Day 13 Exploring Florence
This morning was the first morning in a while where we actually got to sleep in. Of course due to our early mornings we have been programmed to wake up early. We have this morning off. We are scheduled to meet with our group at Uffizi at one, but until then we have the morning off. Last night we did some research and decided that we wanted to hike up to the Piazzale Michelangelo and to the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte and the surrounding cemetery.
After a lovely breakfast we ventured out into Florence. Emily was our guide for the morning. One of the places she took us to was to a statue of a boar (Il Porcellino "piglet") located at Mercato Nuovo. The story with this boar is that if you take a coin and you place it in the boar's mouth and it falls out and into the grate below then that signifies that you will return to Florence. If you take some of the water draining from the boar's mouth and you rub his nose then you will have good luck. We all had to stop and try out putting a coin in the boar's mouth. Mine landed in the grate! Then we all rubbed the boar's nose. |
After meeting the boar we walked on to the Ponte Vecchio which literally translates to "Old bridge". It was a lovely bridge with a stunning view of the Arno river. Emily, being the seasoned traveler that she is, led us on across the bridge and into the other part of the city.
On the other side of the bridge Emily led us through the streets until we could begin our climb. We found a trail which took us up a nearby hill. As we got higher and higher the view became more spectacular!
The hike uphill was somewhat steep, however it was still fairly casual. The day was growing warmer and warmer as we approached the Piazzale Michelangelo. How fitting for the Piazzale Michelangelo to have another replica of David in a fountain. It was early enough that there were not a lot of people up in the piazza and the souvenir carts were just getting set up. It looked like it was going to be a hopping place in an hour or so.
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We continued up the hill toward the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte and the surrounding cemetery. As we walked I was amazed at the difference between Venice and Florence. Coming from a city living on top of the water the Tuscan landscape is absolutely incredible. I love the green alongside the yellow villas and the pointed cyprus trees. It is lovely and just what I expected from Tuscany. As we approached our destination we had to climb a series of stairs. At the top of the stairway was the church or basilica, then, located to either side, was access to the surrounding cemetery. The basilica was not open yet so we went to check out a bit of the cemetery before going inside.
After wandering around for a little bit they were finally opening up the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte which is another striking example of Florentine Romanesque architecture along with the Duomo or the Florence Cathedral. We slipped inside the darkened church, feeling the cool air brush against our arms. Upon entering we first noticed a lit alter featuring a cross and brightly colored images. Further back was an 12th century mosaic of Jesus on a rounded arch. We explored through the church, enjoying all of the fine details that made this building so grand. The Basilica of San Miniato al Monte was built in 1018. It was a neat church to walk through and explore. The ceilings especially caught my attention due to the decorations on the boards.
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After wandering throughout the entire church we came, once more, out into the bright sunshine. From here we followed the streets once more out into the fields of monuments and gravestones. Here we were met with extraordinary statues and monuments to remember those long (and some not so long) gone. Italians have this desire to be remembered. Many of these memorial sites demonstrate just that. We saw grave sites of all types. Some were mausoleums, others in memory of children, lovers, and so on. There were older sites and newer ones as well. It was sad, beautiful, somber, and hot.
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Beautiful statues, beating sun, a lovely church. These were all of the beautiful things that we saw while exploring this lovely area. We paused for a moment at the top of the stairs leading back to the Piazzale Michelangelo and gazed down below at the city. Beautiful. A beautiful city baking in the morning sun.
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We took the same trail down that we took up. On the way down I stopped to look at one of the souvenir shops as I was drawn to some small ornament Venetian masks. We took another moment to gaze out at Florence before we began our final descent down the hill toward the city.
Once back in the city center of Florence we split into two groups. Mom and I went to go inside the Duomo (Florence Cathedral). Meanwhile Emily went to see if she could go into the Baptistery despite the scaffolding around it. The Duomo was just as incredible inside as it appears outside. The most amazing thing about this large church is the dome. The colors and the paintings up there just blew my mind. So beautiful! I was trying to take photos of each section of the dome. As I was looking up my sunglasses kept trying to slip off of my head, oops! The second most amazing thing about this church was the floor. The colors and designs on the floor were absolutely incredible! Another thing that I liked about this church is that they did demand that visitors have their shoulders and knees covered. Even as visitors it is important to show respect to the places that we visit. We saw a couple people who were escorted out for being improperly dressed. The Duomo was absolutely beautiful though. It truly was a blessing to get to go inside. |
After walking through the Duomo we realized that we did not have too much longer to go until we were due to visit the Uffizi. We took this spare time to go and do a little bit of shopping at some of the markets. Mom was looking for something for Danny and I really wanted to look at the scarf shops.
We ended up back at the boar square where mom got a genuine Florence, Italy leather belt. Meanwhile I was looking at scarfs. At one point I wanted to go back to the square featuring the carousel to look at some of the scarf stands I saw there. Mom was going to meet me there, so we separated. I walked on down the street a couple blocks and saw another shop. I checked that out before moving on to the carousel square. Here I got a crucial souvenir, a hand fan. Back out on the street I started looking for mom, however she was nowhere to be seen. I waited for awhile, watching the time. Finally I decided that I had to find out where Uffizi was located so that I could meet the group. I took one more walk down the road between the two squares. At this time I found one of our group members, Pat, who was heading toward Uffizi. We talked for a moment. He had not seen mom. We also had a disagreement on the direction we needed to go to get to Uffizi. While we were talking one of the street salesmen approached us. He greeted us cheerfully and started exclaiming that it was his son's birthday and because he was so happy we could have a couple bracelets and little wooden figures. He practically forced them into Pat's hands. Meanwhile he also told him that he had a beautiful daughter (me, awwwww). Pat still paid the man for the item that he "gave" us. He then gave me the wooden turtle and one of the bead bracelets. We then returned to our previous discussion on the direction we needed to go to get to the museum. After another moment or two we went our separate ways. Finally, after ending up in the Piazza della Signoria. I was turned around a couple times before I finally found my way to the Uffizi with the help of some of my group members who I found amid the crowds. Together we moved on to the Uffizi where I finally spotted Mom with Emily, thank goodness! We were so relieved to find each other too. Note to self, and others: If you get separated from the group or from your travel buddy then go to the next location that the group decided to meet at. This helped us many times on our trip through Europe. So when in doubt go to the next meeting place. Another note to be aware of is that in both Venice and Florence it is illegal to purchase items from the individuals walking the streets including: selfie-sticks, art posters, imported purses and so on. One of our group members was approached by the police when trying to purchase a selfie stick. The vender threw the stick at him and took off running. Once our group member was done talking to the police the man came back for his money. After winding our way through security we finally met up with our guide for the Uffizi who would help us to narrow down our trip through this historic gallery. We saw so many things at the Uffizi. |
The Uffizi was grand, and huge! We had the pleasure of seeing some famous pieces as well as elegant rooms with insanely beautiful ceilings. The last place we went as a group was to the cafeteria. Here I purchased the most expensive shot glass (practically) of orange juice (I had tried to ask how big the glass was when purchasing it, but the lady did not answer me!). It was good though, if not a tad bitter due to the circumstance. I drank it outside while looking out at the Palazzo Vecchio. Emily and Mom wanted to see more of the museum, however I was tired, hot and ready to head back to the room. Once again we split up.
On the way back to the hotel I spotted a gelato shop. However what really drew my attention here was a series of icee machines featuring different flavors. I eagerly opted for one of these drinks, a strawberry icee. It was DELICIOUS! Exactly what I needed while baking in the hot sun. I carried it along with me, thoughtfully drinking it as I moved along. I passed the open air market place on the way back to the room. I thought that some more shopping would be fun and so I went back to the room to drop everything off, including the camera. Many of the shops do not have prices marked on their items. It is a bartering game. Therefore when walking through the streets of shops I did not want to have my big camera around my neck.
On the way back to the hotel I spotted a gelato shop. However what really drew my attention here was a series of icee machines featuring different flavors. I eagerly opted for one of these drinks, a strawberry icee. It was DELICIOUS! Exactly what I needed while baking in the hot sun. I carried it along with me, thoughtfully drinking it as I moved along. I passed the open air market place on the way back to the room. I thought that some more shopping would be fun and so I went back to the room to drop everything off, including the camera. Many of the shops do not have prices marked on their items. It is a bartering game. Therefore when walking through the streets of shops I did not want to have my big camera around my neck.
I had a glorious time walking through the streets, looking at all of the scarves, jewelry, and leather items. The icy drink had given me a bit of a reboot. I returned to the room after a while, thankful for the purchases I had made and some of the bartering I had done. I got back to the room in time to join a majority of our group for a "happy hour" in the hotel dining area. I rushed over into our room to cut up some slices from a cheese we purchased in Holland. We had a nice selection of drinks, breads, cheeses, and other pieces which made a tasty dinner. A little while into the meal Mom and Emily returned and joined us.
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After "happy hour" we settled back into our room for a little while until Mom and I decided to venture out into the town now that the sun had set. Florence is such a lovely town. I really wanted to get a look around after dark. It was well worth it! Florence is lovely when it is all lit up. After our evening walk Mom and I stopped by the place where I had gotten the icee earlier to get gelato. It was so delicious and once again a refreshing treat in the warm streets. We ate our treats on the steps of the old church. It was peaceful and a wonderful way to spend our final evening in Florence. Tomorrow we head for Rome. It should be pretty wonderful!