From there, we made our way to the Bargello Museum, which housed an interesting collection of statues, ivory trinkets, and coins. After a quick primer on Florentine history, we were ready for some hard-core touristy indulgence at the city’s main attraction: the Duomo. [In order to assuage our wait in line to climb to the top of the Duomo, we picked up some gelato – Bacio, Straciatella, and Pear – from Grom.] 45 minutes of waiting, 8 euro, and 463 claustrophobia-inducing steps later, we found ourselves soaking in the panoramic views at the top of the dome.
I spent the afternoon ducking in and out of artisan workshops in the Oltrarno neighborhood. One of my favorite finds was the papeleria Giulio Giannini & Figlio, where I picked up a photo album with the Florentine print of my bat mitzvah invitation envelopes. The little stroll ended with a walk across the Ponte Vecchio, a beautiful old bridge currently lined with mini gold jewelry shops.
Unfortunately I wasn’t hungry enough to enjoy a full meal at La Giostra, but I did have the appetite for a primi piatto: Pennette with pear, gorgonzola and pistachio (like a carb-filled version of Cosi’s signature salad, but better)! The waiter also treated us to an antipasti sampler on the house with an assortment of bruschetta, crostinis, tomato, mozzarella, and other Italian specialties.
When asked, Adam and I will probably both say that Tuesday morning was the best morning in Florence. He stayed in bed until 1 pm as I made my way through the San Lorenzo leather market!! [You would all be proud of my decision making skills: I bought a jacket in under one hour.] It was on my way back from the leather market that I ran into an old L.I.T. friend from summer camp – a much-welcomed surprise! I met Adam for lunch at Coquinarius, where I dined on some Crostini Misiti and the freshest salad Scozzese ever!
After lunch I went to the Baptistery to admire the ceiling, snap a quick picture, and meet Adam on the other side of the impressive bronze doors. From there, we ventured to the Cappelle Medici – quite the marble establishment. Because most of the sites closed by 6, Adam convinced me that we should shop a little before dinner so as not to waste any time :) [He probably regretted that advice immediately as I spent over an hour deciding on which pair of leather gloves to buy at Madova.]
Being the great friends that we are, we waited until George and Kara had arrived and showered to head to Craig’s staple restaurant: Il Gatto e la Volpe. We were wined and dined – family style – by his go-to waiter, Fatjon. The never-ending platters of gnocchi, ravioli, and Bolognese (and Chianti) made for a fun dinner. [I’m convinced that Long Island single-handedly keeps that restaurant in business...]
On Wednesday morning we forked over some dough to admire the various museums of the Pitti Palace, but more importantly the Boboli (and more impressive Barbini) Gardens. I thought the cave was cool, the Egyptian obelisk exciting, and the fountains refreshing, but Adam found the landscaping and edging to be sub-par. I had fun running down Cyprus Alley, but making the uphill trek wasn’t as enjoyable! The sculptures of the Barini Gardens were oddly covered in plastic, but the lookout afforded us beautiful views of the Duomo and Arno from afar.
Despite the recommendation from a friend, we decided that Il Latini may have served us the worst lunch in all of Europe – a pitiful plate of ravioli for me and an unattractive serving of chicken for Adam, prefaced by balsalmic vinagrette that tasted of nail polish remover. Luckily, there was no shortage of gelatto. To remedy the situation, we stopped for some kiwi and butterscotch gelatto at Carabe before queuing to enter the Gallerie dell’ Academia. Thanks to a handy advance registration, we entered immediately and headed straight for the bigger, brawnier, stone-version of my dad: David!! The sculpture truly was perfect, and with semi-circular benches surrounding the masterpiece, I could appreciate it from all angles. Our Lonely Planet guidebook offered a comprehensive description of David, including an answer to “Why the small dick?”
The afternoon continued with a visit to the Santa Maria Novella (with Giotto’s sweet suspended cross), a stop for some Belgian waffles doused in Nutella, some more shopping, and wandering. Dinner at Acqua al 2 was one of our best yet. With a sampler of salads, pasta (five different dishes), steak (with blueberry and balsalmic sauces!!!), and dessert, we got a taste of the entire menu. Afterwards we met up with some friends to catch the end of the Barcelona – Arsenal game before heading to the Red Garter for some kickin’ karaoke. After the series of American hits, I almost forgot that I was in Italy until a duo requested “Cetto Noche.”
Thursday morning brought us to the synagogue of Florence, where passed through some intense security before entering the building to learn about its rough background including a damaging flood and decreasing Jewish population. [I didn’t even know Italy had much of a Jewish congregation to begin with…] The synagogue provided some calm before the storm (aka the Galleria degli Uffizi). Despite our ticket reservations, we waited in multiple lines to enter the cramped museum at midday. We picked up a small guide to help us decipher the mythography on display via La Primavera, the Birth of Venus, and the Medusa.
Florence was definitely fun (and filled with fabulous food), but after four days I was ready to move away from the crowded historical city center that seemed to be stuffed with the American ways of both tourists and students alike.
A quick ride on the SITA bus brought us to Siena, a small town where two of my close friends studied for six weeks during the summer after their freshman year. Situated in the Tuscan countryside, the one-night stay was a perfect reprieve from the congested cities.
An all-inclusive ticket gave us access to the Museum Santa Maria della Scala, the Crypt, and the Baptistery, which we visited before dinner. The crypt and the baptistery were precious and ornate but managed to blend in with the dozens of crypts, baptisteries, and cathedrals that I have laid my eyes on this semester. The museum, a former hospital, was refreshing, and I particularly liked Bartolo’s portrayal of “The Care and Healing of the Sick."
While wandering around the winding roads (and stopping for some honeydew and dark chocolate gelatto, of course), I was sucked into the small shops that sold pottery adorned with the shields of each contrata. I learned from Nicole that Siena is famous for Il Palio, a horse race that takes place twice each summer in which ten of the city's seventeen contratas put up a horse. The contratas are represented by different “mascots” including a snail, porcupine, and caterpillar.
Eagerly waiting for the Osteria del Gato to open at 7:30, we walked towards the outskirts of the walled city to Porto di San Marco. From here, you could see for miles and miles. A fat rainbow sprouted from the ground and framed the cities in the distance at sunset – like something out of a book! Dinner at the Osteria was incredible, thanks to Nicole & Francesca’s recommendation! We had crostini with fagioli, and a series of pasta dishes and meat dishes (mine was porkchops with honey) that I couldn’t understand due to the handwritten Italian menu.
I enjoyed a Nutella croissant on the Piazza del Campo – the Palio grounds – before we climbed the Torre del Mangia. Because the winding staircase is so narrow, only 25 people are allowed to climb at a time. Second in line as the tower opened, we had no problem getting to the top of the steep 400-odd steps. From the top, one could see the full fan-shape of the Piazza del Campo, as well as the boundaries of Siena and surrounding towns.
The bright sun was just as noticeable in the Duomo as it poured through the stained glass windows. Unfortunately the floor, one of the most prominent aspects of the cathedral, was covered due to a renovation, but the green-and-beige striped columns and intricate details throughout were breathtaking, regardless.
The SITA bus returned us to the station in Florence that we had departed from less than 24 hours earlier. However, TrenItalia’s failure to accept an American credit card once again left us with no other option but to take the first class high-speed train to Venice!
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