Two Brysons in Italy
Wow, what a country. I’ve been to Italy several times before, but I must admit the Tuscan valley area around Florence and Pisa may be the best. So beautiful and so rich with culture and arts.
While there for Easter Weekend, I was engrossed in the old city. You walk down the street and feel transported to the Renaissance yourself. The architecture wraps you in a beauty and elegance of the old and sophisticated. Cars are rare in the narrow streets. Everyone just meanders across the narrow lanes from shop to shop, seeing things from the ultra chic to antiques of the past.
We crisscrossed the old city of Florence several times. I never tired of the views and pleasures of the area. Okay, I coulda done without a few of the hawkers with cardboard stands selling knock-off sunglasses, handbags, and watches. They were a little out of place.
At one beautiful courtyard I stopped to read a large historical marker. As I tried to match the locations on the map to the plaza in front of me, I realized the features were not there. This was showing the underground from Roman days. I marveled that they had not dug up the plaza to show the newly discovered Roman ruins. But as my daughter, Meredith, so aptly noted, how are you to dig up a beautiful Renaissance plaza just to have an older historical Roman plaza? What dilemmas they face?
We toured all throughout beautiful Florence, and even spent our Monday in Pisa. There the famous tower stands with equally an impressive cathedral and baptistery. Both of those monumental structures also lean, but just not as famously as the tower. I was surprised to learn that the tower made it’s primary shift after only the first three floors were constructed. It must have been some interesting debates in deciding to go on with additional construction. It looks like those smart enough to see the advantage in drawing tourists won out. The crowds still show up there!
posted by A Bryson (formerly) in China @ 10:27 PM
Comments: 0
