Graffiti is Italian: Graffiti in Italy

First impressions taking the train from Leonardo da Vinci Airport to Roma Termini?... there are a lot of kids with loads of free time and lots of paint in Rome.  Seemingly, every abandoned train platform and track-side structure was tagged with graffiti.  Also truly unexpected, the abundance of aged and abandoned buildings that scattered the landscape, within view of the rail line running from airport to central.  Years-long decay of structures and the defacing of buildings didn't impress this first-time visitor.  Italy sells itself on historic ruins, so the toll of nature and patina of age is expected in picturesque roman buildings.   It's the more contemporary neglect that was shocking.  Leaving Rome, there was lovely countryside to take in (looking a lot like Southern California), but even then graffiti gravitated to any building near the rail line..

The Florence is heavily affected by rampant tagging. The official tourism board has a page dedicated to historic graffito, but for obvious reasons, there is not mention of the current plague that affects the many of the city walls.  The Travelers Notebook touched upon Florence's graffiti issue in June '09 article, Florence Defaced By Graffiti, Declared Ugly and Depressing.

Outside the Accedemia, look for the block-plus long scrawled massages by those waiting in line for the David and other works.  In the barely populated off-season street, I didn’t understand why so much graffiti lined the walls until I noticed a simple message “4 hour.”

Being neither fluent in Italian nor of Florentine opinion, its impossible to know the local sentiment.  I heard from a local that the new, young mayor is working on the task.  As a visitor who was only in the city a few days, I can only imagine what those who live with this daily.

Train Station Graffiti - Florence, Italy, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Graffiti - Florence, Italy, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Graffiti - Florence, Italy, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Graffiti - Florence, Italy, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Greetings from Baden, Ontario Stencil Graffiti - Florence, Italy, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Graffiti - Florence, Italy, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Stencil Graffiti - Florence, Italy, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Graffiti - Florence, Italy, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Graffiti - Florence, Italy, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Wednesday Night Photo Post: Shots From the Italy Trip

Exhaustion.
A cold.
Poor sleep.

Yup, all of those came back with me, mostly.  There was an ideal trip to Italy and this just wasn't quite the one.  Why no blog entries while on vacation?   Google and Blogger decided not to join us abroad.   Gmail, nope.  Google maps, nope.  Google search, nope.  Blogger, nope.  Had to use a poxy service just to get them kind of running.  The rest of the internet, just fine. 

There were some good times had and here are some pictures as proof.   More stories and images to come this week.

Hold Your Nose, Via Toscanella - Florence, Italy, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Inside the Duomo - Florence, Italy, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Museo di Firenze (Local History Museum) Biblioteca delle Oblate - Florence, Italy, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Boboli Grotto by Buontalenti - Florence, Italy, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Piazza della Signoria - Florence, Italy, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Reproduction of David, Piazzale Michelangelo - Florence, Italy, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella - Florence, Italy, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Ungrateful in Florence: Mark Twain as Good Company Abroad

The month of pre-flight stress, the hours of plane and train travel, the jet-lagged and cold early mornings have all conspired to make me feel grumpy, achy and not receptive to an unfamiliar city. Fortunately yesterday, one of the missus' professional lunch companions recommended another who was felt the same after his trip as well.

"How the fatigues and annoyances of travel fill one with bitter prejudices
sometimes! I might enter Florence under happier auspices a month hence
and find it all beautiful, all attractive. But I do not care to think of
it now, at all, nor of its roomy shops filled to the ceiling with snowy
marble and alabaster copies of all the celebrated sculptures in Europe--
copies so enchanting to the eye that I wonder how they can really be
shaped like the dingy petrified nightmares they are the portraits of."

Mark Twain literate cynicism about travel might be the perfect antidote to my current fatigue. I hope last night's rest, more of Mr. Clemens' wit and a good breakfast will get me on a happier path.

The Italian Job: Blogging About The Big Trip

Florence, Italy.

T-minus 4 days and counting.

With a long month behind us and the promise of a great trip ahead, I'm counting the days until we are on a plane to Italy.  Like most trips, I have been scouring the internet for photos, stories and places to visit.  And in a unique twist, this research got me an invitation to guest-blog for ArtTrav.

"Arttrav is an art, travel, and Italian lifestyle magazine. My goal is to freely provide you not only with quality travel information about Italy, but also with a vicarious experience for the internet-based traveler."

Which is perfect, since it has been a vicarious and internet-only experience so far with an actual visit coming soon. 

My first post, Traveling Strange: A Collector of Eccentric Attractions Comes to Florence was published earlier today.  I'm hoping for at least one more pre-trip post with a few while in the city. 

So, once again, the internet has thrown more unexpected opportunities my way, and I've been happy to capitalize on them as best I can.  Oh, internet, you and I were made for each other.

Florence, Italy: An Author's Impressions

Research regarding our latest trip unearthed the following:

In the late 1920's (best guess) author Aldous Huxley described Florence, Italy as "a third-rate provincial town, colonized by English sodomites and middle-aged Lesbians."

Never read that in the tourist guides.

So, What's In Florence, Italy?

Because that's where we'll be spending a week this coming winter. I tend to like places where the creative impulses of the eccentric are encouraged. So is there anything weird or will I have to settle for stunning works of art and gorgeous, historic architecture?

My hit-or-miss research on the subject:

• An Australian in Florence, Italy
• arzigogolare ~ to let your mind wander
• Cher in Florence
• Letters From Tuscany
• Living in Florence, Italy -- Melinda Gallo
• Mamma Americana
• The Florentine

So far, not gleaning a whole lot from the above sites. Personal musings aside, I can't find much about the actual city. I hoping to fire off some emails asking the folks mentioned about their fair city.