Pisa and Florence
On the road once again to Florence, with a brief stop in Pisa. If you're in Italy you should see Pisa and the Leaning Tower. Of course while there you will take the obligatory photo where it appears you are holding up the tower; it's the tourist thing to do after all.
Until we arrived in Florence the driving was busy and chaotic at times, but not unbearable. Florence was enough to make me want to give up driving all together. It was here that I figured out the rules of the road in Italy; there are no rules. If you can fit even a tiny bit of your car or motorcycle in front of someone else, then you just squeeze it in there. Lanes - what lanes? Red lights seem to be a suggestion, and pedestrians walk right out into traffic to cross the street. You better have good brakes or your car will look like it's been in a demolition derby. Once we found our Airbnb we parked the car and decided to walk or take a taxi during our two day stay.
We arrived mid-afternoon on our first day. After settling in we took advantage of the quiet terrace and relaxed for a while since most restaurants don't start serving until 7 p.m. Unsure of where to go, we walked around the neighborhood and asked a few local people for a recommendation. We found the restaurant on a quiet street and enjoyed a peaceful meal, and a nice stroll back to our temporary home.
The next morning we had coffee and pastry as we researched which sites we wanted to see. Another day of walking to take in as much as possible. Once we were ready to take on a full day we called for a taxi; our Airbnb was too far from the sites to walk.
Florence, like all of Italy, is full of history; ancient and amazing with too much to see in a day. A few of the highlights from our day:
Until we arrived in Florence the driving was busy and chaotic at times, but not unbearable. Florence was enough to make me want to give up driving all together. It was here that I figured out the rules of the road in Italy; there are no rules. If you can fit even a tiny bit of your car or motorcycle in front of someone else, then you just squeeze it in there. Lanes - what lanes? Red lights seem to be a suggestion, and pedestrians walk right out into traffic to cross the street. You better have good brakes or your car will look like it's been in a demolition derby. Once we found our Airbnb we parked the car and decided to walk or take a taxi during our two day stay.
We arrived mid-afternoon on our first day. After settling in we took advantage of the quiet terrace and relaxed for a while since most restaurants don't start serving until 7 p.m. Unsure of where to go, we walked around the neighborhood and asked a few local people for a recommendation. We found the restaurant on a quiet street and enjoyed a peaceful meal, and a nice stroll back to our temporary home.
The next morning we had coffee and pastry as we researched which sites we wanted to see. Another day of walking to take in as much as possible. Once we were ready to take on a full day we called for a taxi; our Airbnb was too far from the sites to walk.
Florence, like all of Italy, is full of history; ancient and amazing with too much to see in a day. A few of the highlights from our day:
- Ponte Vecchio - a Medieval stone bridge with streets that today are lined with one jewelry shop after another.
- Piazza della Signoria - an L-shaped square in front of Palazzo Vecchio. Here you will see a copy of Michelangelo's David, and a gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi.
- Piazza della Repubblica - the original site of the city's forum. Today there is a carousel in the piazza, and shops, restaurants and hotels running along the sides of the square.
As we strolled through the streets we saw street performers dressed as characters like Leonardo Da Vinci; standing so still they looked like a statue - until they slowly started to move. We took a horse drawn carriage ride through some of the less traveled streets of Florence which allowed us to take in the ancient architecture. The quiet ride almost made us forget we were surrounded by many others.
We ended the evening in Piazza della Repubblica where we enjoyed our dinner al fresco. The weather in late September/early October in Italy is beautiful, and many restaurants have outdoor seating. This will be one of many al fresco meals we will enjoy during our trip; something I will miss when we go home.
Florence, thank you for the memories we are taking with us. Next stop Villa San Nicola, Ortona, Rome and more family.
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