Friday 6 August 2010

Day 123

Day 123. Sat31st July.
Giardino di Boboli.

Back to the Pitti palace for the 111acre Boboli gardens, built in a former quarry and transformed into the back garden of the Medici’s. The highly annoying map that accompanies the €10 entry shows the layout but identifies none of the features. Just as well as few of them are accessible to the paying public. The beautiful horticultural garden can be tantalisingly glimpsed through locked gates. The glory of the garden, The Fountain of the Ocean by Giambologna (Based on the island retreat at Villa Adriana, remember day 100?) is not working and closed but gloriously visible from a distance. What the hell have we paid for here?

We have the good fortune to make our way to the top of the garden (quite a climb) and the Museo delle Porcellane. A helpful attendant shows us where all the features are and recommends the Giardino Bardini, out of the Boboli and 100m down a hill. An utterly charming garden with a fascinating outdoor exhibition of hauntingly enigmatic sculptures by Giuseppe Gavazzi.
We have tea in the loggia and drink in the panorama over the river Arno, across the terracotta roofs of Florence to the dark green cypress clad hills beyond, the impossibly blue skies and prettiest fluffy white white clouds.
Have a long chat to our beloved Hillary on the phone and wish she was here." I aint seen no egg."
Moisturise!!!!
Part of the Neptune Fountain.
Giardino Bardini.


2 comments:

  1. The garden looks beautiful and the city looks stunning. What little I know of Florence I think I have picked up from Shakespeare (and since I am no scholar in that department either you can see that I really don't know much about it at all). I must say - impressed.

    These gardens looks stunning. As I glanced down the photos I thought, yes, definately one to visit. I don't know Italy at all, but Florence does seem a good place to start!

    And is it me or is the weather a bit more temperate? Those puffy little white clouds seem more reminiscent of an English summer than the searing heat of the Mediteranean, or is it just an illusion and were you there at a hideaously early hour of the day?

    Hilary

    xxx

    ps - who is the bird on the gold horse?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ok - and just to prove what an avid follower of the blog I am I have just skipped back to day 100 to remind myself of the gardens you referenced above.

    Your dedicated student.

    H
    xxxxxx

    ReplyDelete