Last Wednesday Dom and I went into Florence for the day. We started out by taking two bags of books to the Paperback Exchange (and English language bookstore near the Duomo) and exchanging them for store credit. Afterwards, we wandered around. It was crowded but not like it had been around Easter. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed just strolling around.
On our drive into town we saw a sign on a bus for a new Ferrari store near the Strozzi Palace. So, after disposing of the books we went and found it. Dom enjoyed looking even though the things he really wanted will not fit in a suitcase. I always get a kick out of the used race car parts they sell with certificates of authenticity, e.g. a toasted part of a carburator for Euros 350!
We crossed the Ponte Vecchio on our way to the Pitti Palace. In the middle of the bridge is this stature of Cellini with a railing around it. There used to be hundreds of locks on the railing but they have all been removed.
Now there is a sign warning of a Euros 160 fine for "transgressors" who put locks on the railing. Please note the lock just to the left of the sign. I have heard the locks are put there by couples who then throw the key into the Arno or each person takes a key and when the relationship ends one partner can remove the lock. We have seen similar lock "spots" in other cities.
We tried to keep our meanderings to less traveled streets away from the bulk of the tourists. I love the way the light and dark collide in this view through a passage way. Sitting on the steps of the church is a beggar I had seen earlier. She had collected enough money for a sandwich and was eating it in this quiet spot.
Madonna shrines are found everywhere in Italy and often on the corners of buildings in the cities. This one is particularly lovely and well kept. I wonder how old it is. The style is certainly Renaissance but I think this area was all deep under water during the flood in 1966.
On our way back to our car we wandered through a complex of old buildings that is being converted to apartments and shops. They added small balconies to the units by attaching a modern external structure.
There were a number of things that pointed to this complex being the former city prison including the name of a restaurant (Restaurant of the Incarcerated!) and lots of the original doors remain. Some are barred, like this one, while others were solid wood.
We enjoyed our day in Florence and plan to go back again before we leave Italy in a few weeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment