the Grand Tour blog

Florence: another 414 steps

The weather started this morning as what's become known as GTG (Grand Tour Grey). I'd planned to go early to the dome of the Duomo, cleverly built of very thick stone by Brunelleschi in 1436, but it needs sun for the overhead views. So instead I visited two church interiors: Santa Trinita, just across the road from the hotel, and the nearby Ognissanti, the church at the centre of Mediaeval cloth production (foundation of Florence's economy). Both have frescoes by Ghirlandaio. 

Later it brightened up so I made for the Duomo to check the dome entrance for tomorrow; mid-morning the piazza was heaving and there were long queues for both the Duomo and its dome. I ended up climbing the 414 steps to the top of the Campanile, the Duomo's bell tower, which was completed around 1337. Good views and reasonable photos from the top. But my legs are still aching from walking a lot yesterday.

I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls

Staying in part of a wonderful old building here in Florence, part dating back to the 12th century, which allegedly once belonged to a minor member of the great Medici family. The eight room hotel is run by a charming young Italian-Japanese couple, and is decorated simply but very tastefully. The floors everywhere are of decorated marble tiles, attractive and cool. The weather this morning is grey and I think rain is forecast.

Bologna: Santuario di Madonna di San Luca

All of central Bologna's streets are lined with arched porticos, which allow the upper floors of the buildings to extend over the pavements; there are 35km of porticos altogether. Incredibly there is a 3.5km long path, covered by 666 porticos, extending out to the Santuario di Madonna di San Luca at the top of a hill south of the city. After leaving my case at the station I took a bus to the start of the path at Porta Saragozza. There were many people on the path, some for religious reasons, some surprisingly elderly and slow moving, others for fun including a fun run. It's uphill nearly all the way and very steep towards the end. A quick look in the crowded church, but there was a service in progress. Then the walk back down, and a bus back to the station for my journey on to Florence.

Bologna: Torre degli Asinelli

One of my targets in Bologna was to climb to the top of Torre degli Asinelli, 198 metres I'm told, and 500 steps! Not worth that much effort unless I had some good views, so when the hazy sun reappeared after the midday grey I made for the tower and paid my €3. Actually the climb up the wooden steps was not too bad, though quite steep in places (think ladder). Did my best to take some scary pics from the top.

Bologna: the tour

I’d planned to go on an English tour of the city, which conveniently happens on Saturdays at 10:15. In the event there were only three of us, and a charming Bolognese lady called Carla spent over two hours taking us round almost all of the places of historical interest that were already on my list. 

Much detail about the history of Bologna and the construction of the huge and important buildings on the four sides of the central Piazza Maggiore. One of these is the church of San Petronio, which if built to the original plans would have been larger than St Peter’s in Rome, though construction was halted and money spent on building a permanent home alongside it for Bologna’s already well-established university. The Gothic church is remarkably light and spacious inside, due partly to the slender pillars being unusually widely spaced; the pillars are of brick – there is very little marble in Bologna – beautifully shaped and fluted. The aisle is surrounded by 22 chapels, each originally sponsored by a local wealthy family and with notably different designs. Unfortunately photographs are strictly forbidden.

Worked our way through the bustling market stalls in Via Clavature, off the central piazza, to Santo Stefano, really a complex of four (originally seven) churches, the oldest dating back to the 5th century. Also here is the only (I think) intact replica of Christ’s sepulchre in Jerusalem – it was the habit to build such a replica on returning from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. 

We returned to the centre along a recently opened (about nine years ago) pathway through the later buildings showing how there used to be a direct route to these churches. A long distance Roman road ran through Bologna – one of the reasons it became a rich city – and part of this is visible in the basement of a stylish modern furniture shop constructed inside one of the Mediaeval buildings; the huge cobblestones of the road must have given an incredibly uncomfortable ride.

Finished the tour with my second visit to the anatomical theatre in the University, with information about the old coats of arms of the early students (you had to be well off in those days) which decorate the arches of the university building. We were unable to see inside a lecture room, still in use today of course, but apparently they are decorated in a similar way.

Bologna: Teatro Anatomico

I slept remarkably well listening to the traffic through the open window of my corporate hotel, with the air conditioning switched off, and I woke before the alarm at 6:45. After the awful experience that is corporate hotel breakfast – even the coffee and the water for the tea come from a machine, and you always get back to the table realising that you’ve forgotten an item of cutlery or a piece of cheese – I caught the #13 trolleybus just near the hotel, which sped into the centre on an almost clear bus lane.

I wandered around the almost deserted Piazza Maggiore, admiring the wonderful half-finished facade of the church of San Petronio, before walking down the side of the church at the 09:00 opening time to the original University building, which houses among other things the Teatro Anatomico, built in 1636 to show students – and later interested gentry, normally watching in disguise – what human bodies were like when they were dissected. The whole thing is built in spruce, and includes some remarkable statues including the spelati (skinned) figures. Tricky to photograph though because of some quite strong sunlight (it didn’t last) through the windows on one side causing difficult highlights on the sculptures. 

On the marble dissecting table was a stupid piece of “art” which consisted of various electrical components fixed together, and a TV playing a looping tape of mechanical things happening, which was meant to illustrate something or other. 

Bologna arrival

I am now installed on the 7th floor of the Best Western Hotel in Bologna. Arrived here feeling very hot and sticky after fighting through the Bologna rush hour in the bus – and before that fighting in the chaotic station to find the loos, buy a bus pass, try to check some bus information but failing – and waiting at the bus stop as it started to rain. There is much hooting and crazy Italian driving at the busy junction below. I have air conditioning, but I think I shall die of dehydration if I leave it on overnight, so I may have to put up with the traffic noise.

Everything in the room is perfect, and bears the hallmark of many focus groups. I have a sewing kit, a bath cap, a sponge shoe cleaner, three biscuits, two tea bags, two stirrers in sealed bags, one shot of coffee whitener, three towels of different sizes, some bathroom scales, and not quite enough room to lay out my suitcase.

I also have a wireless internet connection, so for the first time on the trip I can post to the blog from the computer; all the earlier posts have been from my iPhone. But the internet connection is one of the awful hotel systems that require constant logging in through a special webpage, and won’t allow me to use my SMPT server to send email. I can read email without difficulty.

Catching up: regular readers may notice that I’m starting to ‘back fill’ a few posts where it’s been impractical to post from the iPhone at the proper time; that really is quite hard work! That will probably continue, on occasions when I have a proper connection. I feel it’s best to try to keep reports in chronological order.

Busseto: Casa Barezzi

Casa Barezzi was the home of Antonio Barezzi, a wealthy merchant and music lover, who recognised Verdi’s talent as a young man and sponsored much of his teaching. Verdi taught and later married Barezzi’s daughter Margherita. The house is now a Verdi museum. 

I dragged my case the 1km into the town from the tiny station – just as well I‘d already bought the ticket on from Busseto to Bologna as I don’t think I could do so here – and took a few photos of the Verdi statue in front of the Verdi Theatre in the hazy sun, before going into the house. The display consists mainly of many drawings of Verdi and of some of the great singers.  

Then back to the station for an earlier train than I’d planned, to Bologna via Fidenza on two regional trains. We only had about 4 minutes to change at Fidenza, which seems dodgy planning considering that the Italian trains seem often to run late. The second train was actually a very modern 2-level thing, with a display at the end of each carriage showing next destination, arrival time, time late, speed (147kph, 91mph, was the highest I saw), internal temperature, external temperature, and WC status (permanently out of order, fouri servizio, at both ends of the carriage). 

Cremona to Busseto

I like Cremona very much, but I think I've seen all I want at the moment, so moving on for a brief visit to Busseto. I'll fill in the gaps here later. Collected my case from the hotel, trudged up to the station and bought regional tickets for Cremona to Busseto and from Busseto to Bologna. This posted from the train, which left 20 minutes late due to a fault. Now doing an incredible speed to try to catch up!

Cremona: San Pietro al Po

The Rough Guide says the frescoes in the church of San Pietro al Po are better than those of the Duomo. Which they are. But I had a little difficulty finding the church, so asked a local (in my best Italian). He wasn't sure but was keen to help, and banged on the window of the nearest house. I assume he knew the occupant. Getting no answer he stepped across the traffic and stopped a lady on a bicycle; I assume he knew her too. She pointed out where to find the church, and we all parted the best of friends. Then I spent ten minutes entirely on my own in the church. Back into the centre by a roundabout route (i.e. I got lost; how can you miss a cathedral?).

Crikey, this coffee is strong...