Supplicant

Florence is a city full of contrasts - some bizarre and some scenes frankly shocking.

There are hordes of tourists (like us) daily spending zillions of euros on overpriced food and drink, accommodation and entry to public buildings, where one even has to pay to view the interiors of many churches.

In stark contrast there are many beggars on the streets, some of whom one might judge capable of working and self support, but others, like this woman, clearly disabled and/or handicapped and/or aged and/or desperate.
Why else would a person choose to spend a day in sweltering heat, in this posture, on an unyielding kerbside?

I feel it disturbing to witness such evidence of stark contrasts in relative wealth and comparative wellbeing.

I do wonder about the nature of our human society which creates and then appears to tolerate such conditions.

And so I put all the coins in my pocket into the plastic beaker, take a picture to demonstrate and remind me of the scene, but cannot help remaining uncomfortable with my relative prosperity and more than a little guilty.