Today we woke up ready to take on Florence. First off we needed to replenish our money supply and so we went in search of an ATM before starting our day.
There was one down the road, around the corner- and the funny thing about Florentine ATMs is that they’re in their own little room secured by a door with a doorbell. To use it, you ring the doorbell, pull the door open, step in and do your business while the door shuts securely behind you. If anyone else wants to use it, they ring the doorbell (I guess to let you know they’re waiting) but the door is locked until you come out when you’ve concluded your withdrawal. All a bit confusing, but it’s a good way of preventing people from peering over your shoulder and stealing your pin number, hey?
After the dollar supplies had been topped up and safely stowed away in our hotel, our walking tour began. There’s so much to see in Florence, but it’s all pretty close together and it’s different to Paris, in that it can all be done on foot. There’s no need to metro-ride; it’s extremely condensed. In contrast to the smaller cities we visited like La Spezia and Nice, it feels much more fast paced and hectic. The traffic is pushy, tourists are in their thousands, and pedestrians definitely play second fiddle to cars. If you’re going to cross the street at a pedestrian crossing, don’t assume the cars or vespers will stop, because they won’t. Just look for whether they’re slowing down, make pointed eye contact and act like you know where you’re going. Otherwise, they’ll just steamroll you. Alternatively, trot after a local Florentine, and you’ll be happy as Larry.
Today was reserved for sightseeing, rather than museum entering (that’s for Thursday), and here’s what we saw:
- the Medici Chapels
- San Lorenzo Market
- the Duomo Cathedral (spectacular- the cathedral was built with a big hole in the roof, because the technology of the time wasn’t advanced enough to build the dome. However, the builders weren’t concerned- they knew that there would be someone who could handle the challenge and the dome followed later- and sure enough, it was put in by Filippo Brunelleschi)
- Campanile (Giotto’s Tower)
- Baptistery (with its beautiful bronze doors)
- The Orsanmichele Church
- Piazza della Repubblica (here, there is a lone column which marks where Rome’s two main roads met. The piazza is punctuated by a grand arch which is meant to reflect the celebration of Italy’s unification)
- Uffizi Gallery
- Palazzio Vecchio
- Ponte Vecchio (which is Florence’s most famous bridge. It was used by the Medici family to commute between Uffizi and the Pitti Palace (their home) and is flooded by tourists and jewellery sellers)
- Piazzale Michaelangelo (to get there, you have to go up a super steep hill and many steps, but once you get to the top and see this spectacular view of Florence, it’s all worth it)
Eight hours after our ATM adventure, our walking tour was complete and we slipped back to our hotel at 8:30 pm for a big rest. You have to admit, holidays are so much fun and so enriching- but they are so exhausting sometimes!!
Tomorrow, we’re taking a tour of Pisa and Lucca. Thankfully it’s partly a bus tour, so we’ll have a chance to sit back and relax. Ciao until then J
[Man from Mars, the ultimate tourist:]
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