Homecoming 2

Good news, I will be visiting home country again in December. This time HF will be coming with me. If I manage to drag her icy cold feet far enough, we'll be there till Jan 2, 2008. She'll be meeting my parents and family members for the first time, thus the cold numb feet.

This Time Last Year
...we were behaving like two lunatics running ecstatically and randomly on the streets in Florence (Italy) with a camera wielded in our hands snapping at everything we see. Being silly as we can get was perhaps about the only way to show that we were truly enjoying ourselves -- especially HF. If memory serves the better of me, I doubt we have not mimicked every statues and sculptures that we come across. While I tried not to be a HF's joy-killer, I couldn't help but to feel a little empty as I look at the sculptures. And obviously enough, that sculpture looked back at me, probably probing the million dollar question, "What do you know about me?"
"I have absolutely no clue, David! I just know 'that' (imagining pointing at 'that') is puny because all you need is just a leave to acquit you from public indecency."

We didn't have the luxury of time and money, and perhaps above all, knowledge as to spark a genuine interest to visit the museums. At the very least, I know HF doesn't have any. Time was spent exploring the city of Florence. We stumbled upon a street stretched over a bridge (Ponte Vecchio & Arno River) where jewelers ruled the streets. If it was night time, I bet the glitters from every hundreds of jeweler stores would be bright enough to illuminate the sidewalks of that street! Suddenly, HF was paralyzed torso down & neck up. Stuck at Ponte Vecchio, Italy's oldest and longest surviving stone bridge, it was also the longest agonizing moments I had to go through with HF who at the time seem to be hypnotized and enchanted by the glittering colors of gold, silver, and diamonds. She tried to convinced me that she was not the only one, and indeed, she was not the only one with torso and mental paralysis by acute golden sort of rays. Did I look surprise? I masked it, but I did enjoy myself nevertheless -- observing the behaviors of the paralysis captivating them by these jewelries. I wish to return to this place when I could afford a jewelry or two for my beloved one.

I, however, do have my fair share of paralysis too. But of magnificent structures and pizzas! We arrived at Florence's duomo megastructure -- Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore -- designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. It is an astounding structure and a landmark. Being there reminded me not only can we achieve great things in life, but also the impossible. I recalled the documentary I watched on discovery channel about Esref Armagan, a blind painter, who was right here on an experiment test to prove that he could draw Brunelleschi's dome with perspective. He was born blind. He passed the test. All he did was a couple of touches on Brunelleschi's six-sided dome structure. Sat down and began drawing. It was mind-boggling.

Filippo Brunelleschi's Basillica di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, Italy.

Filippo Brunelleschi's Basillica di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, Italy.

Golden sculptured panels of biblical stories (I think) on an entrance gate.

Hf and I before the 'wallpapered' duomo

Inside the duomo, the artworks of painters, sculptors, stonemasonry, etc were all out of the ordinary. Awesome! Just have to be there to absorb my statements.

The Trompe-l'œil of Niccolò da Tolentino, the famed condottiero.

Enchanted! Beyond-words beautiful frescos -- the interiors of the duomo.

...a closer look

While these ceiling frescos are not decorated with gold leafs and/or paints as did the doumo of Marco Polo in Venice, they are still as impressive!

At the end of our trip, I had to readjust the position of my head-neck to be forward looking. There were just too many to see. The ones in Sistine Chapel had the better of my neck! But it was fun!

When I first saw Duomo Fiore, it was late evening and we were looking for our hotel. The exterior of the duomo looked as though the entire structure was wallpapered with green bar strips. When we were there again the next morning, HF laughed at me right in my face, "So, wallpapered huh? Idiot!!" Great, I became the butt of the joke first thing in the morning!

Home made super-freaking-'solutely delicious original Italian Margheritta pizza, only available in Naples, home to professional Italian pickpockets and thieves. Thank God I still had enough spare change to afford this mouth-watering aromatic pizza!

Possibly traveling the Peninsula
This December we may be visiting Singapore, an island of Malaysia for either snorkling or scuuba diving, and Thailand. Looking forward to get together with family and friends once again.