A Cottage by the Sea
  • Home
  • On My Mind
  • Quotes
  • Secrets of an Old Woman
  • A Solitary Traveler
  • Compassionate Reading
  • Comfort food
  • Books
  • Suggested reading
  • Poems
  • About me
  • About me and my blog

Solitary visit to Fiesole

11/30/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​I am still a solitary traveler and I am still traveling, although only in my imagination. These past few days I found myself talking Bus 7 from Piazza San Marco to Fiesole, overlooking Florence. Visiting Fiesole has always satisfied my longing for solitude because of my final destination, the Monastery of San Francesco, a steep climb from the bus stop in the town square. I’ve probably made the trip at least fifteen times; I can close my eyes and be there, right now. 
    The monastery includes the little church and its adjoining cloisters, and a separate entrance to the monk’s quarters and the stairway to their cells. I imagine I am there, not visiting, but living in my cell, looking out my window, wandering in the cloisters, praying in the church. The time in history has no importance, nor does it matter if I am a nun or a monk.  
   Sorry for just a few pictures. I know they are somewhere in my iPhotos but I can’t find them and I want to post this. 

0 Comments

Florence from home: wandering the streets

10/8/2020

1 Comment

 
Picture
 My solitary travel days are most likely over, at least those to Italy. Probably not a good idea to fly across the Atlantic by myself for two weeks. By any reasonable time-line that Covid has in mind, I can’t envision that kind of travel possibile for two or three more years, but what do I know? What does anybody know? All I know is that that would put me close to my 85thbirthday.  
     Of course, we never want a good thing to come to its end, but endings do come and when we’re lucky, as I am, we can be grateful and not feel one bit sorry for ourselves. 
     In my pre-pandemic life I would have just returned from Italy, full of memories of wandering the streets, stopping for a cappuccino, visiting churches and museums, and enjoying an evening meal of home-made pasta. But I can close my eyes and I am there, mind, body, and spirit.
    Silence, solitude, and simplicity is with me today in my own home as I wander the streets of Florence.  

1 Comment

Il Porcellino in Florence

4/27/2019

0 Comments

 
      I usually travel alone. I love it. My husband is a homebody, and besides, someone has to keep the home fires burning and the grass mowed!
    This spring I spent a week alone in my beloved Florence before my daughter and granddaughter joined me for five nights and then three in Rome. 
Picture
​     One of my companions when I am alone in Florence is Il Porcellino. He listens to whatever I tell him and never talks back. The perfect companion.  
   Nickname Il Porcellino by the Florentines, he guards the Mercato Vecchio, the old market right in the center of Florence. Visitors drop a coin in a slot at his feet and pat his snout for good luck and assurance that they will return to Florence. It’s not a habit that I’ve participated in; I seem to have returned to this city without his help. This doesn’t mean I don’t love Il Porcellino; it’s just not a superstition in which I chosen to participate. 




     This trip I visited him at different times throughout the day: in the early morning when the vendors are setting up their carts, during the busy tourist times, in the evening when the carts are being hauled away for the night, and later when the portico is vacant. 
     ​I’ve seen people taking turns having their picture taken with him. 
​    I’ve seen a guard push coins down the slot after calling out a gypsy to stop stealing them.
Picture
     ​Hans Christian Andersen writes about him in “The Brown Hog.”

     “In the city of Florence, there is a beautifully crafted bronze pig. Fresh, clear water flows from the mouth of the animal, which has become dark green due to its age. Only the snout shines, as it had been polished.”
      I’ve enjoyed a solitude moment with him. 
Picture
Best of all, I shared him with my granddaughter. 
Picture
0 Comments

Firenze Light Festival

12/28/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
​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. 

0 Comments

Anticipating Florence in December~

11/20/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Two weeks from today I will be settled into my beloved Florence for two weeks as a solitary traveler. I will have arrived on Saturday Dec. 1st; on Sunday I will have visited the Bardini Museum. “Why the Bardini?” you ask. Because, unlike all the famous museums in Florence,  it won’t have a long entrance line on this first Sunday of the month when throughout Italy all museums offer free admission. The Bardini, a secret gem of a museum housing the eclectic collection of antiquarian collector Stefano Bardini ((1854-1922), will not be crowded.
     This will be the third December in a row that I’ve visited Florence, so I know what to expect. The city is festive, active, full of positive energy. Craft, antique, and food fairs fill every church piazza. On December 8th, the Day of the Immaculate Conception, the tree in front of the Duomo is lit.
    As a solitary traveler I never feel lonely during this Christmas season in Florence. I smile as I pass families and friends on the streets. I have left mine at home and will be returning to them. But for now, I cherish being my own companion.  

Picture
0 Comments

The purpose of artists

9/14/2018

0 Comments

 
​What is the purpose of life? How do I make meaning? Questions asked by human beings throughout history. For those of us consciously following a spiritual path the answer always leads toward some form of the Golden Rule. Do unto others as they would do unto you.  Regardless of one’s faith tradition, the idea of God appears, because without some mysterious power beyond ourselves, we only work for ourselves, and thus fail to create beauty and good, which have to be part of a sustainable purpose.
     That’s what I’ve been considering as I, a solitary traveler, walk the streets of Florence. I have no way of knowing the part God consciously plays in the lives of the people I pass, but I believe that they are trying to make meaning of their lives, and that there is a God plan for everyone.
    This city attracts the artist, in particular the painter and sculptor, and less obviously, the architect. The painter can carry her supplies around until she finds a spot to practice her art. He can take a painting class. Some sell their work along the tourist trails. 
Picture
 ​      Along the street we are less apt to observe the sculptor working his craft. Her supplies are cumbersome and complicated, so she works behind closed doors until the final product is recognized and displayed in public—perhaps in a temporary exhibit by Koenig in the Boboli Gardens, or permanently along the Arno. 
Picture
​ The process of the architect is more mysterious and less visible until we see the final product arise before out eyes. Can you imagine being a citizen of Florence while Brunelleschi was dome grew before your eyes? 
Picture
    Whether conscious of God or not, I believe these artists are creating for something beyond themselves, for some beauty or truth that transcends their personal, intiment desires. 
0 Comments

Another Duomo climb

9/10/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
​At 8:30 this morning I started the 463 step climb to the top of the Duomo. I wonder how many times I’ve done this? 20? I’d like to say that I’ve climbed every time I’ve come to Florence, but that’s not true. There was a time when I only gazed at my most favorite building in the entire world from the street because I was afraid of heights.
       It was in the late 1980s and I was traveling with my mom. She was about the age I am now but she never considered climbing with me, so off I went by myself, up the interior stone steps, and clinging to the side as I walked the arcade of drum under Vasari’s frescoes. When I got to the top I continued to hug the inside of the lantern as I made one quick navigation around before starting my descent, getting out of there as fast as I dared.  
     During my next visit to Florence, again with my mom, I didn’t  even consider such a climbing venture.
     But then, a few years later, this time traveling alone, I arrived in Florence determined to conquer this acrophobia. I had done a little work on past lives and had the sense that when Brunelleschi was directing the building of the dome, I, a young messenger boy, had fallen off a scaffold and been killed. The part of being killed is up for question because the records show that only one person died while working on the construction, and that was a grown man. I’m not advocating for or against past life theory, but this exercise helped me overcome my fear of heights and sent me climbing to the top to lean against the outside railing and locate the many spots in Florence that I love so much. I’ve been doing it again and again. 

Picture


​​     In the afternoon I walked to the Bardini Gardens overlooking Florence to view from afar the pinnacle of my morning climb.

0 Comments

Anticipating Florence

8/23/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
     ​In less than two weeks (9/4)  I fly to Florence. A 4:55 P.M. flight, with a short change over in Paris, gets me to Florence airport at 10:30. A half hour bus ride from the airport to Santa Maria Novella train station, a short walk to my apartment, and I’ll be off to Piazza della Signoria for pizza. A morning arrival gives me an extra meal, and as they say, ‘You can’t get a bad meal in Italy.’
     Autumn, along with spring, and December are my favorite times to be in Florence. What I’m saying is that all times are favorites, although I notice that today’s summer temperature in the city is 93 degrees. Summer in Florence is too hot and too crowded.
      When I arrive, I will feel a sense of fall: the evenings will be cool and many tourists will have departed. However, summer clothes will still be in order, and the junior year abroad students will be arriving.
      But I know how to work around any obstacles that might get in my way. I’ll walk across the Ponte Vecchio in the early morning when only runners and delivery people are in the streets and before the hot sun beats down. I know of out-of-the-way parks to sit in. I’ll avoid entry lines to the Uffizi by flashing my Amici degli Uffizi card. I know off the beaten track restaurants and how to avoid crowds by eating on the early side.
     I love anticipating a trip, but it isn’t even half as good as the real thing. 

0 Comments

Walking around Florence with God. Part One: Church Walk

3/5/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
     When I go to Florence I walk around with God. Oh, I do other things: I write, visit museums, and of course, I eat. There are plenty of cafes and parks for writing, museums at every corner, and restaurants sprinkled throughout the city. And of course there are churches. Since I travel alone, my time is my own.

Picture
     Italy is a Roman Catholic country, but to walk around with God you don’t have to be Catholic, Christian, or even affiliated with a religious tradition. You just have to long to find that deepest part of your being, to rest in the Holy, to search for the ineffable, to seek out your true self, to breathe in peace--that kind of thing. I call it longing for God, but pick your own term, or, keep it nameless. God is wherever you want God to be and in what every image or non-image God is for you.

PictureSant'Ambrosio
     Visiting churches in Florence isn’t the only way to walk around with God, but it’s a good start. One website lists 71 churches within the confines of this small city, which means that just by wandering a short distance you will come across more churches than you could possibly visit.  Vsiting hours vary, but don’t let that deter you. There are plenty open to fit your schedule.

Picture
     Visiting these churches immerses me in my absolute favorite period and place in history, Renaissance Florence. With its blossoming in the 14th century, to full bloom in the 15th, several factors came together: the construction of churches and secular buildings as people migrated to the city; the birth of religious orders; the establishment of a republican form of government; the creation of guilds; the acceleration of trade; the Florentine gold florin as the dominant trade coin in Western Europe; and the rising of the Medici family as a political force and patron of the arts.

PictureMedici-Riccardi Palace
     I continue to be amazed at the number of churches and public buildings built or enlarged upon during the tre cento (1300s) as urban expansion continued, religious orders flourished, and the common folk found a voice. Equally remarkable are the artists, poets, and philosophers, who, with the patronage of the Medici, birthed Renaissance Florence during the quattro cento (1400s).


PictureSanta Marie dei Fiori (The Duomo)

    I start one of my favorite walks with God in the early morning, but any time will do. By 7 A.M. I have begun a walking tour of the foremost churches of Florence built by one of the religious order that flourished during the 13th and 14th centuries. Each one radiates from Santa Maria dei Fiori, referred to as the Duomo, so I usually start out at this epicenter that is the soul of Florence. Regardless of the route I take, I figure I cover about five miles on this two hour city circuit, which includes time to take photos of the facades and to stop for a cappuccino or two.

0 Comments

How about a Writing Vacation in Florence?

7/31/2017

5 Comments

 
Picture
 
    “I go to Florence to write,” I tell people, and that is the truth. For the past ten years I’ve been doing just that in the spring and fall, and last year I fit in a December visit as well.

     “I travel alone,” I tell people, and that is also the truth. For the past twenty years I have been doing just that several times a year.
      Solitary travel gives me the freedom to make my own schedule, change my plans at whim, live in the moment, and give full attention to my own thoughts, all of which are essential to my writing. If you have a different craft, bring along your paints, clay, needlework, camera, or even your flute. As for me,  over the .years I have worked on books for teachers, a memoir, and currently am writing travel articles for this blog.
    You, too, can plan a writing vacation in Florence. All you need is a place to stay, the desire to write, and a map to lead you to inviting places for writing: cafes, parks, cloisters, libraries, and tucked away courtyards. You will glean inspiration from the city’s many churches, museums and artisan shops, and from Brunelleschi’s Dome.

Picture
Where I stay
      I always rent an apartment because I want space to spread out and relax, and a kitchen.
     Apartments are easy to find over the internet. They are less expensive than hotels, and are available for as short a stay as four nights. Each apartment listed gives details of amenities, price, dates of availability, photographs, client comments, and general location.
     The photos show the decor and layout of the rooms, and any inviting views from the windows. If no outside pictures are offered, you can be sure the apartment looks out into an alley, or lacks any view worth mentioning. The Duomo and the Arno will always be featured, which is a definite plus for me.
    Be sure to read the reviews written by prior renters. I want to know if the apartment is quiet, if it has an elevator (I don’t want to walk up 86 steps), if check-in is easy, and if the internet is reliable. The size of the kitchen and bathroom may also be important to you.
       As part of your apartment search you will be asked to indicate which areas of the city you prefer. I keep a street map beside me so I can find the exact location of any apartment that interests me. Since I like to return to my apartment during the day, I choose a section in the historic center. My preference is the Duomo area, because it most centrally located, but I also recommend the areas of Santa Croce, San Lorenzo, and the Arno.
     I avoid apartments outside the City Center. They may be less expensive and boast a beautiful terrace, but are probably a long walk or even a bus ride from the City Center, and that is too far for me. I want my apartment to be in the midst of the museums, churches and restaurants that are the landmarks of this culturally rich city.

Picture
Eating in Florence
     It is said that you can’t get a poor meal in Italy. Whether I prepare a meal in my apartment, or eat at a restaurant, I have found that to be true.
      On a given day, especially if it is raining, it feels just right to put my feet up, enjoy a salad or dish of pasta, and write alone at home, which means I have to buy groceries.
      Shopping at the Central Market and San Ambrosia, the two biggest markets in Florence, makes me feel I am living in the city. I can wander from stall to stall choosing fresh fruit and vegetables, cheeses, prosciutto, salami, pasta, olives and olive oil, bread, and prepared food. Sometimes I stop for lunch at one of the eating spots nestled among the stalls. If I am at Piazza Santo Spirito. I pick up a head of lettuce from one of the outdoor vendors. Walk along any street and you’ll find shops selling bread, cheese, smoked salmon and prepared lasagna.
     There are also many supermarkets throughout the city. Their storefronts blend in with the other shops on the street, so if you are not aware of them, you may pass them by.  
     Choosing a restaurant is easy. Menus are posted outside every restaurant, so if something appeals to me, in I go. I order vino da cassa, the house wine, which is served by the glass, ¼ or ½ liter, or bottle. Wine in Italy lacks the preservatives we are used to in the states, so enjoy a glass or two without feeling sleepy.
    At the bottom of the menu you can note if there is a cover or service charge. In Italy these are considered in lieu of a tip, so when paying the bill, I may leave a little change, and then out I go.
    I am always trying restaurants, but I never miss a meal at Ciro and Sons, Via Giglio, 27, behind San Lorenzo near the Medici Chapels. Great hospitality, great food, no matter if I eat inside or out.

Picture
My daily routine
   My daily schedule includes walking, sitting in cafes, visiting churches and museums, and eating, with periods of writing interspersed. Nearly all my writing starts in journal form, sometimes handwritten, but often on my MacBook Air, which is light and fits in my backpack; I carry it with me almost all the time. My other valuables, passport, credit cards, cash and Kindle, fit in my Scotty vest of many pockets. My hands are free.
    I set my alarm for 6:30 and am out of the apartment by 7, wandering along the Arno and through the back streets, stopping for a quick cappuccino along the way before entering the churches of La Badia, Santa Trinita, or the Duomo (entrance for prayer is through the side door on the south) for twenty minutes of meditation. I need these meditation times because when I walk I think; when I meditate, I empty my mind for new ideas to come. All grist for writing.
        Early dinner for me. I am hungry by seven, and being one of the first in the restaurant assures a private table from which I can take my time watching the scene, enjoying the food and wine, reading, and writing in my journal. An after dinner stroll through the Piazza della Signoria to the Arno and the Ponte Vecchio, becomes the other bookend to my early morning walk. My mind begins to empty of daytime chatter, to be filled with a quiet sense of peace as I find my way home for a good night’s sleep. Lights out by 9:30.

Picture
My writing day
     Cafes
     My first writing of the day starts with a cappuccino and brioche at a favorite café. I pay at the cashier booth, take the receipt to the bar, and in less than a minute, my cappuccino is ready. Returning to the same cafe morning after morning helps me settle into a writing routine. I feel welcomed as a ‘local’ as I open my computer and pick up where I left off the day before.
    Cafe Chiaro Scure is often my first stop because of its extra large coffee cup.   
    Café Ricchi is my go-to place on a beautiful day when I walk to Piazza di Santo Spirito on the other side of the Arno. I carry my cappuccino and brioche to the room adjacent to the bar, or to a table on the piazza, and begin writing.
    Felletrini’s Red Café on the Piazza della Republica is a bookstore cafe. Since it doesn’t open until 9, I often settle in there for my second cappucchino.
     These  cafes don’t charge extra for sitting in the morning, but check first because in Italy it is often the custom to pay more for that privilege. Once you’ve ordered, however, you can stay all day; there is no pressure to free up the table.Most cafes have free wi-fi and Internet access provided by the municipality of Florence.

PictureGiardine delle Rose
Parks
      Florence offers a treasure trove of parks just waiting for you. Pick a destination on your map, or just start walking, and very soon you’ll come to the perfect park bench. Pull out your journal or laptop and start writing.
    The Giardine delle Rose, overlooking the city on the way to Piazza Michelangelo, offers many welcoming writing areas. I usually head for a bench in the Japanese Garden, where it is neither noisy nor crowded, just the spot to jot down a few thoughts in my journal or open my computer.
    Walk along Via Romana to the spacious public park at the Art School near the Porta Romana, enter the Boboli Gardens at the Pitti Palace, or climb to the Bardini Gardens for an extraordinary view of the Florence. You’ll be glad you have packed a bottle of water, a sandwich, and your computer in your backpack.

PictureSan Lorenzo
 Cloisters
   If you want to write outside, rain or shine, a church cloister is a good choice. Although cloisters usually don’t provide benches, I sit on the low wall with my back against a pillar and start writing.
    The cloisters adjacent to San Lorenzo, Santa Maria del Carmine,  Santa Croce, and Santa Maria Novella are among my favorites.


PictureSan Marco
Libraries
     Libraries seem to encourage serious writing: silence is honored, the space is safe, no one pays attention to you, and distractions are at a minimum. I am always inspired when I am among other writers, sharing energy with peers. The two libraries I frequent the most are The Biblioteca delle Oblate, Via dell’Oriuolo, 26, with its quiet writing rooms and café on the portico overlooking Brunelleschi’s Dome, and The Biblioteca Palagio di Parte Guelfa, Piazzetta di Parte Guelfa.
     Florence’s historic libraries, may not provide places to write, but they do offer inspiration. The library in the Convent of San Marco, designed by Cosimo de’Medici, is considered to be the first public library in Renaissance Europe. It exhibits fifteenth century manuscripts, along with a display of the writing utensils and raw pigments used to create these manuscripts. The Laurentian Library (adjacent to the Medici church of San Lorenzo) was designed by Michelangelo to house the books and manuscripts belonging to the Medici family.


PictureBehind Santa Croce
Inspiration throughout the day, throughout the city
   
  The city of Florence is a big museum with small museums scattered throughout. Solitary travel heightens my awareness of the inspiration that is presented wherever I go. At a moment’s notice I can turn into the church I am passing, or I can plan ahead to visit the Uffizi. Without the distraction of a traveling companion, I can spontaneously respond to whatever Inspiration appears before me,. Guide books will lead you to the usual attractions, but by wandering about I have found many unique out-of-the-way places that inspire my writing.
   Tap into your adventuresome spirit, and discover writing niches wherever you wander. Peer through an open gate and if the prospect looks inviting, find a place to sit, take out your journal or computer and begin.
     My special secret place is through the rear entrance of the Scuola del Cuoio (leather school/shop), adjacent to Santa Croce. Park yourself on the steps leading to the apse of the church, or on the shaded stone bench nearby. People may glance at you as they walked by to the shop, but, as in most public places, you will be left alone with your writing.



PictureCasa Guida
    Writers, Visual artist and musicians in Florence
     You can’t miss Dante’s inspiration as you walk around the city. Quotes from his Divine Comedy are incised on plaques hung on buildings throughout the city. The exhibit at Casa Dante brings to life the poet’s work.
      Walk through the rooms of Casa Guidi, Piazza San Felice, 8, the home of Elizabeth and Robert Browning from 1847 until 1861, and gaze at Elizabeth and Robert’s writing desks. Also visit the English Cemetery, Piazza Donatello, where Elizabeth is buried.
    The creative spirit, be it expressed through writing, painting, sculpture or music, is visible throughout the city. I continue to be inspired by the dedication of street artists and performing musician, and by the craftsmen working away in little shops.
    At Lastrucci Mosaics, Via del Macci, 9, watch artists employ original mosaic techniques dating back to the 16th century.
     Attend one of the Italian opera concerts Saint Mark’s English Church, Via Maggio, 16, that are offered throughout the year.


Picture
    The Duomo
      Brunelleschi’s Dome has always been my number one inspiration in Florence; it is what draws me back here again and again. Every time I visit I climb the 463 steps to the lantern at the top. I locate my apartment and writing cafes, museums and churches, parks and cloisters, libraries, out of the way places, and all my inspirations.  When I come down, I’m ready to write. 

5 Comments

    Author

         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.

    Archives

    March 2020
    February 2020
    September 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    October 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017

    Categories

    All
    Churches
    Day Trips
    Edinburgh
    Florence
    Museums
    Rome
    Solitude
    Writing

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.