Dear all,

Awoke to what sounded like heavy chains being dragged up an endless flight of stone stairs - maybe the Duomo? It turned out to be some of those food and souvenir carts rattling their way across the stone-paved passageway in front of our building.

Don approached me a touch sheepishly (for Don) and said he realized that now we had to climb up the Campanile (Bell tower) so he could get some good shots of the Duomo from a higher level. So that's how we started out our day. It's not as high as the Duomo.


I find myself being very selective in Florence. It's just not like it was in the 'sixties when there were very few tourists, when almost none of the Italians spoke English, when you looked around the beautiful streets and piazzas and almost everyone was Italian, and stylishly turned out. When the signs and marquees were tasteful and discreet, designed only to instruct Italians. As our friend Inez describes: The men come there like beautiful peacocks with their coats over their shoulders...such prima gorgeous donnas! She may (I don't know) have been describing a more recent Florence, but it conjures up Florence of the 'sixties to me. However, also in the 'sixties, you rarely saw young women on the streets, and then only holding the hand of their mother or an aunt who had joined the nunnery. The men were so starved for female companionship that they would follow us down the streets in a small horde, which actually became very annoying after the initial flattery wore off in about 10 minutes, maybe 5. Actually, Florence was not as bad as Rome that way. Now there are so many young Americans doing their study abroad and tourists that English is heard as often as Italian. It is a wonderful experience for these young people, though. I think it is great and life changing; I just wish there weren't quite so many of them.

Of course, I'm one of them (one of the tourists, not one of the young people), and I'm happy to be here. But I do view Florence through a selective filter; I do my best to screen out those tourists, to recapture the past, which I think is rather a dangerous activity. It's probably one of the first steps to growing old, so I don't do it in general; only in Florence because I loved it so much, when I was 17. In fact, I avoided returning here for many years because I didn't think I could bear to see the changes. But it's not so bad; it's still beautiful, it's still worth visiting. However, it is a little like seeing your once very stylish and glamorous aunt, become a little tawdry, even though she still tries to follow the fashions. She appears at a function with her garishly colored lipstick and black eyeliner applied crookedly, a few soup spots on her clothing. You still love her, of course, but you feel a little sad. (Of course, this is probably how people have been feeling about Florence and other great cities for centuries.)

Speaking of visiting Florence, we were amazed at how many of our friends and family have actually lived here. People have been writing in with all sorts of suggestions, many of which we were not able to follow, although they sounded amazing. So we thought we would compile them here for those who are lucky enough to come to Florence in the future.


ou have to cross the Arno to get to some of the recommendations (Osteria del Cinghale Bianco and La Specola).

So pretty much in order of receipt, dinner suggestions from Brian Caraway (long-time Magnolia employee who spent a semester here). He even includes web sites.

Trattoria ZaZa

right on the piazza del marcato centrale (plaza of san loranzo market)
inside the market, there is a duck ragu that is simply to die for. once you enter the market go to the back left corner on the bottom floor. along that aisle, on the right hand side, just before you would have to turn right, at the back. try that and a plate of the pepe al pomodoro. possibly the best lunch (and least expensive) you'll have while you are there (oh yeah, only open for lunch).

on via santo spirito: il Cantinone enoteca and restaurant
and borgo san jacopo: Osteria del Cingale Bianco

hope this finds you well.
can't wait to hear some more stories.
bacci e abbracci

We did go to Osteria del Cinghale Bianco. Very, very good. We are not big meat eaters, but we did split a Tuscan steak there with porcini mushroom risotto, grilled vegetables, and the Florentine crostini (chicken liver pate on toast) - all related to you in reverse order. The proprietors are very warm and welcoming.

Trattoria Za Za is outside the central covered market (plaza of san loranzo market), which we did not have time to try, but the people eating there looked very happy.

We did go into the central market and tried the duck ragu, or some sort of ragu they were serving. Brian's right; it was fabulous. The pepe al pomodoro I thought was less fabulous, but still good and much lighter, so it was great to split these. The stall and seating area is a mad house. Very popular and chaotic.

Both Inez Storer and Squeak Carnwath recommended the museum La Specola, which is a fascinating place, but not for the weak of stomach. A huge number of stuffed animals and then the most amazing wax figures of dissected human bodies (mostly young and lovely women). I read that Goethe went to see these when he traveled to Italy and that they were a favorite of the Marquis de Sade (not surprising).

Sorry, we did not get any photos of the dissected women. We were edging towards nausea and there was a lot of reflection on the glass cases. I did get a snap of the veins of a leg, which was pretty interesting, but I will spare you. Also the lymphatic system was quite fascinating. Have no idea if it is accurate.


This artist, whose name I unfortunately do not recall, lived through one of the horrible Florentine plagues. There were several of these pieces, wax miniatures, which give you a sense of what it must have been like to live during the plagues, minus the smells and the terror, of course. We spent a morning at La Specola, and fortunately were still able to enjoy our lunch at Osteria del Cinghale Bianco.

Inez also recommended we go to an old apothecary near Santa Maria Novella. In fact, it was the official pharmacy of the Santa Maria Novella church and convent back in the days:

Hi You Two: Duomo looks splendid and did you notice that the tall wing or appendage or very narrow building on left is leaning to the left? You MUST fix it and report it to the CHURCH! Just for sheer indulgence if you can, wander over to the Santa Maria Novella (by railway station) and go to the grand old pharmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella on Via della Scala, 16. You will see the most beautiful light and old apothecaries in the room to the right. Be sure and get the astringent lotion...it takes years off your lives. You can send it or get a plastic bottle and decant it. And the box of soap is the most beautiful of boxes.

After arriving, I realized that I had been there, probably 40 years ago. It is a truly gorgeous place. We inquired about the astringent lotion, as we were fairly sure Inez meant that it took years off our appearance, and not off our lives. We had to chuckle when they explained to us that they no longer carry it and this was a lotion for adolescents, to prevent pimples.


The apothecary near Santa Maria Novella.





Is this Morocco, or perhaps Turkey? No, it's part of Santa Maria Novella. Someone returning from the Crusades must have had a hand in this.


From David Linger, a former intern at Magnolia, who was helping us with a ceramic project:

Since you are nearby, go to Robiglio, my favorite, old pastry shop on Via dei Servi - which is near Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, where Ospedale degli Innocenti is. The piazza has significant, early Renaissance buildings faced with gorgeous 15th Century plaques by della Robbia - who was my first hero in ceramics.
I was going to tell you to see the science museum, but you found it on your own. It's one of my favorites, and never has anybody in it.

We did go to Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, a handsome plaza, and we got biscotti at Robiglio.


From Anthony Holdsworth, who has lived in Florence, and fearlessly returns with groups of plein air painters and his wife and fellow painter Beryl, every year or so:

Era,
I'm enjoying your blogs. Thanks!
While you're in Florence you might want to check out my video of my recent trip there:  www.anthonyholdworth.com   And for something really different take the bus to I Gigli where the Florentines do all their serious shopping. It'll blow your mind and you will discover much better prices. It's a twenty minute ride into the periferia west of the city. There's a special bus that you pick up on Via Nazionale (to your right as you face the Santa Maria train station) just before via Fiume. You buy tickets in the office on the corner. The correct bus will be posted 'I Gigli'

Also Anthony and Roxane Schlumberger recommended Piazza Santo Spirito (across the Arno), which we somehow always forget to visit. It sounds great, but unfortunately the email came too late for us to fit it in. (We're not actually still in Florence, left 2 days ago)

Even if you don't visit I Gigli, do visit Piazza Santo Spirito some evening and have a glass of wine at the Pop Caffe this is where young Florentines hang out. For the price of a class of wine or beer you get all the food you can eat (though you'll need many tiny platefuls). Lunchtime this cafe offers delicious light lunches. Its a great antidote to the tourist saturated culture.
Ciao,
Anthony

Love from

Era and Aldo

Dear friends and family,

Let's see, yesterday (Saturday) we changed apartments. This apartment changing is the result of making such last minute changes to the trip, but the new apartment might be even better than the last. Both were great, but this one has internet! It's also between the Palazzo Vecchio and Via de Tornabuoni, actually not far from the Ponte Vecchio. I took some photos of this apartment before we flung our stuff all over and messed it up.


Apartment #2 has a washer and dryer. Apartment #1 only had a washer; one reason the apartment looked so messy (with clothes hanging up to dry).

We went to a farmer's market Saturday morning, or more like a specialty produce fair. Got an absolutely delicious truffle spread, seriously addictive. Also some nice bottles of wine and cheese. There is a wine show going on in Florence this weekend, tastings in different museums and other venues. It would have been very tempting, but we already had these lovely bottles we simply must drink.

It was a lovely day so we decided to climb to the top of the Duomo, something I can't remember ever doing, although it is possible I may have done it when I was 17 and touring with Deborah Hoffman (then Mann) and Erica Lennard. Maybe they can remember. We walked by several ambulances parked in the piazza. There are many, many steps; overweight tourists must pass out all the time.





































Here is a fabulous composite photo which Don took and then auto-pano'ed of the views we had when we would come out of our little narrow steep and close stone stairway for a more expansive view and breath of fresher air.


The stone stairs climbing between the famous 2 dome construction, an engineering feat devised by Brunelleschi which made this huge dome possible. Finally, panting and gasping, we made it to the top.


You'd probably look a little hesitant also if you climbed to the top of the Duomo and had a visitation from Johnny Cash. Would he just pose nicely, or would he try to carry you away, and perhaps not be able to hang on to you, regrettably dropping you on the beautiful city of Florence? I'm reading The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie, the perfect book to read while visiting Florence or Northern India. However, it is perhaps making me a bit fanciful.  (In criticism of my blog, Aldo points out that he doesn't see the resemblance: He doesn't have a guitar, he doesn't have a black cowboy hat, he's only wearing half black, and he doesn't have a craggy face, but his hair is sweaty from climbing almost 500 rather high steps.)


View from the top. 13 photographs stitched together. The full-size has incredible detail.

Love from

Era and Aldo

Dear all,

Have to relate another story about Ryanair from Ms. Georgina Esch of mainly Southern France these days, I think.

One of our female friends, a 5 foot 10 redhead, was pushed by a Ryanair official in the Perpignan airport.  So she decked him.  And was arrested.   Wonderful.  She dined out on it for months.

Good for her, I say. I think that would be a very appropriate use for our $100 fine. Though perhaps, being American, I am jumping to the conclusion that she sued Ryanair. Perhaps she had her meals paid for by people who appreciated a good story and sympathized with her more than they sympathized with Ryanair.


As I mentioned, we have no internet in our apartment, so we are forced to go to this cafe every morning and sometimes during other times of the day and have cappuccini.

Lots of museum hopping. We are definitely up for it. Went to the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (History of the Duomo), which was our main reason for coming to Florence. Don is doing research for a project. Took tons of pictures, which they do allow.


Part of the research, getting a sense of scale. This picture serves a dual purpose: Always make note of the toilet location.


Era at Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, sitting under a Donatello choir balcony - young boys frolicking. Not on a cell phone; listening to the Museo's spiel. We heard how various seriously wealthy people, like the Medici, would have different pieces torn out of the Duomo to update it for their son's wedding, or bar mitzvah, or some such event.

Then went to the Palazzo Medici Riccardi which has a lovely 360 degree fresco by Benozzo Gozzoli (photos not allowed), and a couple of the most incredible ceilings. Fantastic. One of many Medici palaces in Florence and its surrounds.





































Through the Looking Glass at Palazzo Medici Riccardi.





































Room with a Ceiling

 
Another room with a ceiling at the Palazzo Medici Riccardi

Today we went to a new museum, Museo Galileo, or the Instituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza (history of Science). Absolutely fantastic. We loved it. So inspiring. Beautiful old instruments and equipment, almost all Italian, so they were exquisitely beautiful. Little movies throughout which explained the different inventions, their basic science and how they worked. Everything was explained visually with very minimal subtitles in Italian and English. Very cleverly done. The exhibits and the inventions and machinery itself were beautifully presented. We spent the whole day there, except for a break for soup (Ribollita), salad, porcini mushrooms, grilled vegetables and shrimp pasta, wine, of course. They wouldn't let us take photos, but they did have beautiful catalogs for sale. We bought half a dozen very heavy ones. Now must find FedEx.

Living around the corner from the Duomo you begin to notice certain things. Do you see how the sky shining through the rosettes is so enamel blue? When I first saw them, even though I knew better, I thought the rosettes were enameled. Also, almost all the elements in the building are not identically matching. The windows are all different, the decorative elements in the archways at the top of the building, under the rosettes are all different. The four petalled rosettes to the right of the picture are pretty similar, but the similarity is an oddity in this building.

While enjoying a glass of wine yesterday at a neighborhood cafe with wireless (same cafe as first photo of this blog), Don spoke to an artist friend on his cell phone (using Skype), as the friend was speeding on a  train to Virginia (sounds like a math problem). So, Don was in Florence, using Skype, and speaking to someone who was traveling to Virginia. Sorry to repeat myself, but I just can't get over these newfangled ways. The down side - a supplier called Don's cell in the middle of the night to inquire about an overlooked/unpaid Magnolia bill ($100) - oops.

More coming up.

Ciao, ciao,

Era and Aldo

Dear friends and family,

We are kicking ourselves that we did not see Enrique Chagoya's etchings at the Met, displayed alongside Goya etchings. A little intimidating, he says. I guess, but still quite an honor. Those of you in NY may still have a chance.

Frankfurt must have been a good 20, 25 degrees cooler than NY. We landed in mist and then light drizzle. At first it felt wonderful, but after a couple hours out walking we started to get cold. What soft, fickle creatures we are. Stayed in a wonderful boutique hotel, Villa Oriental. All done in a Moroccan style with beautiful craftsmanship throughout. A Persian restaurant next door with great food. And what I was probably most excited about, I got to remove the 2 "A Child's Vi[r]gil" by Norbert Prangenberg and John Yau from my luggage and we actually mailed them at a Frankfurt post office to Norbert's agent. It was so easy! Let's hope they get there, but somehow the young efficient postman at the Frankfurt Hautbahnhof (main train station) inspired great confidence. German efficiency. The package took up at least half of my suitcase, so the relief is immense.


Travel is not boring, especially when you take Ryanair. The Frankfurt-Hahn airport is about an hour and 45 minutes from Frankfurt. It is an old military airbase which is now used for mainly budget airlines (Still has a Circa 1960 building/control tower with giant words "Flight Operations"). To get out there, one must drive, or the easiest way is to take one of the airline shuttles. These leave every hour from close to the Hautbahnhof. Ryanair is inexpensive and very reliable, but fraught with all sorts of strict pitfalls and a policy of zero tolerance. (Quite a difference from Singapore Air on our flight over, where you feel that you can do no wrong. At Ryanair you almost feel that everything you do is wrong.) You break the rules, you pay ze money, or maybe you don't even get on the plane. They close their flight desks I believe 30 minutes before the flight, so if you haven't checked in and dropped your luggage, you are out of luck. If you haven't declared your luggage and paid for it beforehand, it will cost you. And if you haven't printed out your boarding passes, within a window which closes 4 hours before your flight, it will really cost you. We forgot to print ours out and it cost us about 100 bucks.


We took a walk along the River Main (pronounced "Mine", sort of).

We got off the bus and straggled into the airport. Some of our fellow travelers were greeted with a notice that their flight had been cancelled. Was this some new Ryanair thing? No, it turned out all flights into anywhere in Spain and Belgium were cancelled on all airlines, because of a big strike in those countries. We spoke to 3 young Germans, who had been on their way to Valencia, now waiting in line to get their refund, and hoping to get tickets to Portugal. Travel is not boring, they said. We later saw them, all smiles. They had managed to group together with 2 other formerly stranded travelers, one of whom had rented a car, and they were all going to drive to Spain.


While standing in line in the waiting room, we couldn't help but notice a disturbance. A  couple had gotten into a screaming match with one of the Ryanair hostesses. The man, who was trying to get some long rolls of something onto the plane (eegads, he was probably an artist), completely lost it and started to make threatening gestures directed towards the hostess. She shouted "That's it! He's staying here. He's not getting on the plane." The female side of the couple started a screaming and shouting episode, which lasted a good 20 minutes. It was impressive. The man planted himself in the passage, doing his best to block the entry of those of us who were allowed to board the plane. I don't think they ever made it onto the plane. I was relieved to discover that they did not appear to be Americans. At least one can take pleasure in the fact that this couple managed to find each other; clearly meant to be together.

An hour and a half later, and we landed in a different world, a world of perfect weather, for one thing. Actually landed in Bologna, made our way to Florence, and to the most fabulous spacious, luxurious apartment, around the corner from the Duomo. Went to a neighborhood restaurant with a proprietor who broke into song on a regular basis, mostly opera arias. Shades of Lady and the Tramp and their spaghetti dinner, if you can remember that far back. The food was delicious. Wonderful pasta, good wine, fresh veggies. Don had a grappa to fight off a cold that was coming on. The only thing not great was the limoncello, but that was on the house.






Maintenance never ends on these older structures. (Auto Pano - 8 photos stitched together with Era editing - orig = 200MB. Don catching up on his sleep and attempting to shake the cold.)

The astounding Florentine Duomo, the result of many competitions over the centuries, with entries from some very big names in art. Michelangelo was one of the losers. The maestro commented that the winning design for the top dome and facade looked like a cricket cage. One can imagine the Maestro making this comment somewhat bitterly, after some good, or bad, Italian wine. Sour grapes. We don't agree, and the newly cleaned and replaced white arches at the top look fabulous.

We will soon venture out to discover the best cappucino/internet cafe in Florence.

And we must apologize if we are not answering your emails quickly or at all. Our apartment is an elegantly restored medieval building with very high ceilings, new kitchen and bathroom, spacious, all of that, but no internet. So we would have to be extremely efficient to answer everything at an internet cafe, and it just isn't going to happen. So if it's important, and we haven't answered in a few days, please re-send. We do love getting your responses, but we may not have the requisite time to respond back, at least not right away.

Love, Ciao,

Era and Aldo (Don)