We said arrivederci to Bologna this morning. It was a bittersweet farewell in that we really enjoyed our time there, but it is time to move on.
The train ride to Florence was less than spectacular. We spent almost all the time in tunnels. We forgot there were hills/mountain as you head into Tuscany.
When we arrived in Florence, we had already decided to take a taxi to our Airbnb (which we were able check into early). Well, there was a long line waiting for taxis at the train station, but things moved along quite well. Once in the taxi, Dave decided quickly that this was not a city in which he any interest to drive. Between crazy, winding streets and pedestrians, he probably would still be driving now.
We checked into the Airbnb at about 12:45. It is a nice place. Significantly small than the place we left in Bologna, but it will work out just fine. It gives new meaning to an open floor plan concept. Yes, the entry, dining room, living room, and bedroom are all one space.
A quick disclaimer … the next section of today’s blog is rated PG-13.
After settling in at the apartment, we headed out for our reservation at the Uffizi Gallery. We got there a little late, but it wasn’t an issue. Below are some of the pictures we took during our 2-1/2 hours stroll through the gallery. Dave questions whether they just wore less clothing in the time these pictures were painted and sculptures were sculpted or whether artists just like nude models.
In addition to the beautiful works of are, the Uffizi Gallery also offered a couple of vantage points for nice views of the city.
We then stopped to have gelato. Linda had pistachio and wild berry yogurt. Dave had Stracciatella (sweet cream chocolate chip) and Stracciatella con caffe (chocolate chip with coffee). All were delicious. We continued our walk home and stopped at a grocery store in the neighborhood. We bought a liter of milk, two 1-1/2 liters of water, and a small can of hair lacquer for Linda. In total it cost €2.85 with the lacquer being the big cost at €1.22. The water was €0.24. We also saw that Aperol cost less than €14.00 for a 750ml bottle.
We then took a breather until it was time to head to dinner at 19:30.
We had a nice walk along the river on the way to dinner and saw a beautiful sunset.
Then we had a magnificent dinner at Osteria di Giovanni. It was the most expensive so far, but we had massive amounts of animal protein (no soy here). The meal consisted of a meat/cheese plate, Bistecca steak (at least 1.2 Kg) , lemon sorbet, biscotti, creme brulee, and one espresso. We were definitely full. Glad all we had earlier in the day was gelato and a little leftover prosciutto.
We then walked home along the river and up near Pitti Palace (we’ll see it in the light tomorrow). After that meal, walking as much as we could was critical. Quite a bit of walking tomorrow. Starting “early” in the city center and then another walk by us in the Oltrarno in the afternoon. Stay tuned.
2022 Italy Vacation 