Categories
photography travel

Siena and Pisa, Italy, December 2023

From our base in Florence we ventured out to two additional cities in Tuscany: Pisa, and Siena. You could call this part of our trip, coming in the middle as it does, the Two Towers.

First, Pisa [wikipedia.org]. Of course there was one goal in Pisa, the Leaning Tower [wikipedia.org]. We took the train from Florence and walked to the Piazza del Duomo. The tower is fun to see and to hike up to the top. The slanted stairs make you feel like a drunk as you circle the tower, first leaning to the inside then to the outside of the corridor. After enjoying the view from the top for a while we went into the cathedral.

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As I said, the Tower was the only attraction we went to Pisa for. So, after visiting the Tower and Duomo we had an early dinner. Then we took a slow walk back the train station and headed back to Florence.

A few days later we took the train to Siena [wikipedia.org]. As Siena is at the top of steep hill from the train station we took a bus to the old city. Other than just exploring the well preserved midieval city we wanted to climb the Torre del Mangia [wikipedia.org]. To be honest my knees were not looking forward to the 400 or so steps to the top. But, I wanted the photos from the top. Unfortunately, or fortunately if you are my knees, the tower was closed due to high wind.

We didn’t really notice how strong the wind was in the Piazza del Campo where the tower is located, it was a bit windy. But as we made our way to the Siena Cathedral [wikipedia.org], it was obvious why they closed the tower. In the piazza around the Duomo it was almost like a cartoon, leaning into the wind to avoid being blown over; the slight drizzle was turned into horizontal darts of water.

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The Duomo in Siena is, I think, one of the more beautiful interiors in Tuscany. It’s just the right blend of the gothic and romanesque styles. It has that multi-colored marble stripes on the columns, and the gothic vaulted ceiling. I love it’s completely not circular dome. But the most interesting part, historically if not visually, is the uncompleted expansion you can see half built in the piazza, the attempted size is stunning. The nave of the current building was going to be the transept of the new one. The plague put an end to that building work, and it was discovered that it had some flaws in it anyway and most probably would have fallen down, so they never finished it even after the plague was over.

Anyway, we wondered around Siena a bit more, saw the home of the oldest surviving bank in the world, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, which isn’t much of a tourist site but we did have to walk by it anyway as we wondered around trying to find here to get a bus back to the train station.

So, that was our Tuscany excursions. We didn’t go to San Gimignano or Arezzo or just wonder around the country side. Winter is not really the time to wonder around, Tuscany is justifiable famous for the beautiful countryside but that is more suited for a summer visit.

You can see the whole Pisa, Italy, December 2023 [flickr.com] or Siena, Italy, December 2023 [flickr.com] photosets on Flickr.

Categories
ranting

Red, white and fucked.

So, it’s Election Day, and the polls will open in a few hours. The greatest show on earth once again comes to an end. Like a lot of Americas I already voted —weeks ago— as I need to mail it in and it needs to arrive on time(I have no trust in Singpost… in the past I could fax in my ballot so I didn’t have to rely on them, but that option is no longer there for me…).

I heard someone on the BBC a while ago say something I though summed up the choice:

Trump is asking for the loyalty of the voters. Harris is promising loyalty to the voters.

Overheard on the BCC

And even if I disagree with some of the Harris policies, I think that that loyalty to the voters and to the institution of democracy is the most important thing on the ballot.

Whatever the vote count is tonight, whoever is declared the winner tonight or in the coming days, or weeks, we are fucked. If he wins then we are fucked by his “authoritarian tendencies” and the christo-fascism of the MAGA faithful and those who surround him. If he loses we are fucked by his big lie and the mess MAGA will no doubt make of their conspiracy theories for weeks… or months.

I wore my election pin today:

Categories
ranting

Agonizing Election Ride

In last week’s post on the election [confusion.cc] I mentioned how close Trump is to winning made me feel like I am on that boat with Willy Wonka… IFKYK. So. I looked up the “lyrics” (yea apparently it’s considered a song, called Wondrous Boat Ride) to the ride, you can see them here [lyricsondemand.com], and I came up with my own parody for the election:

To the voting booth and home again
That's the democratic way
Faster faster, faster faster

There's no earthly way of knowing
Which direction this election's going
There's no knowing how swing states are voting
Based on what the polling is showing

Is it red, is it blue
Is a landslide a-coming

No sign of advantage is showing
So the uncertainty keeps on growing
Are the fires of fascism a-glowing
Is the grisly reaper mowing

Yes, the uncertainty must be growing
For the pollsters keep on polling
And they're certainly not showing
Any signs that they are knowing
Categories
ranting

Here we go again…

With a few weeks to go until Election Day the race is close. Very close. In fact it’s been getting closer, according to 538 [fivethrityeight.com] for weeks and their most recent update actually puts Trump ahead for the first time in months:

fivethirtyeight.com’s electoral vote aggregate prediction as of 19 October.

I have the same feeling I had eight years ago [confusion.cc] sitting in Australia watching the New York Times needle shifting more and more into confirming Trump’s win. I feel like one of the passengers on Wonka’s boat ride… a feeling of “it can’t be real, but…”. I can’t believe that half of America can vote for Trump, again. I get not liking Democrat’s policies or preferring the traditional Republican policies of low taxes and small government. But I can’t understand how anyone with any appreciation for democracy, government or history can consider voting for Trump, want MAGA… again.

The narcissism, bigotry, toxic nationalism of Trump get’s more and more like some B-movie plot showing how the world walks, once again into the all the stupidity that led us to World War II, and all it’s horrors. The rise of protectionism and begger-thy-neighbor trade policy that Trump espouses with his across the board tariffs, something he began in his first term and has been more or less continued by Biden, the normalization of outright bigotry, racism and the ethno- or religious nationalism that goes with it. It’s not just the US… there are literal Nazis winning elections in Germany, and neo-fascist in Italy, to say nothing of racial riots in the UK. Not to mention the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

It’s so depressing.

I said, after the first debate that I would still vote for Biden even if he was mentally questionable, because Trump has proved to me over-and-over, every time he opens his mouth or his sycophants start talking about their plans that he is more unfit to govern then a dementia addled Biden would be. Luckily Biden stepped aside. For good-or-bad Harris quickly consolidated the nomination. I would have liked to hear for others but c’est la vie. I’ve been impressed with Harris in the interviews and in the debate. Too vague on policy but four more years of Biden’s policies would be better than anything I can grasp for a MAGA policy, be it Trumpian nepotistic self-enrichment, narcissistic reality-TV foreign policy or the horror show that is Project 2025…

I was ashamed eight years ago, but even more so this time that the race is even so close, that anyone can genuinely what a second term for Trump is mind boggling.

I got my ballot the other day, I need to send it off ASAP to get their on time. The thing I wanted to point out, when I got it, something that most non-American’s I have talked never understand is it’s actually not just Harris or Trump, Democrat or Republican on my ballot. Even with RFK Jr. dropping out my ballot still has six options, as well as the write-in option this year:

We all know that the Greens, Libertarians, and the independents have no chance of winning even a single state. But they do have an impact, people do vote for them. The number of people who voted for parties other than the Democrats and Republicans was over 5% in 2016. And while I read that it would not have made a difference in the electoral college had they not been on the ballot I can’t help but feel they should take note of how the French center and left wing parties played the recent election there. Even half a percent of votes in the swing states could swing the election. It takes a certain kind of hubris to run for president, it’s amazing that Biden bowed out in the end, I wish the non-mainstream parties would have done the same.

Categories
photography travel

Florence, Italy, December 2023

Continuing our journey from Venice [confusion.cc], our next stop was Florence, capital of Tuscany and of the Renaissance. With the exception of not spending a night in Milan before going to Venice this holiday followed the same plan my wife and I took on our honeymoon in 2007 — Venice [confusion.cc], Florence [confusion.cc], Rome [confusion.cc], including Vatican City [confusion.cc] and Milan [confusion.cc]. The side trips were a little different: we didn’t visit Verona [confusion.cc] or San Gimignano [confusion.cc] or Como [confusion.cc], but Pisa [confusion.cc], Siena [confusion.cc] and even Pompeii (which I never posted about?) were all on the itinerary again this time.

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Anyway, enough of itineraries. What did we do in Florence [wikipedia.org]? In addition to being the base of operations for our visits to Pisa and Siena, among the many, many things to see in Florence, we visited:

  • The Uffizi Gallery [wikipedia.org], where we saw; The Birth of Venus [wikipeida.org] by Botticelli —one of Victoria’s favorite paintings— Primavera [wikipeida.org] also by Botticelli, Medusa [wikipeida.org] by Caravaggio, and many, many, more. Some of the most celebrated paintings in history (full list [wikipedia.org]), including works by three of the four Ninja Turtles.
  • The Ponte Vecchio [wikipedia.org]. It’s pretty, a great backdrop for photos. The most interesting thing, to me, is that London Bridge once looked like this, only bigger as I understand.
  • The Duomo, formally Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore [wikipeida.org]. As far as cathedrals go, this one, which marks the end of Gothic and start of Renaissance styles (no buttresses!), has, I think, the most beautiful exterior. The green and white gives it character. The interior is much brighter than most other cathedrals and the dome is amazing. We climbed the dome, 463 steps for the amazing views. We also climbed the bell tower; another 414 steps for more amazing views.
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  • Galleria dell’Accademia [wikipedia.org], housing Michelangelo’s David [wikipedia.org]. Probably the most famous sculpture in history. It’s monumental and technical amazing. But I think I prefer La Pieta among Michelangelo’s sculptures that I have seen.
  • Basilica di San Lorenzo [wikipedia.org], which is notable as it has no grand façade, just the raw, naked brickwork. Michelangelo designed a facade, even built a wooden model but it was not built. This makes San Lorenzo look rather plain on the outside, hiding how beautiful it is on the inside. Donatello is buried here.
  • Medici Chapel [wikipeida.org]. Which is attached to San Lorenzo but a seperate tourist site, because, Michelangelo designed it and it contains several celebrated sculptures or his and some charcoal sketches attributed to him.
  • Basilica di Santa Croce [wikipedia.org]. Yet another magnificent church in Florence. The interior, is very different from either the Duomo or San Lorenzo but beautiful. This place is notable for the many important tombs found in the nave —from midieval knights, to some of the most famous people in history; Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante, Machiavelli, and more.
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One thing we were not able to do this trip was to visit the Vasari Corridor [wikipedia.org] as it was closed. As I recall from last time it’s interesting, but not a make-or-break thing. C’est la vie. We. Also didn’t visit the Palazzo Pitti [wikipedia.org], or the Bargello [wikipedia.org]. I think the kids were tired of paintings of Madonna and Child, Christ on the Cross, the Adoration of the Magi, and statues of naked men and women. Livi had an app on her phone to keep count of different themes. It can be mind numbing all the renaissance and pre-renaissance art day-after-day in Florence, indeed, in Italy.

We did stumble upon a decidedly not renaissance exhibit that we decided to go to. In the Palazzo Strozzi there was an exhibit of Anish Kupoor’s works called Untrue Unreal [palazzostrozzi.org]. Including early, colorful works like To Reflect an Intimate Part of the Red [anishkapoor.com], and Endless Column [anishkapoor.com], as well as the more grotesque Three Days of Mourning [anishkapoor.com] and First Milk [anishkapoor.com], some of his mirror work and even a bunch of his newer Vantablack works. Lots of things I didn’t catch the name of and didn’t find for sure when searching online. I would not say I’m a big fan of Anish Kapoor in general but it was a nice departure from renaissance and pre-renaissance art.

And if you are keeping count, we saw the tombs of two of the four ninja turtles in Florence.

You can see the full Florence, Italy, December 2023 [flickr.com] photoset on Flickr.