Italy – Page 2 – Destination NOW

Ragusa

Full disclosure. This is no longer coming to you “live”. We have been home for a week. My blogging just couldn’t keep pace with our activities. We were BUSY! And when we weren’t busy, we were recuperating from the busyness… and drinking…and eating…and drinking.

Speaking of recuperation, the good news is that our friends recovered in time to join us the evening before we left for Ragusa. Daniel, our wonderful guide (We all love you, Daniel!) sent a doctor to the hotel in Palermo, then arranged for a driver to pick them up and bring them to our next lodging–the beautiful Agriturismo Berlingeri. AND while they were in Palermo, he had them moved to a larger room so they could be more comfortable. Pretty thoughtful!

Looking good after taking advantage of the Italian medical system!

So, about Ragusa. It is actually TWO towns–lower and upper Ragusa. After the earthquake in 1693, the majority of the population moved upward, but fortunately, some stayed behind to rebuild what is now Ragusa Ibla, the old town.

The two towns are connected by a LOOONG staircase. Graciela, our local guide, packed us onto a bus (and we were indeed packed) to the upper city so we could walk DOWN, which gave us ample opportunity to take in the panoramic views.

I didn’t count the steps, however it was NOT a strenuous stroll, especially given our frequent pauses–bathroom break, cold drinks, ogling everything. Graciela’s interesting stories kept us entertained and engaged all the way down.

Take a look at the underside of this balcony. Graciela pointed out that the top figure on the left is asking the top figure on the right for more food and drink. The figure on the left is responding with the universal hand signal for “go do something unmentionable to yourself.” Too bad the central figure is missing. Wonder what HE would have had to contribute to this interaction.

Lesson learned: take time to look UP. Cool things are EVERYWHERE!

Is it just me, or are some of these characters in dire need of dental care?

Our walk ended at the cathedral, where St. George plays a prominent role. Here’s HIS story. Initially, St. George was portrayed as a Roman soldier, who saw the light and ended up slaying the dragon. Graciela explained the dragon symbolized the pagans who were threatening the Christians.

Sometime during the middle ages, St. George got a make-over, becoming a medieval knight. This time the dragon was more specific; he represented the Muslims and Turks who were battling the Christians for control of the holy land. THAT St. George is portrayed in the huge painting on the cathedral wall. Nobody seemed bothered that George was killing dragons in two different centuries!

I bet you’re wondering what that silver and gold box in the middle of the cathedral is all about. Nope, it doesn’t hold the 10 Commandments and it isn’t a casket–but close. It holds 32 relics! Fingers, toes, pieces of the original cross–who knows? We didn’t get the specifics. One of our guides later commented “How many fingers and toes do you think the saints had?” Let’s ponder that for a while, and commend the entrepreneurs of the middle ages.

After our tour ended, we had free time to enjoy this lovely little mountain town.

Although there is a little trolley that can take you on a tour, we decided to walk off some of the great food and wine we had been consuming. Good thing, because the next day we headed off to a farm for a “Day in the Life” of a Sicilian family.

All OAT trips include a home visit or some kind of cultural exchange, and this trip was no exception. Here are Maria and her son John Baptiste, welcoming us to the family farm. John Baptiste, an archaeologist by training, is restoring the farm, which was his mother’s childhood home.

I know this looks like it could be an instrument of torture from the Spanish Inquisition, but it is actually the original wine press.

We didn’t make wine, but we DID help with the cooking, sorta the way my little 3 and 4 year old nieces help with cooking. The woman in the brown shirt and white apron? If it weren’t for her, the result would have been VERY different!

The food was magnificent! We could even tell ourselves that WE did some of the cooking.

Check out the oven. Doesn’t get more authentic than this.

So what else would you need to know if you are going to visit Ragusa? Well, the hotel we stayed at–the San Giorgio Palace Hotel– is ideally located. It is at the edge of town, carved into the hillside, and is within walking distance of everything — all of the restaurants, shops, cathedral and park. There is a nice patio on the 4th floor, where you can sip a glass of wine and watch the sun go down over the hillside. It was quite wonderful.

Next stop–Catania.

Oh, To Be Rich in Ancient Sicily!

No one knows for sure who lived in the Villa Romana del Casale. Some think it might have been the country home of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius; others theorize a provincial governor lived and conducted administrative duties here.

It was constructed in the middle of the 4th century AD, and owes its remarkable preservation to the mudslide that covered the villa in the 12th century. The building remained hidden until the 1950’s excavations.

Katya, our local expert, explained that we were going to view some of the finest examples of Roman mosaics in all of Europe, with scenes ranging from Homeric escapades to depictions of daily life, at this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Katya was excellent, and that was true of all the local guides on our trip. We learned that our main guide, Daniel, had a choice of 4 or 5 different local guides for each site, and I have to say, he chose very well. Katya was interesting and so informative, a delight to listen to.

We began our tour by the aqueduct, which was the source of water for the baths–starting with the hot bath, and ending with the frigidarium, the cold bath.

The slaves kept the fires going in these ovens so that the baths were at the proper temperature.
I wasn’t taking notes, so don’t hold me to it, but I THINK this was the frigidarium. Or it was something else. Whatever. It was impressive.

The main attraction of the villa is the floor mosaics, and they are absolutely magnificent.

Probably the most famous room, the 10 maidens are exercising, wearing the ancient version of bikinis. And look, someone appears to have won the swimsuit competition, earning her a crown and a palm leaf to wave around.

Not quite so famous, but certainly as intriguing were these: one example of the many scenes of a hunt.

This woman’s clothing indicates she was from the eastern empire, possibly Muslim. There is another mosaic of a similarly attired woman, being carried off by soldiers. It isn’t hard to imagine what that mosaic was illustrating.

No commentary necessary for this one.

I particularly liked the depiction of the theater. Looks like the legend of the Cyclops was being featured.

Those white squares on the mosaic–I thought someone had been littering, but no. They were placed there intentionally to absorb moisture.

Here’s a close up of Cyclops. I really DID like that mosaic! Isn’t it amazing what the craftsmen were able to do with little colored stones?

One last look at the countryside and we’ll be on our way. Our timing was fantastic. We were leaving, just as hoards of tourists were arriving!

Mr Toad’s Wild Ride, Sicilian Style

It seems like every tour we’ve been on has had its own version of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, and Sicily is no exception. In Modica, we careened through the narrow streets in vintage fiats. No seat belts or other sissy stuff in these cars. It’s just you, your driver, and two other passengers sandwiched into these tiny vehicles. I was wondering whether Mike would be able to get into one of these, and if he did, would he ever be able to get back OUT?

Okay, so now we know the answer to the first half of the question!

I was also glad to see that Jesus was riding along with Mike. In fact, it looks like he’s sitting in Mike’s lap. Jesus’ name was undoubtedly invoked multiple times during our race through the alleys that the locals mistakenly think of as streets.

A few weeks ago, someone on the OAT forum asked whether WE would be able to drive a Fiat 5000. After looking at the clearance on either side of the cars, you’ll have your answer. Unless you have a death wish, you wouldn’t WANT to! The streets of Modica are ridiculously narrow, with blind corners, sharp turns, and steep hills. I was very grateful to have an experienced local behind the wheel.

You definitely had to be there, but these photos will give you an inkling of what it was like!

Being by far the largest woman in the group, I decided to ride with smaller companions. That scored me a front seat, from which I took those photos.

Here we are: Sue, our driver, me and Ann, still smiling after our ride ended.

The intrepid travelers assembled on the steps of one of Modica’s many churches for a group photo.

The views from the cathedral area were breath taking!

We ended our evening with a visit to a chocolate shop (yes, I made purchases, which could possibly become prizes. My sisters, nieces and cousins know what THAT means!). As usual, we had an amazing dinner. As usual, there was far more food than I could possibly eat.

A special treat was an unexpected visit to the local community band’s practice session. We could hear them from the street, so Daniel (our wonderful guide) got permission for us to go inside. Check out that young boy. He was an AMAZING drummer.

They very nicely played John Phillip Souza’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” just for us! What a wonderful memory.

On the Road to Piazza Armerina

I know. You are all just itchin’ to find out how we are getting from point A to point B on this island. Well, itch no more, because not only will I TELL you, I’m also giving you the visual. We have been traveling in comfort on this lovely bus. There are only 16 of us, plus our guide, so we have LOTS of room to to spread out.

The view from these huge windows has been amazing. We definitely chose the right time to visit Sicily–the wild flowers are blooming, everything is lush and green, and the temperature has been perfect!

We are all so grateful that Marco, our bus driver, is manouvering along these winding, VERY narrow roads, up and down the hillsides. All we had to do is sit back, relax and take it all in.

Once again, we will be time traveling, all the way back to Ancient Greece. I don’t know why, but I just got a flash back to Mr. Peabody and his boy, Sherman, of the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. (“Every dog should have a boy”. God, I loved that show! ) How sad that so much of my knowledge of history, at least what stuck, came from cartoons and Walt Disney! But I digress.

When we arrived at the Valley of the Temples, we were greeted by another Marco, our guide for the site. An archaeologist, he came equipped with maps, diagrams, and an abundance of enthusiasm.

Sadly, the site had been picked clean by those successive waves of conquerors, so it was difficult to extract much information about the lifestyle of the original Greek inhabitants of Akragas (as the area was once known) from artifacts, bones, shards, etc.

Fortunately, though, eight Greek temples remain at this UNESCO site, all built between 510 and 430 BC. The best preserved temple, called “Concordia” by the non-archaeologists, (because the archaeologists didn’t have sufficient info to determine the correct names of the temples) was saved from being scavenged by the locals because it was transformed into a church by the Normans. Walls were built between the pillars, and the entrance was changed, then at some point (and yeah, I forgot what Marco said. Sorry!) it was all changed back.

From the valley, you can see the modern city of Agrigento, just beyond Greek temple F (the archaeologists’ name for Concordia. )

What Marco COULD tell us was that these arches were once the entrance to Greek tombs, that were later repurposed by the Normans for shelter, with the actual grave used as a manger for their animals. The Greeks dug shallow graves — only about a foot and a half deep– and covered the hole with rocks. Who knows what the Norman’s did with the remains they found when they moved those rocks!

My favorite part of the site, however, was this incredible sculpture of Icarus, who fell from the skies because he flew too close to the sun. Clearly, HE hadn’t been under water for 2,000 years! Also clear was that he was a modern addition to the site.

After our tour, it was time for lunch at this lovely private home.

You’d think we would have figured it out by now. What we THOUGHT was the lunch, was actually just the antipasto, followed by several other courses. We have concluded that we need to get much better at pacing ourselves! But if the food wasn’t enough, there was yet another surprise in store for us: The owner’s grandfather had been a renown craftsman, creating donkey carts that were truly works of art.

The paintings on the sides of the carts were of historical events, like this one depicting the assassination of Julius Caesar.

Even the spokes on the wheels were intricately carved.

Here’s our hostess, who also functioned as guide, cook and server.

These magical interludes are a big reason that Mike and I travel with OAT. We NEVER would have been able to arrange for some of these fascinating encounters on our own!

By now, we were completely sated with food and culture, ready for our one night stay at Vecchia Masseria in Piazza Amerina.

And yes, it really WAS that beautiful. Another agritourismo, in a pastoral setting with delicious, locally sourced food. Life is good.

Phoenicians, Salt and The Port of God

What an island! Strategically placed between Africa and Europe, the east and the west, Sicily was home to successive waves of conquerors, and for our second day, we visited one of the conquering heroes’ settlements. The Phoenicians, originally from the area that is now Lebanon, were among the first waves.

But first, we took a close look at the commodity that gave us the word “salary”. Sal (salt) was once used by the Romans as currency. Unlike other parts of the world, where salt is mined, the salt here is extracted from the sea. The water evaporates from shallow beds, leaving behind a substance that is low in sodium, high in potassium and magnesium. The Trapani salt is practically a health food! The sea, the wind, the sun all work together, with a little help from human workers, to create this miracle ingredient. Doesn’t get more natural than that.

After learning more than I ever thought possible about salt, we boarded a boat for the little island of Mothya, where almost 3000 years ago, Phoenicians built a fortress and a settlement.

There’s not much left on Mothya, just some walls, (header photo) and a museum that once was the home of Giuseppe Whittaker. Whittaker, in fact, owned the entire island. Fortunately, he was interested in archaeology and history, left his home and property to the public.

The salt museum contained this rendition of what the settlement was imagined to be.

It’s not a big island; we were able to walk from one end to the other, working up an appetite for this amazing feast!

Our last stop was at the place the Arabs called “Marsa Allah”, the Port of God, now known as Marsala, for wine tasting. Check out the size of those barrels. That’s a whole lot of Chicken Marsala!

It is rare indeed that my wine glass is still full after a wine tasting. In fact, I would say that this was a first. To me, Marsala is way too sweet. Okay for cooking, but definitely not my choice for drinking.

Next stop, the Valley of the Temples.

Erice and Segesta

Time to leave Palermo. Fortunately, I’m feeling much better. Unfortunately that was not true for Shirley and Owen, who had to stay behind. Believe it or not, the three of us had different ailments, with Shirley the worst off, suffering from a kind of flu.

We made the most of our drive to Mazara, first stopping at the lovely little hilltop town of Erice. This was definitely not a drive I would have wanted to attempt at night, or after having a glass or two of wine.

See that light brown squiggle ? It really IS the road. Check out those hair pin turns. Anyone prone to carsickness would be wise to bring along Dramamine. If you are not a sufferer, the views are great!

Erice’s castle (pictured in the header) supposedly was built atop Venus’ temple. Legend has it that this temple was the home of prostitutes. That seems fair, given that Venus was the goddess of love and fertility. Back in the day, I’ll bet a visit here was a lot more fun than visiting those vestal virgin temples in Rome!

In addition to the castle, Erice has the usual abundance of stone churches (more than one would expect the inhabitants would need, but that’s true of about every town in Italy), and lovely little alleys.

Here are Maxine and Sue, two of our three travelers from Portland Oregon, demonstrating that the alley ways are barely big enough for two people. (AND that cool girls wear purple!)

About our group–once again, we lucked out with great, congenial travelers. There are 16 of us–6 men and 10 women from all over the USA. We are four married couples, two sisters, two friends, and four solo travelers, all curious, friendly and open to adventure. But maybe that’s just the type of person who normally signs up for OAT trips.

Erice also has a wonderful attraction that Rick Steves highlighted on one of his shows (thank you, Janet C.) and that Daniel, our trip leader, made sure we experienced–the pastry shop of Maria Grammatico.

Here’s Maria’s story: her mother was unable to feed her 6 children, so at age 11, Maria was shipped off to the convent, where she was immediately put to work. During her 16 years there, she learned the trade, then set out on her own, duplicating the age old recipes.

It seems that the good sisters were not overly supportive of Maria’s efforts, but she persisted, and now has a very successful business, with great ratings on trip advisor.

After hitting all of Erice’s highlights, we hopped back on the bus for a fantastic lunch at this amazing location. All of the food and wine we enjoyed were from the farm, but what else made the location special was its proximity to Segesta’s temple.

If you are ever in the area, be sure to stop at Azienda Agrituristica. The food is incredible and the scenery is spectacular.

Unlike Venus’ temple, you can actually SEE this one, and what a sight it was! Most of the group viewed the temple on a hike from the Agritourismo to our bus. Some of us, however, decided to take the shuttle van back, stopping for a photo op along the way.

I leave it to you to decide which option I chose, but here’s a hint.

Enjoying the pool at the agritourismo with Maxine and Sue

Mazara, Sicily

What an incredible stay we had at Agriturismo Berlinger, a beautiful resort about 45 minutes from Mazara. As usual, the breakfasts and two dinners we enjoyed here featured all of the farm’s products.

Some of the group took advantage of the beautiful pool, but I wasn’t about to risk it with my cold. I was just content to wander around the property, enjoying being in the middle of a vineyard!

Our two days in Mazara were very active, starting with a guided tour through the kasbah, home to the city’s Tunisian community.

It didn’t take long for us to notice the beautiful ceramics scattered throughout–vases, tiles, wall plaques. Oznee, our 18 year old Tunisian guide, told us the mayor of Mazara, an artist, sponsored this ceramic extravaganza.

The kasbah is a labyrinth, intentionally designed to confuse the enemy. What looks like a straight path ends up being a dead end trap, where the invaders could be set upon by the home team.

Before our tour concluded, we met Oznee’s grandmother, who emigrated here from Tunisia with her husband and six children. Oznee’s parents divorced, leaving him with his grandmother when he was 11. Since then he has been working, recently supporting himself by giving these tours.

The town is rightfully proud of its treasure, the “Dancing Satyr,” a Greek bronze statue discovered by local fishermen in 1998. The statue is displayed in the former medival church of San Francesco, now repurposed as a museum.

Here’s a closer look:

After we left the museum, we were treated to several wonderful surprises.

First we met the mayor, looking very much like the artist he is.

The gentleman in the background, to the left, wearing jeans, is Antonio, who took us to the restored Garibaldi museum where he serenaded us with “Volare” and “New York, New York”. (He was magnificent!)

Finally, we met Captain Ciccio, whose fishing crew pulled up the satyr’s leg in their fishing net. They kept returning to the area in the hope that they would find the rest of him.

The captain told us that after they snagged this 6 foot statue, the crew gathered round, ridiculing the small size of his “joystick”. Suddenly the statue spoke to them, and this is what he said. “I’d like to see what YOURS would look like after being underwater for 2,000 years!”

So what did the captain get for discovering this priceless treasure?

Well, in addition to bragging rights and the satisfaction of doing something wonderful for his community, he was given sufficient money to marry off his three daughters. To him, the satyr is the son he never had!

We ended our day with a cooking class at a local restaurant. Our group divided into 4 teams, with each team contributing one dish. We had a bread ball appetizer, a wonderful baked eggplant dish, tomato pesto with home made pasta, and a delicious variation on tiramasu. It was the perfect ending for a great first day in Mazara.

Palermo, Sicily

Once again, my best laid plans have gone a bit astray. Somehow I managed to come down with a raging cold on the day we departed for Sicily. That undoubtedly earned me the hotly contested title of the flight’s Most Hated Passenger as I coughed my way across the Atlantic Ocean.

Ah well, one of the clear advantages of being older is you have learned to roll with whatever comes your way. Although, truth be told, there wasn’t much rolling, or any other kind of movement going on for the first two days we were in Palermo. I pretty much took to my bed, being unwilling to share whatever I had acquired with my fellow travelers. One definite advantage to group travel is Mike was able to enjoy sightseeing with the others while I rested up.

By day 3 (Saturday), I was able to venture forth, so we decided to strike out on our own.

Right by the opera house, we hopped aboard the free trolley, to one buggy driver’s disappointment. Pretty amazing that Palermo offers free transportation around the city to everyone!

Our first stop was what is now known as the Norman Castle, which started out as an Arab fortress. In the 1100’s it became King Roger 2’s humble abode. King Roger 2 was quite an impressive guy. This Norman ruler managed to pull off what current world leaders haven’t been able to accomplish: Christians, Jews and Muslims coexisted in harmony during his reign, melding together the best of their cultures.

The geometric designs in the ceiling of his bedroom have a definite Islamic flavor. This is one small section of a very elaborate design. I wonder if those gold mosaics glow in they dark. Does the beast in the center remind you of Maurice Sendak’s book ” Where the Wild Things Are”? I guess that’s one way to prevent your kids from crawling into bed with you. Now why didn’t WE think of that?

To get to that royal apartment, you had to climb up several massive staircases. I counted 100 steps! No gym membership required for Roger. But he didn’t have to travel far for church services. The Palatine Chapel is on the floor below, so he could roll out of bed and be at mass in less time than it took to place his crown on his head. Like the Royal Apartment, the chapel is shiny and bright, with Christian and Muslim motifs covering every surface.

At the start of our visit, we were approached by a woman who asked if we would like a free guided tour in English. Her students, these four young girls, were eager to practice their English on us and earn extra credit. What a nice idea!

The building has been remodeled multiple times over the years. The courtyard outside the chapel, for example, was redecorated around 1600.

Pay close attention to the portraits on the bottom. They form a border around the perimeter of the courtyard. These were notable saints…every last one of them male. So, either there were no women saints deemed worthy of a spot on the wall OR women’s virtue was so taken for granted that it didn’t seem they had to put any effort into attaining sainthood. So why make a big deal about it? You decide which explanation rings true to you.
Rather than go into culture overload, we decided not to overdo it, so headed back to rest up before dinner at Vino y Pomadoro, a wonderful restaurant close to our hotel. The menu had English “subtitles” so I was very relieved. I have this fear that I would accidentally order something that would horrify me, like pizza with rabbit and horseradish. Here’s what I got.

Next stop, Mazara.

Sicilian Celebration

Mike and I stopped giving each other “stuff” years ago. We already have more than enough future yard sale items. No more birthday, anniversary, Valentine’s, Christmas or Groundhog’s Day presents for us. Instead, we mark life’s milestones by making memories, mostly through traveling. Refusing to succumb to the tyranny of the calendar, we are free to celebrate whatever we want, whenever we want. If we happen to be traveling during an anniversary or birthday month, well then, that’s just a bonus. THIS year is one of those bonus years.

We will be in Sicily during May, our anniversary month, hoisting our glasses to toast 41 years of wedded bliss. Okay, full disclosure. Those years haven’t ALL been blissful (my sisters would add ” especially for poor Mike” ) but on the whole, it’s been pretty darn great!

We will be embarking on an OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel) trip with our good friends, Shirley and Owen. Two years ago we spent two weeks wandering through Tuscany and the Amalfi coast with OAT’s sister company, Grand Circle. They had never been on an organized tour before, but had such a wonderful time, it was not difficult to persuade them to come along again. What’s especially exciting is that Shirley’s grandfather hails from a small village two hours from Palermo. She and Owen plan to make their way to the village on one of our “free” days.

This is what our OAT itinerary looks like. As you can see, we are covering quite a lot of ground.

We will be staying for three nights in four of the cities: Palermo, Mazara, Ragusa and Catania, with a single night in Piazza Armerina. At the end of the OAT tour, the four of us will head to Malta. From Catania, we will fly to Valetta and will use that as our base during our five days in Malta.

As usual, I’ve been learning the history of the places we’ll be visiting, and I have to tell you, theose poor inhabitants of Sicily did not have an easy time of it. Here’s the Cliff’s Note version: There was a lot of fighting and conquering going on–with Greeks, Romans, Carthaginians, Arabs, Normans, and Spaniards taking turns raping, pillaging, plundering and selling inhabitants into slavery. Sicily isn’t at the bottom of “the boot” for nothing. It sure got kicked around a lot!

Augustus, Hannibal, Constantine, Archimedes, and several Williams, Charles and Fredericks all had starring roles in Sicily’s narrative. (Don’t you just hate it when the rulers all have the same name and you need to remember their numbers? At least for the Williams there was William the Bad and William the Good.) Throw in a couple of popes, an emperor or two, some knights plus a couple of earthquakes and an active volcano and you are guaranteed some interesting stories with even better ruins.

What fascinates me more than the political history is the mythology. Unlike the kings, whose moms sorely lacked imagination when it came time to name their offspring, the mythological figures have double names: Zeus and Jupiter, Ulysses and Odysseus, Venus and Aphrodite. So confusing to an already confused American, but that’s what happens when Greek and Roman cultures share the same territory.

For now, that’s all you need to know about Sicily’s history. More will be forthcoming, and there’s always the possibility of a pop quiz or two.

Preview of coming attractions:

Lots of cathedrals, temples, palaces, amphitheaters plus a dancing satyr
Eye popping mosaics, fit for an emperor, like maybe Marcus Aurelius?
an educational encounter with a member of the Mafia
a cooking class (hope we do better than the last time we tried this!)
“Come with me to the kasbah, where we will make ” whatever they make there. (If you got that reference, you are probably as old as I am!)
wine tasting at a Marsala vineyard
a day in the life of a Sicilian dairy farm family
a visit to Mt Etna to watch the volcano do its thing

Please join us for some armchair traveling. I’ll be posting whenever wi-fi and my energy levels allow. But I have to warn you, I plan to be toasting those 41 years a whole LOT! Expect typos.

Oh yeah, about that photo at the top of this post. It’s actually Sorrento, from our 2015 trip. I just wanted a little visual to start us all off.

Fantastic Florence

Although this is a trip that focuses on hilltop Tuscan towns, no visit to Tuscany would be complete without a stop in the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence.
My sister Sandy and I were lucky enough to spend two days in Florence in July, 2012, and Mike and I had done a day trip about 10 years ago, so we didn’t feel compelled to “do it all” this time around. Instead, we were satisfied with a leisurely and informative stroll with our wonderful local guide, Fernanda.
The evening before Fernanda had given us a fascinating overview of the Medici family, Renaissance art and the connections between the two. I’m sure I heard it all before in various history classes, but Fernanda really made it come to life during the lecture, and again, the next day during our stroll through Florence.

The Piazza Della Signoria was the first home of an important Medici couple, Eleonora and Cosimo I. This arranged match was not off to a great start. Those in the know wondered why this Spanish old maid was not spoken for? (She was 17). The groom didn’t even make it to his own wedding, so they were married by proxy. Fortunately, things improved greatly after that: it turned out to be a love match that produced 11 children.

Well, Eleanora was not happy with her “starter home”. It was devoid of gardens for the children to play in, so Eleanora used her own money (how cool is that–a woman with $$$ of her own back in the 1400’s) to purchase from the Pitti family a little “cottage” across the river.

The interior of the "starter" house — The interior of the “starter” house

Sandy and I spent a day wandering through the Pitti Palace, a glorious edifice, which now houses 6 or 7 museums. The Pitti Palace does indeed have spectacular gardens, plus a breathtaking view of the river and the duomo. No photos of the Pitti from this trip, because there was no time to visit it. You’ll just have to take my word for it that it was grand.
But I digress. Back to the Piazza Della Signoria . In front of the “starter home” is a replica of Michelangelo’s David. The original was moved from there to the protection of the Academia, but it was not initially created for that plaza. Instead, it was supposed to be placed on the facade of the Duomo. Fernanda explained that was why the hands are so enormous. When viewed from below, the hands would be correctly proportioned.

Formulating his Goliath slaying strategy

There are lots of other wonderful sculptures, but my favorite is below–the rape of the Sabine women.

We had considered visiting a museum during our free time. Instead, we decided to take Anna’s advice not to succumb to “Stendhal Syndrome” and become over saturated with culture.
After a fantastic lunch at Boccadama, Mike and I stopped for gelato, then wandered up an alley near the church of Santa Croce to visit Italian Loves, a wonderful little shop.
The proprietor allows you to sample his wares. You can taste the olive oil, the balsamic vinegar and the wine. I was deeply regretting having a gelato BEFORE visiting Italian Loves. What to do? Why, buy a little of everything. Those near and dear to me know what THAT means. Yes, there just MAY be a gift in your future.

Yes, that wine was wonderful-and yes, we have already polished it off

Although my BLOG is only on our second day in Tuscany, WE are actually in Sorrento. The problem with posts lagging well behind the visits is one can get confused. Particularly when that “one” is me. If you are following my posts, true confession time. We didn’t stop at the American cemetery after our feast at Giuseppe’s Pianciorciano Cheese Factory. It was after this visit to Florence, which is only important if you want to find the cemetery. You’d have a hell of a time if you were looking in the Radicofani area, because it is located between Florence and Chianciano Terme. Ah well. Accuracy is a small price to pay for all the wine drinking and cafe sitting done instead of blogging, right?

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