Florence by day and by night...

Hi Readers,

Well today was just a great day!

We both woke up super early, about 5.00 am and each stayed really quiet hoping not to wake up the other. It was at about 6.00am we realised were were both awake so we were up and at it and ready to go!

We had a few things planned today and didn't think we'd get them all done, but due to our early start we had all our main touristy things done by lunch time.

First cab off the rank was to go to the Galleria dell Academia where the famous statue of David is displayed. While I must admit I wasn't really jumping out of my skin to go to an art gallery, this statue really impressed me with its size, history and sculpting skill. As for the rest of the gallery? Let's just say I didn't cry when we left, but it wasn't really a tough hour.

The queue outside the gallery at 8.05 in the morning.

At the state of David with Jen.

The 5m statue is incredibly impressive.

Next stop for the day was an open top bus ride around Florence, which was great. We chose to sit up on top, and although it was a crystal clear day they still had the roof on. Despite this, and the fact that it was also extremely cold, we really enjoyed touring the city and getting a running commentary via the headphones that you plug in.

The trip was pretty hairy for most of the ride because the traffic here is horrendous and it amazes us that there aren't more accidents. For instance, pedestrian crossings are just lines on the road. Cars do not stop for you. It is like Russian roulette trying to cross the road. Cars just race around the streets, which are so narrow, and with people walking on the road as the footpaths are so narrow, once again we can't believe more people are killed.

With this in mind we had a funny experience on our bus tour. As we were driving down yet another narrow street, one that a bus just fitted into anyway, we came across a delivery truck blocking the way. The driver asked him to shift his truck a bit, so he started reversing...straight into the front of the bus. Jen and I were sitting in the front seats at the top, so we had a great view of it all. The truck didn't hit us hard, but enough to make a crash sound and do a little bit of damage. But what happened next left us baffled. The driver of the truck didn't stop to inspect the damage and neither did the bus driver. They didn't even stop to talk, the bus driver just kept going on with the tour!! This must be taken for granted all the time!!

The rest of the tour went without incident, although a fe traffic incidents left us holding our breath as they all tend to drive here by the seat of their pants.

Part of an ancient wall from historical times.

The types of narrow streets our bus raced down. All was fine until we came across parked cars and trucks, or traffic coming the opposite way!!

These two cyclists just kept riding along happily in front of the bus without a care in the world about what was right behind them.

There are so many small cars here in the city as parking is so desperate. This little one seater was just about swallowed by our bus.

After this hair raising episode we took off to try and climb either the dome of the Cathedral or the Bell Tower next to it. Upon getting to the cathedral we discovered that the dome climbs were booked out for the next two days, so I tackled the Bell Tower instead.

414 steps up a winding, narrow staircase had me puffing but I was grateful for any sort of exercise.

The hardest part was when passing people coming the opposite way as it was so narrow that two people could hardly pass each other without squeezing against the wall.

The climb however was well worth it as the pictures show.

The Giotto Bell Tower, all 414 steps.

The narrow climb p the stair wells.

Stuck behind some slowpokes!!

Just one view of Florence, from every angle and direction it was just beautiful.

Looking down at the queue that I was in just a short time ago.

Looking across to the Cathedral dome.

Another view of Florence.

People on the Cathedral Dome.

Looking down from the top of the Belltower to down below.

The queue that I was in is now getting bigger.

Feeling chuffed after doing the tower, even with my stuffed knees and ankles!

So, we had a few things planned and nailed them all well before the day was half over, so we went and found a nice restaurant that specialised in gluten free food ( for Jen) and boy were we treated to an outstanding meal at a great price. We were just about the first people in, and by the time we left it was packed, a sure sign of a good place.

We both went for the pizzas, which doesn't sound that all adventurous to our Australian friends, but God Italian pizzas are just something else. They are not thick and doughy like the ones in Australia. As for toppings, they aren't laid on as thick either, but the flavour is something else. A beautiful chocolate dessert and we were on our way again.

As I said yesterday, we have been going at a cracking pace, so we went back to our digs just to rest up for an hour as we were both knackered.

This really freshened us up so we headed out again and managed to get some quick visits in at an old Church and also the Cathedral, which was totally unplanned. You see, there is a queue a mile long all day to get into the Cathedral, but as it was near closing time we were able to get in with only a 5 minute wait and for free.

The ceiling in the Cathedral. Although very ornate outside, the inside is considerably drab apart from this.

Looking towards the back of the Cathedral.

The cathedral altar.

The Cathedral with the Belltower on the right.

Just because we had renewed energy after a good lunch and a little bit of rest we kept going for a few more hours walking around the city. Yesterday we went to the Ponte Vecchio Bridge which is a major tourist attraction, so we headed there again to see what it was like at night, and we were not disappointed at all. The crowds in the street were massive, adding to an amazing atmosphere.

Another Piazza, another tower!!

The outdoor eating area of a restaurant, complete with fur blankets to keep the customers warm.

 The streets are packed heading up the Ponte Vecchio bridge.

Jen is suitably rugged up to ward off the cold, and today was a cold one!!

A view from the bridge at dusk, which was about 5.00 pm!!

A view from the other side of the bridge.

 A light show was being played on the bridge itself.

Some of the street decorations, the photos just do not show how beautiful they really are.

A building adorned with lights in one of the many piazzas.

Another piazza.

And to finish off tonight, my new socks travelled with me today. Here we are just near the Florence Cathedral, who knows where they will appear next!!

 

Well readers, tomorrow morning is our last bit of time in Florence, so if you want to know where we will be next you will just have to log in and have a read.

Also, you can leave a comment, there have only been a few brave souls who have done that so far, so any feedback is always appreciated.

Tomorrow is New Years Eve, so a very Happy New Year to you all.

Until my next post...

Cheers!!

Florence...

Hi Readers, 

This post will be short and sweet as we have been on the go all day and I'm still knackered from a big day yesterday.

Imagine my worry when I wake up this morning to see a message on my phone from one of my boys back home. 'Dad, please call me'.

Well, I was immediately thinking something really bad had happened, and when I rang Will he told me that they'd had a big storm and that water had backed up a drain and flooded part of the house. It managed to flood the part of the house that is carpeted, so poor Will is now trying to deal with the insurance company in our absence. Luckily he'll be able to use the other end of the house that has our bedroom, but after being left on hold for two and a half hours he is not keen on trying to make contact with them again. Needless to say, after hearing that a very terse email was sent to them from Italy!!

We are just thankful that it was only something concerning the house, rather than something happening to one of the boys while we are away.

Today was another train trip, another fast train from Reggio Emilia to Florence. We didn't get to see a lot of scenery along on the way as we spent a lot of time going through tunnels. As we got yo Florence we saw why there were so many tunnels as there was a big mountain range behind us. That must have taken some work to get that rail line through them.

After getting to our digs it was off exploring this city which is absolutely amazing. The place is buzzing with people, and we have been told that this is the quiet time of the year. 

We just wandered the streets and markets and admired the beauty in the buildings and old churches that we popped into for a look.

Even the outsides of some of the buildings left us in awe at the architecture and designs.

 

Very cold once again, but as the skies are are clear it is not a problem being out and about.

A few pressies got purchased today and we were surprised that when Jen was buying a new handbag, she paused a few times to think about it, and every time she did the bloke dropped his price. We didn't have to haggle as he was doing the haggling for us! In the end we scored some extra gifts as well as getting quite a few euros knocked off for her bag.

We have just got back from dinner next door which was great. I opted for a seafood pasta which was loaded with all sorts of seafood. The prawns in it come whole, so there was bit of a mess by the time I finished!

As we were the first customers in there ( and it was after 7.00pm) our coats were taken and hung up in the cloakroom. When we were leaving I went to get them, only to find that a large group that had just come in had hung all their stuff on top of ours, so here I was dropping all of their coats while looking for ours, all the while copping nasty stares from them for touching their gear.

In the end all was good!

Just a few minutes walk from our digs is this fabulous church. Tomorrow we are planning to climb to the top.

The intricate states and carvings on this building need to be seen to be believed.

One of the many busy markets in the streets. Great for junk as well as some quality goods.

Totally have no idea what this building was, but it scrubs up well in a photo just for the way it stood out!

Another random view down a street. 

The Chtistmas decorations are still up, we are hoping to get out tonight to see them lit up.

A view from the main bridge in Florence. Just to get to the edge was a challenge as everyone wants to get a photo.

 As we were walking down the street just before it began to get dark ( at about 5.00!!) I was struck by the thousands of birds flying overhead. They looked like starlings. 

But someone else who was probably struck more by them was the lady walking beside me who I was talking to and saying "Look at those birds, look at those birds" ( along with a few stupid other comments that I'm prone to throwing in as well!) Only when I turned to her to get a response, thinking it was my wife did I realise that she was a total stranger, and that Jen was still about 20m behind me looking in a shop window!

That explains why she wasn't answering me!!!

Looking back towards the main bridge in Florence.

And the daily obligatory selfie!! And while I was taking this, one of the very many people who hassle you in the streets to buy selfie sticks was pestering us to buy one. No luck there.

The Christmas decorations at night, the photo doesn't capture how great they look.

The large Christmas tree in the main square.

And here is a promised photo to someone in Bendigo who surprised me with a pair of new socks for Christmas. I promised to share them in my postings, so here they are Sienna, resting up in Florence after a big day. And don't worry, they will be washed regularly!!!

Tomorrow is another big day, I hear that a museum is on the cards as Jen wants to see the statue of David, something which I only became aware of today. I guess I'm showing my artistic ignorance there!!

Until my next post...

Cheers!!

A Day or so in Reggio Emilia...

Hi Readers,

Well we have really settled in quickly to our trip and if the past two days are anything to go by, we will be totally wasted within a week or so!!

That first long flight of 13 hours is an absolute killer, so it was great to get it over with first. The second flight of 7 hours didn't seem as bad as we had seats that were a little more comfy.

We got into Milan early in the morning and when we got off the plane it was straight onto a bus to a train station to catch a train to Reggio Emelia.

This was one of the fast trains, and when they say fast they really mean it!!

This trip registered a top speed of 300 kms at one stage!!

Reggio Emilia is a city of about 185 000 people, but the reason we came here is so that Jen could show me some of the places she spent time at a few years ago while on a study tour. Imagine how disappointed we were to find that the International Centre was closed and we could not get in to see more about the education practices advocated by Loris Malaguzzi so many years ago.

It was still great though to wander around and see his influence in so many areas of the city.

We were walking around the streets and it just seemed so empty, then we realised that many of them close for a few hours in the afternoon then re-open later and trade into the evening. It was around 5.00 that the streets really started to fill again, and it was great to just wander around and soak up the atmosphere.

The extremely helpful staff at our digs even found a good place for us to eat nearby and made a booking for us for dinner. 

Now, because they all seem to have a little rest during the afternoon, they tend to have a bit more life in the evening. Our booking was made for 8.00 pm which at first we thought would be okay, but as the afternoon wore on we became more aware that we would struggle to make it.

It gets dark here just after 5.00, so already it feels late.

I was also incredibly tired as I hadn't slept much at all on the plane and I was walking around like a zombie! I thought a session in the gym would help, but even that was a struggle. I think I lasted just on half an hour, and it felt like a real waste as I just had no energy at all.

Jen and I went out for a walk then headed back to our digs as it was getting so cold outside. We still had three hours to kill before dinner, and I told Jen that if we stayed in our room there was no way I could stay awake and that I'd most likely fall asleep.

She wasn't feeling much better either, so we thought we'd duck downstairs to the bar for a drink to help stay awake.

No luck there!

After a little while we decided to order room service, which consisted of two frozen meals that hit the spot perfectly. 

I reckon that after I ate it and cleaned my teeth I was asleep, and this was only at about 7.00!!!

Never had I looked forward to hitting the sack so much, I was absolutely knackered, and it was the best sleep ever!!

This morning we woke up to a glorious morning, sunny and extremely cold.

We had to catch a train to Florence mid morning, but I'll mention that in my next post.

Strolling through an avenue of trees just outside our digs in Reggio Emilia.

A standard street in the part of the city where we stayed. The photo just doesn't capture the unique feel of the city.

Shutters on nearly all of the buildings, many of which also have their washing hanging outside the building.

Believe it or not, this is the main shopping street mid-afternoon. Most shops close between about 1.30-3.30, then the place comes to life again.

Another narrow winding street.

Not only are the streets narrow, but cars don't seem to slow down at all. Loads of bikes everywhere, and also motor scooters which just rule the roads.

While Jen was in the bank I was waiting at the door and managed to get this shot of a clock in one of the many Piazzas.

And in another Piazza a few minutes walk away, another great old clock tower.

Early morning and the streets are starting to look busy already.

The age of some of these buildings is mind blowing. 

In this street the photo shows only some of the Christmas decorations. They were on all four walls of this area.

The obligatory 'selfie' in front of the fountain lights in Reggio Emilia. This was at about 5.00 pm, showing how early it gets dark here.

And the square just a fe minutes later.

And the same square early this morning.

The view from our room early today. Last night there were people and families everywhere here, despite the cold weather.

We got off our train, and had to walk through the many people who get off at stations to have a quick dart before the train takes off again. This is serious 'speed smoking', I've never seen people so desperate and dedicated to their cause!!

 

More of the passengers who duck off for a quick fag while the train stops at a station.

It really has struck us how prevalent smoking is over here, the streets reek of it in some areas.

Our fast train, some of the smoothest travel I've ever experienced.

I was impressed when the driver got it up to 250 kmh...

Then when he got it to 270kmh I was rather impressed!

And at 300 kmh I thought he was just showing off!!!

Our casual after brekky stroll this morning. Breakfast is interesting here. I had the standard cereal and bacon and eggs, but also on off were lots of cakes that people eat with knives and forks as if they were a normal meal ( well it is normal over here I guess)

So that was our first day in Italy readers, and it can only get better from here.

Until my next post...

Cheers!