Firenze!

After hopping between three different trains we arrive in Florence!  Our first memory is jumping into a cab and passing right by Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, more commonly known as "The Duomo".  Unbelievable!  The beauty of this building literally takes your breath away.  And as we would later learn it took three centuries to complete the facade.



Florence is the place to shop!  I was so happy we saved our "shop-till-ya-drop" for Florence.  Upon our arrival in town we headed out to explore the main shopping drag, which our hotel was conveniently located on.  It would seem at every street corner there is a gelato shop.  It's so unfair...you walk by these shops that have mounds (and I mean MOUNDS) of gelato staring at you, beckoning you into the shop to carbo load for your day of shopping and museum hopping.  We ate gelato every day in Florence (and some days twice).  Our favorite Florence gelato shop: Grom.  Not exactly an appetizing name but the gelato was creamy deliciousness in a cone.

Our first meal in Florence was at the Yellow Bar which was recommended by the hotel hostess.  What a way to start out the dining experience in Florence!  Amazing buffalo mozzarella with prosciutto and of course, fresh pasta.

After spending our arrival afternoon shopping we start our first full day with a climb up Giotto's tour.  As a piece of Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, the tower's facade is aesthetically pleasing and the view up top is hard to beat!  However, you climb over 400 stairs to get there.

Giotto's Tower

The Duomo in all its glory

Top view of the Duomo...those are people at the base of the spire

Kendra is happy to have made it to the top

Looking out towards the southeast

Ken enjoying the views

The bell tower of Palazzo Vecchio

The Tuscan hills are alive...

Original tower bell

Holy stairwell...we climbed that!

After climbing the tower we visited the Duomo Museum, more formally know as Museo dell'Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore.  This museum wasn't large but had some incredible pieces of work.

Kendra can't get enough of the angel sculptures

Mary Magdalene by Donatello

Pieta by Michelangelo

Later that afternoon we went back to see the inside of Santa Maria del Fiore and the famed dome.  Afternoon is supposed to be less crowded but it was still packed and for good reason.  The detail of the dome painting is astonishing!  It has almost a 3-D affect with so many details.

Stained glass window inside the church

The Duomo which was designed by Vasari but painted by his student Frederico Zuccari

Entrance to Santa Maria del Fiori

Church facade

Amazing facade detail

Re-creation of the Doors of Paradise by Ghiberti on the Baptistery which were originally made of bronze

After a long day of walking we were starved!  On our way to the restaurant Kendra did a double take....did that sign just say FSU?  By crackity, it did!  We happened upon the FSU Florence campus for the arts.  What a small world! 

Got another great food recommendation from the hotel.  We ate at Ichibellini's which had the best pizza we've ever tasted!  Our pizza was called Lorenzo Medici (named after the great Florentine ruler) which had sausage and an amazing specialty cheese along with marinara sauce and mozzarella.  The crust was perfectly thin and cooked to perfection in a brick oven.

Before the pizza: bruschetta

Doesn't look too appetizing but this pizza was the best!

After all this eating and shopping we were ready to take in some Renaissance art!  Started our next day by visiting the Piti Palace museum.  Unfortunately we couldn't take photos of what was inside but just seeing the Palace was an enlightening experience itself.

Pitti Palace Gardens

After the Pitti we had reservations at the Uffizi Gallery.  Talk about a nightmare!  You have to make reservations to get your ticket, then you have to wait in line to pick your ticket up in which you can't pick it up more then 15 minutes before your reservation, and then you wait in line to get into the museum.  The Uffizi is probably the most popular museum in Florence and is said to have the largest Italian Renaissance collection, not to mention a huge room filled with only Botticelli's.  Similar the the Pitti, we were not allowed to take photos but I've posted some of Botticelli's most famous pieces (and our favorites!) on the blog homepage.  In spite of the crowds, this museum is truly awesome!  Not only is there a large Botticelli collection, you can see Michelangelo, Raphael, Singnorelli, DaVinci, Rembrandt, and Carravagio works.  We also received an incredible view of the Ponte Vecchio from inside as well as Palazzo Vecchio from the rooftop balcony.

The famous Ponte Vecchio

Bell tower of Palazzo Vecchio



Kendra and the castle like facade of Palazzo Vecchio

Being incredibly tired of carbs, Ken was ready to eat some BEEF!  Our hotel recommended Il Latini which specializes in Bistecca Alla Fiorentina, which is a Florentine specialty steak and about the size of your head!  Il Latini only accepts reservations for two different seating times.  We arrived 10 minutes early and when they opened the doors at precisely 7pm it was a fight to the finish line.  This was all so silly considering that everyone would be seated as long as you had made a reservation.  But if you ever wondered when humans most closely resemble their evolution cousin, the ape, it's when they are worried they won't get a big hunk of meat to eat!

We waited patiently and were rewarded by getting sat next to a very pleasant couple from Toronto.  In Italy there's not really "personal space" in restaurants.  Tables are always very close together as space is limited and sometimes you'll get seated at the same table as perfect strangers.  Since Il Latini is so popular, they put a person in every seat.  The folks from Toronto were friendly and full of life.  As we learned all about Toronto, the wine poured freely and we dined on four courses.  Before we knew it, we were walking out of that restaurant at 11pm!  It was one of our favorite memories and certainly a top meal...and Ken got his steak!

After a peaceful sleep (how can one not sleep well after all that food!) we awoke on our last full day in Florence.  We had reservations to go see The David at the Accademia Museum, but had all morning to tour around.  Since we had spent a lot of time in shops and in museums, we hadn't gotten to explore the streets of Florence as we had in Rome.  In the Piazza del Signoria, where the Palazzo Vecchio is located, there is a large outdoor structure (Loggia dei Lanzi) that houses recreations of many famous statues.  It's also a good place to people watch! 

The lion that guards the entrance to Loggia dei Lanzi

Cellini's Perseus with the Head of Medusa

Ken standing by the Fountain of Neptune

The Fountain of Neptune

Unknown statue in Piazza della Signoria

It was finally time to see Michelangelo's David.  Probably the most recognized statue ever, pictures don't do it justice.  This statue is 17 feet tall and magnificent.  Michelangelo's artistic detail is incredible.  How is it possible to get such smooth and detailed human muscles from rock?  How long would it take someone to create a full head of curly hair from an unmoving solid?  What's more incredible is this block of marble sat neglected for 25 years after having only a leg outlined by the original artist.  Michelangelo had enough vision to see what this piece of marble could become.  And as at most museums, we were not allowed to take photos.

After the Accademia it was time to shop again!  We hit the Piazza del Mercato Centrale for some street vendor shopping.  It was like a craft fair on steroids!  Several streets were filled on either side as well as in the middle with vendor tents.  The main item for sale: leather.  Incredible, beautiful Italian leather that no tourist can return from Italy without.  Ken immediately channeled his inner barterer and came out with a heck of a deal on a leather purse for Kendra's birthday.

As usual, shopping made us hungry!  We again received a great recommendation from the hotel and ate at a quaint little trattoria.  We were back to our pasta lovin' ways thanks to the cleansing Bistec the night before.  While I got a typical pasta with ragu sauce, Ken had an interesting rollitini type pasta with a unique flavor.  It definitely had some nutmeg making for a sweeter pasta dish.

 

After dinner we strolled along the Arno river.  It was sad being our last night in Florence yet magical.  A lot of other people were out for their evening stroll, enjoying the sights along the Arno, which seemed to glow with the lights from buildings above.  Truly a bittersweet moment as we bid arrivederci to Firenze.