Now where did I leave off? Oh yes, about to have amazing pasta...
... And amazing it was. We found the place on trip advisor (the app has been a godsend) and it was also suggested to us by our hostel, so it seemed a go. Likewise, it was literally just around the corner. We didn't have a booking, but thankfully Italians eat at ridiculous hours so all the bookings were for 8:30, 9pm and we were given a table under the proviso we were finished in two hours. Easy! We started off with tomato bruschetta... Oh. My. God. The tomatoes here taste like they were sent from the gods, not the watery, too hard crap we get in Oz from Woolies. Out of this world. Nothing but the tomatoes, fresh basil and drizzled in olive oil and I practically asked to marry the bruschetta right there and then. Pretty sure we could have lived happily ever after. But then came dinner. I had gnocchi in a sweet roast peppers cream sauce, Harry had parpadelle with wild boar in a red wine sauce. Both were utterly divine, and I'm pretty sure it's the best gnocchi I've ever had, let alone the sauce that smothered it. Had to be mopped up with complimentary bread, naturally. Harry devoured his with as much gusto. Even though I thought I was full, the waiter suggested tiramisu for dessert and I said yes (I have a weakness for it, okay?). Good again, but cream to coffee ratio was all wrong. Need to try mums again when I get back (hint, hint). Yummy all round, and very well priced as well.
Strolled down to the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in the morning (you can literally walk from one side of Florence to the other in 40 minutes). Passed a ticket office on the way, straight away booked tickets for that afternoon for the Galleria dell'Accademia to see Michaelangelo's David. Anyway, arrived at il Duomo, and the line was huge. And it was hot. So when a lady came round and offered us priority passes for €15, we jumped at it. Normal entry was €8 anyway, and this allowed us to jump to the head of this line for the dome and also for the line to get inside the cathedral, which was already snaking far too long in the sun. Saved us time too, as we were booked in for David at 3pm. Well worth it, walking passed all those hundreds of people and flashing my card at the guard and going straight through. Now to begin the 463 stairs to the top. I was prepared though: water bottle in one hand, fan in the other and legs well trained after London, Paris and Heidelberg. Was quite easy as you could only go as fast as the slowest climber anyway. Got mildly claustrophobic as you paused on a narrow winding staircase, but we were soon moving again. You got to walk right around the top on the inside of the cathedral right near the frescoes on the inside of the dome, great way to see the detail and huge amount of work that went in. The climb up between the walls to the top of the dome was insanely steep, more like a ladder in incline in spots. But well worth it. Arrived sweating and puffed out on the roof, to a great view over the red tiled roofs of Florence and the Tuscan hills beyond. The dome itself is an absolute feat of architecture, it literally is holding itself up in the air. Kudos to you, Brunelleschi! Back down again (that almost hurts your legs more), skipped the line again and entered the cathedral itself. The cathedral began construction in 1296 (I can't even comprehend how they would have tackled something this huge without modern day resources), designed by the prolific Arnolfo di Cambio, who was also supervising construction of Santa Croce and Piazza della Signora at the time (busy guy). After his death, the project was taken on by architect after architect, who made several modifications. Last but not least the famous dome was finished in 1436 after 16 years of construction. Inside, it is quite minimalist in comparison to the Notre Dame or Saint Paul's, with the exception of course of the frescoes on the dome, depicting the Last Judgement. Now that is some serious artwork. Tried to get a picture on the iPhone below so you get an idea.
Then off to a market that runs around the Medici Chapel, picked up something for the boys and a leather belt (small, nothing impressive and more out of necessity as the tie to my black shorts was left in Switzerland). On the way to our time slot at the Galleria dell'Accademia we stopped at a Gelato place suggested to us by the hostel. I think I've had one every day so far, and will continue to have one every day until I leave Italy. This stuff is gold. Anyway, this place was clearly a family run, homemade place, well worth the visit. I had a nice tangy lemon, while Harry, being brave, chose something called Sicilian Spirit. We ended up switching, Harry couldn't quite cope with the taste explosion that was his. It was like eating a mandarin that had been grown in Zeus' garden, picked by Aphrodite and then frozen between the legs of a virgin. To me, anyway. Harry said it tasted like the pips of a mandarin grown in Hades' garden). Sure there were some bitter bits that reminded you of accidentally biting into a mandarin pip, but it was all part of the experience. I thought it was amazing, anyway. Harry polished off my lemon. Onto the Accademia, shuffled in the entrance, through security, round the corner and then... Bam. David. Now I am no art connoisseur, sometimes I don't even understand it. But David is Michaelangelo's masterpiece, and this is obvious even to the uninitiated like me. He is a sight to behold, 17ft high and a wonderful specimen of a man. All carved out of marble to such incredible detail down to the veins standing out in his arm and hand. Great ass too. Very impressive and had to sit down just to fully soak him up for a couple of minutes. No photos allowed, but I did get one of the less-impressive copy that stands in Piazza della Signora, for those completely artless souls who have no idea of which statue I am talking about. The rest of the Accademia was a bit of a miss for us, all religious paintings (well termed on trip advisor as "a one-hit wonder with David"), but we both agreed it was still worth the entrance fees just to see David :) Back to the hostel to recover our feet and legs, found €4 pizzas for dinner (like large size each, bargain!), and attempted to sleep through 28C heat with only a fan...
Thursday we walked to the Piazza della Signora which is a square filled with beautiful sculptures and with quite the history. Back in the 15th century, artist and religious zealot Savonarola successfully kicked the Medici's out of power, and created a massive bonfire in the square to purify the city. He burned anything deemed immoral or erotic, including books, furniture, art and cosmetics. However this pissed off the Floretians, and his over-zealousness somehow or another pissed off the pope and he was banned from preaching. But good old Savonarola wouldn't listen and was eventually hung and burned at the stake in the same square he staged his purification. Italian irony at its best. Anyway, this great square also houses the Vecchio Palace (which looks like it was created out of Harry's dreams), but murphy's law would have it that it closes early on Thursday's, so we made plans for an early visit the next morning before our train to Rome. We moved on to the Ponte Vecchio, a very famous old bridge that used to have a fish and meat market on it. However, the offal and scraps used to fall into the river and travel downstream to Pisa where it fouled their water, so in the 1600s it was decreed only jewellery was allowed to be sold on the bridge. Italian logic at its best. Extremely expensive things only, but fun to look at! We then headed to the Boboli Gardens. However, we were there in the hottest part of the day, so this made for a tough trip. Find shade in one tree, sit and cool off. Find shade in another grotto, sit. The garden itself was very beautiful, if not dry and a little thirsty. The heat made walking around particularly hard, I'm sure it's better in its fully glory in spring when everything is green and the weather cooler.
That night we caught a bus up to Piazza Michaelangelo, which is high on a hill overlooking the city, to watch the sunset. This was incredible, the red sun sinking into the Tuscan hills and lighting up the Santa Maria del Fiore with incredible colour. And cost us only €2.40 in bus tickets!! Can't wait to show you photos. By the time we got back down the hill all the restaurants were closed, so it was yet another emergency trip to Maccas.
Up early to pack, and off the Vecchio Palace. Very cool, actually not a palace built privately, but originally built when the republic began for parliament-like gatherings after the Medici's were exiled. This didn't last long though, and the Medici's were back and took it over again. Great building, with absolutely every room frescoed. Spent most of your time with your neck craned backwards looking at the ceiling! Quick stop at a leather market mum vaguely mentioned from her memory of 30 years ago, then off to our train to Roma...
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