The Grand Canal, Venice

Venetian Masks, Rialto Market,
Venice

Duomo (view from belltower), Florence

River & Bridge
Florence

Roman Forum, Rome

Colosseum, Rome

Shopping in Rome

Have just returned from a 10 day trip to Italy with Debbie and Bev who are on their own six week tour of Britain, Italy and France and thought the photos might be worthy of commentary (Debbie “suggested” that I do this- in that tone that mothers are so good at) It HAS been a long time since my last post, partly because I believed nobody was looking here, mainly because I lack inspiration and time.

Italy was wonderful; crumbling buildings, amazing art, gelati and sunshine- First stop was Venice, where we were staying in a lovely B&B (without the second B) close to the vaporetto (water bus) and therefore a short ride to the major sights.

Grand facades, pillars and gold; it is easy to imagine Venice at the height of its prosperity- the canals alive with trading boats, the nobility peering out onto the grand canal from their marble-clad balconies and gondolas dominating the waterways. These days Venice is alive with tourists, all pushing for the best view of the crumbling buildings, basilica’s and palaces. Elbowing for a nice spot on the vaporetto, or in the case of tour groups, mindlessly following the guide along with 50 others, camera at ready.

And whilst the grand canal and St Marks square was undeniably impressive- (the palace amazing and the ceiling of the basilica ridiculous in its detail)- I was most impressed by the quiet and quaint Venice I found by wandering the side streets and following tiny canals- the local squares where families gather, children play and older people scoff gelati.

I had few expectations about Florence and therefore was totally blown away by its quiet beauty and its architectural surprises- none more so than Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Florence duomo) which I stumbled on when in search of food. I was so shocked by both its size and its incredible facade that I actually swore to myself (probably not very appropriate in front of a church) then proceeded to wander around with my mouth open. It is an amazing building-a more amazing experience because I arrived there when it was dark and wet and therefore had much of the square to myself.

Admiring and exploring churches developed into a daily activity in Rome where I was visiting nearly as many basilicas as I was consuming cones of gelati. It seems everything in Rome is a Christian sight, or a roman ruin now deemed significant to Christians. The Vatican (and St Peter’s) was completely overwhelming. Here more than anywhere, I felt alienated from religion, as instead of realising the glory and power of God (as I’m sure the architects would have intended), I was shocked by the wealth of power of the church (perhaps it was all that gold and marble!).

Rome itself is incredible- every corner you turn, there is a beautiful building, historic sight or amazing piazza; OR a great restaurant or shop (including those pictured above!). The Colosseum was predictably one of the major highlights as was the roman forum- though my favorite sight was a small (by Italian standards) church that was built above both ancient Roman ruins and an eleventh century church, both now excavated. It was an amazing labyrinth of Roman history and a wonderful way to end a great holiday.