Quick blog, it´s past 1am, and I´d planned on getting to bed early, by atleast midnight tonight/last night. Will add photos when time.
Made up for not having had gelato the last few days, by having piccolo gelato 3 times today, and once about 11pm, on the way home, right as Venchi was closing. That last time I finally got some mela (apple) and stracciatella (white gelato with slivers of black chocolate...it refers to any black and white Italian food...but in this case was gelato). Both were devine. Venchi has some of the best gelato, but they specialize in chocolates. They´re the one with the sinks in front with liquid fountain running "water" of chocolate; and large slabs of chocolate, and tiny speciality individual chocolates both wrapped and not wrapped, in various shapes, with various additions or not. Pretty location, right around the corner from the Wild Boar Fountain with running water, under a huge arbor of stone and marble columns, right off the Ponte Vecchio.
Live Music at a bar with books, overlooking the Duomo´s dome. Met some really interesting, nice people from various places tonight too. Maybe will live here a month this summer, but would miss the 4 kids of course back in Norway:). And T, if that even matters,).
It was really great to be around other like minded people studying, traveling, traveling for studies, etc. Enjoyed the various conversations, and offshoots of everything and then some. It was great having someone to discuss art history with, the Mona Lisa, that I´d been researching the life of the woman supposedly whose face the painting was based on...how I´d found out that the Dollar bill wall was the outside of the convent where that woman was laid to rest, but at the time no one knew that/or about her, so when they decided to renovate the convent into something else, twice over, as I suppose Italy has so many old things, they just ended up destroying all the original ground and burial underneath, including disposing of all the skeletal remains in an unfortunate place for even just any skeletal remains: a local dump site, which has since been topped up with hundreds of layers of dirt and grass, covered up, and covered over. Then some point after that had all taken place, recently they discovered who they thought the woman was, and realized her body is now somewhere with all the others, in the dump site, which is now covered under decades of dirt layers. Or how that topic, and trying to research into the history of Florence and Italy, including the Medici family, led me to the portrait of Bia...which some experts think was the slightly older sister...and how that led me to the experts heated debates that many of the expert opinions are wrong, and many old portraits are wrongly named. Etc.
Enjoyed a night of walking around...and delicious Gusto Pizza...finding a new fresh fruit and veg market off the Ponte Vecchio fountain, with the most interesting unusual veggies, that as much as I keep up with such things, I was not sure what a few things were, and the varieties were so colorful this time of year.
A free outdoor concert at the...er tired, the plaza with all the statues underneath, by the Zeus/Neptune fountain. The live music/loud music over at what I thought was the Plaza Republica post office area; and ditto loud music and lights at the merry go round plaza (Santa Croce, or Maria?).
Seeing the Vecchio all packed up like beautiful chocolate boxes to unwrap in the morning. Drinking water from the public fountains there, by pushing the top brass cylinder. Seeing the wild boar fountain statue at night, quiet, no one much around,just a few stragglers out walking around a bit late.
The light here is amazing! Constantly changing, warmth and color affecting everything else. I got art supplies, paints (ochres, oranges, umbers, loden greens, grey, gray). Sharp, dense, hard (will not smear or blend easily, lines stay sharp) dark grey black charcoal pencil lead. Lamp black ink. Paint brushes. One tiny square of another black color of solid watercolor. And pure pigments in jars.
During shopping, discussed another customers thick colorful binder boxes, unusual in shape and the way they turned out and in upon themselves to open and shut. He was very kind to let me see also, as they´d been hidden up high on a shelf, only someone who specifically has asked for them, or would know to, would usually see that choice. I had a good mind to get one, for my unstretched canvases.
Dogs. Everywhere various variations of tiny fur pets, walking happily, proudly, quietly, mannerly, on dainty, charming, delicate leather leads, head held high, knowing exactly where they are going, leading the way, owners following. Dogs by one. Single dogs in either direction, walking towards each other. Dogs in pairs and triples, walking together on one lead with two or three lead ends. Dogs being carried carefully, lovingly under arm. Dogs on the bus.
OH I saw a MATTRESS put on the bus yesterday! YES. A double mattress. The solid, sturdy, heavy, old fashioned kind with a thick, well-made wood frame, with the intricate old metal coils complications underneath, with the cloth overlay covering up the firm cotton and batting mattress underneath. THAT. Can you imagine? It was fascinating. All of us helped, by either moving or helping get the mattress on and off, and keeping it steady whilst the bus lurched back and forth during stops and starts, or traffic sitting scooching up. Nearly the entire bus atleast our main section, all automatically worked together, with these complete strangers, to make sure it went well, that the mattress got on and rode easily, safely, and got to its off bus destination without mishap:).
I wanted to continue the story, to know what happened...as when last saw said mattress, it was being carried up some mossy Spanish Step sized steps up to presumably one of the tiny villa apartments, up presumably winding, narrow, difficult stairs with hairpin turns....I remember oh so well from similar situations when I had to move a mattress up one such place, luckily only twice, and mattress got stuck between a doorway, wouldn´t budge either way. Much cursing, yelling, cussing, sweating and complaining, kicking and hitting with a hammer trying to get the doorjam maybe off, later...finally somehow mattress got to the bedroom.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Enjoyed a quick ride up and back from Michelangelo Plaza this morning, with all the amazing colors changing the colors of the villas along the way, the views, the garden walks. Lovely, spectacular. The light is so warm....ah and actually the air was too. I walked around most of the day with just a normal shirt on (whilst everyone gave me crazy looks, as it is January, the month, not about the actual weather, but the month. January one wears heavy coat, no matter the actual temperature. January, it could be 60 out, and one would not swim outdoors or wear shorts. It felt like mid50s today, and sunny, and warm. I tried wearing a sweater or a jacket but it was just too warm! Finally about 8 I put on my coat a bit on and off, but mostly still wore it round my waist). It was great having some warm weather, and sun--both. At the same time,).
(These photos of the Michelangelo Plaza were taken in December. I didn´t bring my camera this morning)
2am. Will add photos tomorrow. Going to bed now, after a long hot soak in the tub. Goodnight. Did so much and saw so much today, forget what all, but again, another wonderful day. And best of all with my family here:). It was so great being out and doing stuff together here:)
