Travels in Florence (November 1-2)

View of Florence from the top of the 'Il Duomo'

Florence was our second stop on our Italian vacation. Also known as "Firenze," Florence is rich in famous art and architecture. This beautiful city is set on the Arno River and is known for having some of the best restaurants in Italy. Though we only were in Florence for two nights, we had plenty of time to explore all the different cathedrals, markets and museums.

Kathleen and David on the Arno River

Sometimes, it is hard to appreciate a city in the rain. When we arrived in Florence, it was pourring down rain and was fairly unpleasant. We checked into our well-located hotel called the "Franz House," and promptly began sight-seeing. We walked around to get a lay of the land. We first saw the 'Il Duomo' or the 'Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore' just from the outside. I was captivated by the beautiful exterior, but I did not fully grasp the overall grandeur until we went inside the next day.  Thankfully Monday was the only day it rained. It was difficult to absorb all the architecture and culture around me when I had to shield myself from the rain. For the first few hours in Florence the only thing I could really focus on were my wet Cole Haan boots trudging through puddles. The three of us made the executive decision to tour indoor museums for the rest of the day. Our first stop was the Medici Palace. The Medici Family was a prominent banking family in Florence and built their Palace in the mid 1400's. Showcasing marble floors, courtyards filled with orange trees and Renaissance art on the ceilings, this grand home was beautiful. There were different modern art exhibits on the first floor, and original rooms and furniture on the second floor. My favorite room was the Luca Giordano gallery. The curved painted ceiling lined with mirrors and lights was absolutely breathtaking. Later, we walked over to the Accademia Gallery to view the 'David.' Famous for its scriptures of Michelangelo, the Accademia Gallery was focused around the monumental and esteemed sculpture of David. As I walked down the long hallway leading to the sculpture I was completely amazed at the size of the piece. People crowded around the statue in awe. I remember an older gentleman staring at the piece; he had a wide smile on his face as he clenched his wife's arm. I was captivated by the disproportion of the sculpted hands. Every aspect was so detailed, masculine and strong. I now believe that the 'David' not only redefined the Renaissance, but also redefined standards for sculpture in general.  

Il Duomo

Medici Palace

David

4 Leonis

After a long day of walking around in the rain, the three of us retired back to our hotel before dinner. We chose this small restaurant across the river called: "4 Leonis." The space was small and quaint. The restaurant had a very relaxed yet sophisticated feel to it. Dimly lit  with large tables, the restaurant encouraged different parties to sit together. We discovered this to be a common style of eating in Florence. We started with amazing bruschetta and a plate of prosciutto and mozzarella. The mozzarella was the best I had ever tasted. It was so light and literally melted in your mouth. When time came to order, we each selected random entrees, being that we did not quite understand the menu printed in Italian. I ordered a beef dish marinated in balsamic vinegar. The balsamic was unlike any I had ever tasted. The waiter boasted that the balsamic, which was bottled on site, was the best in Florence. I agreed.

Primavera, Botticelli 

The next morning we woke up to get in line for the Uffizi Gallery. One of the oldest and most famous museums in Western Europe, the Uffizi Gallery was worth waiting in line for an hour and half. There were a few pieces I absolutely fell in love with. I was amazed by Gentile di Fabriano's piece, Adoration of the Magi. The three of us agreed it was our favorite piece in the Gothic section. The detailed gold frame and red and gold accents brought the piece to life. The Uffizi also is the home to Piero della Francesca's painting of the 'Duke and Duchess of Urbino.' I recognized the piece from my art history course, but I had no idea about the small size and great detail. I loved being able to remember paintings I had studied in the past. The most impressive painter by far was Botticelli. I was completely enthralled with the 'Birth of Venus' and 'Primavera.' Each piece was so precise yet imaginative. The women showcased had angel-like aura's and each piece told a story that captured the viewer. Out of the two, I preferred Botticelli's 'Primavera,' which was set in a forest. The detailed oranges in the trees and the people dancing around the Venus of arch were mesmerizing. The Uffizi was also having a special Carravaggio exhibit. Even though his 1597 piece, Medusa was small, it evoked great emotion and a sense of fear. The Uffizi Gallery was definitely my favorite museum in Italy.

Uffizi Gallery

Later that day we got the chance to see the inside of the 'Il Duomo.' Though the inside of the church was not the most impressive we had seen, the dome painted by Vesari was magnificent. We walked up the 500+ stairs to get to the top of the dome. It was so neat to see the entire view of the city of Florence from above.

Inside Il Duomo

David and Valereo

We all did a little bit of shopping in the famous markets before we headed off to dinner. My Uncle Richard is one of the most travelled people I know. He knows the best restaurants in every city and he is the reason why I enjoyed my eating experiences in Florence so much. He suggested we go to this restaurant called, 'Il Latino.' We sat down at 7:30pm, and by 7:32pm we each had three plates of appetizers sitting before us. The waiters did not even hand us a menu, but merely told us what we would enjoy. It was as if we were regulars at the restaurant and the waiters knew what we wanted to order. We each had a fresh plate of prosciutto, mozzarella, and a crustini with a type of meat sauce. After ten minutes of being in the restaurant I was already full. The waiter cleared the plates as he explained that all the tables came with free wine and olive oil which were made on site. This restaurant also encouraged parties to intermingle. An older gentleman named Valereo sat beside David as we finished our appetizers. Valereo was a shorter man with greying hair who had obviously been to the restaurant many times. He introduced himself and merely gave the waiters a look, and they seemed to know exactly what he wanted to order. Valero spoke perfect English and was very talkative. He suggested that we order the rabbit, and insisted that "we could not leave without trying it." Coincidently, Valereo studied in Aix-en-Provence at the university located next door to IAU. He told us stories of his trips to Cassis and his favorite restaurants in Aix. However, he admitted that he hated French food.  He said, "the French kill their food with their overpowering sauces," as he ate his piece of plain tender beef tenderloin with a prudent smirk on his face. He made the meal very memorable and special for all of us. He left before we finished, and bought us a glass of desert wine to end our meal. Surprisingly the meal at 'Il Latino' was the least expensive out of all the meals we had eaten in Italy. I will never forget our meal with Valereo and his kind Italian ways. Uncle Richard, thank you so much for the suggestion. You helped make Florence that much more special for me.

view of Arno River

Florence is a city that is beautiful and artistic. There was not an overwhelming amount of tourists, and the people we met were so wholesome and welcoming. I would love to get the chance to visit Florence again someday.

I will be writing about our adventures in Venice next!
I leave for Barcelona tomorrow!
Ciao,
Molly