Go With The Flo

Playing catch-up. We scratched and clawed our way in to Florence more than a week ago now. Thank Raphael we have over 1700 photos to tweak our memories. After reluctantly departing Siena, we wandered and weaved through Tuscany one last time. Stopped in San Gimignano, a busy, scenic and lively village northwest of Siena. Roamed through the Archeological Museum and hiked up the bell tower…providing another sweeping view of the Tuscan landscape. After a full day of historic works the previous day…and all the days previous, we yearned for something modern and found the Museum of Modern Art, which (ironically enough) had a new photo exhibit of old, historic buildings from around the area. Ha! It did house, however, an eclectic and at times perverted exhibit of Giannetto Fieschi. Strolled around the village streets coming across not one, but TWO torture museums. Reminded us of something we would find in the WI Dells. Met a German-born street artist named Kani. Loved his work and bought a couple of pieces. By mid afternoon a troupe of three street musicians began playing folk/jazz/gypsy tunes…haunting, sweet and sublime. Her voice was smoky and deep. We watched for a little while and found a café around the corner. Had a couple of tasty panini’s, a little wine and just took in the pleasantly warm sun as the street music soared.

Arrived in Florence frantically attempting to understand the city layout. Got crazy lost. Gave up, left the car crashed up on a curb and split. No, but the idea crossed our minds. Made it to our sweeeeet apartment (Residenza Il Carmine), thanks to a great recommendation by Marty and Frank…1 block off of Ponte Vecchio, built in 1345 and is the only bridge to make it through WWII German bombings.

We packed our first full day with museum visits starting at the Galleria dell ‘Accademia, which houses Michelangelo’s “David.” Granted, it is an obscenely hyped piece of artwork, but rightfully so. You turn the corner and are immediately struck by the awesome artistic feat. The stature was constructed from a single piece of marble, a piece twice refused by other sculptures because of its supposed inferiority. Michelangelo was only 29 when he sculpted David. It generated good discussion about the perception of idealistic physical beauty. We also really enjoyed the room of music, which housed numerous Renaissance-era instruments.

We roamed the plazas and recharged for a while, trying to make our own art and found a damn good deli called Ino serving up wicked fresh sandwiches that included a solid glass of wine. We then strolled by the outrageously long lines and popped into the Galleria degli Uffizi (“Uffizi”). Wow, did we ever appreciate making reservations for the museums. If you every go, make reservations for all the major ones…everywhere in Italy. We talked to some travelers that waited 2-3 hours in line. The Uffizi was created by the Medici family and originally built to house the administrative offices. It soon became “Italy’s National Gallery” and houses a massive amount of art, ranging from Greek sculptures to Enlightenment era paintings. We really enjoyed the Botticelli rooms, especially “The Birth of Venus” and “Primavera.” The seemingly endless corridors housed hundreds of busts and portraits. Also, somewhat hidden on the first floor, we took in pieces by Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi, which included “Medusa” and “Judith Slaying Holoferness,” respectfully. Enjoyed a coffee on the museum roof before taking off. And that recaps about 4 straight hours of solid museum madness. We strolled around town for a while, gawking at the wild fashion shops and unsuccessfully dodging thongs of tourists. We stayed in that night and cooked a homemade risotto with a bottle of the “Cont

essa Eletta” from Pian del Giallo. Watched a little Naked Gun 2 ½ in Italian “Frank, se state andando essere soffiato ai bit, voglio essere qui con voi.”

Woke up early the next day and roamed around the sprawling Museo degli Argenti, which included a costume museum and a fascinating porcelain museum that had some amazingly intricate pieces. We took advantage of another beautifully warm day and then walked around the huge garden to the rear of the main building. No shortage of walking this trip. We earned our daily pasta/pizza and gelato fix.

We ate in again that night and went out late for dessert and coffee at Caffe Concerto Paszkowski, on the edge of Piazza della Republica. Amazing coffee drinks, fresh mojitos and the best Tiramisu we’ve had. The waiters were all in black ties and the live music catered to the tourist in all of us…their version James Brown’s “Sex Machine” was actually really good. Took the long way home and enjoyed the plethora of street artists creating until the wee hours. Got home and immediately crashed.

“This room is a thousand years old” Gillian, Tour guide at Castello di Verrazzano.

The next morn we decided to split. Yep, it’s been quite the ride, but that’s it. Time to part ways. Nah…but traveling for two weeks with the same person…I’m just saying. So, I decided to get my bike fix and Carrie dove a little deeper into the city life. After some considerable searching (The Lonely Planet bible steered me wrong!), I rented a bike from the extremely friendly and helpful Bike Florence,

hopped on and proceeded to get very lost through the chaotic and unruly Florentine streets. Back ontrack, I headed south through the Chianti Classico region one last time…for reals...I swear! I love biking through the countryside. Totally different experience…the smells, sounds and sights all seem more vibrant. I was able to go through some small towns we missed during our drives. A lot of silly uphills (in comparison to WI or VT), but not as difficult as I would have thought (I thought too soon). Cruised through Imperiale, a sleepy town with a panoramic view on 3 sides. Stopped in Impruneta for a quick lunch at a small deli. Bizarrely enough, it poured for a short bit while I was eating…perfect weather the rest of the day. I then climbed and dipped, passing hillside vineyards and castles along the way. Traffic was light and the roads were, for the most part, peaceful. For whatever reason, I had Superdrag’s “Keep it Close to Me” in my head all day. Made it back to Greve in Chianti by early afternoon and decided to do one last wine tasting and tour at the Castello di Verrazzano. At that point, I experienced the nutty Tuscan ups. Most difficult hill I ever had to climb on bike. A carful of tour-goers drove by and thought I was absolutely nutz…they later told me during the tasting. By far the most magnificent vineyard and grounds we visited. Gillian, the guide was charming, funny and had a great grasp of history. She talked for a while about Giovanni di Verrazano, who discovered the NYC harbor and parts of the east coast. She also repeatedly teased me for mysteriously flying solo on the wine tour. The walk and tour of the cellars and smoking rooms (they also make extra virgin olive oil, 12-year old balsamic vinaigrette, and smoked meats) were fascinating and included a collection of wine bottles over 200 years old. We tasted some great Chianti Classico and Classico Reserva as well as some Vin Santo with fresh biscotti. It was late afternoon by the time the meandering tour ended. I made a B-line back to Florence and got back late, but just in time to catch up with Carrie and stroll before din.

Carrie took full advantage of a day without Chadler. She roamed the streets, walking up and down the river, Arno. Bounced in and out of some of the shops downtown. Went back to Ino for another tasty sandwich and wine. She then made her way up the crazy-long staircase up to Piazzale Michelangelo and took dozens of photos of the beautiful gardens, street artists hard at work and the tremendous panoramic view of the city…all with one of the two David replicas in the background.

Thanks to Carrie’s find, we had a great destination that evening to people watch and take in the sunset before dinner. We then headed to a place just around the corner from the apartment, Golden View Open Bar overlooking Ponte Vecchio. The place was modern, busy and had a great ambiance. Carrie looked dreamy…candle casting a romantic reflection on the window with a view. Savored fresh Trenette pasta and another great bottle of Chianti Classico from Castello di Rossi. Couldn’t be any more romantic than that. Still pinching…