Florence shopping

Another scorcher of a day in Florence – already 28 C at 9am, and we have a day a light wandering and shopping planned. Aim is to get at least a jacket each 😉  .

First stop just around the corner as a parallel street has many leather shops in it. We went looking for Dana as she was after a red or blue jacket, and while they hada nice blue – it wasn’t in her size, but the owner really gave Dana the talk that while red and blue are nice and this years colours, black and browns are timeless and had a really nice brown in the same style as the blue that she was very close to taking – but undecided.

In the mean time I tried on a few jackets and found a dark brown bomber style jacket that I took. One down two to go – though Nerida’s already has a deposit on it and we just need to pay it off.

So back across town to get Nerida’s and Max the manager recognised us and grabbed the jacket, and being the consumate salesman picked out a jacket for Dana – a classic black but with a detachable hood that she fell in love with straight away. So two more jackets done – and CC somewhat poorer.

Back via some open air leather markets to have a half look at bags and a quikc rest and rehydrate from the mid thirties temperatures, then out to find lunch.

Stopped at the square in front of the Medicci palace (where the David original stood and a replica still does) and found a good cafe that served salads and lighter food. Ihad a mixed seafood carpachio, Nerida a salad with egg and cheese and tomato, and Dana had a ricotta and spinach ravioli.

We then walked across the Vecchio bridge to show Dana all the gold shops in their shiny glory – before returning for more cold water, gelato and a rest through the hottest part of the afternoon.

For dinner we had found a Sushi place just around the corner from us and went their. Food was amazing and I think we ate more than any other meal we’ve had so far on holiday, or at sushi. Ended up with a massive tower of plates. Dana even got adventurous with trying new foods – some octopus (meh), crab (OK) and eel (yum) to the point she stole a whole eel nigiri from me. All feeling pretty good for having “home style” food and lots of it, we went for a walk – down to the Vecchio bridge again which is beautiful in the setting sun. Back through the heart of Florence which is so much quieter at this time of day – where do all the tourists go ???

Off to Rome late Sunday morning – which while still hot in the mid thirties wont be the insane 38 C we have had the last few days.

 

Accademia, walking tour and Uffizi

Today was our planned day in Florence with a tour that starts at the Accademia, then a walking tour of the city and finishing with the Uffizi gallery – 6’ish hours planned.

We left with plenty of time for the ~1km walk to the starting point at the Accademia – as we wanted time to find our tour company in the crowds, and they were bigger than I expected when we got there. Having plenty of time though we wandered the streets looking at leather stores and Nerida found a really nice jacket – which we ended up putting a deposit on to collect Saturday as they came down to a really good price.

Back to the Accademia and found our group and then a (short) 15 minute wait to get in – the queue for those not on pre booked tours or those without pre purchased entry was apparently 2-3 hours of waiting.

Our guide was incredibly enthusiastic about Michelangelo, and we got a really well detailed history of his life, his works and the statue of David in particular.

After the Accademia we had a free hour for lunch and then re-meeting at the Hard Rock for the walking tour. We just grabbed a simple lunch of fruit and ice cream and lots of water given the heat, though we think it is a dry heat and not too bad, while they kept saying how humid it is – but I think 38 C and 30% is low humidity and quite bearable.

So off on our walking and our guide has decided to try to keep the shade as much as possible, and to try to get into the Cathedral instead of just walking around it. After a short (2 minute) wait the “gaurd” let us in, but made Dana cover her legs (shorts) with a scarf the guide had spare. A couple of others had to cover legs and shoulders in the group too.

Given entering the Dome was not part of our intended plans getting inside was a real bonus and it was pretty spectacular as far as cathedrals go – and a lot cooler inside than out 😉 .

Returning the streets and into the old part of the city past many towers, then down to the Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi for a short break before entering.

While the paintings are undoubtably amazing, I think we were all getting a wee bit tired from the heat, and our guide was talking on a bit too long on each work we stopped at – as a lot of the group (including us) started just wandering.

Finished the tour and we are only a couple of hundred meter walk to our apartment and crisp cold water and A/C 🙂 . A short rest then out to look for dinner, ending on grabbing some supplies from super market and cooking at home.

No one had any energy to head out again, so a quiet evening in reading.

Saturday is our shopping day – so leather hunting we will go.

 

Florence

Train trip from Venice to Florence was fast and full, the train is the Rome express stopping at only a few places along the way. The express bit is right, the tv screen at one point showed the train speed at 246 km/h .

Getting into Florence and hit the wall of heat getting off – temp was about 35 C, but it’s a realtively dry heat so bearable. Taxi ride through the heart of the city was short and driver managed to avoid all the pedestrians and bicycles meandering across the roads.

Our host was waiting for us and got us settled straight in. A short walk to get some lunch and supplies for dinner then back to unpack. Nerida and I then went out for a walk, leaving Dana behind to soak up the AirCon.

We walked the all of 200m to the Ufussi, then down and across the Pont Vecchio with all it’s tasteless jewelery, then along to the next bridge and back to the main side of the Arno.

We walked up to the dome passing stores for nearly every major fashion beand you care to name (plus some I hadn’t heard of). The dome itself is almost beyond description with how elaborately it is decorated – is truly amazing.

We then started to wander back, heading past innumerable leather stores, will be hard to pick just one jacket I think. Back to the apartment and enjoying the A/C colling down from the heat – then a simple home cooked pasta for dinner.

It having cooled off to all of 33 C, but the sun dipping low, we took Dana up to the Ufussi and Pont Vecchio – though most of the shops are now closed up tight. A short wander then back.

Free entertainment for us tonight with a Jazz band playing at a bar just down the street from us – not bad though a little fast at times. Closing up the windows and shutters and is quiet enough to sleep.

Got woken about 2am with a power cut and the alarms going off at the shops in the parallel street – though Nerida and Dana slept through it. When we got up our lights were still out as the master circuit breaker had tripped – but easily fixed.

Off on a guided walking tour today of the Acamemia and Ufussi which will take most of the day. Will be very hot (38 forecast) for the walk between the two.

Venice – Florence bound

Wednesday was spent as a day of just wandering and relaxing. First thing was to return to the mask shop with Dana and we purchased a mask. We thought long and hard about one for us too, but decided that we didnt really have anywhere for one that was appropriate.

Back for some morning tea then out to re-find the Leonardo exhibition and go through it. The recreations show just how amazing a man he was. The church itself that the exhibition was in was pretty good too.

We then headed across the canal for a walk and got thoroughly lost in residential back streets. We ended up walking over 3km and came out past the meeting point for our tour to Murano the other day. Baxk through the guts of San Marco and grabbed pizza for a late lunch, then a well earned relax.

A quiet evening in, then off for a late morning train to Florence on Thursday.

Venice

For our morning we caught the vaporetto down to the end of the canal to Salute, and started our walk from there. We meandered through the laneways back towards Academia – past the Peggy Gugenheim museum, but it wasn’t open 🙁 .

Crossed the canal at the Academia bridge and slowly wandered our way back towards the Rialto bridge area, only did a loop once when we got to far into residential back lanes.

Back over the bridge to home area and grabbed some pizza slices to take back for lunch.

Nerida and I then headed back for an afternoon walk leaving Dana behind as she was in need of a rest. First goal was to find a birthday present for BJ and mission accomplished nice and quick. We then wandered – and yes there is a lot of just walking in Venice, but its a pleasant strolling pace – till we hit the Lagoon near San Marco. We hoped onto the water bus back up the canal, getting off at San Toma, nearish home.

A short walk into the Campo and we found the most amazing mask shop here. Many (most) of the shops seem to sell the same mass produced masks, but there are a few that still have hand made ones – and these were some of the best we have seen. We are still trying to work out how we can get home – but will return with Dana on Wednesday to look at them.

We then headed towards Rialto once more and walked till we found familiar shops/streets and knew we were near home. Stopped for some pasteries for afternoon tea, as well as getting some cool watermelon and retuned home.

After some food we had a couple of games of Fusbal and Nerida and Dana managed to beat me. We then spent a couple of hours relaxing as we had an evening walking tour and gondola ride booked. Back onto the vaporetto and down to Academia for the starting point for 6:30 – walking through an area we hadn’t (mostly) done yet. Then onto a Gondola at 8pm for about a 35 minute ride – across the grand canal, then through some of the small canals.

Back home at 9pm and finally off to dinner – we are starting to go native with our eating hours. Went round to place called The Jazz Club just around the back of our building that was recommended by Rosa our host. The pizza were really good as was the wine.

We say our first rat of Venice go scurrying past – which we thought was amusing, but an American family at another table seemed a bit more concerned.

While we were easting a local came past walking for dog and cat – and yes the cat was happily walking along with her and dog , neither on leads. Though the cat wasn’t happy with another dog that was already at the resturant that from it’s barking didn’t like cats.

A few minutes later she returned from her walk and settled into the cafe with the group with the dog and her dog came and befriended us – given we’d dropped a bit of pizza and Nerida fed it the ham 😉 .

Wednesday will be another day of just exploring – before we leave Thursday for Florence and given the current weather pattern getting seriusly baked with temperatures expected in the high 30’s for the days we are there.