So I’m going to rot in hell. But, seriously – doesn’t he look like the patron saint of skiers and snowboarders?
Just another wonder in the mysterious city of Venice.
The Geraniums of Italy
The sight of a geranium always takes me back to Italy. To flower-strewn balconies and front steps, to walls covered with the flowers as they tumble out of flowerpots. One of the reasons I so many of these flowers at home os because of the memories they bring.
Finding Italy’s Oldest Pharmacy
It took me two days to find the Profumo – Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. Admittedly, I was jet-lagged, and the search was confounded by the fact four places have the same address on the one street – little wonder I gave up that first day.
In true existential fashion, however, I only found the place by heading off to find somewhere else the following morning.
The Farnese Hercules and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli
In a museum boasting such a staggering collection, the Farnese Hercules simply dominates the room. I kept walking around him, wondering how such a work of art is possible. How can such tension and flow, such a range of textures, be caught in a single piece of marble?
There is obviously more to Naples’ Archeological Museum than Hercules. Much of the Farnese Collection has ended up here, and well as works recovered from Pompeii and Herculaneum.As well as an extensive Ancient Egyptian collection, the museum has extensive Greek and Roman art, and gems collected by the Medici. There is also the titillating ‘Secret Room’ which (apparently, I didn’t visit!) displays an extensive collection of erotic items, largely from Pompeii. Once walled up in the hope the collection would fade from memory, it has only been open to the public since 2000.
Desperately Seeking St Francis
Near the banks of the Arno lies a church not always high on every visitor’s list, but the was once of central importance when Florence was a city-state.
Founded by the Umiliati around 1250, the Chiesa di Ognissanti is dedicated to all saints and martyrs, both known and unknown. Like many a Florentine church, the façade of the Church of all Saints is understated, yet hidden within are Medieval and Renaissance delights.
A Room With A View
I’m sipping an espresso, overlooking the San Lorenzo Markets in Florence. Even from the third floor I can smell the leather. In fact, I can pretty much taste it.