Yesterday we took our first trip to Firenze (Florence). For this trip we had to meet at the crack of dawn, no molto bene. Not enough can be said of our bus rides. We always manage to have a great time and laugh constantly. Today Lisa and I talked a little about missing our boyfriends. I'm thankful for my roommates who are making this trip so much fun that I haven't had time to dwell on being away from Daniel. It isn't so much missing him, as it is knowing that he would love the trip probably even more than me- he is a man for cheese and wine.
Our first stop in Firenze probably had the best view of Italy I have seen thus far. We walked up a ton of stairs to San Miniato a beautiful, Romanesque church on the hilltop outside of Florence. From the steps of the church you can see all of Florence. Florence is a the largest Tuscan town we have seen. Thousands of red roofs spill out across the valley with some towers popping up here and there. Of course, the huge duomo is hard to miss. As we stood on the church steps we looked out over the valley that makes up Florence and listened to Paolo tell us of its rich history. The duomo of Florence is so large that the Notre Dame of Paris can fit inside of it. The remaining part of the Florence wall is from the 13th century. Again, I am completely enchanted by Paolo and all of his knowledge. After we took pictures from San Miniato, we traveled downhill to the Santa Croce cathedral. This church had a very similar facade to that of Siena. Buried inside were some of the most influential names from the Renaissance-- Machiavelli, Michealangelo, Rossilini, etc.
Being in this church reminded me of my grandmother. As a child I would spend the night with her and she would recite the entire rosary every night in Spanish. Sometimes I would try to repeat but mostly I would just listen and wonder what it all meant. I took a moment to ask a special blessing on this amazing woman and lit a candle in her honor.
As we walked out of the cathedral the bells of its tower started to ring. It's hard to fathom hearing the same bell and walking the same walk that the great minds like Michealangelo did. When I think of these figures of the Renaissance I think of a fairy tale place that no longer exists. Before this trip I had no idea how untouched the world of the Renaissance truly was. It makes me love and appreciate this country all the more.
After leaving we made our way to a trattoria for lunch. This restaurant has been around since the Renaissance and was first owned by a painter that was supposedly friends with Michealangelo. It is said that he had lunch there quite often. The food and Chianti were molto bouno! Just another hidden treasure that Paolo had in store for us. This trip to Florence was a lot of walking and cathedral visiting. Both of which I love doing. Don't worry Firenze, we shall return!
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