Florence (Firenze in Italian) is beautiful. But evidently the season to go, if you want to avoid the crowds, is in the middle of winter. Even mid-April the streets are packed with tour groups, as well as some brave locals with small dogs (the dogs have no choice, but I think they're brave, too). If you want to go near any of the major tourist attractions, well...good luck. I only managed to get within two feet of the Baptistery to look at Ghiberti's gilded bronze doors at the end of the day - and that two feet, between me and the doors, was packed with tourists. There was no way to get a clear shot of the eastern side of the building, in fact almost all my shots have the heads of strangers in them. If I didn't think I'd get the chance to go back to Florence in the next couple of years, this would have been a very frustrating experience.
However, I know I can go to Florence again. My mom and I have already agreed that we'll stay a couple of nights and book reservations to see the original David (the one pictured here, in front of Palazzo Vecchio, is a copy), the scientific waxworks, the Uffizi, etc. There is just so much there! It's overwhelming. And it deserves more time. I took pictures of the things we had time to look at and just enjoyed roaming the streets of Florence with my mom. I discovered that the cheaper street vendor stalls also had the crappier product (you get what you pay for), but if you've got the nerve you can negotiate. I do not have that kind of nerve, so next time I need to take my brother. They would fear him and his bargaining savvy.
I had amazing Tuscan food at a tiny restaurant called da il Latini (owned by the Latini family) about two blocks from the Arno, somewhere in the maze of streets away from the crowds (but since it's a famous restaurant, it did get crowded quickly, we just beat the rush). I found some pricey souvenirs that I felt were worth the money because I liked them that much. And I had a great day talking about the history of Florence with my mom. You cannot underestimate the power of an American speaking near-fluent Italian. Everyone is always so excited that she not only chose to live here, but that she is making an effort to learn the language. I guess a lot of ex-pats search out ex-pat communities that are largely American and British, so they don't have to learn much Italian to get by. My mom, on the other hand, chose to live in the city her father grew up in and Genova does not have an ex-pat community. Although I've run into more people who speak some English this time, it is extremely rare here. The waiter at da il Latini spoke some English at first, but then ceased to do so the moment he found out my mom spoke Italian. We were treated to a heavenly bean and barley soup and glasses of limoncello, in addition to the items we'd already ordered. The couple sitting next to us were visiting from Rome and struck up a conversation with my mom, as well. Everyone was so friendly and so excited to speak to the Italian-speaking Americana who looks Dutch. Even Signore Latini himself came by at the end of our meal to wish us a Buona Pasqua (Happy Easter).
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| It seems that every train I get on here is different. This one had fold out tray tables and wide seats, which was wonderful since it takes a few hours to get from Genoa to Pisa, then to Florence. |
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| Huge steampunk mask hanging outside of a mask shop - Alice's Masks (pronounced al-ee-chay), which both sells all kinds of masks (think of the Venetian masks for Carnivale as a prime example) and holds workshops on mask-making. |
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| Forced to stand in a fabric store for half an hour by my mother. |
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Il Duomo (even though you can't see the dome).
And the eastern Baptistery doors, across from the Duomo.
Il Porcellino in Mercato del Porcellino - Visitors rub the boar's nose for luck and put coins in his mouth, trying to get them to fall into the grate at his feet. The coins go to a charity that finds homes for abandoned children.
The crowded Ponte Vecchio, a bridge that once housed all the gold- and silversmith shops in Florence.
View of the Arno and one of its bridges form the Ponte Vecchio.
Dostoyevsky wrote The Idiot in this building, across from Palazzo Pitti.
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| Palazzo Pitti - the largest palace in Florence and now a museum. |
Majolica store we found on our way back to the Duomo.
Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria - a copy of Michelangelo's David sits to the left of its doors.
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| Statues in Piazza della Signoria |
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The Rape of the Sabine
Perseus with the head of Medusa and the Duomo's Campanile (bell tower).
The gilded bronze Eastern doors of the Baptistery by Ghiberti, depicting scenes from the Old Testament.
That's a small fraction of the art and architecture in Florence. I can hardly wait to see the rest.
The Rape of the Sabine
