Florence, Day 7 Italy

We had an excellent buffet breakfast at our hotel. The breakfast room was bright and cheerful with tall French doors opening out onto the Tuscan scenery. The buffet included croissants, plain and with many types of fillings, rolls, meats, cheeses, yogurt, 5 kinds of cold cereal, a fresh fruit cocktail, fresh fruit, and huge, sweet stewed prunes that were honestly the size of peaches. And of course, coffee, teas, juices, milk. The tables had nice, crisp linens.

We signed up for The Original Walking Tour of Florence which covered the famous sites of Florence’s ancient center. We learned a lot over the 3 hours and I especially want to do some more study of Ghirlandaio.

In the afternoon we hiked to the Church of San Miniato al Monte. My cousin Bobby had told me this was probably his favorite church anywhere. It is quite a ways out of the ancient center. We walked over Ponte Vecchio bridge which crosses the Arno and continued west along the river, then climbed uphill.

The church was built between 1018 and 1207 and sits high atop a hill with stunning views of Florence. The facade was built of beautiful Carrarra marble and green Prato marble and is neat, tidy, and charming. The inside is full of multi-colored marble and mosaic floors with decorated beams above. While there is much attention to small detail, these do not overwhelm the visitor but work together to produce a serene atmosphere.

An unexpected and incredibly special treat was that the Benedictine monks who live there sing Gregorian chants every afternoon at 5:30, and we were privileged to be there for this time of vespers.

The sun was setting as we headed down the hill and it was dark by the time we reached the Arno. We stopped in a lovely shop where I saw some blue and white plates, always a magnet, and the lady there recommended Mamma Gina’s Restaurant on this same south side of the bridge. It was packed, but we were able to get in. I had a politically incorrect, but oh-so-delicious dinner: Scallopine alla Toscana (tender veal scallopini with artichoke hearts and capers in a light white wine sauce). Bill had something that he enjoyed a lot…….Trippa Florentina….that’s tripe with a tomato herb sauce. I didn’t ask for a sample taste!

As we crossed back over the Ponte Vecchio we enjoyed the ambience of the musicians playing on both sides. And, as if we hadn’t eaten enough already, we stopped for some gelato to help us on our walk back to the hotel.

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October 24th,2005 Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Venice to Florence, Day 6 Italy

We left in the wee hours to make our train to Florence. As we pulled our suitcases to the vaporetto stop, and Bill carried them over small arched bridges, it was just us, in that time just before dawn when everything is still. A little mist and sort of a quiet, comfortable time to feel one with our surroundings. The old buildings seemed friendly and comfortable and kind, just like the people.

We discovered the Italian coffee bar "institution" at the train station. It is a long curved bar where one walks up and orders the coffee drink of choice and stands there and drinks with other patrons. We came to love these bars and found them everywhere.

First class on the Eurostar was very nice and definitely the nicest train of our trip. Bill and I sat facing each other, next to the window with a table between us. Next to us were two young teachers from Korea, with whom we enjoyed visiting. The seats were plush and reclined a bit. We were offered Italian newspapers. A couple times a man came around with complimentary beverages and chocolate torte cookies which Bill loved. We also had coffee, juice, and acqua frizzante (sparkling water).

The ride was very pleasant with interesting scenery, and in less than three hours we were in Florence!

Our hotel, Il Caravaggio, was 5-6 blocks from the train station up Via Nazionale. This was one of our two favorite hotels of the trip and in an incredible location. The staff was ultra professional and friendly at the same time. We were across the street from Piazza Indepenza, and close by along our street you could find a laundromat, an internet caf￩, and wonderful little luncheon places with enticing pastries. We were within easy walking distance of the street market and all the sites.

At 2 p.m. we had reservations at the Uffizi Gallery which, I had read, has the greatest collection of Italian paintings anywhere. To get there we needed to walk through the outdoor market which is the longest street market I have ever seen—blocks and blocks—lots of leather jackets, purses, belts, and cashmere scarves. However, we were on a mission, not exactly sure of where we were going, and so we couldn’t really stop to inpsect the booths. I think Bill had a little smile of relief about that!

At the Uffizi, we rented audio-guides and were moved by the many works of Giotto, Leonardo, Raphael, Caravaggio, Rubens, Titian, Michelangelo, and Boticelli, including his Birth of Venus.

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October 23rd,2005 Uncategorized | No Comments