Siena

August 16, 2014August 16, 2014 / graham3693

Yesterday on the spur of the moment and in the late morning, took a trip to Siena. Earlier had visited the Museo Galileo – one of the best designed and beautifully laid out scientific museums I have encountered. Uncluttered exhibits of scientific instruments from the 16th to 19th century with explanations in both Italian and English. For the mechanically minded male, it is heaven.

Siena was one of the main attractions in Tuscany that my mother was keen to visit in our trip together more than 12 years ago. The square is of course the iconic representation of Siena, if not Tuscany. It’s an ancient medieval walled city and on the day was seething with people! There appeared to be even more leather goods shops here than Florence, if possible. A horse racing festival was building up over the days leading up to Saturday. There was much drunken frivolity presumably by students – costumes, scarves and loud singing.
Pics of the square and the cathedral

Michelangelo and David

August 13, 2014August 13, 2014 / graham3693

1,300,000 tourists annually visit the Museum dell Accademia to gaze in awe at the statue of David by Michelangelo. It is arguably the most beautifully, indeed perfectly, proportioned marble representation of the male form. Some erudite artists and anatomists, argue that the hands are slightly out or proportion, being too large. Whilst others, I suspect with a twinge of jealousy, state categorically that they would be prepared to testify in a court of law that the testicles are a touch too voluminous.

Having a partially expressed engineering/mechanical genetic trait – thanks to my father- combined with a not too flamboyant artistic flair, I pondered a potential catastrophe. What would happen if the great sculptor himself or one of his beautiful attractive young artisans delicately chipping then polishing the testicles, should say sneeze and hence mar the marble of David’s manhood? Perhaps this is the derivation of that universal exclamation of frustration?

Michelangelo may well have uttered

“well that was a balls up, Ascanio “!

Poor Ascanio being Michelangelo’s apprentice and possibly the young man he lusted after.

Another 16 tonne lump of marble was ordered to be delivered within the week by elephant express and poor Ascanio assigned to mass producing Plaster of Paris fig-leaves for a very large number of nude Roman and Greek adolescent male youths, a lucrative back order from the Vatican.

The Florence Card – a tourist pass

August 13, 2014 / graham3693

These past two or three days have been spent hiking the sights of Florence in rather relentless summer heat. There are picture post card attractions familiar to all. I won’t bore you, honestly. My instinctive urge to move on, is bubbling up. A day in the countryside tomorrow!

A few comments. Buy a Florence Pass, especially if you intend to stay for 3 days or more. The concept is fabulous, although the implementation leaves a lot to be desired. Its plastic and the same size as a credit card with a unique barcode. It claims you “bypass the queues” – worth the 72 euro alone! Sadly it’s not straightforward. At each “attraction” there is a, mostly fairly obvious, marked separate queue for the Florence card holders. How simple – short queue and scan bar coded card and “prego”! Sadly, no. One is required to find the separate Ticket Office for many attractions, no mean feat in itself, and there you will be required to queue (granted its a less lengthy one for the Florence cardholders) and purchase a separate paper ticket. Clutching this separate piece of paper, you return to the second, shorter queue at the aforementioned attraction.

It became obvious to me that the 2 step process is frustrating for both tourist and the ticket collector at the gate. Many tourists assume that the activated Florence Card is simply scanned at the entrance, and for the Italian gatekeeper they have to spend sometimes several minutes, trying to explain in limited English (forget about trying limited Japanese!) that it’s not the system. Tempers flare and the queue grinds to a halt. The reluctant tourist eventually is forced around and back outside passed the thousands, to find the Ticket Office. This is of itself a significant challenge! At the Duomo, we circumnavigated the Baptistery four times looking for the ticket office, twice clockwise then twice counterclockwise, based on the directions of the Italian lass at the turnstiles from which we were dejectedly ejected! Thankfully at other sites, the process was more transparent and simple!

There is an inviolate “theory of access” at Italian museums, cathedrals and monasteries, which I choose to call The Rule of Thirds: On any given day, a third of attractions are closed on that day, a third are closed for renovation, hidden behind scaffolding, with a sign which states the site is scheduled to be opened 15 months from whatever should be the date on which you turn up, the final third are open!

Florence – tourists and an opera concert performance

August 11, 2014August 11, 2014 / graham3693

It’s 7:30 am and I wander through a flock of pigeons then three flocks of Japanese tourists, there being more tourists than pigeons in Florence at any one time, irrespective of the season. I sit my music on a wrought iron lamp post on a cement balustrade along the River Arno and start to practice. Within a millisecond of my first note, there is a huge screech, much flapping and panic amongst the flocks, dust rises and there is a general sense of escaping from an approaching Tsunami – although the pigeons, are totally unruffled, remaining earth bound, pecking and courting each other skillfully avoiding the stampeding tourists.

We meander aimlessly at dusk and pass hundreds of what seems to be the stock commercial attraction of Florence: leather outlets alternating with “artisan” gelato cafés. In a crowded piazza, adolescent boys ply their wares. One of which is a small parachute like affair with an LED light that the boys catapult into the air with an amazing degree of skill. They seem to attain the outer atmosphere. Rule number 1: avoid eye contact with them. Terry, foolish man, breaks that rule and we return to the apartment later that night with 12 of these contraptions. In the light of day Terry is still uncertain as to how this happened and more disconcertingly, how many Euros with which he parted company for the purchase.

Our apartment is within an old mansion and is quite convenient as it fronts the river and the main tourist route to the Duomo runs along one side. From about 8am a continuous stream of tourists hurry along in bunches of about 20 or more. In fact their relentless passing reminds me of aircraft banked up at a busy international airport all on final approach to the runway with a separation distance of 100 metres.

After a less than exciting evening meal – an ordinary seafood salad with limp iceberg lettuce and anaemic tomatoes, we went to a concert of famous operatic arias in an intimate performing space of what was a large church. The young soprano was big of voice and bosom. The baritone matched her in all aspects other than bust. The were accompanied by a slim, elegant female pianist in her early 50s. She was dressed in a cool black cotton dress and the highest high heels in all of Christendom. To my utter disbelieve she sat at the piano and I was mesmerized not so much by her hands, but by her black sequined high heels , the points of which appeared lethal. Consequently her pedal foot and shoe had the distinct appearance of a miniature cello with its tail spike firmly pinned into the wooden floor at a very acute angle. So shod, she pedaled with all the aplomb of a seasoned performer.

Below are a few predictable and familiar pictures of Florence.

Paella before Florence

August 10, 2014August 10, 2014 / graham3693 / 1 Comment

Practicing the Recorder tonight before seafood paella- a Friday night special at the local restaurant. Suddenly the door to the balcony of the room next door opened and two middle aged men dressed in bike leather appeared! Should be some fun tonight if I play my cards right? Actually one is German, the other Swiss, so I promptly play the Kaiserhymne by Haydn. They are suitably impressed! I seductively tongue an A in the upper register, throw in a grace note and finish on lower F.

My last day in Avigliana was spent cycling mainly around the lakes (there are two) on small back roads then to Giaveno and on to Coazze and back to Aviagliana. The road up was of a gradual ascent over about 12 km. The last village lies at the foothills of the Alps and the entrance to one of many national parks. I wandered through both villages each of which had a local produce market. Coazze has signs proclaiming it to be the mushroom capital of Italy! Food for thought. What about a huge sign at Sydney international airport arrival lounge: “Welcome to Australia – the mushroom country of the world”.

The return cycle trip was a delicious descent over about 10km. I earned a gelato- lavender flavoured.

It’s now Saturday and I have arrived by high speed train in Florence to be greeted by sweltering heat and swarms of tourists. As I walked to the apartment via the Duomo, I was confronted by a snake like queue at least a kilometre long! I have a tremendous sense of foreboding.

The DeBoo family arrived around 4 pm – hot and sweaty so we put the kettle on. It’s almost too hot and humid to venture out. A siesta is appealing.

An approaching electrical storm from the restaurant balcony.

A medieval gate (portico) on the old part of Avigliana

The seafood paella

One of the multitude of Japanese tourist groups, frustrated by the queue at the Duomo, are led on an excursion of the industrial waste bins of Florence

Of Church and Cars – or Fiats Rule

August 9, 2014August 10, 2014 / graham3693

There is a universal ambience to all Catholic Churches around the world. On entering it takes a few minutes to become accustomed to the darkness. Shafts of light from stained glass windows and domes, pierce the cavernous nave. The air is a constant cellar like temperature, so it is cool in summer and perhaps seemingly warm in winter.

Then there is the unique smell: much more complex than musty, although there is a distinct element of that. The principle components are the scent of burning candle wax mixed with incense, merged with dark preserved wood. The latter is akin to the smell of well worn, polished wooden furniture that one finds in antique shops. The wooden benches in the choir stalls rubbed shiny smooth and moulded into gentle dimples by the countless rubbing, over centuries, of the buttocks of thousands of choir boys. Once a month Father Clementine gives them a good oiling and rub down with a genuine chamois – the benches of course, not the choir boys’ buttocks!

So it is the presence of smell and of light and the equal absence of sound that creates this distinctive marriage of the senses.

Invariably in every church or cathedral I enter, there will be at least one person, age not relevant, not obviously a tourist, sitting in quiet contemplation. Some kneel, some possibly shedding a tear or two and I find myself wondering what upheaval in life is confronting them?

My upheavals in life however around Avigliana can be attributed to the ubiquitous Fiat! The small model that is essential to navigating the cobblestoned streets and alleys. They are, as far as I am concerned, a mechanical version of the European Wasp. If I suddenly turn a corner and visualise a medieval street scene or piazza, worthy of an iPhone picture, there hugging the central XII century fountain is a XXI century Fiat. Usually at least two and mostly three. There is an obvious “Parcheggio vietato” sign, but of course Fiats can’t read can they?

If it is a bad day, the Fiats are displaced by a large council rubbish truck. All of them have a debilitating sense of permanency – being in a siesta – as are their drivers.

I am cycling along at a reasonable pace on a main road and all seems quixotically quiet. A narrow cobblestone alley on my left leads to a gradual ascent to the “old town”, castle and church. I exit on this apparent pedestrian only thoroughfare. As God is my witness, within a few minutes, at least four Fiats, have turned into this very same narrow street rapidly coming up behind me. The one advantage is that whilst I need to dismount, a Fiat is of small enough width to allow passage between the convoy and my cycle and I, without risk of injury.

There is however a seemingly more insoluble confrontation between car and cycle. 4 Fiats from behind is a minor irritating hiccup compared to the sudden appearance on the cobblestones ahead of a late model Audi Station Wagon noisily bumping down on you and bicycle. It’s twice as wide as a Fiat and much more aggressive.

The ONLY solution is for one to dismount, knock frantically on the iron security gate of a local apartment and ask the housewife if she wouldn’t mind if you and your bike could occupy the front room for a few seconds to let a car pass?

Finally, street and traffic signs are a futile attempt by the civic fathers to promote law and order for pedestrian, cyclist and car. They are universally ignored and the ignorant are above the law! I have a sudden, fleeting sense that I am about to meet my maker, as I cycle with some momentum along a busy main road and suddenly there in front is a car parked on the side of the road, facing me! I do a quick check! Fuck ! Am I riding on the wrong side of the road? Was that keep to the left or the right? It is all too much for a senior Australian citizen.

As God is my witness, a car turned up this road, seconds after me on my bike!

The town square at Giaveno – only ONE Fiat!

Dal Santuario Di Selvaggio

An approaching electrical storm from the a restaurant balcony

A seafood paella and a jug of Sangria.

Music, Medieval Avigliana and Sacra San Michel

August 8, 2014August 8, 2014 / graham3693 / 2 Comments

I try to practice the Recorder at least once a day and if organised and not too buggered, twice!

The couple in the room next door, I suspect also make music twice a day. It tends to be a rather crescendo/de-crescendo and with strange key changes and mostly in 2/4 time and with disconcerting changes in tempi. I have noticed that they break the first commandment of ensemble playing: “thou shalt start together and finish together”.

I am more considerate as I commit at least an hour to my music making and practice by the lake with a semicircle of appreciative ducks or behind the hotel rubbish dump with my sheet music resting on a SULO bin. In so doing I inadvertently create the first sound, light and smell show?

Yesterday I cycled to Susa, and walked kilometers around that delightful town. Whilst I only rode 42 km it was adequate and the precarious relatively major road convinced me to train it back. It was still a full day. So I reasoned that today I would explore the old city of Aviagliana.

With clear directions and map provided by the helpful hotel staff, I set off on the Bianchi, Garmin primed, to cycle around the lake and end up at what I assumed was the original Castello of the ancient city. Signs directed me to the Sacra San Michele. I anticipated a gentle climb…

The astute reader will have well founded feelings of foreboding. Well the Sacra San Michele is NOT the Castello del Conte Rosso! The latter is within 4km of my chalet at an altitude of no more than 150m, the former is about 12km further and 800 m higher with inclines at times of 10%. At the top one is about 1 km above sea level. I had flashbacks to Switzerland. I walked the last 4 km and climb of 400m once there it was well worth the effort. The Abbey closes from 12:30 to 2:30 pm so be warned if you are planning a visit. Sadly I walked up all hot and bothered at 12:35!

The pamphlets proudly state that this Benedictine Monastery was the inspiration for the novel “The Name of the Rose”.

Even this evening, sitting relaxed and satiated, I can’t recall exactly when the penny dropped! Possibly when sweaty and breathless, I stopped to admire the view and turning, saw the Castello del Conte Rosso perched on a hilltop in the distance and well and truely behind me! I do vividly remember yesterday cycling along the valley road to Susa, looking up at the ruins of what was todays challenge – the Sacra San Michele and thinking “how the bloody hell do people get to that place?” Now I know.

The medieval town of Aviagliana dates from around the XII century and again is well preserved, clean and very quiet – or in other words giving the appearance of an ancient ghost town.

This is where I am headed – Sacra San Michel

The monastery buildings from the top.

The Susa valley from the monastery 1km above sea level.

A street scene of the medieval town of Aviagliana

A couple of close ups of the monastery

A day trip to Susa by bike

August 7, 2014 / graham3693

A beautiful Bianchi bike – for the cyclists reading this blog : Ultegra group set, which, as a Campy man, found me twiddling my thumbs as they are not needed at least when it comes to shifting up
or down a cog.

The ride on route SSP24 was not enjoyable. It was not the motorway, but nevertheless still busy and unsettling. Mostly the road for 35 km was intermittent industrial estates.

One could argue that a passing Fiat Bambino, travelling at 80/hr driven by a Sister from the local convent is a mere gentle breeze, when compared to a passing Commodore at 120km/hr where the tendency is to swerve towards the bike, creating a vortex that threatens to suck you off the saddle.

The ultimate destination, Susa, was a more than adequate reward for it is nestled at the end of the Susa Valley, with the Alps on my right and left. It was an important ancient Roman settlement around 2 or 3 BC. It had roman ruins, an amphitheatre and aquaduct. A well preserved triumphal arch and again remarkably preserved walls and portico.

The township itself was also thriving with cobbled pedestrian streets. A small river still somewhat silty and slate grey water, rushed through the town.

My overall impression of modern Italy is rampant weeds along transport corridors further polluted with graffiti; a confusing impression of aging infrastructure at odds with an occasional 21st century sleek high speed train. And still after all these years tobacco pollutes the environment. The majority still smoke. Public Vending machines spew out a packet potentially to anyone irrespective of age, if you can cough up the money and reach the buttons! If you can’t reach, steal a crate and stand on that! A typical nuclear Italian family eats out and before and after each course, mother and father smoke in front of their 3 beautiful children.

Anyway enough of this. Tomorrow is another day.

Turino as I leave.

August 6, 2014August 6, 2014 / graham3693

Practiced my Recorder in a nearby park before breakfast and decided that the best piece, by far to play was The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves, from Nabucco – Verdi. It was most successful – provoking numerous early morning dog walking owners to saunter by, stay a while and smile , allowing the pooch ample time to poop and pass on.

The Bamboo Eco Hostel was very much along the lines of an upmarket backpackers lodge: clean and funky – a euphemism for “basic”. It prided itself on bilingual messages in blue paint on whitewashed walls: “water is precious- use sparingly” and “enjoy a biologic breakfast at Bamboo eco Hostel”. I pondered the premise that my Kellogs Cocoa Pops were “biologic”?

The longest river in Italy is the River Po! Torino sits in a bend of this river. It’s not the cleanest of waterways. I cogitate on creating a limerick. Now what rhymes with “Po”?

A series of canals connects Milan and Torino – these are silted grey smelly water ways that apparently were designed in part by Leonardo Da Vinci. He should have stuck to naked men in marble!

One of the nicest ways to eat in Europe and my experience , has been in Italy and Spain, is the custom of buying a drink – a glass of wine or a beer for 10 euro which includes an all you can eat smorgasbord of anti pasta or tapas. It’s good value and totally different from the MacDonald’s offering. It was at one such bar that I developed a taste for lemon flavoured light beer.

The only benefit of lacking a permanent sense of direction is that I invariably stumble across most of the local attractions (on multiple occasions) and in addition totally unexpected, yet fascinating historical buildings or parks.

The Valentino Palace

Turin – the Shroud, Fiats and Football

August 5, 2014August 5, 2014 / graham3693 / 1 Comment

Having been hot and sunny for most of today, Monday, it has just started to rain – a tropical downpour complete with thunder. It’s 6:30 pm and I had collapsed with chaffed thighs on the bed. I walked the whole day. Surely I had visited all the “attractions” listed in Trip Advisor” ? Oops – wrong! The 2nd most popular attraction in a list of more than 160 is the Juventis FC stadium – missed it! The 5th most popular attraction is a tour of the Fiat auto factory – missed it!

However I did discover the Turin Cathedral, the last of at least 13 churches I entered in Turin. God had directed me there – I was, as always, mildly disorientated. In my 4 trips from hostel to city and back, I have trudged unintentionally, 4 different routes. But on this my penultimate pilgrimage, my meandering had been miraculously and magnetically attracted to …. The Shroud of Turin! The Number 1 attraction in Trip Advisor.

In the foyer, I suspect vestibule is the correct term, was a font like receptacle that contained hundreds of coarse cotton squares. Obviously there for the taking, but not genuine pieces of the relic. I am not sure that I actually viewed the shroud, but on one side of the glassed in chapel, was the expected offertory box and on the other, an unexpected portable defibrillator! What on earth did it mean? I mentally re-ran the Cecil B. DeMillie movie epics. The one recurring and terrifying depiction to an innocent prepubertal boy sitting in the local picture theatre was the storm at the crucifixion. In fact, seared into my memory is that ominous, terrifying build up of storm clouds, slowly turning day into night (by now I am not sitting, but crouched behind the seat in front) culminating in a heart stopping bolt of lightening that rendered and tore asunder the sky at the very instant that Jesus died!

As I re-live this 50 years later, I experience an epiphany! At the instant that Jesus died, a million volts arced across the heavens, struck the cross and effectively defibrillated Our Lord, back to life and resurrection on the third day! Hence the reverential glass encased 21st century relic, fittingly displayed along side the 1st century relic.

I floated out of the cathedral, tucking a clean square of cotton from the font, making a mental note never to inadvertently blow my nose on it.

The inside of Turin Cathedral

The cotton squares

Not sure of this – it appeared abandoned but very old church

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Month: August 2014