April 30; Arrive in Florence at 3 pm. Roberta figured out that cab from airport is 20 euro per car not per person. Our female cabbie takes us thru tourists sites instead of direct route. Our apartment on Via de Neri just behind the Palazzo Vecchio is a great location. The building is 1000 year old and was once a tower. Our apartment is for hardy only as we had to walk up 4 or 5 flights and go pass 4 locked doors to get to our place. This also was for adventuresome as the bedroom was up a spiral staircase with half steps to reach a loft with a very short ceiling such that you have to really bend over or you bang your head. What fun getting up at night and going down the spiral staircase. But other than that, it was neat with little windows used for shooting arrows out of very thick walls. We bought groceries for breakfast.
After settling in, we immediately left for our first sight the, Palazzo Vecchio open till midnight. What a great site. The Medici's were very successful ruling Florence and surrounds for almost 200 years with only a few year gap ending in 1737. The rooms and ceiling very magnificent and was was the city hall and even the capitol of Italy in 1865 to 71 where the legislature meet in a grand room. After a nice dinner, we deserved rest in our digs for the next 4 nights. Desert was gelato from a place just a few doors down from our apt.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Friday, April 26, 2013
April 5 Friday: PISA AND LIVORNO
April 5; We left Cinque Terre the mountain actually Cliff-side small town of Riomaggiori . Driving in and out is an adventure as one drives on very windy narrow one lane road actually 2 lanes. Roberta made it out wonderfully and we were on our way to Pisa only 1 hour away. we passed Carrara where the fabulous white marble comes from that Michelangelo used for David. Many marble companies lined the road with large pieces of marble waiting for shipment with very large cranes overhead.
Pisa was very interesting with of course the leaning Tower really leaning. We bought the combination pass to see all four main attractions. First we climbed the Tower all 294 steps to get a wonderful view of the city. In 1200's Pisa was powerful naval power with a great port. However the Arno river stated to silt in the harbor resulting that now Pisa is 6 miles from the Medditarerian. So it slowly lost power and the renaissance bypassed Pisa, thought it does have a great University. The Tower was started in 1173 and finished in 1350. We toured the incredibly beautiful Duoma began in 1063 with alternating layers of white and black marble. The Campo Santo cemetery with marble arch building with sarcophagi dating from Roman times. Last was the museum with many interesting things. Hard to believe but we did all this in 2 hours as we were on a tight schedule. Pisa has Jews living here in 850
Next stop was Liverno a harbor town just 20 miles south. The Medici's conquered this area and in 1593 issued an order allowing Jews and Converso ( old name Marronos) and just about anyone to come and develop the town as a trading center. Jews came from Turkey, Amsterdam, north Africa as well as others and made this thriving business center that enriched the Medici's even more so. The Jews here did not have to wear a badge, live in a ghetto and could live anywhere they wanted unlike all other towns in Tuscany. The business language was Spanish and Portuguese till 1790 when things got worse for the Jews. Our first stop was our B&B at someone private apartment which was enormous and the owners very friendly as they drove with us to a street with free parking and then walked wwith us backkk too their place. Their daughter then walked us to our first stop the home and museum of Amedeo Modigliani the Jewish painter who lived here till he was 22 before moving on to Venice and the Paris where he was part of the painters world till he died at 35 in 1918 from TB. He competed with Picasso and the others but stuck with painting faces with very long necks and very moving. He died poor and wouldn't you know it one of his painting fetched 30 million 2 months ago. He was movie star good looking and had many lovers. One was a Catholic girl a model who was incredibly stunning. He parents would not let her marry Amedeo for several years and they were about to marry anyway when he died. Unbelievably she jumps out a 9 story building pregnant with their 9 month child. This is really sad. Another lover commits suicide 2 years later He did have another child, a girl rejected by the mother's family so she was raised by his parents in Liverno. She became an artist also and worked to preserve her Father's work. Unfortunately the 'museum did not have any of his originals but many copies that are still very good. The house is now used also as an artist school and we had to leave as a class was starting.
Our guide here then took us to the Jewish Museum of Liverno which was in a rich person's house dating back to the early 1800's. In 1867 it began to be used as a synagogue that remains somewhat intact. It had a beautiful very large arc with gold leaf and many other local hand made religious objects from early 1600's on.
We then walked back to our B&B rested and then went to the famous Liverno synagogue for Friday night services. Liverno had the 2nd most magnificiant synagogue in Europe after Amsterdam-- built in 1780's but destroyed in 1944 when the Allies bombed the port. After the war,it was rebuilt but in a modern style which was very beautiful. Unfortunately there are few Jews left in Liverno but still there were about 18 men. The service is very different using Sephardic and Italian melodies ( from Spanish period so I was lost a large part of the time.) Afterwards we talked with several men.
We asked one older man how he learned English so well. He said he invited US sailors stationed in Livorno to his parents' home for Shabat dinner and learned from them. We asked how his family survived during WW2. He said his father had money and the family was hidden in a monastery.
We then went for dinner to a friendly lively restaurant. We had a great time--everyone there seemed happy and glad to be with friends and enjoying food and wine. By then Stan was familiar with the town and we walked the half mile to our B&B.
Pisa was very interesting with of course the leaning Tower really leaning. We bought the combination pass to see all four main attractions. First we climbed the Tower all 294 steps to get a wonderful view of the city. In 1200's Pisa was powerful naval power with a great port. However the Arno river stated to silt in the harbor resulting that now Pisa is 6 miles from the Medditarerian. So it slowly lost power and the renaissance bypassed Pisa, thought it does have a great University. The Tower was started in 1173 and finished in 1350. We toured the incredibly beautiful Duoma began in 1063 with alternating layers of white and black marble. The Campo Santo cemetery with marble arch building with sarcophagi dating from Roman times. Last was the museum with many interesting things. Hard to believe but we did all this in 2 hours as we were on a tight schedule. Pisa has Jews living here in 850
Next stop was Liverno a harbor town just 20 miles south. The Medici's conquered this area and in 1593 issued an order allowing Jews and Converso ( old name Marronos) and just about anyone to come and develop the town as a trading center. Jews came from Turkey, Amsterdam, north Africa as well as others and made this thriving business center that enriched the Medici's even more so. The Jews here did not have to wear a badge, live in a ghetto and could live anywhere they wanted unlike all other towns in Tuscany. The business language was Spanish and Portuguese till 1790 when things got worse for the Jews. Our first stop was our B&B at someone private apartment which was enormous and the owners very friendly as they drove with us to a street with free parking and then walked wwith us backkk too their place. Their daughter then walked us to our first stop the home and museum of Amedeo Modigliani the Jewish painter who lived here till he was 22 before moving on to Venice and the Paris where he was part of the painters world till he died at 35 in 1918 from TB. He competed with Picasso and the others but stuck with painting faces with very long necks and very moving. He died poor and wouldn't you know it one of his painting fetched 30 million 2 months ago. He was movie star good looking and had many lovers. One was a Catholic girl a model who was incredibly stunning. He parents would not let her marry Amedeo for several years and they were about to marry anyway when he died. Unbelievably she jumps out a 9 story building pregnant with their 9 month child. This is really sad. Another lover commits suicide 2 years later He did have another child, a girl rejected by the mother's family so she was raised by his parents in Liverno. She became an artist also and worked to preserve her Father's work. Unfortunately the 'museum did not have any of his originals but many copies that are still very good. The house is now used also as an artist school and we had to leave as a class was starting.
Our guide here then took us to the Jewish Museum of Liverno which was in a rich person's house dating back to the early 1800's. In 1867 it began to be used as a synagogue that remains somewhat intact. It had a beautiful very large arc with gold leaf and many other local hand made religious objects from early 1600's on.
We then walked back to our B&B rested and then went to the famous Liverno synagogue for Friday night services. Liverno had the 2nd most magnificiant synagogue in Europe after Amsterdam-- built in 1780's but destroyed in 1944 when the Allies bombed the port. After the war,it was rebuilt but in a modern style which was very beautiful. Unfortunately there are few Jews left in Liverno but still there were about 18 men. The service is very different using Sephardic and Italian melodies ( from Spanish period so I was lost a large part of the time.) Afterwards we talked with several men.
We asked one older man how he learned English so well. He said he invited US sailors stationed in Livorno to his parents' home for Shabat dinner and learned from them. We asked how his family survived during WW2. He said his father had money and the family was hidden in a monastery.
We then went for dinner to a friendly lively restaurant. We had a great time--everyone there seemed happy and glad to be with friends and enjoying food and wine. By then Stan was familiar with the town and we walked the half mile to our B&B.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Our first few mportant days in Israel
Hello All; We arrived Friday morning at 5am from Florence by way of Paris, since Florence airport is so small with few flights. After a nap, we went grocery shopping , and stan went to his favorite synagogue,Shira Hadasha where the singing is great with Carlebach tunes and a women chazzan for Kabalat Shabbat. The nnext morning we went to our next favorite synagogue Beit Knesset Moreshet Yisrael, the conservative synagogue in the middle of town only 3 minutes from our aprt. The rabbi there |Adam Frank is a most unusual guy giving very short but pointed talks. He acknowledged us as supporters since we honorary membership.
Now the key part. Sunday night April 14 started Yom Hazickaren, the Memorial day for all died fighting for Israel since 1948. The siren sounded at 8pm and we went out side to stand still for 2 minutes and all cars did stop except for car marked UN. They couldn't be respectful I guess as this would be showing sides??
Next day at 11am,the siren went off again while we were in class.The rabbi informed us that exactly 23085 persons died since 1948 in Israel's various wars. He lit a memorial candle and sang El Molie Rachamin. It was quite emotional. The people here have had to pay a heavy price for some sort of peace. On TV on Sunday they had interviews with family member who lost someone. At night there were special ceremonies with songs, speeches and videos. You did not want to receive an invitation to these events.
Then at dark Monday, everything changed. People came out and the party started. Yom Ha'atzma'ut the Independence day like our 4th of July on steroids. Street vendors were selling very large blow up hammers for bobbing your friends on the head, every spinning colored lights device imaginable. The crowds were very large with an orthodox rock band in suits and tzittes on one stage singing. We walked to the municipal square where a very large crowd was dancing to a pop singer who was very good and got things really rocking. Roberta had a great time dancing with 20 year old girls until the very end. The was a very brief fireworks display that we could even count as fireworks.
The transition from a day of remembering all those lost in Israel's fight for existence and then the actual Independence day when Ben Gurion announced the state of Israel and read the Declaration of Independence is quite an experience .
The custom on Yom Ha'atzma'ut is the old fashion Bar BQ actually taken from the Arabs who BarBQ after Ramadan. We went to 2 BarBQ, one Monday night early at 6pm with services first at the Consevative synagogue and then the next day we went to my cousin Sam ( now Shimshon) at Tirat Yehuda after a 30 minute bus ride to the airport where he picked us up at the bus stop before entering the airport. Shimshon and Miriam are so nice. He still works one day a week at Ariel University suprivising graduate student research thesis projects. Their Moshav, a community where each owns their own property was once way out in the country but now is built up and has expanded to 7x in population in 35 years. Small scale farming is completely ceased.
All in all it was a very moving several days in Israel.
Now the key part. Sunday night April 14 started Yom Hazickaren, the Memorial day for all died fighting for Israel since 1948. The siren sounded at 8pm and we went out side to stand still for 2 minutes and all cars did stop except for car marked UN. They couldn't be respectful I guess as this would be showing sides??
Next day at 11am,the siren went off again while we were in class.The rabbi informed us that exactly 23085 persons died since 1948 in Israel's various wars. He lit a memorial candle and sang El Molie Rachamin. It was quite emotional. The people here have had to pay a heavy price for some sort of peace. On TV on Sunday they had interviews with family member who lost someone. At night there were special ceremonies with songs, speeches and videos. You did not want to receive an invitation to these events.
Then at dark Monday, everything changed. People came out and the party started. Yom Ha'atzma'ut the Independence day like our 4th of July on steroids. Street vendors were selling very large blow up hammers for bobbing your friends on the head, every spinning colored lights device imaginable. The crowds were very large with an orthodox rock band in suits and tzittes on one stage singing. We walked to the municipal square where a very large crowd was dancing to a pop singer who was very good and got things really rocking. Roberta had a great time dancing with 20 year old girls until the very end. The was a very brief fireworks display that we could even count as fireworks.
The transition from a day of remembering all those lost in Israel's fight for existence and then the actual Independence day when Ben Gurion announced the state of Israel and read the Declaration of Independence is quite an experience .
The custom on Yom Ha'atzma'ut is the old fashion Bar BQ actually taken from the Arabs who BarBQ after Ramadan. We went to 2 BarBQ, one Monday night early at 6pm with services first at the Consevative synagogue and then the next day we went to my cousin Sam ( now Shimshon) at Tirat Yehuda after a 30 minute bus ride to the airport where he picked us up at the bus stop before entering the airport. Shimshon and Miriam are so nice. He still works one day a week at Ariel University suprivising graduate student research thesis projects. Their Moshav, a community where each owns their own property was once way out in the country but now is built up and has expanded to 7x in population in 35 years. Small scale farming is completely ceased.
All in all it was a very moving several days in Israel.
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