Wanderings in France ...in one word delicious "diversity"

Just a brief post on coming home again after a month of travel... I've been remiss in not posting during my trip, but in trying to pack in as much as possible during the day, I found it difficult to miss a moment of wandering to sit and write..

France is a feast for the senses.... the sights, the smells, the tastes, the sounds....  For weeks we wandered -- walking, climbing, walking, climbing absorbing these sensations. We..

Ascended the steps in Montmartre to Sacre Coeur...

Waited in line at Berthillon for ice cream on Ile St. Louis....

Watched tourists taking photos of giant bubbles near the Beaubourg...

Watched tourists taking photos everywhere..

Peered through the golden gate at Versailles ...

Marveled at a medieval buildings.... (this one Medieval Hospital in Beaune):

Roamed through miles of underground wine caves:

Rambled aimlessly through the rooms of many, many chateaux...

Visited a piece of America on French soil...

My lasting impression from a month in France is  in one word...diversity.  On any given evening we  would be mingled in a Paris cafe with Ghanians, Italians, New Yorkers, Chinese, Germans, Algerians and, of course, some Parisians.   On the block where we stayed in Paris, there were Indian, Chinese, Italian, Moroccan, Japanese, and two French restaurants, for one of which, a steak and frites joint,  people queued every night down the street to get a table.

And on just about every block in Paris and in the small French towns we visited,  patisserie windows bedazzled with tormentingly diverse selections of delicacies luring you like the Sirens did another traveler.

We roamed the neighborhoods of Paris through centuries of architecture, art, music and culture -- from the ancient alleys of the left bank and isles in the Seine to the ultra-modern towers of La Defense, from the small wine towns of Burgundy through the Loire Valley to Normandy.  Every day we tried to see and taste and hear all we could.   And along the way the genuine joy of living cascaded over us like an immense waterfall.   

New APP helps Travelers Navigate Medical Needs Abroad

I remember a scary time in Rome when I experienced an Asthma attack and had to seek local medical attention..another when my spouse caught a horrible cold in Amsterdam that needed attention. Not to speak of the times I've wandered into a pharmacy in Italy or France, trying to find a medication or particular healthcare product.

A new APP for the Iphone and IPod may help with such medical needs when travelling. The first app to help travelers in need of medical services when they are abroad, mPassport is now available in the iTunes App Store for downloading onto n iPhones and iPads around the world.

Just announced mPassport enables you to:

 -- Use your smart phone or laptop to find a conveniently located, carefully-selected, English-speaking doctor or dentist and request an appointment


-- Use mapping and GPS functionality to find the shortest route to convenient care


-- Translate brand names for medications and key medical terms and phrases


-- Understand health risks and access the right emergency services


"About half of all travelers who spend more than two weeks abroad get sick or injured, and we're there to help them when they need assistance," says Angelo Masciantonio, Chief Executive of HTH Worldwide. "Travelers typically do not prepare for illness or injury when traveling abroad and when they need healthcare, they often don't know where to turn. mPassport apps make it simple to get quality care when it's needed far away from home."

HTH Worldwide has created mPassport apps for these popular business and leisure destinations:
-- Barcelona, Budapest, Dublin, Florence, London, Madrid, Paris, Prague, Rome, Vienna -- Cape Town, Nairobi -- Buenos Aires, Lima, Mexico City, Quito -- Bermuda, Nassau -- Beijing, Hong Kong




Category: ..Travel Issue

Mark Twain's Bermuda -- "You go to heaven... I'd druther stay here."

Among the many places where Mark Twain wandered penning articles and books along the way was a place that continued to lure him back again and again.....Bermuda.  Having spent almost as many days in Bermuda as Twain did in his life time (between 1867 and 1910 Mark Twain spent a total of 187 days in Bermuda), I can well understand the magnetic force that caused him to visit these enchanted isles over and over.

He arrived for the first time in Bermuda as many travelers do today by cruise ship.  In  November of 1867, Twain walked from the deck of  the SS Quaker City into the sub-tropical paradise towards the end of a long cruise that took him from New York to the Mediterranean, the "Holy Land" (Israel) and back to New York with a group of religious pilgrims.   It was during this trip that Twain wrote "Innocents Abroad," the best selling of his works during his life time. 

On his first brief visit,  Twain is said to have visited many of the places where passengers wander whose cruise ships pull into Hamilton's harbor.  He joked about the  enormous rubber tree (still there) on the grounds of Par-la-Ville Park.   The park which I passed through many times myself is just beyond one of the main streets in Hamilton  (Queen Street) near the post office.   It was the Postmaster William B. Perot, who laid out the gardens of the park in the mid-1800s.  A classic stone Bermudian moon gate bedecked with blooms and vines probably was likely the entrance Twain used.  

Fairmont Hamilton Princess today

Over time Twain became one of Bermuda's most famous visitors and advocates. In recognition of this role, busts of him are still to be found ...one, as was pointed out to me by twitterer fairmontham (official tweep for the Fairmont Hamilton Princess), is located in the lobby of the Fairmont Hamilton Princess.  Shame on me for not remembering this statue that I passed many times on my visits there.  

It was Twain who helped bring Americans back to Bermuda after the American Civil War.  Few  Americans wanted to visit the island paradise in the post-war years still angered by the blockades run from there supporting the South during the conflict.   Twain reminded Americans of Bermuda's seductiveness promoting the isles not just for short summer vacations but for longer sojourns during cold and bitter US winters.  In a 15,000-word sketch "Some Rambling Notes of an Idle Excursion" published in four installments in the Atlantic Monthly from October 1877 through January 1878 he devotes two chapters to his second trip to Bermuda in 1877.  It was these articles that helped attract many affluent Americans there starting in the 1880s... and on January 1, 1885 the Hamilton Princess opened to accommodate many of these new travelers.  Mark Twain was a frequent guest.

A view of Hamilton Harbor from hilltop overlooking Hamilton, Bermuda

Twain returned for many longer sojourns in the "Bermudas" often making back to back trips in his later years. He resided most of the time at Bay House, at 4 Old Slip Lane, at the end of a private access road off Pitt's Bay Road in Pembroke Parish only a short distance from Hamilton. The house, still there, is on the coast facing the waterfront of Hamilton Harbor with views of nearby small islands. 

While on Bermuda,  Twain would frequently meet up with other prominent guests of the isles.  He chatted on one visit, for instance, with Upton Sinclair, the author of The Jungle (1906), which had just caused a national sensation in the US at the time.  And on another, he played minature golf and lunched with President Woodrow Wilson.  

While I am sure Twain's Bermuda,  the Bermuda of 100 plus years ago was much more tranquil than today -- no cars (he was instrumental in keeping them out of Bermuda for 30 years) or mopeds, fewer tourists, no industry to speak of.  But no matter,  many of the qualities that drew him there continue to bring me to Bermuda again and again, if not always in person, in spirit, to it's subtle suggestion of Britain, it's unparalleled serenity, it's breathtaking vistas,  it's many hidden, enchanting little nooks, it's warmth not only in climate but in it's only-to-be-found-on-Bermuda people with their amazing polite manner and lovely clipped version of English.  Twain encountered something very special from his first visit and went back to seek it there to the very end of his life.  “You go to heaven if you want to,” Mark Twain wrote from Bermuda in 1910 during his long last visit, one hundred years ago, “I’d druther stay here.”

More information on Mark Twain in Bermuda:

Books:

Mark Twain and the Happy Island. Wallace, Elizabeth. 1913. Chicago, McClug. 139 pages. Illustrated.

Mark Twain In Paradise – His Voyages to Bermuda. American writer Donald Hoffmann. The special relationship that Mark Twain had with turn of the century Bermuda. University of Missouri Press, 2006.

Websites:

http://www.bermuda-online.org/twain.htm

2010 is the Year of Mark Twain -- Great time to visit Twain Places

The year 2010 marks the 175th anniversary of the birth of Samuel Langhorne Clemens known to us as Mark Twain.  It is also the 125th anniversary of the publication of Twain’s seminal work, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and the 100th anniversary of his death which falls on April 21. Nationwide, places where the author lived or spent significant time or had other major connection to Twain and his works including Berkeley, CA Elmira, NY, Hannibal, MO and Hartford, CT will be celebrating this vibrant author - and perhaps one of the first pre-internet travel bloggers - with special events.

Since the red carpets are being rolled out, it's a great to visit some of the Twain's sites. There are two major museums dedicated to this quintessential American author....not surprisingly one is in the Northeast in Connecticut, the other right on the Mississippi in the Midwest, which is the one more associated with the author -- in Hannibal, Missouri. In addition, other sites dedicated to Twain are a major bookstore and museum in Virginia City, Nevada, his former study and final resting place in Elmira, New York, and the Archive of Twain's Papers and Works at the University of California, Berkeley. There is also the site of his birthplace in Florida, MO, but this is temporarily closed.

Here's some information on the major sites: 
 
The Hartford Connecticut Museum

Courtesy of Mark Twain House website

The Mark Twain House and Museum (Hartford, Connecticut) was the home of Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) from 1874 to 1891. The Victorian-style house is a 19-room gothic mansion. It was the place where Twain wrote most of his major works including The Gilded Age, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Prince and the Pauper, Life on the Mississippi, Huckleberry Finn, A Tramp Abroad, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. The Twain House, which is open year–round for guided tours, attracts more than 60,000 visitors annually from every state in the U.S. as well as from more than 70 countries around the world.  The Mark Twain House and Museum is located at 351 Farmington Avenue in Hartford, Connecticut.  For more information on visiting call (860) 247-0998 or visit the website at www.marktwainhouse.org.


Hannibal, MO 


Hannibal, MO is a pleasant little town to visit in its own right.  Situated (not surprisingly) on the Mississippi, there are lots of activities within Hannibal dedicated to Mr. Clemens, including their own resident actor who brings Twain alive for visitors.  But the main reason to visit is the properties of the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum which include: the frame house known as the Mark Twain Boyhood Home constructed around 1843 or 1844, where the John Marshall Clemens family lived  until leaving town in 1853, the John M. Clemens Justice of the Peace Office, the Becky Thatcher, Pilaster House/Grant's Drug Store, the Huck Finn House, the Museum Gallery and Gardens.  The museum is well worth the time with its interactive exhibits from five of Mark Twain's books and memorabilia from Mark Twain's life,. The gallery includes 15 original Norman Rockwell paintings created in 1935 for special editions of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.


Elmira, New York

In Elmira, New York, which lays claim to being "Mark Twain Country," you can visit the Mark Twain Study and roam the beautiful area where Twain spent his summers.

Mark Twain Study

Twain  and his wife spent summers in Elmira with his wife's family. The family built him a study in their home to give him space to work, which was later moved to the campus of Elmira College and is open to the public. You can see the study during the summer months and admission is free for everyone. The address for the study is 1 Park Pl., Elmira College, Elmira, NY 14901 (607-735-1941).

A fun Twain tweep to follow is twaintoday.
There is also MarkTwain and TwainHouse.

Traveling Solo in London

Recently reading a blog from Isabelle's Travels (@isabellestravel on Twitter) on traveling alone in Paris caused me to reflect on some solo travel of my own.  Perhaps the city I have spent more time alone in than any other in the world outside the US is London.  Having had several jobs that took me solo to London and then later accompanying a spouse who had business there..... I have wandered and discovered much of the city on my own on travel there.

True having a companion to share discoveries with is part of what I love about traveling.  But I also love the undistracted and totally self-directed momentum that touring and exploring a destination unescorted gives me.  Decisions on whether to stop at a cafe or take the tube here or there are totally mine.  Time spent in a museum or not totally up to me.  Taking photos with abandon without disrupting a companion's experience is ok.

For that reason while I had objectives for my touring days of London,  i.e. some target destinations, I generally was loose about it leaving room for discovery or lingering where particularly intrigued.   One of my favorite things to do would be to have an early breakfast..... I loved a cafe...which now has many locations throughout London.. Patisserie Valerie.  They serve the most incredible scrambled eggs with toast or croissant and coffee.  There I could linger over my travel books and plan the day.... in the quiet ambiance of the place.  Or, if I were staying at a B&B which I frequently did, I would take the typical English breakfast and perhaps chat with another guest.

I took my notebook and made my plan...carrying it with me during the day to jot down observations.  As a aside,  no matter where I am, I always have a notebook and a camera.  Even if you're not a writer or blogger carrying a notebook especially when alone gives you the opportunity to jot down impressions that you can relate to friends and family later on.  It also acts in a way as a substitute companion.... gives you a sense of being on purpose... and not as self-conscious about being alone.  

My solo journeys through London in addition to all the obvious places took me to spend time observing a session of Parliament, to sip afternoon tea and munch on delicate sandwiches especially at Browns, to wander through the Tate Museum for hours and  gaze at the Turners, to visit the Courtauld, an exquisite gem of a museum with an excellent impressionist collection, through Covent Garden and to Portobello Road for antique shops and much more.

But the solo experience that stands out for me above the rest is that of going to the theatre by myself.  The first play I saw in a theatre on my own was in London.  The theatre was packed... I had a seat way up in the highest section of the balcony and was cramped in amongst other Americans who had gotten terrible, last minute seating.  It didn't matter.  For the first time here was this incredible cast singing their hearts out "Can you hear the people sing..." and the rest of the audience, the humid air of the old building, the uncomfortable seat, even the distance from the stage were shut out.  I could only hear the singing and see the colorful staging and costumes. This magnificent performance was just for me..... and I loved it!

Exploring Lake Como - Varenna - A Less Trodden Gem Glimmering on the Lake

Best explored by the boats which skim atop the glistening blue-green water, Lake Como offers  a cornucopia of vistas including 17th and 18th century villas poking up here and there on the various promontories about the lake, backdrops of frequently snow-topped craggy mountains,  gardens which roll down the hillsides in carpets of color, and many enchanting villages.  The boats are easy to navigate and allow you to visit many of the lake's tiny ancient hamlets whose hilly streets and byways can be roamed for hours visiting shops, beautiful old churches and chapels, terrace restaurants, and much more.

If you have to choose among the towns, make one of your choices a stop at Varenna.  It's fairly easy to get to and is less touristy than Bellagio (although I wouldn't pass this up either.)   There are ferries with frequent stops there from Bellagio, Menaggio, Lenno  and Tremezzo.  On our last trip, we stayed near Tremezzo and took the ferry boat from there to Bellagio, then Varenna and from Varenna back to Tremezzo with a stop at Villa Carlotta.

Varenna's origins date back to Roman times.  Built in the 5th century at the foot of a mountain which rises precipitously almost vertical behind it, Varenna is a picturesque old fishing village with a lovely little harbor featuring views of Bellagio in the distance.

Once disembarqing from the ferry,  make sure you stop at the Information Booth at the Harbor for a map and ask where it's best to climb to the upper town. You can first walk around the island partially on a platform which has been built into the side of the mountain passing under a percola bursting with flowers. A large terrace sprawls under the hillside at one juncture, where you can stop for delightful crepes or Italian sandwich or bruschetta.  (Interestingly enough bruschetta in this area is different than in Tuscany.  It comes on larger slices of toasted bread...quite good but not the bite-sized crostini you might be used to.)

We climbed to the upper town up flat stone steps near the terrace restaurant. Here we visited the parish church San Giorgio, consecrated in 1313 but enriched several times in later centuries once to include large fresco portraying Saint Christopher. Nearby we were attracted to one of Varenna's hotels and wandered into the Hotel Royal Victoria with its panoramic views of the lake from a restaurant terrace. This lovely villa hotel was named after Queen Victoria who visited there in 1838.

In addition to a stopover on a lake journey, Varenna would be a good place to locate during a stay on Lake Como. For more hotel information: http://italianlakesholidays.net/varenna-hotels-guide/

Another place to visit (if time permits) in Varenna is generally known as Villa dei Cipressi (Villa of Cypresses) with its garden of trees that terraces towards the lake.

Unconditional Surrender -- A Sarasota Florida Statue is all in "The Kiss" of a moment

A well-know photo shows an American sailer kissing a young woman in white, presumably a nurse, on V-J Day in Times Square. The photograph taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt and originally published later in Life magazine was among many of those taken during celebrations across the US on the end to a long, costly war. A war during which many loved ones had been lost. A war which separated husbands and wives, lovers, family for almost four years.

Pictures were being snapped quickly then to capture reactions as the anticipated news of the US victory over Japan was announced. But this particular shot caught something that symbolically stuck ...not only as a moment of sheer, spontaneous joy at the end of a war but as a foreshadowing of the promise ahead .... the return of the soldiers too long gone and of the many, many long-awaited kisses to come. It's probably one of the most romantic photos ever taken even though that particular kiss was between strangers.

More recently, a gigantic, pop-art likeness of "The Kiss," entitled more appropriately that anyone thought "Unconditional Surrender," was raised along the main artery in Sarasota, Florida by the bay. Ever since the sculpted couple's very presence has been consumed with controversy...somewhat akin to the battle caused when the Rocky statue was originally placed on the steps in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum. ( There is something about pop-art that requires ripening before it's ultimately accepted for what it is.)

"Unconditional Surrender" was created by eminent artist, J. Seward Johnson, known primarily for his iconic man-in-the-street series...yes one of the looks-real bronzes that on one of those late nights out you might have a chat with . The first rendering of "Unconditional Surrender" was a life-sized version that appeared in Times Square in 2005 to commemorate the announcement at 7:03 PM sixty-years before of the end of WWII. Later the 26-foot version was sited at Snug Harbor in New York for a month before being moved to Sarasota where many of the more patriotic residents wanted it to remain. And so far it has, after a brief visit to San Diego a few years back.

After a combative public hearing, city commissioners agreed  to accept a donation of a $500,000 from a WWII Vet and to embrace the huge artwork for ten years. Still arguments regarding the kissing duo -- appropriateness for "artsy" Sarasota, legal issues (i.e. derivative work licensing) -- drag on. But in the meantime, the huge sailor and nurse continue to smooch behind the palm trees with Sarasota's gleaming buildings as a backdrop.

And on any given day, in particular one to do with love (and frequently reuniting) -- an anniversary, Valentine's Day, a day marriage is proposed, a wedding day, a celebration of a soldier's return from a current war, or just a day to be in love, you can see a couple strike the pose in the shadow of a moment that captured the promise of hope, renewal and commitment... and everything love is all about.....

Visting or Revisting the US Capitol -- a Journey through US History and Symbols

As you approach the seat of government of the United States of America it appears surreal, the backdrop of a movie set, certainly not a building you are going to enter and walk through. Perhaps this is true in part because the United States Capitol is probably one of the most recognized buildings in the world. Since 1800, it has been where Congress has written and past US laws and where Presidents of the US have been inaugurated.

Visiting the Capitol is a journey through the history of the making of the United States. Its stunning new Visitor Center, "Emancipation Hall," and the recent focus brought to its Rotunda by the new Dan Brown book "The Lost Symbol," make the US Capitol worth the trip even for those who have been there before, self included.

First advice: make appointments.  You can make an appointment for a tour right online at the US Capitol site. To actually watch the US Congress in session though, you will need a pass.  US citizens can get passes through the offices of the their Senators or Representatives, international visitors at the House and Senate Appointment Desks on the upper level of the Capitol.

To reach the Visitor's Center, you can take 1st St. past Independence Ave. across the street from the Library of Congress.  There are ramps and walkways that will lead you from there to the Visitor's Center.   As you can imagine, visitors to the Capitol are tightly screened--don't even think about bringing food, drinks or large backpacks into the site.  If you have a reservation for a tour, just check in and get in-line at the Visitor Centers.  With its soaring ceilings, historic statuary and artifacts, the Visitor Center is worth transversing before you get in line for your tour.

The tour is introduced by a brief film about the history of the Capitol.  The building started its evolution to what it is today in 1793 when George Washington laid the cornerstone.  At first, the House met in a large room on the second floor, and the Senate met in a chamber on the ground floor.   The Senate then moved to a chamber on the second floor, now known as the Old Senate Chamber which you visit during the guided tour.  In 1807, after the south wing of the Capitol was completed a wooden walkway connected the House with the Senate wing.  As new states were added to the Union, the Capitol was extended by adding wings to the ends of the original building.  By 1859 both legislative bodies had been moved to those wings in the Chambers they occupy today.

Another notable tour stop is the old hall of the House of Representatives,  now  National Statuary Hall. Originally it contained a collection of statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history.  All of the fifty US states contributed two statues each.  However, the room became overcrowded so in an effort to improve the appearance of the collection, thirty-eight statues were selected to remain in Statuary Hall.  Those statues representing ten of the thirteen original colonies were moved to the Central Hall on the first floor.  The remainder of the statues were distributed throughout the Capitol, some which were moved again, many are in the Visitors Center.   The one pictured here that stands in Statuary Hall is of Daniel Webster (of the famous debates),  a Senator from New Hampshire, who also served as Secretary of State. A list of the entire collection of statues and states that donated them can be found at the architect of the Capitol's website.

 The Rotunda at the center of Capitol between the two legislative chambers is thought of as the heart of the Capitol -- and alone well worth the tour.   It is the space used for  funerals of Presidents, members of Congress, military heroes and other distinguished citizens.  Visiting heads of state are frequently received here.  More recently, the Rotunda has had the added cache of being featured as an important symbolic backdrop in the "Lost Symbol" novel and will undoubtedly receive even more notoriety when the film is released.   On the canopy 180 feet above the Rotunda floor, the Italian-American artists Brumidi painted The Apotheosis of Washington.  George Washington is depicted encircled by symbols from mythology representing  American democracy and technological progress.   Many who read the Brown book and who have never seen or carefully noted this large mural will be surprised by the book's descriptions of the mural.   Also of note are the large American Revolutionary War paintings, by John Trumbull, an aide-de-camp to Washington.

   

The Capitol Visitor Center is open from 8:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, except certain holidays.  Additional information on visiting may be found at www.visitthecapitol.gov.

19th Century Travel Book with Charming Notes on Visiting the 5 famous Chateaux in the Loire Valley of France

While researching an upcoming trip to France I came upon pages from a compilation of old travel narratives done for the Nation Magazine in the 19th century. In there was a charming piece though full of misspellings on visiting the five major chateaux of the Touraine (the former province of France in the Loire Valley) where the Kings of France built castles in the middle ages that were later converted or rebuilt into Renaissance chateaux. The five chateaux discussed are among the ones most visited and mentioned in today's travel guides: Chenonceaux, Amboise, Chaumont, Blois and Chambord.

Here are the first few pages of the article...






And for the entire book:

A Traveler Doesn't Do A Place --- Can you Do Florence and Be Done with It? No, You Discover and Experience Great Places Again and Again

I cringe when I hear someone say "Oh I've done Rome or I've done London."

But it was only a few weeks ago that someone said to me as I was effusing on Florence...."Oh I've done Florence"....and I finally stopped short and looked straight into her nonchalant eyes and asked what that meant.

"You know I've seen David, the Uffizi.."

I thought for a moment.....well David was a good answer....seeing David in Florence is a very defining moment...a moment a true traveler never forgets.  When I first went to Florence I wandered endlessly around David gawking at his magnificence from every angle...and still I think of that moment when I first caught a glimpse of him with the awe of a child first seeing a snowflake.  The Uffizi wasn't a bad answer either...I thought...as I recalled climbing its magnificent staircase and floating from room to room marveling at the original Botticelli's Birth of Venus, the one I'd seen duplicated everywhere, gaping at the DaVinci's, roaming the Uffizi's sculpture galleries and, from it's windows, beholding one of the most incredible and recognizable sights in the world -- the view of the Arno and the Ponte Vecchio with the fading backdrop of the rooftops of Florence.  Ah perspective!

But doing Florence...is Florence ever done?  Couldn't it's Renaissance streets be wandered for endless hours.  What about the food markets with redder than red tomatoes, more varieties of pasta than I've ever seen anywhere, and the luscious looking meats. And shopping -- window along Tournabuoni and then discovering little shops everywhere with amazing things like incredible paper and leather concoctions and perfumes.  And oh let's not forget the food...and wine.  Tiny little cafes, gelato shops, pizzerias, wine bars abounding.  One night a cheap pizza in a cute bar in the Oltrano on the other size of the Arno....another time, a dish of unspeakable pasta in little cafe on a back street near the Medici Chapels just visited, and then of course, a Florentine steak, reminiscent of the "Old 96er" that  John Candy devoured in the "Great Outdoors" only I am certain much, much better, at one of the many impeccably designed, chique ristoranti.

And Florence has neighborhoods and piazza after piazza with their own distinct charms and interests.   Of course, I personally could explore the art of Florence forever...in its countless churches and tucked away in unexpected places, and the city itself -- a work of art.   Specific places to visit...read my blog...I've already covered some...more to come.   But Florence as any great city in the world is more than about places to see, its about exploration, discovery... it's about being somewhere where great people who contributed much to the way we live and enjoy life today walked and lived their lives.

Would Galileo, daVinci, Michelangelo, the Medici, Fra Angelico, Giotto ever have said "Oh, I've done Florence."  Of course, the realities are you may not have the time or money to spend as much physical time in any one place that you might like to...but realize that even if your time is brief...you need to take it in.. absorb it and experience it again and again through reading, film art whatever.....

And please, don't tell me that you've done Florence.  She is never done, I am sure of that.

Meeting Galileo in Florence Italy and Sarasota Florida

Four Hundred years after,  we were in Florence where Galileo first looked through his telescope and discovered the earth was indeed not the center of the Universe.   And it was there when we took up residence at the Hotel Tornabuoni Beacci that we again learned that traveling is as much and maybe more about the intriguing people met as the places visited.

While having a cocktail on the hotel's pleasant terrace overlooking the domes of Florence, we fell into a conversation with a couple who we learned were staying in Florence for a very targeted reason --- the gentleman was studying for a role as Galileo in an upcoming theatrical production.   Now that production is in its final week at the Asolo Repertory Theatre in  Sarasota, Florida.   "The Life of Galileo" has been lauded in the local press in Florida as well as in the national press .  In fact, Paul Whitworth, the actor playing Galileo, has been noted  as "brilliant"  in the role and "as making you feel the sense of discovery Galileo must have felt".

This was no surprise to us. When we met Paul in Florence he was consumed by the historical figure he currently portrays.  In the mornings during his stay in Florence,  he accompanied Galileo through the same cloisters, where the great scientist could have roamed, repeating over and over again words that Galileo himself might have said.  It was from the actor who visited it many times that we learned about the Galileo exhibit that was then taking place at the Palazzo Strozzi right down the street from our hotel.  It was marvelous and renewed our interest in the physicist whose discoveries unbalanced the Church of Rome.

While the exhibit is no longer at the Palazzo Strozzi much of the Galileo ephemera that was the core of it can be viewed at the Science Museum one block east of the Uffizi Gallery on the Arno River.   The museum displays Galileo's telescopes (the ones he created based on a model in Holland by putting two magnifying glasses together in a tube), compasses and the like, and one real oddity -- his finger preserved in a jar.   Galileo, we learned from the exhibition, was the first human being to see the moons of Jupiter, which supported the Copernican theory of the universe causing Galileo to fall into disfavor with the Catholic Church.

It was also Paul who urged us to visit Galileo's tomb in the Santa Croce Church.  The remains of hundreds of famous Florentines ended up under the floors or behind the walls of the Church. Among them is the tomb of Galileo.   His tomb is the huge ornamental structure  on the left as you enter San Croce.  

Months after Florence, we were reunited with Paul who again brought Galileo to life for us through his exceptional portrayal of the scientist in Brecht's play.   I was brought back first to the terrace in Florence where we first met Paul and then to the cloisters of San Croce as Paul disappeared and Galileo emerged.  After the play I got to thank Paul for bringing us to Galileo  through the sites in Florence and ultimately on the Asolo Stage in Sarasota.