Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:
From: Kathleen West <kathleenwwest@yahoo.com>
Date: September 30, 2011 2:29:12 PM PDT
To: kathleenwwest.chloewest@blogspot.com
Subject: Random Florence Photos 1
Friday, September 30, 2011
Duomo, dinner Antica Trattoria "da Tito", Piazza Della Signoria
Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:
More Piazza Della Signoria
Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:
From: Kathleen West <kathleenwwest@yahoo.com>
Date: September 30, 2011 2:30:45 PM PDT
To: kathleenwwest.chloewest@blogspot.com
Subject: Random Florence Photos 2
Piazza Della Signoria
Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:
From: Kathleen West <kathleenwwest@yahoo.com>
Date: September 30, 2011 2:35:22 PM PDT
To: kathleenwwest.chloewest@blogspot.com
Subject: Random Florence Photos 3
B&B In Piazza Della Signoria
Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:
From: Kathleen West <kathleenwwest@yahoo.com>
Date: September 30, 2011 2:51:08 PM PDT
To: kathleenwwest.chloewest@blogspot.com
Subject: RB&B Inpiazzadellasignoria
Ciao bella Florence
Our first 2 nights we stayed at a 5 star hotel called Golden Tower (compliments of our United miles) but we wouldn't stay there again. The room was very nice but small. It does possess a very interesting history. Prior to it's renovations which took 4 years, it was a medieval tower called "Tower of Strozzi". The Strozzi family lived in the tower up to 1492 then moved. The notorious family was one of the most powerful Florentine bankers and there was some struggle of power between them and the Medici family.
Our last night is being spent at a very quaint B&B named In Piazza Della Signoria located in the famous square and just footsteps to the Ufizzi. Next door is the Gucci Museum. There are ten rooms situated in an old mansion and the room is very spacious. It is like a little studio apartment.
We spent our morning walking to the Central Market which is essentially a farmers market. We saw such tasty goodies as brains (not sure whose brains), and they had a display of opened animals with their innards (I would post photos but they are truly graphic and you probably wouldn't appreciate me posting). We ran into our friends from Denver-it's hard to miss Chris since he is probably the tallest man in Florence being 6'5".
I have been feeling a gradual allure to purchase a leather purse (they are quite beautiful) and did entertain the idea of purchasing one until I saw the price tag on one small one which was around $700 US dollars...um no thank you. I learned something from our Denver friends today that with the "flea markets" where vendors are selling knock-offs that if you purchase one, you can be arrested, but nothing will happen to the vendor.
We went back to our wine bar a little after lunch time (needed a quick refresher from all our walking). I have to correct my prior post regarding the appetizer we had. It was a crostini it was a crostone. We had a great glass of Chiati and cheese platter.
Dinner this evening was at Anica Trattoria "da Tito" and the food was fabulous. It was a good 30 minute walk but after my amazing raviolis with mushrooms and chocolate cake and Russell's pasta with wild boar sauce and Tiramisu, we needed the exercise.
I wish with the iPad you could post photos with your blog text but you can't. It has to be posted as a separate post.
Tomorrow we drive to Siena!
Our last night is being spent at a very quaint B&B named In Piazza Della Signoria located in the famous square and just footsteps to the Ufizzi. Next door is the Gucci Museum. There are ten rooms situated in an old mansion and the room is very spacious. It is like a little studio apartment.
We spent our morning walking to the Central Market which is essentially a farmers market. We saw such tasty goodies as brains (not sure whose brains), and they had a display of opened animals with their innards (I would post photos but they are truly graphic and you probably wouldn't appreciate me posting). We ran into our friends from Denver-it's hard to miss Chris since he is probably the tallest man in Florence being 6'5".
I have been feeling a gradual allure to purchase a leather purse (they are quite beautiful) and did entertain the idea of purchasing one until I saw the price tag on one small one which was around $700 US dollars...um no thank you. I learned something from our Denver friends today that with the "flea markets" where vendors are selling knock-offs that if you purchase one, you can be arrested, but nothing will happen to the vendor.
We went back to our wine bar a little after lunch time (needed a quick refresher from all our walking). I have to correct my prior post regarding the appetizer we had. It was a crostini it was a crostone. We had a great glass of Chiati and cheese platter.
Dinner this evening was at Anica Trattoria "da Tito" and the food was fabulous. It was a good 30 minute walk but after my amazing raviolis with mushrooms and chocolate cake and Russell's pasta with wild boar sauce and Tiramisu, we needed the exercise.
I wish with the iPad you could post photos with your blog text but you can't. It has to be posted as a separate post.
Tomorrow we drive to Siena!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
La Dolce Vita (Life is Sweet) Literally!
Today has proven to be a very fattening day. I have eaten 4 gelatos and I am sure I will sample one more gelato place before the end of the night. I love gelato. I am hoping all of our walking will burn off some of the calories. The Uffizzi Gallery was on the agenda this morning which houses more Renaissance art than you can imagine. It's quite overwhelming especially when you aren't an art history major to see works of art from ancient Greek sculptures to works of Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli. We went to a very quaint wine bar located on the other side of the Ponte Vecchio off a secluded piazza called Le Volpi e l'Uva ("The Foxes and the Grapes"). We sampled a few glasses of Italian wine and had some wonderful Caprese.We also went to see the most famous naked man David. I read somewhere that his hands were unusually large and they really are. Unfortunately you can't take photos of in either museum.
I do feel quite at home however walking the streets with the smell of the sewage running underneath the quaint cobblestone streets. Its like being at work. I am enjoying seeing the nicely dressed business men in their suits riding down the cobblestone streets with their business suits on. It reminds me of the movie " Life is Beautiful."
We had dinner at Il Latini which is an Italian family style restaurant that my step-niece recommended. What a great place! We sat next to a couple from Denver, Colorado who was celebrating their 10 year anniversary and a couple from Romania.
The iPad isn't to adaptable to photos so still trying to work that out since pictures are a lot more interesting than me writing about my travels!
I do feel quite at home however walking the streets with the smell of the sewage running underneath the quaint cobblestone streets. Its like being at work. I am enjoying seeing the nicely dressed business men in their suits riding down the cobblestone streets with their business suits on. It reminds me of the movie " Life is Beautiful."
We had dinner at Il Latini which is an Italian family style restaurant that my step-niece recommended. What a great place! We sat next to a couple from Denver, Colorado who was celebrating their 10 year anniversary and a couple from Romania.
The iPad isn't to adaptable to photos so still trying to work that out since pictures are a lot more interesting than me writing about my travels!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Fasten Your Seat Belts and Prepare for Take Off
Well, we have arrived! Our home was 52A&B on the A380 Lufthansa Airbus for 12 hours but it actually went by quite quickly. Russell read and I caught up on 3 movies? Apparently this aircraft is just 3 weeks old. The aircraft is pretty amazing from a mechanical standpoint (I wasn't impressed with the seats, etc.) Takeoff was so smooth and effortless and the flight was great. There are a few cameras attached to the tail, front and underneath the plane which is very cool to be able to see the plane takeoff and land, etc. We landed 30 minutes early in Frankfurt, thank goodness because it took us 30 minutes to walk to our gate for our connecting flight to Florence and then we took another 10 minute bus ride to the plane! We must have had the new pilot because he would accelerate then slow down. Landing was a bit scary. We are both just happy we have arrived safely. It is now around 2:15pm and we are checked into our hotel and will be heading out shortly for some sight seeing.
I know this is quite a boring blog entry but I promise they will get better. I am still trying to figure how to get photos uploaded via my iPad so sorry there are none currently.
I know this is quite a boring blog entry but I promise they will get better. I am still trying to figure how to get photos uploaded via my iPad so sorry there are none currently.
Monday, September 26, 2011
T-minus 17 Hours to Firenze
Need I say anymore? This is the webcam view from the hotel we will be staying at overlooking the Duomo. We are looking forward to weather which will be in the low to mid 80's but first we need to get through a 13 hour flight! At least we will be on the new Lufthansa Airbus A380. I was just looking at the Lufthansa website to check out the new aircraft and saw it said "register as doctor on board and support us when medical help is needed. We thank you with 5000 miles." What, really???? 5,000 miles??? That won't even get you a round trip ticket domestically! Here I thought I was going to be so sly and casually mention my husband was a doctor and would be willing to help if anyone needed medical attention during our flight thinking maybe they would bump us up to First Class (I already checked and Business Class is booked so out of the question.) I guess we are SOL. The complimentary cocktails will get us through it.
Buonanotte (Goodnight)
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