This city of art has living statues as well
Especially prepared for the Garrett Family
The city that gave birth to the Renaissance and masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, Brunelleschi and many more is today a vibrant living museum that, once you peel away the layers of tourist trash and the crush of humanity, in a quiet side street, early in the morning or very late at night, you can almost sense the presence of these visionaries in the shadows of the massive buildings left behind by the building boom of the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries.
The city that gave birth to the Renaissance and masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, Brunelleschi and many more is today a vibrant living museum that, once you peel away the layers of tourist trash and the crush of humanity, in a quiet side street, early in the morning or very late at night, you can almost sense the presence of these visionaries in the shadows of the massive buildings left behind by the building boom of the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries.
You'll
be arriving at the train station, not really the best side of Florence.
After getting to your B&B (theoretically you could walk there from
the station but why not take a cab and save the wheels of your luggage)
you will want to get out and explore. We suggest starting with the
tremendous Piazza Signoria at the heart of the oldest part of Florence.
This is where the massive town hall tower dominates the skyline and
where you will find a mix of authentic and careful copies of ancient
statues in the loggia, a popular hang out and people watching spot.
Perhaps the word is out - places on the main square of any town or
city in Italy are not only expensive, but the food quality is poor.
A waiter checks his watch on the Piazza Signoria
Although
tempting, avoid the many restaurants ringing the Piazza. As is the case
throughout Italy, if the table has a view, then the service will be
lousy, the prices super high and the 'coperto' or cover charge will be
triple or even more than normal. And, lousy food besides. People don't
hang out in these ringside seats for the food, they hang out there for
the view.
You will do better eating at our choice Trattoria, called the 'Quattro Leoni.' I have included a link to its location here:
And
by the way, if you don't already have the app 'City Maps To Go' on your
smart phone, download it now. It is free, very useful and best of all,
does not eat up your data when you use it on the go in cities and towns
in Italy. You don't need to carry around a rumpled map when you have
this app.
Gelato! Ask your innkeeper where to find the best and most
authentic in town.
For
other tips on where to eat in this city full of restaurants and
bistros, but short on quality due to the crush of tourists, ask your
innkeepers. They can provide you with insider knowledge on what is
available in their neighborhood.
Bottom line in Italy- if it is near a major landmark, it's expensive and bad!
Museums Galore
Florence
is loaded with them, and the Uffizi alone can occupy you for a week. If
you want to be super selective then we recommend following this guide:
Even with 'rushing' you will still need at least three hours for the Uffizi, and that is just hitting the highlights.
Galleria dell'Accademia for David
and the smaller museum located within the compound of the town hall
(the major building in the Piazza Signoria) are also worth visiting.
Take a look at the photo below. The place where you pick up your reserved tickets is in a little "store" across the street from this scene. So, to your left as you look down and away from the main entrance. It is, to my memory, next to a book store. Not exactly easy to find, but hey, that's how the Italians operate. You will steadily get used to this, maybe.
Take a look at the photo below. The place where you pick up your reserved tickets is in a little "store" across the street from this scene. So, to your left as you look down and away from the main entrance. It is, to my memory, next to a book store. Not exactly easy to find, but hey, that's how the Italians operate. You will steadily get used to this, maybe.
Tourists wasting their time in the huge line at the
Galleria Accademia to see David. You won't be joining
them, thanks to our advice on buying tickets in advance!
The Leonardo daVinci museum is also fascinating:
In
the cases of David and the Uffizi you definitely want to purchase 'Skip
the Line' tickets in advance. This service is easy to use and has never
let us down:
The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower)
This
massive church, the main church among many in Florence, usually has a
line wrapped well around its flanks by first thing in the morning. Sadly
there is no 'skip the line' for this free attraction.. A shorter line
on the side of the bell tower, on the south side of the church, might be
something fun for your family as long as you don't mind climbing a lot
of really steep, tall steps. The view from the top is thrilling.
Worth
the few Euros to enter is the baptistry, located opposite the church.
The tickets can be purchased in a separate building, just look for the
signs. The bronze doors were the subject of a heated competition in the
1300s and 1400s, you can read more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Baptistery
For advance tickets to the church of Santa Croce, burial place of Michelangelo and Galileo among many others:
http://www.
For advance tickets to the church of Santa Croce, burial place of Michelangelo and Galileo among many others:
http://www.
Enjoy Florence!
Birthplace
of the Renaissance from the hill on the south side of the city. The
huge dome of the Cathedral is at right, the tower of the Municipio (Town
Hall) is at left.
Photos here by James in April, 2014
Photos here by James in April, 2014
