Quarantine Week 4...
We've all got a lot on our minds these days, so thanks for popping in to "Padula in Italia." Barbara and I are still in Atlanta, dug in like so many of you around the U.S. and the world. Our routine is probably a lot like yours - trying to be somewhat productive while working remotely, taking a daily socially-distant serpentine walk/run through the neighborhood, and doing multiple deep dives into Netflix/Hulu (if you are looking for an innocent laugh, I recommend my new-favorite comfort shows: "The Odd Couple" and "Wings").
So while we wait for the future of humanity to unfold, let's do a "Suspension of Disbelief" and pretend everything's normal - let me tell you about some trips we took in Italy - you know, back during The Before Time.
Last summer we were lucky to catch up with old/dear friends Mark and Shawn, who have done an annual trip to Italy for several years, featuring their favorites Venice, Florence, Siena, and Rome. This was the perfect excuse for us to take the train to Florence (our first time there).
You've probably either been to Florence, or seen enough pictures, to know that it captures the magnificence and the beauty of Italian art and culture as well as any one place (in fact, I didn't bother to try to capture it very much with my iPhone camera - this is one of those "just tuck it away in your memory forever" places - so I had to scramble to get pictures from Mark and Barbara!
By luck, I found a copy of the novel "Birth of Venus," by Sarah Dunant, the week before our trip. It was a perfect literary introduction to Florence, a reminder of just how important it was as the 'birthplace' of so much Italian and world culture - the birthplace of the Renaissance, of the modern Italian language, of Dante, of Machiavelli, and so much more.
Of course, the beauty of today's Florence is somewhat obscured by the absolute torrent of visitors it welcomes every day. We happened to be there in mid-August, so we were probably seeing it at its busiest. If you choose to go to Florence, go off-peak. In those moments when you have a chance to look around/past the crowds, it's stunningly beautiful.
Pro tip #1: In order to make the most of our 48 hours together, we worked with the concierge at the hotel to hire a private guide to take the four of us around Florence.
Pro tip #2: Mark turned me onto a great boutique chain, NH Hotels - their NH Firenze Porta Rossa is right in the middle of town, but super quiet (top-notch location, service, and breakfast). Highly recommend it.
So off we went - our guide expertly steered us through the crowded strade of Firenze, where we hit all the high notes, including La Galleria dell'Accademia (home of Michelangelo's David), La Basilica di Santa Croce, La Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (which features Brunelleschi's Cupola, an engineering marvel of its time).
Views of the beautiful Arno River - afternoon, dusk, and evening
Speaking of David, arguably the most famous sculpture in the world and the perfect embodiment of the human form: We were super-excited to see it, and when we came upon it on our first evening in town, towering over the Piazza della Signoria, we were amazed at its size, but surprised that others in the piazza were not making a big deal about it.
Well, you may know this, but I didn't... turns out there are two Davids - the real David, and the replica. The original sat right there in the Piazza for 350 years, until it was moved inside to the Galleria dell'Accademia (see below right) in 1873. It was later replaced by the replica in the piazza (see below left). Tickets to the Accademia are hard to acquire, but our guide used her connections to get us in with only a short wait. It's at the end of an arched hallway called the Hall of Prisoners, which features several unfinished works from an underfunded project Michelangelo started before the Sistine chapel.
But for all Florence offers in terms of art and architecture, we were there to see our dear friends Mark and Shawn...and to explore the other, equally important, side of Florence - its wine, food, and gelato!
Our first night we lucked into a table at a real gem of a restaurant - the Club Culinario Toscano da Osvaldo featured all of the classics of an Italian trattoria - roasted peppers, swordfish, homemade pasta, and delicious house wines. Best of all was a fun conversation (in 70/30 English/Italian) with Damien, the waiter/owner!
Pro tip #3: When in Italy, we just ask for the house wine - it's almost always as good as anything you would drink anywhere else!
We were so glad we could spend 48 hours under the Tuscan sun with Mark and Shawn; now we know why Florence is THE place in Italy for so many visitors. Arrivederci Firenze!
Thanks for reading; I hope you were able to suspend your disbelief for just a few moments. Stay healthy everyone!