Two years ago, Florence looked like this at Christmastime. My friends in Florence tell me that this year the lights are on for a shorter time each day due to the energy crisis created by Putin’s war.

Let’s celebrate with an image from Florence, which is absolutely heavenly at Christmas!

From Edna Ferber, So Big:

Well, the color of Miro’s dreams anyway.

I actually enjoy it when Facebook gives me reminders of what happened several years ago. I like the prompts. Good inspiration for reflection.

I visited Milan for a few days in early December of 2019. I loved seeing the Last Supper fresco again and many other incredible sights around this amazing Italian city.

But, that’s where the outbreak of Covid first started in Italy and, sure enough, I caught it there. I had Covid before we knew what it was. I was incredibly sick, but fortunately I recovered.

I recall this beautiful paper shop not far from the Santa Maria Delle Grazie, where Leonardo’s masterpiece is housed. I loved the bright, warm light emanating at twilight within the dark, cold stone palazzo.

Above the entrance of the Chapel of the Corporal stands the cathedral’s large organ, containing 5,585 pipes and originally designed by Ippolito Scalza and Bernardino Benvenuti in the fifteenth century before being redesigned in 1913 and 1975. Scalza’s other major contribution to the church is the large Pietà he sculpted in 1579. it took him eight years the carve the four figures in this imposing marble group.

When the hair styles rivaled Marie Antoinette!’s!