Author Archive
Dorsoduro
We took a vaporetto to the tip of Dorsoduro, the Basilica di San Maria della Salute. Then, on to the Peggy Guggenheim and then ending at the Galleria dell Accademia, which has a huge painting collection and is most worthwhile to visit. After a hearty lunch at a trattoria with an old, energetic waitress, we […]
April 11th, 2000 by alephnaught
Walking and riding (sailing?) around Venice
The Ca’ d’Oro is a large art museum on the Grand Canal one stop north via Vaporetto No. 1 from the Rialto bridge. You get off at the Ca’ d’Oro stop and walk part way down the alley, er, street to the entrance. One of the famous pieces inside the museum is a painting of […]
April 10th, 2000 by alephnaught
St. Mark's
Our hotel is right on a small canal, which explains why there is an odd odor when we open the window. However, its worth the odor to hear a guitar or accordion played on a passing gondola. We walked less than five minutes and spilled out onto St. Mark's Square and Basilica. The square is […]
April 9th, 2000 by alephnaught
Training to Venice
We had a slow morning. While some work was being done by the rail line between Roma and Firenze, a World War II bomb was discovered. They decided to detonate it during the time our train was to arrive, so we were delayed two hours. But, we finally got our train and got to Venezia. […]
April 8th, 2000 by alephnaught
Fiesole
When the weather is clear and warm, you must take the number 7 bus from the train station out to Fiesole. Fiesole is an old town (it dates back to the original Etruscans that settled before Firenze existed) on a hill that overlooks Firenze. Its small and charming. We ate at Ristorante Aurora overlooking Firenze […]
April 7th, 2000 by alephnaught
Around town
We did the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, which was another Medici residence. There is a dynamite chapel upstairs in this building with a full-surround frescoe in exceptional condition. The frescoe tells the story of the Magi, with various real-life participants (including a portrait of Lorenzo Medici) and vivid color. We went back to the toy store […]
April 6th, 2000 by alephnaught
Shopping and the Cappella Branccaci
What’s a trip it Italia without shopping, so we shopped in the morning. Then, after a delightful lunch (they almost all were), we went back to see the Cappella Branccaci. This is a large chapel across the Arno river from the main part of Firenze. The most famous work inside is Masaccio’s Expulsion from the […]
April 5th, 2000 by alephnaught
April 3rd, 2000 by alephnaught
April 2nd, 2000 by alephnaught
Duomo and Santa Maria Novella
Our hotel is a very short walk from Santa Maria Novella, an old church right by the train station. There are some fine images on the walls of this church, whose square was dedicated in 1287. Below is a detail from one of the works. The Duomo is the center of Firenze and its huge. […]
April 12th, 2000 by alephnaught