I love the Italian language.
I love the green water in the river.
I love the villas.
I love that everything is a shade of sienna.
I love the cyprus trees.
I love the Boboli Gardens.
I love the cats in the Boboli Gardens.
I love the Duomo.
I love the churches.
I love the opera.
I love the view from the hills.
I love the statuary.
I love the pasta and wine and focaccia and gelato and cannoli and espresso.
I love the fashion.
I love the shopping.
I love that the entire city is walkable, and yet still feels like a big city.
I love the fresh food and outdoor markets.
I love the cobbled streets.
I love the history.
I love the people sunning themselves in the piazzas.
I love the vaulted ceilings.
But back to day 1... I got in and did a quick circuit of Florence to get a lay of the land. The first thing I came upon was the Duomo. It is quite possibly the most beautiful cathedral in the world. It's massive. The exterior is all green, pink and white marble, and the brick dome is the largest in the world.
The streets in Florence are narrow and the building are very close together, so much so that I didn't realize I was approaching the cathedral. Suddenly, it was just there, and the sun was striking it in such a way that made me swear out loud. Not kidding. I think I said, "oh my god" or "holy shit" under my breath.
In my first 10 minutes in Florence, I was sold. This place is magical.
In the evening, I went to Suite Imperial to see Iapoco perform. He's the gorgeous Italian I met on a tour of the Holland countryside. He makes his living as a musician in and around Florence.
I heard him play a lot of American cover songs, but I guess that just pays the bills. He writes and performs his own music, as well. His friends translated for me when he dedicated Natalie Imbruglia's Torn to me, the Americano.
Of all the musicians I've known, not one has ever dedicated a song to me before.
I'm still blushing.
See, that sound's MUCH more interesting than Minneapolis, today.
ReplyDelete