Chapter 7: Florence and Pisa

A lifetime of expectations was poised for realization when we docked near Florence on our tenth day away from home. I am quite sure I have never anticipated anything more greatly than this. Florence, Italy: a city brought to greatness by the patrons of the master artists, perched in the flowering Tuscan countryside, housing some of the greatest works of all mankind, one-time capital of the kingdom, final resting place of the who's who of Italy's Golden Age. See what I mean?

I regret to say that my visit to this one-of-a-kind city was the least enjoyable stop of all.

Let me explain. I signed up for the tour that would take us through Florence and to Pisa, because how can you drive by the Leaning Tower and not stop? Hm? As I understood it, the tour in Florence would be extensive. What was not explained in the description was the fact that the tour, conducted entirely on foot with shoddy listening devices that hardly worked, would not enter into any of the places we were rushed past. The spectacular Duomo? No. The world-reknowned Basilica di Santa Croce? No. The Galleria dell'Accademia with the statue of DAVID inside? No. Oh. The write-up also failed to mention that we would be stuck with a stanky guide holding her arms high above her head beckoning us ever closer in the pressing crowds, leaving her overwhelming odor behind her in every small space we entered. I found myself choosing oblivion over knowledge when deciding how closely to follow her. So, I don't know much about what I saw. But I lived to tell about it.

The good news about all of this is: I now know what I am missing - exactly. I can picture the outsides of these places, the quaint downtown. I can smell the leather working for which they are famous, the pasta shops. I WILL go back. And I will NOT hire a local guide. Bring on the Michelin travel guide. Or Frommers. I'm not picky as long as they don't stink.

So, I will share with you what I did see and what I did hear, and you will be glad I cannot share what I smelled.

The great temple's full name is Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore and it is the world's fourth-largest cathedral. You may have heard it referred to as the Duomo. The cathedral is crafted with colored Tuscan marble—white, red, and green. It is dedicated to Holy Mary of the Flower, the Madonna of Florence, but may be best known for its dome designed by Michelangelo rival Brunelleschi, and the bronze "Gates of Paradise" doors created by Lorenzo Ghiberti (now on display in the cathedral's museum).

This door was masterfully created to tell most of the major stories of the Bible, conveying meaning to an illiterate public.

This is the holy center of Florence and once the site of the town's Roman temple. Brunelleschi won a public competition to design the enormous dome, the first of its kind since antiquity. Although now severely cracked and under restoration, it remains a remarkable achievement of design. Standing in the center of such greatness dwarfed me.

Gothic temple Basilica di Santa Croce is said to house a stunning collection of art and the remains of some of the most illustrious Italians, such as Michelangelo, Donatello, Galileo, Machiavelli, Foscolo, Gentile, Rossini, Marconi, and Fermi. I, however, wouldn't know that first-hand. Partially obscuring our view was the temporary scaffolding put in place for a national soccer tournament held the day before and not yet removed. Plus, I would have had to have gone inside...

While we didn't get to see the real "David" by Michelangelo, we did see his original location in front of the city hall. The masterpiece has been moved inside Florence's Galleria dell'Accademia to avoid the elements, and replaced with an excellent copy to mark his spot. This picture shows the copy in the original location. By the way did you know that the big block of marble from which David was carved had been rejected as suitable material for sculpture by Leonardo da Vinci, among others? I didn't either. As they say, "One man's trash..."

We visited a leatherworking factory where the age-old art of gold-leafing is still practiced. Their handi-work was amazing. I covetously fingered a few hand-made bags in that shop. You may be able to just make out a black leather bag with gold-leaf and a gold clasp on the shelf behind this man. It was a design created for Grace Kelley back in the day. Full red leather interior. Hand stitched completely. Just beautiful. And only three hundred-something euro. (Let me digress for a moment on the value of the dollar. Actually there's not much to say except, "OUCH!" Every euro cost 1.65 dollars, approximately.)

Well, we loaded up and left Stinky behind at the city center. I didn't realized I would be so relieved to leave Florence. Off to Pisa. On the way we were informed by our guide that there was a large population of North African refugees, both legal and illegal, in the Pisa area that targeted tourists for petty crime. Oh. Well, there goes another gigantic expectation that I hadn't even realized I had. Don't look up at the Leaning Tower without a death-grip on your purse and a glance over your shoulder. But wow. Was that tower amazing! And, we didn't get mugged! But the street vendors with their "authentic" Prada and Gucci bags sure did clear the streets when the police patrol came through.

I did find a reputable store with a beautiful green bag that spoke my name and didn't claim to be anything other than what it was - handmade leather from Tuscany. Just my style!

(Looks to me like Franz's weighty thoughts are putting some strain on that lovely piece of architechure over there...)

Ten and a half hours after we'd left, and a little more deflated, a little more intrigued, we arrived back at the ship. We gratefully showered for our last formal night on the trip, and looked forward to a taste of shrimp cocktails, lobster, and Baked Alaska. Truthfully? We were just ready to go home.