h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My nephew is getting married on Saturday. Since he is half Irish, half Italian, born and raised in Brussels, now living in Oslo and getting married to a Norwegian, he decided to have the wedding in Verona in Italy.

So all the Gnomon brothers and sisters and their families are heading to Verona on Friday. Mrs G and I and the two daughters will stay on until the following weekend, visiting Padua (possibly) and Florence and Pisa (definitely). We've even got our tickets for the Leaning Tower booked. I'm looking forward to a good long holiday, although I've no doubt I'll be wrecked by the time I get back - walking around cities is very tiring.

Ironically, the only thing I know about Florence is what I read in Dan Brown's Inferno. So I'll be spouting dubious facts coloured with lots of adjectives.

"Ironically, the only thing I know about Florence is what I read in Dan Brown's Inferno. biggrin So I'll be spouting dubious facts coloured with lots of adjectives." [Gnomon]

Strangely, Lucca and Florence run together in my memories, so I have to rack my bnain and remember which memories were of Florence .

I remember the bridge that crosses the river next to the Pitti Palace, which was the birthplace of Opera -- In 1600, a high-profile wedding there used portions of two composers' operatic versions of the Orfeo myth. Caccini's version was the first opera ever to be published. [His daughter Francesca became the world's first opera star, as well as composer of operas in her own right.] There are some amazing art museums there, too. Dante's statue is to the left of a major church, and a replica of Michelangelo's David is further down. I like Michelangelo because when he became wealthy and could afford a better workshop, he still spent most of his time in the grubby old one . If a great artist can get away with grubby quarters, there's hope for the rest of us.

Some of my fellow tourists went up to the top of the Duomo, but I didn't feel like climbing a lot of stairs, especially as one had to wait in a long line before even being admitted.

There was another great novel set in Florence, but I can't remember the name of it. Giving the world Dante, Michelangelo, and opera would have been more enough for any city of its size.

Cool old Guy reading the Guide
"We could use pictures of Florence, perhaps some bridges?

Have a happy party "

I love Italy - I'm really jealous! Have a great time!

I've only spent a day in Verona (visiting while staying at Garda). I remember the amphitheatre, and not a lot else.

Verona: the home of Romeo and Juliet

Cole Porter hadn't much to say about it:

We open in Venice,
We next play Verona,
Then on to Cremona
(Lotsa laughs in Cremona).
Our next jump is Parma,
That stingy, dingy menace,
Then Mantua, then Padua,
Then we open again, where?

People should get married in Padua.

Then they could sing 'I've come to wive it wealthily in Padua...' and use up all those bad puns.

O, no! "brush up your Shakespeare" has started running through my head. It'll run for hours....

"...just declaim a few lines from Othella,
And they'll think you're heck of a fella..."

Yesterday was the wedding day, a great occasion. I'll try and give s full report when I get back.

looking forward to it

If she says your behaviour is heinous
Kick her right in the Coriolanus...