Paris. Wednesday.
And now for Florence. We much preferred this Tuscan city to Rome for a number of reasons, its size being one of them. Florence's concentrated historic center was far more navigable than Rome's sporadically located monuments. Furthermore, The Arno (the river running through the city) seemed to be more dynamic and in the middle of things, unlike its uninteresting Roman counterpart. We also found better food in Florence, but would put that more to chance, better research and the timing of our trip rather than hold the respective cities responsible.
Among the sights that stood out during our visit here was the Uffizi Gallery — even though we waited in line for more than an hour and a half. The gallery's corridors were adorned with portraits of various members of the church and the Medici family among others; as were the ceilings. Also, the Duomo was fairly impressive, especially the view from the top. The climb, however, was peppered with breathless tourists who seemed like they'd faint any second.
Another highlight was our meal at this restaurant (if you can call it that), Teatro del Sale. By far the best meal we had in Italy, the lunch buffet here consisted of cinnamon polenta (outstanding), three types of lentils, spinach and tomato salads, boiled cauliflower, pasta pomodoro (excellent once again), frankfurters, and a Florentine specialty — lampredotto. This was followed by another (nameless) meat dish, brownies, and coffee; a welcome cap to a lunch accompanied by unlimited trips to the cask of wine they'd tapped just for the occasion. Once begun, our lunch was punctuated by the excited yells of the chefs calling out to the diners with the arrival of each new dish. At the announcement, everyone would rush to the table to get a look and (hopefully) a taste of the newcomer while still hot from the kitchen. Quite an amusing concept, which we both rather liked.
While we didn't get to see David at the Accademia, we did get to these Donatello's version at the Museo del Bargello. All in all, Florence was far more pleasant than the Italian capital, and we're more likely to return there than to Rome. We weren't allowed to take pictures in the Uffizi, nor the Teatro del Sale, so here are a few of the Duomo and its surroundings.
And now for Florence. We much preferred this Tuscan city to Rome for a number of reasons, its size being one of them. Florence's concentrated historic center was far more navigable than Rome's sporadically located monuments. Furthermore, The Arno (the river running through the city) seemed to be more dynamic and in the middle of things, unlike its uninteresting Roman counterpart. We also found better food in Florence, but would put that more to chance, better research and the timing of our trip rather than hold the respective cities responsible.
Among the sights that stood out during our visit here was the Uffizi Gallery — even though we waited in line for more than an hour and a half. The gallery's corridors were adorned with portraits of various members of the church and the Medici family among others; as were the ceilings. Also, the Duomo was fairly impressive, especially the view from the top. The climb, however, was peppered with breathless tourists who seemed like they'd faint any second.
Another highlight was our meal at this restaurant (if you can call it that), Teatro del Sale. By far the best meal we had in Italy, the lunch buffet here consisted of cinnamon polenta (outstanding), three types of lentils, spinach and tomato salads, boiled cauliflower, pasta pomodoro (excellent once again), frankfurters, and a Florentine specialty — lampredotto. This was followed by another (nameless) meat dish, brownies, and coffee; a welcome cap to a lunch accompanied by unlimited trips to the cask of wine they'd tapped just for the occasion. Once begun, our lunch was punctuated by the excited yells of the chefs calling out to the diners with the arrival of each new dish. At the announcement, everyone would rush to the table to get a look and (hopefully) a taste of the newcomer while still hot from the kitchen. Quite an amusing concept, which we both rather liked.
While we didn't get to see David at the Accademia, we did get to these Donatello's version at the Museo del Bargello. All in all, Florence was far more pleasant than the Italian capital, and we're more likely to return there than to Rome. We weren't allowed to take pictures in the Uffizi, nor the Teatro del Sale, so here are a few of the Duomo and its surroundings.
The Duomo from up close, and afar.
Inside the Duomo.
A turret on the Arno, and the Arno by night.
On top of the Duomo, and the Uffizi by night.
Ponte Vecchio by night, and day.
