Jan Leeming - The Official Website

APOLOGIES

31st May 2010

I sincerely apologize for not completing my FLORENCE TRIP but for one thing, I've had a lot of paperwork to attend to and then I get a bit downhearted as I rarely get any feedback with regard to my Blogs even though hundreds tune in from around the world. 

To my amazement, this week the 'hits' were phenomenal (relatively) but I think that might have been because Come Dine With Me was shown for the umpteenth time - it's very flattering but I wish we got repeat fees!!

So, encouraged by the thousands who tuned in this week, I promise I will resume the Florence Epic by midweek.  Can't do it earlier.

It's such a strange feeling - looking at the weekly analysis and seeing people tuning in from all over the world and not knowing who they are.

Take care - A bientot.  Jan

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INTERFLORA

20th May 2010

INTERFLORA Warning - Check your order

A lady in Capetown has been extremely helpful to me over the last fortnight.  I've never met her but wanted to thank her for all her efforts on my behalf.  So I placed an order (not insignificant) for an arrangement to be delivered to her on Tuesday 18^th May. 2010.

As I heard nothing from her, I made the decision to email and ask if she had received anything (always slightly embarrassing if a recipient hasn't acknowledged a gift).  Well I'm very pleased that I asked.  No, she has not received her gift.  I've had two long phone calls today to Interflora (calls at my expense) and nothing has been resolved - not even a call to let me know how or whether the investigation was getting anywhere.

This is not the first time that I've been let down by Interflora.  It is always worth checking what kind of flowers were actually delivered.  I think the florists work on the presumption that you won't check up and very often just send any old things they've got left in the shop.  Sorry if I'm being very unkind but I'm furious that my gift was not delivered on Tuesday and here we are at the end of the week and nothing has been resolved.

Many years ago my father sent a bouquet to a titled lady.  He heard nothing and thought it odd but didn't have my nerve and never asked if she had actually received the gift.  Many years later, it transpired that indeed she had not received the flowers. 

So, BE WARNED, if you've sent flowers by INTERFLORA either within the UK or overseas, check that the recipient has actually received your gift.

UPDATE

The order was eventually sorted.  My order had not been transmitted!!!!  Interflora were duly apologetic and re-sent the order whilst offering me an Apology Bouquet or a refund of half my payment.  The recipient of my gift received it almost a week late - by the time all the ways and wherefores were investigated.  In this instance the late delivery was not too damaging but had it been for a Birthday or a special occasion, then no amount of apology could have made up for the disappointment.  SO IN CONCLUSION - Interflora have acted honourably - yet, in future, I would ALWAYS phone the recipient of a gift to ensure that they had received it.  Actually, I think Interflora would be doing themselves a favour if they despatched a confirmation to the purchaser indicating that the order had been sent and delivered.  I had to make two lengthy phone calls and then engage in some emails before the mistake was rectified.

What do you think? Send your feedback to contact@jan-leeming.com.

FLORENCE - To be continued

16th May 2010

Sorry not to have filled in the other 6 days but have had a lot of paperwork.

Promise I will write fully within the next week.  Have to go to London on Tuesday to celebrate my son's 29th Birthday (seems like yesterday that he was a mere baby and now he's a strapping 6ft 3inches) I can still remember his birth and what a gorgeous sunny day it was on May 18th 1981.   I also have to go and see my Mother who celebrates her 90th Birthday on Wednesday.  What with her being 90 and my Father in his 95th year, I only hope I don't go on so long.  I really don't like the idea of being ancient and helpless - OK if you are fit both mentally and physically but my Mother is slowly going down the Dementia path and my Father is blind.  I have no desire to go on forever and wouldn't want to even if someone discovered the Elixir of Youth.  I think we are all living too long and we in the Western World have lost the comfort of the extended family where we would be guaranteed a 'place at the hearth'.  Transport has split us up and thrown us down all over the place.  My son is taking a rather late Gap Year and I shall miss him terribly.  He got caught in the Volcanic Ash business and stayed in Thailand for an extra three weeks and now is stating that he might eventually go and live there.  If he does, I shall miss him ridiculously.

Will write up the rest of my Florentine adventure and upload more photos for you - most of them will have to go into the Gallery and it will be difficult to choose as I've come back with so many.

Just to be going on with, here I am at the top of the Duomo in Florence - 439 steps - a steep and hard slog.  I reckoned that if I ever visit Florence again (would love to but it is phenomenally expensive) I'll probably be past being able to climb the steps so I DID IT.

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FLORENCE - Day 2 - The Academia

2nd May 2010

FLORENCE - Day 2 - The Academia

There are times when it really is worth the money to book a guided tour and I'd booked for both the Academia and the Uffizi.

We were extremely lucky that we had the guide to ourselves - a very rare occurrence as one is usually tagging along in a group of at least 25 - 30.  We had the undivided attention of Sami Bin Ali  - born in Florence to a Florentine Mother and passionate about his work.

I remember well in the 70's wondering why everyone made such a fuss about Michelangelo's 'David'.  I'd only ever seen pictures in books.  It was quite a different story seeing it in the flesh and I must have spent at least twenty minutes just walking around and staring at the sculpture.  I was so impressed that I actually bought a very heavy copy (8kgs) standing about two feet high and trusted to the honesty of the shop that it would be delivered to my home in Bristol.  It was and I am still it's proud owner.  I remember being told that the copy was done by some sort of electronic process whereby the statue was totally accurate even down to the slight nick in David's sling.  I hadn't looked at the signature in years - Dal Torrione. Have just found the name on the Internet but cannot find out much more.  The statue is a kind of compressed marble and has gone a bit yellow over the years but it is a thing of beauty and my copy still has the toes intact on the left foot (some mindless vandal hacked at them some years ago)

Sami, our guide, was very informative about the 'Prisoners' - not a name given them by Michelangelo - but by future generations because they are unfinished and look as though they are trying to fight their way out of the marble.

Sami was also very knowledgeable about Giambologna whom I seem to remember was almost dismissed by our lecturer back in the 70's as being 'heavy and full blown'.  Sami put a totally different perspective on The Rape of the Sabine Women and I began to accord Giambologna the respect which is his due.  Also, in the 70's The Rape was to the left of The David and really shouldn't have been in the same area.  Now the work is housed in a separate room and one can accord it it's  true value.  I think I remember that Sami told us The Rape is actually the model for the original work which is in the Loggia of the Piazza della Signoria whereas the David in the Piazza is a copy and the real work is in the Academia.

There are not that many artefacts to view in the Academia (as compared with the Uffizi or the Bargello) so the fact that Sami held us in thrall for two hours is due respect for his knowledge and enthusiasm.

I'm not an Art Critic, merely an enthusiastic amateur, so I can only give you a very brief overview of the wonders of Florence.

This is the Copy David in the Piazza della Signoria (not allowed to take photos in the Academia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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FLORENCE - Day 1

1st May 2010

FLORENCE - Day 1

General Walkaround and the only sunny day we had in a week.

I had booked two guided tours for the Uffizi and the Academia so we decided to spend our first day just wandering and familiarizing  ourselves with the city and all the wonders on offer.  We weren't to know that it would rain for the remainder of the week so I'm glad I took many photos.  I still felt the wonder that I'd experienced in the 70's when I looked at the Duomo, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry Doors and the Ponte Vechio which, when viewed from a distance,  gives you the feeling of being back in the Middle Ages.  Today the bridge is entirely given over to jewellers displaying the most fabulous wares.  Along the top of the shops is Vasari's Corridor (difficult to book a visit) which was designed and built so that the Medicis could walk from one palace, across the bridge to another of their palaces without having to mix with the 'common herd'.  The bridge used to be inhabited by butchers but the smell from the buchery was unpleasing to the Medicis so they were got rid of and instead jewellers were allowed to inhabit the houses/shops.

It is so difficult choosing just one photo out of the thousand or more that I took but I shall show you one of the most visited artefacts in the city - Il Porcellino (Italian 'piglet') is the local Florentine nickname for the bronze fountain of a boar found to the side of the Leather market very close to the Piazza della Signoria.  He is actually a copy - the real one sculpted by Pietro Tacca (1577 - 1640) being in the Uffizi. 

The legend goes that if you drop a coin down his snout into the grating and rub his nose - you will return to Florence.  Consequently his snout is burnished gold whilst the rest of his body is a dull patinated bronze.  I like him very much and went back several times to try and get a photo when there weren't dozens of people around him.  Finally  managed it so here goes.

The Florentine Boar and yours truly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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