Meditalia - Chapter Due

Ciao!
All is well in Firenze...

This is our last full day here in Florence. As in Pisa, the location of our B&B is amazing. We are one block from the Piazza del Duomo and are able to walk everywhere. More spaghetti... pizze... and of course, gelato.

Yesterday, we took 3-hour walking tour of the city. It was great because we already had a sense of direction, so it wasn't totally disorienting. The tour included entrance to the Galleria del'Accademia where we met Florence's most famous resident: David (by Michelangelo). What a stunning work of art! It is said that once you have seen David, you needn't bother seeking artistic perfection elsewhere... it just doesn't get any better. I have to admit that David is impressive. You can see the pulsating veins in his... ahem... arm. (What did you think I was going to say?!!) Equally impressive is that, unlike his contemporaries, Michelangelo would sculpt directly into the block of marble. The practice of the time was to create a plaster model and to transfer the dimensions to the marble. But good ol' Michelangelo was bold and gifted; he trusted that the marble would yield to his vision. And what a vision it was. David was worth meeting.

Last evening, we hooked up with the local english-speaking Christian Meditation group and joined them for evening meditation. A leisurely dinner at a pizzeria recommended by one of the group members, then a stroll back to our room. I fell asleep almost immediately - I've been sleeping very well!

This morning, we meditated in a beautiful church around the corner from our B&B. We arrived just as mass was taking place, so we took our seat and waited until it was over. After meditation: climbing! We tackled the Campanile (also known as Giotto's Belltower). The view from the top of the Tower, and its 414 steps, was stunning. I'll soon be running out of words to describe the beauty of what we are seeing here. All I could think about when I was up there, looking over the city of Firenze in all directions and hearing the church bells ringing, was THANK YOU. I was overcome with gratitude and I suspect I will be feeling that a lot over the next couple of weeks...
Tomorrow, we board a train to Assisi... I'll likely find another Internet point and post from there! Until then...

Vivere in pace,