What a Wonderful Journey

Trip Start Apr 23, 2012

Trip End May 24, 2012

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With Dottie & Mark

Flag of Italy Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Friday, May 18, 2012

And the wonderful adventures continue! Today I was met at the Pitti Palace by one of my new friends, Valerie. She is a young American woman who has been living in Florence for about 14 years. Being honest I can't remember exactly how long she said she has been here, but I think that is about right. She has made a study of the Medici family and the Boboli Gardens. So I had a very special guide for my visit to these interesting gardens. Right behind the palace one climbs up a large number of steps to the amphitheater. This is where the Medicis held weddings and many other celebrations. It is also where the first opera, Daphne, was performed. On up more stairs and one comes to the pool that provides the water to irrigate the entire garden complex. It is centered with a statue of Neptune punishing his sons for their not doing as he asked. Not sure that I remember the story. I'll look it up later. There was the Cavelier Garden full of the most fragrant pinky-purple roses. Heavenly! It had beautiful views away from the city and yet still in the city

Neptune

. Along side this garden is a building filled with china that was used by the Medici family and many small statues and figurines that they owned. China such as Sevres, Missen, and such. Some gaudy, much not to my taste, and some just exquisite.

From here we went down a long lane lined with statues and lots of side lanes. At the end was Neptune's Garden. A huge statue surrounded by pools, walkways lined with lemon trees, and flowering shurbs. Thia area was gated and the statues at the gates were fashioned after the grotesque school? Valerie's favorite fountain was a long line of heads. It has a special name that I can't remember, but was used for hunting birds. The water running down the fountain would attract the birds and the hunters would shoot them. Personally I think that is a terrible way to do 'sport' , but the fountain is really cool. Even without water flowing through it. We followed one of the covered paths toward our exit gate. Opps I forgot to mention the really cool sculpture of a giant head. It is a modern piece of art but the features are classic.

After exiting the garden we strolled around this area of the city. This area before the Medicis built on this south side of the Arno was not thought well of, but with the building of the Pitti Palace the people were used as the artisans who created many of the items used in the Palace. It still has many artisans living and working in the area.

We had a really good lunch ( I just can not get used to how much these people eat), saw the San Spirito ( a church), and the statue - Borgo San Jacopo. After a visit to a book shop and looking at some of the street market stalls it was time for our visit to end

Pitti Palace Amphitheatre

. Such a lovely time.

A walk home, a short rest, and the three of us went to a party in an apartment right across the street from the Pitti Palace. The vestry of St. James was honoring their bookkeeper who recently retired. Lovely location, great food, and wonderful company. The apartment belongs to Horace Gipson. He ihas some amazing art and bric-a-brac in his apartment. Wonderful things to look at everywhere one looked.

And would you believe we still stopped to eat on the way home! But I had some fried zucchini blossoms. So phenomenal! On that note Good Night!

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