The top of the Duomo
I still don't really have much to say. I'm hoping Amsterdam with some new people will snap me out of it and I'll want to write again. But anyways yesterday we climbed to the top of the Dome for class and I at least wanted to make mention of it for posterity's sake.
Apparently it was the first time Rocky had ever taught on top of Brunelleschi's dome in the snow. It was freezing and windy, but it was still pretty cool. The view was amazing, different from San Miniato. From there you could see all of Florence in one assemblage of Polly Pocket size urban planning. The Duomo is, of course, the center piece from there. It dominates the landscape, and from that high up it almost seems like thats the only landmark Florence has. From on top of the Duomo, Florence looks new. Each independent historic site, The Palazzo della Signoria, Sante Croche, Piazza Republica, Ponte Vecchio, etc. looks fresh, as if you're seeing it for the first time. No longer dwarfed by the Duomo, these buildings appear colossal in size, and can be seen in a new light and appreciated for their individual features. The via dell'Oriuolio suddenly appears positively massive. You can actually make out details on the campanile, as well as the lantern you're standing on. If there was ever a perfect place to learn about the construction of Brunelleschi's unthinkable double shell dome, this was the place.
P.S. I started writing again this morning. First time in probably 5 years. I just wanted to make note of it, because it always feels so fragile and fleeting. Even while writing, I'm afraid to pause on a line for fear that the rest of it will get trapped in some sort of mental quicksand. I'm worried I have to pick one, that writing or this writing, but I hope not. Both are therapeutic in their own right, and I could use as much of that as I could get.
Also P.S. Tommy is in the hospital. His Mono got pretty serious. Actually since yesterday they moved him to the Infectious Disease unit of a bigger hospital. Worried about a potential spleen rupture. I feel terrible thinking that he'll be all alone in a hospital while we're in Amsterdam. :(
Apparently it was the first time Rocky had ever taught on top of Brunelleschi's dome in the snow. It was freezing and windy, but it was still pretty cool. The view was amazing, different from San Miniato. From there you could see all of Florence in one assemblage of Polly Pocket size urban planning. The Duomo is, of course, the center piece from there. It dominates the landscape, and from that high up it almost seems like thats the only landmark Florence has. From on top of the Duomo, Florence looks new. Each independent historic site, The Palazzo della Signoria, Sante Croche, Piazza Republica, Ponte Vecchio, etc. looks fresh, as if you're seeing it for the first time. No longer dwarfed by the Duomo, these buildings appear colossal in size, and can be seen in a new light and appreciated for their individual features. The via dell'Oriuolio suddenly appears positively massive. You can actually make out details on the campanile, as well as the lantern you're standing on. If there was ever a perfect place to learn about the construction of Brunelleschi's unthinkable double shell dome, this was the place.
P.S. I started writing again this morning. First time in probably 5 years. I just wanted to make note of it, because it always feels so fragile and fleeting. Even while writing, I'm afraid to pause on a line for fear that the rest of it will get trapped in some sort of mental quicksand. I'm worried I have to pick one, that writing or this writing, but I hope not. Both are therapeutic in their own right, and I could use as much of that as I could get.
Also P.S. Tommy is in the hospital. His Mono got pretty serious. Actually since yesterday they moved him to the Infectious Disease unit of a bigger hospital. Worried about a potential spleen rupture. I feel terrible thinking that he'll be all alone in a hospital while we're in Amsterdam. :(