Europe - Florence/Pisa/Cinque Terre - Day 5

Sunday July 30, 2006

We spent the morning taking pictures of the Duomo. Since it was Sunday, we could not go into the Duomo. One of the main attractions is to climb to the top and overlook the city. Maybe next time. Once we were finished with the Duomo our exit plan was to see Michelangelo's David and then begin our trip to Nice.

The line to see David was initially long, but picked up quickly and before we knew it, we were standing in front of him. I figured it was just another attraction to see while in Florence, but I have to say this monument has been one of my favorite on this trip thus far. I was impressed that he stands at 17 feet tall. In addition, to learn that his stance portrays his preparation to battle Goliath or defeat of Goliath. Some interpretations vary. However, the museum described the carving as a moment when David is proclaiming that his intellect took precedence over his sling, which is what he is casually holding on to, in order to defeat Goliath. In either case, it's an effort to capture a movement, an action in one single representation. It was very awe inspiring. I am not usually inspired by art in most forms, but David was a surprise and a model to most statues that were being displayed.

Although our morning filled up quickly, we still had to make our 5 hour trip to Nice. But, we had to stop along the way to see the Tower of Pisa! It was a 30 minute distraction from the drive and yes, we did the tourist shot. Pictures to follow.

Our next stop is a small coastal area called, Cinque Terre, that Jeanne recommended. This is a gorgeous collection of 5 towns that hold tightly to the traditional Italian ways. Modernization has slowly been creeping into these towns, but the generations of families have kept it as real as possible. As we drove down the mountain into one of the larger town, we quickly saw what made Cinque Terre so special. The mountain is covered with small villas with houses covered in bright colors with red tile roofs. Perfect little towns near the sea.

We chose to stop in Monterosso, one of the more touristy towns. To truly get a feel for Cinque Terre, you have to stay for a couple of days and walk between the towns.

You quickly lose sense of worldly issues in this area. Your only concern is what delicious meal will you be having next and what wine will be served with it. Unfortunately, we did not have that much time to spend in the town, but I sat down to have a little snack. Cinque Terre is known for pesto sauce, so I had foccacia with a spread of Pesto. They warmed it up for me without having to ask. The pesto was so good, I brought a jar home. It may not taste as good without the magic of Cinque Terre though.

I left Cinque Terre not feeling sad, but anxious to come back for a longer period of time.

It was time to put Italy behind us, because now the French Riviera was calling our name and Nice is the next stop.