During lunch with Warren and Gladys on Saturday at the Golden View Open Bar – where we spent most of the afternoon chatting and picking their brains about Florence -- we learned that St. James, the American church in Florence, was having a Spring Fair on Palm Sunday. After a delicious lunch and good camaraderie we said arrivederci, hoping to see them the next day during the fair.
We spent a sunny and gorgeous Palm Sunday morning relaxing and enjoying the great spring sunshine. Shortly after midday we strolled over to St. James church were we wandered around. Unfortunately we missed Warren and Gladys but did find our way to the church basement looking over the donations for the Spring Fair. We also discovered the table where two young American women were providing folks with the necessary information to sign up for absentee voting in the upcoming November election. So we picked up the paperwork and are determined to send it in when we return to the states in June.
We're convinced that the United States has taken a serious fall away from its core values of liberty and democracy, both of which we believe to be two of the most precious contributions our country has made to western civilization. We feel it is time to get back on track and we are going to vote to be sure.
We found our way back outside where the minister was grilling up hamburgers and hot dogs – and it was clearly evident the people there were having a grand time of it.
The church is located just three blocks or so from the Arno so after we left through the little side gate we headed for the river. We turned right onto Lungarno Vespucci and came face-to-face with the American Consulate – the building not the person. Everything was closed of course it being Sunday and both ends of the street were blocked off from vehicular traffic. The local police are there 24 hours a day in force, watching for what I’m not sure and they probably aren’t either but we can all agree that it's a crazy world for sure.
We continued our stroll away from the center of the city heading in the direction of Pisa -- although that was not our ultimate destination -- and walked on to Cascine Park, located along the Arno just outside the original city walls (long gone now). The park is famous or rather infamous for being a serious den of iniquity at least after dark – and a place to stay away from unless you are either looking for drugs or selling drugs. Moreover many of the paths are broken up by a large construction project which made for awkward strolling indeed.
On such a beautiful Sunday afternoon, however, it was the center for a huge open marketplace, strung out along the upper bank of the river, mostly clothes much of which appeared to be recycled -- although one stall had a pretty cool style of women’s crop pants which actually caught Susan’s eye.
We walked down the embankment to a lower promenade away from the “mercato” and strolled for a bit before turning around and headed back toward the city center passing the statue of Vittorio Emmanuele keeping an eye on things.
It was mid-afternoon and we were feeling hungry so we stopped at a typical tourist hangout on the Piazza della Repubblica. Both of us ordered simple pizza Margherita and were presented with absolutely mediocre food served by apathetic individuals. I simply do not understand this behavior – certainly not unique to Florence by the way as it can be easily witnessed on the Piazza del Campo in Siena.
These restaurants make an enormous amount of money yet most fail to invest in high quality ingredients or decent chefs or both nor do they see fit to act the part of a serious professional service industry – that is to say, to provide service. And curiously it is in just such typically tourist spaces such as the Piazza della Repubblica where such attitudes are most common. If Italy is concerned about their image abroad they should perhaps start closer to home. This phenomenon is odd to say the least.
Anyway if you even think of eating at Donnini’s on the Piazza della Repubblica you would do just as well to take your money out right now and burn it.
Well enough of that. The day was simply too nice and after all we are just happy to be here (right Stan?).
We strolled home and spent a leisurely evening – keeping our fingers crossed that Berlusconi would become just another stain in history’s notebook but fearful that far too many Italians would prefer a “buffone” (buffoon) to anyone who might just want to make a difference.
Not unlike the United States as witnessed by the last two presidential elections.
For additional photos taken on Palm Sunday click here.
Wish you were here,
Steve
PS Tuesday aftrnoon: the election is as they say too close to call just yet. Sad.
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