11 October 2009

Firenze Sunday ~ Not Slow


What is the most vivid memory for our Sunday in Firenze. Ah, it was the street Tombola. One hundred feet of tables filled with people playing a form of bingo. The caller was stationed in a window one floor up with a make shift PA system announcing not only the numbers but a call to drink more wine.

This is what our fondest memories are when we travel -- being on the streets, with people – listening to the sounds, feeling the energy. Today had much of that although we did go to one museum, Alinari National Museum of Photography for its show of Futurism in Photography. This was yet another wonderful show and one that this fellow felt compelled to engage me in conversation about as we exited the museum. Not that he knew much English and I certainly knew less Italian. But we both agreed it was an important exhibit.

Between the Tombola and the Museum, there was the epic view from the Piazzale Michelangiolo. We had been up there earlier in the week, but the skies were cloudy and the light unbelievably bad. So we re-climbed the 200+ steps, took some photos, talked with Frederick from Albania and then proceeded up another 100 steps to Chiesa di San Miniato al Monte. That was where we found the woman with the orange hair who called out for us to take her with us. That we did after more photos.





















Ah yes, and the family name today is Parenti. Yes, Giovanni Parenti came from Tuscany over a hundred years ago. My mother would have celebrated her 100th birthday this year. Here is to the Parenti familia. This photo was taken on Via Tornabuoni - the Parenti are right there with Ferragamo and other high-end shops. When it's open the shop sells glassware and gifts. To see more photos c\click here for the Flickr set.



Link to flickr photos here.

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