New Horizons

The Arno

Still trying to get a good shot by night...

Florence from above.

I met Laura at an international church in Florence. She's from Scotland, but currently teaching English in Pisa.

I also met Natalie, who's from Germany and studying in Florence--the three of us had a lovely Sunday exploring Florence!

Watching The Descendents.

Cool old cinema.

In Livorno.

:)

Felt so good to be by the ocean again!

Brought back fond memories of studying Moby Dick at PHC.

Can you tell yet that I'm a bit obsessed with the river?

Courtyard of my convent in Florence.

And on to a new adventure: Siena.

So this is the view from my room. Makes up for the simple bedroom decor, don't you think?

I think I may be in love! Prepare yourselves for lots of pictures.

The Piazza del Campo.

You can see a bit of the Duomo (and bell tower?) at the top there.

Florence in Pictures

Organic foods and crafts market: I think my favorite part was seeing a big group of vendors all gathered around a steaming pot at a table eating lunch. They take their food even more seriously than their customers :)

The Arno by night--this shot doesn't really do it justice.

My latest quarters.

Note the space-saver bags--life saving!

The Boboli Gardens near the Pitti Palace (see below)

Entrance to the rooms of the Pitti Palace--opulent and EXTENSIVE.

That's not fabric, that's all PAINTED on the ceiling! I think this room was designed to be like Jerusalem or something.

This painting--Rubens, I think--is an allegory on the destructiveness of war. And then there's the ceiling.

Makes me think of The Phantom of the Opera or something.

The great room at the Palazzo Vecchio. Another palace owned by the Medici family.

Michelangelo's Genius of Victory. Love his work!

Another wall fresco, I think.

Another ceiling detail.

The colorful rooftops of Florence!

Famous little cupid-child which I forget the title of.

This one's intense: Judith's about to cut off the head of Holofernes (fr. the Apocrypha, I believe). Donatello.

In the map room at the Palazzo Vecchio--note "Transylvania." This is interesting to me because I'm currently listening to Dracula. :P

"Terra o Mare Incognita"

Make haste slowly. I feel like this is the Italian mantra.

Another failed attempt at night photography.

Interesting detail in San Miniato.

Roof, with a mozaic (?) of Christ at the far end. The lighting was very poor, sadly.

Outside the church it was gloriously warm!

In which I set off adventurously on a byway.

And come upon this little church.

And this view.

And this rather odd graffiti.

On my way back into the heart of Florence.