Klenske, Ink.
"The heat will break tomorrow." Everyone was sure. Yet it is tomorrow, again, and everyone seems to be terribly wrong. How do I know everyone is terribly wrong? I know because my underwear is still sticking to my ass. But I suppose I really cannot hope to garner any sympathy, as, hot or not, I am in Florence. Instead, I present to you my first travel guide: "Nick's Guide to Keeping Cool in Florence".
1. Gelati, and lot's of it. Yes, we all scream for ice cream, I know, I know, but we all will kill for Gelati. The stuff is made for the gods. In fact I'm drooling right now simply thinking about it. Mmmm....Nutella Gelati, or maybe coconut, or perhaps a scoop of each, topped with cream, of course.
2. People watching. Although you won't be seeing any Medici members, Machiavelli, or Michelangelo strolling by, this city of the Renaissance still supports a cast of interesting characters to watch. Try finding a quiet piazza a bit off the beaten path (my personal favorite is the pigeon refugee camp of Piazza di Santa Maria Novella) where you can grab a cheap can of cold beer and make up stories for the people passing by.
3. Museums, a large dome, and a famous bridge. Florence was not only the home to the Renaissance's greatest artist, it is also the home to the greatest collection of Renaissance art and architecture. It is a city literally designed by Michalangelo and it still carries its Renaissance roots with pride. Although none of the museums have central air, they are much cooler than standing in the sun, and really, you can't help feeling awestruck by the David or the Uffizi art collection. Further, the Duomo and its accompanying baptistry and Campanile provide excellent examples of 15th century architecture (along with exceptional views of the city and its Tuscan surrounds). Finally, avoid the crowds found on the Ponte Vecchio, a 14th century bridge, and instead go down a block and camp out on a not-so-famous bridge to simply enjoy the scenery of the river and the view of the Ponte Vecchio.
4. Eat. So the place is cramped, small (only six tables), and a bit warm, once you start dining you will forget all about the heat. Next time you are in Florence, do not miss dining at Vini E Vecchi Sapori (Via dei Magazzini, 3/R). The slightly grumpy proprietor only adds to this hole in the wall's overall charm.
5. Enjoy the night. Once the sun goes down and night commences, Florences cools down and comes out. Wander over to the Piazza della Signoria to enjoy an impromptu Simon and Garfunkel cover concert or go for a stroll up to Michelangelo plaza for a glass of wine and a sunset view.
6. What you should not do is be a disgruntled, chain-smoking clown that makes balloon animals for kids for a quarter or so. However, if he doesn't think business is good, he'll light up another cigarette and simply start cussing about all the damn, cheap-ass kids.
When all else fails, I suggest forgoing all of the tourist sites and instead go and interview a random hotel owner. On assignment for a hotel review company, I swung into an upscale hotel to see if I could perhaps snoop around a bit. Instead I got a two hour personal tour with the most flamboyant hotel manager ever. Simply referring to himself as the Godfather Mother Fuc%@#$, he lived in the State's for a bit and helped open numerous celebrity frequented hotels and restaurants (he was even featured in one of the gossip rags as being the mysterious Italian guy hanging with Drew Barrymore). He is also on the movie poster for Sword Fish (and actually has the silver briefcase from the movie). I've never done a review like that, and probably never will again.
The upside of this was I had an excuse to hang out in the only air-conditioned hotel in all of Florence for several hours. Cool, real cool...
Klenske, Ink.
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