It is interesting to experience the different trains through each country...some are great...others are, well, interesting. We had to transfer in Milan, Italy in order to get to Florence from Nice. Immediately stepping off the train in Milano Centrali, I noticed that Italy smelled like cow pies. Delicious. Sometimes Alberta smells that way, too (wink, wink). Upon using the toilet for the first time on an Italian train, I noticed that one's waste falls right onto the tracks. You can see it go down a long tube and then there is daylight at the end. So, not cow pies after all. Hope you all enjoyed that little tid-bit of info as your sip your morning joe and enjoy your banana and yogurt...
We arrived in Florence on the evening of November 1st. The hostel we stayed at came from a recommendation from the two Toronto roommates we had in bed-bug central. The Archi Rossi hostel...great hostel! Clean, friendly and the breakfast was free, consisting of bacon and eggs or french toast...and, of course, a cappuccino. The hostel also put on two different, free walking tours. Upon arriving from France, we immediately noticed the change in attitude of local's reactions to tourists. Ahhhh friendly Italians! I definitely felt more welcome all throughout Italy, where in France, it was touch and go.
The first evening we spent in Florence, we strolled the local market, which takes place daily, and...we also had some..........GELATO!! A reoccurring theme, right? The market consists of all things leather; purses, wallets, belts, bracelets, jackets, etc. You can also bargain with the people there, too, which is fun. So, how could I leave Florence and not buy a leather hand bag?! So many beautiful ones to choose from...only thing is, they're not too cheap. € 150 for a good quality bag...which is around $ 200 CAD. I have to hold off...plus, where the H am I going to put this stuff? I am only lugging around a 48L backpack and I already bought two pairs of boots. Life is tough, hey?! Haha!
Florence is home to the Duomo, officially titled Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, and construction began in 1294. The dome was designed by Brunelleschi in the 1400s and the cathedral is one of the largest in the world today. The design and construction of the Duomo is amazing. Due the the incredibly large size of the dome, no scaffolding could not be used in its construction process. Brunelleschi used a cat-tail technique with the bricks of the dome so that it would be self-supporting. It is a genius design, and to this day, physicists, architects, mathematicians and engineers cannot quite figure out just how Brunelleschi designed the Duomo. If the Duomo was to be destroyed for whatever reason, it would be impossible to rebuild it the way it was originally built in the 1400s! Jeni and I climbed to the top of the Duomo, some 463 stairs, and saw fantastic views of all of Florence. Highly recommended!
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| Florence's Duomo |
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| J-Sak and I at the top of the Duomo |
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| Why, hello Italy. |
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| The bell tower |
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| Climbing the last few stairs to the top of the Duomo |
Florence is also home to Michelangelo's "David" sculpture. Other than the ceiling of
the Sistine Chapel in Rome, David was the most incredible piece of art I have ever
seen. The monstrous marble statue looks so life like, it was carved from one, solid
piece of marble when Michelangelo as only 29. There are two David replicas in
Florence, though they are not quite like the real one. Though it attracts loads of
tourists, it is worth seeing for sure.
Jeni and I spent most of our time seeing the main sights, then strolling up
Florence's bustling streets, checking out pastry shops, gelateria's and wine stores.
We ate a great Italian meal at a restaurant called Pepo, which was a recommendation
from our guide on the walking tour who grew up in Florence...it had to be good! Jeni
had steamy, gooey lasagna and I had cheesy ravioli...it was all homemade pasta,
too. Our guide also showed us one of the best places in Florence to have gelato and
I cannot remember the name. Anyways, she told us that if you seek out a gelateria
that only serves gelato and nothing else, you can be sure that it is freshly made on
the premises. People, I think by now I am a certified gelato expert and can guide
you through any gelato experience! Just ask!
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| You can ponder in Italy... |
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| Tuscany...in autumn... |
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| Enjoying the sun...enjoying the view! |
Our time in the Tuscan city of Florence flew by and is definitely a warm, friendly,
beautiful place with tons of history. Our Italian journey takes us on to Venice on
the evening of November 3rd. An hour before our train departed from Florence, J-Sak
and I decided to do one last stroll through the markets, making sure there wasn't
anything we forgot to look at or buy. Really, could I leave Florence without a
leather hand bag?! I think not! I bargained my way down to a fair price, bought the
bag, and we scurried off to the central train station to make our way to our next
Italian destination! Canals and gondolas...we can hear Venice calling!
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