Europe day 10: A Growing Appreciation

Let's be real; Florence really rubbed me the wrong way yesterday.  The gelato lady was rude, and all that I could see any where was expensive shop after expensive shop.  I did not come to Europe to participate in a mass consumerist society intent on the next new thing, but to experience all that is old and noteworthy.

As it turns out; there is much more old and noteworthy here than what I first thought, it simply is not as obvious. 

Florence has always been full of traders and merchants; it's just a fact.  Even more than that, it has been a place of art.

Today I stood in the square where Dante read The Divine Comedy and created the italian language.  Before that, Italian was simply a really bad form of Latin, but Dante took it and made it it's own. 

I saw the graves of Michelangelo, Machiavelli and Galileo.

I stood next to the Arno river that, in 1961, flooded its banks and submerged many magnificent peices of art.  Thosands of college students from America took a break from their studies, flew to Florence, and painstakingly rescued all the art they possibly could. Isn't that amazing?

The  Ponte Vecchio is a bridge stretching across the Arno.  It is covered with jewlery stores, that have been jewlery stores and goldsmiths for ages.  The statue on the end honors a man considered to be the best gold smith of all time.

Many of the buildings are important and historic, it simply is not obvious at first glance.  It is important to look up to the second floor, where a plaque will tell you what that place is significant.  Unfortunately, it tells you this in Italian, and I do not speak Italian.  I feel my experience here will not be quite as rich as it was and will be in France, but I have begun to enjoy myself much more regardless.

Tonight, Kayla, Josh and I ate some delicious pizza before walking to the Arno to watch the sun set over the river.  We ended up on sitting on a railing high above the water.  The view was utterly amazing, and the gelato dripping all over my hand was equally outstanding.  As the sun sank behind the horizan, we heard the amplified voice of  street performer and sought him out.  We found ourselves on the Ponte Vecchio in a crowd of college students from across Europe.  We danced to the guitarist with the gravely voice.  Instead of being  a cautious tourist, I was a young person enjoying myself with other young people.  I can competely understand how rich people-or people with rich parents-spend weeks touring Europe.  Carefree, few responsibilities, and other young people having a good time; it is a beautiful life!

As the crowds drifted apart, we wandered in the direction of our hotel, stopping to appreciate another musical performance.  This was a trio of older men, one on the violin, the second on the bass, and a third on the electric guitar.  I grew nostalgic for my orchestra days as my fingers twitched with the music, yearning to draw a bow and dance along the strings once more.

Leaving the plaza, we stumbled upon a clown, entertaining the crowd in the middle of another street.  He constantly teased children and adults alike.  His little hook cane lured in wary observers, and his whistle demanded they do as he instructed.  All of his antics were rewarded by hearty laughter from the audience.  It was a spectacular evening.  I am now headed to bed; my head full of the pleasent things of the evening.

Florence; I may like you more than I origionally thought.