Mainly about Florence

I cannot find a subject to write about even if I was given a couple of ideas. It was suggested to me that I either write about a book or my bridge experience. I like to write about books I have read as it helps me to understand them better and I generally discover more in the book when I reflect on them. When I like the book, writing about it gives me additional pleasure. The problem is that I almost stopped reading books in the last few weeks. I cannot find a book that would interest me to the extent that I should finish it. So, I have quite a few books on the go and I may finish them one day, but this has not happened yet.

There is not that much to write about bridge either as I am just playing the game but without any excesses. Just steady as she goes. I promise myself to learn my bridge lessons and improve my game. This does not seem to work well as two of my partners are not that much interested in new conventions and bridge is a partnership game, so I lose interest in learning new things if I cannot apply the new knowledge. This may change soon as I will have two new partners and then I will see if they will motivate me to learn more and step up my game.

The last post and exchange of comments with the anonymous commentator – kvd – created more traffic through my blog than I had seen in the past. Thank you kvd. My ego was stroked, but I realise that this was not really my achievement.  Thank you kvd.

Thinking what I could squeeze out of myself in terms of ideas for writing I decided that I will write about the book that I have been reading for some months now – Florence, a Delicate Case by David Leavitt. The book is one of the series The Writer in the City. I already have another one from the series waiting for my time and interest. This is by Edmund White about flaneuring in Paris. The series is about writers’ impressions of cities that in some way caught their attention. I just found out that there is one book about Sydney, maybe this is worthwhile reading? The thing that detracts from the interest in the books is that I actually had not heard of the authors of the books before and I do not know their style. I simply selected the books by the city that I am interested in myself. The books are also cheap and nicely published.

Florence is one serious fascination of mine and when I think: I have a dream… what comes to mind is one month in Florence in a nice biggish place where my friends could come and stay with me for awhile and then when they have enough of the town and me another lot of friends would come to visit and so on... We would go together or not necessarily together to one of the numerous churches, monasteries, palaces, galleries and museums. Then coffees, lunches, gelatos, long chatty diners in Santo Spirito or somewhere else… Paradise! Long strolls, reading in parks or other nice places with a view. Yes, I should have a room with the view over Arno as well. I would eventually go to San Marco and see Fra Angelico murals that I missed during my last visit in this magical city. I would than go to see Fiesole, the place near Florence where well to do people had their villas with the view over Florence. Fra Angelico actually comes from there; his name was Giovanni da Fiesole before he linked his life and art with San Marco in Florence.

Not too difficult to guess why I am reading the book. It is more difficult to explain why it has taken me such a long time to get to the middle of the rather small book. Maybe because it is not all that interesting for me or that I decided that this is my travel by bus and coffee place book so I read it in small chunks and not that often? Both are good and true reasons why it has taken me such a long time.

The book is really about dubious reputation of the town which goes many years back when sodomy was very harshly judged in Europe and particularly Great Britain so many famous people who could not live openly according to their sexual interests went to live in Florence where they and their sexuality were welcome and their whims could be easily satisfied by numerous establishments hiring pretty young boys.

There is not that much about art in the book, but I am still puzzled by one statement that states that Florence houses one-fifth of the world art treasures. Is this possible? It does not seem so and I do not know how to check the credibility of this statement, but I do not doubt that Florence is the place that offers art in excess.

                                         

I found out from the book about floods in Florence, especially the one in 1966. The descriptions of the extent of the floods and the heroic rescuing of the town’s treasures by its citizens, international volunteers and scientific institutions all over the world were difficult to imagine. We all are in debt to the people who worked on saving the treasures of Florence. 

                                             

                           

How can one loose weight in Italy?

I was not able to even if I thought that I might. It was an opportunity, in a way, walking and walking during days of sightseeing, no fridge around to make trips to in moments of weakness. However it did not work that way I intended and I am not sure why. Three meals a day, no excesses, hmmm...Many would laugh at me thinking – Italian food and slimming??!! Think of those Italian mamas. The mama image must have been created for a reason. Well, yes, maybe... But when I looked at the Florentine people, no matter what age or sex they were slim! Maybe I was selective in my noticing examples of skinny Italians. Maybe, but they were many slim people there anyhow.  Maybe Floretines are different to the other citizens of Italy, I know they think themselves better and more sophisticated.

So what do they eat, the same as tourists? Pastas? Risottos? Gnocchi? Cheese? Gelatos? Focaccia? Panini? Do they drink Italian wine as so many of non-Italians do? I am still puzzled but I also have my little insight to the mystery. I met a very slim, elegant  lady in an elegant shoe boutique. We engaged in a conversation, she spoke very good English and was keen to talk. After some polite remarks and some girly chat I plucked up the courage to asked her the question : how come you can be so slim having all this food around you? Do you eat it? The answer was – yes, once a week I eat what I like in moderation including gelato and tiramisu. I thought – this is clever. I will then declare Saturday to be my day of pleasure. I will eat nice things in moderation with a glass or two of champagne or a good wine, maybe even Vin Santo  with a biscotti? Do you know they dunk biscotti in Vin Santo? Fantastic! And such a simple delicious desert to serve your friends!  Wow, I am dreaming of it already.

When I was in Florence, I actually behaved as it was two weeks of Saturdays. We ate what was available and this was not particularly healthy but we hardly had any choice. In our palazzo accommodations we had coffee, tea and biscuits for pre-breakfast snack. After few days I skipped the biscuits. I still do not know what Italians eat for breakfast but in cafes there are only piles of focaccias or paninis with bocconcini or other cheese, prosciuto  and sometimes a symbolic leaf of something green. This was our regular breakfast which we ate on our way to some church or gallery. Plus two cappuccinos served without any chocolate as it is in Sydney.  Coffee is much nicer this way.

Big coffee to get us going

Our lunches were light another white bread sandwich, sometimes a salad with a glass of wine. So far not that sinful. 

Around seven we were making our way to Santo Spirito for dinner. By Italian standards it was still very early for diner, but in my book it was already late. We did not eat anything excessive really, but this was time for a hot meal. Italian eat in a different way to what I am used to, vegetables are ordered separately to the meat and one somehow forgets about them when faced with other choices and they do not land up on your plate automatically. Each dinner stared with compulsory white bread that landed up automatically on our table, not like it was with vegies, together with  fragrant olive oil or black olives tapenade. One simply had to eat it. In our  favourite restaurant we typically ordered a big salad to share and half size  portions of either pasta or some delicious Italian main course speciality. Excessive? I do not think so.

This was really nice

On our way home it was time for gelato, we passed two of fantastic galaterias and one just had to sample the flavours. My companion was very particular about what she ate so there was always a research stage before she made her choice. I was more overwhelmed with possibilities and they all seemed fantastic to me, so I did not fuss.

One of our favourites Galateria La Carraia. Serious stuff! This was only part of one of the two counters, hence problems to make a choice.

                                               

Three friends - three crucifixions

I am still on the subject of Florence. Now I got to the art part of my visit there. I am reading and discovering things I only glimpsed when in Florence.  Having time to reflect on my new interest I started to really appreciate what I have seen and what I still must see. As it is with the art in Florence, there is no escape from religious subjects. Actually I do not want to escape it but my motivation is not of religious nature even if I write about crosses or Madonnas. Come to think about it may have been rarely motivation for the artists of the times.

There is a lovely story about two friends Brunelleschi and Donatello. I believe that originally the story comes from Vasari’s Lives of the Artists. I got it second hand though, so I am not sure. I am sure though that the three artists (Brunelleschi, Donatello and Masaccio) were friends. There is enough evidence of that. 

Here goes the story about Donatello Brunelleschi rivalry.

Donatello was the first one to sculpture Crucifixion and he showed the sculpture to his friend Brunelleschi. The feedback was perhaps friendly and meant to be constructive but is was scathing. Brunelleschi obviously had different idea of aesthetics and the way the Christ should look like.   In his opinion Donatello sculptured an uncouth fellow, somebody like a simple peasant with tragic hair cut. Brunelleschi was disgusted.

            

Donatello was not fazed by the criticism. In his opinion there was a place for ugliness in art. He said – Why don’t you sculpture your own version then!

When I look at the Donatello's Christ from Santa Croce, I see a beautiful suffering face. Taste must have changed through centuries.

Brunelleschi thought that he will show his younger friend how it should be done and got to work on his own cross, the one in Santa Maria Novella. It is also extremely beautiful work. The artist, pleased with the result, wanted to boast a bit. He arranged to have lunch together with Donatello at his place and two friends after getting their food shopping were walking to Brunelleschi’s place. The host wanted his friend to have time to appreciate his achievement in private and said – I’ll get us some wine and you go ahead. When Donatello entered the place and looked up at the wall where the cross was hung, he dropped the shopping, eggs splashed on the floor and all lunch ingredients scrambled. He stood in front of the Christ in total admiration, muttering something like “Bloody hell, this is great!” Brunelleschi seeing the mess cried out – What have you done with our lunch! Donatello answered – Never mind the lunch, this is heavenly!

               

He obviously was not envious and was able to appreciate art without any prejudices. I wish I could be that magnanimous.

There is a third friend, Masaccio, and a third crucifixion, also in basilica Santa Maria Novella. When I saw it I was spellbound. Thankfully I was not carrying any lunch, I could drop. It was supposed to be a fresco for grave of married couple – Lenzi, the couple pictured at the bottom. And it is a fresco but with a difference. Masaccio using perspective masterfully created something which looks like a chapel not only a two dimensional fresco. It took him only 30 days to paint something that great and innovative, wow!  

                                            

Would you be able to pick up your favourite crucifixion? I cannot. Love them all.

I want to go back there!

I have been writing for a while about Florence. This was one of the best holidays I have had, most educating at least. I already wrote about living in a palazzo, about Santo Spirito, about Florentine men and values of Florentines (each time I write the word an image of biscuits comes to mind).

I will make Florentines on my return to Sydney

I have been impressed by so many things about Florence and now thinking, reading and learning about the place and its treasures I just realised that I need to go back there. I had been like many tourists unaware of what actually one can see there, even if I knew about Uffizi, The Doumo and Academia.  About Giotto, Fillippo Lippi, Donatello and Michael Angelo. Even about Brunelleschi.  I knew  that Florence is the place for Renaissance art. I heard that 3-4 days is enough to see the place. I, myself thought that two weeks will be plenty. And it was in some ways. It was enough to get the taste of the place. To get confused, enchanted, spellbound and fall in love with the place.

I have been a fan of galleries for many, many years but I thought that Italian Renaissance was not my cup of tea. I love Impressionists and Dutch XVII century paintings with Vermeer my absolute favourite. I was not all that keen on religious scenes of earlier paintings and I would say Florence is mostly about that. At the same time I wanted to see it, not expecting that I will develop a deeper interest. I was wrong. Coming back to my Polish home, impressed by what I had seen, I started to read books about Italian art and Florence in particular. And I realised that would so much like to go back there and see it all again.

Andrea della Robbia - ceramic sculpture in Santa Croce

Many things made an unexpectedly big impression on me and some I expected to take my breath away did not do it. So, what was the biggest joy for me to see? Very difficult to think of only one. San Lorenzo, Santa Croce, Boboli Gardens, Brancacci Chapel, Niobe room in the Uffizi (number 42) with marble sculptures of  scared Niobe’s children being chased to their death, Della Robbia pottery sculptures among others.

Brancacci Chapel 

I know that the seventeen sculptures in the room 42 are not the most notable pieces in the gallery but the atmosphere in the room made me shiver with fright as if I was myself chased by jealous gods. The Venus and Primavera of Botticelli  made me merely think – pretty. Everybody is, of course entitled to their own impressions and they are a function of the mood we are in. I also think that inflated expectations may be a cause of some disappointment. On reflection, I think that the most important thing for me is what is actually happening in the room. Making my way through pushy crowds makes it very difficult for me to appreciate art. Typically the rooms with the most famous pieces of art are very crowded and this is not the best environment for art appreciation. This strongly coloured my perception. By the way, the room 42 was, perhaps understandably, not full of people so I could take in the mood of the sculptures.

This only small example of sculptures form room 42

                 

I know that one of the things I want to put on my bucket list is another visit to Florence. Maybe another two weeks? This time I will know exactly what I want to see.  I already have a list which will grow no doubt. 

They have time

I am still reminiscing Florence, I have experienced and observed so much that the town and the way of its people influenced me.

I have bee traveling with my young niece, Martyna, who has friends living in Florence. One of the first days of our holidays the young women were talking about Florentine men. It happened to be a fashion week in Florence and we were passing many very well and interestingly dressed people. What surprised me was that men caught my eye the same way as women. I appreciate beauty and I notice good looking people when I see them. For some reason men rarely catch my attention when in Australia or in Poland. Women do. Not so in Florence. I wondered what the reason was and then I realized that in Florence more men take care of themselves in similar way women do. They must spend some time in front of the mirror to achieve this nonchalant look which is appealing. I was told by my young fashion guides that a Florentine man who wants to be noticed, and many of them do, take care of their weight, skin, outfit and hair. He is dressed according to a new fashion, the colours are bright and he typically wears a scarf. On hot summer days as well. At times he wants to make an impression of a totally relaxed and seemingly not caring how he looks and in such cases his beard is very well shaped or his two day stub is carefully modeled. He looks at you as if saying – this is how I am, I do not care really. But he cares and a lot. I was told that when you talk to such a men, the depth of conversation is not impressive. Still they look very ornamental.

                                                   

One day we were in Santo Spirito for a drink, we were served and ready to move away to sit down with our wine on steps in front of the Brunelleschi’s church. I wanted to pay and stretched my hand with a note but the man who already served us the drinks was so engaged in conversation that he did not care about accepting the money. It took a while. Paula, the girl who lives in Florence, said “They have time”. She took the note from my hand, made an impatient gesture in front of the waiter’s nose and the financial transaction was completed with a smile and without further delay.  

On steps of Santa Spirito (not in a gutter!) having the wine I had problems paying for

Few days later when I was sitting in a restaurant wanting to make my order, the waiters hearing music played in the neighbourhood started to dance ignoring their customer. My first reaction was impatience, but then I thought “they have time”. It was pleasant to look at happy dancing people so  I turned my attention to the performance in front of me. It was fun. A couple of minutes later smiling, happy waitress came up to take my order in the most polite and courteous way. It perhaps never occurred to her that the order of a client may be more important than a moment of joy.

When I was telling the story to my coaching friend with whom I practice centering she said: “You know, they really live in the moment, they are present to joy of life”. And then I though: Hmm… this is something to think about. And maybe learn?

Reminiscing Florence - Santo Spirito

I did  lot of sightseeing in Florence. One does, of course. This, in fact, was the whole purpose of going there but when I think about my Florentine holiday I think about other things as well if not most of all. Like food, or our evening walks to Santo Spirito.

Our spunky hostess, the lucky owner of the apartment in the palazzo, suggested that the best, the most original food in Florence is at Santo Spirito Piazza. We were told that this is a fun place, the food is good, not too expensive and not that touristy. So, after the first evening meal which we had on the “better” side of Arno we decided to see what one finds on the other side of the river – in the quarter of Florence called Oltrarno. Oltrarno means beyond the Arno. It is the part of the town we could see from our window. It wasn’t really all that far from our place, walking there we passed many interesting, if not historically or artistically important, places. Like this one. 

This was just a garden behind a beautiful ornate gate. To me it looked romantic and a bit mysterious. I imagined stories about life behind the gate, in the beautiful garden. They must have been romantic. This was a busy street but behind the gate I imagined secrets, romance and mysteries.

Santo Spirito is a church, another master piece of Brunelleschi, the big square in front of the church  is called the same name. Around the square there are restaurants with tables outside which are typically booked out after 7:00 pm but one can always find a table inside which is obviously not the best when the weather is hot. Still OK, as we discovered. There are something like 7 or 8 restaurants around the square. We have not visited all of them but we made a good progress. I think it was one or two restaurants left unattended. The menu in them was not to our liking.

Each meal started with while bread and olive oil or black olives tapenade. The olive oil typically was so fragrant, tasting wonderful that all intentions of not overeating were very difficult to live up to. But this post is not about Italian food it is about Santo Spirito.

A lot happens there. One late evening, when we left the restaurant and were on our way home, suddenly loud, rock music started. One could hear it from each far corner of the square. Couples were coming out to the centre of what became suddenly a dance floor. We stopped, transfixed, watching unexpected performance. An this was dancing of a very high rock and roll level. Those people could earn money for their show. I have no idea who the people were, they were most likely locals but I spotted an older couple who I decided must be American. The gentleman looked to me like Hemingway in his later years. We heard them speak and it was obvious that they were indeed an American couple. They also must have liked the place as we were dining at the same restaurant with them the next evening. 

The American couple is dancing in the background

We never stayed long enough to find out when the parties finish at Santo Spirito, but I suspect that it is very late. From a friend of my niece, Paula, who lives in Florence, we heard that weekend parties finish in the morning. Through open window, I heard happy people returning home at 5 – 6 in the morning. Florence is a place for having fun and live a relaxed life.

If you ever go to Florence, please make your way to Santo Spirito in an evening. They have super gelato there as well. I am not sure if I will not remember this place more fondly and longer than Uffizi with its treasures. 

I lived in a palazzo !

It has been a while since I posted. I was in Florence. Actually I planned to write something from there but the events and Renaissance art took over. It was all fantastic. Florence, its art, architecture, food, great company and the place we stayed at. Wow!

One evening  a friend of my niece who I was travelling with, came to visit  us. She lives in Florence and she was amazed that any tourist can live as a place we stayed at. Apparently it was a district for rich people. Rich people do not rent rooms to tourists. But we were lucky and out hostess did. Not only that she did but she is down to earth, great, helpful person, full of energy and fun who even seems to like her guests.  Not some stuck up, unfriendly lady.  I like her very much.

I found the place on AirB&B and the pictures of the place looked promising. The reality delivered all that the pictures promised and more.

                                              

There were old portraits, antique furniture, marble floors, spacious room and the view! I was looking forward to see Brunelleschi copula of the Duomo, I had read about it and I thought that it was going to be the biggest attraction of Florence for me. I looked through the window, the view was wonderful and there was a church with an attractive copula. Would it be IT? It did not seem to be in a right place though, and I was confused. Will I be able to wake up each morning, open my window, look at the church and shout – Thank you Brunelleschi! I read a story that one the citizens of Florence who had a view on the famous Duomo church followed her morning ritual of opening her window and shouting “Thank you Brunelleschi!” every day. I thought that if this was the right church I would not have a choice but to disturb everybody around by loudly expressing my gratitude for the creator of the famous dome. To keep the tradition.

To my disappointment but lucky for my niece and other people living in the apartment, it turned out to be San Frediano in Cestello. Not a Brunelleschi’s master piece but still very beautiful to look at. I felt impressed and grateful for my lesser experience of beauty but beauty nevertheless. 

This is the view from our window

My Florence adventure started very nicely. I might write more about it especially that without planning I seem to write about my sightseeing impressions. Somebody said that it would make a tourist guide. Hmm... This is not my intention but I have been lucky lately to explore beautiful European sites and they were the strongest impressions and observation I have made lately. So I write about it.

The last day of my stay in Florence our hostess booked a taxi for me and she said “a taxi will come at 11 sharp and it will wait for you in front of the palazzo”.  It was all official then, it was a palazzo I lived two weeks in. Lucky me.

And this what our palazzo looks like. We did not stay on the real palatial floor, I must confess