What can I say about Michelangelo’s masterpiece? I was 10 when I first saw David, and it was truly a life-changing experience (as was visiting Florence).
That was, however, many moons ago, when tourists crowds were less, and queues did not stretch along the length of a street and around corners. Some 2 million people visit the Accademia yearly, yet it is still possible to see this masterpiece and not be overwhelmed simply getting there.
There are times when pictures say it all. Especially when a gondolier makes a valiant attempt at a three point turn in a gondola.
I sat in a quiet square in the Venetian sunshine, staring at the alps. Some cats played about my feet. All manner of boats plied the waters, from sleek water taxis to the occasional ambulance. Across the water lay the Italian mainland, and I watched as the planes came in, bringing more visitors to this glorious city. Behind me stretched Venice’s Ghetto.
I started my day standing at the bar in a cafe in Venice, drinking an espresso and eating a chocolate croissant. The croissant was still warm, and the chocolate melted as I bit into the flaky pastry. I’d found the cafe in a little alley somewhere near my apartment. I stood surrounded by locals, all of us taking seriously the art of waking up and facing the day.
It proved to be a day of wandering, the turns and twists as I got lost filled with amazing finds.
I flew into Venice on a clear blue day. Below me the lush farmlands of the Veneto morphed into marshes bordering on the sea. A network of small islands followed, before the beauty of Venice overshadowed them all. I could see every part of the city, from the Ghetto to the crowds milling outside San Marco.
A city with so much art and beauty, so much history – yet still alive. The little touches which show Florence is not a city which exists on her past glories alone.