The day before, Jessah and I braved the many stairs up the bell tower adjacent to the Duomo for some good shots.
This was the first time since we've been to Italy that it really started to rain. Sunday morning was Easter, and we were scheduled to blow town and head North for Bologna. However, before we left, we'd heard about a Florentine custom called "Scoppio del Carro" (The Burning of the Cart).
Basically they parade a giant wooden cart down the street and park it in front of the Duomo, and then blow it up with fireworks. They've been doing this in Florence for over 500 years, so we had to check that out before we left!
When we first showed up, we were greeted by a shield wall of a thousand umbrellas. Those amongst us of shorter stature (*cough* Kyra *cough*) were worried they'd see nothing.
Luckily by the time the fireworks began, the crowd was ordered to sheath all umbrellas.
Then all hell broke loose.
Things were exploding.
Fire and smoke everywhere.
Rockets blasting off. Jessah got nailed in the face with splinters and shrapnel.
Kyra was covered in ash.
By the time it was over, there was nothing left but an eerie fog where once a cart had been. Too bad my camera can't photograph how loud it was. It was like machine gun fire and bombs going off.
All in all, the second most entertaining Easter I've ever seen ;)
And I'd say the most "involved" in fireworks that I have been since Amsterdam NYE.
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