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| Near the Jewish Ghetto |
Well, I didn't think too clearly about travel times etc., when we bought our train tickets from Venice to Florence. I just suggested noonish, thinking that Stewart would not want to be rushed in the morning. In fact, though he groans about getting up, a 10:30 departure would have made more sense, as that was the hotel check out time, and so he would have had to have been out of the hotel room by then anyway! So we had a couple of hours to kill in the morning before we left, and ended up wandering the streets again. This time we ended up west of our hotel, somewhere near the Jewish Ghetto, but I didn't actually locate it. I took this photo of the house across the canal from us because it had an incredible profusion of flowers blooming on the roof. Not so visible in the photo, but still lovely.
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| Santa Maria Novella Church |
Sadly, the second consequence of leaving Venice later is that we have now missed out on the opportunity to visit the Uffizi Galleries. The train got in mid afternoon, and then we had to find the hotel, and then we had to have a bite to eat, and by the time we got to the Uffizi, there was a bare hour and a half before closing, and a long line that wasn't moving. We waited for half an hour or so, and still had only moved up a little bit, and so we abandoned. We thought that by the time we got to the front of the line, there would be less than half an hour to visit the gallery. And tomorrow, it is closed...
So, we continued along the walking tour outlined for us by the hotel, to at least see some of the sights of the city. As I took photos of some of these famous sights/statues/buildings, I wondered again why I was snapping the shots, particularly ones that others have photographed much more beautifully. It is just such a tourist thing to do! I could buy a book or purchase postcards with the same images, but it is cool to be able to say that this particular image is from my perspective, my camera, my visit.
The train ride was a welcome experience. I was not really anticipating it with any pleasure, as I remember the old, stinky, uncomfortable rail cars that I travelled in in the 70s. This car was sleek, new, with seats that were more comfortable than airplane seats, air conditioned and super quiet! A true pleasure.
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| Facade of the Duomo |
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| Reproduction of Michelangelo's David |
Quel catastrophe! I should have referred you more closely to Rick Steeves on this point. Only those who have not read Rick line up at the Uffizi - the rest of us get a reservation (sometimes before we even leave Canada). It may not be too late for you to ask your hotel to try and get a reservation for you - not sure about your time schedule and your desire to see the Uffizi. Once you have a reservation, you just show up at the reservation door (not the regular ticketing area), collect you tickets and walk in. It costs a few Euro in addition to regular ticket prices, but it feels good to walk past the people waiting in line. Worth a try.
ReplyDeleteAlso, don't miss the Baptistry. Go in the later evening when the crowds doe down - we had the place pretty much to ourselves. Also, Santa Croce... and San Lorenzo... and the Accademia... and the Bargello... and... and...
And another thought. I think you can also get reservations for the Bargello - again, I think your hotel can do this for you. Apart from Donatello's version of the David (considered one of the first true renaissance pieces), it also has a large collection of armour which may interest Stewart.
ReplyDeleteYes, we asked about reservations when we arrived, but by the time we arrived in Florence, the reservation office was already closed. The Accademia is also closed Mondays. In fact, Rick Steves says that most of the biggies are closed Mondays... Poor timing. We think we will try the Bargello, the Museum of San Marco and the Science Museum, which has Galileo's finger in a jar...
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