June 11

Big pound-the-pavement day in Florence.  After hotel breakfasts (there is nothing as scrumptious as hotel breakfasts in Italy!  Those chocolate croissants….) we took off to use our 9 a.m. ticket for Accademia Gallery to get our fill of Michelangelo.  I had seen David on my last visit, but again, being on a tour did not allow me to stay as long as I would have wanted.  This time we had all the time in the world.  Al and I talked about how there is a reason for its stature in the art world.  We had seen many, many sculptures, including some of Michelangelo’s and this one is other-worldly.  

As a physical therapist who made a living out of studying anatomy, the precision is humbling.  This guy knew his muscles and tendons and veins and toenails and – of course – butts and other things.  Being allowed the time to notice the rock in his hand, the slingshot over his shoulder, his eyes preparing to take aim.  

Another touch that only a master would think to add was the tree stump against which his right calf and foot was braced as he decided his next shot.  Again, my eye for balance and force was pleased with this stance which was yes, inanimate, but also muscles alive with balance and readiness. I’m glad I got to see it again.  I love tours as you often learn many things you might not on your own, but in some cases it is better to just sit with yourself and contemplate. I do not have any close up photos of David.  Better photographers than I have done so and in the past my photos were “meh” so….  

I had bought a selfie stick as mentioned and we were laughing as we tried to figure out how to use it when a guard came up and said no sticks. Which makes sense – I have often been annoyed by people like me, most notably the young woman in St. Peter’s Basilica a few years ago who was taking sexy selfies in front of religious statues.  

We then made our way to the Duomo Baptistry, stood inside there for awhile and admired the cavernous interior.  Then to the Duomo Museum, which had been renovated since I’d been there and well done.  It used to be kind of tucked away which was kind of cool – it was almost unnoticed twenty years ago and it was a well-travelled friend who insisted we visit.  Now it is a modern addition to the Duomo complex with better lighting and more room.  We were fortunate to be there for the Tre Pietas exhibition – all three of Michelangelo’s pietas were present, the “famous” one from the Vatican (who sculpts fabric so perfectly?), the Bandini which is my personal favorite and which depicts Nicodemus taking Christ from the cross. Nicodemus’ face bears Michelangelo’s likeness as an old man and just moves me like no other.  The third is an unfinished pieta of Mary and Jesus that he was sculpting when he died.   You know, when I retired, I was kind of bummed out – I finally felt experienced enough at my chosen profession and now it was time to go. I grieved. I still had potential.  I think of what this one-of-a-kind man could have done if he lived for another couple of hundred years.  Mary can be easily replaced.  This guy – never. 

I suddenly realized in a panic that I had not planned to take Al to the Santa Croce Cathedral. Big mistake.  I was able to snag tickets (it wasn’t that hard) for 1 p.m. and off we went.  This church. Oh man.  Everyone who is anyone is interred in this church: Michelangelo, Galileo, Fermi, Machiavelli, Marconi, Dante, Rossini, Florence Nightingale (she was born in Florence).   When you walk on the floor you are walking on tombs of many other relatively unknown movers and shakers. Something like 200 tombs on the floor alone.  I was so glad I remembered at the last minute and would have been so sad to have missed that.  Once again, I got to spend as much time as I wanted because there was no tour bus to hurry back to.  

We then decided to take a quick walk over to the train station to see if it was reasonable to walk there in the morning with our luggage.  It wasn’t. Worse, it meant we missed seeing the Santa Maria Reparata which was replaced by the Duomo Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore both of which were included on our three day ticket but which closed early on Saturday.   The latter is really not that impressive inside, it is the outside that is mind boggling so that was not such a loss.  Sorry to miss the Reparata as it has been excavated in recent times and has all kinds of evidence of housing a very early Christian community. 

We ended up having a great dinner (aren’t they all in Italy?) in a little restaurant – there are so many – pasta with lobster sauce and half a lobster each.  Yummy.  Finished it with a serving of limoncello. As a bonus I got to see the last two minutes of the Grand Prix Qualifying 3 for that week. (I’m in a fantasy league).

Big pound-the-pavement day in Florence.  After hotel breakfasts (there is nothing as scrumptious as hotel breakfasts in Italy!  Those chocolate croissants….) we took off to use our 

 9 a.m. ticket for Accademia Gallery to get our fill of Michelangelo.  I had seen David on my last visit, but again, being on a tour did not allow me to stay as longs as I would have wanted.  This time we had all the time in the world.  Al and I talked about how there is a reason for its stature in the art world.  We had seen many, many sculptures, even some of Michelangelo’s and this one is other-worldly.  

As a physical therapist who made a living out of studying anatomy, the precision is humbling.  This guy knew his muscles and tendons and veins and toenails and – of course – butts and other things.  Being allowed the time to notice, the rock in his hand, the slingshot over his shoulder, his eyes preparing to take aim.  

Another touch that only a master would think to add was the tree stump against which his right calf and foot was braced as he decided his next shot.  I’m glad I got to see it again.  I love tours as you often learn many things you might not on your own, but in some cases it is better to just sit with yourself and contemplate. I do not have any close up photos of David.  Better photographers than I have done so and in the past my photos were “meh” so….  

I had bought a selfie stick and we were laughing as we tried to figure out how to use it when a guard came up and said no sticks. Which makes sense – I have often been annoyed by people like me, most notably the young woman in St. Peter’s Basilica a few years ago who was taking sexy selfies in front of religious statues.  

We then made our way to the Duomo Baptistry, stood inside there for awhile and admired the cavernous interior.  Then to the Duomo Museum, which had been renovated since I’d been there and well done.  It used to be kind of tucked away which was kind of cool – it was almost unnoticed twenty years ago and it was a well-travelled friend who insisted we visit.  Now it is a modern addition to the Duomo complex with better lighting and more room.  We were fortunate to be there for the Tre Pietas exhibition – all three of Michelangelo’s pietas were present, the “famous” one from the Vatican (who can sculpt fabric like that?), the Bandini which is my personal favorite and which depicts Nicodemus taking Christ from the cross. Nicodemus’ face bears Michelangelo’s likeness as an old man and just moves me like no other.  The third is an unfinished pieta of Mary and Jesus that he was sculpting when he died.   You know, when I retired, I was kind of bummed out – I finally felt experienced enough at my chosen profession and now it was time to go. I still had potential.  I think of what this one-of-a-kind man could have done if he lived for another couple of hundred years.  I can be easily replaced.  This guy – never. 

I suddenly realized in a panic that I had not planned to take Al to the Santa Croce Cathedral. Big mistake.  I was able to snag tickets (it wasn’t that hard) for 1 p.m. and off we went.  This church. Oh man.  Everyone who is anyone is interred in this church: Michelangelo, Galileo, Fermi, Machiavelli, Marconi, Dante, Rossini, Florence Nightingale (she was born in Florence).   When you walk on the floor you are walking on tombs of many other relatively unknown movers and shakers.  I was so glad I remembered at the last minute and would have been so sad to have missed that.  Once again, I got to spend as much time as I wanted because there was no tour bus to hurry back to.  

We then decided to take a quick walk over to the train station to see if it was reasonable to walk there in the morning with our luggage.  It wasn’t. Worse, it meant we missed seeing the 

Santa Maria Reparata which was replaced by the Duomo Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore both of which were included on our three day ticket but which closed early on Saturday.   The latter is really not that impressive inside, it is the outside that is mind boggling.  Sorry to miss the Reparata as it has been excavated in recent times and has all kinds of evidence of housing a very early Christian community. 

We ended up having a great dinner (aren’t they all in Italy?) in a little restaurant – there are so many – pasta with lobster sauce and half a lobster each.  Yummy.  Finished it with a serving of limoncello. As a bonus I got to see the last two minutes of the Grand Prix Qualifying 3 for that week. (I’m in a fantasy league).

Off to bed for another early morning.