, even today.

florenceday1-5As I contemplated all this, I sipped on Chianti Classico (made in this region) while eating bruschetta, thinly sliced sausage meats and sundried tomatoes, finishing off with the famed Tuscan steak. No, that’s not true — I finished it off with my favorite lemon gelato while walking around feeling pleasantly humbled by this great city.

Sweet dreams!

Nov6

Adventure in Italy: Florence, Day 6

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When the glory of the past comes to meet you in the present and it’s delivered in the form of paint on canvas, it’s time to pay attention. Opening yourself to the the interpretations of the stories through the eyes of an artist — when those artists are some of the best the world has ever known — well, that’s just a little slice of magic!

Welcome to the Uffizi Museum, in operation since 1591. To me, that’s as mind-boggling as the art within it.

My favorite? A difficult question indeed. But since you asked: It’s the Botticelli room. I like thinking of the young Sandro Botticelli, the rebellious young artist, rockin’ the Florentine Republic with his sometimes secular subjects and radical new style (Pre-Renaissance). The “Birth of Venus” and “Primavera” just speak to me, sing their little song and leave me moved. That’s what art is, after all, isn’t it? A feeling left with you to linger.

Before dinner, I made my way up Brunelleschi’s Duomo to see the city light up at night. Climbing in between the dome within a dome seeing this construction was humbling, as was the view of the city twinkling below.

It was a beautiful day in Tuscany, with the sun shining bright over this city that already glimmers like the jewel that it is. After any great encounter with art, I like to contemplate; today, I did that on my hotel balcony with a glass of Chianti, and finished this perfect day with a traditional Tuscan meal that I will dream of for some time to come. Along with all of that art, my closed eyelids will dance for some time to come.