Day 8 - Florence Again

What a fascinating, great day! We started with a private city walking tour with Rafaella from Presto Tours. She spoke mostly perfect English but was very Italian. We spent 4 hours with her. She had endless knowledge of art, Florence and Italy, and changed the way I was seeing Florence. She helped us see ancient Florence, which, even though swallowed by modern Florence, is still there in every way! She explained the concept of Italy's "art wealth" which even includes things like the stones we were walking on. I was fascinated that the Medici built their own walkway through Florence (from the Palazzo Vecchio, across the Ponte Vecchio, to the Pitti Palace!) so they wouldn't have to walk with commoners; their wealth was mind-boggling!

For lunch we found tiny I Fratellini - serving wine and 30 types of stuffed sandwiches. We chose the right one (roasted pork with parsley sauce), which melted so quickly into our mouths that Greg was going for seconds! We ate in a window sill in the small alley.

Then we walked through the loggia del mercato nuovo - selling mostly leather goods and scarves. I rubbed the boar's snout which means I will return some day - apparently without Greg because he wouldn't touch it.

We crossed the river to the Oltrarno - the "other side" of Florence, and walked 20 minutes uphill, along the 6th and final wall of the city, to the Piazzale Michelangiolo. For sweeping views across Florence, this is a must-do for any visitor! Finally I could see the Duomo in its entirety!

Nearby is Florence's oldest church, San Miniato, where we listened to the monks sing their evening vespers in the dark, frigid cloisters of the church.

Dinner was around the corner from the hotel at Trattoria Nella, where we had gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce and fried cod with marinara sauce....mmmmm!