Florence

DAY 7

 

There is more history, art and culture in one square block of Florence than there is in any other city in the world! For a lover of art and history, this city is paradise, or should I say Florence! There is so much to take in that we had to prioritize and decide whether to be amazed or be in awe; no time to see it all! 

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Florence Renaissance Walk

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Beginning with a Renaissance Walk of the city, we first passed by the Duomo to marvel at Brunelleschi’s grand dome. Next, was the Palazzo Vecchio (City Hall) and the Piazza della Signoria, and then we finished with a tour the Accademia Gallery. Here we stood in awe of Michelangelo’s magnificent sculpture of David. We marveled at its immense size- 14 feet tall! What I found most amazing about this sculpture was that you could clearly see every muscle and even some of his veins. Hard to believe that the only tools he had were a chisel and hammer!

 

Dinner at La Estradde

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Later, we went for dinner at a restaurant near our hotel called La Estradde. Two other couples from our group joined us. Since we had just learned from Stacy that Florence was known for the excellent quality of their steaks, some people in our group ordered steaks and they were very impressed. Another thing Florence is known for is their unsalted bread. Since we were told to expect this, we were not surprised. 

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We enjoyed our dinners there and then decided it was time for…gelato!  Before returning to our hotel, we stopped at a 99 Cents Store to buy bottled water and some other necessities. It looked very much like the 99 Cents Stores in the U.S. This was a convenient place to stop for toiletries or other small items we needed.

 

DAY 8

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Our second day in Florence began with a tour of the Uffizi Gallery. Our local guide, Marco, did a wonderful job of pointing out the highlights. Although it is known for having the greatest collection of Italian paintings anywhere in the world, the gallery also had an impressive collection of famous sculptures.

 

Free Time in Florence

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An added bonus of the Rick Steves’ tour was that in every city, we were given some time to pursue our own interests. During our free time in Florence, we accompanied five other people from our group to the Santa Croce Leather School. It was so impressive to watch students make all different  kinds of leather goods. We also discovered that right next door to the school was the Santa Croce Church, which boasted several famous previous residents including Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante, and Rossini.

 

After lunch, we walked to the Pitti Palace on the other side of the Arno River. Crossing the famous Ponte Vecchio Bridge was quite an experience as we found ourselves in the middle of a huge sea of tourists. Once we arrived at the Pitti Palace, we walked through the beautiful gardens and then explored the porcelain museum and saw a collection of old costumes.

 

Since Florence is known for their fine leather products, we made sure to walk through several of the leather shops we came across on our way back to the bridge.

 

Upon Stacy’s recommendation, that night we dined at a special restaurant owned by the same man who owned our hotel, Hotel Accademia Florence. With its charming atmosphere, a friendly staff, and excellent food, Ristorante Giglio Rosso did not disappoint.