Discovering Florence
"off the beaten path"

We started our morning at the "View on Art" Rooftop. It was a rainy day and a cup of coffee was the only remedy to the drowsiness that took hold of us from the moment we woke up.

As a little aside, I should mention that they made a wonderful and very very large Latte Macchiato.

We were practically the only people there, save a kind stranger who saw me taking photos of Johanna and offered to take one of the two of us. He was clearly a practiced photographer, finding an interesting angle and taking some really lovely photos.

Caffeinated and content, we prepared ourselves for some physical exercise. As a couple we met pointed out, "did you really visit Italy if you didn't climb at least one bell tower a day?". Because the Brunelleschi Duomo was sold out two weeks in advance, we chose the less popular climb up to the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio on the Piazza della Signoria. The advantage of this viewpoint is the view onto the Duomo, which is (I believe) the most beautiful structure in Florence and of course can not be seen from the Duomo itself.

Feeling fit as ever, but starting to sense a mounting hunger, we decided it was time for lunch. During our waks, we had scouted out the newly-opened Osteria Nolarium (a.k.a. Osteria della Cannonica). It was some of the best food we had tasted since starting our journey in Milan. Would highly recommend a visit to this charming restaurant, where the staff is kindness itself and the atmosphere feels like a good old Italian song.

After lunch, we wandered the streets of Florence for a while, getting lost in the narrow streets and avoiding the hordes of tourists as skillfully as we could. We visited the Bobboli Gardens, walked across the Ponte Vecchio (where the crowds were sadly unavoidable), rubbed the nose of the Porcellino and made some wishes, then we headed to the Palazzo Vecchio museum.

Like the Duomo, the Uffizzi Gallery and the Academia were sold out, so we once again opted for a lesser known attraction. It was a beautiful palace, where we felt as if we were uncovering and understanding the history of Florence itself (it was the place where the Florentine Signoria would meet to make decisions about the fate of the city).

As the day drew to a close, we watched the sunset from the Piazza Michelangelo and thanked the city for such a magical welcome.