Deja Vu, all over again (a nod to the babe).
After Rome, Istanbul, and Venice, I thought Florence would be “the same” as one of these. No, it is not. Rome has a grand history written in its ancient architecture. Istanbul is quite literally East meets West and it feels that way. It is a modern city built on ruins that have not and most likely cannot be recovered. Venice, ah Venice. The canals and the instability of the “islands” prevents high buildings in most of the area. Where high buildings could be safely built, the older monuments to Venice’s Power and Glory were built. Her canals give Venice a sense of spaciousness where there is none.
Florence. Florence in its prime was the largest city in Europe with three hundred thousand people. Today it houses four hundred thousand. It is built upwards. It has many narrow streets (though not by Mykonos standards). Florence is unique. Visiting the Italian city states is reminiscent of exploring the Greek Islands. Each one was very different, but each port of call was a small town on an island; excluding Corfu, Athens, Istanbul, and Venice.
This morning we awoke late and took a late start after a leisurely breakfast “in”. We headed out to first find a local coffee shop we can frequent to get to know the locals. We found one in the next block. Cappuccinos finished and il conto paid, we headed off to get a Firenze Pass, the key to the city. We walked to the Duomo and it is huge. The building in front of the Duomo is under renovation making photos difficult, but we will post some later. We walked around the Duomo, found the ticket booth, and asked where we could purchase a Firenze Pass. “Not here, at the Uffizi you can buy”. Ok we headed off the the Uffizi, walking past a beggar woman with a cup motioning us to put coins in. We moved on. I feel for these people, but do not want to support begging. I’ve given coins to street performers, who can be very accomplished.
Headed to the Uffizi we stepped into Piazza Della Signoria by the clock tower and saw Circus, a restaurant recommended by Alissandra who owns our flat. We stopped for pizza and beer (yeah, I know, how American). The beer was great, the pizza was so-so. (more about pizza at another time)
We continued to the Uffizi ticket office which was not at the entrance to the Uffizi but at another museum. We stood in the information (wrong) line and were directed to the purchase line. No problem, and fun as there was an informative video playing while we queued. We bought two tickets at $77e each good for three days. That might sound expensive, but not only does it get you into any one of eighty museums and points of interest, but with “express” entry. You skip the ticket AND the entrance line. Oh and you can ride the bus system for free, though the old town is small enough to walk most places.
We asked about validation and YES, we can validate our tickets tomorrow so the three days starts then. Good, and off we went. We wandered across Ponte Vecchio toward the Boboli gardens. The gelato we ate on the way was refreshing, but not the best we’ve had. There is great variation in quality shop to shop. At the Boboli Gardens, we relented and had our Firenze Pass validated and toured the gardens for an hour or two then took a wrong turn in the Palace and were walking the servants and/or guards access halls. The palace is immense, the extend of the part we saw inadvertently was mind boggling. Retracing our steps we turned back into the “proper stairway” for a tour of the Medici Palace. That too is immense and even bigger (you would expect that, no?). We entered the “modern” museum which featured statues and paintings from the 1800’s, modern indeed. From the outside the Medici Palace is not that architecturally interesting (to me), but the gardens and inside frescos, tile, doorways, and artwork is easily worth the price of admission.
We headed home around 5pm, stopping at our local market for some bottled water, paper towels, and a bit of beer for me. The heat of the day was dissipating, local bars were opening and the day was winding down for the locals as it was for us.
We met other couples from California today including a real estate agent from San Diego who is visiting Italy for three weeks with his family. This is their first trip to Italy and it is organized with enough time in Milan, Rome, Florence, and Venice for an in-depth experience.
This feels far too short to me. We were just beginning to feel comfortable in one city, getting to know some of the locals by frequenting some cafes, the POP we’re off to the next destination. On a cruise you can bond with fellow guests.
Tomorrow we will wander the Uffizi when it opens and leave when we get punchy. I love museums, but can only take them in small doses. Otherwise the experience becomes a sea of sameness with no outstanding memories.
No fireworks tonight…. but we hear crooning from a local cub and audience applause. It must be a great show.
Ron