Thursday, September 23, 2010
Florence 5771 Sept 2010
What a day! I arrived in Florence by train about 8, left my bags at the hotel. By ten I was a the top of the Duomo, 434 stairs. I was not the only one sweating, it was warm, another pleasure. After descending, I had a cappacino and then I walked.
My birthday falling near the new year makes me reflective. I've been thinking about age. A couple of things I've noticed going, besides memory. My sense of direction, although not today. I used to be pretty good but I get turned around more easily now. At least I'm doing this at a good time, technology wise, GPS, here I come, iphone?
Now I've forgotten the other thing, so let's get back to memory.
I'm asking forgiveness right now for forgetting birthdays. I think they are important but I can't keep up. Other than my sisters and brother, you have to remind me. Too many nieces, nephews, extended family, friends. So at 58, I can still make it up the stairs to the dome of the Duomo. Who knows at 68? My feet hurt, but so what! I visited the Pitti Palace and gardens today. Overwhelmed with art on my first day.
Florence
Florentines have a sense of humor and playfulness that I miss. The reception at the hotel, when I said I had two questions quipped, "the first one is free". How could I not see that was missing, perhaps I'm taking Austria too seriously.
Oh my aching feet! I walked all day. I had a 10am reservation for the Uffizi, which puts you on art overload almost immediately. Like the Hapsburgs, the Medicis had way too much money. They did a lot to preserve art, he sculptures, so many. I saw the "Birth of Venus", liked the one next to it "Primavera" perhaps more.
More impressive for me today was San Croce. I finally get frescos. The life in them after hundreds of years is amazing. Loved Michaelangelo's tomb too.
Saw the Jewish temple, highly fortified but a beautiful building. Had to sit for a while so I had a manicure, got Chianti colored nails.
Next day, saw "David." My jaw dropped, it had me breathless even after countless times seeing the image. Standing in front and walking around it is worth it.
Oh my aching feet! I walked all day. I had a 10am reservation for the Uffizi, which puts you on art overload almost immediately. Like the Hapsburgs, the Medicis had way too much money. They did a lot to preserve art, he sculptures, so many. I saw the "Birth of Venus", liked the one next to it "Primavera" perhaps more.
More impressive for me today was San Croce. I finally get frescos. The life in them after hundreds of years is amazing. Loved Michaelangelo's tomb too.
Saw the Jewish temple, highly fortified but a beautiful building. Had to sit for a while so I had a manicure, got Chianti colored nails.
Next day, saw "David." My jaw dropped, it had me breathless even after countless times seeing the image. Standing in front and walking around it is worth it.
 |
| From Florence Sept 2010 |
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
A Jew in Vienna
Before I came to Austria, I looked at the Jewish community. I wondered if a Jew, me, would be comfortable in Vienna. I came with prejudices. My father would not buy a German car. My experience with the German accent was American movies, Nazis and evil. In my mind, I would sometimes flinch, hearing German. So could I, would I, be welcome, happy here?
The answer is yes and no.
Yes, life is good in Vienna. It is easy to get around. Good health care is provided. It is amazingly clean and beautiful!
I long ago gave up the “not buying German products” and I’ve visited Germany a few times. I’m glad to be able to say that I like the German language much more now. I have so many pleasant interactions in German. I think of the lady that I buy flowers from, the delightful German teachers at school and the sounds of life around, counting in games, acquiring vocabulary, using German myself.
Which brings me to Yiddish. I make many connections. I can hear my dad say “noch mal”, again. My mom say inga pathchin, messed up. The word for salmon in German is lachs, pronounced lox.
It is okay to be Jewish here but it isn’t okay to mention it too much. When I occasionally mention a Yiddish word, no one asks how much Yiddish I speak or how I know it or even if I am Jewish, a fair assumption. It simply isn’t talked about, that is the feeling I get.
There are reminders of the Jews that lived here. Squares, about envelope size, are on the streets and on buildings with the names and dates of the people that lived there. Not many people know of them or notice them. In this city of grandeur, they have no grandeur.
There is a memorial in the old Jewish section that I really like. It is a bare library.
I have visited the Jewish Museums and find them sad and troubling. The top floor of the Jewish museum is crowded with Jewish stuff, menorahs, torah covers, that nobody claimed?
In the audio guide it says that the Jewish community was dissolved. That word troubles me, sugar dissolves, people don’t. People were murdered. Berlin uses the word murder in their Jewish museum. Austria doesn’t include, from 1938 onwards as their history, since they were annexed by Germany, Anschluss. My trouble with that, I think a person, country, people don’t heal unless they deal with the past.
Austria is a contradiction in many ways. They had a Jewish Chancellor, Bruno Kreisky, for many years. They also didn’t pay reparations until 1995.
So, is it comfortable to be a Jew in Vienna? For the most part, yes, there are probably no more Nazis here than in California.
The answer is yes and no.
Yes, life is good in Vienna. It is easy to get around. Good health care is provided. It is amazingly clean and beautiful!
I long ago gave up the “not buying German products” and I’ve visited Germany a few times. I’m glad to be able to say that I like the German language much more now. I have so many pleasant interactions in German. I think of the lady that I buy flowers from, the delightful German teachers at school and the sounds of life around, counting in games, acquiring vocabulary, using German myself.
Which brings me to Yiddish. I make many connections. I can hear my dad say “noch mal”, again. My mom say inga pathchin, messed up. The word for salmon in German is lachs, pronounced lox.
It is okay to be Jewish here but it isn’t okay to mention it too much. When I occasionally mention a Yiddish word, no one asks how much Yiddish I speak or how I know it or even if I am Jewish, a fair assumption. It simply isn’t talked about, that is the feeling I get.
There are reminders of the Jews that lived here. Squares, about envelope size, are on the streets and on buildings with the names and dates of the people that lived there. Not many people know of them or notice them. In this city of grandeur, they have no grandeur.
There is a memorial in the old Jewish section that I really like. It is a bare library.
I have visited the Jewish Museums and find them sad and troubling. The top floor of the Jewish museum is crowded with Jewish stuff, menorahs, torah covers, that nobody claimed?
In the audio guide it says that the Jewish community was dissolved. That word troubles me, sugar dissolves, people don’t. People were murdered. Berlin uses the word murder in their Jewish museum. Austria doesn’t include, from 1938 onwards as their history, since they were annexed by Germany, Anschluss. My trouble with that, I think a person, country, people don’t heal unless they deal with the past.
Austria is a contradiction in many ways. They had a Jewish Chancellor, Bruno Kreisky, for many years. They also didn’t pay reparations until 1995.
So, is it comfortable to be a Jew in Vienna? For the most part, yes, there are probably no more Nazis here than in California.
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