ITALY – Florence
TEMPERATURE
Today\’s temperature is 27° and quite warm enough for me. It\’s a general welcome to what I can expect of Bangkok and Myanmar. I always appreciated the cold on Erraid for the reason that I don\’t manage too well in hot weather. However, I have given away, left and swapped just about all my warm clothing \’cept my big wet weather jacket bought in Oban, Scotland and a couple of wool shirts I bought as I left Sydney and which I anticipate having to wear upon my return as it will be a bit cooler than Myanmar. All my winter woolies will still be in storage.
TRAIN TRIP and HOSTEL
When I arrived yesterday via Eurostar rail from Venice, okay train \’cept there are no announcements until the train is slowing into the station, it was warm and I found the hostel which was opened in March 2008 – I thought it looked like an old hospital but I hear not – it is 6 weeks old, offers a lot that other hostels don\’t usually offer like pool, sauna, large towels, and 24 hour free internet connection. Plus other attributes. It seems to have been planned by someone who was a traveller or backpacker and knows what facilities make sharing a room with a few others just that much more comfortable.
There are very many internet places and after Venice where it is from euro 5 per hour for use, I saw it as low as euro 1 per hour. (There\’s a euro sign on this keyboard – just haven\’t been able to find the right combination of keys to work it).
Because I had trouble getting accommodation in Rome, I discovered there was a public holiday on 1 May just about all over. And there is one in Bangkok when I arrive on 5 May.
SIGHTSEEING
Well, you might ask, what was there to see? Florence is a flat city, easy to get around in on foot, well the old city is anyhow. What I did see the first afternoon I arrived, I headed to the magnificent Baptistry next to the Duomo. Being later in the afternoon some of the larger buildings were closing. The Baptistery closed later. This can explain in more detail http://www.onlineflorenceguide.com/florence-sightseeing.html . A fine example of 11th century Romanesque architecture, its layout is octagonal and it has a diameter of 26 metres. Its roof is pyramid-shaped and topped by a lantern with columns; it is also covered in white and green marble. It was the city\’s cathedral until 1128 and is dedicated to St John the Baptist. Many illustrious men of Florence, including Dante, were baptized here at the 1371 baptisimal font. I saw the baptisimal font but it was out of reach and surrounded by a lovely designed rail. The floor was covered with different layout designs and designed tiles.
The Baptistery has 3 BRONZE DOORS: the one to the south is by Pisano (1336) and is divided into 28 tiles with stories of St John the Baptist and the Cardinal and Theological Virtues. The other doors (1403-1452) are both by Ghiberti. The north door depicts 20 scenes from the NewTestatment and 8 tiles with the Fathers of the Church and the Evangelists. Michelangelo defined the east door as the Gate of Heaven.
So that\’s a bit about this beautiful building made with lots of marble, green and white and a lovely shape. I went back this morning early to get photos of both the Duomo and the Baptistery clear of people and vehicles to block their view. To find this morning that iron gates protect all the doors of the Baptistry and all my photos show these, and some of the doors to the Duoma were opened so no photo there.
DAVID
Today I visited the Accademia Gallery only having to wait in line for about 1/2 hour to see David and some unfinished sculptures of Michelangelo called \’Prisoners\’ which I just loved. There were many many works of art by other renaissance painters which I will list later and I spent some time there. It also included a Music Museum, again more details later, but I was able to hear music made on the old instruments and read about some which were very strange looking.
Unfinished and more to come including street markets and coffee shops. I am off now to the Florence train station to catch a train to Rome and thence to get to the airport for my plane to Singapore. The cliche would be \’doesn\’t time pass quickly\’ but I won\’t say it.