Fabulous Florence!
_ Saturday, July 16 - Day 1
After meeting fellow tour members and tour guide Jamie Blair Gould on the afternoon of July 16, we embarked upon a fascinating Renaissance walking tour of Florence. We were immediately impressed by Jamie's genuine warmth, knowledge, enthusiasm and love of his adopted country - Italy. He made everyone feel welcome and part of the group. His extensive knowledge of history, art, and the food and wines of the region made us feel like we were vacationing with a favorite college professor or long-time friend. Jamie, a native of England was, as the British might say, simply "brilliant"!
The first day's highlights included:
After visiting the Accademia Gallery (without waiting in line), Jamie took us on a extensive walking tour of the city’s historic center. He shared lots of information about Brunelleschi’s iconic cathedral dome, Ghiberti's Baptistery doors and other timeless buildings and creations that helped define the world-changing era known as the Renaissance. Needless to say, we were in awe of the beauty and grace of Florence.
We enjoyed our first group dinner that evening (see photos below) at a delightful restaurant called "Giglio Rosso." Jamie had hand picked the menu to showcase some regional favorites. We were anxious to try some new culinary delights that we wouldn't have tried on our own.
This long, tiring but wonderful first day (we had left the U.S. more than 40 hours earlier and hadn't slept a wink) was a perfect way start to our trip and whet our appetites for more adventures to come. If our work schedules would have allowed an earlier arrival in Florence it would have been great to come a day or two early to get acclimated. No problems though, as we were running on pure adrenaline and excitement, because we were finally in Italy! In the words of a great philosopher/husband named Bruce, "You'll have time to sleep when you are dead."
We stayed at the charming Hotel California in Florence, Italy… how ironic is that? Below is a view of the Florence’s famous Cathedral Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore), shot from the roof-top terrace/wine bar of our hotel. We loved the location of that hotel, which was within walking distance to many of Florence's most famous attractions. In the evening we would head up to the terrace to enjoy a glass of wine, watch the sun set, soak up the wonderful views and recap the day's events.
After meeting fellow tour members and tour guide Jamie Blair Gould on the afternoon of July 16, we embarked upon a fascinating Renaissance walking tour of Florence. We were immediately impressed by Jamie's genuine warmth, knowledge, enthusiasm and love of his adopted country - Italy. He made everyone feel welcome and part of the group. His extensive knowledge of history, art, and the food and wines of the region made us feel like we were vacationing with a favorite college professor or long-time friend. Jamie, a native of England was, as the British might say, simply "brilliant"!
The first day's highlights included:
- Accademia Gallery
- Renaissance walking tour
- Our first group dinner
After visiting the Accademia Gallery (without waiting in line), Jamie took us on a extensive walking tour of the city’s historic center. He shared lots of information about Brunelleschi’s iconic cathedral dome, Ghiberti's Baptistery doors and other timeless buildings and creations that helped define the world-changing era known as the Renaissance. Needless to say, we were in awe of the beauty and grace of Florence.
We enjoyed our first group dinner that evening (see photos below) at a delightful restaurant called "Giglio Rosso." Jamie had hand picked the menu to showcase some regional favorites. We were anxious to try some new culinary delights that we wouldn't have tried on our own.
This long, tiring but wonderful first day (we had left the U.S. more than 40 hours earlier and hadn't slept a wink) was a perfect way start to our trip and whet our appetites for more adventures to come. If our work schedules would have allowed an earlier arrival in Florence it would have been great to come a day or two early to get acclimated. No problems though, as we were running on pure adrenaline and excitement, because we were finally in Italy! In the words of a great philosopher/husband named Bruce, "You'll have time to sleep when you are dead."
We stayed at the charming Hotel California in Florence, Italy… how ironic is that? Below is a view of the Florence’s famous Cathedral Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore), shot from the roof-top terrace/wine bar of our hotel. We loved the location of that hotel, which was within walking distance to many of Florence's most famous attractions. In the evening we would head up to the terrace to enjoy a glass of wine, watch the sun set, soak up the wonderful views and recap the day's events.
Highlights of our Renaissance walking tour…
_A word about group dinners…
The group dinners turned out to be one of the best features of this tour. I wasn't sure about the whole "communal-eating-with-strangers" arrangement beforehand. Boy, was I shortsighted! The dinners were a great way to get acquainted with different group members in a nice, casual atmosphere... and the outstanding food and wine being served provided a natural topic of conversation with our new dining companions. Bruce and I made it a point to sit near different people at each group dinner. We met some new and interesting people, as we all enjoyed local specialties — made with fresh, local ingredients. The Italians have a way of taking simple, healthy ingredients and turning them into a memorable feast (more about the Mediterranean diet later). These group dinners were as pleasing to the palate, as they were to the eye. Jamie gave us the option of participating in a "wine kitty" — an easy and economical way for us to try many local Italian wines with our group meals. Based on the menus he had selected, Jamie chose the wines (usually 3-4 per meal). At the end of our tour we paid a nominal fee of something like 15 or 20 euros, per person, for ALL of the wine for four group dinners (and we drank a fair amount of wine!). It was a fantastic way for us to enjoy a selection of perfectly paired wines with our meals. |
Sunday, July 17 - Day 2
_The day's highlights included:
- Uffizi Gallery tour
- Tour of the Church of Santa Maria Novella
- Free time to shop and take in the sights (armed with our trusty Rick Steves Phrase book and several credit cards that were burning a hole in my purse)
- a visit to the Mercato Nuovo (fresh market) for Bruce and Kathy