March 9
Woke up a little later -- around 9 -- and went down to breakfast. Of course, I had my chocolate again! Took my time getting dressed, went online for bit and watied for Hayley. She come to the hotel around 11.
The city centre of Florence is usually pretty busy, with lots of tourists and Florentines going about the business of their day. The Duomo (which I cannot pronounce correctly, as you will hear in the video) is a specatcular church, similar to that which is found in most tuscan cities, towns and villages. Many took decades to build. The Duomo was traditionally supposed to be the tallest structure in a town, "viewable" from any place in the city and from afar. Florence's Duomo is magnificent with green and terra cotta colored marble and intricate scroll and sculpture work adorning nearly every facet, crevice and plane of the strucutre.
We did a bit of site seeing and shopping. Ann bought two pairs of boots: one green and one purple! I got some glass bottle stoppers and hand-made stick pins at a cute glass and bead shop Hayley took us to. For lunch we went to the Yellow Bar. As Rachel Ray would say, Yumo! It was really fun to see all the shops, designer and otherwise. We crossed the famous bridge, the Ponte Vechio. It is very old and one of the only Flornece bridges the Nazi's did not destroy during WWII. It is lined with jewelers and the views are as fantastic as they are famous. It was really cool.
Nearby the Ponte Vechio is Hayley's favorite gelateria, so we stopped for a refreshing treat and to rest our tired dawgs.
Later, I ventured out to a local wine store, where there was very little English spoken, and got a bottle of wine. An older woman in the wine shop, via hand gestures and inventive communication between the two of us, pointed me to a tiny grocery story two doors down, where I found some "salt from the sea" for Ann, which she had been looking for. It was a taste of Florentine culture and I felt like I was getting a tiny feel for how the locals live.
That night, we went to Dante's for dinner, per Hayley's suggestion. It was so cute. And they played the best music: cheesey remakes of American pop new and old. Loads o' fun. The food was so delicious. Yet another remarkable Tuscan meal.
Ann and I said good-bye to Hayley and Dante's and walked to a bus stop by another bridge and took the #11 home. Chatted with Marco at the front desk for a bit before retiring to our room.
Woke up a little later -- around 9 -- and went down to breakfast. Of course, I had my chocolate again! Took my time getting dressed, went online for bit and watied for Hayley. She come to the hotel around 11.
The city centre of Florence is usually pretty busy, with lots of tourists and Florentines going about the business of their day. The Duomo (which I cannot pronounce correctly, as you will hear in the video) is a specatcular church, similar to that which is found in most tuscan cities, towns and villages. Many took decades to build. The Duomo was traditionally supposed to be the tallest structure in a town, "viewable" from any place in the city and from afar. Florence's Duomo is magnificent with green and terra cotta colored marble and intricate scroll and sculpture work adorning nearly every facet, crevice and plane of the strucutre.
We did a bit of site seeing and shopping. Ann bought two pairs of boots: one green and one purple! I got some glass bottle stoppers and hand-made stick pins at a cute glass and bead shop Hayley took us to. For lunch we went to the Yellow Bar. As Rachel Ray would say, Yumo! It was really fun to see all the shops, designer and otherwise. We crossed the famous bridge, the Ponte Vechio. It is very old and one of the only Flornece bridges the Nazi's did not destroy during WWII. It is lined with jewelers and the views are as fantastic as they are famous. It was really cool.
Nearby the Ponte Vechio is Hayley's favorite gelateria, so we stopped for a refreshing treat and to rest our tired dawgs.
Later, I ventured out to a local wine store, where there was very little English spoken, and got a bottle of wine. An older woman in the wine shop, via hand gestures and inventive communication between the two of us, pointed me to a tiny grocery story two doors down, where I found some "salt from the sea" for Ann, which she had been looking for. It was a taste of Florentine culture and I felt like I was getting a tiny feel for how the locals live.
That night, we went to Dante's for dinner, per Hayley's suggestion. It was so cute. And they played the best music: cheesey remakes of American pop new and old. Loads o' fun. The food was so delicious. Yet another remarkable Tuscan meal.
Ann and I said good-bye to Hayley and Dante's and walked to a bus stop by another bridge and took the #11 home. Chatted with Marco at the front desk for a bit before retiring to our room.
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