Author Archives: drdzoe

And so ends another day in Florence.  Nothing too spectacular today: we visited the Palazzo Vecchio, the palace of the Medicis when they first came to power.  We visited a modern art exhibit.  We visited several churches.  We ate a … Continue reading →

Nothing super today, just a lot of enjoyable things in Florence. Our initial goal was to visit the Pitti Palace, but we got a little lost, so first visited St Lawrence’s Cathedral, where Cosimo Medici, the founder of the family … Continue reading →

It is always interesting to see how different artists depict the same story.  And artists love telling the same mythic stories.  This week, I’ve seen at least a dozen versions of the Rape of the Sabine Women, several Davids in … Continue reading →

Today was a day of iconic artworks.  For example, my Venus with Venus: And here’s, well, no.  I can’t really claim to be a David. I was fairly blown away by David, however.  The setting is amazing and the sculpture is just plain … Continue reading →

Today was a travel day.  We moved our base of operations from Rome to Florence.  Which limited our time in both.  So in Rome, all we did was: – Three churches, one of which had another three Caravaggios.  That brings … Continue reading →

We’re on our last full day in Rome.  Our stay has been marvelous.  There’s been three themes: 1. Great art. 2. Amazing history. 3. Great food. Today included all of these. First, the art.  We spent the morning in the … Continue reading →

As I mentioned before, all of our children have already been to Italy.  I realized we’d be seeing things that they already saw, but sometimes that can go too far. To whit: last year Andy was particularly impressed by the … Continue reading →

Today we visited the ancient part of the city.  I loved it. At one point, I told Julie I’d make a terrible gladiator.  My years fencing peaked with me becoming the worst rated foil fencer in Virginia (a long story … Continue reading →

A long, tiring day, full of great art, good food, and lots of walking.  We went to the Vatican, including spending several hours in the Vatican Museum (which has amazing art), not to mention St Peter’s Basilica and the Sistene … Continue reading →

Travel gives a chance to see and think new things.  But it can also bring thoughts of those we once knew. This trip, I’m spending a lot of time thinking about my dear friend, Walter Neill, who passed away last … Continue reading →