We picked up our car in Florence and headed out to one of our favorite Italian hilltowns: Pienza. We thought we'd missed our exit off the A-1, then it turned out we didn't. No, wait. Are you sure? What does that sign mean? You mean the little yellow bumps? That's a rest stop. Are you… Continue reading Italy 2009, Hilltowns
Month: August 2009
Italy 2009, Day Four
We're ready for another walk this morning, so we head over to San Lorenzo to see it before all the carts in the mercado arrive (hopefully). Not quite quick enough. This one looks marooned.The buildings opposite cast shadows on its rough exterior. Found out why the exterior design by Michelangelo, four years in the making,… Continue reading Italy 2009, Day Four
Italy 2009, Day Three
Up slowly, we realize we just can't keep up a horrendous pace and still come back in one piece. The bells on this Sunday morning are calling the faithful out to mass, and after breakfast, we head out ourselves to the Bargello Museum. It was built in 1255 as an early Florence police station, and… Continue reading Italy 2009, Day Three
Italy 2009, Day Two
We began the hot Florence day in the early morning, beating out the nine gazillion other tourists down to the Duomo and Baptistry. I think I counted five other people, besides the garbarge and street cleaner trucks out there in the plaza.Duomo front door.Directly across from the Duomo is the baptistry with its door of… Continue reading Italy 2009, Day Two
Italy 2009, Day One
Flying from LAX to SFO to Frankfurt to Florence--whoops! The pilot came on the intercom and said "blahblahblah Bologna blahblahblah Diversion blahblahblah Busses."From the excited voice of the Italian lady behind me, I was to assume this was NOT a good thing. We were diverted to Bologna (The pilot told me "We couldn't land because… Continue reading Italy 2009, Day One