Bayley-Ellard High School

Bell' Italia -- Italy trip 1998

Day 5 -- Florence

The most amazing thing about Florence, to me, is the sounds. We wake daily to a cacophony of church bells wafting through our open window and through our blowing diaphanous white curtains. (The link here is an actual recording of the bells that woke me up. I made it by sticking our poor litle notebook computer out the window! One picture shows the tower as seen from the top of the dome. Our hotel is that building at the base of the tower just behind it!) They ring at all times of the day, with no pattern that I can discern. But also they ring with such unevenness that it's obvious that they're rung by human hands. No mechanical clockworks, and certainly no tape player is involved. The sound of the church bells echo down on the city down the streets between the uneven walls of the city blocks. It paints the buildings with warm sound like a particularly beautiful sunset paints them with warm light (and the sunsets do that, actually, as well). Often one church's bells will intermingle and play with the bells of another. This is my favorite thing. I stop in the street and just listen.

Our hotel has no restaurant so we go to a similar one a block away for breakfast. We have blood orange juice with our croissants. We then collect in front of the Palazzo Vecchio and meet our latest tourguide. She is how we know that you can ride a horse up to the 3rd floor of the building (big steps) and through a mile long (and very tall) tunnel through the city and over the river. If you're a Medici, that is. We then walk to the Duomo and learn about this huge building that takes up our hotel room window views. The dome is the highest building in the city and was the first suspended dome built. All others (like St. Peters) are modeled on this one. Most of us climb the dome later in the day. You can actually climb up the curved interior dome surface in the space between that and the exterior dome. And we do! At the top is a cupola with a spectacular view of the city, mountains, tower, and our little hotel at its base. It's quite a climb, however, and coming down is much easier than going up. After the decent, we explore the church itself. The frescoes inside the dome are breathtakingly 3-dimensional. We light candles for intentions (including Sister Claire's), then explore the crypt below the church floor.

Next, we're off to the Church of St. Croce and its many tombs. As we walk inside we step on the graves of dozens of complete strangers. You can't really help it. We view the tombs of Dante, Galileo, Machiavelli, and Michelangelo (among others) each a work of sculptured art in itself. As well as the architecture of the church. The enormous stained glass windows, altar, bright frescoes, and the sculptures of mourners around each crypt make everyone a little contemplative.

We part from our guide and Ignazio takes us to a leather making store called Michelangelo's. We are shown how the all-leather Florentine Boxes are made, what leathers are used for what types of articles, and how its gold foiled. Then we wander through the store trying on clothing, bags, and playing with the little Florentine boxes. Carl tries on a few jackets. As Carl peels of layers of clothing the salesman is still impressed with his remaining size.

Every generation of Americans gets bigger. I thought that was layers of clothing. It is just you!

We cross the street and look in the recommended silver shop and then we have the day to explore. Some go off to see Michelangelo's David at Galleria del accedemia. There are a dizzying array of other masterpieces here as well. Others go to the Uffizi. It has 4000 works of art to see on a two our tour. We did the math. That works out to two seconds per item. Most people choose to spend hours of time and layers of shoe leather walking Florence. Most shop at the outdoor straw market and rub the boar's snout there to ensure they will visit again someday. There was Gelotti to sample, fine leather goods, 18 carat gold shops ("we don't have 14 carat, that's no good ... what? 10 carat ... uh, no,") and of course the cafes. Unfortunately it's still too brisk to sit outside. In fact the wind is often vicious and we are all red-faced with windburn and have chapped lips.

We have a pork dinner at a quaint but cramped little restaurant in a cellar. The vegetarians are given cheese and lettuce rations again. We begin to socialize more easily with our traveling companions from Maize, Kansas, one of whom spills her entire dinner into her backpack and onto a borrowed jacket. What a mess!

As we return from dinner I invite kids up to our room to exchange email with the many parents and others who have been sending us nice notes. After this is done, a group of them stay behind and look at the web page of the 1st three days. Steve reads it aloud, and everyone squints at the screen, and they laugh at the many little details of their days that only they can find funny. Finally they filter out of the room and I can work on day 4. Shortly Jessie returns with Clarissa. Her room is an icebox and she needs a place to do her homework -- reading 12th Night.

It's so cold in my room!
Why?
Well you know how your window closes?

End of day 5.

To email us in Italy send email to mewintle@aol.com and be sure to include the word "Italy" somewhere in the tile. I will forward your message to the appropriate person or the whole group as appropriate.

Go to Day 6 (Assisi Orvieto / Rome)