If this is true of our entire earthly life, how much more
so with our moments! N.D. Wilson says, “No matter how many pictures we take, no
matter how many scrapbooks we make, no matter how many moments we invade with a
rolling camera, we will die. We will vanish. We cannot grab and take hold.” So
what are we to do? Enjoy the moment, they say. Wilson continues, “Don’t resent
the moments simply because they cannot be frozen. Taste them. Savor them. Give
thanks for that daily bread. Manna doesn’t keep overnight. More will come in
the morning.” Amen to that!
It is usually during travel when I most wrestle with the
concept of savoring moments. Why can’t they last a little longer? And after the
moment has passed, I often wonder, did I do everything possible to savor that?
What could I have done differently? Did I take enough pictures? Did I take the
right picture? It is also during travel, especially to someplace like Italy,
where I redirect that energy into profound longing for eternity, where I
believe the most memorable moments will last. They won’t flame out. Can you
imagine? The “manna” that Wilson and the Bible refers to will come in eternal and
lasting supply. We will not need to save or wait for more. It will be a
constant stream, and moments will last because they won’t be moments. They will
be the way of things. In the presence of Jesus there is fullness of joy!
In Florence, we had some incredibly special moments; some
a few minutes, others several hours, but all of which are now past. For this
portion of my Italy recap (you might have to read in multiple parts) I will simply mention some and explain them. Along
the way you can bet my yearning for the eternal versions of them will continue
to increase. In chronological order:
PASTA, WINE, RICE BALLS, AND AMATEUR PIANO AT THE MERCATO CENTRALE
When you get to Florence, what better than to head to the central market:
When you get to Florence, what better than to head to the central market:
try something new (Bolognese Rice Ball):
relax with vino and homemade ravioli:
and then if you have skills play the open piano for all to enjoy (and if you don't just enjoy those who do).
THE PERFECT PICNIC ON TOP OF FLORENCE AND THE BASILICA SAN MINIATO AL MONTE
We had heard about this Piazza Michelangelo that sits above the city on the other side of the Arno River and offers spectacular views of the main part of Florence. So on our first afternoon there, after milling about quite a bit, we stopped at a local grocery store, picked up some speck (an Italian meat), brie, focaccia, and our free bottle of wine from the night before (given as a result of the carbonara episode), and started to climb.
We had heard about this Piazza Michelangelo that sits above the city on the other side of the Arno River and offers spectacular views of the main part of Florence. So on our first afternoon there, after milling about quite a bit, we stopped at a local grocery store, picked up some speck (an Italian meat), brie, focaccia, and our free bottle of wine from the night before (given as a result of the carbonara episode), and started to climb.
The views were amazing (see top picture in this post), and the piazza itself was delightful. There was a replica of the David in the middle of the square. Replica is an understatement, though if it was the only one it would have been pretty impressive. But there weren't any quiet, romantic, and grassy spots readily available for our perfect picnic. When in this situation, climb higher. Eventually, we found a perfect bench and wall in between a winding road and another structure higher up the hill (we'll get there in a minute). Our view, while higher than the more crowded one, showcased more of residential Florence, which was arguably better. There we enjoyed our spread, spent some time journaling, and soaked in a series of moments that were mostly indescribable.
It was high enough that the breeze cooled us considerably, and eventually we had to reluctantly move on. Luckily, behind us up the hill was about to be a better view than either our picnic spot or the famous Piazza Michelangelo. The Basilica San Miniato Al Monte. There was a fairly modern cemetery just below the entrance.
The only thing I know to compare this to is the Sacre Coeur in Paris. Fairly strenuous climb (depending on your approach), beautiful church, amazing views of an incomparable European city. Loved it.
THE BEST PIZZA EVER
We had four nights in Florence. For the first night and the last - day one and day four, which were our full days in Florence - we made reservations in advance. The middle two nights were after our day trips to Tuscany and Cinque Terre. We decided to wing it those two nights for dinner. What we found was, according to Katie, the best pizza ever. We ate it two nights in a row.
The "Elliotts Discover Burrata" could be a blog on its own (Katie I'm looking at you!). Similar to buffalo mozzarella, this soft cheese is actually more like ice cream. The whole pie was heavenly. And the restaurant was quite charming, and on the same street as our hotel. It is called Ciro & Sons, and as it turns our friendly waiter who married an American and spoke perfect English is one of the sons. Only in Italy.
MICHELANGELO'S DAVID
The moment you turn the corner and see this masterpiece at the end of the hall is breathtaking. I don't care who you are. I don't care if you happen to be the type of person who despises art so much that you don't even appreciate a well-sculpted sand castle. Michelango's David is worth the hype. That is just the deal.
We had gone to the Accademia - which we came to find out is basically a museum built simply to house the David - the first day, but as tends to happen when you wing it in Europe, it was randomly closed. No matter. We prioritized it first on our last day, and got there before it opened and waited in a small line. While in line, we chatted with a very pleasant girl from Israel who was traveling solo and was in the middle of a very aggressive European trip. It is always fun to share travel stories and strategies. I pray that she finds Jesus (if she hasn't already!) and a worthy travel-loving husband.
The thing about the David is that its not just a statue. Do you understand that Michelangelo carved it out of a single piece of marble? In some ways, I am a sculptor. I cut foam into shapes from a single block. But no person or machine on the planet that I know of can create the kind of detail we are dealing with here. The eyes of David actually follow you as you walk around it. Maybe this is an optical illusion, but still. Look at his hair! The rib cage! How about the toenails! Sidenote: have you ever had ridiculous thoughts in public places, like what if I run up and tackle the guy singing the national anthem at the basketball game? No? Just me? Well, I had that thought about the David while we were there. Luckily, this thing is massive and to do that would have been awkward and unsuccessful. If you don't believe me, check out his toe; it was slightly repaired years back because of a deranged tourist who acted on those crazy thoughts. David prevailed.
COFFEE IN PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA
One our favorite things to do in the entire world is post up a cafe in a famous city, allowing ourselves plenty of time to savor excellent coffee, fresh pastries and such, read, journal, talk, and enjoy the ever-popular activity of people watching. If you didn't know, in Italy most of the best coffee is found in cafes that are all business. You stand at the counter, order your espresso, cappuccino, or cafe americano (which is what I order and while it sounds sort of lame ordering anything "americano" in Europe, it's not - I promise), and then move on. There is not much sipping or savoring, although this pace is still very conducive to the relational culture of Italy. People just figure it out.
All that to say, most cafes did not allow for the experience I mentioned that is our favorite. Thankfully, some did. One of which was called Cafe Rivoire, a swanky spot right in the Piazza Della Signoria; the famous square that was, in the time of the Medicis, and still is today the hub of the political and cultural life of Florence. It is the site of the grand Palazzo Vecchio, the city's town hall. It is the original site of Michelangelo's David (another replica is there now), and it connects the main part of the city with the Uffizi Gallery and then Ponte Vecchio on the Arno River. For us this was the perfect spot to linger late morning on our last day in Florence. I took multiple pictures of the exact same view in a futile effort to freeze the moment. Sigh.
HISTORY AND CULTURE AT SANTA CROCE
We had four nights in Florence. For the first night and the last - day one and day four, which were our full days in Florence - we made reservations in advance. The middle two nights were after our day trips to Tuscany and Cinque Terre. We decided to wing it those two nights for dinner. What we found was, according to Katie, the best pizza ever. We ate it two nights in a row.
The "Elliotts Discover Burrata" could be a blog on its own (Katie I'm looking at you!). Similar to buffalo mozzarella, this soft cheese is actually more like ice cream. The whole pie was heavenly. And the restaurant was quite charming, and on the same street as our hotel. It is called Ciro & Sons, and as it turns our friendly waiter who married an American and spoke perfect English is one of the sons. Only in Italy.
The moment you turn the corner and see this masterpiece at the end of the hall is breathtaking. I don't care who you are. I don't care if you happen to be the type of person who despises art so much that you don't even appreciate a well-sculpted sand castle. Michelango's David is worth the hype. That is just the deal.
We had gone to the Accademia - which we came to find out is basically a museum built simply to house the David - the first day, but as tends to happen when you wing it in Europe, it was randomly closed. No matter. We prioritized it first on our last day, and got there before it opened and waited in a small line. While in line, we chatted with a very pleasant girl from Israel who was traveling solo and was in the middle of a very aggressive European trip. It is always fun to share travel stories and strategies. I pray that she finds Jesus (if she hasn't already!) and a worthy travel-loving husband.
The thing about the David is that its not just a statue. Do you understand that Michelangelo carved it out of a single piece of marble? In some ways, I am a sculptor. I cut foam into shapes from a single block. But no person or machine on the planet that I know of can create the kind of detail we are dealing with here. The eyes of David actually follow you as you walk around it. Maybe this is an optical illusion, but still. Look at his hair! The rib cage! How about the toenails! Sidenote: have you ever had ridiculous thoughts in public places, like what if I run up and tackle the guy singing the national anthem at the basketball game? No? Just me? Well, I had that thought about the David while we were there. Luckily, this thing is massive and to do that would have been awkward and unsuccessful. If you don't believe me, check out his toe; it was slightly repaired years back because of a deranged tourist who acted on those crazy thoughts. David prevailed.
One our favorite things to do in the entire world is post up a cafe in a famous city, allowing ourselves plenty of time to savor excellent coffee, fresh pastries and such, read, journal, talk, and enjoy the ever-popular activity of people watching. If you didn't know, in Italy most of the best coffee is found in cafes that are all business. You stand at the counter, order your espresso, cappuccino, or cafe americano (which is what I order and while it sounds sort of lame ordering anything "americano" in Europe, it's not - I promise), and then move on. There is not much sipping or savoring, although this pace is still very conducive to the relational culture of Italy. People just figure it out.
All that to say, most cafes did not allow for the experience I mentioned that is our favorite. Thankfully, some did. One of which was called Cafe Rivoire, a swanky spot right in the Piazza Della Signoria; the famous square that was, in the time of the Medicis, and still is today the hub of the political and cultural life of Florence. It is the site of the grand Palazzo Vecchio, the city's town hall. It is the original site of Michelangelo's David (another replica is there now), and it connects the main part of the city with the Uffizi Gallery and then Ponte Vecchio on the Arno River. For us this was the perfect spot to linger late morning on our last day in Florence. I took multiple pictures of the exact same view in a futile effort to freeze the moment. Sigh.
I can't get enough of spectacular churches. Many times churches are more spectacular because of the history preserved and displayed in the form of burial sites. It is a paradox in some ways to see the splendor of cathedrals and the solemn reality of death in the same context. Sometimes the burial sites are splendid in their own right, and sometimes they are humble, like in the catacombs and final resting places of the persecuted church.
Russell Moore in his recent book Onward, says, "If we only see the catacombs, we could valorize smallness and persecution as equivalent to holiness. And we could ignore our responsibility to build institutions and cultures to protect future generations from persecution. If we only see the cathedrals, whether of the ancient sort or the local suburban megachurch, we could identify godliness with bigness, and authority with so-called 'influence'". This is a helpful perspective as I reflect on the places we saw, and think about the wanting splendor of man-made churches in comparison to, for those of us in Christ, our destiny after death.
Santa Croce was memorable in this way because of its grandeur, its history, and its apparent relevance to Florentine culture.
Inside this church you find the tombs of Galileo (smart guy who knew enough to know that we aren't the center of the universe), Machiavelli (known as the father of political science but culturally known in my context for being a hero to Tupac Shakur), Michelangelo (prolific and brilliant artist who basically painted or sculpted all of Italy), and many others. Impressive monuments commemorate others such as Dante Alighieri (of Dante's Inferno, or more precisely author of the classic Divine Comedy). Here is Michelangelo:
To spend some time in the square around Santa Croce is to see and understand Florence. There are thousands of square feet of unoccupied space for people to stroll around, and steps to relax and play cards. This was fascinating to me.
DUOMO CLIMB AND PASSEGIATA WITH PERONI
I could on for awhile, but have to stop somewhere. Sadly, you'll have to ask me about the doors and dome of the Baptistry, having a real panini, or the Osso Buco at La Giostra. Just can't cover everything. But! One more is in order.
We combined three famous things in Florence (one more general to Italy) to make for the perfect afternoon: climbing the Duomo, taking a passegiata (leisurely evening stroll), and partaking in a Peroni.
You have heard me talk about the concept of Duomo. Siena and Pisa both have impressive cathedrals that are simply referred to as their "Duomo", which just means cathedral. In Florence their Duomo is the Duomo. There is just no comparison. We admired the outside numerous times as we passed by over the week, and entered in on our first day to see the inside fresco on the dome ceiling from ground level. Here the Last Judgement by Giorgio Vasari is surreal. Overall, the entire Duomo situation is incredible from the first time it appears at the end of the street:
to the monstrous structure up close:
to the view of the Last Judgement from the balcony part ways up the climb:
to the view from the top (including a zoomed in view of our picnic spot from before!):
All of it. And for what its worth, Peroni is a delicious liquid to consume after such a climb and for such a stroll.
Thus ends the survey of Florence in moments. Which brings us lastly to the wonder of Venice. Oh Venice. We've been back for more than a month and I'm struggling to separate dream from reality.
We combined three famous things in Florence (one more general to Italy) to make for the perfect afternoon: climbing the Duomo, taking a passegiata (leisurely evening stroll), and partaking in a Peroni.
You have heard me talk about the concept of Duomo. Siena and Pisa both have impressive cathedrals that are simply referred to as their "Duomo", which just means cathedral. In Florence their Duomo is the Duomo. There is just no comparison. We admired the outside numerous times as we passed by over the week, and entered in on our first day to see the inside fresco on the dome ceiling from ground level. Here the Last Judgement by Giorgio Vasari is surreal. Overall, the entire Duomo situation is incredible from the first time it appears at the end of the street:
to the monstrous structure up close:
to the view of the Last Judgement from the balcony part ways up the climb:
to the view from the top (including a zoomed in view of our picnic spot from before!):
All of it. And for what its worth, Peroni is a delicious liquid to consume after such a climb and for such a stroll.
Thus ends the survey of Florence in moments. Which brings us lastly to the wonder of Venice. Oh Venice. We've been back for more than a month and I'm struggling to separate dream from reality.
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