Panorami toscani
Tuscan views
Not all the views we’ve experienced since we arrived in Florence have been intentional and not all have been welcomed! Take Stan’s view from the bedroom in our Homeexchange. My fellow Sealyham owners will know that steep steps signal bad news for Stan. As a throwback to his childhood years, he’s wary of steps that might strain his back. So he waits patiently each morning for me to pick him up and bring him downstairs. He wasn’t very impressed with this view either of my delicious ice-cream delivery from deliveroo. I ordered it before I realised my lovely place didn’t have a freezer - what is a girl to do?
That day I’d stolen some secret views away from Stan, this time of Michelangelo’s David. Ironic, because according to scholars Michelangelo worked on his masterpiece secretly, away from prying eyes, until January 1504. It wasn’t just the size of David that was unique, standing at over 14 foot tall, it was also that it focused on David before his infamous win against Goliath. Unlike many representations which depicted the bloody act itself, here we behold David becore the deed is done. He is the epitome of strength, the understated nature of his weapon reminding us it was intellect that won out against his seemingly unbeatable adversary. For more than three hundred and seventy years ,David stood outside the Palazzo Vecchio, replacing that other favourite I’ve spoken of, a statue of Judith and Holofernes! As such, David represented so much more than the manifestation of a story from the Bible. He embodied the might of the Florentine state and was a symbol of its willingness to defend its principles of liberty and freedom against all those that would seek to attack them.
You’d be forgiven for feeling that meeting David is like running the gauntlet with the most formidable of opponents, the tourist! But set apart from the main gallery is an oasis for music lovers. Here you can find the archive of musical instruments that the Medicis acquired through their lives. I loved this little gift that the gallery gives us. The story of the invention of the piano, is told. Its early manifestation looks very different from what we think of the instrument today. You’ll find instruments you have never heard of such as the hurdy gurdy, the serpent or the marine trumpet. Weird and wonderful, they are sure to delight. It’s a timely reminder of the power of patronage for arts and music and the important part the Medicis played.
After the richness of our morning, the afternoon proved more mundane, with highlights typical of our trip so far. Did I definitively tell you never to drive to Florence? No, well there it is, I have now. It’s a complete and utter nightmare. When we arrived at our place, we parked in the blue lines paying just under fifty euros for two days stay. This just feels wrong, so we had found a way to beat the system. We’d left the car in a coop car park in Northern Florence but needed to collect it to prepare for our move close to the Ponte Vecchio the next morning. In theory, this should be easy - a quick google search revealed the best public transport option to achieve our goal. But, it was pouring, not just raining, but rain of biblical proportions. As we arrived at the bus stop in good time, the queue grew longer and there was no sign of any bus at all! We got chatting to a Florentine woman, Selena, who explained that none of the buses arrive on time. Bus drivers in Florence have to spend too much money to qualify and don’t earn enough to live in the city, so there is a severe shortage. She offers to help us navigate an alternate way through the city to our destination - thank goodness she was there and took pity on us. As we chatted on the bus, we met a Pakistani woman, Shagufta who’d moved to Florence two years ago to provide her sick son with the best medical care they could. Despite the three decades age difference that separated us, we felt a bond. In that brief moment we shared stories of our lives that made us smile and, perhaps, just a little sad too.
It was a huge relief to find the car in situ where we had left it. To celebrate, we decided to get out of the city and headed north to Fiesole. From here, we could look down on the brilliant vibrancy of Florence below us. It was just a little spooky taking the car through the single lane roads that took us there. At each turn, I prayed that we wouldn’t meet an oncoming car forcing us to reverse. Stan was pleased when we reached the top. He couldn’t quite believe his eyes. All of Florence sparkled beneath him.
The next day, we moved to our tiny, but perfectly located, studio literally at the Ponte Vecchio. This involved yet another feat of vehicular access. I won’t bore you with the details but our plan was to escape from Florence from the day and visit Chianti country. We headed for Greve in Chianti and enjoyed a wonderful meal at Enoteca Ristorante il Gallo Nero; it was very good! I had just one glass of the Chianti Riserva which unfortunately prompted the need for a mid afternoon car nap. The car had other ideas; within a couple of minutes, with the door locked, the car alarm went off. There was nothing for it but to put the engine on and nap secure in the knowledge that the alarm wouldn’t go off. I swear I dreamt Stan and I were car napped though. Perhaps if we had had a fancy car than a SEAT Ibiza that would have happened! Thank God we are on a budget!
Arriving back in Florence, we were armed with that most crucial and sought after tourist resource; inside information! We’d been told that if we were lucky we might just get parked for free on Via dell’Erta Canina - and so we did! Simple, for free! Little did we know that this location and our perfect arrival time would serve up yet another gift, the Florentine sunset for the second time. As we gratefully got out of the car, we decided to join the steady stream of people heading up! We didn’t stop to ask where we were going or what it was all about, we just trusted in the journey. Boy, were we rewarded for having that faith. Stan was having his usual charming effect on passers-by. As we stopped to ask a lady to take our photo, she wanted to be in it with us. Who were we to decline and so this super-friendly woman from Bangkok will be forever part of the story!
We’d found ourselves at the Piazzale Michelangelo, where tourists came to observe the sunset. I’m glad we found this place. Although it’s busy, there is still a wonderful sense of space here. When you’re in the throng of Florence you can forget its magnificence. Standing back from it all helps enormously in seeing it completely. As we walked back down towards our home for the next few days, we passed through the Japanese Garden. Genuinely isolated, couples sat next to the silent monuments - it seemed to magnify their voices or stimulate my prying ears. Talk of the love they were in with another, or the love they could have had with each other and for one or two the love they shared. For the first time, I thought of home and reflected perhaps I’m ready to go back there. Stan, on the other hand, seems content to make his home my suitcase so goodness knows what that means for our future!
Stan doesn’t love steep steps
Seriously, no sharing?!
Michelangelo’s David in all his glory
Is that really Florence?
A special sparkly Florence after the rain
Making new friends - again!
What a view!
Sunset Stan
Suitcase Stan
