The Top 3 Cathedrals in Florence

Il Duomo - Basilica Santa Maria del Fiore, Basilica di Santa Croce and Basilica di Santa Maria Novella

1. The Duomo - Il Basilica Santa Maria del Fiore

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (English: Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower) is the main church of Florence, Italy. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.

Community Diary - Part 1

Our Tuscany's Indonesian community have grown bigger, as many more Indonesians were added to the group. Although the definition of community is a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. One thing in common is that we are all Indonesians, but I am glad to see how everyone is willing for a new friendship and to experience how this friendship has grown and is still growing between us.

We met up for big meals sometime, but we often met up more in small groups, even if it is just for a cup of coffee and dolce or just for a morning walk in a park together. I am so thankful knowing how everyone is willing to open their house, to share what they have, to help each other.

Top 10 Main Landmarks in Florence, Italy

1. Statue of David

David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture created between 1501 and 1504, by the Italian artist Michelangelo. It is a 5.17-metre (17.0 ft) marble statue of a standing male nude. The statue represents the Biblical hero David, a favoured subject in the art of Florence.Originally commissioned as one of a series of statues of prophets to be positioned along the roofline of the east end of Florence Cathedral, the statue was placed instead in a public square, outside the Palazzo della Signoria, the seat of civic government in Florence, where it was unveiled on 8 September 1504.

Eczema Q&A

I am not a medical doctor or a health expert but as an eczema sufferer, I learned from my own experiences and felt the urgent need to get my self free from this illness. So, I did a lot of research to find out more about it. Here are some common questions and answers :

Question : What is eczema?

Answer :

Atopic dermatitis or atopic eczema is an extremely itchy inflammatory skin condition made worse by scratching. The skin can become red and irritated and even weep (oozing liquid) if the area becomes infected.  In the chronic stage, skin thickening (lichenification) can occur.  Atopic eczema can be a very difficult condition to deal with for both children and adults.

Between Lunch Buffet and Balinesia

I locked my bike at the piazza Largo Pietro Annigoni, then headed to Pingusto, the all you can eat buffet restaurant and our meeting point. Everyone were there already, that was a special lunch gathering to facilitate all of us so we can meet Dina. She lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, but was in Florence at that time as she came with her husband who works for GE and had his business trip at GE office in Florence. Beside Dina, Erna Vin Eka Putri was there too. January 15, 2014, was an official day of my first time meeting with Dina and Erna. We have two Ernas in the community now!