The Forte Belvedere walk was fun. We met near the apartment, walked up a STEEP road to the forte, and enjoyed a nice sunset overlooking the city. The outdoor display was made up of Folon sculptures. According to our guides, Vittoria and Laura, Folon is a Belgian with connections to the city of Florence. He’s a 20th century contemporary sculptor/painter, and many of his paintings are on display at another galleria in the city center. After a brief tour (we’ll go back some other time for a longer visit), we had a glass of wine with Vittoria, Laura, and Judith, and chatted about world events. It’s always interesting to see how our own political scene is viewed from abroad—and the surroundings completed the lovely evening.
We eventually descended and bid goodbye to our hosts. After letting a few students into the apartment to reclaim some bags they’d stashed there, we made one last trip out for the nightly gelato. The feet were tired, but other than a coupe of small blisters they seem to be doing okay.
By the way, here’s a few candid shots of the CAPA staff. Pictured here is Lorenzo, our logistics man and hiking guide.
Pictured here are Laura (left) and Vittoria (right), our all-around patient and friendly hosts.
This last picture is Ilaryia, who directs the Florence center.Today’s trip is to see the Roman/Etruscan ruins that date back to about the 200 B.C.E. Tomorrow we’re supposed to do that hike that got rained out last week over Fiesole, but we wanted a closer look at the archeological sites. The bus we’re on is much like buses everywhere; a variety of people inhabit it with us—including some loud Italian students sitting across from us—and it’s pretty crowded. But we’re getting a really cool view of the city from the hills above. Maybe I’ll stop writing and check it out…
By the way, I've updated the pictures on the website. If you'd like to see them, check out www.leannepowers.com/florence.html.
Ciao ‘till tomorrow,
Leanne
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