First 2 ½ Day Trip to Firenze, translate Florence

Our trip was to begin on Tuesday, October 14. We had already purchased e-tickets for that evening’s opera, Tosca. It was the closest event to Maura’s missed soap operas, “tempesto amores”. There was intrigue; unfaithfulness, torture; suicide and murders, yes more than one murder. I could never get into the soaps in college, life was hard enough not to be hit in the face with dysfunctional families that went on for generations; I needed something more uplifting. I could get into the opera because it had a finite ending to its tragedies and I could go onto something more uplifting such as…….

But I digress, let me start at the beginning….

The train from Terentola was uneventful; the same as taking the metro from Crystal Lake to Chicago, an hour and a half. We are starting in the country with just a few seats taken, with each town stop the train becomes fuller, till there was no seats or standing room left. I tried to give up my seat twice, to little old Italian ladies, but I think they thought it was condescending; they were truly equal to men, either young or old. They told me, “keep your damn seat.”

Becca had booked online the Hotel Maxim for 2 nights. To our surprise it was on the main street Via Calzaioli; half-way between the Duomo Cathedral (that’s redundant) and the Uffizi, two of the top attractions. The room was small, but had 3 full beds, another good surprise. The bathroom, less then small, but typically European: sink, toilet, bidet, shower; all in a 2x4 foot space. With one foot in the bidet and one foot in the shower, one could soap, shower, and shave.

The décor was 21^st Century IKEA; we would have to wait for the Renaissance. Since Becca got us here, she now informed me I was in charge of outlining our day’s events. Sights to see, cafes for espresso or vino, trattorias for lunch, stops for gelato, and ristorantes for dinner, I thought I had it covered. Before we left for Tuscany, I had purchased “Florence Walking Guide,” by Jean. It separated the city into 4 quadrants: Walk A, a marathon of top attractions; Walk B, a ½ marathon of top attractions; Walk C & D, a 10 and 5K. What I proceeded to do next did me in. Instead of taking a rifle shot aiming at 1 or 2 attractions a day, I proceeded to shot gun the walks, trying to get in all of Florence in 2 ½ days. How frantic was that; it was a Firenze!? Being overwhelmed, everything came to a stop.

Figlia narrowed my focus on the first ½ day, and we settled on the Academia where stands Michelangelo’s “David,” ready for a shower. The world’s most famous sculpture, awesome at 14 ft. tall, 19 tonnes. I was surprised to see he was not anatomically correct: big right hand, big head, and small penis. We were informed he was designed to be seen up high on the cathedral, so then his head and hand would appear perfect and his penis would disappear??? More acceptable to the medieval clergy?

Day 2 & 3 to follow.

buona sera, abba