the blue blog archives: at the close

I've always wanted to visit Florence. The sites were amazing, but it was very hot and extremely overcrowded. There was no chance of actually going into any of the museums or larger churches. Too many people. And there was no place to catch a break from the heat. The main historic center is all concrete and stone with no shade or green spaces at all. This made visiting Florence a little disappointing. But you can't argue with the beauty of a piazza like this.

Yup, that's David there near the end (well, a copy Michelangelo made for the square - the original was in a building full of tourists and therefore impossible to see).

The cathedral is so incredibly big, you couldn't possibly ever get one good picture of it, so I opted for this shot with wee one. She was so good on the trip, sleeping through the hottest part of the day in the stroller while we walked through the narrow streets of Florence.

Our favorite site in Florence was this church, Santa Croce. The burial place of a staggering number of important names, like Galileo, Michelangelo and Machiavelli, it also houses amazing frescoes and stone works.

After the churches closed and the city emptied out a bit, we were able to enjoy the old streets and main squares much more and actually catch a glimpse of a few things we hadn't been able to even approach before, like Ghiberti's stunning Gates of Paradise.

Greetings from Florence! We're nearing the close of our vacation and still have yet to see a cloud in the sky. I've finished book 7 (could have lived without the last chapter, but I really liked the last two sentences!) and am knitting away on the boys' tiger/lion animals. It took the boys exactly eight days to remember that I promised to start knitting them on vacation. The yarn (db cotton dk) is actually made in Italy, so it's a little homecoming for it. I've finished two other little knitting projects (pics to come later) and am past the gusset on my sock pal's final sock.

Yo, sockapaloozas, there's barely 40% of you done. Knit, knit, knit. Hey, if Harry can ... ... then you can finish those socks! ;0)

posted by alison at 11:01 am | in sockapalooza 4 , vacation 2007

Comments

In Florence don't forget to pay a visit at Campolmi, a yarn producer that has a shop close to the Duomo on via Folco Portinari. They sell only the yarns they produce and the shop is open only on weekdays. Also, check out the Beatrice Galli yarn shop on borgo San Iacopo, not far from Ponte Vecchio.

Posted by: Typesetter at July 30, 2007 11:26 AM

I'm almost done with my socks, I promise! Only two more days, and they should be alllll done, then I can read HP!

Posted by: beverly at July 30, 2007 11:32 AM

I'm glad you're having a nice vacation, and I feel exactly as you did about the last chapter. A bit too gushy and sweet, and I was hoping for more loose ends to be wrapped up; what does Harry do for work, who's headmaster at Hogwarts, etc. Ah well, we can't have it all, I guess!

Posted by: Rachel at July 30, 2007 11:38 AM

There is an interview with JKR that goes more in depth as to what the gang is doing for work, etc..

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19959323/

Posted by: Christy at July 30, 2007 12:31 PM

I hear you about the last chapter...but if you think about it...the kids really wanted and needed that last one. My daughter loved that we knew what happened with the relationships. She was thrilled to read it and felt like it was a bit of closure on the story. After all...these books are written for a younger audience than us :o) I could have taken or left that last chapter. But I *LOVED* the rest of the book.

Posted by: Stephanie at July 30, 2007 1:25 PM

I am not quite done with my socks...but they are on track to be mailed on August 2nd...knit, knit, knit!

Posted by: PICAdrienne at July 30, 2007 1:49 PM

I think JRK HAD to do that last chapter, to be sure that neither she nor anyone else would be tempted to keep writing. I'm glad you finished it and hope your vacation was wonderful.

Posted by: Katie at July 30, 2007 1:54 PM

Glad you are enjoying your vacation. Amazing what kids will forget when they are having a good time. On the HP note, NBC had an interview with JK Rowling last night and she said that she had to write the final chapter so she would feel okay about it. Personally, I want those years filled in, but we enjoyed it immenselyl in our house.

Posted by: Ava at July 30, 2007 2:12 PM

Whew, I thought I was the only one who felt that way about the last chapter. I'm decreasing on my second two and then it's a wash & block & out in the mail. Should have pici's & a complete this evening. :)

Posted by: Tammy at July 30, 2007 3:36 PM

i'm just about done with my pal's socks. I'm on the foot of #2, planning to finish and mail out a nice package before I leave for my vacation on Aug. 4th.

Posted by: peggy at July 30, 2007 4:58 PM

See, in contrast to Katie, my worst fear about the last chapter is that it opens up the possibility for another series!

Posted by: Ashley at July 30, 2007 8:36 PM

I agree with the final chapter of HP. But I loved the interview JKR gave about where she sees the characters (spoiler: http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/books/07/30/potters.afterlife.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch).

Also, she said she'd be writing an encyclopedia of sorts on the characters. Could be very cool!

Posted by: Rachel at July 30, 2007 9:41 PM

Also, she said she'd be writing an encyclopedia of sorts on the characters. Could be very cool!

Posted by: Rachel at July 30, 2007 9:41 PM

i am knitting! however, my pal is on vacation, and has given me permission to send her socks after she comes back. breathing room!

Posted by: minnie at July 30, 2007 11:16 PM

Bloomsbury had a web chat w/ JKR yesterday; she answered many DH questions. I submitted 4 or 5, but they seem to have gotten buried among the other 120,00 they received! Bloomsbury doesn't yet have the transcript up, but Leaky Cauldron does:
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/7/30/j-k-rowling-web-chat-transcript

I hope you & your family have a wonderful vacation and wonderful knitting!

Posted by: Bonny at July 31, 2007 7:02 AM

Besides NBC and LeakyCauldron, MuggleNet has a transcript of an interview giving lots more closure details - very satisfying. There were so many questions JKR had suggested she would answer in book 7, then didn't. But you will find the answers in the after-the-book interviews. My family is a post-book funk; but I am keeping busy making a Hedwig (poor Hedwig!) using your pattern.

Posted by: Mary K. in Rockport at July 31, 2007 8:36 AM

Just posting my socks to my pal today. The UK is having postal strikes so I want to make sure they arrive timely. Glad you're having a good time. See you when you get back.

Posted by: Carol at July 31, 2007 8:55 AM

I havent quite figured the pligg thing out, sorry.. Anyway, I am done with the socks, need to block them and take a pretty picture for my blog before sending them out. Do I have to mention that I am done on pligg or here or do I send an email? *help*

Posted by: bente at July 31, 2007 11:33 AM

I am done! How should we tell you we are done?

Wait, I just did...

Posted by: sheknits at July 31, 2007 11:47 AM

I love Italy!!! my husband and I had our honeymoon there and are dreaming of going back.

Posted by: Orlil at July 31, 2007 12:18 PM

Done - but still can't even get the site added to my blogger dashboard. Maybe you can send a new invite to me?

Posted by: Lisa K. at July 31, 2007 2:42 PM

I emailed my sock pal to confirm her address, and her email bounced back to me. I'm worried about sending the socks? Any ideas?

I finished at midnight on July 1.

Posted by: Lisa at July 31, 2007 7:17 PM

Great to see you are having fun in Italy. I am going to post my pal's socks tomorrow, Hedera in Cherry Tree Hill supersock, coz it takes longer from here. I will try to take a picture tonight.

Posted by: Chrissie at August 1, 2007 6:21 AM

My socks are on its way...

Posted by: Bianca at August 1, 2007 7:28 AM

Did your boys discover the Gelato stands? I have a friend who took 2 small boys to Italy and that is the most outstanding memory.

Posted by: BarbM at August 1, 2007 10:06 PM

Just to let everyone know that the Royal Mail in the UK is currently on strike, and the delivery/collection service is pretty patchy. So it might take a bit longer for our Brit socks to reach their destinations. :-(

Posted by: Bronte at August 2, 2007 8:03 AM

Mine are done and posted :-) Unfortunately when I try and update my information, the email isn't coming through to let me :-(

Posted by: janine at August 2, 2007 4:30 PM

Ahhh Florence... Did you seek out the wild boar statue and stroke it's foot and it's nose? Tradition holds that if you do so you will return to Florence again.. :) Ruth

Posted by: Ruth at August 5, 2007 10:27 AM

god i love florence though i was there in late february and the weather was a lot more tolerable. my husband and i climbed to the top of il duomo. my lord that's a lot of steps!

Posted by: gleek at August 5, 2007 11:03 AM

I have some of those same pictures! We were in Rome and Florence just a week or so before you were. It sounds like you all loved it just as much as we did. Except for the heat, that was kinda a killer!

Posted by: Gena at August 5, 2007 7:06 PM

Florence is lovely. I haven't been in 20 years, but those pictures brought back such wonderful memories. I went the week after Christmas, so it wasn't crowded or hot, and we got to see David. The picture of wee one with Domo is wonderful!!

Posted by: Anniebananie at August 9, 2007 3:09 PM

Hi Alison,

Just had to sent a quick note to tell you that I absolutely LOVE Charmed Knits. I had already made a Gryffindor house scarf several years ago as well as making house socks. (Which I wore at the hospital while giving birth to my daughter - the nurses all loved them).
I just finished making a small weasley sweater for my daughter with a big K on the front. I did the body in dark heather grey, the Initial & Sleeves in a dark purple. It turned out really cute. I can't wait until she is big enough to wear it. (she's only 3 1/2 months old)
Thanks again for the great book - I'm looking forward to making the 2 knitting bags and Mrs. Weasley's sweater. ;-)
I can't wait to make a Weasley sweater for myself, too.

Posted by: Jenny at August 10, 2007 12:37 PM

Glad you're seeing Florence.
The picture of the Piazza Della Signoria brought back so many memories. I lived in Florence for 2 years.

Enjoy the weather and your knitting,

Monica Silva

Posted by: Monica Silva at August 12, 2007 2:25 PM

been there done that:-D though churchased don't really do it for me. I love the David and the Moses...
btw, on my honeymood we couldn't go up Pisa, it was closed off, they were holding it up with wires...LOL

Posted by: Orli at August 13, 2007 5:55 AM