Clouds Over Florence Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

My head is often in the clouds. I wish that I could fly.

Florence, Italy, receives great clouds and has interesting silhouettes with which to frame them. This first image was one that I took last night. I am ever grateful that I had to go out to buy more art supplies for my current projects and that I timed it so that I had a half an hour after all the stores close before meeting a few friends at Rex’s on Via Fiesolana for aperitivo. Otherwise, I would have missed last night’s skies entirely.

This lovely sunset image was taken from Piazza della Repubblica. What wonderfully abstract shapes make up this sculpture on top of the obelisk! I should know more about this work but, to parody Star Trek, “I am an artist, not a tour guide!”

The second image was taken the evening before from the street outside of my room after returning from the grocery store.


And this third image was taken on New Year’s Day as I sat in the Loggia dei Lanzi wondering how long I should wait before heading over to Skye’s flat in the zona di Santo Spirito to retrieve my gloves and hat. [As it was, I arrived about 5 p.m. and she was just waking up from our previous night’s revelry. Heh.]

The silhouette of the head peeking out on the right is part of Giambologna’s magnificent sculpture “Il Ratto della Sabines” (The Abduction of the Sabine Women). Many people mistakenly translate ‘ratto’ to mean ‘rape’ but it does not. “Rape” in Italian is “violenza carnale.” In the Italian language, at least, there is no confusing rape with a sexual act. The verb “to rape” is “violentare” -- to commit violence upon someone.

I guess my head is not in the clouds now.
Scusami for my meandering thoughts.