Florence didn’t disappoint us this weekend. We drove in easily from Assisi, thankful that we were leaving as Angela Merkel was arriving. Traffic was lined up for miles on the other side of the road as we sped to this ancient and lovely Tuscan city.
We stopped first at the Piezalle Michelangelo to take photographs and look down upon the city. We snapped photographs of the entire city, from the Duomo and bell tower to the Ponte Vecchio bridge and all the red tile roofs that are the city’s landmark attractions.
Matteo led us into the center of the city, giving us some quick lessons to familiarize ourselves with navigating the twisting streets and squares. The students scattered to find lunch (No McDonald’s! Matteo warned them.) and start browsing and shopping. We met back again to meet our Florence tour guide Elena (an appropriate name!) who led us on a visit to the Accademia and a walking tour of the city.
The main focus of the Accademia is Michelangelo’s “David,” and I remember being brought to the verge of tears last time when I saw it. The beauty of the sculpture can just take your breath away. I saw some of the same reaction in some of the students this time as well.
I always learn so much from our tour guides. I knew that Michelangelo preferred sculpture to painting, but I had not known that he was left-handed, something researchers figured out by studying closely two unfinished pieces. And a self-portrait in sculpture, or course, revealed he had a broken nose. That came as a result of a boxing match with a fellow student when he lived with Lorenzo the Magnificent (don’t you just love that?), although I knew he was a very nice person.
We left David behind to walk around the city with Helena, stopping at the city center, looking at where the founding family of Florence, the Medicis, lived in splendor. Our trip seemed to continue in interlocking loops – over to City Hall, where “David” first stood among so many others until it was moved to safety in the Accademia (a 10-day effort); to the Ponte Vecchio with all its marvelous jewelry stores; to the Uffizi and then back to the Duomo, Gothic bell tower and baptistery. So many churches have been turned into museums. I need to stay here at least a month to see them all, which I would love to do.
We ended the night with a pizza (of course) group dinner at Fuoco Matto, a warm and inviting restaurant. I took a few photos of the menu and building to send back to my longtime friend and fellow journalist, Mike Fuoco. His last name means fire in Italian, and this place is known for its wood-fired pizza and grill restaurant. Lots of meat on display there, including one that still had some poor animal’s hoof still attached. Ending the meal with some tiramisu, which I will never tire of, we headed to our hotel, another hostel, Plus Florence. Ask some of the girls about their interesting showers …
Darlene and I had spotted a small church right across the street before we headed to our rooms. So the next morning we headed there before breakfast to find out Mass times. Confusing! A sign had it listed at 9:30 a.m., but according to the church bulletin, it was 9 a.m. Neither was correct; we went over twice but no sign of a priest or anyone. So we tried to look for another church. We saw well-dressed families (adorable children!) heading down the street, but they warned us away from what they called dedication Masses – something we took to mean First Communion. After wandering around, we ended back at the same church and found Mass in progress. The small church was pretty full of mostly older Italians, so we settled in, just following the familiar ritual. One major difference from most American churches: The Virgin Mary was the center focus, not Christ or a crucifix.
Next up – lunch and shopping, as well as a visit to the Uffizi, the Medici art museum. I had a wish list and filled most of it – Italian sweaters and a belt, the usual tie for my son Stephen, and some other trinkets and mementos. We loved the Uffizi, catching up with Robin who had headed there before us. Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus,” early artwork by Bellini and Michelangelo and Caravaggio, as well as some amazing sketches and paintings by Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt and Rubens, are among its treasures.
We ended the evening with dinner at a small restaurant, Il Cardellina, where we had roasted chicken and potatoes to die for, although Jan’s osso bucco was a disappointment. Luscious chocolate desserts mad up for it, and I ended the evening with a great cup of cappuccino. Time to pack up again. Tomorrow we head to Venice.