Italy 2006-6.1

Ok, so Florence is about more than Michelangelo. There is also Donatello, Ammanati, and Da Vinci. Florence claims Da Vinci, rightly so, although a lot of his work was actually done in Milan. We saw the Bargello Museum, and admired Donnatello’s David, which has been described as less warrior like and more saddle up to the bar like than Michelangelo’s work. There was also the spirit of Architecture, dei Architectura rendered in female form. I prefer Jene…

The museum itself is the old “captain of the guard” type fortress and was apparently a prison at one point. The building was great, lots of stone, iron rings, frescos and carved coats of arms in the walls, but we couldn’t take any pictures.

After the Bargello we wandered around the area east of the city center, around Santa Croce. Lots of shops, very medieval streets, street artists hawking their watercolors, etc. We did find one Florence Skyscape that we liked, rendered all in blues so it feels like Florence at night. Liked it enough to buy it, so now all we need is art from Rome and I can complete my set, having already bought art from Venice the last time I came.

We also had our first encounter with potential street crime. A beggar came to the table and simply wouldn’t leave. He then put his laminated sob story on the table directly on top of the video camera. I keyed to it and grabbed the camera, at which point he left after ignoring our No’s, goodbye’s, go away’s and hand gestures for almost a minute. I suppose I can’t be sure that he was going for the camera, but it felt like it. He was also well fed, groomed and dressed, so I don’t think there is any real danger of him starving today. He will find other tourists to fleece.

We got across the Ponte Vecchio and checked out that side for a bit, and then headed back toward the Central Market area. It was closed, however we did have dinner at a very nice osteria, Flexo. It was nice in the down home, comfortable sort of way that so many of the smaller restaurants in Italy exhibit. Great, simple food, and of course, Chianti. We ate out on the sidewalk café portion and were originally were seated at the restaurant right next store, sharing a table with 2 18 year old American student travelers. They were not pleased, gave us icy stares, and pretty much shut up as soon as we sat down. Apparently we are about the age of their parents. I was more than willing to ruin their day, but the heat lamps were up pretty high, and there was more comfortable seating next door. C’est la vie. They were then treated to two Italian girls closer to their age, whom they promptly shunned as well. All in all, they did not have a good meal. We had a blast listening to the American next to us, the bitchiest gay man I have ever encountered, who regaled half the osteria with his sex life until one of the waiters told him to keep it down (which he did with apologies). I wish I had the hot Gondolier calendar to give him, it probably would have made his day. Rude and loud Americans seems to be the norm early in the evening. We will stick to later dinners and try to put on a good face, assuming I don’t spill too much wine.