The rain reminds me of … Antonioni

As I type this, rain is falling in Firenze’s Piazza della Repubblica. Earlier this morning, when I was chained in our apartment to my laptop, crowds filled the streets to celebrate what is Italy’s equivalent to July 4. It was on this day in 1946 when Italy voted to end its long-held monarchy and become a republic .

I’m no big fan of parades, especially those fraught with any kind of nationalistic fervor, and so I didn’t mind missing the event.

Besides, when I was done working, Mary Pat and I walked over to one of our favorite museums, the Bargello , and strolled through its stony grandeur. Rain began to pour while we were there, and it has continued on and off ever since. The good news is that the rain has returned a bit of cool to the air, cutting the humidity that began to hit us a couple of days ago.

In a few hours we train to Pisa where, after a short overnight stay, we fly to Sardegna for a three-day weekend. Shameless literary reference: Michael Dibdin’s Aurelio Zen novel, “Vendetta,” is set on that Mediterranean island region.

For now, though, I’m content sitting here, listening to the rain fall, the swish of the traffic on nearby streets, the call of the vendors and tourists and anyone else foolish enough to be out in the wet. Getting wet is the same everywhere, even in this beautiful Italian city.

Oh, and since this blog is called Movies and More, I’ll try to add a movie reference. Last time I was here, I visited the tomb of Michelangelo Antonioni .

E abbastanza, vero?

Below : Scenes from an Antonioni masterpiece, “L’avventura.”