Footloose Finale in Firenze - Italy 5
I almost piked on my planned on an overnight trip to Florence, but boy, am I glad I didn't. It was fantastic. The town that founded the Renaissance, the home of Michaelangelo, Vasari, the Medici's et. al.... a great town to wander around with monuments and art aplenty. Too much to see in one day, but I tried...
BTW the above photo was not meant to be focusing on David's crotch - I was trying to get in the Palazzo Vecchio in the background - the Medici's house, and this was the only angle that worked. Honest. This is just a replica of the David, which is in a photo-free museum elsewhere in the town.
The Duomo, all decked out in marble. 
Famed Bronze doors... but what in this town isn't famed?
Amazingly, unlike any other building I went into in Italy, the Duomo is quite austere on the inside - some large paintings and sculptures, but mostly bare walls and space for lots of people, ~30,000.
Details from the inside of the Dome. Another version of the Last Judgement.
View from the top
There are Tuscan hills with the typical tuscan yellow houses in the far distance - if you can see it through the mist
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Neptune, outside Palazzo Vecchio
David, posterior view
The type of large (~12m long) painting on the inside of the Palazzo Vecchio
Pre-reneaissance art
Ceilings
I had trouble plastering and painting my own ceiling to get just a smooth, white finish, so imagine doing this one... though I think you can hide a lot of blemishes with the busy detail.
This dude tends to pop up alot
More ceiling details
The Ponte Vecchio, again covered in gold shops. I was trying to replace the earring I lost waterskiing (or face-sliding) in Singapore. but most shops are owned by the same owner, so no competition, and definitely no bargains to be had.
On the ponte
South-side streets
The ugliest shoes I ever bought?
So as I said a couple of posts ago, I had big shoe problems that were temporarily overshadowed by shoulder issues. I had a couple of hours to kill on my first day in Rome, so I decided not to sleep but to shop. The problem was that it was about 2pm and as I discovered, the Italians basically siesta, closing the shops (and sleeping like I should have been?) until about 4. So I walked around for about 3 hours, getting more and more frustrated as my pain and tiredness were being added to by foot soreness, which I was unable to solve: most of the shoes on offer around $150-200 was above my budget. Eventually near the station I found shops open, and ended up finding the above shoes - mid priced, with the added advantage of not having shoelaces. They did the job pretty well, but for days I couldn't decide if they were the ugliest pair of shoes I've ever bought, or not. Now I've realised, they look like old man's shoes. But nevertheless, they worked a treat, especially in Florence where alone I basically didn't sit down for 11 hours. The thick sole also works well in the snow in Lulea,and even though I can tie my shoelaces now, I still wear them almost every day. So no complaints. Anymore.
More ugliness for the feet
So that was my trip. Then it was back home, to the comfort of what are definitely the ugliest slippers I've bought, but for $3.50 were a bargain! (Though perhaps not the cost of the hire car and petrol for the 300km round trip to Ikea and back). Again, they do the job: wall-to-wall carpet is very rare up here, and lino is cold.
My time in Italy was a blast: Thanks to Marco and family for their efforts and nursing, and to Chris and Ed for their organising of various bits and pieces in Rome, and to the others for their helping hands when I needed them literally.
More ramblings in Rome - Italy 4
I forgot to account for the backwards reading order on the blog again, so this is part 2 of my 3 days in Rome...
The Trevi Fountain, famous for many things, but especially Swedish blonde bombshell Anita Ekberg's dip in the film La Dolce Vita, which I've been watching while blogging for inspiration. The beauty of both fountain and femme make it understandably an unforgettable scene from movie history.
The gang, at the spot from where you get a great view of the fountain...
Seeing as I posted both Rome sections at the same time this might be the first time you meet the gang. From left to right: Unknown person on mobile phone, Deb and Ed (Chris's mate from NZ), Allisa and Chris (Munster - yep like in the tv show), my cousin from Sydney, and his closer cousin Peter also originally from Sydney but now just a stone's throw away in Copenhagen. If I have it correct Chris and Peter's grandmother and my great-grandmother were sisters.
Raddichio, whatever that is
St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican
il Papa makes his appearances and gives blessings from the window up there
St. Peters is wither the largest or 2nd largest Christian church in the world (a new one on the Ivory Coast may be bigger). It can hold 60,000 people and covers 5.7 acres (~23,000m2).
It is hard to get good pics in the dimly lit Basilica. Let's just say it was huuuge and mightily impressive.
I tried though
St. Peter's foot gets a bit of a polish from people making various wishes. Or prayers, I guess. 
No, there was no salumeria in the Basilica (is there a supplier of the holy ham, or the the papal prosciutto?) . I just thought I'd give you a break from all the churchy stuff.
The ceiling was too far away for decent pics, so here's a decent shot of a grate in the floor
Still trying - the cover over the tomb of St. Peter
Camera on the floor
Even to the workers the place is a marvel. And yes, those are confessional boxes lining the walls. I was sorely tempted...I mean surely God would cure my shoulder so I could carry the other burdens of original sin if I confessed... 
Alissa
A Gothic church. 
The hunch-gut of Notre Dame!
Colourful gelati
The ceiling on the way to the Sistine Chapel. Walls, ceilings, cornices, everything was just totally covered in art. Almost like the gelati...
Details
No pics were allowed to be taken in the Sistine chapel, even without flash. I guess the lack of pics makes you buy the book/poster/fridge magnet. Which is a big shame because it was amazing. There was something about standing under the fresco of God creating Adam, you know the one with the fingers almost touching, where by having to crane your neck and look up you really get the whole "God is up there" effect. Not that I had any revelations, and again I left with a very sore shoulder.
If you remember back to when Boo was here after Christmas, we went down to Lindås with Anna and Kent - the lång man (196cm) with the lång camera lens. Kent is the erswhile spiritual leader and lead saxophonist in our band, as well as being a keen ameteur photographer. Here I have posted some of his pics taken over NY Eve. You can check out some other pics at http://norrbild.se/
Kent (not a self portrait)
Boo
Bolle is not a well known brand in Sweden, but bulle (cinnamon buns) are very popular. So the t-shirt has received quite a few questions. 
