Sunday, December 18, 2005

Mama mia

Florence turns out to be almost cooler than Milan, which I didnt think was possible. It may have something to do with this hotel and the many TV channels, but mainly its just because everyone is so nice. I went for a walk today through the city centre and was constantly impressed with how safe I felt, given that I cant speak the language and, lets face it, dont really know where I am in any real sense.

I checked out the Duomo which is very different to the one in Milan, while that one looks like a wedding cake, all white and delicate and wheeling spires into the sky, this one looks like a big pink and green ice cream cake. In thier own way they are both kind of revoltingly compelling, but I think the one in Milan has to win because it defies the laws of probablity in that it is so bloody big but still manages to look quite etheral.

Walking around today was kind of like being in my own film. I saw dozens of Japanese tour groups, which never fail to entertain me, a very tasteful wedding photo session (which is not what the many weddings Ive seen in Norton St had prepared me for), numerous police with their handbags, a small pony and a golf tournament. They had set up a position on the bridge to hit from and then little island of greens along the river itself. There were even men in kayaks whose exact role I wasnt sure of, perhaps their job was to collect the balls which fell into the water.

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