Day 13

Italy 2011

Day 13

Our hotel has what we would consider the perfect breakfast (buffet style). There are boiled eggs, great bread, slices of various meats and cheeses, yogurt, healthy cereals, many different fresh fruits, including the best melon (cantalope) from Italy that we have ever had in our lives, and pastries. We could also order our macchiato and cappuccino drinks (two each this morning).

We decided to visit the huge central market. We first walked around looking at all the leather goods for sale in what seemed like hundreds of stalls. Bob bought a wallet. We then went into the huge building where they sell many different food items, including tripe, chickens with their heads still on their bodies, baby lambs (whole!), totally fresh fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts, etc, etc., etc. We ate lunch where we’ve eaten every time we’ve been at the market, Nerbone. You order from the counter and eat at long tables with other people.    

Today we spent a lot of time riding the two different lines of the “City Sightseeing Firenze” double level open-top bus. It was very enjoyable cruising through Florence (top level, of course) listening to a little history interspersed with classical music. Our favorite area was across the river where the winding and hilly streets are lined with huge trees and large villas. It was in this area that leafy tree branches brushed peoples’ heads! Here are pictures from our bus ride:

At one point we got off the bus and walked along the route. After stopping in Piazza Michelangelo for  a glass of wine with a view overlooking the city, we decided to walk back across the river to our hotel…. stopping along the way for our first gelato (ice cream pictures can be bad for your health so they have been censored out). We were supposed to go to the Accademia, where Michelangelo’s David is housed, but a big storm struck, and we didn’t feel like walking the eight blocks to get there. At least we saw it last year.

Here are scenes from our walk back to our hotel:  

Now that's cramming hundreds of years of history into a thumbnail!!