Florence

We loved our time in Florence. It's not a place to visit if you are looking for relaxation and quiet. It's a city with a lot going on, replete with numerous tourists. But there is much beauty here, and a staggering history. Much of the history is centered around the relationship between the church and the arts. The churches themselves are works of art. The exterior of the Duomo took our breath away, as did the interior of the Basilica of Santa Croce. The view from across the Arno atop the Bardini Garden was spectacular. The Piazza della Signoria is breathtaking, with an incredible collection of sculpture. Art is everywhere in this city.

It's not a perfect city- there is a surprising amount of graffiti on the walls of buildings. But that also makes the city seem real at the same time. Cars and motorbikes drive too fast of course. There are cyclists here but it looks to be a tough city for safe biking. They could use some serious bike-ped advocacy.

We were here Easter week, and the crowds of tourists were thick. We found ourselves seeking quiet alleyways and less traveled paths, and we easily lost the hordes and discovered new places to explore. Being here Easter week was also moving. Particularly on the eve of Easter Sunday walking into the Duomo at 11 pm during a candle light vigil. Also impressive in its own right was the Sinagogia de Ebraico- a massive byzantine and moorish synagogue with a museum detailing the history of Florentine Jewish life. For instance, we learned that the word ghetto is an Italian word.

Being here during Easter week precluded several nights for taking in music- this is a city with a lot of theatre, opera and music. Great time of year as far as weather- lovely temperatures in the 60's and 70's.

Almost everyone we interacted with spoke English, but people seemed appreciative when you try to speak Italian.

-By the way, three full days is just right for Florence

Our favorite things in Florence:

-We loved our hotel, the Hermitage, right at the foot of the Ponte Vecchio and with a spectacular roof garden. Not a quiet hotel given its location, but charming and boutique style
-Our favorite restaurant, right next store, the Buca del Orafu. Il Paiolo near the Duomo gets honorable mention- lovely setting. Both places serve traditional Tuscan food
-The Basilica de Sante Croce- where Machiavelli, Michaelangelo, Galileo and many other famous Florentians are entombed
-The Bardini Garden for its views and its tranquility
-Seeing Michaelangelo's David at the Accademia- not to be missed
-The Museo del Bargella with an incredible array of sculptures including many Donnatellos in a 12th century fortress
-The Sinagogia de Ebraico- impressive and the lone synagogue in this city of only 900 Jews
-The many beautiful alleyways and Piazzas
-hearing arias at a concert in a small church (Santa Monica, every W, F, Su March thru October)
-Exploring the Oltrarno, Florence's left bank
-Enjoyed many nice meals. Interestingly, pasta here is always a first course, followed by a second course of meat. It would be dificult to be a vegetarian here!
-Housewines, almost always chiantis, were very pleasant and drinkable- not outstanding but always good
-Breakfasts were fantastic- with cheeses, hams, and rolls. And the coffee strong and delicious.
-We covered the Uffizzi fairly efficiently as we could only book a reservation just before we were heading out of Florence. We were able to cover the third floor and saw the impressive master works of the Renaissance. The Carravaggio section of the museum was closed, so we had enough time to see the main works.