Olive Oil, Wine, and Spaghetti!

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The beautiful Italian countryside whizzes by my first class cabin. Its rolling hills of gold and green bring to mind strong associations of olive oil, wine vineyards, and of course spaghetti!

We have just departed Florence, the epicenter of the Italian Renaissance. Main attractions included a variety of museums, churches, and palaces adorned with the work of 15^th and 16^th century greats like Michelangelo, Raphael, and Brunelleschi. Much of the art produced here was commissioned by the rich and powerful Medici family. With such historical investment in art and culture, it is no wonder why European society still places a high value on artistic expression. This has been evident on every street corner of every city we’ve visited thus far.

Our journey to Florence from Barcelona involved two overnight adventures as quasi-stowaways. On the way, we spent one night in Villefranche, a costal resort town part of the French Riviera. Adjusting to French and Italian has been tough at times, but Spanish is usually close enough to get by, and giving both languages a shot has made people very warm and receptive – especially the French!

See you in Rome.

Au revoir!

Jason

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Photos

Michelangelo's David
Not too young, not too old, not a blood thirsty warrior, but ready to slay the giant, handsome, realistic, David.

The tomb of Dante Alighieri
The Santa Croce church in Florence houses the tombs of many famous Italians, including Michelangelo, Galileo, and Dante pictured here.

Smoked salmon with bruschetta and mozzarella
Allie and I decided to splurge a little bit and we had a three course Italian meal.

People on train
Shot while leaving Villefranche

Comments

[wollumbi]

Olive oil
Amazing how simple it can be to communicate with people and have them understand a certain topic, you made my day.