Italia! Day One & Two
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Finally some pictures as promised. Spent the first three days in Florence (main city in Tuscany) and the remaining days in Venice and Milan which I'll post later.
My excitement of visiting Italy didn't wavier very much even after I was told by an Italian gentleman on the plane to guard my bags with my life. "It's those gypsies, I tell you! Be very careful, they are cunning." he warned and I strategised over how I could outmanoeuvre a gypsy mom from shoving her baby in my arms without letting the poor little one fall to the ground.
Upon disembarkation, my first culture shock was a total disregard for queues (I sound too much like a good law-abiding Singaporean). There were only 2 counters opened and the lines that stretched across the hall looked like they could rival ticket line to some rock star's one night only concert. 5 minutes into waiting, a third line magically appeared out of no where and slowly inched its way into the legitimate second line. "Don't let them in!" Mom hissed to our neighbours in the second line as the scums homed in the gaps. I was already squeezed close enough to the fellow in front of me to know that he is the type who perspires at the drop of a hat and that he tried to cover the source of embarrassment with cologne. One more counter opened and the queues reshuffled themselves into a legitimate three. However, before we could relax, a magical fourth line appeared and the drama continued.
I could not recall how long the bus journey was from the airport in Milan to Florence because I was too busy catching up on lost sleep. When we arrived, it was not what I expected. Considering Florence is supposed to be the centre of the arts and the place where world renowned Michelangelo Buonarroti was from, the city felt distant and swarmed with eager tourists and just as enthusiastic street peddlers. Or maybe we came at the wrong time of year...
Counterfiet goods right outside shops selling the real deal.
A contrast between the old world and the new world.
Roads are about a century old. Its surface polished smooth by millions of walkers.
The very important Cathedral (or Duomo) of Florence. It has a bell tower and we were around the area in the evening when the bells rang in musical harmony.
Look up Mr Pigeon. You're perched on the 4th largest cathedral in the world which took nearly a century to build.
Selling art by the Duomo and the seeing the world go by. Not a bad life at all.
There are lots of bicycles in Italy as it's a very convenient way of getting around the maze of streets.
Italians don't like to wash their cars very much even though they painstakingly dress themselves with style.
One can almost compare the tone of voice to a kid on sugar rush. Happpyyyyy Hour!
Never once did he look up. Has to be one very interesting read.
I see dog, I take picture of dog.
Mom sees daughter, mom takes picture of daughter. At least she wasn't standing behind me.
The evening sun on the way back to the hotel was scorching so I took refuge in every possible shade.
It's a doorknob and there's lots more where that came from.
I liked the visits to museums and art galleries around the city though. Michelangelo's sculpture of David (too bad photo-taking is not allowed) is housed in Galleria Dell'Academia and it was awe inspiring. I could even see the veins on David's hands and his look of concentration (or is it contemplation) before putting the stone in his slingshot was mesmerising.
Long queue outside the Galleria Dell'Academia for those without reservation. Fortunately my group has a reservation (which has to be booked at least 1 week in advance) so we didn't have to wait too long.
Get your very own masterpiece for just 20 Euro.
"You're from Japan?" a seller asked me.
"No, from Singapore." I replied.
"Ah... Singapore... Singapore... Singapore.... near Japan yes?"
"Yes... just like Australia."
Day Two was a trip to Pisa. If Florence is filled with tourists, Pisa is bursting at its seams. Our guide admits that Pisans owe their livelihoods to the mistake that one architect made on the construction of their famous tower. That guy fled the scene before the tower was completed when he realised the ground was too sandy to support a huge structure.
Quick fact - Do you know that...
other than the Leaning Tower...
This leans.
That leans.
...everything leans in Pisa! It's true and it's all thanks to its soft ground.
Here's another quick fact. The University of Pisa is one of the most renowned Italian universities and offers a wide range of courses except for *ahem* architecture for very good reason.
Everybody doing their bit to "save" the tower. Cliche poses all in a row.
Sharing should start from a young age as demonstrated by this sweet child.
Inside the Baptistery of Pisa. It's customary to cover up when entering a place of worship. Disposable sheets are always ready at the door for bare-shoulder visitors.
We had dinner in a Tuscan countryside. Such a lovely garden and just the place to spoil with dramatics.
It gets better in the countryside and everything you see in the movie Under the Tuscan Sky is true. One thing for sure, I adore the slender cypress trees. Note to myself the next time I visit Italy. Head straight for the countryside and forget the cities.
I bet the scenery is most breath-taking in Spring.
Day 3 coming soon. |
