La Porti un Bacione a Firenze (Give a kiss to Florence)

They start early

Outside David

Another relaxing train journey took us from magical Venice to the stunning city of Florence.  Our apartment was just a short walk from the station and what a beautiful apartment it was.  The ceilings were covered in ornate frescos and our windows overlooked the lovely Piazza della Repubblica.  We just knew that we were going to love Florence.

Ceiling of the apartment

We lunched at the Mercato Centrale, which is a two-level indoor food market.  The downstairs is full of market stalls selling fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, meat and deli goods, whilst upstairs there is a seating area and all manner of food vendors selling everything from fresh mozzarella and tomato salads, antipasti, pasta, panini and more besides.  There was also beer and wine so once again it was great to sit down to a good meal amongst the locals and watch the busy market going about its routine.  We liked the market so much that we went back the following day for lunch.

Florence, like Rome and Venice, is chock full of churches and we wandered into just about everyone that we passed.  The Basilica of Santa Maria del Santo Spirito was one of the churches we visited.  Designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, building began in 1446, just 10 days before his death.  Today, the church is most famous for the sculpted wooden crucifix by Michelangelo, which hangs in the sacristy.

Santissima Annunziata was founded in 1250.  One of the monks began a painting of the Annunciation but became disheartened when he did not feel that he could paint a beautiful enough image.  He fell asleep and an angel completed the painting.  Pilgrims came from all over to venerate the painting and today Florentine brides traditionally visit the shrine to leave their bouquets.

Possibly the grandest church in Florence was the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo).  This is the main church of Florence and really stands out with its exterior of green, pink and white marble.  The complex is made up of three buildings, the cathedral, Baptistery and Giotto’s Campanile.  The dome of the cathedral is the largest brick dome ever constructed.  Michael climbed the 439 steps to the top of the cupola where he had a great view of the inside of the church and then he was able to go outside to see the glorious view over Florence (I would have loved to have gone with him however there was a large sign warning against people with claustrophobia attempting the climb).  Michael thoroughly enjoyed himself.

 




Another magnificent church was the Basilica of Santa Croce where Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli are buried along with many others.  There are also many funerary monuments dedicated to honoured Florentines including Marconi and Dante.

 

The main reason for our excursion to Florence was to visit the Uffizi Gallery.  Once again we counted our lucky stars to be visiting in the off-season, as while there were lots of tourists, we weren’t uncomfortably crowded out.  Michael was over the moon to see both The Birth of Venus and Primavera by Botticelli.  There were many other artworks by Italian artists such as Titian, da Vinci, Giotto and Raphael.  I loved the painting of Medusa by Caravaggio.  The gallery itself is a work of art and it was difficult to take in the paintings and sculptures as well as the ornate ceilings, walls, floors and furnishings.

The Galleria dell’Accademia was next on the list and it was definitely the highlight of Florence for me.  Sometimes you look forward to seeing a famous piece of artwork only to be disappointed.  Perhaps it is not as big as you expected or the colours are not what you wanted or for whatever reason the piece is disappointing.  Well, I have wanted to see Michelangelo’s David for as long as I can remember and I can honestly say that I was not disappointed.  In fact, the statue was outstanding.  It was much larger than I had imagined and the fact that it was displayed in the museum under a dome that was specifically constructed to showcase the statue made it awe inspiring.  I could have stared at the statue for hours and kept walking around to view it from all sides.  I even snaffled a coveted seat and was able to sit there admiring him for a time.  It was definitely worth the trip to Italy just to see David alone.  The rest of the small gallery was interesting, particularly Michelangelo’s Slaves and Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabines.

The Ospedale degli Innocenti was closed for renovations, however we were allowed to walk around the cloisters and view a small museum detailing the history of the building.  This huge complex was built by Filippo Brunelleschi in the 15^th century and was a hospital and dormitory for abandoned children.  We saw the place where a rotating drum used to be, into which unwanted babies could be placed without the parents having to reveal themselves.  It was very sad and reminded be of the Foundling Museum in London.

The Bargello was another fantastic art museum, the highlights of which were Bacchus and Crucifix, both works by Michelangelo.  There were other Michelangelo works there as well as pieces by Donatello and Bernini and many others.

The food in Florence was excellent, whether it was a simple cornetto or a more elaborate dish, every meal we had was memorable.  Michael had read a review of Trattoria Marione and so we headed there for dinner one evening.  When we arrived, we observed the enormous queue but were assured that we would be seated in 10 minutes.  We were finally seated after some 40 minutes of queuing in the cold and I was quietly grumbling to myself that no restaurant is worth queuing for.  I was wrong.  The food was fabulous, the wine was great and the service was friendly and unhurried.  The owner, on seeing that Michael and I were tourists, gave us each a limoncello to finish our meals.  We enjoyed ourselves so much that we decided to return the following evening.  This time, knowing that they did not take bookings, we decided to make sure that we were there when they opened at 7.00pm.  We took up our position at a bar a few doors down from the restaurant and at exactly 7.00pm Michael and I made our move.  Imagine our dismay when we saw a horde of people surging through the door of the just opened restaurant!  Thereafter followed the unedifying spectacle of Michael and I sprinting down the street to join the mob.  We made it in and were then able to smugly watch the ever-growing queue through the window.  The meal that night was even better than the previous night’s.

The Palazzo Pitti is the largest museum complex in Florence.  Originally it was the town residence of a banker and was then bought by the Medicis in 1549.  Napoleon also used the residence and then it became a royal palace until it was donated to the Italian people in 1919.  The Palatine Gallery is the main gallery and houses a dizzying array of works by Raphael, Titian, Correggio and Rubens among others.  The frescos on the ceilings and walls are extremely intricate and elaborate and without doubt were the best we have seen out of the many hundreds so far.  The Silver Museum contains a collection of priceless silver and gems and some of the jewellery was exquisite.  The extensive Boboli gardens were beautifully landscaped and Michael really liked the sculpture of a fat Bacchus astride a turtle.

We also visited the Museo Galileo, which Michael enjoyed immensely.  I wandered around but I must confess that since my two most hated subjects at school were mathematics and science, I really didn’t understand much of what was on display.  Both Michael and I agreed that his brother, Matthew, would love the exhibits.  We also had a quick look at Dante’s House however it might have meant more to me if I had read his works.

Completely by chance we came across a bronze fountain of a boar, Il Porcellino.  I immediately thought he looked familiar and I was right – a copy of him stands outside Sydney Hospital in Macquarie Street.  I can remember as a child rubbing his snout and putting a coin in the fountain for luck.  Well, now I can say that I have done the same in Florence.  Legend has it that if you put a coin into his gaping jaws and rub his snout for good luck, then you will return to Florence.  Michael and I visited the statue and undertook the ritual twice so it seems that we will definitely return to Florence one day, even if it induces a bout of Stendhal Syndrome!

Arrivederci Roma

We took another comfortable train to return to Rome.  Our previous apartment was unavailable so we had chosen a hotel at EUR Magliana.  The hotel itself was lovely however it was situated a 30 minute walk from the train station and the suburb was a quite a distance from the centre of Rome.  Luckily we were only staying for 2 nights.

We lost no time in reacquainting ourselves with the city and undertook the pilgrimage to the Trevi Fountain.  Renovation works sponsored by Fendi have recently been completed so the fountain looked as if it had been built yesterday.  Crowds of people gather at this fountain and traditionally throw a coin over their left shoulder to ensure that they will return to Rome.  Naturally Michael and I joined the throng and so now Rome has joined the list of places that we will return to.  I have since discovered that approximately 3000 Euro is collected from the fountain each night and is donated to the Catholic charity Caritas.

On our final day in Rome we visited Vatican City.  We decided to take a three hour guided tour to navigate the throngs of people.  This was the only place in Rome where we experienced horrendous crowds and it did make you wonder what it would be like in the summer when the queues, heat and crowd must be suffocating.

Everything about the Vatican is magnificent – from St Peter’s Square, the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica.  The guide was very informative and we learned much about the buildings and artworks along the way.  The Sistine Chapel of course, was the highlight and it was amazing to finally see the famous Michelangelo frescos.  It was especially thrilling to see the Creation of Adam.  It would be wonderful to view them without the hordes of people jostling and talking however at least photography was banned so were spared the duck-faced selfie brigade!  

We finished our tour with a visit to St Peter’s Basilica.  We were especially lucky to be visiting this year, as 2016 has been proclaimed the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. The Great Door of St Peter’s was open (the holy door which is normally bricked up and only open during jubilees) and we were able to pass through.  Once inside, there were two Saints’ bodies on display, Padre Pio and St Leopoldo Mandic.  We could have queued to view the saints however Michael did not want to see them up close. Thousands of pilgrims came to Rome to venerate them for the week that they were on display.  We walked around the massive basilica viewing the architecture, statues, tombs and chapels.  It must be awesome to attend a mass there where the capacity is 60,000 people.

Michael and I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Italy.  It is a beautiful country with friendly people, fabulous food and wine as well as wonderful art works, history and architecture.  We would love to return as we only scratched the surface of what this country has to offer.

      

   

  

    

The Fall of Rome

Michael and I arrived in Rome after a pleasant 3-hour flight from Dublin.  Three trains and a short walk later we arrived at our apartment.  The apartment was in nice area with lots of shops and restaurants nearby. 

did not build a big enough wall

Rome is a magical city and is very easy to walk around.  Everywhere you look there is something interesting to see and we had a pleasant 5 days wandering and exploring the city.  It is impossible to list everything that we discovered however I shall try to remember the highlights.

There are a number of piazzas however one of the most impressive is the Piazza del Popolo.  This huge piazza has an Egyptian obelisk standing in the centre surrounded by the Fontana dell’ Obelisco, a group of four mini fountains with lions.  At one end there are the twin churches of Santa Maria in Montesanto and Santa Maria dei Miracoli both built in the 1600’s.  Across the other side of the piazza there is another church, the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, which contains works by several famous artists including Raphael, Bernini and Caravaggio.  There is also the large Fontana del Nettuno in another corner.  Then there is the huge Porta del Popolo, which stands at another corner creating a gateway to the piazza. This huge piazza is pedestrian only so it is a nice place to wander around looking at beautiful statues.

The Spanish Steps are currently undergoing a 1.5 million euro restoration paid for by Bulgari.  A small section along the side has been reopened to allow tourists to climb to the top to view the Trinita dei Monti church at the top.  The view from the top is well worth the climb of 135 steps up the steep slope.

 

The Pantheon is awe inspiring, made even more so by the fact that you are walking down the street, turn the corner and there it is, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.  A magnificent church that was built in 126 AD, it is open to the public free of charge and Michael and I visited it several times during our stay just so that we could see it in the changing light.  Raphael’s tomb is there and contrary to what Dan Brown would have you believe in Angels and Demons, this was his only burial place.

The Piazza Navona is another grand piazza filled with ornate fountains with dolphins, sea monsters, sea nymphs and Tritons.  The centrepiece is Bernini’s Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, which is a huge, showy fountain.  Musicians, artists and hawkers gather here and it is a lovely area to relax and watch the world go by.

The Colosseum was undoubtedly the highlight for me of our stay in Rome.  Approaching the structure from the outside is an exciting experience, however, it is not until you are inside, that you truly appreciate the magnificence of the building.  It is quite simply astonishing.  The sheer size, scale, detail and mechanics are mindboggling.  It was also amazing to see just how much of the building is still standing.  We were so lucky to be there in the off-season as there was no queue to enter and we were able to walk around freely without tripping over other tourists.      

A short walk from the Colosseum took us to the Palatine Hill, which is one of the 7 hills of Rome and home to some amazing ruins.  The Roman Forum is there and it was thrilling to walk along this ancient marketplace.  I would love to say that my 6 years of Latin studies had me translating all the monuments however I would be lying.  I was able to pick out words here and there and could usually translate enough to get the gist of what was written.  We spent 3 hours strolling through the ruins and were fascinated by everything we saw.

The National Monument to Victor Emmanuel is a huge, imposing structure of stairways, statues, fountains and columns.  The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and eternal flame is housed there and would have to be one of the grandest war memorials I have seen.  It is the largest monument in Rome and it is clearly visible from just about anywhere in Rome thanks to it being made from bright white marble.

Michael and I were delighted to stumble upon Trajan’s Column, which we both had forgotten was in Rome.  We saw the cast of this 35 metre structure when we visited the Cast Courts at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.  It is lucky that the cast was made as the original column has now been damaged by centuries of pollution however it is still an imposing sight and focal point of Trajan’s Forum.   

The Galleria Borghese houses a collection of paintings and sculptures, which belonged to the Borghese family.  Among the many works we saw were Boy with a Basket of Fruit by Caravaggio and Venus and Cupid with a Honeycomb by Cranach the Elder. There is also Bernini statues and paintings by Titian, Rubens and many others.  Another beautiful piece is a statue of Pauline Borghese Bonaparte as Venus Victrix by Canova.  The gallery itself is a fabulous building with elaborate frescos and marble floors and best of all, the gallery limits the number of people allowed entry at any one time so that you are never crowded out from seeing the artworks close up.

Castel Sant’ Angelo sits high on a hill overlooking Rome and Vatican City.  It was initially used as the mausoleum for the Roman Emperor Hadrian and then was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle.  The view from the top was incredible and we could see the crowds gathered in St Peter’s Square where Pope Francis was delivering a mass.  We could see him on a raised dais and an enormous television screen was broadcasting.  It was a surreal moment to realise what we were witnessing.

The food in Rome was fabulous and we found a wonderful store called Eataly, which I had read an article about in The Age.  It is a huge store, set out over 5 floors with a market area where you could buy any type of Italian food and drink, with a number of restaurants scattered throughout.  The store is located outside the main tourist precinct, so it is mainly just the locals shopping and eating.  Michael and I went there twice during our stay, sampling oysters, fresh pasta, wine and gelato.

Whilst on the topic of food, one of the best things that the Italians do, is serve aperitivo with your drinks.  When you order a glass of wine, at the very least you will be given a bowl of chips and nuts to accompany it.  Other bars will have a mini buffet set up with assorted snacks like mini panini, dough balls with mozzarella, antipasti, olives etc.  Michael and I called in for a quick drink at a bar near our apartment and the owner, seeing that we did not understand the custom, filled two enormous plates with food for us, all free of charge.  When we ordered a second drink, he encouraged us to refill our plates.  When we finally went to leave, the owner pressed an arancini into my hand insisting that I try one of their specialties.  I couldn’t help pondering as I walked home that there was a time that men used to give me flowers, now it is rice balls!

The coffee is Italy is superb.  The custom is to order at the counter and to drink it standing up.  You can sit if you want to however, depending on the café, you will pay up to four times the price just to sit down.  We soon got into the habit of standing at the counter like a local.  Breakfast for us consisted of a cappuccino and a cornetto (like a croissant, only sweeter and richer).  All the locals do it and it is a good way to start the day.

We visited the Museo di Roma in Trastevere and saw the exhibition Miracle Village, From Judgement to Absolution.  This exhibition deals with the subject of the life of sex offenders, once they leave prison.  It was not a subject that I would normally choose to see and it was disturbing to say the least.  We entered the next exhibition, Iranian Living Room, hoping for something a little more uplifting only to be met with depressing tales of oppression.  Both exhibitions served as a reminder of how lucky we are.

Venice Queen

A very comfortable train journey from Rome took us to Venice.  The view as you exit the station is like no other.  The Grand Canal is huge and the feeling that you have entered another world was very strong and was only enhanced by boarding the vaporetto (water bus) to take us across to our hotel.   There was a mist over the water, which added a feeling of mystery and excitement to our travels.

We found our hotel without too much difficulty, deposited our bags and set off to explore the city.  We were situated just around the corner from San Marco Square and spent the afternoon exploring some of the many narrow laneways.  It was still Carnevale time so there were many people dressed in masquerade costumes walking around the city.  The costumes were unbelievably elaborate, each one unique and made from rich and colourful materials.  There were harlequins, women dressed in the style of Marie Antoinette, military uniforms and many other lavish costumes.  Everyone wore masks, mainly made of porcelain although some wore leather ones.  The masks made me feel a little unsettled.  I actually have a fear of clowns and these masks invoked the same feelings of unease in me.  This wasn’t helped when I glanced down one laneway and saw one of the figures just standing and pointing at me.  It was a little creepy to say the least.

The next day, Michael and I took the vaporetto across to the Gallerie dell’ Accademia where we saw many beautiful artworks by Bellini, Tintoretto and Tiziano and many others.  The highlight of the gallery for me, were two works by Hieronymus Bosch – Triptych of St Uncumber and Four Visions of the Hereafter.   Both pieces had recently been restored and were due to leave the gallery the following week to take part in the exhibition to mark 500 years since Bosch’s death, which is being held in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.  Our timing could not have been more perfect.

We also visited Murano, the area famous for glass making.  Murano is composed of seven islands, which are linked by bridges.  It was very pleasant strolling the area and looking at all the shops filled with beautiful glass jewellery, tableware and chandeliers. 

Italian Greyhounds? No Italian Whippets

Venice is a city ideal for walking and it is a wonderful place to wander and get lost in.  The winding, narrow lanes lead past a myriad of shops and the buildings themselves are quite beautiful.  We were grateful that we were there in the offseason as the streets were busy without being overcrowded.  One could see how the Venetians would get fed up with meandering tourists clogging the streets in the summertime.

In the evening, Michael and I took the vaporetto to see the canals and city by night.  The mist was very thick which only enhanced the beauty of the area.  The gondoliers seemed to be doing a brisk trade and it was lovely to watch them steering their boats through the narrow waterways.  I was a little disappointed that I didn’t hear any of them singing.  Perhaps that is a thing of the past.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t very well during our stay in Venice, so I wasn’t able to sample any of the wonderful food.  Michael however, took up the challenge to eat for both of us, and so had a wonderful time wandering the cicchetti bars.  Cicchetti is the Venetian version of aperitivo and so he tried many tasty morsels such as sardines on bread and prosciutto and mozzarella.     

best coffee ever