The quality of Venice that accomplishes what religion so often cannot is that Venice has made peace with the waters. It is not merely pleasant that the sea flows through, grasping the city like tendrils of vine, and, depending upon the light, making alleys and avenues of emerald and sapphire, the City is a brave acceptance of dissolution and an unflinching settlement with death. Though in Venice you may sit in courtyards of stone, and your heels may click up marble stairs, you cannot move without riding upon or crossing the waters that someday will carry you in dissolution to the sea.
 – Mark Helprin, American writer, from The Pacific and Other Stories

I was really sad to leave Piazza al Serchio and our wonderful villa. Again, I wished I had one more day. I would have spent it outdoors, reflecting by the pool with the Tuscan hills before me. I would have convinced David to drive around and look for perfect photographic opportunities. Aside from Roma, and despite objection from family and friends, the Internet connection for me here was faithful and I was able to catch up with my Firenze posts, though at a cost – less time to enjoy the view outside.

The best view that we could capture on our way down the mountainside.

Well, again, that just means I must return. Our drive down the mountain was as beautiful as it was stomach churning for Jacob. I usually get carsick, but I think the beauty of the landscape was my antidote for carsickness. At any rate, I was disappointed we didn’t return the way we came because there is a spectacular stone bridge that I was hoping to capture. We did come across a beautiful and strange plateau and horses let loose on the streets on a quiet stretch of road.

When we turned a hairpin corner, we came upon a scene not unlike the scene in The Polar Express, but with horses instead of caribou.

We, especially a delighted Isabella, stop for horses.

While I was looking forward to seeing Venezia again, I also had to brace myself for the onslaught of tourists and tour guides again. After such a peaceful time in the Tuscan mountains, this was a shock to the system. Not only that, but we had to deal with the outrageous prices that go hand in hand with a major tourist destination. That said, David was extremely relieved to return the rental car at the Marco Polo airport and surrender the Fiat keys and his driving duties.

Jacob enjoying the water taxi ride from the airport as we head into Venezia.

Gondola, gondola!

Bridge of Sighs.

David and me with the Bridge of Sighs in the background.

Detail from the Bridge of Sighs.

Detail from another bridge.

Detail from a column in Piazza San Marco.

Pigeon on head over archway in Piazza San Marco.

Archway in Piazza San Marco.

Still, I was excited and charmed by the canals, the plentiful bridges, the lapping water, the old buildings of stone and peeling paint, the Doges Palace or Palazzo Ducale, and Piazza San Marco. Again, I wanted the kids to experience Venezia, so we went to the Museo Correr and the palace.

In the Museo Correr, a splendid ballroom.

Detail of painting in the Museo Correr.

Another opulent room in the museum.

My kind of library – beautiful Venetian glass chandelier, wooden bookcases, and old books – in the museo.

Inside the courtyard of the Doges Palace or Palazzo Ducale.

The basilica behind the palazzo.

The stairwell to this statue was closed off. David says he looks like Paul Newman.

Columns in the courtyard.

A view across San Marco Basin from an upstairs window in the palazzo.

The view prisoners got before retiring to their dank and windowless stone prison cells. They were heard to sigh, and that’s why the bridge is called the Bridge of Sighs.

More courtyard ceiling.

Back of statue from the now cordoned-off part of the balcony. Last visit we were able to access the area. Too bad.

View of the San Marco Basin from atop the Palazzo Ducale.

Our hotel, the Nuovo Teson, is right off of San Marco Basin, so we didn’t have to carry our roller bags too far (it’s against the law now to use roller luggage on the cobblestone streets of the city). Our room is teeny, but that’s part of the experience of Italy. We don’t have a great direct room with a view, but if I lean out of the window and face left, I can see water.

Our hotel.

Our room with a view – to the right – the waters of San Marco Basin.

A tight squeeze!

We had dinner right around the corner, in a restaurant called Venezia Al Vecio Portal, with a garden in the back. Of course, we had to order seafood, with David ordering squid and me ordering spaghetti seafood. We knew we picked well – with a recommendation from the hotel clerk – because while we were joined by tourists, we were surrounded by locals.

Stone cat on a stone bench near our table in the garden.

Spaghetti seafood.

Still getting along after more than two weeks on vacation.

After dinner, which was after nine in the evening, we wandered through the maze of streets, away from the main arteries of the city. We came upon empty streets and quiet canals – all very lovely and soothing. This is how I wanted to enjoy the city. And I got my wish.

Note: Venezia during the week is quiet after 10pm.

Venezia as I wanted to see it.

“Meanwhile, Florence was increasingly becoming, for different reasons that were not foreign to one another nor opposed – artistic and cultural on the one hand and political on the other – the Mecca of travelers and foreign residents.”
 – Franco Cardini, Italian historian specializing in the Middle Ages, from A Short History of Florence

It always seems to be the case while traveling that you wish you could stay just one more day at every city or destination. Such was the case in Roma, Napoli, and now Firenze. Luckily, we did have a say in when we could leave because we had one quick trip to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa and then on to our Tuscany villa in hilly Piazza al Serchio, which is 60km from the Medieval town of Lucca.

A panoramic view of the Medici Chapel’s interior.

The dome.

We were able to get to the Medici Chapels (Cappelle Medicee), which again was a short walk from the Hotel Giglio. Part of the Chapel of Princes was under renovation, but it didn’t take away from the splendor that the Medici family did not hold back on in terms of hiring the best artists and sculptors to create masterpieces in their name. The tombs of the Medici family members are scattered throughout the Church of San Lorenzo. According to Rick Steves, the architecture, tombs, and statues are almost entirely created by Michelango, who lived with them when he was in his teens. An exhibit on the main floor as you enter includes many “reliquiarios” of various family members. Upon closer examination, I realized what “reliquiarios” mean. Various parts of the body, mostly bones, are housed within these elaborate containers made of silver and other precious materials.

Somebody’s bone lies within this glass container….

One of the tombs in the main chapel.

Another tomb.

Intricate mosaic detail of a panel at the altar.

Michelangelo’s famous statues – Night and Day, and Dusk and Dawn – decorate the Medici tombs in the New Sacristry, located off of the Chapel of Princes. David pointed out that in Night and Day Michelangelo’s signature was the mask tucked under Night’s left arm. We got there just in time – as soon as we finished up taking photographs, a group of art students came in and other groups of tourists were lining up to enter. We were lucky in that we had the chapels mostly to ourselves.

Michelangelo’s Night and Day.

Michelangelo’s signature on Night and Day – the mask.

Michelangelo’s Dawn and Dusk.

Our next destination was the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, home of Lorenzo the Magnificent, which also includes the Chapel of the Magi. Renaissance art adorns the chapel and includes frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli. The Medici family originally occupied the house, which was built in 1444, but in the 1700s the Riccardi family took over and added its Baroque signature to the home’s style. I enjoyed the garden and courtyard. I especially was in awe of the Galleria, which features frescoes on the ceiling by famed Neapolitan artist Lucca Giordano and shows off the Baroque style, which interestingly I find too ornate, but the room was pretty spectacular.

The Palazzo Medici-Riccardo courtyard.

The garden with statues.

The Baroque-styled Galleria.

Painting detail in the palazzo.

Chandeliers hang from high ceilings that are ornately decorated.

On our way back from the last of our shopping in Firenze, I was determined to have one last gelato. But I wanted real gelato and not Americanized gelato, which is basically American ice cream. We were near a couple of corner gelaterias that showed off their mounds of “gelato.” When I spied a tiny obscure gelateria, I made a beeline, knowing that this place had to serve the real deal. And happily, it was real gelato! Both Jacob and Isabella admitted that they could taste the difference between today’s gelato and what we had been eating since arriving in Firenze. When I asked them to tell me what was different about this gelato, Jacob responded, “Intense burst of flavor.” I got almond gelato for the first time, and I, indeed, savored the intense flavor of almonds with every precious bite. I was quite content to leave Firenze, knowing that I had real gelato. A small pleasure, but nonetheless a pleasure.

The real McCoy!

We checked out of Hotel Giglio, which had taken very good care of us. Marco the morning clerk moved our cars and hopefully we won’t get any tickets two months from now. While Internet connectivity was really terrible, the hospitality, the charm, and even the Americanized breakfasts – meaning they consisted of more than just a hard roll – were worth high praise in their guest book. I was sad to drive out of Firenze, but I know I’ll come back – sooner rather than later.

A panoramic view of our room at the Hotel Giglio.

The drive to Pisa was perhaps an hour and a half at the most. We were warned that there isn’t much in Pisa other than the Leaning Tower. It was a very hot day and tourists and tourist buses were spilling into the area. We didn’t pay the 20 euros to walk up the tower. Instead, we were content with taking photographs and yes, doing the tourist pose of holding up the tower. It’s one of those things that if it’s on the way, you might as well see it, and then you can say, “Hey, I saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa.” We had lunch in one of the restaurants right off of the square, and then we hightailed it out of there. We made it to our Tuscany hillside villa of Piazza al Serchio while it was still light outside. But while reaching our destination happened Thursday later afternoon, I’m going to save that episode for the next day’s blog entry.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, the only thing in town worth seeing.

David’s artsy tower photograph.

The church, which sits in-between the baptistery and the tower.

Isabella and Jacob with the tower.

The tower is next to a church and a baptistery.

Yes, I shamelessly participated in the photo op of holding up the tower.

Beach Blanket Babylon-esque photo of Isabella and me wearing a Leaning Tower of Pisa “hat.”