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Florence 2025
  • Tasha Goddard
  • Tasha Goddard

Florence 2025

Week and a bit in Florence, bookended by two nights in Paris. Read more
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  • Trip start
    November 17, 2025
    Tasha GoddardFlorence 2025Traveler

    Stroud

    November 17, 2025 in England ⋅ 🌙 4 °C

    Very early start. Drew my Morning Ink on the train. Train was very smooth (well, not in terms of drawing, but I embrace the wobbly lines).

  • Tasha GoddardFlorence 2025Traveler

    Paris Doors

    November 17, 2025 in France ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    (Another footprint to come with some art in.)

    Got to Paris a bit later than expected, but that's fine. Checked into hotel and then went for a wander to find an art gallery Chris spotted for me. But walked literally 20 minutes in the opposite direction before realising. So I made the most of my return walk by taking lots of photos of doors. I would have taken more but people were very inconsiderately doing things like cleaning them, picking up rubbish, or just going in and out of their homes/workplaces. Outrageous, I know.

    I did make it there, though, as the next footprint will show.

    I also picked up a laptop bag, which will help me work on the train tomorrow. Don't worry, I will still do lots of looking out of windows at the passing countryside and changing architecture – I love watching how houses, in particular, change, as you move through regions, and countries.

    I picked up a baguette (chèvre, walnuts and honey) and a Paris-Brest cake and can of coke for my dinner, as I didn’t see anything much I could eat along the way, apart from Italian restaurants, and I think I will wait for Italy for pizza and pasta. And going to get an early night, once I have finished Penguinning, with crappy French TV on in the background.    Read more

  • Tasha GoddardFlorence 2025Traveler
    Shao Liyu Chen
    Shao Liyu ChenAlexandre VigneronAlexandre VigneronEsther Tanner MarcauxEsther Tanner MarcauxFicht TannerFicht TannerFicht TannerStephane Blanquet

    Textile art in Montmartre

    November 17, 2025 in France ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Chris suggested that I would surely have time to find something in Paris to see.

    (Of course, I will rarely not find *something* because I find wonder and beauty in doors and graffiti and streets full of wedding shops and other streets full of fabric shops and beautiful architecture, and just people walking about going about their day.)

    And then he looked it up and found me la Halle Saint Pierre at the foot of the Sacre-Cœur hill. And they had a wonderful exhibition of textile art. I am in so much awe of this kind of work. Because it feels outside my capabilities, perhaps. Or perhaps because it is one of those things where someone makes art out of the ordinary in some way, which always moves me.

    There was a lot more than this, but these were the pieces that spoke to me the most. My favourite was Shao Liyu Chen, whose work reminded me a little of Lowry, but also felt like it might belong in a picture book.

    I hope I have got the artist names right.

    I also picked up a couple of picture books in the gallery bookshop, where I could have bought *a lot* more. I am particularly looking out for European picture books this trip, though.    Read more

  • Tasha GoddardFlorence 2025Traveler

    Mountains

    November 18, 2025 in France ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

    My attempts to capture mountains from a fast-moving train. Not hugely successful, but sharing anyway, in case they help you imagine the grandeur of these big mountains.

    Travelled quite close to where I used to live, and the mountains and some of the scenery felt familiar, even though it’s over three decades since I lived there.

    The journey was fine, though long. I got some work done, but not as much as I would have liked to. As well as more than I would have liked to! I would rather have been reading a book and pausing to look out of the window than deep in edits (hmm, though that is actually reading a book).

    I like TGV first class. It’s very comfortable. Freciarossa first class didn’t feel particularly special, though they did have a free drink and snack to offer which I had not been expecting. I had a very nice slice of pizza in Milam station. And got my passport checked by a policeman and two soldiers. (So did plenty of other people waiting round the station.)

    I will look forward to the return trip (not to the extent that I would want it to be tomorrow!) to try a different pizza slice and to enjoy and appreciat the journey a lot more.    Read more

  • Tasha GoddardFlorence 2025Traveler
    1

    Firenze

    November 18, 2025 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    I had to rush to the apartment as there was someone waiting to give me the key (I do prefer self check-ins, or hotels/aparthotels with receptions, of course), and also, my shoulders were *really* hurting. otherwise I would have taken a lot of photos on the walk from the station to where I am staying.

    But I could not resist this photo of an astoundingly impressive church, which I *think* is the Battistero di San Giovani.

    The rest are just of the apartment, which is lovely and has huge ceilings. And a little terrace.

    I wandered down to look at the river but could not get near it due to loads of roadworks and fences in the way. A shame as I had picked a spot close to the river for morning and evening river walks. I will explore tomorrow and hopefully won't have to go *too* far to find it!

    I made myself a very simple pasta for dinner (well, of course, I am in Italy!) and had a beer, and will leave more wandering until tomorrow and get to sleep, as I am super wiped.

    I also have work to finish (boo). But I think there is maybe an hour to do and send out tomorrow morning and then a few more hours to spread over the next few days. OR to squeeze into one day and get it out so I concentrate on my *holiday*.    Read more

  • Tasha GoddardFlorence 2025Traveler

    Streets of Florence

    November 19, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    There are lots of narrow little streets, but also some big wide ones. Much of the area around here is pedestrianised, just with ocassional bikes and vans.

    I got turned around a bit today, even though I was mostly just wandering where my feet would take me. As it got later, I realised I needed to pick some more supplies and Google Maps did not want to show me correctly where the Carrefours were. Actually it's possible that it was showing me exactly where they were, but I was just staring around in awe so much, I didn’t notice. I had definitely walked passes the one I eventually went to at least once.Read more

  • Tasha GoddardFlorence 2025Traveler

    Shops, a river and a bride

    November 19, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    I only took photos of some of the shops that particularly jumped out, but I have been impressed by a lot of the shops. Even souvenir shops seem to be more crafted than other cities (not that went in and checked the 'Made in' stickers).

    There was a shop full of beautifully decorated clocks, all of which looked unique. Many leather shops. A lovely little art shop (where I treated myself to a dip pen, and a beautiful stationery shop next door to it.

    There were so many statue shops. In the UK, I have only ever seen statues in garden centres and big antique/vintage stores, so it was weird to see them in seemingly ordinary city shops.

    I also saw meet shops, wine shops, sweet shops, and book shops.

    I found the river and a part that’s not blocked off by building works and walked across the Ponte Vecchio. So I can go for an early morning river stroll. If I get up early.

    And walking along by the river a bride and groom.    Read more

  • Tasha GoddardFlorence 2025Traveler

    Not even 5pm yet

    November 19, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    It gets dark so early! I want to be here during the long days and sitting out drinking Prosecco at 9pm when it’s still light. But it’s really busy now, so I imagine summer would be insane. Maybe late spring.

    Beautiful, though, even when it’s getting dark.    Read more

  • Tasha GoddardFlorence 2025Traveler
    2

    The Arno

    November 20, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Loved walking along here late this afternoon. Gave me a really good refresh after I was feeling grumpy about doing work on holiday. So much so, that I came back amd did more work!

  • Tasha GoddardFlorence 2025Traveler

    Florence

    November 20, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    And then I went for a late evening (early night?) stroll *before* cooking today’s pasta. Which will be grand fusilli with a tomato, olive and borlotti bean sauce with some Tomino and some Parmesan cheese. Yes, I am making it up as I go.

    I also got to wander a little Christmas Market on the late afternoon walk, and had some churros.    Read more

  • Tasha GoddardFlorence 2025Traveler

    More of the river

    November 21, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Managed to finish work at around 2.30 yesterday so got a bit more daytime walking in. Along the river. What looked like it might be a nice park was actually just a patch if grass with a few trees. It *could* be a lovely park with benches and so on. (Just in case the Florence municipal authorities are reading this.)

    Then crossed the river and wandered at will and ended up going up a hill in the hope of some amazing views but the mostly the views were blocked by buildings. It was a nice walk, nonetheless.

    And, on my way back (now barely needing to use Google Maps, as I have found my internal compass) grabbed a gelato. My first if the trip. And probably not my last, as it was very nice.

    I did some more work back at the flat in the evening. Ate salad and then pasta while listening to jazz (Sarah Vaughn). Then watched some TV while doing my Morning Ink in the evening again.

    Oh and I bought some insect bite cream, all in Italian.

    I am considering eating out tonight. Probably just at one of the pizzerias nearby. But, first, I need to get this work finished.

    (More photos coming in separate footprints.)    Read more

  • Tasha GoddardFlorence 2025Traveler

    Rainy Arezzo

    November 24, 2025 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    I am doing a photo dump, because I cannot tell which are good or not, due to my phone switching on Motion Photo mode for a chunk of time before I noticed. (I would never normally use them.)

    Arezzo was lovely, but the rain was too heavy for me to explore longer than an hour. I also enjoyed the train journey and have noticed that most gatherings of trees (gathering almost certainly not the correct collective noun for trees, unless they are in Fangorn, of course) here, include a variety of tree types. I feel thay, in the UK, we tend towards planting many of the same tree together, but I really like the variety of shapes and colours that come from a mixture.

    There were two art shops. One open and one closed. I didn’t go in either. How restrained of me.

    When I got back to Florence I grabbed a famous sandwich from the shop across the street. It was supposed to be a late lunch, but ended up as an early dinner, because it was huge.

    Tomorrow, I plan to go to the Piazzale Michelangelo to see the view, to pick up some gifts for the family, possibly to go to the Galileo Museum and to eat out for dinner. Not a sandwich.    Read more

  • Tasha GoddardFlorence 2025Traveler

    Rooftops and trees

    November 25, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Walked up through the Giardino de rose up to the Piazzale Michelangelo and got my rooftop views. And some lovely moments of calm. And a chat with a Spanish woman who wanted me to take her photo.

  • Tasha GoddardFlorence 2025Traveler

    Lunch

    November 25, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Finally ate out at a restaurant. On my last day. To be fair, if I had done this on my first day, I probably would have spent a lot more money.

    I had Pici Caccio e Pepe al Tartuffo followed by Zucchotto Fiorentino and a cappuccino.

    All delicious.    Read more

  • Tasha GoddardFlorence 2025Traveler

    Cuvée Verte, Paris

    November 27, 2025 in France ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    I got to go for a wander along one of my favourite Paris spots – the Cuvée Verte – this morning. There was a light rain, which was wonderfully refreshing. It’s definitely a bit of a dream to live in an appartment near there for a bit and walk it daily (or maybe even twice a day).

    On my way home now, on the Eurostar, enjoying the light meal and a glass of white wine. And looking forward to being home and seeing my family and sitting on my sofa and saying hi to the cat.    Read more

    Trip end
    November 27, 2025
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