UK Day 4
The day set aside for excursions.
I just wandered around the city here while many of those at the congress went to Pisa or Rome.
After wandering around and seeing a few hundred people queueing up to get into the cathedral, and an absolutely huge crowd of people at the ponte vecchio I'm more convinced than ever that it's just absurd.
People say that Florence is a cultural city etc., but there's no way these people being jostled in crowds are getting anything out of it. Add to that, the unbearable heat, with basically no breeze to give relief and the high prices at the outside cafes. Sitting down and having a drink really is something that people hesitate to do. In my opinion the system is not civilised.
And the food is nothing special either. Well, certainly the risotto and spaghetti and pizza. Or is it because they don't have to rely on repeat customers so they just cook up crap...
Met up with some Esperantists in the evening.
These girls made the mistake of sitting down at our table at some sort of food fair. They basically got an Esperanto lesson with their meal.
I suppose people come to Florence to appreciate views such as this. But when you're there it loses something, just as it does when you attempt to capture the moment with a crap camera. Even trivialities such as a waiter addressing you in English detracts from the experience. Probably there are restaurants in Melbourne that are more Italian than most of the restaurants in the touristy spots in Italy. And at least in Australia they understand what people want. Something of an Italian experience, which is something you don't necessarily get in Italy! It's one thing to watch a movie with the romantic music in the background while you're sitting comfortably in your armchair - and another thing to be there/here and have to (inevitably) pull out your camera, take ten shots to get the exposure right, have to negotiate the African street-walkers on the way home, wondering how often you can say no before they start shouting after you - are you a poofter of something!?
I just wandered around the city here while many of those at the congress went to Pisa or Rome.
After wandering around and seeing a few hundred people queueing up to get into the cathedral, and an absolutely huge crowd of people at the ponte vecchio I'm more convinced than ever that it's just absurd.
People say that Florence is a cultural city etc., but there's no way these people being jostled in crowds are getting anything out of it. Add to that, the unbearable heat, with basically no breeze to give relief and the high prices at the outside cafes. Sitting down and having a drink really is something that people hesitate to do. In my opinion the system is not civilised.
And the food is nothing special either. Well, certainly the risotto and spaghetti and pizza. Or is it because they don't have to rely on repeat customers so they just cook up crap...
Met up with some Esperantists in the evening.
These girls made the mistake of sitting down at our table at some sort of food fair. They basically got an Esperanto lesson with their meal.
I suppose people come to Florence to appreciate views such as this. But when you're there it loses something, just as it does when you attempt to capture the moment with a crap camera. Even trivialities such as a waiter addressing you in English detracts from the experience. Probably there are restaurants in Melbourne that are more Italian than most of the restaurants in the touristy spots in Italy. And at least in Australia they understand what people want. Something of an Italian experience, which is something you don't necessarily get in Italy! It's one thing to watch a movie with the romantic music in the background while you're sitting comfortably in your armchair - and another thing to be there/here and have to (inevitably) pull out your camera, take ten shots to get the exposure right, have to negotiate the African street-walkers on the way home, wondering how often you can say no before they start shouting after you - are you a poofter of something!?
posted by Budz at 2:16 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home