Florence

We spent 2 action-packed days in Florence so that Chris could see Italy on his first trip to Europe.  And I got to eat Italian food and drink Italian wine :)  In fact, traveling with Chris guarantees every day is action-packed.  The guy does not slow down!  After getting off a night in a sleeper train car, we dropped our bags, wandered across the famous Duomo of Florence, grabbed the traditional Italian breakfast of espresso and a croissant and then started an all-day bike tour, all before 9AM.   

The Duomo at 7AM
It's just too big for pictures up close

Our biking tour took us to a local winery, after which we got to eat a 3-course Tuscan lunch with wine from the winery (that you can’t buy in stores), take in the Tuscan scenery, savor some gelato and generally enjoy it all guilt-free because we just rode the advertised 22 miles up and down the Tuscan hills.   (I may have accidentally increased our distance by missing a turn and forcing Chris and our guide to come chasing after me downhill.)  

The Tuscan hills are beautiful, even with the cloudcover that burned off around lunchtime.  The cedar-lined streets frame roads up and down the hillsides.  And in the sun, the marble and tile facades of Florence practically glowed down below us.  Chris enjoyed biking in the path of the 2013 World Championships, and I secretly said a prayer of gratitude that our tour guide was pacing the group at a speed  I could handle.

Wine and Olive Oil at Trattoria Montereggi

Tuscan Hills

After two days of biking with Chris, I am feeling like I am in a lot better shape, and it’s reawakened an appetite to see more of the countryside than the big cities.  You really do get to experience a foreign country and culture so much differently when you’re not surrounded by throngs of tourists from around the world.  I may do more biking during the rest of my time in Europe so that I can enjoy these small towns more often.  

After cleaning up, we wandered up to the Piazzale Michelangelo where we sat on the steps, savoring a bottle of Prossecco and a light sampling of Tuscan charcuterie and cheese while watching the sun set over Florence, smiling when everyone applauded the buildings getting lit for the night.  A late dinner was delicious with delicious Tuscan wine, and our waitress introduced Chris to lemoncello.  While in Itally for 2 days, you also have to get gelato on the way home.  I don't remember what time we actually made it back to our AirBnB, but it was a great day.  

The Duomo from the steps of the  Piazzalle

Sampling Gelato

The mosaics of the Baptistry

The next day was devoted to tourism of some of the finest collections of art in the world.  The Baptistry and Duomo are by themselves spectacular pieces of architecture and art.  The entire façade of the church and baptistery are covered in marble, and the interior of the Duomo features a cupola painted by some of the biggest names in Renaissance history.  One of my favorites is the giant mosaic that covers the floors and ceiling of the baptistery.  Tiny stones and gold were installed in the 1200s to illustrate, in detail, key stories from the Bible.

Looking up at the Duomo Cuppola

Views from the top

Looking down from the Duomo Cuppola

The famous sculpture by Michalengelo

Then it was a little lunch of pasta, pizza and wine at the Mercado Centrale, some souvenir shopping and a visit to The David.  Unfortunately I messed up the reservations to the Ufizzi, but the unexpected time meant we got to go to Bergello, which is a fantastic collection in its own right, and wander all the way through the Bobili gardens before another delicious dinner.  

One of many statues at Bergello

Views from Ponte Vecchio

The Bobili gardens are HUGE
and lined with sculpture throughout

View from the backyard of
the Medicis

The entire city of Florence is a museum!  Everywhere you look, there are churches, palaces, museums and statues or copies of famous statues.  Everywhere you eat, the simple food is prepared perfectly with fresh ingredients.  Even the waiter/owner from the restaurant in Bologna, where we transferred trains the next day, began to wax poetic about how Tuscan food and wine is amazing.  It's a shame we only have 2 days in Florence, but we want to get back to the Alps before Chris leaves, so it’s on towards Austria!