I was anxious to get to Florence after hearing stories of the city from Olly and Suzie who had studied there last semester and Kiyo who had visited a few weeks before. It is one of those European cities you always hear with a sigh and picture as the epitome of Italy.
My mom and I took a train from Venice to Florence, which was very easy, although we misunderstood that seats are assigned and looked quite goofy with all our luggage. We got into Florence and grabbed a cheap cab to our hotel, ooing and ahing out the windows at the spectacular views of the famous Duomo and the streets crowded with markets, mopeds, and tourists. The hotel in Florence was by far our favorite of the week, very modern and funky art themed. The elevator went through a glass roof to the higher floors and the lobby was the home of statues that reminded me of the talking stone face from Legends of the Hidden Temple. We dropped our bags and headed out to take advantage of the sunshine!
We stopped and had a café on the Duomo square, which was a little touristy but you just couldn’t defeat the views. We took our time and enjoyed the strong Italian coffee (at the beginning of the week I couldn’t believe they drank expresso’s so religiously, now I’ve joined the cult following) before heading to one of the city’s most famous sites, Michelangelo’s David. We took our time in the museum that houses the masterpiece, but we when we turned the corner to the main exhibit, you are almost immediately overwhelmed by the brilliance, and size, of the statue. David is housed beneath a glass dome at the end of the corridor, high on a pedestal. It is absolutely breathtaking. I was shocked by the massive size of the statue; I guess I was picturing something smaller. I am not one to go on and on about art, but David was amazing. The beauty and detail shown on him was remarkable, from the Adams apple to the veins on his hand. You can tell how close attention Michelangelo paid to the human body. I was amazed and even snuck a photo before getting yelled at by the scary female guard.
Another famous museum we visited during our two day stay was Florence’s Uffizi, home of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Titian’s Venus of Urbino, and Raphael’s self portrait. The artwork in the museum highlighted the Renaissance and pre-modern art. My mom and I got a real lesson in artwork and loved every second of it. Again, we relied heavily on Rick Steves, who did not disappoint. I saw art students throughout the museum re-sketching the famous masterpieces, and thought of my art friends who had been here last semester, wishing they were still there for a visit.
Also while in Florence, my mom and I were able to meet up with Taylor and her mom, who were also traveling Italy for the week, and Lisa, my roommate from last semester and Taylor’s sorority sister. It was great to see Lisa and so nice for Taylor and I have our mom’s meet. We all grabbed a long, long dinner and five plates of pasta and more than that number of wine bottles later, we had an amazing time to recount when we all reunite again. It made me homesick to all be together again in Florence, but couldn’t believe our luck at being where we were!
Overall, I loved Florence, as I have loved every European city. However, I did feel as though I was in an American city plopped down in Italy. We heard more English than any other language, and I have to admit we did not hear a ton of Italian. There were American students swarming the square, restaurants, and even museums. I loved how beautiful the city was, but I just don’t think I got the real European experience there. Just means I’ll have to go back and see it again!
No comments:
Post a Comment