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| Tuscan countryside |
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| St. Francis of Assisi Basilica |
It's been a long couple of days since we last had a chance to post to our blog. We left Rome on Saturday for the Tuscan countryside - filled with the rolling hills, farms and villas, grapevines, olive groves and cypresses that we have often associated with the Italian landscape. Our bus ride took us to Assisi, a 13th century village which is the the burial place of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals and the founder of the Franciscan order. We toured the Basilica di San Francesco and Basilica di Santa Chiara, both names we in California know well as San Francisco and Santa Clara, ate gelato (what else!) and took in the views.
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| Giotto's Tower and the Duomo |
We arrived in Firenza (Florence) later in the day and left for our upgraded (!) and authentic Tuscan meal at the restaurant San Giovanni on the edge of the Piazza di S. Giovanni which sat next to the grand Duomo Basilica. Five courses of delightful wine and wonderfully rich, flavorful food later, we walked/waddled back to our hotel. But of course, our "toilette", which had been repaired earlier, was again not working. The only room available at midnight (yes, we have been awake that late and later!) was the "Superior" room on the 5th floor, but we were informed we wouldn't be allowed to remain there after morning. So we packed, moved and finally collapsed into our bed at 12:30 -this morning we set out on our tour of Florence.
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| The Duomo |
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| Mona Kathy is soooo happy with her new purse! |
Our guide took us through the Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Republica, Piazza della Signoria (so many piazzas, so little time), the Ponte Vecchio (the only bridge in Florence that Hitler didn't bomb when the Allies were approaching because he cared so much for it) and we ended in front of the Uffizi Gallery. Our last stop was at the Leonardo Leather shop where we learned how to tell real leather goods from the fake ones. Needless to say, the leather was too buttery soft and beautiful to not buy something, so I now have a new purse!
We visited the Accademia gallery this afternoon (after we moved again to a room more appropriate to our economic stratus) to view Michaelangelo's David - magnifico! Denna took an illegal picture with her phone while I thought I was successfully blocking the view of the "watchers" - they must have cameras on every corner of the room!
And then we were off to dinner - what else but pasta and beer. Our new favorite bierri, Nastro Azzurro!!
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| Dinner! |
It's nice to have a little time for wandering on our own and we have all day tomorrow to do so. Buono sera!
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