Day 9

This was our last full day in Europe. We wound through the streets of Florence a little different than in past days (Nicola wanted to show us more of the city center). Our destination was the Uffizi galleries; however, when we reached the galleries there was a sign on the door saying that a union meeting had been called and the galleries were temporarily closed. This was somewhat troublesome to us because we had reserved tickets for a set time. Nicola decided to stay behind and wait to see what was happening at the galleries while he pointed us toward the nearby Ponte Vecchio. The Ponte Vecchio is a bridge that spans the Arno river at its narrowest point in Florence. It is thought that there has been a bridge in this location since Roman times. Several of the previous bridges were washed away by floods over the centuries, and Rob says that the present bridge was spared in WWII when all the bridges were ordered to be blown up.

I got a call from Nicola while window shopped in the bridge (the bridge is filled with gold merchants). He said the doors were open to the Uffizi and the crowd was working its way into the galleries. The Uffizi is probably best known for housing "The Birth of Venus" by Botticelli. The galleries are set up to track from the middle ages through the Baroque period (roughly 200-400 years of remarkable change in European art). I'm not a huge fan of Medieval art so I sifted through the crowds toward the later works. On the way I passed some work by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Parmigianino (I use one of his artworks as an example in second grade and was surprised to find it here).

After the galleries we split up for lunch. Some of us were after a light lunch... I was not. I was looking to fill my belly with as much authentic Italian food as possible in my time left. My lunch consisted of ravioli with a butter and sage sauce, and osso buco (braised veal). Both were very tasty. After lunch we met in front of a leather store that Nicola said was worth a look. He also set up a bit of an explanation for us. Two employees of the store taught us a bit about gold and leather. The lady who was teaching us about leather apparently thought a fashion show was in order and she went around the store grabbing different jackets for all of us. Then, right in the middle of the store, we tried on the clothes as she explained their various qualities (all while customers are shopping around us mind you). This turned out to be good fun and we took some time after to shop around and several of us grabbed some goodies for loved ones.

On this same piazza is the church where Michelangelo, Galileo, and some other notable Italians are buried so we peaked in there for a while. A short trip around the block led us to a wine shop where we were supposed to have some of the local wines explained to us, but they were closing when we got there... No worry, she reopened when she saw our sad faces. The lady who operated the shop was actually from New Zealand and she spent some time with us explaining the ins and outs of Chianti and Prosecco.

One last gelato stop and then we split again. Most of us (all but myself) were headed back to our hotel for a shower and to get ready for our last evening meal in Italy. I on the other hand had my mind set on climbing the 472 steps to the top of the Duomo. The line was pretty short when I got there and the climb was relatively painless. That's not to say I wasn't hot, sweaty, and ready for a break when I got to the top... I was, but I had a schedule to catch up with. I stayed on the top for a few minutes taking in the views of Florence and the surrounding Tuscan hills then it was back down the 472 steps. a Next was a brisk hike through the St. Lawrence market to purchase my son a t-shirt and leather money clip (he calls it his "money clipper").

Dinner was great! We went to a place both Nicola and Analiesa recommended and I was not disappointed. Nicola at one point during the meal leaned over and said, "You know this is authentic, right?" I turned my head a bit and looked back at him. He added, "This is a real Italian restaurant. The tables are not covered in red and white checkered table clothes and the waiters are not smiling."

After our wonderful dinner that was capped of my some dessert, we meandered our way back to the hotel. On our way we were sucked into a street show. We stayed and were amused for a while and then all decided our best bet was to get back to the hotel, hang out there, and get things packed.