My Italy sketchbook...the last day of Florence

On our last day in Florence we had no scheduled tours or museums, so we took a relaxing stroll and headed towards the Medici Chapels which are at the back of the Church of St. Lorenzo. In fact, the chapel is so un-assuming, and there was no line anywhere nearby, that we actually first waited in line at the front of the church. When we were about to purchase the tickets to go in, I said "I want to see this" - pointing to the image of Michelangelo's Tomb of Lorenzo. The guide said "You want the entrance at the back of the church".So we headed towards the back, and as you can see there was only a very short line. The construction set-up also hid the entrance a bit. I don't know if it's always this quiet - but let me tell you - if it is, you should definitely add it to your must-see list. Once inside, again no pictures were allowed, I was totally unprepared for how gorgeous the inside of the Chapel of the Princess was (I was too busy thinking about Michelangelo's sculptures!) The chapel is stunning - a wide variety of dark marbles, with amazing in-lays and artwork, incredible sculptures, gorgeous paintings on the ceilings. Even the fact that it had a scaffolding set up for restoration work couldn't take away from it's breath-taking beauty. Pictures do not do it justice.Then we ventured further into the New Sacristy to spend time looking at the tomb of Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino and the Duke of Nemours. I spent several minutes sketching the figure of Dusk. It was a surreal moment to be in the presence of the amazing sculptures. (all the more surreal when a cell phone rang. The colliding of two worlds... Michelangelo's 1500's sculptures and our 2000+ technology. I couldn't imagine what he would think of our world today!)

I chose to draw "Dusk" because I had always thought, in pictures, that the figure looked like a male model with two breasts just "stuck" on as an afterthought (ok - add some boobs - now it's a woman) But in actuality, seeing her in person, she was much more feminine. Tranquil, lovely. I was so thrilled I had a chance to draw for a while. I would have stayed and drew all the sculptures if I had the time!
After that wonderful experience we ate a delicious lunch at a cafe right outside the door of the Chapel. It was one of the best lunches I had! A vegetable quiche that was to die for (I keep looking for a similar recipe to no avail!)

On our way back to our hotel, we walked past the Church of Santa Maria Novella and decided to take a short detour to check out the inside.

The side door.

A door in the courtyard. Again, no photographs from the inside, but it was a lovely church and very ornate. I was also taken by surprise to see this painting, Massacio's Trinity, hanging in the church. I recognized it from many Art History classes.

What was also interesting was the information regarding the facade of the Church and a couple features I had previously ignored...two different Sundials.

Before we knew it, the sun was setting and our time in Florence was coming to an end.

David near the Arno river as we watched the sun set.

We had one last delicious meal at a lovely restaurant (don't you love these turquoise doors?) then went back to the hotel - the next day - we head to Rome!

My Italy Sketchbook. Day Five...the Art of Florence

I was incredibly excited about our third day in Florence. We scheduled tickets for the Accademia and the Uffizi galleries, and I could hardly wait to visit both! See Michelangelo's David - in person!!! I had goosebumps. We only had to walk a few blocks from our hotel to the Accademia gallery. I don't have any pictures from the inside, as cameras were not permitted inside either gallery. (I highly recommend booking ticket times in advance - the lines at both galleries are VERY long if you have not pre-ordered your tickets)

Once inside the Academia, I had to pace myself as we got closer to the David...it was almost overwhelming to me to think about standing in front of that iconic sculpture. SO I stopped in the corridor of the "Slave" sculptures, and drew a quick sketch of a this Pieta.

This is actually the third drawing I did...from a sculpture by Lorenzo Bartolini in an adjacent room. I was thrilled when I came around to the front of the sculpture to see it's name "Nymph of the Scorpion". As a scorpio, it felt like I was meant to love that piece! Ah...and here he is! I spent a glorious 20 minutes studying the handsome David (the second most handsome David I know) What an incredible piece. Of course I cannot describe it any better than it has been described a million times before, but I can tell you, that seeing it in person is breath-taking. Awe-inspiring. I hope every artist gets to see it in their lifetime.

As I sat on a chair and sketched, the busy gallery was filled with tourists trying ever so subtly, and not so subtly, to sneak a picture or two of the famous sculpture. The poor gallery guides were going hoarse and showed growing frustration as they continued shouting "no pictures" "no photo" "no video" on deaf ears. Others stopped frequently to watch my progress as I drew. I kept thinking "why are you even looking at me?!?! DAVID is right there!"

It made me so happy to be an artist at that moment - to be able to sit and study his face, to capture the gesture of his hand, to appreciate the enormity of the task to create such an piece. I loved every minute of it, and could have stayed all day drawing every possible angle! Luckily, I threw some coins in the Trevi fountain, so I am assured a return trip to Italy...when I shall draw some more!

After we left the Academia, we took a leisurely break at a restaurant in the Piazzo Republica. This was a great place to do some people watching.

We also passed by the Cathedral of Florence, an incredible church that is one of the iconic images of the city. I was impressed with just the side....until I saw the front!

It is just spectacular.

The detail on the door is exquisite!

It is a huge church, and the size is really incomprehensible unless you are standing at the door looking up.

I took several photos of some of the gorgeous sculptures on the front. Their faces and gestures were beautiful. Humbling, to say the least.

This sculpture looked like it was blessing you as you entered the church.

This face! Amazing!

We did not go inside, but perhaps when we return (see...another reason to go back!)

OK this was a funny little detour. Hidden among the side streets as you leave the Academia is a small museum dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci. David and I ventured in and paid to go "behind the magic curtain" and see some machines built according to some of the sketches made by Leonardo. It was actually quite fun and interesting! Often you see a sketch of an idea and don't appreciate it's full potential/beauty in design until you can see it 3-dimensionally, in action. Something as simple as a chain for a bicycle - flippers for swimming - ball bearings - all of these things were part of his body of work. Above I am standing in a mirrored room! (the only place I shot an illegal photo!) Not quite sure of the PURPOSE of the mirrored room, but it was there!

Heading away from the cathedral...on our way to the Uffizi Gallery.

A quick shot of a typical street scene in Florence - a line up of about 100 vespa scooters! I really wanted to know - how did the drivers know which one was theirs? They all looked the same!

We then arrived at the Loggia dei Lanzi and the Piazza della Signoria.

These pictures are a little out of order so bear with me...this is the sculpture "Rape of the Sabine". A popular sculpture in tons of Art history books...quite stunning and emotional in person.

There's my David checking out a copy of Michaelangelo's David (the copy pales in comparisson to the real thing!) near the entrance of the Palazzo Vecchio.

Me sitting in the outdoor sculpture gallery with the David behind me (not sure what's up with my hair in this picture...)

This sculpture, "The Rape of Polyxena", by Pio Fedi, was right in front of me, and we had some time before our scheduled entry into the Uffizi gallery, so I did this quick sketch.

This is at the entrance of the Uffizi near the Arno River. (I am happier than I look, I swear)

The courtyard area. David was incredulous that they were actually using that crane to lift large construction equipment over the heads of the tourists...he said OSHA would be furious!

A sculpture of Leonardo...I should have asked him about that mirrored room...

I don't remember who this is, but I was just amazed at the facial expression and gesture of this sculpture.

(From the other side)

We could not take pictures inside the Ufizi, but I will tell you...it was a little redundant. Not my favorite gallery over-all. However, it is striking to see how brilliantly the artists handle all different types of materials and surfaces...I also wanted to reach out and touch the velvet on some of the outfits! There were some very recognizable pieces, including the Diptych of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino by Piero Della Francesca (the best profile in Art History, IMO), and the Birth of Venus by Botticelli (the eyes in his work and incredible), and The Venus of Urbino by Titian. There were many others that I recognized.

There was a secret treasure hidden on the back of one of the Triptychs...a delicate painting of dove landing on a figure (the image on the left) (The Portinari Triptych)

We ended up at the roof of the museum, enjoying the perfect weather and incredible views of the city. By far my favorite "art" day in Florence...so far!

My Italy Sketchbook. Day Four...Chianti Wine Tour, Florence

One of our favorite events while in Italy was a Chianti Wine tour that we went on our second day in Florence. We met our group near the train station and boarded a very large bus, one that made you wonder if it could actually fit down some of the narrow streets! A word to the wise if you sign up for one of these tours - or ANY tour while you are in Italy - the tour guides DO NOT babysit you! If you are not paying attention, you WILL get left behind! Our group walked from the meeting point to where the bus was waiting, and our tour guide took a head count once we all boarded, and discovered that one couple was already missing! Well, she just went on without them! And I have to say - this happened on several other tours we took as well. David and I were beginning to wonder if the tour guides left a few people behind on purpose as a warning to the other tourists....



Anyway, our first stop on this tour was the Fattoria Castello Il Palagio. A gorgeous Castle dating back to 1252, that has a very rich history.

The courtyard is especially beautiful, each of the four walls having different characteristics and brickwork. The courtyard is still used for weddings and special occasions (in fact the castle is still occupied by the family). The door on the right is the family chapel.

A staircase in the far corner...I loved the shape of the door and the warm yellow color on the walls.

Dotted among the bricks are coat-of-arms representing the marriages of family members - two family crests joining as one. The "vespa" was a popular image on these crests (in reference to the hornet, not the small motorcycles!)

A view of the region from the back of the castle.

A large tree (I think she said cedar...I could be wrong) near the front door.

Perched along a garden wall, enjoying the gorgeous weather and the views.

Venturing down into the wine cellar, which was once the dungeons of the castle!

And of course the hi-light of this stop - our wine tasting! We tried three different red wines, including a fabulous Chianti and Merlot (which was delicious with Pecorino cheese, a new favorite of mine) as well as an amazing desert wine accompanied by biscotti, which we enjoyed dipped into the desert wine.

If you are traveling alone, in a small group, or as a couple, I highly recommend a tour of this kind - the opportunity to sit and chat with our fellow tourists was very enjoyable!

As our (now even happier) group re-boarded our bus, we made our way to the next village, Greve, where we took a short break to walk around the town square and peek in the shops.

If you are looking for more authentic Italian wares and souvenirs, this is another good reason to venture into the Chianti region - we saw many shops of pottery, art, and linens that were all locally made.

Another view of Greve.

Another short ride on the bus brought us to the beautiful Castellina area. This quiet and charming village was definitely a world away from the heavily tourist-filled roads of Florence.

David and I found some wonderful hand-carved cutting boards made from local Olive wood, our favorite souvenirs from our trip.

A charming wine shop.

I loved this beautiful sculpture and outdoor faucet.

After another short bus ride thru the hills, with a gorgeous sunset as we drove to our final destination, we enjoyed a fabulous dinner at a wonderful restaurant located on Centro Storico San Donato in Poggio. I have never smelled ANYTHING so wonderful as the aroma in this restaurant - "La Toppa". I wish I had more photos of the sunset and this last village, but my pictures all came out blurry! So take my word for it - great views, great food, great fun...take a Chianti Wine tour if you are ever in Florence!