Well, guess what, I finally made it on the train from Rome to Florence! These guys were in the train station. It was really interesting because after asking several people in the Rome train station, I determined I needed to be on the train to Milan. Nowhere did it say, "This is the train to Milan, but it makes lots of other stops along the way, like in Florence." So I was waiting out at the track, and I kept hearing Italian announcements that I surmised were saying that trains that were scheduled to leave from track #such & such had been changed to a different track. I'm not quick enough on the numbers yet, so I pretty much ignored them. Then, all of a sudden, everyone in my area turned around and left! I asked a nice lady who didn't speak much English, and all she said was "Follow me." So I did, and we took this cool underground tunnel that brought us up right in the middle of the correct track, and I got on and found my seat before most everyone else.
Remember when I said I got a seat reservation for this train? Well, it's sure a good thing I did, because there were more people than there were seats, because not all of them had seat reservations. There were several people in my compartment who got chased out by the person with the seat reservation. There was a very long discussion between this very well-dressed lady and two young women, when finally she realized that her seat was occupied by the only man in the compartment. He had to get up and go sit on the flip-down seat in the hall. Soon all the flip-down seats were taken, too. So as I'm riding along, I realize I can't understand the announcements, and I don't know when to get off. No one else in my compartment was really sure either, because there were two Florence stops, but we all guessed right, and I got off in the old part of Florence, and here I am!
Next thing I'm dragging 2 suitcases up and down the street, looking for the tourist info office so I can get a bus line map. I got several wrong directions, because not that many people actually know where it is. I finally found the right place down the street, and then I wanted to buy two all-day bus passes, so back I went to a place I had passed coming out of the station. I finally took a taxi to my hotel across town.This hotel is a lot nicer than the one in Rome, and it's in a better neighborhood, too. I had to wait for my room to be made up, which was killing me, because today is Saturday, and I really needed to get going to see as many sights as possible before they close. I asked the desk clerk how to get to the Accademia, where the original of David is, and he gave me bus instructions to downtown, about a 10-minute walk from David. But since I have my handy-dandy bus map, I decided to take another bus which took me within half a block. That was one of my few smart moves today.
David was even more impressive than I remember him. Statues of David usually have him with his foot on Goliath's head, but this one is different. Michaelangelo chose the moent when David looks at Goliath, and thinks, "I can take this guy." Stones are in his right hand. The picture you see is a David copy which overlooks the city. He sort of became the symbol for the city soon after he was completed. You can't take pix of the original. I loved the "Prisoners" because it showed how Michelangelo worked, so differently from other sculptors. Others would make all these markings on the stone, but he always worked freehand. He felt like he was just freeing the sculpture that was already in the stone. The "Prisoners" are a group of unfinished sculptures, only partially freed from the stone.
Then I headed for the Duomo, the cathedral you see with the red tiled roof in all the pix of Florence. I investigated Ghiberti's doors on the Baptistry, called the "Doors of Paradise" by Michaelangelo, and then tried to find my way to the Uffizzi. I must look American, because sometimes I didn't even get the question out, and people gave me directions in English!
I'd heard it was impossible to get into the Uffizzi without reservations, but that's what they say about the Accademia, too, so I figured: hey, it's November, there's hardly any tourists, how bad can it be? WRONG! There was a line of at least 500 people stretching to the right of the entrance, all waiting just to get a reservation. There was a lighted sign saying all reservations were for tomorrow already. Then there was another line of 500 people stretching to the left, all of whom already had reservations and were waiting to get in! I maybe could have waited in line and got a reservation for tomorrow, but I wasn't going to do it. Period. I'd read that you can get reservations for the Uffizzi back at the Accademia, so I trucked back there. They can't. So I gave up on the Uffizzi, and will just have to wait to see it with my group in June. There is a phone # to get reservations, but it closed at 12:30 and won't open again until Monday. In summer you have to get reservations as much as 2 months in advance! I'll be sure to do it next time!
I walked all over Florence's center, and it is so COOL and so walkable! It was maybe 38 degrees and really breezy but sunny and I was loving it! I sure wish you were all here! I found several squares with street musicians and a merry-go-round and very fancy shops with super-sophisticated window displays and a street market section and lots of vendors who just spread out a blanket and sell leather purses and Gucci knock-offs! Heidi and Angela, I can hardly wait to show you! I loved Rome, because there was absolutely SO MUCH TO SEE, but this is even better!
I climbed up to the top of the Duomo dome, designed by Brunelleschi, and the first time anyone could ever figure out how to build such a large dome since Roman times. I have taught students about that for years, so I decided, "I don't care if it is 462 steps up and I'm tired and cold, I am going to the top! I so loved it.
You climb up steps between the inner and outer domes, and you can see how the brick walls are all on an angle. Engineers(Troy) would love it! You get to come out inside the dome and look down on the people going to mass on your way up, and again at a higher level on your way down. The ceiling frescoes are so close you can touch them! It's covered with angels and naked bodies and Mary as the Queen of Heaven and Christ above her. At the opposite side of the dome, Satan is depicted as a big red monster-person with wings and horns and eating people! Absolutely amazing! About half way down there is a landing that shows the tools they used to build it, most of them wood.
For supper I bought a slice of pizza with artichoke hearts and fresh tomato slices and some white cheese. The shop had 2 floors of seating above street level. I got the owner to translate for me, and pretty soon he even sang for me. I thought he was saying he would sing about his hotel, (initial "h" is silent) but them I realized he was singing about Othello! He had a decent bass voice. He said he missed his calling.The Italians all get out and walk every evening. From about 5:00-7:00 the streets are filled. Tonight I walked with them during the passeggiata and I really enjoyed it, kind of window shopping and wandering and enjoying the social event with everyone, even if it's cold!
My time is going to run out that I paid for, so I'll send this now.
Love,
Mom
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