It was a weird sensation to arrive in Firenze and feel completely at ease - having just left it 7 months ago, I have no anxiety about being lost and clueless. It is familiar, and I am excited to share it with Jeremy, Chris and Kate!
Waiting for the apartment owner to arrive
In hindsight, this is when the day went bad. Tired from the long day before and traveling to a new city, we should have rested for the afternoon. I didn't know anyone was tired though, so we moved forward as planned: lunch at Nerbone in the Central Market, my homemade audio Florence city tour (highlights of the three city tours I have been on), and finally the Accademia to see Michelangelo's David.
Jeremy asked about the "messed up clock" in the Duomo. It is a 24 hour clock counting how many hours have passed since yesterday's sunset.
Looking up at Brunelleschi's dome
Greg didn't rub the boar's snout last visit, yet here he returned again somehow
I think Michelangelo would approve of the Accademia showcasing his David brilliantly
At that point, everyone but Chris and I returned to the apartment. Chris wanted to climb Giotti's campanile (bell tower). He recognized it from when he used to play Assassin's Creed.
View from the top of Giotti's bell tower
Thankfully we salvaged something from the day, and had an unforgettable dinner. Everyone was happy and having fun together - completely dissolving the day's grumpiness. We each ordered a different meal, and then passed it around to share so that none of us missed out on the flavors of Tuscany. Unadventurous Kate, who ordered spaghetti with butter, told dad, "it is kinda tasteless". Greg replied, "yeah, well you get it back," as he took back his delicious spaghetti bolognese.
Affordable, delicious dinner at La Casalinga next to Santo Spirito
Sunsets are beautiful in Florence!
Ponte Vecchio
My stupid mistakes:
- I intentionally left Kate's passport safe in the apartment even though the Accademia said ID was necessary. I'm paranoid of losing her passport, and Vatican (who also requires ID) didn't check it. Accademia did. I was forced to upgrade her to the adult rate. Note: ID must have the date of birth so her student ID was unacceptable. Chris could use his driver's license.
- International student ID is unacceptable for the Accademia's reduced price. I am sure the website says it somewhere but I couldn't keep track of all the fine print of the places we are visiting. I had to upgrade Jeremy's ticket to an adult.
Logistics:
- Our apartment is very central - on the way from the train station to the Piazza Republica. It is bright and modern, has 2 bedrooms, but only 1 bathroom. This was my first experience with airbnb - you pay in full when you reserve it, and airbnb holds your money until you check in - guaranteeing you won't be ripped off.
Kitchen/Dining/Living Room
- I reserved our Accademia (and Uffizi) tickets 3 1/2 months in advanced so I could get the specific time I wanted. For both museums, first you have to go to the reservation window to get your tickets and then you have to wait at the reservations entrance line. Allow 20 minutes. There are people and lines everywhere!
