Escapade to Firenze...

“There’s a heaven down here, we can find it if we try. I don’t want all of it, I just need a little bit” – Madeleine Peyroux lyrics

Florence – what an amazing place!!! Of the cities I have been lucky to travel to, Florence now ranks as one of my most favorite! My time in Florence was marked not only by incredible exploration and funny coincidences, but a great sense of ease. The city is welcoming, captivating despite the unfortunate reality that in the summer its streets are teeming with tourists and I heard more English than Italian being spoken during my visit.

DAY 1:

After a day of rest in Milan, I took a train to Florence. Long story, short: on this train, I befriended Dave after starting a conversation about the book he was reading, Catch 22. Faced with the issue of describing Dave, I will begin by saying that any description will fall short of capturing the quirky mix of strange and amiable qualities that somehow amount to Dave, but I will follow that by saying: (a) Dave is a math PhD student, (b) Dave is from a family of five in Alabama and is very Southern, (c) Dave is very, very thin and has a shaggy, scraggly beard, (d) Dave has a lot of strange habits, like constantly saying bad jokes, even at the least appropriate times, (e) Dave is never in a rush and does not mind getting lost or not doing what he originally set out to do. During my time in Florence, Dave and I met up every day to do our touristic activities together in what developed into an odd friendship of fun and, sometimes, frustration. The first day, we went for lunch after the train station and then walked to the center. We saw the Duomo, which very true to its nickname, really is “a building built inside-out,” for the decoration of its façade is incredible while its interior is surprisingly (and not pleasantly) bare. I took a long time looking at the doors of the Baptistery by Ghiberti, which are regarded to be the first piece of Renaissance art and which, in all honestly, are an incredible work of craftsmanship. It is amazing to look at any of the elements that adorn the façades of either the Duomo or the Baptistry because any element – statue, relief, door – represents a 1/3 of a man’s career at that time!

It should be noted that most of this afternoon was spent simply walking around, exploring the very-walkable streets of Florence’s center. At one point, we walked to Ponte Vecchio. We happened to have come to the bridge at sunset, when couples were gathered to watch the river change colors under the sun, a violinist was playing tunes on one of the steps, and everything seemed bathed in an almost liquid golden light. We shared a beer and sat there for almost an hour, watching families and couples and swaying to the music. Interestingly, the bridge is littered with locks that couples have placed in random parts in hopes of ‘good luck’ for their relationship…it occurred to me that locks might have a slightly negative connotation for something that is supposed to be good, no?

In any case, after a day of walking and a good introduction to Florence, Dave headed to his hotel and went off to (gasp) the random apartment that I had found using www.couchsurfing.com. Yes, it was my first time participating in this program and yes, I was very hesitant to go stay with strangers, however, all of my fears proved to be unfounded in this particular case, as my hosts were beyond anything I could have asked for! First, the apartment had a central location directly by my favorite plaza, Piazza della Republica! Second, the apartment was so large that I had my own (although small) bedroom! Third, they made me coffee in the morning, invited me to share their dinners, and gave me free internet!

DAY 2:

Today, again, I really enjoyed walking around the squares in the city. In particular, Piazza della Republica (near where I am staying) has a vibrant energy that changes during the day, with its pavement cafes and restaurants, lounging tourists, imposing Roman arch, and most notably (for me) locals who come to give their kids a ride on the carousel. Especially late at night, when the carousel hovers like a flash of bright light in the middle of a much darker space of stone and brick, I really enjoyed sitting for a while and listening to mothers calling to their children and the children responding with laughter.

In the morning I went to the museum of the Duomo, which talks about the cathedral’s construction, the history of its statues, etc. I found it very, very interesting, in part because it offered an interesting conclusion about the Renaissance: part of the reason it was such a revolutionary time was because in order to complete their proposed projects, artists had to make new inventions along the way! The very process of creation required a new and different kind of innovation, such as when Brunelleschi designed a dome that was the largest in the world for the Duomo and had to invent a new series of pulley systems to actual construct it!

After the museum, I met up with Dave and we visited San Lorenzo, the Central Market, Santa Croce, and spent a long time sitting in a really nice park. In terms of the park, I was reminded of my time in Paris where, since I lived across the street from it, I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time in Parc Monceau; even then, I realized how unique it was to have a park nearby, because they are the spaces where citizens breathe easier. “Normal people” (aka, not tourists) come here for their exercise, to rest on their way home, to take a walk with a loved on – the quotidian becomes beautiful when you are slowly admitted into it as if into a secret ancient ritual, and suddenly, acutely, you feel yourself a part of this city, instead of just a visitor. That is how I felt in Paris, so having a similar, albeit brief glimpse into life in Florence was very touching for me.

San Lorenzo (the first church we visited) was interesting because if was the parish church of the Medici family and because, next to it, Michelangelo built a library (the staircase leading up to it is really famous). Oddly enough, the library looked like something one would find at Harvard, so it was a tad surreal for me. After this, we visited the market, which was great because it was packed with stalls of vendors selling cheeses, meats, fruit, anything, and tourists and locals mingling together to buy something-or-other. I bought my parents an apricot mustard you dip cheese into! Our last big stop for the day was Santa Croce, which is a church I very much lingered in. There was a sense of silence and peace within its walls, in part maybe because so many renowned people are buried there (Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo, Fermi) that tourists have some respect and are (for once) silent, and in part because it was relatively dimly lit. The structure was built in the late 1200s and retains much of its Gothic severity…I personally welcomed the respite from the overwhelming heat and throngs of people outside.

DAY 3:

The third day of my visit was probably my favorite of all the days I stayed in Venice! In the morning, Dave and I met early to have a cappuccino by my house before visiting the small church of Orsanmichele. After this, we headed across town to see the Synagogue. The building itself is one of the most beautiful in Florence and was built in the late 1800s in a marked Moorish style – as a result, the detailed decorations of the ceiling and the walls is hypnotizing. Dave and I (the only gentiles in the room) sat it on an explanation of the history of the Jews in Florence as well as in other parts of Italy and how they were different. I then ran into some Jews from Mexico who immediately hugged me and started asking me about my time living there! (I’m always reminded about how much I miss Mexico when I run into Mexicans abroad and they all, without fail, invite me to visit!). We then saw the museum, talked briefly with the tour guide, and headed out. In the museum, I read a poem that was particularly striking to me, so I suggest looking it up. It is my Primo Levi and is entitled “Listen.”

During the tour, Dave and I had met a random character by the name of Todd who lives in LA but is married to an Italian woman so he comes often to Milan to visit her family. It was not surprising to me to meet a random stranger and end up having lunch with him for two hours, but Dave was thoroughly confused by the experience of meeting strangers abroad and befriending them! Todd was a very interesting character, in part because he talked very freely about music and literature, about his children and wife and his life in LA. Fun fact about Todd: he and his wife were married seven weeks after meeting and have now been married for ten years! It is amazing to me how people do that!

After lunch with Todd, Dave and I headed over to stand in line to enter the Galleria dell’ Accademia, one of Florence’s most famous museums because it houses Michelangelo’s “David.” As is my luck, while waiting I ran into some friends I had made while visiting Venice the previous weekend! In any case, the museum was absolutely incredible! It has now taken a top place in my list of favorite museums, next to the Reina Sofia in Madrid and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. First, the museum had a string instrument exhibit on and I saw (no joke) the only Stradivarius viola in the world that is still 100% in its original state! THEN, the museum also had an exhibit of American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe’s work. It seems that he was particularly inspired by Michelangelo’s sculptures, so the museum often placed a photograph next to a sculpture – the contrast was striking to say the least and absolutely illuminating. Mapplethorpe is quoted as saying “I am trying to capture what would be sculpture” and his photograph reflect, if nothing else, the search for an ideal form. THEN, as if this experience had not already been enough for me, I walked down the hallway leading up to the statue of “David”…it is lined with a series of unfinished works by Michelangelo, which, not surprisingly, are as captivating as David himself. “The Slaves” line this hallway, half finished and half still engulfed in rough marble – it’s stunning to see the work halfway through and to have it still capture such human emotion, such strength and power. Interestingly, I learnt that statues have to touch the base in three points (which is why statues often have a seemingly random tree stump) because stone cannot stand on its own while holding the proportions of human form!

And then, then, THEN there was David. Incredible, astounding perfection, from the slightly-flared nostrils, to the oversized hands, to the veins on the left forearm. I won’t say much about the statue for fear of trivializing what was really a silent, awestruck experience for me. (I also met an acupuncturist from San Francisco, so if anyone needs a recommendation, just ask!)

DAY 4

On the fourth day of my stay in Florence Dave and I went to the two largest museums there, the Ufizzi and the Pitti to see masterpieces by the likes of Caravaggio, Raphael, etc. Interestingly, we happened upon several paintings about the biblical story of Judith…all of them, particularly one my Allori, really moved me with the mixture of strength and grace in the young heroine’s face.

Later, Dave and I shared a bottle of wine while people-watching on the steps of the Galileo museum and were taken to dinner by Kami, a local leather-shop owner who had taken a liking to Dave and thus bought us a lovely dinner and entertained us with a myriad stories about Italo-American encounters. In particular he maintained that American women only need “soap and water” to look beautiful, whereas Italian women need a lot of time, preparation, and make-up. I took the liberty of accepting that as a compliment!

I must admit that I have developed a kind of ennui in Florence, but of the positive kind. I feel a certain kind of laziness come over me, but the laziness that comes only from comfort and satisfied peace, not a desire for inactivity. I really have taken a liking to this city.

I also have to note that my time in Florence has been marked by hilarious encounters. On the first day, I ran into people from my teaching program on two separate occasions by the Duomo! On another day, I arranged to have gelato with Brad, who lived across the hall from me freshman year of college and happened to be traveling through Italy! On yet another day, Dave and I were having dinner next to a Russian couple and we started chatting…turns out they recently moved to Texas but in reality are the heads of the largest distributor of gum in Russia (surreal, no?)…that particular meal ended with them toasting to our good health and travels; like good Russians, always marking an occasion with alcoholic consumption! Lastly, I met a GW Med School student walking around the city one evening and, with him, met a lovely woman from L.A. who does social media and marketing for athletes… and behold! I now have her contact information and a very generous promise from her to help me with my new marketing/PR job in NY!! In short, I am sure it my naïveté coming through, but I genuinely believe there is something about the city of Florence that facilitates warmth between total strangers and creates an almost-tangible air of shared humanity (excuse my melodramatic air, it really does feel that way to me!).