Today we headed to Florence. We took a vaporetto (water bus) from next to our hotel in Venice to the train station. We decided to take the vaporetto that makes all the stops so we could soak up the last of Venice as we left.
The train station in Venice was quite nice and fairly easy to navigate. We arrived early enough to have a cappuccino and pastry as we waited for the train. We took the Italo train from Venice to Florence. We purchased our tickets online from home and decided to get the Prima Club Executive tickets. These were the highest priced on the train. I think they were $20/person but may have been $40. Either way it felt reasonable to us. You can get them for much less but we wanted to be comfortable. The cabin was nicely air conditioned, the seats were spacious, and we were offered drinks and snacks twice on the two hour trip. Here is a train pic.
When we arrived in Florence we headed to our AirBnb. It was a 15 minute walk from the train station. It’s our first experience with an Air Bnb and it is lovely. We retrieved the keys from a box by the entry gate. The cottage was still being cleaned but we were able to leave our luggage and start our sightseeing.
Our first stop was lunch at the Mercato Centrale. It was bustling with people and full of delicious food options. We chose pizza and beer.
First stop after lunch was the Accademia to see Michaelangelo’s David. He did not disappoint.
From the Accademia we headed to the Uffizi Gallery. We passed the glorious Duomo on the way.
We ran into a parade celebrating four local football (soccer) teams that are playing in a tournament here. They each have their own colors and regalia. There were tons of people and multiple tv crews cheering them on.
After a quick stop for gelato we headed back to the cottage, walking along the Arno river.
After a much needed nap we set out for dinner at L’Osteria Di Giovanni. On the way there we were running a little early (reservation was at 9 pm, just about our normal bedtime) and decided to stop at Harry’s Bar for a famous Bellini. While not the original Venice location, it was a good decision to stop. Once again, the bar snacks were top notch including chips, peanuts and a small plate with three snacks, all for the low price of 20 euros per Bellini. We decided the experience was definitely worth the price.
Finally, a fantastic meal at L’Osteria Di Giovanni. Upon arrival we were given welcome glasses of Prosecco while we waited for our table.
They served a special fried bread as soon as we sat down. It was crunchy and salty deliciousness.
We started with maccheroni pasta with cheese and tomatoes and hand made pappardelle with ragu. We each ate half then switched plates!
Trey had roast suckling pork (the skin literally crackled when you ate it) and I had sirloin with sun dried tomato pesto and peppers. We ordered a side of fried zucchini blossoms. Everything was excellent. The house wine was very good and reasonably priced.
We finished with tiramisu and then they brought complimentary Cantucci (like biscotti) and a refreshing lemon sorbet.
We left stuffed but happy!
Florence ~ one of my favorite cities. I love the memories you are making & sharing with all of us
We really look forward to your daily posts. Air BNB looks very nice and secure. Pizza looks a little different from ours.
Have you used any of the French & Italian you studied? Or has it not really been necessary?
Beth, yes!! I remain silent in most conversations, lol, while Amelia does all the “talking.” Now most places do have employees with limited English skills so it’s manageable. We have had taxis and Uber’s who speak no English and those have been fun to watch Amelia piece together a conversation but she’s done great.