Florence and Tuscany. (note: there are no apostrophes on the Italian keyboard)

---

Wow. Yesterday was Firenze (thatàs Florence) and today my neck is sore as hell from looking up at all the incredible sights. I went with my godfather Jim Fantuz, and Colleen, (with whom I am staying) and they were invaluable in showing me the sights and helping me to fully experience the city of Florence.

Itàs hard to know where to start in a city so densely packed with wonders, but I will with the buildings. First was the Santa Maria Novella, a towering, monolithic structure whose facade was a tapestry of white and black marble. It is a huge cathedral that commands the attention of a whole piazza, or square (though the square was under construction), and draws throngs of onlookers. Come to think of it, there were throngs of onlookers everywhere in the city. When you go around the facade (the front), and walk partway down the street, you find an unassuming sign which advertises a Pharmaceutica e Herbalista. You enter and find yourself in a comfortable gloomy space with vaulted ceilings, with the most incredible aroma permeating the air. The shop you have entered sells soaps, eau de cologne, and other cosmetics, all made from wonderfully fragrant herbs. Iàll remember that place.

Then you wind through these narrow streets like canyons, with buildings rising up high on both sides, and the floor is cobblestone. It seems like the whole city is like this, until you suddenly emerge into an enormous open piazza, often as not dominated by some ancient palace or cathedral.ù

Then we went to the market, full of an overwhelming variety of meats and cheeses, leather goods, scarves, and anything else you might desire. Then more narrow streets, full of windows affording you glimpses of the most incredible goods; leatherbound books; glass pens; extraordinary clothes with prices to match; china, silverware, and kitchen tools; and gelato, of which I took a disproportionate number of pictures.

Then came Santa Maria del Fiore, which I overheard a local naming °the reason why Florence is famous°. To place this structure above the other myriad wonders is an honour indeed, but I have no inclination to disagree.

The Duomo, as it is more commonly referred to, is a cathedral, about twenty stories or more high, and covering the equivalent of about ten city blocks. There is nothing even approaching anywhere in Calgary. The inside is positively cavernous, and after waiting line for half an hour (the line was short that day), you weave up through stone'walled passageways, steep stairs for another half hour, windows periodically telling you of your progress upwards, until finall you emerge, seemingly into the sky. You are atop an enormous dome, of terracotta skin, and you can see the entire city. It was a revelation, and the highlight of my day in Florence.

Also there was Il Ponte Vieccho, which held more gold than I have ever seen in one place in my life, but now I run out of time.

ciao

---