Each city we visited during our winter holiday in Europe had it's own special character and personality.
One of the activities I especially enjoyed was exploring the parks and open spaces, even though in winter time they might not be at their best. While Chris explored the antique and artisan shops on the by the bridge with the Jewellery shops, before he discovered a 'real' and warm London Style pub because he refused as did some other visitors to pay to visit a park, I walked around this one, quickly, because the day was very cool. There were many marble statues along the walkways, fountains, a very interesting porcelain display, and a reproduction of a typical cottage or courtyard garden in Pompei, the result of archealogial and soil diggings. As with many gardens of ancient cities, the garden designs were very much advanced and served several purposes, for examplem herbs for cooking, cosmetics and curing, vegetables, flowers, insect control, irrigation, and cooling.
Before I start talking briefly about animals, it is interesting to note that in this garden there was a notice about a particular bird which apparantely was very special, the only time I have ever seen anything at all about animals in parks. All the gardens we visited were restored to preserve the past. Not like in New Zealand, where we conserve our birds and trees!!
While strolling around this park in Florenza, I noticed some very well fed cats and a couple of feeding bowls. Apparently cats are welcome and looked after in some parks. In Rome, the next city we visited, there are many cats living around the Colossium. And there is an organsiation of ladies dedicated to feeding the cats, including speying them and looking after their well being. Their services also include looking after neglected cats, often finding homes for them, a bit like the SPCA in NZ.
Rome was a little warmer than Florence, but damper, we felt. Built on seven, or was it nine hills by Romulus and Remus, Rome today is a city with all the modern trappings built around many ancient ruins, many of which have beed restored and are available to visit. So one can be walking along a busy city street, turn a corner and there is the Coloseum, an ancient church or just a wall. The place I, and many others, love to visit, which is suddenly come upon when turning a corner, is the Trevi Fountain. Attached to the end of a building, the white colouring of the statues and steps, and the peaceful shushing of the water, is an oasis in the city. On the we visited, there were quite a few people there, not like the first time we visited, a few years, in summer, when you could hardly get near to it because of the crowds.
Because we had already visited many of the attrations during our last visit to Rome, this time we spent a lot of time strolling around the city, enjoying the street life and occasionally visiting the shops as the winter sales were in full flow.
The next day we visited the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel, more about that in my next blog.
Showing posts with label Florenza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Florenza. Show all posts
Monday, January 26, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Winter Holiday in Florence and more about Museums.
Gosh, I am so please that we decided to spend some of our Italain Winter Holiday in Florenza!
Here is was a little warmer than during our stays at Milano and Venice and it was very pleasant exploring the streets. Even though the skies were clear and the sun was shining, I have to say, I felt a little claustrophobic. I suspect it was because the sun was low, being winter, and it did not reach the streets. Also there are not many open spaces in the city centre. But we did note that a large area, near to the railway station was being refurbished.
There is not much traffic in Florenza - some of the streets are for walking only, while others seemed to be for servcive vehicles only. In fact when we viewed the city from the top of the Duomo belltower,which was over 400 steps to get there, it was apparent that the limited traffic zone extended for quite a large area. So it was ideal for exloring the city on foot, and to admire the old, but very neat and tidy variety of buildings. It was interesting to note that on some of the older buildings, all of which seemed to be in perfectly restored condition, had areas of the outer walls exposed so we could view the construction methods.
More by accident than by design, we ended up spending a lot ot time in museums during our stay in Florence,
We had made a reservation to view the Galleria at the Uffuzi Palace, and it took all morning to view the beautiful artworks on display. Most had been restored, as had a good part of the building.There was an interesting Exhibtion by Giovanni Francesco (Guecino) - 1591 - 1666, of his sketches and watercolours in brown wash.
Artwork in the Gallerail had been collected since the 17th century by the Medusa family, and feature was a special Medusa exhitibition was the famous Medusa Head with the snakes emerging from it.
We also visited the Museo d'ell Opera di Santa Maria del Torre, then a museum dedicated to the history of the Duomo. It has been in existance since 1891.
Even though the first stone was laid in 1296, the facade was not finished until the early 1900's due to various political reasons over the years. Many architects submitted designs for the facade, all of which were on display. There were also many statues and artifacts all of which were in the Duomo at some time or other.
Michangelo and Brunelleschi were two of the many famous artists who worked on the Duomo during its 700 years of construction.
We visited the Accadamea where the statue of 'David' resides, along with his 4 unfinished slaves. The Accadamea had much of the art collected during thte Medusa Dynasty, including a musical instrument collection and the worlds oldest violin. The exhibition was great until we entered a large hall chocker full of replicas of statues, including hundreds of busts lining the very high walls! A bit of overkill, we felt, as we quickly wandered through and on to other things.
Before I move away from talking about exhibtitions and museums, I have to repeat that there were few few people and tour groups around, so we could see everything at our leisure, in particular, the statue of David, around which everyone would spend hours gazing at. Winter is such a great time to do the 'indoors' of European Cities - museums are warm and comfortable.
As in all the other cities we visited during this winter holiday, the winter sales were on and lots of people were shopping. But that is another story.....
Here is was a little warmer than during our stays at Milano and Venice and it was very pleasant exploring the streets. Even though the skies were clear and the sun was shining, I have to say, I felt a little claustrophobic. I suspect it was because the sun was low, being winter, and it did not reach the streets. Also there are not many open spaces in the city centre. But we did note that a large area, near to the railway station was being refurbished.
There is not much traffic in Florenza - some of the streets are for walking only, while others seemed to be for servcive vehicles only. In fact when we viewed the city from the top of the Duomo belltower,which was over 400 steps to get there, it was apparent that the limited traffic zone extended for quite a large area. So it was ideal for exloring the city on foot, and to admire the old, but very neat and tidy variety of buildings. It was interesting to note that on some of the older buildings, all of which seemed to be in perfectly restored condition, had areas of the outer walls exposed so we could view the construction methods.
More by accident than by design, we ended up spending a lot ot time in museums during our stay in Florence,
We had made a reservation to view the Galleria at the Uffuzi Palace, and it took all morning to view the beautiful artworks on display. Most had been restored, as had a good part of the building.There was an interesting Exhibtion by Giovanni Francesco (Guecino) - 1591 - 1666, of his sketches and watercolours in brown wash.
Artwork in the Gallerail had been collected since the 17th century by the Medusa family, and feature was a special Medusa exhitibition was the famous Medusa Head with the snakes emerging from it.
We also visited the Museo d'ell Opera di Santa Maria del Torre, then a museum dedicated to the history of the Duomo. It has been in existance since 1891.
Even though the first stone was laid in 1296, the facade was not finished until the early 1900's due to various political reasons over the years. Many architects submitted designs for the facade, all of which were on display. There were also many statues and artifacts all of which were in the Duomo at some time or other.
Michangelo and Brunelleschi were two of the many famous artists who worked on the Duomo during its 700 years of construction.
We visited the Accadamea where the statue of 'David' resides, along with his 4 unfinished slaves. The Accadamea had much of the art collected during thte Medusa Dynasty, including a musical instrument collection and the worlds oldest violin. The exhibition was great until we entered a large hall chocker full of replicas of statues, including hundreds of busts lining the very high walls! A bit of overkill, we felt, as we quickly wandered through and on to other things.
Before I move away from talking about exhibtitions and museums, I have to repeat that there were few few people and tour groups around, so we could see everything at our leisure, in particular, the statue of David, around which everyone would spend hours gazing at. Winter is such a great time to do the 'indoors' of European Cities - museums are warm and comfortable.
As in all the other cities we visited during this winter holiday, the winter sales were on and lots of people were shopping. But that is another story.....
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Look who goes Shopping at the Florence winter sales - not ladies but men!!!
Looking for an Italian Man?
Go to Florence in January!!!
For January is when the Pitti Uomo Fashion Shows start. And that is when the men come to Florence!
The Fashion Event first started in 1951, and influentials travelling to the Paris fashion events were persuaded to come to Florenza. Since then the annual shows have had a significant effect on fashion and Italy's international image.
One evening, when we returning from our explorations over the bridge through the city towards our hotel near the railway station, we noticed something unusual about the shoppers.
They were all men! All well dressed, all ages, all good looking, that I could see.
Gosh, its not just raining men, it is pouring!! Crowds of men in the streets, in the shops trying on garments. Queueing to get into the Opening Night Cocktail Parties. In the bars and cafes. Queues of men everywhere. And in all the hotels which is why we could not book into our favoutite hotel as it cranked its rates up especially for the event.
So ladies, if you are travelling to Europe in winter to take advantage of the winter sales, and would like to meet a man or six, come to Florence in January!!!
Go to Florence in January!!!
For January is when the Pitti Uomo Fashion Shows start. And that is when the men come to Florence!
The Fashion Event first started in 1951, and influentials travelling to the Paris fashion events were persuaded to come to Florenza. Since then the annual shows have had a significant effect on fashion and Italy's international image.
One evening, when we returning from our explorations over the bridge through the city towards our hotel near the railway station, we noticed something unusual about the shoppers.
They were all men! All well dressed, all ages, all good looking, that I could see.
Gosh, its not just raining men, it is pouring!! Crowds of men in the streets, in the shops trying on garments. Queueing to get into the Opening Night Cocktail Parties. In the bars and cafes. Queues of men everywhere. And in all the hotels which is why we could not book into our favoutite hotel as it cranked its rates up especially for the event.
So ladies, if you are travelling to Europe in winter to take advantage of the winter sales, and would like to meet a man or six, come to Florence in January!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)