Random Observations, Part 2

As with the previous post by the same name, I have amassed a few more things that have struck me during my time here but they don't form a cohesive blog entry, so this is part 2 of the Random Observations series.

As a disclaimer to these observations please keep in mind that my basis for comparison is what I might normally encounter when walking around the streets of Boston or Newton, Massachusetts, which are probably more conservative than the likes of New York, Miami or San Francisco, example.

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1. In a previous post, I alluded to the award-winning people watching that this city affords and this is reinforced on a daily basis. The fashion statements run the gamut from the simply puzzling to the completely absurd. I know this is all in the eye of the beholder so my apologies if anyone is offended by these comments but some of the things that people wear fall into that category of "Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...." I have seen men sporting hair clips and headbands, women of at least age 50 wearing the skinny jeans of the 20-something set, bedazzled/glittery shirts and jeans of all kinds, often combined with animal prints. Oh, and it seems that it is now OK for men to carry handbags, lots of man-purses have been spotted. At some point soon I will try to get some photos to better illustrate the complete range of fashion choices available out there in the event that you might like to update your look.
   
   
2. All cities have different types of people but in the last few days I have seen several nuns, a monk (who was surprisingly young), and a guy walking down the street with his accordion at about 11am.
   
   
3. Your whole perspective on "old" or "antique" is completely skewed when you come from such a young country. Melissa and I went to the Pitti Palace last weekend where you're looking at art from the single-digit centuries being displayed in a building where the ceiling height is equal to probably 2-3 floors in modern buildings. [Side questions: How did they build this place without cranes and I-beams and things of that nature? And how are the carvings and statues that are up on the ceiling being held up there?] Then you walk up what seems like 3,489 stairs to the "second" floor and the Museum of Modern Art where there are numerous 18th and 19th century pieces are on display. You know you're in an ancient place when things from the 1700s start to seem not that old and are housed in the Gallery of Modern Art.
   
   
4. Every culture has its unique foods and Italy is no exception. Most of us associate Italy with amazing food: olives, pasta, bread, gelato, prosciutto, cheeses... I have partaken of all of this at liberty over the past few days while Liz was here visiting. I tried a pasta dish the other night that contained wild pigeon. (I have to assume it was of a different type than those I almost trip over daily while walking around here, are those considered "domesticated pigeon?") But the one food item that I will not even contemplate trying is tripe. For those who aren't sure (as I wasn't) tripe is the stomach of a cow, sheep or other ruminant. I am attaching a photo here which was taken at the Mercato Centrale, the main food market in the city. I cannot imagine what it would taste like and as much as I want to be adventurous in my eating while here, this I just won't do.
   
   

The next post will give more detail about Liz's visit, which was great. She is probably taking off from the Florence airport right now :( It was wonderful to have her here and I'm sad that she's gone already but now I will look forward to having Mom here in a couple of weeks!

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