A Month in Bella Italia

[Flutterby]

The cathedral looks so beautiful and then all the shops with pizza, chocolate and ice cream

In some cities you have to validate the train or bus tickets and in some not - A bit confusing for me - Those inspectors indeed can be the pest

It wa a beautiful city indeed. So true about the tickets....when we got on the train we didn't validate our tickets either because we hadn't needed to in the morning, then we saw a sign saying on this train you did have to validate them!

Beautiful food, sceneries and people all over!


You got scammed as a foreigner, Flutts!

Yep, you are right!

Flutty, you are not lucky with the busses

Why are brides always half naked? Beautiful dress, but still too naked for a wedding IMO

Apart from the fine, it looks as if it was worth the trouble to go to Siena

It was definitely worth it! And luckily you forget the bad stuff...I only remembered about the fine when typing that last post.

I'm sure she took the dress off soon, Lis?

[Flutterby]

Being a Sunday, we had a lazy morning and in the afternoon we visited the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum. It's a fashion museum dedicated to the life and work of Italian shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo and his company. The museum contains 10,000 models of shoes created and owned by Ferragamo from the 1920s until his death in 1960. This is SO's favourite designer and we wanted to get him something from the store...the only thing we could afford was after shave!

Snakeskin shoes made for Joan Crawford in 1932.

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Oxford shoes made for Rudolf Valentino in 1926.

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A view across the river of Piazzale Michelangelo at the top left and St. Miniato, top right (the church Liz and I had visited). The piazzale is a popular spot to watch the sun set over Florence.

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The Ponte Vecchio at sunset.

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Sunset over the Arno River.

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The bustle on the Ponte Vecchio, another popular sunset spot.

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We had dinner at this restaurant overlooking the river.

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After dinner we went back to the Ponte Vecchio to watch I Ragazzi Scimmia (The Monkey Boys). They are a local Florentine band who perform on the bridge every Sunday night. The Brat and his friends go to the bridge most Sunday's to watch them.

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During one of their breaks, a saxophonist played from a platform in the middle of the river!

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We then made our way to the Palazzo Vecchio where another band was entertaining the crowds!

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There is music where ever you walk in Florence....it's beautiful!!

[Lisbeth]

That's nice! if it is not too loud

A saxophonist in the middle of the river ....... a bit kitsch, but a nice touch all the same if you are a tourist, as most of the crowd is

[Richprins]

Interesting! Such different cultures!

So no shoes for SO...

[Pumbaa]

The shoes do looks beautiful but as well extreme expensive

At least SO got a souvenir from that shop

Sounds lovely with the bands playing musiv every Sunday, Flutterby

[Flutterby]

That's nice! if it is not too loud

A saxophonist in the middle of the river ....... a bit kitsch, but a nice touch all the same if you are a tourist, as most of the crowd is

Yes, a bit kitsch, but still nice.

Interesting! Such different cultures!

So no shoes for SO...

Yes, he got shoes but from the market, not from Ferragamo!

The shoes do looks beautiful but as well extreme expensive

At least SO got a souvenir from that shop

Sounds lovely with the bands playing musiv every Sunday, Flutterby

There is music all the time in Florence...it's lovely!

[Flutterby]

I had noticed this on the wall outside the kitchen window in our Florence aparment, which translates as Wall of the Alessandri's. Obviously, being so close to the Brat's name I looked it up.

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The Palazzo degli Alessandri is an early-Renaissance-style palace located on Borgo degli Albizi number 15 in Florence (just a couple of streets away from our apartment). The Alessandri family derived from a branch of the Albizzi family; documents for the foundation of this branch date from 1372. An earlier prominent palace that stood at the site was destroyed during the Ciompi rebellion of 1378. The Alessandri (and Albizzi) had been prominent Guelf/Guelfi families linked to the wool production, and thus the Guild of Wool. According to SO's family, our surname is somehow linked to the Guelfi's! The family produced twenty-three Priors and nine Gonfaloniers (the holder of a highly prestigious communal office). The palace was enlarged in the 1700s by Cosimo Alessandri. I can only imagine that this wall was somehow connected to this palace. The Palace is still owned by descendants of the Alessandri.

This is the Santa Maria Nuova Hospital, the oldest hospital still active in Florence. It was founded in 1288 by Folco Portinari, the father of Beatrice, Dante's beloved.

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There is definitely not a shortage of scooters in Florence!

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The Brat taking a photo of a violinist outside the Duomo. She was very good!

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Her friend then came to ask the Brat if he would take more photos and send them to him.

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[Lisbeth]

The girl works and the friend is her Manager

Nice story about the Alessandri The golden age of Italy and see where it has gone now

[Richprins]

So you are part of a fancy family, Flutts!

[Flutterby]

I don't know what the connection is. I just thought it was quite a coincidence seeing that wall outside the window.