Windows on my world

If you’ve ever flown in there, you’ll recognise this approach to Pisa airport.  It was my gateway to Florence, a city I’d always wanted to visit.  Once in a while I get a nice shot from a plane window.  The city was so much more than I expected and I went around with jaw dangling.  I wrote about Florence on my return until I could feel my readers dosing off, and simply had to stop.  It all came bubbling back when my lovely friend Gilly posted Santa Maria Novella.

I stayed just around the corner and walked past it numerous times, as did Gilly.  I had read of cloisters and frescoes and knew that I simply had to squeeze a visit in.  The interior entirely belied first impressions, and I wish I could have lingered.

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The shots in the cloisters are understandably faded but maybe you can get an impression of their glory.  I scaled the heights and did everything I conceivably could in the short time I had in Florence.  And still there was more to see.

It’s all there!  Old, new and ever pleasing to the eyes.  Each and every window revealed more splendour.

The camera came home dying of exhaustion but I have never felt more alive.  The old mercado had been similarly reinvigorated, with a top floor full of exciting dining options.  I hardly knew which way to look.

I have to thank both Gilly and Michelle at the Daily Post for giving me this opportunity to look back through some wonderful windows.

107 comments

  2. Well, what can I say? Wonderful pictures of a, indeed, wonderful city. I remember lingering in the Santa Groce, empty except me and except the spirits of Michelangelo, Ghiberti, Machiavelli and, from an empty tomb, the ghost of Dante.

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      1. Yes, my mother still has her cousins and some childhood friends there. We go almost every year at different times. Although, this year I made the mistake of going at the end of May and it was horrible — SO MANY tourists, it was hard to walk around. Much better to go off season. I remember going in November once and there were hardly any people on the streets. I could really SEE Florence, it was wonderful! Do you have Netflix? There is a good Netflix Original show called, “Medici: Master of Florence,” I think you would like it. Season 2 should be coming out soon. They show the Duomo completely open and they are trying to build the top dome part – incredible!

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      2. How lucky! We were there in February and it was fairly quiet. Of course, you don’t get the beautiful Spring flowers but I’d far rather be able to see around me. 🙂 No, we don’t have Netflix. Not long since there was a fabulous series involving Florence, Venice and Naples and they used infra red cameras and 3D to look at the past. It was fantastic. I recorded and kept the series.

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      3. February is a good time to go. As you mentioned, no Spring flowers, but so nice to walk around and have Florence to yourself! Also, the weather is mild, not so terribly cold. I think that is the beauty of a city, if we keep going at different times of the year, we fall in love with NEW aspects of the city… there is always something new to discover. For example, this last trip a friend wanted a tour guide, so we did this. He brought us by the Library, which is right behind the Duomo. I had “no idea” there was a library there. If you go to the top floor of the Library there is a cafe and you can sit and enjoy the view of the Duomo. A good find.

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