Travel-Lens

Day 4: Friday

 

July 24, 2009

 

            You know you can’t spend years doing something, like traveling, and expect everything about it to be the same from year to year.  I experienced that phenomenon to the tenth degree today. We took the early (and only) train to Milano to see the Last Supper by Leonardo De Vinci.  This particular Train was supposed to arrive at Milano Centrale at 9:29 A.M. leaving us just enough time to grab a cab and race over to the church to see this one time forgotten piece of historical art.  Unfortunately, the train was late to arrive because of traffic. I know, it sounds silly but our train had to stop to allow another (much faster train) to go by.  So we grabbed the cab late, drove to the church late, and walked in behind who knows how any Asian tourists to be told “you are late!”  I pleaded and they reluctantly allowed us to enter with another group.  Now, I remember seeing this piece while they where restoring it about 15 years ago, before that book, the De Vinci code. Back then, we walked in for free to a dark, damp, lonely room, only to find the fresco all alone for Butch and I to gape and wonder at. As we sat there on the floor, after we got so close we could have touched it, a nun entered the room, saw us and walked out.  We were left alone with the famous piece for as long as we wanted.  You see today is different.  We paid thirty dollars a head to see it, the room had been cleaned and painted, there were barriers to prevent anyone to get closer than about ten feet from the wall, and they only allowed for so many people to enter at a time the forced us to leave after just fifteen minutes.  What a difference.  Regardless, We saw it and that’s what is important.  The trip from Firenze to Milano took about two and a half hours so that was the only thing planned for Milano.  I wanted everyone to use this day to rest. Its’ important to have days like that otherwise you will become worn out or burned out. So we headed back to the train station while taking a few shots of Milano along the way.  I checked the schedules and found a train was leaving in just minutes so we while getting a return ticket, we missed that train but took the next. The train station last year was chaotic at best. They were cleaning the massive stonewalls and building a mall two floors beneath the ground.  They also moved the ticket booths so it took me some time to figure that one out.  So many changes in just one year and but it looked great.  We took the train back to Firenze without any problems and made it back to the apartment in time for me to see the last leg of The Tour De France. Oh Lance. We all rested, showered and got ready for dinner. Walking slowly back to the Piazza Vecchio, we just took in the cool breezes and watched the people beginning to fill the square.  My son asked me why we weren’t going to eat right there on the square.  I told him that there were too many tourists there and the prices were worse than the food.  If you want something good, you have to find them tucked away in some narrow walk way. We decided to eat at Guisippi’s again so we walked through the small alley and found our way through the door to be greeted by both Guisippi and Daniniele.

            After dinner, we walked about the piazzas, ate sweets, and walked up and down various streets to window shop and just watch the people.  Crossed over Ponte Vecchio and back again. We found ourselves near El Duomo so we took a few photos at night since we had never done that.  We listened in the far distance, a lone operatic voice of the young girl who, with her boyfriend playing the accordion, sings like an angel. We found the man who’s guitar playing summoned use from afar and sat to watch and listen to him for a while. We had a coffee and joked with the waiter. I tried to sell back a toy we bought for my son to another one of the illegal venders as a joke.  We purchased a few pencil drawings of Firenze from a street artist a couple of days ago, found that guy and talked with him.  Then we took pictures of the chalk artists who replicate the works of masters by drawing them in chalk on the street. The pieces take many hours to complete and only last overnight. After paying a visit to the famous bronzed wild boar that is supposed to give you good luck if you place a coin in its mouth to let it fall through a grade, we walked slowly back to the apartment, only to stop at Gelletaria de Lorenzo for a cone for the way home.