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VENICE:
Our
one day in Venice will remain a magical memory for the rest
of my life. Upon arrival at night, the vision of the town
encircled by hundreds of twinkling lights set the stage for
awakening the next morning to what felt like pages from a
well-loved fairy tale ... with the droves of tourists all
playing their roles.
(Please
click on the image to see an enlargement)
Pigeons
and gondolas intrigued me the most. In the famous Piazza de
San Marco, these birds are rampant. Give them corn and they
instantly become a part of you! More enchantment awaited for
me in the midst of dazzling shops full of hand-blown glass.
Venice is well-known for beautiful vases, jewelry and the
like. Equally appealing were the colorful shop windows adorned
with beguiling masks. Even today, Venice celebrates with Carnivals
at the drop of a mask! Yes, I love Venice.
FLORENCE
Since
my middle name is Florence, I've always wanted to go to my
namesake town. I'd heard this was the city of art and flowers.
I didn't see many flowers but the art was breathtaking. A
lot of my time was engrossed in taking numerous photos of
the magnificent marble statue, Michelangelo's 'David,' from
as many angles as possible.
(Please
click on the image to see an enlargement)
We
stayed just a block from the world famous Duomo cathedral
(top left), delighted daily by the deeply sonorous 'bonging'
of the bells whose powerful vibrations seemed to dominate
the whole city during those moments. I wanted to bring them
home!
The
picturesque Arno river is laden with bridges, the most famous
(top right) is full of pricey shops in keeping with tradition
from times gone by. Here are Jim and I in our Fido Dido shirts
-- recently purchased just across the bridge.
ASSISI:
Photographs
do not do justice to this town which Saint Francis called
home back in the 12th century. We arrived after a rain shower
in time to view a magnificent double rainbow which I took
to be a hearty welcome from Francis. Of course, the town was
packed with tourists and I found it humorous that now most
gift shops were filled with thousands of crosses, little fat
monk statues and the like.
(Please
click on the image to see an enlargement)
Even
so, the spirit of Saint Francis felt alive to me as I roamed
the ancient picturesque narrow streets adorned with pots of
colorful flowers, imagining how these same cobblestones pathways
may have been walked upon by Francis. Did our footsteps merge
over the centuries?
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