Skin in the game

Tim: In Florence now, and it is mostly wet. We have been to the Uffizzi gallery, which I have never before visited (although this is my fourth time in Florence). I'm glad I waited to go with someone who gave a damn about art, someone who can give me a little background as to meaning and context. They too had sculptures from Roman times, but the collection was thinner and poorer than the museum in Rome. I was rather pleased that in one room I was instantly drawn to what turned out to be the best picture in the room, a Michaelangelo. I might not yet be a lost cause.

We went to the church of Santa Croce, which is a huge church, simply decorated and seemingly much bigger than the famous Duomo. Here, rather incongruously together, are buried Gallileo, Machievelli, Michaelangelo and some minor Bonapartes. Polly initially refused to enter a church you had to pay for, but I asked her to think of it as a museum. We also had a free tour given by a nice American university student.

We also shop for a leather jacket for Polly. On our first day as we approached the first shop in the market, I lost concentration for a second or two and woke to find both of us inside wearing leather jackets, and listening to talk of stupendous discounts, ruinous discounts, but for today only. Not seeing what we wanted, we went to leave but somehow found ourselves in different jackets, jackets apparently of magnificent quality, unequalled softness. Somehow we got out, but found the same thing happening at the shop next door. From that moment on, we listened to no more called imprecations and met no more eyes and got out of the market district.

The next day we went to the more established leather shops. In the first, the man tried to find the right size and style but didn't have it, but his friend who was lounging around when we arrived took us on to his shop. I was feeling good about this - personal recommendations, people you could trust. Regretfully, nothing there but 'if you try my brother's shop'...who couldn't help, but passed us on to a neighbor, who passed us to his friend...and so on. The value of the personal recommendation gets diluted when you end up at every merchant's store anyway. We ended up the day wiser but with no trophy pelts.

The following day, Thursday, was bitterly cold and wet. We spent the first half in our room looking out our rain-streaked window at the park, then walked down towards the cathedral. Whilst I had a quick lunch at a stall in the market - a steaming soup amongst the market workers - Polly did some last-minute shopping. I finished earlier than I thought and went looking for her, only to find her surrounded by snapping sales assistants in a leather jacket shop. One of the men left the shop; he returned in 5 minutes with a jacket under his arm. It fitted, and it looked good. Mirror poses were struck. Mouths were pursed. An exploratory price was floated. Jackets were swapped for raincoats. Another price followed, and another. A leather jackets was reinstated, with more posing, pursing of lips. A minor flaw was posited, counter-claims of overall quality made. Meaningful looks were directed at me. Another price was mentioned; a jacket purchased. Casual talk of a second jacket. Minor interest, building. A price, then another, much less. Mirror posing, another sale. All during this some American girls flit around. After they have gone, the owner of the shop says they have been in 3 times today.

We return
to our rooms with the jackets, try them on, tell ourselves about how good they look (and they do) and how much under-budget this holiday was (and still is).

With the remains of the day we visit the cathedral. I'm fascinated by the basement where there are excavated layers of buildings beneath Brunellesci's dome (that which when constructed in the 1300's was the first since ancient times). There are the remnants of Roman buildings, large paleo-christian mosaics and the foundations of a previous cathedral and it's subsequent modifications, all stratified and co-existing. Fascinating. We walk until dark and the cold defeats us and we get an early dinner - as we the pass the leather jacket shop the American girls are back, still dickering - then warm bed and reading. Our last full day in Italy and we think back how long we have been doing this; it's nearly been a month. It's been great, and it is great, but we're homesick and missing our nearest and dearest.