Just like in Rome and like Venice to come, we had to fork out a hefty sum in order to stay at a caravan park close to the city instead of a much cheaper Aree di Sosta. Well, hefty when you have a motorhome, cheap compared to accommodation. Matt and I have discovered we much prefer the simpler (and cheaper) option and find we enjoy our time more when we are staying in secluded rural spots with fewer luxuries and people. That said, our campsite was a great place to spend three nights and a perfect base from which to explore the city. It is set in a heritage listed olive grove perched high on a hill next to Piazalle Michelangelo and offers amazing views of the city. Everyday we would enjoy a morning coffee at the site's cafe and watch the city below while we planned our day.
Our two days spent in Florence itself were very laid back and mainly revolved around eating and walking off what we had eaten. Oh and a view arty things too. We would stop at Piazalle Michelangelo on the way in to admire the panoramic views of the city, which were strangely different every time we passed, and the bronze copy of Michelangelo's David. From there it was a steep descent down to the banks of the Arno River. At the end of the day we would drag our feet and full tummies up the same steps and pause once again to take in the sight of the sprawling city below with it's iconic Duomo standing guard at the centre.
On Thursday our wandering took us first across the Ponte Vecchio, one of only three bridges in the world to have shops on either side. If you didn't know what it was you could possibly emerge on the other side unaware that you had just crossed water. Built in 1345 it originally housed blacksmiths and butchers who would throw their waste into the river, but since the 16th century it has been lined with jewellers in an attempt to clean up the city. It apparently worked and the crooked and crumbling buildings are still dominated by the fancy wares. When the Germans were retreating from Italy in 1944 this is the only bridge they left unscathed as thankfully they recognised its historical importance.
We continued on and found ourselves in the Piazza Della Signoria, a large and vibrant public square off the Palazzo Vecchio (the city palace). Standing guard at the palace entrance is the city's second copy of David, a marble version, standing in the exact place the original David stood for hundreds of years. It was moved to the purpose built Accademia after the weather and a bench thrown out the palace window by the Medici family left the poor hero a little worse for wear, the latter knocking off his arm. The square also houses numerous other well known sculptures and it was a delightful place to sit, enjoy a scrumptious lunch and watch the world pass us by.
Next on our list was the city's main attraction: the Duomo. With it's distinct pink, white and green marble exterior and its enormous dome, the church makes for an impressive sight. It's impossible to take a decent photo as the church is way too big for the square it is squeezed into, much like the effect the Italian food is having on our ability to fit into our jeans. There was a heavy haze sitting over the city affecting visibility so we thought we would postpone going up the dome and see what the following day would bring.
I must admit, all the churches we have visited are starting to blend into each other, save for the striking Sagrada Familia, and it is becoming more difficult to be impressed. I don't think there are too many churches left on our itinerary though. We seem to have ticked off all the big ones: Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, Yorkminster, Notre Dame, Sagrada Familiar, St Peter's Basilica and now Florence's Duomo.
Matt and I were very much enjoying our day of simple sight seeing so continued to meander through the city, strolling next through the bustling tightly packed San Lorenzo markets, which boasts dozens of stores selling Italian leather goods. I picked up a pair of gloves after successfully haggling for a better price. After an afternoon treat of gelato we headed back to camp for a quiet evening.
On Friday we woke to the sound of rain for only the second time on our trip. Not bad odds really. After chatting to the Aspinalls and Joey back at home, we waited for a lull in the rain and headed to reception to buy some bus tickets into town. As luck would have it, it was Florence's turn for a transport strike so we unwillingly trudged into town, our spirits dampened somewhat.
First on our list that day was a lunch of fine Italian food. That morning my sisters had been quite insistent that we go to 'Cafe ZaZa' and try their fettucini in a creamy truffle sauce. I mentioned the slight problem of me being gluten intolerant and suddenly Amber's entire face filled the screen, "I cried Rachel, I actually cried that's how good it is" she protested. Pushing Amber out of the way Melanie added flippantly, "it doesn't matter if it makes you sick. It's worth it!!" And who said my sisters weren't dramatic!
Scared of the punishment of reneging on my promise of trying the pasta we settled ourself into a seat at the cosy cafe, glad to be inside out of the cold wind. With slight hesitation and a concerned look from Matt, I ordered as my sisters had insisted. I then proceeded to eat a bowl of pasta, my first in 20 months. In my sisters' defence it was delicious and possibly the best pasta I've had (though that could also be explained by having been deprived of one of my favourite dishes for so long). It was such a simple dish and the amount of creamy truffle sauce was the perfect amount for the home made fresh fettucini. Too little would have meant dry and chewy mouthfuls, too much would have been overbearingly rich and dominated the meal. It was perfect. The most amazing this is it did not make me feel sick or cause any side effects at all. It's settled, I'm moving to Italy.
Tummies satisfied we headed next to the Accademia to see Michelangelo's original David. Sculpted from a single block of marble discarded in the Duomo's courtyard, Michelangelo has indeed created a masterpiece. Towering 6 meters high, David is a vision of strength, power and innocence. The attention to detail is like no other sculpture we have seen (and we've seen a lot!) and he must be viewed from all sides to be truly appreciated. Such simple things as the protruding veins in his hands, the tendon at the back of his bent knee, and the muscles in his raised shoulder bring David to life.
It is forbidden to take photos of the statue, even with the flash off. While they argue that this is "to preserve the statue", Matt is convinced it's so you buy photos from the gift shop- "he sat outside for hundreds of years and now he's in a carefully controlled room. I think photos are fine," Matt commented. Standing watch in the room was an evil woman who would pounce on people yelling "no photos!" as loudly as she could, the ferocity of which would cause everyone to stop and stare and the guilty party to sheepishly apologise and put the camera away. Often they hadn't realised you couldn't take photos as the sign is quite hidden - most likely by the Nazi guard so she can have the pleasure of informing innocent people herself. This women was so dedicated to her job that if she suspected someone had taken a sneaky pic and they denied it, she would demand to see their last picture and ask them to leave if they had lied. I wasn't far off with my Nazi reference.
Matt and I, (I don't know whether you're aware of this, but we're badasses) managed to successfully take several photos without being detected. I had the camera casually hanging around my next resting on my stomach (none of this looking through the view finder business) and, when I thought the angle was correct, I would just click the button and cough to disguise the sound while Matt kept watch. It felt like we were blowing spitballs behind the teacher's back. We waltzed through the gift shop, untempted by the paraphernalia, while tourists handed over their euros to purchase a lasting memory of their visit.
The rain continued to fall and, not convinced a climb of the Duomo would be worth it in the rain, we ate more gelato and headed home for another early night. We're not that upset we missed the Duomo as we've enjoyed great views of the city everyday and climbed St Peter's Basilica dome not that long ago. Plus my poor legs can probably do without the 463 step climb. We'll put it on the 'next time' list.
By the next morning the rain had stopped. The haze across the city had lifted and Florence appeared even more spectacular in the valley below.
We said goodbye to the pleasant town and headed half an hour south to San Gimignano for a few quiet days in the Tuscan sun...
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How old are you people? Mid 50's? All this "home for an early night" business? Shouldn't "badasses" be out at the partay? You must do this in Berlin, and prob in poland/Prague etc.. btw, your camera is awesome! been looking at the photos on the blog, they're so cool. Love to you both.
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