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| Arno River, Florence |
So as I made my plans for the spring, it appeared that Italy would not make it onto the itinerary. Bummer. But then I thought to myself, this could be the perfect opportunity for some solo traveling. I have always wanted to try it, and have never had the guts. Yes, I will travel to Italy…alone. With the last five days of my February break empty and unfilled with European adventure, it was the perfect chance. I would go to Florence, a city so full of art and history, that even an art history major like me could easily overdose!
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| Tuscan Countryside |
As my plane landed at Pisa’s international airport, I had one thing on my mind. Well, to be fair, three things: pizza, pasta, gelato. Not having eaten all day, and it being close to dinnertime, my stomach was doing a little more than growling. I hopped off the plane and looked for the nearest pizza place, but once I found it, my efforts at enjoying some pizza were thwarted by a large group of leering Italian soldiers. There was no question in my mind in what country I had landed, “Ciao bella, amore mio.” Taking it as a sign from God that I should wait before indulging my hunger pangs, I progressed towards the “train station”. I put this in quotation marks because the Pisa airport “train station” hardly constitutes a station of any kind. There are 2 tracks, yet the monitors post trains arriving and departing from tracks 4, 8, 13, etc. Well, those don’t exist. As you can imagine, this is somewhat confusing. After an hour or two of complete bewilderment, multiple conversations with the train assistants, and serious amounts of hand gesturing on my part, I finally gathered that the monitors referred to trains at Pisa’s central train station. Oh well, duh. How could I have been so stupid to think the monitors at the airport station would show the trains arriving at the airport? No, no, there are only two trains that come here, I was told. They arrive whenever they please. Fantastic. I would simply wait until the next train arrived. Next obstacle to tackle? Ticket purchase. Not as difficult as I had expected, but my major glitch arrived at the end. A few cents short of the ticket price, I had to stick in a ten-euro bill. Problem: the machines don’t give change. Instead, they spit out a sort of voucher for the amount you overpaid, and then you have to go and stand in an hour-long line at the train station to wait to get it reimbursed. Gotta love traveling.
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| Gelato |
Whilst in Pisa Centrale, waiting for my train to Florence, I figured that I had enough time to grab a quick slice of pizza before boarding. I made my way from the track to the station building, stood in line, and grabbed a piping hot piece of margarita pizza. I sat down at a table with a proper knife and fork to enjoy my first Italian meal. Before I knew it, 20 minutes had gone by, and I had to race back outside to catch my train. Of course, when I arrived at the track, no one was there. The train had somehow come early and already left. So typical me.
After I had gotten settled into my new digs at David’s Inn, not far from the Duomo, I got in touch with some friends of my roommate, who were also in town. We decided to meet up for dinner, and went out for pizza at a little neighborhood restaurant near their apartment. The place, run by men from Naples, Italy’s pizza capital, was charming and quaint, with some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. Mine came hot out of the oven topped with big chunks of buffalo mozzarella, spicy olive oil, and farm-fresh tomatoes. So far, my culinary experience in Italy was off to a good start. After dinner, we met up with a few more people and made our way out to Volume, a trendy bar not far from the apartment.
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| Siena Cathedral |
Wednesday morning came early with a 7am wake-up call from my alarm. I had booked an all-day Tuscany tour, and needed to be outside the train station by 8am. The tour was made up mostly of couples and families, and I must admit that I felt like a huge loner and loser sitting on the bus by myself. However, I quickly found friends in a girl named Carla and her mother, and was set for the rest of the day. (To be honest, I think they saw I was alone and decided to befriend me…people can be so nice!) As the bus raced towards our first stop of the day, Siena, we passed traditional Tuscan homes sitting upon rolling, green hills surrounded by olive groves and cypress trees. Siena, purportedly the best-preserved medieval city in Tuscany, is home to one of the oldest universities in Europe, founded in 1240. As it happens, UVA also has a study abroad program in the city, which a few friends of mine had attended in the past. We met our very eccentric, very Italian guide after getting off the bus. As we walked through the town, she explained much about the history of Siena, and even included a visit to the oldest still-working bank in the world, Monte Dei Paschi. We made our way towards the Siena Cathedral, which can really only be described as breathtaking. Finished in 1180, it is so elaborately painted and carved, that it is hard to take in the site all at once. The interior of the cathedral is equally awesome. The sequences of alternating black and white marble, the “carpets” of marble on the floor, and the wide collection of Renaissance paintings on the walls lend an air of elegance and sophistication to the cathedral. The Piccolomini Library frescos, over 500 years old, are still so vibrant, you feel as if they were painted just hours before.
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| Il Campo with Carla |
After the cathedral, we walked to the Piazza del Campo, which is said to be the third most beautiful square in Europe. It is here where the Palio di Siena takes place, the famous horse race that happens twice a year, in July and August. In each race, ten horses and riders enter the competition, representing 10 of the city’s 17 districts. They whip 3 times around the clay-based course, until the winning horse crosses the finish line (rider may or may not present, I’m told). When the winning district is awarded its silk banner, it commences a month-long celebration for the win.
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| Part of our traditional Tuscan lunch |
We left Siena around noon, and made our way to a small, working farm outside San Gimignano. Once there, we got a tour of the farm, including their wine cellars and olive groves. After the brief tour, we sat down to a traditional, Tuscan lunch overlooking the beautiful countryside. The city of San Gimignano loomed in the distance over the rolling hills and gave the impression of a multi-towered fortress in the background. The lunch itself consisted of bruschetta, homemade tagliatelle with meat sauce, fresh salad, 2 types of pecorino cheese, prosciutto, almond biscotti, and 4 different wines to taste (1 white, 2 red, and a dessert wine). Not having eaten anything before drinking a few glasses of wine, I think it’s pretty safe to say that I left lunch a little more than tipsy!
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| Tuscany |
After filling up on fresh bread, olive oil, pasta, and biscotti (you can make a fat face while reading that), we were given time to tour San Gimignano, a small city composed of skinny, winding streets and tall signal towers. We passed by shops selling hand painted Italian ceramics and beautiful table linens, and headed to a shop designated as “the World’s Best Gelato”. And I must admit, I don’t think they were lying. In my little cup I mixed three flavors: cinnamon, nutmeg and nutella, and it was just like a little bit of heaven in my mouth. For my first gelato in Italy, I was fully satisfied. To boot, as we walked around in the sunshine on the old ramparts of the city, the view of the Tuscan hills was positively breathtaking.
As the tour neared to an end, we made our way to our final destination: Pisa. I have always wanted to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I’ve just always been fascinated by the fact that it has been leaning since its construction and never fallen down. I’m also a total perfectionist, so it boggles my mind that people could allow this mishap to occur. However, I doubt the city would be as famous as it is today if the tower was straight. On top of wanting to see the tower, I’ve always wanted to take one of those cheesy pictures pretending to hold it up. Well, mission accomplished. I looked like a fool posing for picture after picture, but I finally got the result I wanted, and am pleased that I have that memory of my trip. The real trick was trying to squeeze a picture in while everyone else was attempting to do the same…I even saw a few scuffles over some great posing spots…To be honest, not much else goes on for tourists in Pisa outside of the Tower, Baptistery, and Duomo, so we hung around there for a bit, enjoyed a cappuccino, and boarded the bus back to Florence around 7pm. Fun fact: did you know Andrea Bocelli attended university in Pisa? And that Galileo taught math there? Just a few tidbits I found pretty interesting…
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| Leaning Tower of Pisa! |
When we finally got back from the tour, Carla, her mom, and I decided to go for dinner at a restaurant that had been recommended to us by one of the guides on the tour. The amazingly tiny Il Cantodino was packed to the gills when we arrived. But get this, with only Italians. I didn’t hear a single foreign voice in there. At the same time, the amazing mix of aromas that swirled around from the busy kitchen was so intoxicating that I could hardly contain myself. 45 minutes later, when we were finally seated, my pesto pasta entrée (with pesto so green it looked as if it had just come off the basil plant), steak with mushrooms, wine, and roasted potatoes, was more than I could handle. All of it so good and so filling, I lapsed into a temporary food coma and had no trouble getting to sleep when I got home.
On Thursday, I woke up early to start my day of lone sightseeing. I was off first to the Uffizi Gallery at 8:30am, because I heard the lines could get ridiculously long and I really needed to get a move on with my day. Once inside, I spent two hours roaming the halls and salons of the 3rd largest art collection in the world. It would be impossible to name all of the artists they have in there, but some of the major Italian players were there, including Carvaggio, Verrocchio, Da Vinci, Botticelli, Raphael, Michelangelo, Masaccio, and Titian. Essentially all religious in theme, the paintings are, for the most part, on a grand scale, incredibly colorful, gilded, and could have popped right out of my Renaissance art textbook. I’ve never seen more Annunciation or Coronation of the Virgin scenes in my life, and by the time I had completed my tour, I definitely felt a little bit more holy. Good thing all of my next stops were either churches or other religious art collections…
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| Duomo |
My next stop after the Uffizi was the nearby church of Santa Croce, founded in 1294 and home to the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and Dante. It also houses many works by Giotto and Donatello, creating an overall impressive atmosphere in the wide-open, Gothic interior. Attached to the back of the church, sort of tucked off to the side, is an entire working leather shop, which makes basically any kind of leather product you want, and can even inscribe the pieces with your initials. The leather was so soft and smooth that I had to run out of there fast before I bought anything and broke my bank account!
I next went to the Duomo, the spectacularly unique façade that claims the center spot in the city. The exterior is so intricate and incredible, it is really only to be seen to be believed. The inside, on the other hand, is not that impressive. There’s a cool clock, but the decoration is very sparse and sober. The church, called Santa Maria del Fiore, is the cathedral church of Florence, built in the 13th century. The dome, which is by far the coolest part of the interior, was designed by Brunelleschi. As you exit out the right-hand side of the building, the entrance to the Campanile, or bell tower, is directly in front of you. Dying for that amazing view of Florence, and needing a bit of exercise after all the pizza, pasta, and gelato that had recently entered my diet, I decided to pay the six euros and climb the over 400 steps to the top. The climb was nothing less than intense, and when the signs say “not for the faint of heart”, they seriously mean it! Wondering why I paid six euros to torture myself, I was nonetheless pleased I could eat the day’s gelato without feeling guilty. Up on the top, the views of the city were indeed incredible. You could see the snow-capped mountains in the distance, the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside, and all the major monuments of the city amidst a sea of terracotta roofs.
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| View from atop the campanile |
Once I descended the tower, and had rid myself of the jelly-like feeling in my legs, I walked to the Accademia Gallery, one of the other largest tourist attractions in the city. Luckily I had booked my ticket in advance, so I slipped right by the lengthening line, and into the museum. Much smaller than the Uffizi, the Accademia’s claim to fame is Michelangelo’s David. Standing alone in an alcove, all 17 feet of the immense sculpture looms above visitors with an air of importance and perfection. Originally placed in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza Signoria, the David had became a symbol for the pride and liberty of Florence. The sculpture is, as many art historians will tell you, pure perfection. The toned musculatures, the contrapposto position, even the bulging veins in his arms and hands are so lifelike it’s hard to tear your eyes away. Once you do, you notice that there are many other paintings decorating the walls of the museum, and an impressive sculpture gallery full of busts and sculpturesall in white marble.
Upon exiting the Accademia, I walked to the area around San Lorenzo Church, the next item to cross off my tourism list. Starving and exhausted from walking and climbing all day, I found the small “make your own sandwich” place that had been recommended to me by a friend, and sat down to a lovely pesto, turkey, mozzarella, lettuce, and sun-dried tomato sandwich on fresh focaccia. After my lunch, I made my way directly across the street to the Medici Chapel, which is at the back of the San Lorenzo Church. A state museum since 1869, the monumental mausoleum was designed and conceived by Michelangelo. Topped by a fresco-covered dome, to say that the all-marble family tomb is opulent would be an understatement. The floor is a carpet of green, red, and multicolored marble designs, inlaid with semi-precious stones. Six tombs and a high altar, all also decorated with semi-precious stones, fill the walls of the octagonal-shaped room.
Deciding to skip the church (and its six euro entrance fee), I headed to the local grocery store to save a few pennies and buy food to make for dinner. I was very Italian in my choices, and bought some carpaccio, mozzarella, and pesto to make a sandwich. In addition, always the savory snacker, I picked up something I remembered from my days working in a high-end Italian specialty store: patate rosmarino. I guess you could call them the Italian version of the hard pretzel, but essentially they are savory crackers, formed into sticks, seasoned with olive oil, salt, and my favorite, rosemary. More importantly, they’re delicious. Just as a side note, as I’m writing this I am sensing a seriously culinary theme to this blog post…At any rate, by the late afternoon, my legs and feet were killing me from running around all over town, so I ventured back to the hostel and settled in with a good book. A while later, I made my dinner and sat down with some girls who had just joined the hostel. An eclectic group, we included one English girl on her gap year, one Australian girl coming to study abroad in Florence, an American girl getting ready to work on an organic farm outside of Siena, a French girl coming to Tuscany for a dance competition, and little old traveling me. That right there has got to be one of the many reasons I love to travel: meeting new people from all walks of life.
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| Hot Chocolate |
On Friday I seized the opportunity to sleep in, as I only had a few more items to cross off my tourist to-do list. Around 11am, I got up and strolled around the markets in the San Lorenzo area. Walking around for about an hour, I saw every kind of Florentine souvenir you could imagine, from pashminas and scarves to sunglasses, magnets, and Murano glass jewelry. Having only an hour to kill before my lunch date, I strolled in the direction of the Ponte Vecchio and center city. Francesca, the girl I was meeting for lunch, was a friend of my friend Elif, who put us in touch when she realized we were both in the city at the same time. Francesca, a native Florentine, and I had been trying to get together over the few days I had been in Florence, but hadn’t, until Friday, been able to make it work. Lunch in the afternoon and then drinks in the evening was our plan, and I was excited to be hanging with some real Italians! Nevertheless, an hour loomed ahead before my lunch with her, so I took another friend’s advice and went up onto the roof of La Ricasante, where the terrace boasts great views of the city, and even better hot chocolate. Deciding to indulge, the hot chocolate that appeared in minutes on my table was literally like a melted bar of dark chocolate, so think it coated the entirety of the glass in its residue.
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| Boboli Gardens |
At 1pm, I met Francesca on the Ponte Vecchio, where she works in one of the nice jewelry shops. We strolled to the nearby area of Santo Spirito to meet her friend Nico for lunch. Nico, a chef at Gusta Osteria, treated us to a lunch of fresh, homemade pasta at his restaurant. Afterwards we went for an American style coffee at Mama’s Bakery, owned and operated by a native San Franciscan. The café, complete with bagels, cupcakes, and many other American-style treats, was a favorite of Francesca, who had recently fallen in love with New York during her February visit. From Mama’s Bakery, Nico and Francesca went back to work, and I turned in the direction of the Pitti Palace, the last item on my checklist. The sumptuously decorated Renaissance palace dates mostly from the 15th century, when it was commissioned and designed by wealthy Florentine banker Luca Pitti. It was bought by the Medici family during the 16th century, and from then on became the chief residence of the ruling families of Tuscany. Nowadays the palace has been transformed into a series of exhibits and museums, including the Porcelain Museum and Wine Museum. You can also tour the Boboli Gardens and the Royal Apartments (although separate ticket purchase is required). The Wine Museum, which can be found in the summer apartments of the palace, is set in sumptuously decorated rooms and salons. The frescos on the walls celebrate the time of Lorenzo the Magnificent, and they were truly fantastic. I went through the entire exhibit looking more at the walls and ceilings of the palace, rather than at old stories of wine consumption in ancient Greece (can’t image why…) When the Wine Museum ends, it unceremoniously dumps you into the Porcelain Museum. Without warning you are ushered into elaborate displays of the Medici collection, which is so expansive and impressive, it could take days to wander around and fully appreciate the artifacts. After touring the summer apartments, I ventured outside to the Boboli Gardens. Unfortunately, the Royal Apartments were on a separate 12-euro ticket that I simply could not afford to see…besides, I figured a walk outside in the sun would do me some good. Once outside, I plugged in my iPod and began traipsing around the vast gardens. One could get seriously lost in the maze of winding paths dotted with fountains, sculptures, and groves of trees. Near the exit to the gardens is the Medici grotto, which is actually pretty cool when not crowded with snap-happy tourists.
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| In San Gimignano |
Once out of the palace, I did a bit of shopping along the Ponte Vecchio and Via Por Santa Maria. I grabbed some food to make dinner, and went back to the hostel to pack and get ready for the evening. A newcomer had arrived in the hostel, and she had packed solely in plastic grocery bags. Originally from India but currently a graduate student at Duke and studying abroad at LSE, and she had come to Florence for the weekend. In plastic bags. Bizarre. Around midnight I met Francesca and her friends at a club called Lochness, filled with chic Italian men and woman clad in all black, holding colorful cocktails and cigarettes in their hands. They played lots of salsa and old American music, and it was really a lot of fun! Lochness is also home to possibly the best lychee martini I have ever tasted in my life. When the club closed, I strolled home in the light rain, taking one last look at the city I had come to adore. The next morning, I would be up bright and early to catch my plane back home…
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