Ciao folks! Yes, it is a greeting also. I really love Florence. I feel like I have seen so much in a 24 hour period that I simply had to write about it soon or else I would forget some of it. First of all, the town is very small and much more compact that anything we have seen so far. It sits nice and snug in a valley-like area with beautiful green mountains visible on two sides. I have to say, Italy is eerily similar to what I expected it to be. The people are very animated, the food (at least what we have tried thus far) is fantastic, the setting is very intimate, the scenery is beautiful. Anyone who climbs to the top of one of the old towers, or a relatively high roof for that matter, is afforded an absolutely amazing view of the entire city in all directions. Luckily, the hostel we are staying in has roof access and even has a little bar and lounge on the top of the roof. Last night, we drank a beer up there around 8 pm just as the sun was setting. I have some spectacular long-exposure pictures of the sunset and the city. Il Duomo seemed to reflect more light than the surrounding cityscape and emitted a deep gold glow that stood out fantastically in the skyline.
We started our trek into the city around 9pm. The hostel is situated in the nortwest corner of the city, easily within walking distance of the city center and all the main sights. On the way to the Ponte Vecchio bridge, we passed all sorts of great restaurants and outdoor cafes. We ended up eating pizza at Piazza de Signoria, one of the most famous plazas in all of Italy. There is a replica "David" statute in the square as well as other impressive buildings. The pizza was delicioso! I ordered pizza with Iberian sausage and peppers, Blaze ordered proscuitto pizza and we each had a half of each. It was alllll good.
We did end up finding the Lion's Fountain Irish Pub, the place Amanda recommended to me. It was quite an experience and we met a few new people also. It is a bar to the east of the city center near one of the bridges that crosses the river. Lots of good beers on tap and it was true that the crowd was mainly tourists, with some Italian locals sprinkled in there. I amazed myself by actually getting up the courage to go and talk to a group of Italian girls. I thought they were American from a distance but when I went up and said hello I figured out that they were all actually Italian... Only one spoke good english but after a pint or two of Guinness the language barrier becomes less of an obstacle. They told me some good things to see and actually added to the todo list that Amanda gave me. We also met some guys that were on tour with the Cambridge University Choir. They were performing in Florence and Siena and told us the time and date for tomorrow and we hope to go since it will be a free show. We also met two Australian girls who have moved to Florence permanently to start a study abroad coordination business. Its so cool, the people you meet.
In alot of these cities we have seen street vendors that sell knock off goods. They lay out all their goods which are typically purses or sunglasses on a large white blanket that has handles on the end, and are usually Africans. It is illegal to sell knock off goods so these guys are always very hyper alert. It turns out that what they do when police come by is in one swoop they pick up their blanket and all the goods inside, sling it over their shoulder, and run like hell. We saw it happen last night as we were walking through Florence, all the sudden about 8 or 9 guys with big white sacks over their shoulders came thundering down a side street making weird warning sounds, I presume for other vendors in the area. Anything to make a buck, right?
Yesterday we did alot of hiking around the city. We saw all the major sites including Il Duomo, Ponte Vecchio bridge, Piazza de Signoria, and we also went across the river and up the hill that overlooks the city. Up top there we bought a small bottle of wine and sat on some stairs that overlook the city and drank our wine. Beats working! We went back down into the city and ate at a restaurant called "Nuti". It. Was. Amazing. We ordered brushcetta antipasti and I had tortellini alla medici for my main course. I am definitely experienced in matters culinary and have tried all sorts of food but I was immediately impressed and in love after the first bite. I have never tasted anything like that before.
Today we took a day trip to Siena. The town reminded me much of Toledo, Spain. It was very small and compact, but full of history and cool sights. We saw Piazza del Campo, site of the famous horse race that occurs every year. We also saw the 4th tallest cathedral in the world. Lots of good picks to come.
Tomorrow we plan on doing the actual touristy type stuff, to climb Il Duomo and see the Uffizi. The day after tomorrow, we take a train to Venice. I may not be able to post for a couple days after this so sit tight! Ciao!
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