荒誕 His Piercing Gaze

As I composed the finale to my Firenze travelogue, I also survived a tumultuous development season.  Action is the window to a person's soul and I am happy to report that professionalism has triumphed.  

Cappelle Medicee.  Stolen moments with Michelangelo's magnificence via a discreet entrance.

不知從何時開始, 每年生日禮物是單獨旅行, 無特定主題, 想到哪走到哪… 存在主義的起手式, 與往昔未雨綢繆的自己過招.

近來偏愛帶灰調的紫色, 設計師觸覺敏銳, 從頂頭上司至工作團隊, 生日花束皆送我由深到淺的冷紫鬱金,  陸蓮牡丹, 甚至帝王火鶴, 襯霜白灰綠的葉片, 絕峭奇花另類美感.  也謝謝年年記得我生日幾位老朋友的祝福, 勞工節週末前夕獎勵團隊上月趕關稅死期, 率眾至de Young觀賞傳奇刺青藝術家Ed Hardy回顧展並請團隊午餐, 對2000 dragons長軸巨畫最有感. 

喜歡獨處的人多半知覺纖細, 與人共頻率便格格不入, 翡冷翠最後一天米開蘭基羅伴我同行, Cappelle Medicee半維修中, LK終極目標是再訪地窖The Sagretia Nuova, 環繞皇陵的四尊雕像:  白晝, 黑夜, 暮色, 破曉.  米開蘭基羅長壽且創造量豐碩, 苦行僧般的生活粹煉精準爆發力, 他雕繪的男性, 青春俊美眼神凝重, 體態頎長煥發, 如大衛.  年少時的我初見黑夜雕像深深震撼, 那沈思者的手肘, 性別模糊的肩線長腰腹肌… 總覺當她甦醒, 便會邁開大步不受羈絆, 是我喜歡的女性原型.

The Sagretia Nuova.  Years ago when I first encountered the virtuoso of Michelangelo, surely the piercing gaze of David foretold the ominous combat with Goliath, I was however haunted by the androgynous Notte of eternal slumber.  Its marbly existence made me question my own sexuality, in the cerebral dimension.

一個人或人與人之間關係成不成熟, 關乎能否坦誠接受自己和對方.  這趟母親與我能和平出遊便是君子和而不同, 不再強逼對方接受自己的價值觀, 她熱衷名店名牌, 我熱戀名畫氛圍, 尊重彼此喜好空間.  翡冷翠紙藝皮具皆出色, 是小物控天堂, 逛完博物院的傍晚, 即是我繫好Air Force1球鞋, 按圖索驥踏遍石子路覓小店的悠然時光.  此地工藝家友善有趣, 看著他們敬業樂業起爐燒鋼印, 替我的畫本筆盒零錢包燙金箔名號, 這是網購買不到的親切樂趣.

I appreciated the era when refined artistry was still celebrated and thankfully the Florentine artisans have not compromised until this day.  Blissfully lost I was, in the stationery heaven of Alberto Cozzi where the young maestro stamped my name from a ribbon of gold foil on the cover of the hand bound leather journal.

源自1906的老店Alberto Cozzi Rilegatore di Libri已傳承三代, 手工線裝紙本大理石彩紋紙藝, 每樣皆需精工眼色專注力, 迂緩品味時光.  可以理解大明星Daniel Day-Lewis息影拜皮革師傅Stefano Bemer, 於翡冷翠小工坊當學徒做手工鞋的心態, 手禪即心禪.

Il Bussetto perfected palm-size leather jewels.  The tiny shop was filled with handcrafting energy and stacks of wooden molds.  I got Mr. LK a cognac color coin purse and myself a case for my fountain pens.

皮具店Il Bussetto也有三十年歷史, 小小工坊塞滿木模鋼版鐵鎚雕刀, 真皮溫潤, 經年累月的使用更增其色, 是廉價大量生產卻倍添環保負擔的塑膠假皮難及美感.

Ponte Vecchio we crossed, to and from the Uffizi.  

在翡冷翠的一週, 天天和母親與K表弟踏遍老橋, 橋景如畫, 美若永恆.  橋邊三三兩兩畫家架著帆布遮陽傘寫生, 風格迥異各有千秋, 高手在人間.

Cafe Rivoire we sipped our coffee and shared family gossips.

分別逛完心頭好, 午後三人再聚首Piazza della Signoria正中央的Cafe Rivoire, 大啖檸檬冰沙和甜酒奶酪.  此趟反而圖畫得少, 閒時間都花於咖啡嬝香中分享家族秘辛 :)

Trattoria Za' Za' we dined on carciofi, lombatina di vitella, spaghettini all'astice… very rhythmic.

我們喜歡中央市場家庭風的Trattoria Za' Za', 磚牆掛滿照片, 天花板高懸鑄鐵吊燈和小木偶皮諾丘, 油漬朝鮮薊佐番茄乾和香米燉飯深得吾心, 母親熱愛帕馬臘肉香瓜和烤羊排, K表弟則龍蝦醬麵百吃不厭,  托斯卡尼料理自然奔放鮮明開朗.

Lucky to have caught the special exhibition of Verrocchio, Il Maestro di Leonardo at the Palazzo Strozzi.  Between the juxtapositions of Verrocchio's masterpiece and Leonardo da Vinci's early work, the fiber of the Renaissance continued to flex and evolve.  When my eyes followed every line and curvature of the drawing, painting, and sculpture, the art and its master came alive, once again.   

此趟走運, 因達文西逝世五百週年大祭, 得以觀賞Palazzo Strozzi達文西恩師Andrea del Verrocchio特展, 天才的養成有其淵源, 不是愛琴海露生巨蚌雙開便婀娜多姿迎向世人… 文藝復興分水嶺於寫真對比光影透視種種技法圓熟, 無論石雕繪畫, 數百年後, 像中風景人物仍在呼吸, 你的凝視喚醒我的復甦.  從Verrocchio的聖母像可看出幾分達文西的蒙娜麗莎, 圓額豐頰多肉的鼻頭和下頷, 唇型分明, 前者目光低斂, 存在聖潔小宇宙, 不可冒犯; 後者冷瞧來人, 莊重兼具挑釁, 對外在世界無聲宣言. Palazzo Strozzi挑高的中庭有很棒的書店, 扉頁翩翻間, 即養分充足的一天… 寫著翡冷翠遊記的完結篇, 我已迫不及待重遊開啟新章節 :)

Nice bookstore at the Palazzo Strozzi.