 |
| At the Duomo. Florence, Italy |
Last month, through a series of extremely fortunate events, we (David, the kids, and I) found ourselves in Italy for two weeks, half of that time with extended family. On one hand, it was a terrible time to get away, as we were still ticking down our list, and the endless decisions were not letting up. On the other hand, it was also a perfect time to go, since we were in house limbo regardless. So,
arrivederci California and
buongiorno Italia.
 |
| Changed my mind. I want our front porch to look like this
|
Wow. Nothing like getting away to put things in perspective. As we laid eyes on so much magnificent architecture that abounds all over the country, we happily took leave of the contemporary craftsman, and gazed in awe at the villas of Tuscany, the cathedrals of Florence, and the palazzos (and prisons) of Venice. The first was the incredible Duomo in Florence. This was apparently started in 1296 and completed structurally in 1436, not including all the fancy finishes. 140 years. Maybe nine months from start to finish isn't so bad after all. At least we can hope to be around to enjoy our house when it is done.
 |
| Gelato on the Ponte Vecchio |
The remodel never strayed far from our minds, obviously, as the transatlantic emails bounced back and forth between us and our contractor Mark. There was always lingering stress about this decision and that, but we were easily distracted by the delicious gelato (dubbed Vitamin G by my sister and her family).
No
wonder there are so many beautiful buildings in Italy. Isn't it obvious? I bet this scene played out all the time in the Renaissance:
Antonio the architect "No no no!" (gesticulates wildly) The gargoyles are supposed to face THAT direction!
Roberto the builder "Sorry, the city won't allow it. There needs to be a sewer line running this way. By the way, this will cost another 10,000 Euros."
Antonio (turning red) What!!! Another 10 thous... hey, look, here's the gelato cart! Oh well, let's talk it over later. I'll have a double cone of your finest, signore"
 |
| the real reason for the Renaissance |
This was also the summer of the souvenir. My prayers were answered when my boys
finally developed a tolerance to gift shop browsing, especially in Venice, where the famed Murano glass is everywhere. With our offspring happily poking through glass trinkets, we had time to find some cool Venetian glass pendants to light up the dining room. This was one of the last purchases and the one we had agonized over the most.
Now back to reality and the final stretch.
