Florence is a beautiful city in many ways. It seems to be primarily Renaissance, unlike Siena. This makes sense since I believe Florence became more powerful as Siena became less powerful, which was during the Renaissance with the rise of the Medici family in Florence (Firenze here, pronounced fear-in-zay, roughly. If you have never heard it called that before, I refer to it as both and you may see or hear me do so). The roads are wider and the buildings are newer. Slightly newer, anyway. And the city is just so big! Think of Siena as Charlottesville and Florence as Washington, D.C, Renaissance style.
Another reason for the Washington, D.C. comparison? There are Americans EVERYWHERE! I knew there would be a lot, but they were literally everywhere we went. People speaking in English this way and that way in line at museums, looking at maps, trying to find books at museums in English. I have not heard so much English since I left the states! Signs on stores were in English too, and there were actually shops labeled "Souvenirs" all over the place. I saw two McDonalds. And I have to admit, at some point I thought to myself in a somewhat haughty way, "Why are all of these Americans here?" Of course I am one. But I love Siena so much because it is small and personal and so not Americanized or tourist influenced. Florence caters to tourists and has adapted itself for them. Siena lets tourists come and helps them but does not try to be anything other than itself.
I did love Florence, though, even if I am very happy that I decided to study in Siena. We stayed in a small hotel that took up one floor of an apartment building a few blocks from the Duomo. The owners did everything themselves, and spoke English but not as much as the other people around Florence, or at least they learned that we spoke Italian and then let us speak it with them. Four of my friends and I set out Saturday morning to go to the Uffizi, perhaps Florence's most famous art museum. At the height of tourist season, people will wait for hours to get in! We waited only one, and then we spent perhaps five hours in the museum moving slowly from one work the next until we had seen everything and couldn't stand to look closely anymore! I saw two of Botticelli's most famous paintings, the Birth of Venus and Spring. They were absolutely beautiful, and much larger than I realized! I could have sat and looked at them for hours. We saw many things too from the 13th and 14th century which we were able to put in context from our art and art history class. There were two paintings by Da Vinci which I found absolutely beautiful as well- his Adoration of the Magi, and several other paintings and artists. I may be able to post them.
We went out to dinner as a group for one of the other student's birthdays and had a very good time! The family sitting behind us was, of course, American, and I learned that they are from Atlantic Beach, very near Jacksonville, and have connections to my high school. That was quite a place to meet a family from my area! a small Trattoria on a back road in the middle of Firenze.
Today we walked and we walked and we walked, just like yesterday. We walked on sidewalks, because they actually do exist in Florence, unlike in Siena. And we went to the Academia museum and saw many beautiful sculptures from the early 19th century as well as the David. again, I could have sat and looked at it for hours, it was so beautiful.
And now, I am so tired that I have to stop writing. But I will post pictures from the trip very soon!
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