Italy and Croatia

Florence/ Milan/ Croatia

It was hundreds of years ago in the southern parts of Europe that the ‘medieval times’ of armed conflict, disease and poverty started to change; and it was Firenze (Florence), in the heart of Italy, where the businessmen, powerful families and clergy started to fund the arts and sciences. Florence today houses some 20% of the world’s classical art- an amazing amount especially considering how small the city is. My time there was to take in much more of the volumes of art and get a better understanding of the movement and times. It was an interesting few days because all I did was view art work; there was no night life really at all when I was there and I was a bit tired anyway.

I was overwhelmed by the amount of art there, both in public on the streets and in the private galleries. I did several paid tours of the city and museums with excellent guides who were PhD art history students filling their summer duties. While the city was generally quiet- all the Italians were gone and the masses there were tourists- it was a pleasant trip and I was able to relax and gain some knowledge. Our guides were able to explain to the average art fan the differences in the art work with the maturity of the times and the congregation of such artists as Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Botticelli and others. They all lived and studied in Florence from the late 1400’s into well into the 1500’s, teaching their students how to improve perspective, bring humanity into their art work and transform religion from a gothic style to one the common man could identify with.

I felt like I was in a walking museum of art history and there were 'field trips' every day to bombarb you with information. During the walking city tour, we learned how the gilds and wealthy families of the time, especially the Medici’s, commissioned these artists to create scenes specific to their desires. The wealth of Florence from successful trade campaigns was poured into art schools and higher learning (Dante was another resident of the time), thus helping to dramatically change the culture and social dynamics of Europe during this transitional time- the Renaissance. The Uffizi Gallery, the former offices of the Medici family, was granted to the world by the last living Medici, allowing the rest of mankind to view what is undoubtedly the great collection of art any single has family owned, both in the Gallery itself and in their summer residence. I was most impressed with Michelangelo’s sculpture of David, an 18 foot statue depicting the young jewish boy that slayed the giant Goliath as told in the bible. The level of detail, size and scope of the statue, along with its place in history, make it the most famous sculpture in the world today. On my final day, I took an afternoon trip to Fiesole, a Tuscan neighboring town overlooking Florence, to get a taste of the Tuscan life and a gaze over the city during the day. I decided I’ll have to come back to do Tuscany properly.

In contrast, the current fashion capital of the world, Milan, boasts all the modern glitz and is the financial capital of Italy. It was actually very quiet in Milan, which was a relief. Except many things were closed; little matter, however- I am not in the market to buy Dolce & Gabbana or any of their other outrageously expensive designer clothes. On the flip side, it was a bit of a bummer to find out that the museum for The Last Supper was sold out for the entire month of August! While I am sure Milan is the place to be for Fashion Week (or whatever big events they hold there), there was little to do but stroll the city, gawk at the prices and scour the city for neat cafes and restaurants. I did a neat little day trip at Lake Maggiore, 1 hour to the north, where wealthy families from the 1600’s built castles on tiny islands. These are beautiful little tourist towns now with huge gardens that date back all those centuries.

After initially sailing Croatia 2 years ago, I had been looking forward to getting back as it has blossomed as a coastal country over the past few years. It is as popular as ever, as I joined hundreds of crazy Italians on the boat over from Ancona to Split to get more sun. One of the interesting things about Croatia is the most common way to find a room for the night- it is done in private residences- and frequently with strangers. So in Split, I had a room with a Spanish couple 1 night and in Dubrovnik I split a room with a young British guy.. funny to think back on but it all worked out. It may be getting too popular; one bus I took was 2 hours late and arrived 4 hours late, leaving me a bit nervous to find a place at 12 midnight in Dubrovnik.. the joys of travel.

While I didn’t get to the islands, I did spend 4 days in Dubronvik, taking in the walled old city, jogging around the new port and getting lost in the narrow alleys that were once a huge fort. It was interesting to go the War Photography Museum, which displayed not only photos from their own ware 15 years ago, but also from conflicts the world over the past few years. It is hard to believe the devastation and war that happened in Croatia and the surrounding areas within the past 2 decades.

Some insights from my travels thus far:
- God I miss Starbucks.. or any large coffees I can take in a cup to go. And big chicken caesar salads- the salads you get can be any mixture of things.
- There is way too much 'thump thump thump' in bars.. can't they play some decent rock music? People love that.
- I think all the Italians leave Italy in August and harass all their neighboring coastal countries.. it's hilarious. It's funny watching the Italian machismo in action.
- What did we do before the iPod and email?
- Sometimes, there is nothing like unpacking for a few days! I get tired of packing in 5 minutes and running for the next bus/ train/ plane.
- What else do I miss? Home cooking, my couch on a Sunday (especially with football coming)

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