Saturday, July 23 

Yesterday, Matli and I went to Florence. It was very nice. Such a short trip by train and a stress free one too. We went to museums and to El Domo and climbed another endless stairway to heaven to see the artwork on the ceilings and walls. We saw another Michelangelo’s Pietá. He was about 80 years old when he created this one. He added himself as one of the figures holding up Christ. This is a great piece.  But I think the Pietá, in Rome at St, Peters is by far the best.

We stood in line for 3 hours to get into the Fuzzi Museum. I didn’t know so many people were into art! While standing, I met three girls from San Francisco. These gals have been traveling for a while and they agreed with me that you have to be strong to be a tourist.  Another American girl I met in line agreed that the French are down right mean.  She said that she tried to speaking French to them and they were still rude. When you are away from home for a while you tend to let your hair and make up go because you get too tired of trying to maintain a decent look. This gal was telling me she gave up and I told her I did too! I am reduced to just wearing lipstick.  I told her that in the states my hair looks like Diane Cannon’s, but here it looks like Don King’s.

 Matli and I took turns standing in line. He would stand and I would go sit on the steps to drink from an opened bottle of wine. From the steps, I sat there watching the activities unfold in the plaza. We took turns sitting on the steps and drinking wine until the bottle was empty. We were both so bold drinking in public from a bottle.  After waiting in line for 3 hours you would think one would be too tired to walk throughout the museum, but that wasn’t the case. We walked around from salon to salon. As we were approaching the exit, Matli decided to return to one of the first salon that we visited and take a picture of a reclining nude woman sculpture. I told him he should take pictures or buy things when he sees them and not wait until later.

 This back tracking is hard, especially after waiting in line for 3 hours and walking around for 2 hours; going up and down stairs thinking you are about done and using what energy you have left to make it through, to only redo it again! He doesn’t listen. So, here we were back tracking and walking back up the stairs to take a picture of a marble ass.  Men, sigh!  Today we also  went to the Academy Museum, where “David” resides forever. David is a monumental work of art. I’m in awe to think that Michelangelo, who is dead, and has been dead for hundreds of years, still lives through his David. When you see “David”, you wonder just how proud Michelangelo must have been while working on this piece. Do people really know what they are looking at? Do they realize the vision he must have had and all the mathematical calculations that went into creating David? He made “David” look spectacular from every angle. Light from each angle changes the mood of the piece. There are so many lighting possibilities, each changing “David’s” expression, telling a different story of the same situation.  Here we saw another Pietá, a more unfinished version and more of Michelangelo’s work. The four slaves are striking. These pieces have that unfinished look. I believe that was his intent. He died shortly after completing them. Well, I am tired now. Even though we waited two hours to get in, it was well worth it.  

 Sunday, July 24 

This will be our last night in Pisa.

  Today, we will take a bus and go to the beach and get some R&R. Monday, we will go to Roma and stay there for three nights and then head for New York.  The beach is crowded, but we don’t mind. It is like being part of one large family there, music playing, people eating and talking. I loved it.  Though the sandy parts are scarce, most of the Italians hang out along side of the rocky shores. Then you see a cluster of people all hovering over the sandy part of the beach. I spread two towels between three families and we took turns swimming.  Matli swam out to a wall of granite boulders that served as a levee which created a swimming area for the people.  When he reached the wall he climbed to the top and waved.  I was ready with camera and took several pictures of him waving from the top of the levee.  I spread sun tan lotion on my legs and chest.  When Matli swam back from the levee, he spread some sun tan lotion on my back.  The trip to the Italian Rivera was fun but we didn’t spend that much time there.  

Monday July 25 

Today we are in Roma. It is very impressive. We spent the early evening at the coliseum. You can image seeing the gladiators and hearing the roar from the crowds, the lions and wild animals. Matli loves it here. You can see him strut as he walks through the coliseum. I think for a brief moment he feels like Cesar or some important stately figure.  At his request, I took so many pictures of him standing in front of the coliseum at night.  From the Coliseum you can see the ancient city. All those gladiator movies that I saw in my childhood come into play. I think I see Victor Mature and Steve Reeves walking through the hallways.  In Pisa and Florence you can see the history, but in Roma you feel it. 

Tuesday, July 26 

Today we took the metro to a station two blocks from the Vatican City. I saw the most famous Pietá in St. Peter’s Cathedral. I think Michelangelo made this at age 19. He made the marble looked like soft cloth draped around the Virgin and Jesus. This is such a touching piece. The Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus is alone with her dead son as he lies limp on her lap, a moment of remembrance for her. The world saw Jesus as a prophet, a leader and a savior. What did Mary see as she looked at her dead baby, her child, her young man? As I write this my eyes water. All mothers can relate to this work of art. For me, this is Michelangelo’s greatest achievement because you can actually feel the Holy Mother ‘s emotions. The most astonishing realization is that he created this masterpiece at 19 years of age!    To get to the Sistine Chapel was quite a trek. People had to walk through many hallways and climb many stairways. Each time I kept thinking, “Good, here it is, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel” only to be led to another maze.

Finally, we approached the main attraction in the Sistine Chapel, a sight to behold. There it is in all its glory! Painted images covered the entire ceiling. They shinned like jewels. Some figures looked as though they would fall upon you.  The images looked so real. When I think about all the work and steps that went into this art endeavor: sketching; scaling, transferring the image onto the ceiling, mixing colors, not to mention the building of the many needed scalfolds. I get simply exhausted! The guard kept announcing at the people to shut-up. “Silencio! You cannot talk in here!” How can anyone refrain from marveling at this work in silence? A request that is impossible to carryout.

There were benches along the sides of the walls and that is where Matli and I sat to look upward at the heavens as time, momentarily, stood still for us. The Vatican museum was interesting. I saw Caravaggio’s art here and there. After going to Europe, I don’t want to spoil my memory or eyesight by seeing the art displayed in the galleries, museums, and restaurants in Eureka, California 

Wednesday, July 27

 Today is our last day in Italy. We went to the ancient city and saw lots of ruins, including the Coliseum and the Pantheon. Inside the Coliseum you will find information about the people and customs of ancient Rome time. I read as much I could. Do I remember anything? NO! I only remember the information regarding the sexual rituals. We saw the elevators where the gladiators and animals were separately brought up to the arena. I could almost hear the ancient ones as I looked out over the stadium, a very spiritual place. We walked the grounds in the Ancient City.  We saw many ruins packed with history and a museum in the midst of the ancient city which we entered and saw artifacts and sculptures. From the ancient city we walked to the Pantheon. The architect who built the Pantheon aligned the sun with the openings in the ceiling.  Sunlight lit up the inside panels at certain times of the day and certain times of the year. What a great building! It had a dome ceiling with light beaming down upon us.  I noticed a McDonalds on the way back and I managed to control myself. I heard drumming; an African singer had a hat in front of him while he was drumming away.  I did not need much encouragement to begin dancing to his music in the streets as people walked by laughing in amusement. I begun this European trip dancing to the African drums in London and I ended up dancing to the singing of African music in Rome. Hmm do you think this means anything? We left for this excursion at 10AM and returned 5PM. We are now resting for our big travel day to New York City.  I swear I can’t wait.  

I just want to be home now. I saw many wonderful things that I am sure will inspire me to create my art. Thank you Matli for making this happen!  This man loves me and I will never doubt it. Damn I am lucky.