Florence, Italy 2 Ponte Vecchio 1

Florence, Italy 2 Ponte Vecchio 1

ITL Florence 2 

Tracks of the StoneBear   Copyright MMXV ALL Rights reserved

ROF= Ring of fire journey

ITL= Italy Journey   

Monday November 16, 2015

Florence, Italy 2   Ponte Vecchio 1

  

Second day in Florence  and ventured out as much as possible. Walked around some and Downtown to transit plaza- the main train station & central bus station.

Down past the Doma again. Fascinating just to be near it.

Onto the transit square & got a bus out to Ponte Vecchio, Vecchio Bridge.

Several bridges span the Arno River. 

Five to eight story buildings, apartments, condos line the river.  

The afternoon sun made a unique reflection on the Arno River.   

The Arno River runs right through the Florence valley.  Floods in 1996 overflowed the banks and parts of Florence were under 10 to 20' of water. A LOT of historical art and archived works were damaged and destroyed.... some dating back to the Renaissance were irreplaceable and years of restoration began. Art restoration craftsmen and women came from around the world and worked several years to restore the art works they could. Much of the modern restoration techniques used today were developed from the work after the Arno floods.

Florence was occupied by the Nazis in WWII. Yeah,... uuuuuhhhh. When the Nazis were pushed out by the allied British 8th Army and American troops they blew up/ destroyed every bridge across the Arno to seal up their retreat.... Except... Ponte Vecchio.  

One of the Mayor/ commissioners appealed to the Nazi General/ Colonel of the historical significance of Ponte Vecchio historical value.  ... so it was spared demolition. Thank you!!! 

This bridge is a work of art.  Engineering, yes. Functional, yes. Historical, yes. Thank You for sparing it!    

The 1st bridge was built in Roman times as this was the narrowest point on the Arno River. This stone and masonry bridge was built in 1345.      

The shops now on the bridge are upscale Rolex and Cartier shops of the modern chic era shops but the bridge has been here since the middle ages. 

We got some gelato - ice cream- at a shop... Italian gelato is primo, 1st class... none better in the world! Absolutely none better.

About 3 to 4 blocks north of Ponte Vecchio turn right/ east for a block or 2 to Piazza della Signoria.

You never drink twice from the same stream. 

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Dand Dirt Special review From the Road

Monday, December 6, 2010

DAnce Dirt Special Review

Dance Dirt - Copyright Special "From the Road"
Review Friday July 9,'10

Go to the original post with viedo here:   https://stonebeartracks.blogspot.com/2010/12/dance-dirt-special-review.html

Tracks of the StoneBear Copyright MCMLXIII Uncle Hargus ALL Rights reserved

ROF= Ring of fire Odyssey  MEF-H = Marine Expeditionary Force- Hargus 

ITW= Into the West Journey 

The Band: Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie... 10+

The Dance: a 5

original post: https://stonebeartracks.blogspot.com/2010/12/dance-dirt-special-review.html

The place: Butte Montanahttp://www.nationalfolkfestival.com/
Montana Dance tent

The dance gets a 5...
but actual dancing would be a 2.
When Geno and the band comes through Birmingham.... you go to Cajun /Zydeco dance 'cause it's gonna be good! Arriving in Butte Montana when they hold a street music festival is just pure luck... then finding out one of the best Cajun/Zydeco bands is playing at 8pm; you couldn't plan this good.

Here's what you get when you hold a dance in Butte Montana & don't charge admission; a few honest to god cowboy / ranchers w/ real hats & boots ect... a few decent salt of the earth Montana people that I talked w/ and made friends w/

.... and about 2,000 of assorted... Disabled Bull Riders, Born Again Bootleggers, Repentant Miner trash, Unrepentant Coal monkeys, mountain man/woman trash, Burned out hippies, Drifter trash, Former Independent Truckers, Reformed Cretins, Ambushed Bushwhackers, Bushwhacked Ambushers, Unreformed Idaho Clodbusters, Bus trash, Horse people, Reformed Union organizers, 3 card monte trash, Ill Mannered Honeydippers, Union Bull Whackers, Cattle people, Sheep ranchers, biker trash, Recovering MuleSkinners, Crapped out- run out of Vegas loser trash, Hippie Capitalists, West coast weird trash, a few Realtors, and 8 people that actually know what Cajun/ Zydeco dancing is and can actually do some Cajun/ Zydeco steps on the dance floor while Zydeco music is playing.

.

There was a wooden dance floor laid out on the street--- under a circus/ revival tent... TWICE the size of the City Stages Dance Depot that David did so well. But they treated it like a concert & just stood there Jukin & Jivin like it wuz a concert... damn the dancin... or just do what they thought was dancin'.

At times there was so little space that a normal zydeco dance was not possible. like 4 square feet available. They were stuffin their pie holes with corn dogs or funnel cake. They were drinkin & spillin beers on the dance floor. They were eating nachos on the dance floor & dripping cheese on the dance floor. Then the cheese got sticky.

 

They were hopping around like freestyle Chickenscratch...... but they were NOT dancing anything you have ever seen. No ZYDECO steps that's for sure. Not even country & Western dancing or waltz'.

Then at the end of a song Geno and the band stopped playing music for a minute.... or when they played a slow dance; it looked like a herd of cattle grazing. For an encore,... forget anything civil like applause. They Hooted. They Whooped, they Hollered, they Whooped and Hollered at the same time, and then Whooped and Hollered and Hooted some more....
and they STOMPED their FEET. That's how you get a performer back on the stage for one more song / encore. And believe me, they know how to stomp their feet on the dance floor. They don't know how to dance.... but bygod they're GOOD at Stompin' .

A lady asked me ?What are you dancin'? I said Zydeco... it's an eight count step... 2 mirrored 4 counts ?Do you know a mirrored four count Zydeco step ? & the guy w/ her stomped his right foot four times to show he could count 1- 2- 3- 4 like Earnest T. Bass.

Geno did an encore song because the foot stomping was so loud he thought it was a stampede of cattle or Buffalo & he wanted to die singing.

I was glad Geno was a hit in Montana... and Am really thankful for getting to dance for my tribe once on this journey. I already miss my dance friends back in Birmingham. They really are special to me & I can't wait to get back & dance w/ them.

Another gift of a day.... and did not waste my time of life... Thank you!



Also, Butte is an interesting town and it's favorite son is none other... American daredevil legend Evel Knievel . (sorry Super Dave). Later learned that the Butte civic center-- our temporary Samboree weekend home while in Butte... was the only building big enough to hold Evel Knievels funeral.







 

You never drink twice from the same stream. 

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ALL Blog posts/photographs/video Copyright MCMLXIII ALL Rights Reserved     

https://stonebeartracks.blogspot.com/2010/12/raton-new-mexico.html  

I don't do commercials or ads on this blog but occasionally we highlight and make note of exceptional artists, craftsmen, and unique people of character. No money or royalties are paid to this blog, or me. These photos and short clips of art, music, and craftsmanship are intended to be a gratis highlight of exceptional talent and a thank you to the artists.