Two And A Half Days In Florence

Sunrise Over Campitello

June 19

We got up real early in Campitello so that we could get the rental car back to Florence before the Hertz office closed. It was Sunday, so all the rental car agencies shut their doors at 1:00. We were fortunate that the hotel opened the breakfast buffet at 6:00 for us. We ate a good meal.

Ann and I were on the road before 7:00. It seemed that we went downhill for over an hour through a narrow valley with mountains on each side. We eventually left the Dolomites behind and entered a vast agricultural plain. It was here where we entered the autostrada.

Our Fiat Panda can fly. I kept the speed at 140 kph most of the way. Even at that speed we were passed by lots of bigger cars. We made one pit stop on the way to Florence and still beat (GPS) Jack’s estimated arrival time by 45 minutes. Arriving in the city streets of Florence, we tried three gas stations to fill up the tank before we figured out how to use the self-service pumps. They didn’t like our credit card, so we finally used cash.

Jack got us to our hotel on a direct route through narrow city “streets” where we encountered hundreds of tourists walking along not paying attention to the traffic. To be fair, these streets are restricted to cars with permits (which we didn’t have) but are open to all traffic on Sunday. We didn’t know that until we got to the hotel and talked to Massimo, the main at the front desk.

We unloaded our bags at Hotel Silla and then drove to the Hertz office. The car passed inspection with no extra charges. That made us happy so we celebrated by having lunch at Trattoria 13 Gobbi, a four-peat eatery that we discovered a few years ago. We shared some bruschetta with fresh tomatoes and anchovies. Ann had rigatoni pasta with a creamy tomato sauce. I had flat pasta with fresh mushrooms.

Back at the hotel, we unpacked and relaxed. Jeff called and told us his logistics. His group was having a late dinner near Palazzo Vecchio. We decided to get some take out food at a super market. Then we met him and Chloe as they sat down for dinner after 8:00. After chatting for a bit, Ann and I walked to Perche No for gelato and went back to our hotel.

June 20

I met the Ashland group in Piazza Republica this morning and joined them for a walking tour of the old section of Florence. (Ann wanted to rest her feet, knees and artificial hip). The tour went to the Duomo and then through narrow streets to the Ponte Vecchio. It ended up near the Uffizi. The chaperones of the group were each responsible for a small group of students. Jeff and Chloe had to stay with their group, so I walked back to the hotel and took Ann to Trattoria Anita where we had an inexpensive fixed price meal. Ann had rice with tomatoes along with tuna  carpaccio. I had pasta with tomato sauce along with rabbit. We both had a mixed salad. She told me what she did in the morning.

She went to the Brancacci Chapel in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine to see the frescos. She also saw a film about them. This took place in the Piazza del Carmine, the ugliest square in Florence.

Jeff called after we got back to the hotel. He and his group were tired and hot and wanted a place to relax. We invited them over to the hotel. We spent a delightful afternoon chatting and rehydrating on our terrace.

After they went back to meet the rest of their group for dinner, Ann and I went across the Arno to Ristorante del Fagioli. We split appetizers of bruschetta and crustinni with liver pate. Ann had a good vegetable soup while I had ravioli stuffed with ricotta cheese with a light lemon sauce. We split a portion Italian meatballs.

June 21

(To be continued). It’s late and I’m going to bed.