I got here last night and was super excited to do my last handwash of underwear. And I did, plus a dress and the pants I want to wear on my flight back to Philly next weekend. And then this a.m. I saw the no laundry sign. Oops! I'm really not sure how I missed it but the truth is, I would have probably done it anyway. Sorry Hotel Casci.
I started by going to the 2 art museums you're supposed to go to in Florence: the Gallery Academia and the Ufizzi. Michaelangelo's David sculpture is at the gallery and it is incredible. Just remember, as I heard a man say today, "David looks good from the front but he looks even better from behind!" And yes, perhaps true. David, and most sculptures, have an issue. It seems their "man parts" are not proportionate to the rest of them. I've noticed this for a while and figured that you just don't need well endowed sculptures when you want people to focus on your art. But today I looked at David's hands (and feet) and realized that it was just all wrong. David probably would have had a hard time just adjusting himself at a urinal. Also, in case anyone is uninformed or just wondering, the sculptures are uncircumcised - "baggies" are all fully in tact.
On a serious note, I am amazed at the sculptures. Sure, paintings are amazing as well and take time and effort and are something I could never do (except some modern art perhaps) but to think that these sculptures were chiseled out of huge slabs of marble with such detail is something I cannot even fathom. How long does it take to make a David? How do you get the detail? How do you smooth and polish it? How many times has an artist messed up a nose or finger and had to start over?
After David I wandered a bit and then headed to the Ufizzi. I apologize if this offends anyone but the one thing I cannot do any more of in Europe is look at religious/Christian paintings. I think I've seen my share for a while.
It felt nice to wander on foot and in my head today. I cleared out some thoughts and ideas and worked on planning the rest of my week. I found a market that smells of leather (I may love the leather smell more than gasoline) and wished I needed to buy a wallet, purse, jacket, and maybe some shoes. I found the river, some parks, some cute shops, some panini, some gelato, some wine for my hotel room. Ahhhh, I like Florence.
I met 2 notable people today (this is in addition to Paolo and his mother who run my hotel). First, a man who I will name Luigi. He was selling "paintings" on the sidewalk and said "ciao bella" as I walked past. He asked if I was Italian, I said no. And he started telling me I am a "pretty lady" and that I look nice. Then he asked me for coffee, wine, beer, drinks, whatever he could come up with and I politely declined. Then he wanted to walk with me, then he wanted me to go back to that piazza tonight. Again, politely declined, but not without the kisses on each cheek. Persistent Luigi, poor guy.
And the kid in the liquor store:
Me: do you sell wine bottle openers?
Kid: no, but you can have this one (picks up nice looking opener)
Me: are you serious? How much?
Kid: €2, it's a nice one
Me: ok, I'll take it
Problem solved! I came back to take a quick nap and next thing I knew it was after 9pm and I decided I'm in for the night. I'm debating where I could run in the a.m. (and if I can both run and make it to breakfast).
So tomorrow is the Duomo/Cathedral and some more wandering. I'm going to get to Pisa this week as well as Cinque Terre (google it, can't even describe it with words). I'm having another debate with myself regarding renting a car and road tripping or taking a guided tour to Cinque Terre. I really don't like tours but knowing my ability to get lost, I really can't decide. Another day is either Chianti/Siena or just heading up to Fiesole with some wine and food and hanging out. That will depend on how lazy I am after my Cinque Terre day.
I'm going to recycle some friends this week. Rachel, one of the Australians I met in Valencia, is going to be in Rome at the end of this week. I will be there as well (I'm flying home from Rome) so we are going to hopefully link up on my last night. And Preston of Prague Square Hostel fame decided he needed a vacation away from Prague and is heading to Florence.
It will be nice to have some people to drink/eat/party with for my last week. I feel a little like I'm cheating on myself though. I'm supposed to be soaking up my alone time I thought. I can say it's pretty cool that I made some friends/acquaintances along the way and I hope some of the others that I've met and only "friended" on FB will pop back up sometime down the line.
Friends. I miss them tons. I have never been particularly good at maintaining friends through life changes. Many, I realize now, weren't really true friends and I guess faded out or ended naturally. Some I can still call and pick up right where we left off but then I suck at keeping it up after that all over again even though I miss them. A couple slipped away and I still don't understand why. I need to work on friendships because I love the friends that are in my life now, near and far, regardless of how often we talk, way too much to let them slip away.
Friends, cats, yoga, and even some more running (2 times per week isn't cutting it even with all the walking) are the things making going home in a week ok with me. I even miss working a little (not that I'm going back to that right away) and still have my fingers crossed that I'll get an interview for one of the 3 jobs I applied for this summer. Not looking likely. Oh well, I guess I'll have to go to Australia and New Zealand. ;)
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