Firenze--mid stay

Some dome, there, eh? It was the first and still the best. Brunelleschi had a design in mind but alas it could only be made with a crane, which wasn't yet invented. So he invented it. That's the thing about the Renaissance man--he was an architect, painter, sculpture, inventor, engineer, administrator...all in one.


Ensconced in the internet cafe across from the apartment while the kids have a little play, I can catch up on what we have been up to.

In Florence, we have established a pattern of exploring 2 sites in the morning, breaking for a little siesta at lunch, then rallying for more touristy stuff in the late afternoon. The kids need that break in the middle of the day because there is just so much to see in Florence, and it's overwhelming (lots of crowds, crazy streets dodging bikes and cars, fast-speaking Italians, souvenir stands).

After my post yesterday, we ventured oltrarno (other side of the Arno), which is clearly where you would want to live--lovely hills and houses and the view! First we took in the panoramic view at Piazza Michaelangelo where Florence pops in cinemascopic fashion. We proceeded to the loveliest church, San Miniato (I know it is the loveliest because Franco Zefferelli intends to be buried here; he has rather a fetish for beauty). It really is jaw-dropping with its marble facade, intricate inlaid floors, massive frescos, and whiffs of pagan beliefs--little grotesque creatures carved here and there and floor tiles in the zodiac signs. It was used as an artillery outpost at some point; Michaelangelo was so worried, he encased the structure in mattresses. We were lucky that the organist was rehearsing while we gazed. From there we went to the Pitti Palace and walked through the rather scraggy, overpriced Boboli gardens. We were hunting for statues of Poseiden (Emmett's favorite Olympian) and were not disappointed.



At night (generally after a delicious dinner), PK and I watch Italian TV which features American movies dubbed in Italian. I give up pretty quickly, but Philip seems not to get frustrated.

Speaking of food--must backtrack to the Cinque Terre area where I had the tastiest lunch in memory--fresh, crisp local greens, sweet corn, olives, meaty, musky tomatoes, and cloud-like mozzarella. YUM!