Monday April 18th
We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day in Venice. We woke up, showered, and had a simple breakfast in the hotel of cereal, croissants, jam, and juice and coffee. At the time, it was about 10:30 and we thought it might be a little cooler that day; boy were we wrong. Around mid-day, the sun was shining without a cloud in the sky and it was the perfect low 70s with a light breeze.
Just outside our hotel was a really cute little market where we bought strawberries and then Court and I found the most beautiful scarves with lace trim. We walked back toward the Grand Canal and then walked along it towards the Rialto Bridge. On the other side of the bridge, we were talked into a 40 minute Gondola ride that brought us all over. First it took us along the Grand Canal and then through smaller ones. Our driver was the owner of his boat which was handed down to him from his father. He was dressed in a nautical outfit just like all the other drivers but unlike all the other drivers, he gave us a history tour of Venice, explaining the city, its history, and pointing out famous buildings and his favorite bridges. You could really tell he loved the city and this wasn’t just his job but he really loved what he did.
After our incredible boat ride, we hopped off and began exploring the city. We walked past and in many little shops most filled with either Venician masks or glass which they are famous for. One main stop while exploring was Piazza San Marco and the Basilica Di San Marco as the main attraction. The Piazza was very large and full of people happily eating at the Italian bistros lining the square or strolling with gelato. The Basilica was big and grand just like all the other major cathedrals I’ve seen but what made this one special was that the entire ceuiling was made of intricate mosaicsand the tiled floors were 3D optical illusions. It really was a very cool sight.
By this time, we had basically done everything we needed to do sightseeing wise so now it ws time for our first taste of real Italian food and then gelato. We went to an adorable Italian bistro along the Great Canal and sat right next to the water as we ate lunch. I had spaghetti with clams and there were tons of clams in the dish so naturally I loved it. We also all tried Venice’s famous drink Bellini, which is sparkling wine mixed with peach juice. Yummy! But even though the atmosphere, weather, and lunch were all perfect, we needed one more thing to be fully satisfied. Leaving the restaurant, we went straight for the gelato store that we had a tip was the best, and they were right. I got 2 scoops in a cup: chocolate and strawberry and wasn’t the least bit disappointed by either.
So with just a little more time to kill in Venice, we wandered the tiny streets for an hour or 2 more, shopping and admiring the Venice artwork and crossing the tiny bridges over each canal connecting the tiny islands. Then we went back to the hotel to grab our luggage and head by boat to the train station, but not before stopping in an Italian bakery to buy a few canolis for later. Before we knew it, we were at the train station.
While waiting for our train, I saw my friend Natalie and her family and then minutes before boarding we someow lost our tickets. We found out later they were in Mr. Wehling’s back pocket but luckily at the time, the really nice man I talked to at the info desk let me use his computer and print a new confirmation page. And THEN we were on the train 2 minutes before it left the station and it was off to Florence!
We got to Florence around 9 PM and after asking a few people for directions, we made it to our hotel. This is where we met the best but craziest concierge of all time, Monti. Monti was pure Italian, bald, and wore a full olive green uniform. He thought Courtney and I were princesses and that Mr. Wehling was so lucky to be surrounded by so many beautiful woman. Hotel Alessandria has been the best European hotel yet by far with very clean rooms, tiled bathroom, and wifi. After we dropped off our luggage in our room, we went back to Mondi for some restaurant advice.
Monti pointed us down the street to a beautiful Italian restaurant where we had our first official Italian pizza. Everyone else got cheese but I got a true Florentine favorite, or so they told me, with salami, green peppers, and olives. Yet again, I wasn’t the slightest bit disappointed in the quality and taste of the food. After dinner we were all pretty tired from our day of traveling so we went back to the hotel to hit the sack because we had a very early start the next morning.
Tuesday April 19th
6 AM the alarms went off. We all showered and got ready in a hurry, ate a quick breakfast in the hotel of croissants, yogurt, toast, and coffee and headed straight for the bus station. We got to the right area at 8:15, 15 minutes before our bus was supposed to leave but we couldn’t find the actual bus station! It was partially hidden through a walkway off a side street. We found it just in time and Courtney held the bus while we ran to the window to buy tickets. It was a little bit stressful but we made it!
Where were we going? To the most incredible vineyard an hour outside Florence in the Chianti Classico region. The vineyard was called Verrazzano and I couldn’t have been more excited. Even the bus ride there was amazing because we were weaving through the beautiful Tuscan hills. Even though I was tired, it was so beautiful (and partially thanks to my morning cup of coffee) I stayed awake to watch the scenery the entire time.
About an hour later, the bus dropped us off at the bottom of a very large hill, the hill that lead up to the winery and Verrazzano castle. After a half hour workout and great views along the way, we finally made it to the top just in time for our 10 AM winery tour. I’ve visited 2 breweries but I was really interested in the wine making process so the tour of the cellars with the barrels and the Verrazzano family’s private wine collection were all really interesting. Then at the end of the tour, we had a wine tasting! We tried 3 different types of wine and bread with their homemade olive oil too. Then we dipped biscuits into their 42% alcoholic after-dinner wine. Everything was fantastic except for the last one so I was sure to finish on another small bite of bread and olive oil. Overall, the wine was amazing, our guild interesting, the weather gorgeous, and we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect morning.
A bit later, we took the bus back and it was time to explore Florence. First we stopped in a sandwich shop and ate a quick lunch before wandering the city. We saw the Vecchio bridge which was the only bridge in Florence to survive WWII. Now it houses many expensive jewelry boutiques. We walked along the river for awhile and then went North to see the Duomo. It was incredibly beautiful from the outside with green and pink stones used throughout. It was massive and really stuck out as a significant landmark for the city.
After some more walking, we got gelato and went back to the hotel to put on warmer clothes. It was hot during the day but gets cold at night. I changed into jeans, boots, and grabbed my jacket and then we went South across the river towards Michaelangelo’s lookout. It’s a set of steps and flat pavement ontop of a hill, overlooking the city, and a perfect place to watch the sunset. We brought with us some strawberries, a few canolis and there was a performer singing and playing acoustic guitar as we sat on the steps and watched the Tuscan sun set over Florence. It was breathtaking. The Duomo sat at the heart of the city surrounded by Mediterranean style buildings all over the valley and giant hills rising in the background in every direction. It was the most picture worthy moment I’ve ever seen, so I took LOTS of pictures J
What to do after a perfect Italian sunet? Eat amazing Italian pasta of course! We went to Nellas, a small family owned restaurant that Monti recommended. I got ravioli with ricotta and spinach and we split a tiramisu for dessert. As expected, it was wonderful. To top off the night, we walked along the river after dinner watching the lights sparkle in the water and then headed back to our hotel for bed.
Wednesday April 20th
our second day in Florence started a bit later than the morning before. We didn’t leave the hotel ready for the day till 11 but it was nice to sleep in a little. First we headed for the Galleria dell ‘Accademia to see Michelangelo’s statue of David. The line was incredibly long and took about 2 hours to get in. But instead of waiting in line the whole time, Court and I left for a little to go walk through the leather market a few clocks away while Mr. and Mrs. Wehling held our spots in line. We saw a lot of things we liked but nothing we needed or had to have. We went back to the line a half hour later empty-handed and only waited another 20 minutes or so before we were let in.
Everyone said that the David was impressive but you can’t really understand it until you see it. He is literally a massive 20 feet of perfectly smooth marble with every muscle, curve, even vein, perfectly defined. It’s no wonder the statue is considered a masterpiece. We walked through the rest of the museum but David was definitely the highlight.
Time for lunch! We went to a small restaurant opposite the Pitti Palace. I split a plate of tortellini and a ham and mushroom pizza with Mrs. Wehling and they were both incredible. Then we walked up to the palace and bought tickets for the Boboli gardens behind the palace. They were nothing like Versailles with its perfectly groomed flower patches but the top tier of the gardens offered views of the city that Versailles could never dream of. The gardens themselves were still very pretty and we had a great time strolling through them and basking in the Tuscan sun for the last time.
When we left the gardens, we got gelato, lemon for me! (which gives a whole new meaning to Italian ice by the way), and went back to the hotel to pick up our luggage. Before we knew it, we were back at the train station about to take off for the next leg of our trip and head to Sorrento!
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