Florence and Sienna (not entry yet!)
Trip Start
May 02, 2005
1
23
47
Trip End
Dec 21, 2005
Florence, Italy
Thursday, July 21, 2005
I didn't really enjoy Florence, I was a bit surprised when a girl I met in Rome said she didnt really like it, but after visiting in the middle of summer I can understand. There are just so many people here the city loses its charm. Its a city about 1/10th the size of Rome with just as many tourists. It feels more like some crazy theme park than the city that started the Renaissance..
However, there is a way to escape the hordes and it is quite simple.. I found this in Chinque Terre too. You just start walking uphill a bit.. it seems most tourists dont like walking up hills! and pushers/strollers cant go up steps! simple
Once I left the city center, home of the Ufizzi gallery (da Vinci, Rafael, Michelangelo, carravageo etc.
Even the clouds are spectacular - Tuscany
. ), the famous terra cotta domed Doumo and the covered bridge lined with jewelers the city can be quite pretty.. it is in the middle of Tuscany after all!My hostel was a bit strange.. there was a set price for rooms, however some people got 3 bed dorms while I had a 20 bed dorm! and there was a kitchen, but nothing to cook with!.. go figure. It was also very hot.
I did a day trip while in Florence out to Siena and San Gimignano which was really nice. On my way from Rome to Florence I passed through the Tuscan country side, but didn't really see the big deal. It actually reminded me of the yarra valley back home.. lots of green rolling hills and vineyards everywhere. But the country around Siena is really pretty, the cliche tuscany, with villas and castles on hill tops and patches of forests along streams.
I loved San Gimingano, it reminded me of Sergovia in Spain. An old medieval town on a hill top, surrounded by walls and around 12 towers (it was apparently a status symbol, there were 72), except unlike Sergovia, San Gimingano has views of lush green fields, sunflowers, vineyards and villas... And I started drawing again that day.. this was after visiting the Ufizzi and realised that drawing is not like riding a bike.. you do forget and it takes practice! (ie, I wont be putting anything I draw up here for a long long time!)
And after re-reading my Napoli entry I realised I still made lots of mistakes, correction, Sorrento is on the Mediterranean NOT the Atlantic. sheesh
