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Firenze Light Festival

12/28/2018

It is three days after Christmas, and in some ways I feel the holiday is over. Since we spent the holidays our daughter’s, we did nothing to decorate our house; consequently we have no decorations to put away.
If I were still in Florence, however, I would know that Christmas continues until Epiphany on January 6th. I would know because every evening I would walk along the Arno and watch “Firenze Light Festival: F-Light Your Mind.” I would continue to be in awe of the lights, colors and patterns flashed on the Ponte Vecchio. I would know, and I would be a peace as a solitary traveler.

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More Signs of a Solitary Traveler

12/8/2018

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Last month I posted “Signs of a Solitary Travel” from my trip to Rome, Assisi, and Cortona in April. Little did I know that so soon I’d be offering a sequel. But here I am again, this time in Florence for two weeks in December, finding new signs to share.
Signs are everywhere, and as a solitary traveler I’m particularly alert to what I see. Without a human travel companion, I become my virtual companion. I laugh with myself, and even express compassion as I breathe in the humor or poignancy of a sign.

1. Locks of love
The sign on the fence of the statue of Cellini on the Ponte Vecchio tells us that we will be fined 50 Euro if we attach a lock to the fence. And yet, we continue to do so. Over the years I have seen the fence in all states of fullness and emptiness. Lovers aren’t going to stop offering up these acts of love. Why should they when the world needs to lock love in.

Up date: They started early in the morning to get rid of the locks of love.

A few hours later.

At 2 o'clock

The next morning I witnessed new locks starting the cycle of love all over again.

2. Offerings for the Sick and the Poor
Drop your offering in the slit in the wall of the La Misericordia di Firenze on the Piazza del Duomo. This lay confraternity, with its commitment to transport the sick and bury the dead, dates back to the 13th century. I wonder if people still drop a coin in from time to time? Nowadays, individuals beg in person on the street, but the ambulance service remains active.

3. The Flood of 1966
Throughout the city there are signs indicating the point where the Arno reached during the last flood. Sometimes I can’t believe how high the waters rose nor how miraculously people rallied to clean up the mud and debris and restore the works of art.

Santa Croce sits lower than the river bed of the Arno; it suffered the most damage.

The extraordinary restoration of Cimabue's damaged Crucifix.

Flood levels at the Pazzi Chapel at Santa Croce. The highest is from 1966. The lowest, 1844.

4. Refugees (and dogs) Welcome
Of course I had to enter and have a cappuccino and do a little writing. I hardly consider myself a refugee, but I knew I’d be welcomed.

5. Opening time at the Uffizi?
Sometimes it’s the translation that attracts my attention! Officially the Uffizi is scheduled to open at 8:30, Tuesday through Sunday. But this Tuesday it could be open 11:15. Or maybe not.

6. Silence.
There’s nothing remarkable about a T shirt with “Silence” written across the front. Except that the price for this shirt was 100 euro ($120).

7. Becoming
When I saw Michele’s becoming smile, I smiled right back. Becoming is alive and well in Italy as I’m sure it is in many other countries throughout the world. Michele’s message speaks the universal language of love, inclusivity and peace that we strive for.

8. Tactile signs
Adjacent to Fra Angelico’s Annunciation in the Convent of San Marco is a three dimensional model of the fresco. A description in braille is also offered.

The Uffizi provides a similar aid in front of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus.

9. David is not here.
You can find Michelangelo’s David at the Galleria dell’Accademia at Via Ricasoli, 60. Evidently enough people look for him at the Academia di Belle Arti e Liceo Artistico down the street at # 66 to warrant this sign.

10. Some signs need no explanation.

11. One step at a time
Sometimes I wonder why I’m here and how I got here.

12. Always a hopeful sign.

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     I love to travel alone, and so I do. My husband of 54 years loves to stay home and garden, and so he does. But he knows I love to go off by myself for extended periods of time. For five years (2009-2014) I rented a cottage by the sea, an hour and a half from our home, and spent the weekdays there alone. For the past twenty years I’ve been traveling by myself, primarily to Scotland (Iona, the Highlands, and Edinburgh) and Italy. When I say Italy I really mean Florence, with occasional short stops and excursions around Tuscany and Umbria and to Rome.
    A Cottage by the Sea is about my longing for silence, solitude and simplicity. When I travel I post my thoughts and experiences “On My Mind”. This section, “A Solitary Traveler” is where I post articles about my travels.
     You may be thinking, “If she’s been married 54 years, how old is she?” I’m 77. Maybe my next article will be about how to keep traveling alone as one gets older.

Firenze Light Festival

More Signs of a Solitary Traveler

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