Well, I am pleased to say that I "graduated" from cooking school in Tuscany. The final dinner was really all about seafood and citrus (yes boys and girls, FRUIT). Some of my favorite dishes from that night included the octopus and potato salad
the seafood risotto
and the lemon sorbet (though I still smell like lemons after scooping them all out for the presentation)
It was all washed down with limoncello. Two types in fact. One made from ripe lemons and one made from green lemons
On Saturday morning I said goodbye to my new friends and we all headed to Florence. They kept telling me my hotel was nice, and well placed. I took them at their word when I looked out of my window and this was the view from my room
The weather was sensational on Saturday. Clothes were changed, shorts and sandals cracked out, and copious amounts of gelato eaten whilst wandering the streets. I had thankfully taken note of the advice provided at cooking school and pre-booked my trip to see the statue of David. I wandered aimlessly in the Dell'Accademia through some of the wackiest examples of modern "art" I have ever seen to try to find the 17 foot piece of marble I had come to see. I literally stumbled out of a room and was standing right in front of him. The statue is massive. David looks pretty good for 500 years old (I can see why them moved it inside, it is in excellent condition). Now, you can't take photos of the original David in the museum (so the pictures below are of the replica that is in the Piazza Della Signoria) but everyone in Lucca was telling me that when you look at David in profile, he looks fierce, and just like a man that just took down Golliath.
But when you look at him front on, he looks a little scared.
The original really does have different facial expressions when you look from a different angle.
There was one statue at the Dell'Accademia that you could take a picture of....
Not all statues in this town (and there are maaaaaaany) are as good as David. Some are a little disturbing. This one is next to the David replica, and quite frankly, I got not idea what is going on here...
I found the river, bought yet another gelato, and went for a wander given how pretty a day it was
I hit the markets (can one person own too many Italian handmade leather sandals?). I was on a quest to find the tackiest souvenirs in all of Italy for Julian Vasquez for his birthday. I found it, but quite frankly was too embarrassed to buy it (sorry Julian). After a week of four course Italian dinners each night I decided to rebel and did the most touristy, and un-Italian, thing I could for dinner. Fajitas at the Hard Rock Cafe.
On Sunday the weather rebelled. The maximum temp was 16 degrees less than Saturdays. Not gelato weather. Thankfully I had a 9am ticket to the Uffizi (decided I would rather get out of bed early than fight the crowds - smart moved as it turned out, place was empty when arrived, but you could hardly move by the time I left). During the course of the morning I managed to see the art of three out of the four ninja turtles (Donatello, where art thou???). After seeing the sculptures of Michalengo, and the paintings of Leonardo and Raffael in the space of only a few meters I had the ninja turtle rap firmly stuck in my head (those heroes in a half shell are on a mission you know).
I've never pretended to be an art lover. I would much rather be at a museum than a gallery. I gotta say though, at least at places like the Louvre you have landscapes and portraits to look at. Here in Italy though, it is all religion. Soooooooo many depictions of the crucifixion. Sooooooo many versions of Madonna with child. There was clearly a lack of things to paint in the 1400 and 1500's. That or they were unionized and instructed to all do the same thing. I'm also of the opinion that cherubs are disturbing. Don't believe me? Google Caracci's 'Venus with Satyr' and look at those little cherubs. That painting creeped me out, particularly the little guy down the the bottom left. Don't get me started on all the rather graphic depictions of the beheading of John the Baptist. They had a temporary tapestry exhibit full of Flemmish works from the 1500's. That was worth the price of admission for me.
I've wandered around a few of the other lovely buildings here in Florence, though I have had to try to avoid being trapped in a different kind of tour group hell. Those cruise ship excursion groups are tough to avoid some days.
Tomorrow I am headed to Ireland for the week.
the seafood risotto
and the lemon sorbet (though I still smell like lemons after scooping them all out for the presentation)
It was all washed down with limoncello. Two types in fact. One made from ripe lemons and one made from green lemons
On Saturday morning I said goodbye to my new friends and we all headed to Florence. They kept telling me my hotel was nice, and well placed. I took them at their word when I looked out of my window and this was the view from my room
The weather was sensational on Saturday. Clothes were changed, shorts and sandals cracked out, and copious amounts of gelato eaten whilst wandering the streets. I had thankfully taken note of the advice provided at cooking school and pre-booked my trip to see the statue of David. I wandered aimlessly in the Dell'Accademia through some of the wackiest examples of modern "art" I have ever seen to try to find the 17 foot piece of marble I had come to see. I literally stumbled out of a room and was standing right in front of him. The statue is massive. David looks pretty good for 500 years old (I can see why them moved it inside, it is in excellent condition). Now, you can't take photos of the original David in the museum (so the pictures below are of the replica that is in the Piazza Della Signoria) but everyone in Lucca was telling me that when you look at David in profile, he looks fierce, and just like a man that just took down Golliath.
But when you look at him front on, he looks a little scared.
The original really does have different facial expressions when you look from a different angle.
There was one statue at the Dell'Accademia that you could take a picture of....
Not all statues in this town (and there are maaaaaaany) are as good as David. Some are a little disturbing. This one is next to the David replica, and quite frankly, I got not idea what is going on here...
I found the river, bought yet another gelato, and went for a wander given how pretty a day it was
I hit the markets (can one person own too many Italian handmade leather sandals?). I was on a quest to find the tackiest souvenirs in all of Italy for Julian Vasquez for his birthday. I found it, but quite frankly was too embarrassed to buy it (sorry Julian). After a week of four course Italian dinners each night I decided to rebel and did the most touristy, and un-Italian, thing I could for dinner. Fajitas at the Hard Rock Cafe.
On Sunday the weather rebelled. The maximum temp was 16 degrees less than Saturdays. Not gelato weather. Thankfully I had a 9am ticket to the Uffizi (decided I would rather get out of bed early than fight the crowds - smart moved as it turned out, place was empty when arrived, but you could hardly move by the time I left). During the course of the morning I managed to see the art of three out of the four ninja turtles (Donatello, where art thou???). After seeing the sculptures of Michalengo, and the paintings of Leonardo and Raffael in the space of only a few meters I had the ninja turtle rap firmly stuck in my head (those heroes in a half shell are on a mission you know).
I've never pretended to be an art lover. I would much rather be at a museum than a gallery. I gotta say though, at least at places like the Louvre you have landscapes and portraits to look at. Here in Italy though, it is all religion. Soooooooo many depictions of the crucifixion. Sooooooo many versions of Madonna with child. There was clearly a lack of things to paint in the 1400 and 1500's. That or they were unionized and instructed to all do the same thing. I'm also of the opinion that cherubs are disturbing. Don't believe me? Google Caracci's 'Venus with Satyr' and look at those little cherubs. That painting creeped me out, particularly the little guy down the the bottom left. Don't get me started on all the rather graphic depictions of the beheading of John the Baptist. They had a temporary tapestry exhibit full of Flemmish works from the 1500's. That was worth the price of admission for me.
I've wandered around a few of the other lovely buildings here in Florence, though I have had to try to avoid being trapped in a different kind of tour group hell. Those cruise ship excursion groups are tough to avoid some days.
Tomorrow I am headed to Ireland for the week.
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