The day before in Florence.
Well, the next day was fun since we blended in so well and were mistaken for Florentine residents!
We awakened early (basically at 7 AM but actually a half hour later...) so that we could descend the hill where we stay on (a mansion on the hills, dreamy right? now wake up to meet the 30 occupants on your floor!). We went to have some breakfast in the common area and since we are not strangers to the Italian breakfast of coffee and a brioche/bread we were not surprised in the least. Else we would be sorely disappointed and think that they were stingy.
We knew where we wanted to have a 'real' breakfast. While we were scouting for places to eat whilst in Trento, we chanced upon the Hard Rock Cafe and immediately decided on it. I have never been to one before but I surely will from now on. The ambiance, decor and food all merged together to make for a 'rocking' experience (see what I did there?). Thanks to the lovely weather (I don't know whether to trust the forecast anymore...) we were able to take sun-filled shots of the bridges as we headed across the Arno river to Piazzale Michelangelo. In case you did not know, piazza means a square shaped area surrounded by buildings on all sides (an English equivalent could be like the Trafalgar Square in London), but a piazzale is an oddly shaped square which could have open sides.
This place has the best view point in Florence (or so I've read somewhere, though I agree now). With our trust in Google, we gathered enough potential energy (slowly) to reach the top of a large hill. True to its word we met the city of Florence as seen in postcards. The inspiring view kept us rooted for almost 45 minutes before we finally decided to let gravity do what it does best (and take us back down).
Both sides of the river, although similar, possess contrasting vibes. The city is bustling and active on one side, while the other seems content and tranquil. The bridges that connect the sides don't seem to mind though. They are link two sides of a person (one at work and the other on holiday).
Walking aimlessly brought us back to the city and we were acquainted with the simple fact of Florence being smaller than we previously thought. Truly, all roads lead to the Duomo (cathedral), like all roads lead to Rome.
The Duomo is beautiful and unique. The different painted tiles bring about an unseen and outstanding character to the architecture of the cathedral. We had been roaming around for a while and had conveniently forgotten to fill our water bottles in the morning at the hostel. If you didn't know this already, every city in Italy (at least the ones I have been to) have potable water fountains for the public (too bad we don't have maps of them). Therefore, we went to a shop nearby to ask them where we could find one.
The shop owner looked conflicted when I asked him, presumably because his shop sold bottled water and he was pondering of the profit implications of the information he could provide me with. I guess his 'angel' side (thank you!) won since he told me where the nearest one was located.
After which we wanted to sate the need to seat ourselves (we act like old grannies don't we?). We wandered into one of the cafes (Cafe Gilli) that we had marked on our map beforehand and were appalled at the price of a macchiato and a cappuccino (our go-to beverages in Italy). The five fold increase in price incited us to ruminate over the ingredients of the beverage. Maybe there was gold powder in it? Maybe we could acquire a surefire method to being a millionaire? Maybe we could join a secret society? Maybe we would be enlightened, if only for a moment? Whatever it was, we were not intrigued enough to find out since we found a cafe with 'usual' prices about 50 meters away. A word of advice, the gelato sold in the middle of the city center is not worth the price (you have been warned). Also, cafes usually charge extra when you sit down on a table, always ask to make sure ("c'รจ coperta?" - meaning 'is it covered/ is there a cover/table charge').
A refreshing tiramisu, coffee and 50 pages of a book later, the river beckoned for us. I do not quite understand why my friend and I are drawn to water bodies like a moth drawn to a flame. The steady flow of the water and its serenity is calming and slows down the heart to an "All is well" (watch the movie "3 idiots" to understand completely). We sat on the bridge for about 2 hours (firmly blending into the vibe of the city) till we left to see the well known leather flea market (Mercato centrale).
The market was larger than I thought it was and reminded me of a similar market (minus the common leather here) in Trento (the thursday market). They sell the usual souvenirs here as well, I advise this place to get what you need for your friends and loved ones.
Lalibela was our next destination. It is a well received Ethiopian restaurant with authentic (my friend said so after we ate) food and coffee.
<Thanks for reading our second day in Firenze! Are you interested in knowing more? We went to Pisa the next day! Click here.>
Well, the next day was fun since we blended in so well and were mistaken for Florentine residents!
We awakened early (basically at 7 AM but actually a half hour later...) so that we could descend the hill where we stay on (a mansion on the hills, dreamy right? now wake up to meet the 30 occupants on your floor!). We went to have some breakfast in the common area and since we are not strangers to the Italian breakfast of coffee and a brioche/bread we were not surprised in the least. Else we would be sorely disappointed and think that they were stingy.
 |
| The Rocker's breakfast |
 |
| As expected of Hard Rock Cafe hehe |
 |
| It was a sunny day at Piazzale Michelangelo |
Both sides of the river, although similar, possess contrasting vibes. The city is bustling and active on one side, while the other seems content and tranquil. The bridges that connect the sides don't seem to mind though. They are link two sides of a person (one at work and the other on holiday).
Walking aimlessly brought us back to the city and we were acquainted with the simple fact of Florence being smaller than we previously thought. Truly, all roads lead to the Duomo (cathedral), like all roads lead to Rome.
 |
| A side view of the Florence cathedral |
 |
| The other side. The surrounding space feels a bit confined hence it is a bit difficult to get a complete shot. |
The Duomo is beautiful and unique. The different painted tiles bring about an unseen and outstanding character to the architecture of the cathedral. We had been roaming around for a while and had conveniently forgotten to fill our water bottles in the morning at the hostel. If you didn't know this already, every city in Italy (at least the ones I have been to) have potable water fountains for the public (too bad we don't have maps of them). Therefore, we went to a shop nearby to ask them where we could find one.
The shop owner looked conflicted when I asked him, presumably because his shop sold bottled water and he was pondering of the profit implications of the information he could provide me with. I guess his 'angel' side (thank you!) won since he told me where the nearest one was located.
After which we wanted to sate the need to seat ourselves (we act like old grannies don't we?). We wandered into one of the cafes (Cafe Gilli) that we had marked on our map beforehand and were appalled at the price of a macchiato and a cappuccino (our go-to beverages in Italy). The five fold increase in price incited us to ruminate over the ingredients of the beverage. Maybe there was gold powder in it? Maybe we could acquire a surefire method to being a millionaire? Maybe we could join a secret society? Maybe we would be enlightened, if only for a moment? Whatever it was, we were not intrigued enough to find out since we found a cafe with 'usual' prices about 50 meters away. A word of advice, the gelato sold in the middle of the city center is not worth the price (you have been warned). Also, cafes usually charge extra when you sit down on a table, always ask to make sure ("c'รจ coperta?" - meaning 'is it covered/ is there a cover/table charge').
A refreshing tiramisu, coffee and 50 pages of a book later, the river beckoned for us. I do not quite understand why my friend and I are drawn to water bodies like a moth drawn to a flame. The steady flow of the water and its serenity is calming and slows down the heart to an "All is well" (watch the movie "3 idiots" to understand completely). We sat on the bridge for about 2 hours (firmly blending into the vibe of the city) till we left to see the well known leather flea market (Mercato centrale).
The market was larger than I thought it was and reminded me of a similar market (minus the common leather here) in Trento (the thursday market). They sell the usual souvenirs here as well, I advise this place to get what you need for your friends and loved ones.
Lalibela was our next destination. It is a well received Ethiopian restaurant with authentic (my friend said so after we ate) food and coffee.
 |
| Ethiopian food called Mahberawi |
zzzzzzzz........maybe I'll grow wings with that 6 EUR coffee....\=\(--_--)/=/........zzzzzzzzz
<Thanks for reading our second day in Firenze! Are you interested in knowing more? We went to Pisa the next day! Click here.>
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