By Joe Harkins, on September 16th, 2009
The Basilica San Lorenzo (also known as The Dom or the cathedral), at the heart of Florence – no it is not at the heart, I’d say it is the heart – is an astounding piece of art.
It is not only is achingly beautiful and awesomely executed, it is totally organic, growing directly out [...]
By Joe Harkins, on September 16th, 2009
We took a tour after dinner on one of those double-deck buses. Two hours, I recall. Maybe 8pm when we started. Dark out.
After passing around and through city streets, stopping next to shuttered churches and in empty city squares, the bus cut across the river and up a winding road that climbs a high [...]
By Joe Harkins, on September 18th, 2009
On the day that I was walking past the tourist trap DaVinci “museum” in Florence, I did not know that the wooden bike out front was a phony. By phony, I do not mean it is not the original made by Leonardo himself. I mean that the whole concept is fake.
click to enlarge
Did DaVinci [...]
By Joe Harkins, on September 23rd, 2009
The EuroStar train ride from Florence to Milan was predictably uneventful. It was that way because the service is perfect. Well, almost.
Don’t mention the WiFi that didn’t work. It provided a reminder of the bad old days of any Italian public service. I can remember there was a time (I swear, [...]