Okay, my previous entry on Florence was a little vague and skimped on detail, so I feel like I should at elaborate a little bit. Damn. my fans are demanding.
After leaving Cinque Terre (which was one of the best parts of the trip), we headed to Florence. For once, our hotel was right in the heart of the city and we were right in the middle of everything. So Sunday afternoon, a bunch of us headed to what is supposed to be the most famous statue of all time, David, at Accademia Gallery. It was actually pretty amazing, especially the detail - the muscles and veins were actually quite realistic. And he was huge... I didn't expect him to be so tall.
After gawking over David and trying to figure out if any of the body part ratio formulas were accurate, Andrea and I thought we would see if we could get into the Uffizi. It was but a pipe dream since it was about 4:00 pm, the line appeared to be about 2.5 hours long, and the museum closed at 6:35.
Instead, we took a stroll over the Ponte Vecchio and up to the Pitti Palace and the Giardino Boboli. Initially, the uphill nature of the gardens just looked to daunting for us. We were exhausted! So we lazily sat by the small pond and did some people watching. It was awesome to hang with Andrea. Most importantly, I think she was able to prove to me that there are still cool people in Texas.
After leaving Cinque Terre (which was one of the best parts of the trip), we headed to Florence. For once, our hotel was right in the heart of the city and we were right in the middle of everything. So Sunday afternoon, a bunch of us headed to what is supposed to be the most famous statue of all time, David, at Accademia Gallery. It was actually pretty amazing, especially the detail - the muscles and veins were actually quite realistic. And he was huge... I didn't expect him to be so tall.
After gawking over David and trying to figure out if any of the body part ratio formulas were accurate, Andrea and I thought we would see if we could get into the Uffizi. It was but a pipe dream since it was about 4:00 pm, the line appeared to be about 2.5 hours long, and the museum closed at 6:35.
Instead, we took a stroll over the Ponte Vecchio and up to the Pitti Palace and the Giardino Boboli. Initially, the uphill nature of the gardens just looked to daunting for us. We were exhausted! So we lazily sat by the small pond and did some people watching. It was awesome to hang with Andrea. Most importantly, I think she was able to prove to me that there are still cool people in Texas. One of the things I found funny about Florence was all of the rogue street vendors selling designer knock-off purses. They would carry all of the
bags in a sheet and set-up shop just about anywhere. Not really being on the right side of the law, every few minutes they would gather up the bags and run around the corner if they saw the police anywhere near by. I saw groups of these guys all of over the city, hovering around the corner waiting for the po' to go the other way. It was definitely interesting - kind of wish I would have bought a good Prada knock-off.
bags in a sheet and set-up shop just about anywhere. Not really being on the right side of the law, every few minutes they would gather up the bags and run around the corner if they saw the police anywhere near by. I saw groups of these guys all of over the city, hovering around the corner waiting for the po' to go the other way. It was definitely interesting - kind of wish I would have bought a good Prada knock-off.The rest of the night was pretty uneventful except for the awesome dessert we had with dinner. Let's see - when I think of Italian desserts, I think gellato, biscotti, tiramisu, tortoni, or cannoli. It was exactly like that, except instead, it was an orange.
Stuffed from the orange, I headed to bed early knowing I wanted to get up in time to for a bike tour the next day. Somehow, I just wasn't into seeing the leather factory with the group and wanted a little adventure of my own. The bike tour, I Bike Italy, didn't dissappoint. To be honest, the first 3 miles killed me. Tuscanny is not flat (which might qualify as the understatements of the year). If you have been reading all my entries, you now know my athletic prowess (stop laughing) has been challenged by Arhur's seat and a bike tour that includes wine with lunch.
Stuffed from the orange, I headed to bed early knowing I wanted to get up in time to for a bike tour the next day. Somehow, I just wasn't into seeing the leather factory with the group and wanted a little adventure of my own. The bike tour, I Bike Italy, didn't dissappoint. To be honest, the first 3 miles killed me. Tuscanny is not flat (which might qualify as the understatements of the year). If you have been reading all my entries, you now know my athletic prowess (stop laughing) has been challenged by Arhur's seat and a bike tour that includes wine with lunch.
Despite the tough start, the ride was beautiful. There is good reason that Florence is the epicenter of art and beauty. With a nice long lunch, a stop at a winery/olive grove, and downhill ride in the afternoon, it was the perfect way to spend the day in really seeing the outside of Florence. Thanks for the great ride Per - your knowledge of the terrain was superb!
I joined my friends for dinner at a restaurant that overlooked the whole of Florence. It was probably the funnest dinner we had together! There were loads of laughter and wine (I still can't believe the Texas sisters don't like wine. It would have been insulting to our host to let it go to waste, so no need to thank me for drinking your share!). The highlight of the evening was the piano player and the leg of pig served to the theme song of Star Wars. I don't want to brag, but when was the last time you had leg of pork rolled out on a cart with a sparkler in it? It was one of those nights I laughed so hard I cried. While everyone else went to the Space Disco, I met a local I had met earlier in the day for some gelato. I think that made the 4th or 5th day in a row eating gelato. I think my favorite combination was lime/dark chocolate, but choosing a favorite is like Sophie's choice.
It was a treat to be out with someone who really knew the city - it made me a little less like a tourist. One of the best parts was the scooter ride up to Piazzale Michelangiolo to overlook the city at night. It would be impossible to plan a more enjoyable evening. It also helped to have a cute tour guide! ;-)
Back at the hotel, my group had a real bonding moment when the fire alarm went off at 5 am and stayed on for an hour. Anyone see Yak?
Florence was beautiful and romantic, but somehow different than the way Paris is beautiful and romantic. I think the difference is that Firenze has a more organic beauty; less designed, yet no less inspirational. I'm sure there could be some great metaphor for the rich soil that grows the grapes and olives adding a richness to life; I'm just not able to quite capture it though. I think I was also finally getting to a place where I could really relax and thouroughly enjoy the slower pace of life. Even thinking back to my time in Florence, I feel calmer and seem to take deeper breaths.
Most regretably, our time in Florence had to end as we needed to make our way to the last official stop on our trip, Rome.
Luckily for me, it wouldn't be the last time I saw Florence on this vacation;-)
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