Florence Day 2: Up down and All Around:

After grabbing a yummy breakfast in the "Winter Garden" room at the St. Regis, we put on our sneakers and headed up towards Piazzale Michelangelo and my favorite little church, San Miniato al Monte.   Piazzale Michelangelo is a mini piazza overlooking all of Florence.  You get to see an incredible view from up there.  I took the same photo this trip that I took ten years ago when visiting…

Just above Piazzale Michelangelo is the little church of San Miniato and its surrounding graves and tombs.  The church is dedicated to St. Minius, an early Christian martyr in Florence who is said to have flown to the top of the hill after his death.  This is my favorite church in Italy.  It's small and quant and welcoming despite its sparse interior.  From the outside, its marble mosaic façade reminds me of a little owl- an owl which overlooks all of Florence from its perch on top of the hill.  Maybe it's for this reason that I love it, I feel like it is watching over Florence, guarding it and the people inside. 

We then walked back down the hill and over the Ponte Vecchio, known for its gold jewelry stalls that line the bridge.  Early in the morning it's not as crowded as during the day, but usually it has throngs of people passing through and peering into the store windows.    

  

We then headed up towards the Duomo to my favorite restaurant Lo Scudo.  When I was abroad, my friends and I used to eat here about once a week for lunch, and when my mom came to visit we had dinner there TWICE.  My favorite dish was this ravioli verde con crema di broccoli (green ravioli in a broccoli cream sauce) that I was hoping they still made.  Sure enough, their house white wine was the same yummy, slightly bubbled crisp white wine and though they changed the name slightly, my ravioli were still on the menu!  Nom, nom, nom!

After lunch we visited the inside of the Duomo and walked around the square a bit before heading up to the Accademia to see Michelangelo's David.  The Duomo is situated somewhat in the center of Florence.  It is certainly the center of all the action, and an easy marking point for determining the distance of things.  The Uffizi is a 5 minute walk South of the Duomo, the Accademia is 5 minutes North, and so on.  The Duomo's full name is the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore.  It is a massive Basilica, completely imposing and startling when you enter the square.  To one side is a matching bell tower and in front is the also matching, baptistery.  If you have the leg strength, go for a climb up the to the cupola of the Duomo, or up the bell tower. 

On to the Accademia… Before arriving at the statue of David, you pass through a short hall with unfinished sculptures by Michelangelo which also deserve a perusal.  These sort of pave the way and prepare you for the awesome site of David. Ten years ago the David was partially obscured by scaffolding for renovations, so it was exciting to see it this time in full grandeur inside its elegant nave in the museum.  Every time I see this sculpture in person, I just cannot get over his hands.  They are massive and strong and beautifully crafted.   We sat for a while and admired this fine specimen of a man… I mean sculpture… before moving on.  The rest of the museum houses some plaster sculptures and renaissance artwork.   

After our sculpture viewing we scampered up to Piazza Savonarola which is where the Syracuse University building is where I went to school while in Florence.  I showed Justin where I lived as well! 

Then we headed over towards San Lorenzo to wander through the outdoor leather market that lines the streets every day.  Much of the leather goods are the same from stall to stall, but they are all actually genuine leather and most are well made.  There were certainly a few bags I could have purchased! We both tried on, and thought about buying, leather jackets, but opted for a few smaller things instead like belts, bracelets and scarves.  We then headed back to our hotel for a late afternoon shower before dinner.    

As part of my birthday present this year, Justin somehow secretly contacted Syracuse University and was able to get the contact information for the host family I stayed with while in Florence.  He also got in contact with them and set up a plan for dinner! We joined them for dinner that night and it was a blast.  Their three kids are all grown up now and out on their own!  They are hosting two Syracuse freshman students at the moment that had arrived only a day or so before and were still getting settled in. 

We ate dinner at the same kitchen table and sat and talked to well after midnight, catching up and talking about all sorts of things.  It was so much fun.  They are all now on Facebook so I am hoping to keep in better touch with them from now on!  It was such a fun evening and I was so excited for Justin to see where I spent so much time, to meet my host family, and vice versa.  I got a nice "thumbs up" from my host mom after she met Justin ;).