Florence

On this weekend we headed to Florence to meet our Italian teacher from Santa Monica, CA. He is Florentine, was going to be in the city and we hooked up with him. We took the train from our little town in northern Veneto and arrived in Florence in about 4 hours. We walked through chaotic streets to our hotel Cestelli (www.hotelcestelli.com ). The location was hard to beat and the price very reasonable. It is a midrange hotel but very close to the high-end shopping section of town just off the Arno and around the corner from the Salvatore Ferragamo store. The place was a like a guest house, highly rated in trip advisor and with very kind, hip, young owners. The rooms were good, small and old fashioned but clean and well kept. We could walk to all the major sites.
On our first day in the city we strolled around Pitti Gardens. They surround the late Medici palace. I had never understood the power of the Medici as I did seeing that palace and its Gardens. The place is so big they have different tickets for different sections: one for the palace and one for the gardens. It is a giant even compared to the best and richest palaces in the world. Built and decorated with impeccable taste, made to last forever, very grandiose and endless. Its art collection makes even the Uffizi Gallery look like small potatoes. Not to be missed, number one destination in Florence from my perspective. If torn between gardens and palace, I would definitely recommend the palace. If you like to look at paintings give it at least a half day. The collection is very large and interesting. Buy tickets in advance and best viewing time is the morning.
For lunch we just ate a sandwich at one of the many bars. We strolled over the Ponte Vechio and into the surrounding area, then went to the luxury store area and wondered around. Later we headed for the Academia to see the David of Michel Angelo. We also had reserved tickets for this one in the late afternoon. There were not that many people. The statue is a lot bigger than I imagined, amazing and warranting long contemplation from every angle. The rest of the gallery is also nice mainly classical sculpture and in the upper floors early medieval paintings.
For dinner we went to a restaurant called Quatro Leoni, very nice food, good service, great atmosphere. We finished the day by going to a hip bar for drinks right off the Arno. The name escapes me.
Next day we had breakfast at a nice caffè around the corner from our hotel. It is always a good idea to ask your host or concierge for recommendations. Later we went to The Uffizi Gallery. When we arrived we were delighted that I had the forethought to buy tickets online. The line was truly long and thick, 4-6 people wide for the equivalent of a few blocks. With the online ticket purchase you feel like a VIP. You get in through a special door where there is an insignificant and very fast line. You first have to pick up the tickets in the building across from the main entrance. The art collection is amazing and should not be missed. Particularly for the splendid Botticelli room. Don’t be surprised if you shed a tear in that room. Hard to remember now all the marvels but I was also struck by the Artemisia Gentileschi paintings. There are of paintings from most if not all the Florentine masters.
That afternoon we met our Italian teacher for a drink. The typical Florentine bars have what amounts to a free buffet if you buy drinks. We had a couple and then met some of our teacher’s friends to then go to dinner at a fancy restaurant. We had ribollita as an appetizer and it was to die for. Don’t miss that soup in Florence. It is a type of hardy dry soup with beans, vegetables, a type of kale and bread. Then we proceeded to have Pasta with wild boar ragu and we all indulged in getting Florentine steaks. Be prepared for a Fred Flintstone sized stake. I think one would be enough for 2 or 3 people. Lots of great wine, dessert, coffee, grappa, and the bill was very steep given that it was a three star Michelin rated restaurant. There were 7 of us and we paid about one thousand Euros. Too expensive! I don’t remember the name either.
Later we headed to a bar. Entering the place was like wrestling with a sea of people given that in Italian bars everyone seems to want to stand on the main access way. The music was loud and we could not speak but it was fun to see the young people. We then wrestled to get out and said our farewells to friends and headed back to our hotel.
Further strolling the next day and then back to the train station and Vittorio Veneto.