Firenze: Settling in San Niccolo

A view of Florence from our neighborhood in San Niccolo.

I've returned to the San Niccolo quartiere of Firenze this year. I'm sharing an apartment with Anne, a friend from Norway that I met last year in the hall of this palazzo, where I had rented a different apartment. We're on the 3rd piano (4th floor), and it takes walking up 60 steps to reach our place. But it's lovely and comfortable, and much more affordable than previous rentals in Florence. Outside, there's a lively piazetta, with several cafès, a wine bar, several restaurants, a forno (bakery and baked foods), an alimentari (small grocery), a cartoleria (stationery store), a gelateria, and various other shops. There's also a chiesa (church) nearby: we can see the bell tower from our kitchen window and hear the bells quite clearly when they ring. We're right inside the city walls, and the nearby Porto (exit) leads to Piazzale Michelangelo, high above the city. It's my favorite part of Florence, and I feel lucky to be living in San Niccolo two years in a row.

Waiting in line at the Uffizi for free entrance.

The day after I arrived in Florence, the state museums were open to the public for free, and I took advantage of the opportunity to go the the Uffizi. I arrived about 15 minutes after it opened, but had to wait in line for an hour before getting in. Since I've been there many times before, I know my way around, and visited the areas I most enjoy and the current exhibits, rather than trying to see everything.

Everyone loves Botticelli!

That evening, Anne and I went to dinner (cena) at one of the nearby restaurants. Anne is in Florence working on a Masters project, about the life of an apprentice learning the skills of art restoration. San Niccolo is a haven for artists, and there are many botteghe (artist workshops) here.

Cena with Anne at the nearby Osteria Antica

The next day, I met up with my friend Haruko, and we walked around the centro storico. We met up later with Anne, planning to attend the Festa della Rificolona, which I've attended several times in the past. Haruko introduced us to an interesting cafè in Piazza Repubblica, Cafè Giubbe Rosse, which was once a hangout for the literati of Florence. We stopped in for aperitivi to pass the time before the festa started.

Cocktails at Cafè Giubbe Rosse , with Haruko and Anne

We waited around in Piazza Santa Croce where the sfilata usually starts, then moved on to Piazza Signoria, but didn't see much happening in regards to the festa. However, there was a large crowd in front of Palazzo Vecchio, and we heard rumors that George Clooney was inside. Those rumors turned out to be true, but we never were able to see him. As the evening got darker, children started filling the piazza carrying their lanterns, and piano, piano (slowly) a band arrived. But it was not the New Orleans Jazz Band of previous years. Instead it was a city band, singing a religious song, which seemed more of a dirge than a celebration. Since Anne and Haruko had never attended the festa before, we were all disappointed that this year the parade was more somber than usual. You can read about a more festive version here:

Festa della Rificolona 

and here's a fun video, from 2010:
 

The ever-present Duomo.

I had a few days to get settled in before heading out with Haruko to visit Pienza and Montepulicano in southern Tuscany.

Museo Ferragamo : The Amazing Shoemaker

One of my favorite fun museums in Florence is Museo Ferragamo, home of the famous shoemaker, Salvatore Ferragamo. I ventured into the museum for the first time in 2010, and have made numerous trips since then to view the creative and interesting exhibits they have. Last year they had an exhibit on Marilyn Monroe on the 50th anniversary of her death that was absolutely fabulous. I spent several hours in the museum viewing shoes, journals, film clips and videos of her life. That exhibit has now moved on to Prague.

This year the focus is on the theme of shoemakers in fairy tales. I picked up a free audio guide at the entrance, and entered a world of fantasy that could have gone on for the entire afternoon, but I only had ninety minutes to spare, as I was meeting a friend for lunch that day.

Entrance to the museo, then down the stairs.

I wasn't allowed to take photos of the exhibit, though I saw many others doing so! To get a glimpse and learn more, here's a review, with many great photos:

Salvatore Ferragamo Presents ‘The Amazing Shoemaker

And here's the link to the Museo:

Museo Ferragamo

The exhibit will be open until March 31, 2014.

Palazzo Strozzi: "Fire and Ice" and the Russian Avante-Garde

The best mostra, or art exhibit that I went to in Florence this fall, hands down, was at Palazzo Strozzi. It's title: The Russian Avant-Garde. Siberia and the East. I spent three hours viewing this extraordinary exhibit, which included 130 pieces (79 paintings, watercolours and drawings, 15 sculptures and 36 Oriental artefacts and ethnographical objects). I almost skipped it because of the reference to Avante-Garde artists, thinking it was only about radical modern art in Russia. But I read an article about the exhibit by Nina  Lobanov-Rostovsky in the Florentine, which described the exhibit as a "synthesis of the indigenous and the exotic, examining all the elements that went into the works of Russian modernists while simultaneously highlighting the shamanistic roots that are unique to Russian art." I wanted to know more.

The author of the article believed that the title "Avant-Garde" was misleading: "In speaking with all three of the show’s curators, they made it clear that they preferred their original title, ‘Fire and Ice,’ which would have referred to the scorched deserts of the eastern Russian empire, known as Turkestan, and to its frozen Arctic regions. Most of the artists included in the show belonged neither to the early nor to the later Russian Avant-garde, a name assigned to radical, innovative artists and movements that started taking shape between 1907 and 1914."

Artists Léon Bakst, Alexandre Benois, Pavel Filonov, Natalia Gončarova, Wassily Kandinsky, Michail Larionov and Kazimir Malevič were included in the exhibit. Though Kandinsky was the only artist I was familiar with, I found the exhibit to be not only compelling but very moving, as the works portrayed not only the creative process of the artists, but also their spiritual journey. I paid an extra 5 euros to use the audio guide for the exhibit, and am glad I did, as it gave me deeper insight into the artists and the meaning they intended to convey in their works.

From the exhibit, I learned about Kandinsky's interest in theosophy and how he explored and used symbolism in his paintings. Kandinsky believed that the artist has a mission to move others along their spiritual path with his/her work. I was introduced to the work of Natalia Gončarova and her husband, Michail Larionov, who were considered to be at the forefront of Russian art in the early 1900s.

 I viewed Neolithic stone figures, wooden sculptures, reindeer horns and even a shaman's drum. "Siberian shaman rituals, Chinese popular prints, Japanese engravings, theosophical and anthroposophical theories and Indian philosophy are some of the elements that inspired the new Russian artists and writers in the development of their aesthetic and theoretical ideas, just before the October Revolution of 1917." www.firenzeturismo.it

I saw the exhibit on a quiet week day, when there were not many people in attendance. When I left the Palazzo, I discovered it had rained steadily while I was immersed in scenes of Siberia. I felt serene and uplifted by the exhibit, and the rain-washed streets only furthered the sense that I had experienced a watershed moment at Palazzo Strozzi. This exhibit deserves a long, quiet study, and is worthy of more than one visit.

Firenze: Aperitivi!

One of the fun activities that goes on every evening in Florence, starting at 7 p.m. is going out for aperitivi. Aperitivi are beverages that are usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite, and are usually dry rather than sweet. However, in many cases nowadays, a glass of wine or a cocktail will do. Many ristoranti invite people to come in for a drink, and provide snacks and hot pasta in a buffet style setting. Quite often, there's enough of a spread to make a meal of it, but you only have to pay for the drink. Depending on the place, drinks cost between 6 and 15 euros each: on the lower end, it's a pretty cheap meal!

Sei Divino, Ognissanti

Haruko and I have met for aperitivi several times, in different parts of the city. Sei Divino, in Ognissanti, charged 7 euros for their drinks, and provided a great spread of food. We got there at 7 pm when they were just starting to put out the food....by 7:45 most of it was gone! They had several kinds of crostini (small slices of bread spread with patè) and bruschetta (grilled slices of bread spread with sauces), several platters of hot pasta, and salad.

Haruko at the Play Bar

Another place we tried, Play Bar on Piazzale Michelangelo, charged 8 euros for their drinks, and the food was plenty and good, but not as tasty as the spread at Sei Divino. One advantage we had at Play Bar is that we went there on a rainy Wednesday night, and the place was pretty empty, so the food never ran out while we were there, and there were more choices of vegetables. They had many kinds of olives, marinated eggplant, zucchini, artichokes, cocktail onions and garlic, in addition to polpette (meatballs) and a cheesy pasta dish.

Bevo Vino, San Niccolo

Another kind of place that serves aperitivi is the Enoteca, or wine bar. I visited the one in San Niccolo, Bevo Vino, several times with Anne, but not during the aperitivi hour, when they usually serve tapas with their drinks. As you can see, outdoor spaces often consist of tables and chairs positioned in the streets in San Niccolo, which becomes a pedestrian area after 6 p.m.

Though I had enough presence of mind to take photos of the bars, I neglected to take photos of the food. You'll just have to imagine it!

Lo Sciopero (It's another Strike!)

The strike notice

Now for a lesson in the UNFUN things that can happen in Italy. They're calling it Venerdì Nero: Black Friday. It's the dreaded sciopero....they happen all too often, sometimes with little advance warning. Other times they are advertised a week in advance in newspapers or on flyers, like the one above from 2011, which lays out the exact time the strike will go on. (From the start of service to 6 am, from 9:15 - 11:45, then from 3:15 to the end of service, probably midnight. This means that people can get to work between 6-9:15, but won't have a way to get home.) Since I hadn't been reading Italian newspapers this week, I was not forewarned. The current strike was a protest in response to new austerity measures proposed this week.

So far I've managed to avoid the brunt of the Italian propensity to strike. When they happen, trains, buses or planes will stop running, sometimes for a few hours at a time, or like today, for 24 hours. And it usually seems to happen on Monday or Friday. I've been inconvenienced when the regional trains or city buses didn't run. But today I got broadsided.

When I got to the Florence airport at 5:30 a.m. to catch a 7:00 flight, I heard the word "strike" and knew I was in trouble. All the Alitalia flights had been cancelled, and all flights operated by Alitalia would be cancelled throughout the day. Oh boy, what does that mean? I've been very fortunate in all my travels abroad so far to have never missed a flight or had one cancelled on me. Until today.

I always fly with Delta, but to fly out of Florence, which does not have an international airport, many major airlines rely on Alitalia to get their clients to larger airports, like Paris, Rome and Amsterdam. I was scheduled to fly to Amsterdam on the first leg of my journey, then on to Minneapolis and Kansas City. Okay...no flight. What's next? We were ushered to a line where we stood for about an hour while they re-ticketed everyone. Some people were rerouted to flights in Pisa and Bologna, and buses were provided to get them to those airports. Some would have to spend the night at the new destination. When it came to my flight, the news was different: I would have to wait two days before they could get me out of Florence. To be honest, it didn't bother me that much. I figured I could go back to the flat I'd rented or stay with friends. An unruffled agent booked me on flights to Paris, JFK and then Kansas City. Not my preferred route, but I can live with it. And I'd rather stay in Florence than face an unknown situation in Pisa or Bologna.

I left the airport and took a shuttle back to the city center. I sent a text message to Eleonora, the woman I'd rented the apartment from, asking if I could stay an extra two nights. I planned some back-up options: I could stay with Anne, who lives in the same apartment building, or go to an inexpensive hotel that I've frequented many times. Luckily, Eleonora agreed to let me stay, free of charge, and would meet me at the flat to give the keys back to me. So far, so good.

I got on a bus that goes to San Niccolo, only to learn that the bus would not be running after all, as there was a protest going on and traffic was stalled. Ah, Italy! I hauled my luggage back off the bus and waited with others in the same predicament. At some time or another, the buses would be running again. I chatted with tourists visiting from Amsterdam and Greece. After thirty minutes or so, another bus came ambling along. It was then that I realized I'd left one of my bags on the first bus. It was an overflow bag, nothing special, with an old sweater, some gifts I'd been given, and others I'd bought to take home. But I'd also put my new ticket and itinerary in the bag. And worst of all, the journal I'd been keeping of my travels was stashed in there. Uh-oh.....I need that bag!

I asked the driver what to do, and he told me to talk to some men in a kiosk across the street. When I went there, they told me to go back to the bus stop and wait for each bus on that bus line and ask the driver if they had found my bag. I did that for several buses, but the drivers were so rude (one even refused to acknowledge that I was speaking to him, and walked away) that I gave up and took the next bus to San Niccolo. I was told I could try the lost items office later in the day to see if the bag had been turned in. Okay.

I got back to the flat, got settled and called Delta on Skype about sending me an email with the new itinerary and confirmation code. An agent agreed to do that. I went out to get some lunch and ran into some of my new friends at a nearby osteria. Great! A pleasant diversion. When I returned to the flat, I hadn't received anything from Delta, so I decided to find out where the lost objects office is located. Get this: it's only open M-F from 9am to 12:30 pm. It was already past 3 pm on a Friday and I'm leaving on Sunday. So I figured that bag is a goner. I'm just glad I didn't have anything costly, like my passport, camera, phone, tablet or wallet in the bag.

I called Delta again, and this time got a wonderfully helpful and patient guy who tracked down the itinerary that Alitalia had created for me, and had them send me an email with the information I need for the flights. Great! I'm all set! And a friend offered to go to the lost objects office next week and see if my bag shows up. If it does, she can save it for my next trip here and send me the journal.

The upshot is that I have two more days to hang out in Florence with my friends, I have one less bag to carry, and I have a comfortable place to stay. Let's hope the flights on Sunday will go smoothly. Tonight I'll lay low, drink some wine that I'd planned on bringing home, and hit the hay early. I'm more upset about the loss of my journal than anything else. Two months of my thoughts and experiences gone! Sure am glad I have this blog to remind me of many things that happened.

Moral of the story: if you come to Italy, you have to learn to go with the flow and see what happens. Things will work out, one way or another. In the meantime, find some way to enjoy the delay. Tomorrow I'll enjoy the great weather and dine out with friends.

Firenze: La musica : playful, exquisite and sacred

I've had had the opportunity to enjoy many different types of music during my stay in Florence, from Gregorian Chant to classical piano and street music.

Gregorian chant in San Miniato al Monte

There have been several chances to hear Gregorian chant. The first time was at San Miniato al Monte, where Haruko and I  went to hear a lay choral group of men and women performing for an hour. The next week, I went with another friend to Orsanmichele for another performance, but when I realized it was the same group I'd seen with Haruko, and they were performing the same program, I didn't stay.

Santa Maria del Fiore: The Duomo

To be honest, I was hoping to hear only men singing, so I went to the Duomo one Sunday, where the 10:30 Mass is celebrated in Latin with monks (or priests) providing the Gregorian chant. It was lovely, with the music reverberating in the vast expanse of the Duomo, and the beauty of the cupola above me...a nice way to spend an hour in contemplation.
 

Brunelleschi's Dome (Cupola), with frescoes painted by Vasari and Zuccari

On another occasion, I went to a piano concert by a famous Italian pianist with my neighbors Anne and Catherine. It was held in a beautiful room in Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, and the acoustics were incredible. We were also sitting near the piano, which gave us an excellent opportunity to enjoy the concert up close.  The concert followed a presentation on a new exhibit at the Palazzo, and afterwards we were treated to champagne and sandwiches. The concert was truly impressive, and surprisingly, it was free.
 

Gregorio Nardi at Palazzo Medici-Riccardi

The room where the concert was held, la Galleria degli Specchi (Gallery of Mirrors)

There are many talented musicians in Firenze who perform on the streets. I always stop to listen and give them a euro or two for their talent and effort to entertain.

This trio was playing in Piazza Santa Croce

A tourist couple started swing dancing to the music. They were superb dancers, and fun to watch!

The quality of these street musicians is always impressive: many of them seem to be classically trained. In all of my travels, I have rarely heard any mediocre music by the street musicians in Italy. For the most part, the music is arresting because it is of such high quality.

Accordion and opera: I bought an album from this couple when I first saw them in 2006. Very talented!

Playful: A zumba demo in Piazza Signoria. Enough said.

Classical violin on a side street.

It's so lovely to be walking down the streets of Florence and hear the strains of a violin, an accordion, or the beat of a trio playing jazz in a nearby piazza. It adds to the fun of being here, and to the majesty of the beauty that surrounds you everywhere in this city of creativity.

Firenze: Forte Belvedere, Zhang Huan exhibit

“Three heads – six arms”

Another place I visited on a sunny day was Fort Belevedere, also located near San Niccolo. Though we use the word belvedere in English, we mangle the pronunciation, which is more lyrical in the original Italian:  bel vuh dare(rolled r) ay, which means beautiful view. The Fort was recently reopened after five years of closure.

Long Island Buddha

I went to Fort Belvedere to see the great views, but also to attend the exhibition “L’Anima e la Materia/Soul and Matter” by Zhang Huan, a Chinese artist based in Shanghai. "Transience is what distinguishes his work: he makes massive yet short-lived ash statues destined to unravel in the wind. Apart from the ashes of incense, Zhang Huan uses metal, leather and bronze."

The works are "...constructed from incense ash collected from Shanghai temples; a laboriously involved process of weekly gathering and sorting. This medium has multiple significations: it is the actual substance of prayers, the dust of death and rebirth, the allegorical weight of spirits. Emitting an overwhelming scent throughout the gallery space these pieces recycle the hopes and wishes of others, sharing a cathartic ambience of cleansing and purity."   - saatchigallery.com

Ash Buddha

Aluminum Buddha, used to make the Ash Buddha

Peace 2

Cowskin Buddha

Another view of “Three heads – six arms”

Ocean view : ash on linen

View of the city

View to the east, with San Miniato al Monte in the distance

Both the location and the exhibit were visually stunning, and I'm glad I was able to get there on a sunny day, two days before the exhibit was to close. On the last day of the exhibit, I visited the second part, housed in Palazzo Vecchio. Several large ash sculptures were included, including Buddha and Jesus facing each other, as if in conversation, with remnants of incense sticks still evident.

the Buddha

Jesus

incense sticks sticking out of the sculpture

Zhang Huan has some interesting ideas and materials, and I'm curious to see what he comes up with next!

Firenze: Giardini e Villa Bardini

Entering the Giardini Bardini

Yesterday was a cool, sunny day, and I decided to take advantage of it by visiting Villa Bardini and its vast gardens. The entrance to the park is just up the street from my apartment, but it's a steep climb once you're in the park to reach the villa, where art exhibits are held.

A steep climb!

The garden itself is best seen in the spring and summer, when flowers are blooming, but I had the place to myself and enjoyed the incredible views of Florence and San Niccolo.

The Duomo in the distance

San Niccolo!

il drago canale : The Dragon Canal

I was especially interested in the exhibit at the villa, as it had a connection to my stay in Paris last fall.  The exhibit, Il Rinascimento da Firenze a Parigi: Andata e ritorno (The Renaissance from Florence to Paris: There and back), refers to Italian treasures of the Museum Jacquemart-André in Paris that have now returned home (albeit only for a visit).  Famous works by Botticelli, Donatello, Mantegna, and Paolo Uccello were included in the exhibit. 

 Belvedere : Beautiful view!

I had stumbled upon the Museum Jacquemart-André in Paris last fall after seeing an advertisement in the metro about an exhibit being held there of the Venetian artists Canaletto and Guardi. You can read my post from last fall here:  Paris, Day 4, 2012.

The pieces by Botticelli at Villa Bardini were especially stunning, and I found the frames on all the paintings to be of particular interest: fine old wood frames, carved by hand. It seems ironic that many paintings I saw in Paris have followed me to Florence this year! There's also an exhibit at the Modern Art Gallery in Palazzo Pitti of Impressionist paintings that I first saw in the Musee D'Orsay.  Paris, Day 1, 2012

Twelve paintings by Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, Pissarro and Degas are featured. So I've had a second chance to see these stunning masterpieces.  Impressionisti a Palazzo Pitti

I'd love to see this pergola when it's covered with blooming flowers

A few roses still blooming

The park and villa are an easy walk from my apartment, and I will definitely return in the future.

Firenze: Fare la spesa (do the shopping)

A quaint market on a side street

One of the joys of being in Italy is going to the market, which often means going some distance away from where you live. My favorite open market, Sant'Ambrogio, is a 30-minute walk (each way) from my apartment, so it takes some planning to fit that excursion into my day. But it's well worth the effort! There are many other options for shopping. For everyday items, I usually go to Conad, which is a chain of stores all over the city.

An alimentari in San Niccolo, just for basics like vegetables and winer

There are small alimentari (grocery store) dotted around the city, but the selection of items is limited. Going to the open markets is a way to see Italians at their daily life, and to participate in the ritual of buying fresh food each day.

The open maret at Sant'Ambrogio

At Sant'Ambrogio, there's also an indoor market, where vendors sell all kinds of fresh meats, fish, cheeses, homemade pasta, breads, dried fruits, etc. There's even a small ristorante, Rocco's, where locals eat for lunch, and you can get a pasta dish for only 5 euros.

Anne and I stopped in at Rocco's for lunch.

I buy buffalo mozzarella from this guy

Schiaciatta con l'uva (flat bread with grapes) on the left: a fall specialty.

Bread, cured olives and cinghiale (wild boar)!

Freshly picked olives: cure them yourself!

Porcini mushrooms: make sure they're fresh!

Goat cheese

Once a week, in Cascine Park across town, there's a whopper of a market, one of the largest I've seen in Italy, with just about everything you can imagine. The clothes are often offered at large discounts. For instance, I bought a dress length sweater trimmed with lace for only 5 euros, and three silk scarves for the same price.

Need something for the kitchen?

Tables are covered with everything from bras to tablecloths, jewelry to knives, shoes to lampshades. Next year when I come, I'll bring fewer clothes and buy a new wardrobe at the Cascine market.

he's the "assassin of prices!"

fresh herbs for the windowsill gardens

On many streets, you'll find the illegal sale of items like watches, purses and sunglasses. The vendors are usually from Africa or Asia and don't have a vendor's license. The goods are displayed on sheets, as shown below, so the vendors can easily sweep them up into the sheet and run off when they see the polizia coming their way.

The ever-present, illegal, knock-off handbags

As you can see, shopping is an experience in Italy, and not to be missed!