On the Road to Florence
We left Venice via water taxi, and arrived at a station on the mainland where we met our private bus. Our bus was quite nice, with more extra seats than people on the tour and plenty of space. Then we were off on the almost four hour journey down to Florence. Since it was early May in Italy, the fields were full of flowers in bloom, providing us a beautiful view from the bus.
We stopped for lunch at a rest stop where I got the fanciest rest stop food I'd ever seen in my life. What gas station in America has a cafeteria that serves mozzarella and prosciutto? The other main stop right before we drove into Florence was the Florence American Cemetery, a World War II memorial dedicated to the Americans who died fighting on Italian soil. I had not known about it before we arrived, so it was both an enlightening and sobering visit. It was also quite beautiful and peaceful, as you can see in the photos below. |
Florence Driving into Florence from atop a hill, we had an exciting view of the Duomo and all the red roofs as we headed down into the city. We arrived at our hotel, Hotel Silla, which had a beautiful botanical courtyard with stone sculptures lining the walls, which set the tone for what we would be seeing all over the city.
Florence felt like a town out of a storybook, with gardens and big pedestrian squares, full of masterful art in every corner. It had already started raining on the drive to Florence, and would continue for most of our time there, and despite the gloomy weather I found that it actually added to the cozy, picturesque atmosphere. Shortly after arriving, we left our hotel for a rainy walk around the city with a local guide, who told us about the beautiful Florentine architecture and sculpture rising up all around us. |
The courtyard at Hotel Silla (left), views from the Piazza della Signoria (center and right.)
We ended our walk at the Duomo, and in front of the Florence Baptistery where we saw Ghiberti's famous golden Gates of Paradise doors. We learned that they were just replicas, because the real doors were kept inside the Duomo museum to protect them from the elements. Despite knowing they weren't the originals, they were still an amazing sight to behold, with so much care and detail to discover in the reliefs upon a closer look.
That night we attended a family-style group dinner at an intimate restaurant with a beautiful garden view outside its many windows. Aside from the pictured charcuterie and bruschetta, we got to try the famous Florentine-style steak. Though I'm not one for steak, it was quite tasty!
I remember learning some fun facts about my fellow tour members that night, like how the couple beside me were both left-handed and from Texas just like me, all three of us sitting in a row, or how Bill, pictured left in the grey sweatshirt, was an engine driver for the children's train at his local zoo. We ended the meal with a delicious tiramasu, served to us in cute ceramic flower pots. |
The next day, one of my favorite days on the trip, began with a tour of the Bargello Museum, home of the famous David statues by Donatello and Verrocchio. Our local guide was quite the character, extremely passionate and full of life as he talked over each marvel of art. If you're a fan of sculpture this museum was definitely not one to miss!
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Following the museum, we crossed over to the other side of the river via the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge. It was something I had only seen before in historical fiction media, so it was very fun to see it in real life right in front of me and then get to walk across it.
We ended up making tomato bruschetta, mushroom pasta with fresh-made fettuccine noodles, chicken cacciatore, and tiramasu for dessert. Yum!
We were free for the rest of the day after our cooking lesson, so I spent the afternoon at the Pitti Palace, a sprawling mansion with galleries full of art from many eras, and a vast garden dotted with sculptures all around. This museum was one of my favorite choices I made for my free time. I was enamored by so many of the art pieces in this palace.
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I love funny and strange art. I'm really drawn to art pieces with lots of expression that seem out of place amongst works that are idyllic and peaceful.
I tried to leave the Pitti Palace by way of the gardens, because Google maps had erroneously promised there was an exit that direction. There was not, but I did manage at least to get an extremely wet tour of the gardens and see the sculptures out back!
Which brings me to my very favorite part and end to a great day. Once I managed to leave the Pitti Palace, I made a beeline for the Bardini Gardens. Margaret, our tour guide, found out that I loved wisteria, and told me on our bus ride from Venice that there was a wisteria tunnel in Florence. Of course I had to make time to go, and I managed to get to the Bardini Gardens a little before closing to spend some time in the wisteria tunnel, located up on a hill overlooking the city. It was absolutely magical, and I didn't care how wet it was outside. I took so many pictures and videos of the wisteria blowing gently in the breeze and dripping with rain, with the red roofs of Florence in the background. It was my happy place. Thank you, Margaret!
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Panorama taken from the center of the wisteria tunnel.
Our last day in Florence was thankfully not rainy! We started out at the Uffizi Gallery, home to Botticelli's famous works. I was delighted to see some of Botticelli's other works; I wasn't familiar with his pieces beyond The Birth of Venus and Primavera and I can say I definitely fell in love with his style upon seeing the rest. There were also some lovely pieces by Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael at this museum, so it's definitely not a stop to be missed.
Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, The Virgin and Child with Four Angels and Six Saints, and Primavera.
We were free for lunch and the afternoon, so first I went for a famous Florentine sandwich. Tourists and locals will line up around the block for these trendy foccacia sandwiches on the main street, but thankfully my Rick Steves guidebook recommended a restaurant off the beaten path where I could get the same experience with no line at all. I got a very delicious prosciutto and truffle mushroom sandwich at Il Cernacchio that I absolutely wish I could have again.
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Then of course it was time for gelato, a little shopping, and enjoying the sights of the Florentine streets. Pictured left is a busker dressed as Leonardo da Vinci who I thought was doing quite an excellent job pretending to be a sculpture.
Then I popped into the Galileo Museum for a short time. There you can see many glittering astronomical measurement instruments, and strangely, a grotesque medical gallery upstairs. Coming from a family full of doctors, I found that floor the most interesting part! |
Sights from the Museo Galileo.
Fellow tour member Jeremy was generous enough to give me an extra ticket for the Duomo and Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, so I put it to good use! First I went to the museum, where you can see the original Gates of Paradise by Ghiberti. You can definitely see the aging and damage the doors had received before they were taken down for preservation. You can also see Donatello's famous wooden Mary Magdalene sculpture there, along with many pieces of original art that once adorned the Duomo.
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Then I got to go inside the Duomo itself. I had really cut my time close so I was extremely lucky that they let me in right before closing. I'm glad I got a chance to view such a beautiful ceiling, and then the crypt beneath as well. What's interesting to note was, aside from the magnificent dome, it was really quite a plain church inside. There was no other real decor on the walls, which wasn't something I was expecting!
Our time in Florence ended with a real showstopper, David, the man himself. Tour member Jen had said her life goal was to see David, and she had really been hyping him up for me all through the trip. Even with high expectations, seeing him in real life was just breathtaking. He may have become an art cliche, but there is a reason he is so popular. He truly is a sight to behold in all his giant magnificence. Michelangelo certainly was a master of his craft.
What's great about the tour scheduling is the appointment to see David is at evening prior to closing. It's such smart timing because towards the end of the appointment, you can take a picture of David without a crowd in front of him! The rest of the Accademia Gallery is worth looking around as well, with many interesting sculptures and plaster casts surrounding David, as well as a small musical instrument gallery.
Best Gelato Award:
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