The second part of my diary that I wrote almost 10 years ago. I am going back again in October. The quality of the pictures I am showing now is reason enough to go back, but I have a lot of renaissane research to do as well... Yes... I admit, I'm a genuin Renaissance Freak.

October 5th, 1.02 p.m. Piazza Santa Croce.

As I said I walked across the Ponte Vecchio. This is the only bridge in Florence that survived the bombing by the Germans in August 1944. There are just jewelers here. Cartier and other famous names are all around. The shops were built in 1593. Here you can buy fake iron (mainly gold) and fake glass (mainly diamonds). My mother would go absolutely berserk in this place.

Above these shops there is a kind of hallway. It runs from the Uffizi to the Palazzo Pitti. This was built to make sure that the Medici's could go from home to work without the chance of an assasination.

Once I crossed the river Arno, I thought it would be a nice idea to visit the Palazzo Pitti. When I arrived I found out that I had to pay 6 to 8 guilders for every floor that I wanted to visit. Even for the Boboli-gardens, free entrance according to my little guide, I had to pay 6 guilders. In retrospect I think I misunderstood it. But I was really disappointed when I walked back to the center of the city. From a distance I saw the San Miniato church. It is the oldest church in Florence. I took a picture of it and decided to visit it... Later.

Now I am sitting near the Chiesa Santa Croce. The front looks a bit like the Duomo. They are even both under reconstruction. My guide tells me that there are frescoes by Giotto inside the church. If this is the proper way to estimate the date that it was build, I think it dates from 1320 or so. I admit that this is not really scientifically correct, an expert would probably laugh at me, but it is good enough for me. O.K. Let's get inside. Next to me I see a German couple writing postcards. They are using an old pedestal for a table...

1.50 p.m.. Inside the Chiesa Santa Croce.

I feel a bit embarrased to take pictures of peoples graves in this church. But at the same time I realise that I do not visit this church everyday. I mean this is the church where Michelangelo and Galileo Galilei are burried!!! Apart from that the graves themselves are beautifull works of art. Again I notice that I am impressed by the atmosphere in this church. Much more than in the huge chilly Duomo I feel surrounded by a blanket of tranquility, this in spite of al the Japanese and German tourists that tiptoe through the church. The frescoes by Giotto are amazingly well preserved considering their age of about 670 years. A little while ago I tripped over one of the stairs that you have to climb to get to the frescoes. An old Italian man that I did not understand helped me to get up again. I smiled at him and thanked him. "Grazie.", I play-backed. I also met an American woman. She was about 60 years old. She was accompanied by a younger man, I think it was her son. Standing in front of Michelangelo's grave that was indicated by a cardboard arrow she cried out: "What the hell has this gotta do with Michelangelo?!" My answer:"It's his grave, Miss" She replied:"Oh gosh!!!" Later she told me that they visited The 'Rijksmuseum' in Amsterdam the day before:"Just for Rembrandts paintings."

3.47 p.m. Near the Uffizi.

I decided to take a look at the Uffizi again. The line of people is now only 100 meters long. If it shrinks a little more I might consider to get inside. But first I want to check the closing time.

Well, it's open until 7.00 p.m. if my guide is correct. I think I will wait until tomorrow morning. The problem is that I don't know how to spend the rest of this day. I feel a bit tired. 15 Minutes ago I had two Tunafish-salad sandwiches and a beer in Grand Cafe "Queen Elizabeth". How original! I think I will attempt to get inside the Uffizi, anyway.

16.55 P.M. On a staircase inside the Uffizi.

Yes! I am in!!! After a lot of stairs I stil don't see paintings by Michelangelo or Raphael. I do see a few beautiful statues and painting by artist that are unknown to me. This is fantastic! And it is so very quiet!!!

In a room with paintings by Botticelli I see a painting "Adoration of the child Jezus." , by Hugo van der Goes. Some parts of this look familiar, but the name doesn't ring a bell. I hope I'll remember to look it up when I am home again. The "Primavera" and "Birth of Venus" are very pretty and at least as big as I imagined them to be. But the paintings "Cullunia" and "Madonna Melagrani" are more beautiful to my opinion. Unfortunatelly I can not take any pictures. The guards are very strict. Every second there is an alarm ringing somewhere when one of the visitors comes to close to the priceless masterpieces that are on display. A personal test shows that the minimum distance between painting an

Daring, excellence, and inventiveness: the history of Cartier watchmaking is a reflection of a unique state of mind. A boundless tradition of research and pioneering that has doubly presided over the creation of a new Cartier watch for men, characterised by a bold Manufacture spirit: the .Calibre de Cartier. This creation is equipped with the first self-winding mechanical movement crafted entirely by Cartier: the calibre 1904 MC. A new move forward that testifies to the priority Cartier gives to developing its own movements, based on in-depth, ambitious research. Calibre de Cartier is a watch of character that challenges the round form in watchmaking through its mechanical construction, its noble balance between resilience and finesse, and the contrasting interplay of its polished, satin-brushed finishes.


A men’s watch
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The calibre 1904 MC
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