Wednesday 1 September 2010

As we leaned over Pisa and Florence...













We had gotten so used to not seeing vehicles around us in Venice that seeing them after 3 days on our way to Florence hit us with quite a disappointment…felt like coming out of a dream into the real world. Passing through some really pretty landscape, we reached Florence…city of over 100 palaces and 70 museums. The Renaissance began here. It is said by UNESCO that more than 50% of the world's great art is found in Italy and half of Italy's great art is found in Florence!

After settling in to our Victorian residence (a bed & breakfast in a cosy ancestral house), we headed to Pisa. The leaning Tower of Pisa was true to it's past of being a wonder of the world – one of the most instantly recognisable buildings. The fact that the tower is leaning sinks in, when you enter it expecting the floor to be flat but find it to be inclined. The view of the town from the top was picture perfect with the houses and landscape spaced symmetrically.













The next morning, our day started with the walking tour through the markets lined with leather goods. Walking through the cobbled streets, we got to see some grand palaces and churches, highlighted by Michelangelo's distinct architecture. The Duomo, Campanile and Baptisteryat Florence is the crowning glory of the city, breathtaking with geometrically patterned bands of white, pink and green marble. The tour ended at the Petite palace where we were amazed to see the splendid porcelain, gold and silver collections. Behind the palace are the Boboli gardens filled with fountains, which are supposed to be the inspiration for the Versailles gardens in France. From top of the Boboli gardens, we could get a dazzling view of Florence. Next on the agenda was the world's oldest museum – containing some of the world's finest art collection - the Uffizi Gallery. Our extraordinary tour guide had been a teacher for 9 years and took us through the marvellous journey of the evolution of art. Developments such as humanising of God, 2D to 3D with geometrical calculations coming into play; shadows etc (something which we take for granted today) were explained.













The next morning, we took a day trip to Siena and San Gimignano. Siena is surrounded by olive groves and the vineyards of Chianti, and is one of the most beautiful cities of Tuscany. Set on three hills, the city is drawn together by winding alleyways and steep steps. It is famed for the "Palio", the annual historic *horse-races.












San Gimignano – the golden lily of middle ages is called the Manhattan of Tuscany since it preserves 13 of it's noble towers giving it a sky scraper skyline. We left for Rome the next morning.

*Catch a glimpse of horse races in Siena in the first few shots of the movie Quantum of Solace!