The day started with the complimentary breakfast at the hotel, served in a rock-walled room directly below our apartment. A very good breakfast. We chatted with a group of 6 from Lincoln NE who were staying at the hotel for a full month. They loved Italy and Tuscany in particular. For one it was her 12th visit to Italy.
They gave us advice on how to get into Florence and we took it: drive to Scandicci, find a place to park and take the tram to the railway station in Florence. Which is what we did. On the way down the mountain we encountered a car and had to back up to let us pass. That had Marlene cursing again.
We were fortunate to find a free parking spot only a few hundred yards from the tram station. Figuring out how to get a tram ticket took only a few minutes and we had to wait only a few minutes more for the tram (aka “light rail” or “trolley”) to arrive. The ride to Florence took about 20 minutes.
The train station has a huge underground shopping mall, complete with a video tunnel. In the course of shopping (nothing bought) I somehow managed to lose the cloth bag we had brought with us (empty except for stale bread for the pigeons). We spent a few minutes searching for it, unsuccessfully.
Our walking destination was the Piazza del Duomo, the heart of Florence. On the way we spent some time in the Piazza di Santa Maria Novella. Marlene wanted to see the interior of the basilica there but there was an entrance fee. Nothing pisses Marlene off more than churches that charge entrance fees. We didn’t go in.
The cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) – and the building that gives the plaza its name – was free to enter. It was beautiful and I loved the fresco on the dome. But after seeing the ornate cathedrals in France it felt empty.
The other huge building in the square – the Baptistry of St John – also charged a fee and we also skipped it.
When we exited the cathedral we walked toward the river. We found the plaza with the Galleria della’Accademia where Michaelangelo’s status of David is located. But the entrance fee was exorbitant and the entry was timed so we passed. But the plaza had an open-air gallery of some very impressive statues.
We finally made it to the river and it was beautiful. A perfect day, weather-wise.
The Ponte Vecchio – a bridge with high-end shopping – spans this river. We walked to it but only to look. On the way there Marlene fell off the curb and, fortunately, escaped with only a scraped knee. She could easily have broken a bone so we felt fortunate.
On the way back to the train station we encountered another church – the Chiesa di Santa Trinita – and it was quite lovely. We encountered a few other interesting buildings and sights along the way but finally made it back to the train station. We took the tram back to the car.
We wanted to get some bread and we had been told of several markets in Galuzzo, a little town south of our hotel. Going there not only got us some bread (at a huge supermarket with underground parking) but also let us approach the hotel from another direction. The roads on this approach were less intimidating than the other.
We had dinner of ramen and sausage in our apartment. Then we played cards and I lost again, 0-3. Then I blogged and edited photos. Lots of photos.
It was a good day in Florence. We logged over 14,000 steps. And my back, though aching, was less painful than in Venice. Healing, I hope.