Day 7 & 8 Florence
Music fills the air.
Lunch at an Autogrill
Saturday, October 24, 2015
We stopped at an Autogrill for lunch, as we often did en route. Autogrills are like giant truck stops with better food. This one was located on an overpass above the highway. The prices for food, snacks and coffee were reasonable, and the selection was good. In the store area, one could buy cured meats and cheeses of all kinds, boxed items, soda, candy, toys etc. We were warned to watch when we exited the building to make sure we were getting out on the side where the bus was located.
Florence
After lunch we were back on the road to Firenze! We arrived at the Hotel California between 3 and 4pm and were pleased to see we had a lovely view of the Duomo from our room. We shared a balcony with Boris and Nina, a lovely couple from Canada. When we heard the bells ring at the Duomo Boris’ eyes lit up. “The bells, the bells!” he would exclaim. We can’t ever hear church bells and not think of Boris.
Examples of Clet Abraham’s Street Sign Art.
We only had a few minutes before we were scheduled to meet downstairs for a ‘Renaissance Walk’. We were provided with headphones and a receiver for which Lisa had the transmitter. This was both required by some of the museums we would visit, and a great way to communicate to a group. They allowed us to hear Lisa and the other guides without them having to raise their voices. They were also especially nice on crowded streets. A couple of times we lost sight of the group but could still hear the directions about where to turn.
Andrea Orcagna’s carved marble tabernacle at the Church Orsanmichele (1355-1359)
Our walk took us all around Florence. Lisa pointed out some whimsical streetsigns that had been hacked by the artist, Clet Abraham. Photos of a few are included, but there were others too. Some were quite funny.
On our way to the Accademia, we stopped at the Church of Orsanmichele. The small, centuries old church contained an exquisite carved marble tabernacle with a painting of the Madonna and Child within. The patience and mastery that were required are mind boggling.
Micelangelo’s David. (1501-1504)
Our last stop of the evening tour was The Galleria dell’Accademia or Accademia Gallery. Among other wonderful treasures, we saw Michaelangelo’s exquisite and imposing David. Carved in the early 1500s the statue is very tall, about 17 feet in height. We had no idea the marble statue was as large as it is. Originally planned to be displayed outside with other statues on the Florence Cathedral, it was placed in the Piazza della Signoria when it was realized that the statue’s weight would make getting it onto the Cathedral’s roof impossible. In the late 1800s, the David came to the Accademia and a duplicate was placed in the Piazza. We were told that during WWII it and other works of art were encased in brick to protect them from bombs.
On our own for dinner, we checked the RS Italy 2015 book for some ideas. We opted for the Self-Service Ristorante Leonardo. The booths and decor gave it the feel of a 50s style cafeteria. We pretty much had the place to ourselves. Since it was upstairs, a window seat offered a view of the world below. The place was low key and the food was inexpensive but good.
Roman bust of Hadrian’s lover Antinous. Uffizi Gallery
After dinner we decided to call it a night and head back to the hotel. We had walked a lot and wanted to be ready for the busy day coming. As we passed by the Duomo, we stopped for a few minutes to listen to some South American musicians playing pan flute and other percussion instruments. We enjoyed the music’s hypnotic feel and ended up buying one of their cds.
Kerry and Maryann, at the Pitti Palace Gardens overlooking Florence
Sunday, October 25, 2015
We headed over to the Uffizi Gallery right after breakfast. Our local guide Cynthia Nesti was very knowlegeable. There were so, so many beautiful pieces including classical sculpture and well-known paintings. Though not originally created as a museum, the Uffizi became the first museum open to the public by appointment when the Grand Duke Ferdinando I ordered the gallery open to visitors upon request. The Uffizi’s collection of works by masters such as Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raffaello enchanted us.
The tour ended before lunch and we were free for the rest of the day. There was a lovely little terrace restaurant on site, complete with pigeons and some very friendly sparrows. It was a good place to eat and plan the rest of our day. We decided to go to the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens and attempt to catch the Vespers at the Duomo. Kerry was hoping to get some decent photos of local birds at the gardens.
Ponte Vecchio over the Arno River
The day was sunny and warm. We crossed the Arno River via Ponte Vecchio with its shops and many tourists. The line for tickets into the Pitti wasn’t terribly long and before we knew it we were inside. There were displays of period clothing, art and much more. In such lovely weather, we were more drawn to the garden, and it didn’t disappoint. It’s hard to imagine the amount of work that goes into keeping it up. Steep walkways and paths with little side paths that meander in and around large expanses of grass lined with status and trees. There was even a small vineyard off to one side. We spent several hours taking it all in.
Ceiling art at the Duomo Baptistery.
After a quick stop at Carabè for a superb gelato, we arrived back in time for for vespers. Usually, they were celebrated in the Duomo, but not this night. We were confused but not ready to give up. We saw others from the group and caught a glimpse of someone letting people into the Baptistery. We slid in behind them and were inside. At first we weren’t sure what was going on. The building was gorgeous and full of people. It appeared there was a service happening, but it didn’t seem like vespers. A bishop and some Eastern Orthodox clergy were talking in Italian. We couldn’t understand a word of it but there was a sense of reverence and some beautiful chanting. We found out later that the Baptistery was being re-dedicated, after having had some renovations.
Back at the hotel we met up with Lisa and several tour mates at the bar. We celebrated our anniversary with a glass of Prosecco and well wishes from our new friends. Afterward, we had dinner with Andy and Kate at the outdoor restaurant on the 3rd floor balcony. The view included the night sky and Florence’s skyline, including the beautifully lit Duomo. Laura stopped by for a quick drink on her way to the Opera. Our server, Nikki, was a delight and we enjoyed an evening filled with laughter and good food. We agreed we couldn’t think of a better place than Florence to have spent our first anniversary.