Advertisement
Published: July 18th 2017
Edit Blog Post
Geo: 43.7687, 11.2569
Yea! We got to sleep in this morning and got up at 5:45. We rode the water taxi back to the train station. It was beautiful on the water in the early morning. We were among other vacationers but also many local people on the way to their jobs. Once at the station we had time for hot tea and croissants. These were so light and flaky with a tasty apricot filling!
We rode a fancy high speed train this morning. It had adjustable cushioned seats, individual reading lamps with magazines provided, jacks for headphones with piped in music, electric outlets and wifi capability. They also passed out complimentary newspapers, beverages and cookies. It was a very enjoyable journey that went direct to Florence.
Another observation-Cell phone service here must be better than at home. People are able to get service in the subways, on trains, and even in the boats. Everyone here is carrying a phone. Even the gondoliers and water taxi drivers are talking on the phone with one hand and maneuvering their vehicle with the other. It's fascinating to see how easily they can handle it all.
After arriving at the Santa Maria Novella Train Station in Florence we
purchased our tickets for the next leg of our journey to Rome. We will be here three days but it saves a trip to the station if we handle it now. This time we were even able to bypass the ticket line by making our purchase at a self service machine. Our travel skills are improving!
We located our hotel with ease today. It was less than a ten minute walk from the station. After dropping off our bags and getting tour tips from Nicolleta we started to explore the city of Florence. We went to Plazza SIgnoria, Plazza San Croce, and Plazza Vecchio. In Plazza San Croce there is the Basilica of San Croce which we viewed from the exterior. In the Plazza Vecchio there is a copy of the statue of David on the spot where the original statue stood before being moved to it's current location. This statue is next to the Galleria degli Uffizi, a museum of art. While walking to each of the plazas we passed through many narrow streets again lined with shops and restaurants. These streets are narrow but wide enough for one car or motorcycle to pass through so care is needed in
case traffic is coming. In the previous cities most passageways were for foot traffic only.
The temperatures here are soaring so by late afternoon we needed a rest out of the sun and heat. In the early evening we went to a recommended restaurant , Contadino's, for dinner. It was excellent. The spaghetti and ravioli were homemade. The salad was crunchy and the beef and grilled pork were great. It's a family run restaurant and many of the local people eat there. They don't even have menus. The owner verbally goes through the options available to you. We even had to pass on dessert since the main courses were so filling.
We did a little more walking after dinner along the Arno River. It's always interesting just to watch what is going on around you. There are the tourists like us and then there are the locals who are just going about their everyday lives. It must have been the end of the work day for many because the traffic increased in the area. Not just car but motorcycle and bike. People are riding bikes and motorcycles in dresses, heels, and suits. They are carrying groceries on a motorcycle by just placing
the bags by their feet. It's amazing to watch them just whip those bikes and motorcycles in among the cars and buses and rarely do you hear a horn.
After another busy day we are ready to call it quits!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.112s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 11; qc: 28; dbt: 0.0475s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Kathy Nichols
non-member comment
Wow, so much history, so many beautiful sights! Did you ride in a gondola with an accordian player? The food sounds yummy, and I hope you're eating enough to give you the energy you need for all your activities. It already seems like you've
been gone forever, but for you guys the time is probably flying. Rich, hope you had a happy Father's Day! I'll be waiting for the next update.