There’s No Going Home Again (A trip to Florence)

Ciao Readers!

So, before I even left home, I had planned a blog post with this title.  I had imagined it as an allegory for how much things and people change – especially me.  Aside from the fact that we are all totally replaced every 7-10 years (all of our cells that is), I feel very far away from the person who lived here 5 years ago.  At least I did until today, when I walked around Firenze all day and found that nothing much had changed.  It’s really weird – the shops are almost all the same (plus some new vape stores), the shopkeepers are all the same (they don’t even look like they’ve aged), the kebabs at Mesopotamia are still delicious, the Bargello is still a quiet refuge hidden from the throngs of tourists, the Ponte Vecchio is still picturesque, and the aperitivo at Serafini is still the best (though more expensive now).  So, I guess you can go home again, and instead of a philosophical lecture, all I have for you today are some photos, which look very similar to ones posted here 5 years ago….. (with some new Clet street signs and a new foodie floor to Mercato Centrale)….Buona giornata!

Wondering around Florence:

 

 

The Bargello:

 

 

New additions:

 

 

New Clet Street Signs!

Ciao Readers!  And Happy Passover!

As you may recall, there is a “guerrilla” artist here – Clet Abraham – a French dude who has been living in Florence for years and creates street sign art by applying adhesives to the signs (you can really see the adhesive on the blue arrow sign, below).   Since I already wrote an entire post about him, I won’t repeat myself here.  (I included photos of many of his ubiquitous signs in that post if you want to check them out.)

Well, it seems like after many months of the seeing the same signs all over town, new signs have started to appear.  Now, I can’t swear all of these are new, and not just ones I missed somehow, but I know the policeman in love with a big check (I think) is, as I pass that sign every day and this just appeared.  I am pretty sure the “walk like an Egyptian” sign is new as well; and while I have never seen the “Pieta,”  the fact that other stickers are on the sign makes me think that maybe it is not as new.  In any case, they are always a fun treat:

Street Sign Art in Florence

Ciao Readers!

Just in case you were beginning to think (as I was) that all of the art in this city was created pre-1600, today’s post is for you!

One day when I was on a tour with my old school, one of the other students pointed to a street sign and asked our teacher about it.  He thought she was pointing at a very old cross on a historical building and thus gave us a 5 minute lecture on its history.  However, what she was really asking about was street sign art (non-sanctioned, “guerrilla”) by “Clet.”  (When she re-pointed and asked the teacher again he just shrugged with disinterest and continued our tour).

Since that day I have learned that Clet is pretty famous here and I have even seen t-shirts with images of his signs.  Clet Abraham is a French artist who has been living in Florence for years and creates his street sign art by applying adhesives to the signs.  He has apparently been fined many times for his creations (but I am guessing the t-shirt sales and publicity cover the fines).  Whenever I see one of his signs in town (and I have remembered my camera) I stop and take a picture.  I know there are several other versions out there I have missed, but below are a sampling of some of the ones you can find all over town (they are repeated throughout the city).  You can find more information here and photos of many other signs here.

Fun stuff!

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