enfinblue's Bluey (credit to Fifi for the nickname!) Diaryland Diary

"I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart." -Vinc3nt V@n Gogh

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Italy part I (pictures and videos). Oh hell - it's really Florence. It's always about Florence

I've had a lovely morning.

Don't get the wrong idea - I'm definitely too sick to go to work and my chest is brutally congested. I am looking forward to getting to the doctor tomorrow morning for my antibiotics and my inhaler. I'm not a big fan of bronchitis.

But...the thing is that, although I am sure I should be sleeping, I am greatly enjoying going through my Florence photos/videos.

As I mentioned before, I really didn't take many this year. In fact, if you can believe it, I didn't even need to charge my camera battery whilst there.

In looking at the photos and videos just now I was reflecting on the fact that so much happened whilst I was there, and that I felt so much joy whilst there. I was truly in the moment so much of the time!

Sure, the Marco thing cast a very small pallor on the finale of the trip. But trips - good trips - are never just about easy breezy. At least for me. I go to learn. And I did.

So I thought that I should post a few pictures and tell a few stories and so on that will clarify some of the experiences that I had. It may take some time to get these out, but I'll see where I drift today.

I've already decided, I think, to go back for 9 days over Thanksgiving in the fall (we only get one day off) (October 9-19). I have checked and there is a cheap flight. If I am able to borrow that apartment it should be a very pleasant trip, costing less than a single pay cheque. I'm going to go back exclusively to draw, to refresh myself before the heavy fall and winter season in my job.

I'm open though to the idea that other things might happen and intervene. But for now, I'm going to go back to my special city. Each time I go back I find and feel more.

Sar@h Dunant, who also loves Florence and whose fiction books some people enjoy (I don't really enjoy historical fiction, I must say (would rather read good history)), has said, "I highly recommend falling in love with a city. It's more faithful and stimulating than a man. And if you pick the right one, you never have to cook again."

For whatever reason, Florence is my city. I renew myself and think well there. Hopefully in the next year or two I will be able to go back for a longer time (perhaps for a month to take the intensive drawing class at the exceptionally lovely drawing studio). Who knows! Perhaps I'll muster three months.

You know, in thinking about it, in some ways this was a much deeper trip. I mean, it deepened my connection to Florence. I lingered in favourite spots, took my time, let the feelings come. And I met lovely ladies, too, of course. Truly great women. I love it when I travel and meet people who will linger in my life.

So here's a small video from the first (early) morning. I love the entry into Italy perhaps best of all. (Sorry- I took it from the back shower.)

And then I sat in the garden:

Incidentally, this is C and I at C's party the other night, with his exceptionally lovely aunties. I think I'm looking surprisingly OK given that I felt as though I was at death's door. :) I wish I hadn't been so miserable and could have enjoyed it!

Speaking of gardens, here is a pic of the gardens of the villa at which the craft fair that Joan and I visited took place. Kind of wish we had craft fairs of this variety here...but no matter. :)

My favourite place on this trip to Florence was without a doubt that little street between the Duomo and my favourite piazza (Santissima Annunziata):

I was sitting on the patio of the little cafe that I frequented when I took the latter picture. A motorcycle roared up, with two guys on it. They got off. One was ridiculously good-looking, with his shirt mostly undone. I nearly cracked up when I saw that he was wearing a giant belt buckle that said only, "RICH."

Rich, I say. I wanted to take a picture but I didn't want to be indiscreet. "Hey, signor...could you tilt your pelvis towards me?"

They sat. They ate. They drank. They got up and sped away. I continued to sit and eat and drink. :) A lovely afternoon. I am sorry that the colour is washed out in these pictures. It was so brightly sunny when I was there and the skies so blue...I do not handle the light well at all. Seems at some point I ought to read the manual to my camera. :)

So my birthday happened fairly early on in the trip, as you know. It was fantastic. Here are a couple of videos of Joan and I commenting on our trip to the Four Seasons. The colour is not good, but they're kind of funny. It was late at night. :)

Oh! But I find I am getting ahead of myself. Earlier in the day I walked up to look at the city from up the hill. I took this picture of an "APE" for a friend:

They drive the cutest little three-wheeled things there. I'll post a vid of another one later on. It's the one that I want! :)

Speaking of cars, my Italian teacher here taught us the word "red" in Italian with reference to our "desired" Ferrari. ("EB: What colour must your ferrari be?") I would have gone for wine, but that's just me.

Walking back from my birthday evening, I thought it was really cool that standing on a street corner I spotted a copy of the Desiderata (in Italian, of course) that someone had placed on a street-corner tabernacle:

Joan and I also walked by the fabulous synagogue in Florence on another day:

Let me see...here's a video of organ music in the Duomo. I normally don't take video in churches, but it seems to be allowed in the Duomo. I was quite overwhelmed by the sound. The ceiling is by Vasari. Overwhelming.

One of my favourite things in Italy is the little shrines out in the countryside. I find them and the offerings under them to be quite touching and lovely.

Poppies:

And here are some photos of my favourite piazza and the hospital of the innocents. I love Brunelleschi's highly mathematical work on this. It's a touching place. The bottom picture is of the drop slot where people would drop off unwanted babies. The hospital is now a UNICEF centre.

The BEAUTIFUL Della Robbia Annunciation inside the main courtyard of the hospital:

Pics that I took when I walked up San Miniato last Saturday. They don't look very special but it was a very hot day and I was kind of sad and I found solace in the cool greenspace.

And here's my marvelous hotel room from last weekend (frescoes from 1580):

OH and you might be amused by the following video of the bicycle man himself and my fellow rider on Sunday (following the pic of the rider (Richard from Minnesota) and I all sweaty after the 70 km ride up the foothills in 34 degrees (the ones you see in the background - can't wait to do that ride again when I return). :))

Bicycle men:

And just for amusement. Note that I actually LOVE the accordian. Joan and Deb were making fun of me for this. :)

1:18 p.m. - 2009-06-01

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