Europa! Europa! Part 3: Firenze, Italy We Love
- Dan
- 17 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Our next stop was Firenze, Italia or Florence, Italy…
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Italian Trains Don't Run Like Clockwork
After our experiences in England and Switzerland, we fully expected a less-than-satisfactory experience on Italia Rail. Anders's two aunties we met in Switzerland, who had traveled extensively throughout Europe, warned us that Italian trains are often delayed. In our experience, the trains are crowded, loud, and smell of cigarettes, but they run on time! The Italian passengers are also helpful to foreign tourists. All this is to say, Anders doesn't trust the Swiss railways, but he won't tolerate aspersions against Italian trains.
All in all, we found getting around Italy breezy easy. The sketchiest part was changing trains at Milano, a vast and congested train station. Luckily, my 10-year-old lad is an expert navigator of even the most overflowing of terminals. He quickly identified our train and guided me to it. Firenze is an eminently walkable city and easy to get around, even for someone with zero sense of direction (that would be me!). When we left the city, we needed to catch the tram to the airport, which was also super duper easy peasy.
Firenze: a city of light, culture, and cuisine!
Firenze is a spectacular city. The old town, at least, feels like it has almost been trapped in time, much like Prague, if you're familiar with that incredible metropolis. For Anders and me, everything was better in Firenze, from the photo ops to the food.
My favorite location for photography was Piazzale Michelangelo. I visited this wonderful overlook spot several times, using a mid-range zoom and a telephoto. The crowds can be intense, but if you avoid going on the weekend, it's fairly easy to find a good vantage point to capture incredible images of the city. Piazzale Michelangelo was about a 1.5-mile stroll from our hotel at the Piazza della Signoria.
I also had good luck getting some fine pictures strolling along the Arno River. There are some fantastic bridges, snazzy light fixtures, and interesting statuary and architecture along the water.
I only scratched the surface of Firenze photographically. The same is true of the museums and the food. Anders and I visited two museums, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The more interesting of the two was the crypt beneath Santa Maria del Fiore, which features Roman-era mosaics, columns, and general ruins that the church are built upon.
Food, of course, is always a concern when traveling with my young lad. In Italy, however, we had no problem finding good eats. Anders didn't care for the hotel continental breakfast, which I adored. Fortunately, the gelato (I love pistachio, he loves vanilla) and cheese pizza made the boy salivate. We basically lived on the stuff. I ate pasta a total of one time while in Italy—go figure!
Next stop, France, and a happy reunion!