July 20th, Wednesday
It's so hot that the hills are on fire. We see wildfires all over but this one is in the hills outside of Pisa, where we stop to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa on our way to Florence.
This is a very serious commuter train. Probably only intended to take businessmen and women the mile from the parking-lot to the downtown area and the "Court of Miracles." Even though we're clearly tourists, they let us on their "very serious" train and actually, we are so excited about it. I'm a little surprised that our enthusiasm doesn't get us kicked off. It's like a little ride and we love it. Plus -- it's 450 degrees outside and we would die and melt if we had to walk any extra steps. ANY. It seems dramatic but the heat is at a temperature that could result in one or more of us bursting into flames at any moment.
Our first peek inside the square and family group picture (with Saso photo bombing).
We're given tickets, which are good for any of the buildings listed, and 2 hours to see whatever we want (and to get food) before we have to meet back at the train for the rest of the ride to Florence. We have decided to look through the cathedral, the baptistry, and the cemetery. Just look at the church doors, they’re so beautiful, we can’t wait to see what's behind them. And… some of us are NOT going to see behind them. The church has rejected Grace because her tank top has strings that don’t cover her shoulders. I told her to try to look like the church has rejected her for the picture. She did a pretty good job. We have decided to sit out in the shade and enjoy the gorgeous day while we wait for the others to finish looking around the cathedral. |
But then Dan remembered he had a plastic disposable rain jacket in his backpack. Grace is IN! We could not stop laughing about how much more respectable she was now that she was wearing garbage. (Grace goes, "honestly this seems worse.") We were glad she made it in though, the Cathedral was worth seeing.
Slideshow of the Baptistry (John the Baptist) and the Cemetery
I got a few pictures of the girls and the leaning tower when my phone overheated and shut down. It just stopped working. That's never happened to me before but it's like 103 degrees and my phone wasn't having it anymore. Even it knew I'd taken enough photos.
In short order we’re back on the bus and in no time, we make it to Florence and the bus drops us off at the Hotel Palazzo dal Borgo and we say goodbye to Hilde. She and her bus are needed for the next Rick Steves Tour. She was fantastic, so friendly, and so good at her job, which included some hairy turns and real driving skill around so many tight corners. She was a great addition to our tour group. Sadly, this is just the first of many goodbyes to come as we have reached our final tour city, Florence. It's hard to believe we're already here. We've done SO MUCH, and it's gone so fast.
First order of business: we meet Elizabeth for a walking tour of the city, which ends at an art class, which both girls really enjoy.
The art class and the final product
Sights from our evening around Florence
Dinner at one of the recommended places where some of the members of our group order the Florian beef, something they're known for. Other members of the group are never ordering anything other than gnocchi ever again while in Italy. Both groups are pleased with their choices.
After dinner on our stroll home (as the lights come on and people enjoy themselves in the “somewhat cooler” evening).
July 21st, Thursday
Our breakfast buffet
All of the buffet breakfasts were great. Any time I get a variety of fresh food choices and I don't have to make any of it? Top notch. Plus, look at us in this gorgeous hotel courtyard with a real live orange tree - so glorious. It's only 8am but it is already HOT. It's going to be over 100 degrees again today and we have a walking tour of the city to get to this morning.
We split into two different groups for the morning tours but we’ve reconvened for a tour of the Academy, where we’ll see a number of Michaelangelo’s statues as well as the David.
Lunch!! We have free time for the rest of the day until we meet up for dinner. Now we eat fresh tomato and burrata salads and drink fresh squeezed orange juice wherever we go. Fresh food is our thing and we have discovered, over the length of this adventure, that Europe does food WAY, WAY better than the United States. Their standards are higher, the food quality is better and fresher, and access to fresh food is prioritized. Rick Steves says that "...travel broadens our perspectives personally, culturally, and politically. Suddenly, the palette with which we paint the story of our lives has more colors." So true. There have been plenty of noticeable differences between the way Europeans live and the standards to which we have become accustomed in the US. With how much we brag about the superiority of our country, it sure seems like a lot of other nations have figured out a number of quality-of-life issues that we, as Americans, have apparently just given up on and food quality is one that is glaringly obvious. And I like the idea that the more we travel the more colors we get in our palate. It’s a fitting image after these last two weeks of new cities, art museums and exploration. Hopefully now the brushes we use to paint our lives will benefit from a greater diversity of experiences.
The Uffizi Gallery in Florence (which should probably just be called "the annunciation picture room" or the "Leda and the Swan Gallery" with how many different ways they display both stories through art...) is located right off the Piazza della Signoria, the main square in the heart of Florence.
When you learn about Italy you learn about the Medici family, a group whose wealth and influence can be seen everywhere (four popes were Medicis, two queens of France) from banks to textiles and art to politics, the Medicis ruled Florence. In 1560, Cosimo I de'Medici had the Uffizi built (Uffizi means "offices"), Cosimo needed some space for all of his committees, guilds, meetings, etc. And now, of course, the offices of the Uffizi house priceless works of art (many donated from the last heir of the Medici dynasty to the city of Florence). It is now one of the most often visited art galleries in the country.
When you learn about Italy you learn about the Medici family, a group whose wealth and influence can be seen everywhere (four popes were Medicis, two queens of France) from banks to textiles and art to politics, the Medicis ruled Florence. In 1560, Cosimo I de'Medici had the Uffizi built (Uffizi means "offices"), Cosimo needed some space for all of his committees, guilds, meetings, etc. And now, of course, the offices of the Uffizi house priceless works of art (many donated from the last heir of the Medici dynasty to the city of Florence). It is now one of the most often visited art galleries in the country.
I mean just LOOK at the splendor of the architecture and the amazing works of art. They have Sandro Boticellis' "The Birth of Venus, " and "Spring" ("Primavera"), Michaelangelo's "Doni Tondo" and paintings by Raphael, Leonardo, Titian, Velazquez, and SO many others. Paintings, sculptures, maps, gorgeous art. The wild boar is the symbol of Florence.
And still I think my favorite painting might have been this one because.... hairy sea dragon. (This is Perseus frees Andromeda by Piero di Cosimo)
Or this strange painting: Thebaid by Beato Angelico, showing a bunch of mountain monks engaging in all manner of interesting things.
www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/thebaid#text
www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/thebaid#text
For our last night in Florence, we met up at a restaurant to cook our own dinner (and learn how to make pasta).
We've gotten pretty close to a number of our other tour group members, and this is a fun celebration of the weeks we've spent together. We are super thankful for our amazing guides and this whole experience.
We've gotten pretty close to a number of our other tour group members, and this is a fun celebration of the weeks we've spent together. We are super thankful for our amazing guides and this whole experience.
After dinner we stroll back leisurely, through the streets of Florence, soaking in the most glorious sunset and enjoying the sights and sounds of the city. The lights were coming on in the twilight and street musicians were setting up and playing for crowds that gathered for the impromptu concerts.
We're trying to prolong the last night of the tour, just enjoying all that Florence has to offer and soaking in the beauty of this city that we just barely got to know. It's still in the 90's even at this time of night and tomorrow it's supposed to be 107 degrees in Florence.
Dan's parents will fly out in the morning, and we will venture with Chris and Lindsey and their family to Venice for two more nights before we fly home and they continue on to Rome.
We're trying to prolong the last night of the tour, just enjoying all that Florence has to offer and soaking in the beauty of this city that we just barely got to know. It's still in the 90's even at this time of night and tomorrow it's supposed to be 107 degrees in Florence.
Dan's parents will fly out in the morning, and we will venture with Chris and Lindsey and their family to Venice for two more nights before we fly home and they continue on to Rome.
July 22nd, Friday
We say goodbye to Jim and Darlene and to other tour members and Florence.