Standing Into Danger: Firenze at Last!

Friday, July 19, 2019

Firenze at Last!

Firenze! I've been up and down Italy on trains a time or two
and passed by this station regretfully without stopping.
On September 16, 2018, I finally stepped off the train and into an incredible city:
Firenze! Florence!

Santa Maria Novella Railway Station

Wikimedia

Terry read about this ancient and beautiful art-filled city,

studied its maps, and poured over its guide books

for months before we arrived in Florence.

He knew how much I wanted to visit it, and this trip was for me.

Me? I looked at a map or two and read Kim Stanley Robinson's Galileo's Dreams,

I like to walk into a new place without preconceptions,

a luxury I can enjoy because I married a trip planner extraordinaire.

Tourists Viewing Florence
from the top of the Duomo's Cupola

Florence, Italy

September 2018

This Tourist Looks Down
from the top of the Duomo's Cupola

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Terry arrived with the best of everything tabbed in a travel book

checked out of our neighborhood library.

Me? "I wonder what's around this corner!"

Wherever we travel Terry always exclaims,

"I do all this careful planning before we go on a trip,

and you just want to throw a monkey wrench into the works!"

If I had a cruise for every time he accused me of that,

I'd have sailed the world's oceans and seas multiple times

and finally be ready to stop! Not!!! I never want to stop!

La Cantinetta Wine Bar
Near the Church of Santa Maria Novella

Florence, Italy

September 2018

But no matter how much one has prepared,

stepping into the twisting puzzle of Florence's streets

for the first time can be bewildering!

Which Way Do I Go?

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Through a Gate into an Unexpected Garden
San Miniato al Monte

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Firenze is famous for its churches, museums, architecture, and art,
and for being the birthplace of the Renaissance,
that expansive florescence of European intellectual life during the 14th to 17th centuries
that precipitated social and political upheaval throughout the continent.

Advances in science, mathematics, technology, and engineering,
and new thinking in philosophy, literature, music, and the arts
lifted Europe out of the Middle Ages and into the beginning of the modern world.

The Birth of Venus
by Sandro Botticelli
Uffizi Gallery

Florence, Italy

Wikipedia

To me, Florence is far more than its history.

I loved wandering its streets and absorbing the life of this vibrant city.

A Street Artist Taking a Break

Florence, Italy

September 2018

A Horse and Carriage Move through the Traffic

Viewed from the bell tower of the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Bellevue House

The Hotel We Stayed in for Four Nights

Via della Scala

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Along the Arno River

Florence, Italy

September 2018

A Roman Lion
II Century A.D.
Moved from Rome to Florence in1787
Piazza della Signoria

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Fountain of Neptune
by Bartolomeo Ammannati
with the National Museum of the Bargello in the background
Piazza della Signoria

Florence, Italy

September 2018

A Wedding Photographer's Perfect Shot
San Miniato al Monte

Florence, Italy

September 2018

One Small Truck!

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Enjoying the Sunset Overlooking the Arno

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Terry Admires Synthetic Crystal Glass
Mario Luca Giusti's Store

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Florence Triumphant Over Pisa
by Giambologna
National Museum of the Bargello

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Why the Little Dog???
Giambologna's Florence Triumphant Over Pisa
National Museum of the Bargello

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Terry Checks His Guide Book
National Museum of the Bargello

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Painted Silk Taffeta
by Giovanna Carzoni
Church of Santa Maria Novella

Florence, Italy

September 2018

The Complete Taffeta Antependium

by Giovanna Carzoni

(A decorative piece that hangs on the front of a Christian altar)

Church of Santa Maria Novella

Florence, Italy

Wikivisually

Patiently Waiting

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Pigeons Enjoying the Sunshine
Church of Santa Maria Novella

Florence, Italy

September 2018

We had planned to stay two nights in Florence but quickly realized

this was a woefully inadequate amount of time and doubled our stay.

We deliberately avoided guides, giant lines, and gaining all the biggies,

like Michelangelo's David and the Uffizi Gallery.

We spent hours lingering over Italian spritzes in the late afternoon heat

discussing the wonders we had seen; Florence is supersaturated with wonders!

A Definite Wonder

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Giotto's Campanile

Why is the bell tower caged and the cupola not?

Florence, Italy

September 2018

The Roof of Giotto's Campanile

Adjacent to the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore and the Baptistry of St. John

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Climbing Down from the Campanile

Florence, Italy

September 2018

An Oasis Among the Rooftops

Climbing Down from the Campanile

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Sunset Along the Arno

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Pinocchio in Bartolucci Florence

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Triumphal Arch

Piazza della Repubblica

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Backside of the Triumphal Arch

Piazza della Repubblica

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Florentine Sunshine
National Museum of the Bargello

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Mosaic Marble Pavement
The Baptistery of St. John

Florence, Italy

September 2018

We will return to this wondrous city!

The Baptistery of St. John by Moonlight

Florence, Italy

September 2018

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Sidewalk Cafe

Florence, Italy

September 16, 2018

Personal Note: I'll be on the move shortly. I'll post and visit as I can along the way!

For Map Lovers Like Me:

Location of Italy

Wikimedia

Location of Florence

Google Maps 2018

Location of Ponte Vecchio

Google Maps 2019

36 comments:

Rain July 19, 2019 at 11:41 AM
That was a fun tour Louise!!! :) If ever I get over my fear of flying, Italy is where I want to be...the art, the wine, the architecture...thanks for sharing!!! :)
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Nancy JJuly 19, 2019 at 1:22 PM
The statues, that huge lion, how ever did they move it? The mosaics and street artists, no wonder you want to return. All the tiled roofs, what work they did all those years ago and still as good as the day they were done.
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L. Diane WolfeJuly 19, 2019 at 2:01 PM
It's beautiful. I love some of those views. We plan a few things, but mostly we leave some days up to chance. You never know what you'll find by wandering around.
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SandiJuly 19, 2019 at 4:11 PM
Extraordinary!

What an adventure!

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AdamJuly 19, 2019 at 4:50 PM
Amazing how famous that Venus painting is. I'm glad it survived ages of Christian leadership.
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Pat HattJuly 19, 2019 at 5:40 PM
Wow, you sure explored and got lots of great shots. Is it wrong that I thought hopping on a sled and going down that first roof might be fun...at least until you hit the ground lol you throw a monkey wrench into a perfect plan? Geez.
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Debra She Who SeeksJuly 19, 2019 at 9:56 PM
You took some amazing photos! I love Florence too -- spent a couple of days there about 10 years ago but I'd go back in a heartbeat! I was crazy about the Renaissance when I was a teenager (*cough* geek *cough*) so going to Florence was a dream come true!
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bailiJuly 20, 2019 at 12:15 AM
Brilliantly taken images dear Louise !

how amazing that little focus during capture can make the photo EXCELLENT and you did great job here :)

thank you for taking us along ,Florence is our dream destination like Spain ,Italy and i hope we will visit there someday ,till then we are watching "touropia" online a traveling show that shares best places to visit in the world ,quite amusing to watch on big screen of 50 inches

i can relate to your attitude as either i would have avoided the crowded places as well :) Terry made your dream come true by putting so much love and care and this is so sweet of him :)

Renaissance is something so intriguing to me ,i studied about it during my masters and i was touched by changes brought by thinkers and educationists .it is biggest proof in history that WAY OF THINKING can bring the revolution to life for better

art galleries are absolutely fascinating and captivating !
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JeffJuly 20, 2019 at 11:32 AM
What a great trip and you had me with that first pic--of a train!

www.thepulpitandthepen.com
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HuggybearJuly 20, 2019 at 8:46 PM
Louise, you have excelled yourself with these wonderful photos of magnificent Florence
in the amazing region of "the charms of Tuscany".
It was an area of Italy that I so much enjoyed in my 6 months of touring Europe way back in my youthful days..........don't ask too many questions of that period of my life, Louise!!
Unfortunately Europe was still divided, otherwise I would have had more months there as no way was I going to go behind that wall - thus no Bratislava, Dresden, St. Petersburg or Berlin.
But Florence was right up there with Lausanne, Copenhagen, Oslo and Salzburg.
I travelled with a euro-pass - the rules/regulations I can assure you from what I have been told are far better these days than in the 1980's.
The rail systems of Europe are so far superior to anywhere else in the World - here in Australia I regret to say it is Third World!
I really hope you and the "other half" have a fantastic time.......lucky buggers!!! ha ha.
Cheers
Colin
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Nastya DeutschJuly 21, 2019 at 4:02 AM
You have a wonderful blog! The topics you write about are very close to me. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

I follow you through GFC! If you want, go to my blog :)

MY NEW POST ♥♥♥
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Madeline Mora-SummonteJuly 22, 2019 at 7:13 AM
Yes! My husband and I went to Florence years ago and absolutely loved it! We made that our base and ventured to Pisa and a few other places. One of my favorite things besides the food - swooning for the delicious food!!! - was getting to actually see so much of the art I had only read about in school. It about blew my mind. :)

Glad to hear you had such a wonderful time!
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KezzieJuly 22, 2019 at 6:08 PM
lOVELY PHOTOS! What a coincidence! I am going to stay in Florence in under a month- we are staying in a villa outside of Florence for a week but one night in Florence and we shall be arriving by train there from the UK! We actually got engaged last time we went there- CBC proposed in the Bell tower!!
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Janie JunebugJuly 22, 2019 at 9:36 PM
My daughter went on a high school trip to Italy. She returned with a gift for me: a beautiful glass necklace from Florence. I treasure it.

Love,
Janie
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Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMotteJuly 29, 2019 at 3:02 PM
Your pictures and the way you marvel at what you experienced make me want to go and soon.
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Kay G.July 30, 2019 at 6:15 AM
Thank you so much for this visit to Florence! How much I want to see it! I am more like you, I also enjoy finding out what is around the next corner! Your photos, I can't thank you enough for sharing them here. I read something recently about the man who wrote Pinocchio but I'll be dang if I can remember it. Maybe it will come to me today.,😯
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Theresa MahoneyJuly 31, 2019 at 1:20 PM
Jason is the same. Will plan down everything to a T, but I'm more of a fly by the seat of my pants kind of gal and often steer us off course. There are so many amazing hidden gems to be found off the beaten path!

Firenze looks absolutely incredible to explore! Thank you for sharing your photos. I am not sure if I'll get there some day, so I always appreciate looking at other's experiences and live vicariously through them.
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