If I were to live in one of the three cities we visited, it would be Florence. The city had a younger sensibility (without the ancient Roman sites, I suppose?), felt calmer and quainter, and is just an hour away from breathtaking Tuscan countryside.
Day 6: arrived in Florence, had the best pizza in town
Day 7: toured the Uffizi, the Duomo square, the market, and Galleria Academia (where David resides)
Day 8: toured Sienna, San Gimignano, and Pisa
Day 9: bike tour through the hills of Tuscany
Day 10: departed for Cinque Terre
In Florence, we stayed in Oltarno, a neighborhood west of the Arno River. I enjoyed crossing the bridge to and from the city center every day. The river flows east to west, so the sunset views were gorgeous. Even more so than Rome, art is integrated into every part of the city. Renaissance sculpture is everywhere, but what I also found interesting were the buildings decorated in graffiti (not the spray painted NYC kind) and the street art.
Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel (in Rome) and statue of David are so famous and so revered, that I thought we might actually be let down seeing both in person. Not so. The sheer size and detail of David (the eyes and hands especially) are awe-inspiring. Walking up to David, you also pass Michelangelo's Unfinished Slaves, figures in various stages of the sculpting process. Seeing them made us appreciate David even more. Between the Sistine Chapel, the Uffizi, and the Academia, I think Pete and I saw the first half of our Survey on Western Art course in college.
The most affordable option for us to see Tuscany was to join a bus tour (renting a car is exorbitant). The tour stopped in Siena first, home of Italy's largest piazza (famous for its horse race) and oldest bank. Our guide took us through the different districts of Siena (each represented by a different animal--the race is a competition among them) and into what might have been the most beautiful cathedral we visited in Italy. From Siena, we had lunch in a winery and olive oil farm, with a view of San Gimignano's famed towers. Later in San Gimignano, we had gelato and rested under olive trees at the top of a fort. Our last stop was Pisa, where we took silly pictures and relaxed in the grass. Many people told us to skip Pisa, but I think the Field of Miracles was well worth the visit. The entire trip was a whirlwind through Tuscany, but I'm glad we had the chance to see all three.
The following day was more relaxing. We joined a bike tour that began in a duchess's castle (not as rare as it sounds) about 45 minutes out of Florence. It was cold and misty for the first half of the ride, but after lunch the sun came out, and the second half was lovely (except for the 19 degree hill waiting for us at the end).
I can't imagine anywhere else on earth having the scenery that we saw in Tuscany. I'm so happy we were able to spend four nights in Florence. And yes, on one of those nights, we watched Under the Tuscan Sun in the comfort of our room after eating a meal of delicious bisteca and antipasti, washed down with vino rosso. La bella vita.
Arriving in Florence and laundry; our first night in Florence, Ponte Vecchio by night and day.
The Duomo, near the Uffizi; the Academia; street art (empty frames were hung on walled scaffolding, various artists filled them with their work) and graffiti.
Siena. Piazza del Campo, the exterior and interior of the Duomo.
Lunch on a farm and San Gimignano.
Pisa and the Field of Miracles.
Biking the hills of Tuscany.
Facing west at sunset.
1 comments:
kaity, have you learned nothing from the magic orange bag I used in NOLA? backpacks can definitely carry all the honeymoon necessities. smart planning, mel.
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