Brief return to Florence

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Trip start
September 20, 2023
Brief return to Florence Traveler
Arrived ok
September 20, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
In Florence after a long and very tedious journey. We flew from London city airport and thought it would be easy - its on the tube. But when we got on the train at wendover it was completely rammed so we had to stand, with our bags of course, and then the tube was the same. We didn't get seats for over an hour - not a good start! At least the flight was on time, and the apartment is OK, if a bit basic , kettle and mugs for tea, no glasses (even plastic ones) for water or wine. We'll live!

Tomorrow I intend to stay all day in the uffizi gallery looking at the paintings.Read more
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Brief return to Florence Traveler
Weather
September 21, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
Before we came the weather forecast was for thunderstorms every day. So far we have been lucky and had none. Both yesterday evening and today, a few isolated drops of rain sent us indoors from the terrace and after a few minutes stopped. So we have been able to have evening drinks, breakfast and lunch outdoors. At lunchtime it was even too hot to stay outdoors! Mostly it has been sunny and hot, so we are not complaining.Read more
Whoops apart from the buildings, that could be Wendover. Goodness, it has certainly rained. Those artefacts are fantastic Lynette. I hope the rest of your visit is equally enjoyable. [Eve]
9/21/23Reply
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Brief return to Florence Traveler
The Uffizi
September 21, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
Breakfast in the sun on our terrace, lovely - so it was difficult to drag ourselves up and out, but I'd planned to spend all day in the Uffizi gallery and lynette was going to the archaeological museum. I think my mother would be amazed, and I hope delighted, to find my interest in art late in life!

I was expecting the Uffizi to be packed- the whole city is tourist central, but in fact it was OK, only the huge groups of Chinese got in the way, but they just looked at the highlights, looked at what they were told to look at, and took their selfies, then went on their way!

I managed to get round in about 5 hours, and saw all the works I wanted to see, and many more , learning about lots of painters that I didn't know before. Then home for a couple of hours outside again.Read more
You’ll be exhausted with all this artistic culture when you get home, Tim. [Eve]
9/21/23Reply
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Brief return to Florence Traveler
Other than the Uffizzi
September 21, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
I saw the highlights of the Uffizzi a few years ago when we came with Janet and Davina and don't share Tim's interest in Renaissance art, so wandered round Florence and went to the Archaeological Museum. It has some splendid stuff from the Etruscan period which we know little about. There are some lovely artifacts which show heavy Greek influence, but also some distinctive Etruscan styles. Surprisingly little Roman influence. They also have some nice Egyptian stuff but as we are spending all Sunday in the wonderful Museo Egizio in Turin, I didn't spend so much time here.Read more
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Brief return to Florence Traveler
Around the city
September 22, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Just some pics around Florence. You can why the painters were so good at painting the sky.
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Brief return to Florence Traveler
More art!
September 22, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
In the morning we went to the Pitti Palace, the home of the medici family. They were bankers to the pope and the vatican , were unbelievably rich, built much of florence, and were patrons of the best artists of their time, as well as many lesser ones! The art was hung on the walls of the Palace and is now available to the public. Sadly there is no system to the way the paintings are hung, they are mostly three or even four deep up the walls, very few have any description, other the name of the artist, so its impossible to really find your way through them all, and very frustrating!

Afterwards we walked across the city to the Dominican church and monastery of Santa Maria Novella. They were also incredibly rich and decorated the church and monastery walls with spectacular frescos and paintings, dating from the 1200's to the 1500's.

Although the weather forecast was for periods of rain all day, we didn't get any until we were back the apartment in the late afternoon.

On to Turin next.Read more
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Brief return to Florence Traveler
Arrived in Turin
September 23, 2023 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
We caught the high-speed train from Florence to Turin, this starts in Naples and travels across Italy to Florence, Bologna, Milan and finally Turin. It is very comfortable and goes at 300 km /hr. Great, except it left Florence 75 mins late! Turin feels very different to Florence. The centre of Florence was all about tourists, the streets were packed with people speaking everything but italian, whereas Turin just feels Italian. We went out to a restaurant round the corner, had the best food in the trip, and were the only non-italians there. And the food was wonderful!

Tomorrow the Egyptian museum. Could be a long day!Read more
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Brief return to Florence Traveler
Egyptian museum
September 24, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
The last time we were in Turin, the new Egyptian museum was only half finished, even so it still took us 3 hours to get round it. Now it's complete and twice the size, no surprise it took us just under 6 hours, but it's wonderful!Read more
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Brief return to Florence Traveler
More museum pics
September 24, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
This trip and the last one in Bulgaria have been pretty full on. Maybe the next one will be sitting by the pool and reading a book!
Wonderful to read about your trip which I'd forgotten about when I left a garbled message on your answer phone! Dx [Davina]
9/27/23Reply
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Trip end
September 25, 2023