I fell in love with this giant sculpture in the piazza della Signoria in Florence.
……and when I read the plaque, I loved it more. It is slow to find, is it not?
Jan Fabre is a Flemish artist and this sculpture was only recently brought to Florence. Like it or hate it……..
……it certainly makes a statement among these very old and historically beautiful sculptures.
I remember Florence as a beautiful gift. I hadn’t done much research on the city before the trip and everywhere I trekked, I found new delights and learning opportunities.
Tut, tut…using cell phone while driving. 🙂
Seeing and hearing while we wander .
Tripe soup anyone? It was too early in the morning for me but I did enjoy getting a view through the window. He was most obliging in holding it up for us.
And then there was Pinocchio.
As we neared Florence, I noticed all things Pinocchio and so at a rest stop I bought a couple of pencils painted in the colours of the Italian flag with Pinocchio’s head at the top. My new found friends had a great laugh …. “You come to Italy and buy Pinocchio pencils made in China.” I simply replied, “The author of Pinocchio was Italian you know and not only will my grandchildren use these pencils, they will talk about Pinocchio and as an added bonus, they will now know the Italian flag!”:)
Later our tour guide gave a long talk about Pinocchio, its author Carlo Collodi, and pointed down a lane to where Carlo Collodi had lived. Throughout the group I heard laughter and my name being mentioned. I rest my case.:):)
Carlo Collodi lived here.
I later bought the book Pinocchio The Adventures of a Puppet, a shorter version of the original and what a lovely book it is! “While the puppet was swimming, all of a sudden, out of the water popped the horrible head of a sea monster, coming straight at him with its mouth wide open like a deep chasm, showing its three rows of sharp teeth which would frighten you just to see them painted on paper.” Quite a long sentence and what a description! No wishy washy nonsense here! I love it!
A sudden heavy downpour in Florence and within minutes vendors were everywhere trying to sell us umbrellas and ponchos. I admire that kind of business sense.
Duomo di Firenze Cathedral
The interior of the Cathedral has 463 stone stairs and reaching the top offers a stunning view of the city. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to climb them.
Florence, city of history, detailed architecture, amazing sculptures, great paintings, and fun!
A ‘trek’ from London, England brought us to Rome, Italy and so this is another tale, with our trails being the streets of Rome.
Michelangelo’s Pieta, 1499
St. Peter’s Basilica…never did I imagine that I would see both Michelangelo’s Pieta and his David. He carved this in 1499 at the request of French cardinal Jean de Billheres who wanted a spectacular memorial to be placed on his tomb when he died! I guess his wish was granted!
Michelangelo was only 24 when this was completed from a single slab of marble and it is the only piece that he ever signed. Unfortunately in 1972, it was severely damaged when an unemployed geologist from Hungary hit it with a hammer and after 12 blows, it sustained terrible damage. After several years it was repaired but now it is behind bulletproof glass.
St. Peter’s Basilica
St. Peter’s Basilica
The beauty, art, history and workmanship are overwhelming to the senses.
Vatican City was built over the tomb of St. Peter and became a separate state in 1929.
Tiber River, Rome
“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” Miriam Beard
Colosseum
Colosseum
Colosseum
Colosseum
The Colosseum, commissioned in AD 72 and completed in AD 80 with 80 arched entrances to allow the spectators easy access! “The amphitheatre could hold seventy thousand spectators. The tiers of seats were inclined in such a way as to enable people to get a perfect view from wherever they sat.” Visiting here was my husband’s dream come true and the sheer genius behind the design and construction of this architectural masterpiece had me thinking……. and we think we are evolving?!
photos by L. Fudge
“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” J. Nehru
As a child singing the lyrics and playing this game with my friends in Comfort Cove, I never imagined that one day I would actually see this bridge…..did I even know that this was an actual bridge in England or did I mindlessly repeat the lyrics? It really doesn’t matter…the moments were about friendships being solidified ( or not) in the ocean air near the cold Atlantic. What fun!
Henry II commissioned the bridge to be built over the river Thames in 1176 and it took 33 years to build and lasted for more than 600 years. It was finally demolished in 1831 and a replacement was built.
We recently ‘trekked’ over the ocean to London, so this blog is more of a tale, with the streets of London being our trails.
Charles Dicken’s Desk…..Oliver Twist was written here.
“For the rest of his life, Oliver Twist remembers a single word of blessing spoken to him by another child because this word stood out so strikingly from the consistent discouragement around him.” Charles Dickens
My first trail led me to the Charles Dicken’s Museum, a must for me.
Surprisingly, it is fairly easy to find your way around London and we walked everywhere. We would leave on our trek early in the morning and return late in the evening and oh the adventures we had! We stopped by to see Liz and Phil but unfortunately they weren’t home 🙂
Buckingham Palace and Changing the Guard. It was very crowded but we stayed to watch.
St. James’s Park covers 58 acres and is so beautiful, in the heart of London.
Big Ben is actually the name given to the bell inside the tower…it weighs more than 13 tons!
We spent nearly 5 hours in this massive complex, the Tower of London and were totally engrossed in the history. I was fascinated by the story of the two princes, sons of Edward IV, who were murdered here. It is believed that they were murdered by their Uncle after their father died suddenly in 1483. After their death, their uncle became king…Richard III.
In 1674 the skeletons of two children were found by workmen, 10 ft. under a staircase near the White Tower. They are believed to be the two princes and today, over 500 years later, the unsolved murders are still being investigated ! Truly fascinating!
I discussed it with a retired history professor I met in Italy. He was quite informative and we had an amazing discussion concerning other suspects.
Near Tower Green where Anne Boleyn was beheaded in 1536. Henry VIII was one determined and ruthless king.
Waterloo Bridge over the Thames was built by women during World War II
What a story this is! The Millennium Bridge was opened on June 10, 2000 and was soon nicknamed the Wobbly Bridge! It was promptly closed, repaired and reopened in 2002.
We wondered through the streets and visited Westminster Abbey which is beyond huge and inspires such awe and amazement. The history, streets, pubs, theatres, traffic, parks, architecture, bridges and people all combine to make London a city to explore and enjoy. So, so fortunate to have been able to see Motown at the Shaftesbury. A fabulous musical telling the story of Berry Gordy who founded Motown and brought Diana Ross and The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Gladys Knight, Marvin Gaye and many others to fame. What a night!…………….and yes we trekked back to our hotel.
“The most important thing in life is to stop saying ‘I wish’ and start saying ‘I will”. Charles Dickens.
So, so fortunate to have been able to see Motown at the Shaftesbury. A fabulous musical telling the story of Berry Gordy who founded Motown and brought Diana Ross and The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Gladys Knight, Marvin Gaye and many others to fame. What a night!…………….and yes we trekked back to our hotel.
Treks Trails & Tales 