Room(s) With A View
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| Santa Maria Novella, Florence |
This really is the view from our hotel room. At least the one we moved to today, after one night in a room that was a few feet above a somewhat rowdy Irish Pub.
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| View from top floor of Uffizi |
We’ve only been here a few minutes short of 24 hours, but have already decided we’ll want to come back. Today was a full day, with the Uffizi Gallery in the morning, and the Academia in the afternoon, and some wandering around in between trying to figure out where to eat lunch. As I mentioned previously, it’s a good thing we’re doing a lot of walking, as we’re eating well and often. From anywhere in Florence just about, you could throw a rock and hit at least three gelaterias. Le monsieur has been enjoying a daily gelato, and I’ve knocked back an espresso or two.
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| One of many frescoed ceilings at the Uffizi |
We’re off to dinner in just a bit, and tomorrow we have a guided wine and charcuterie tasting tour in the Chianti region. Looking forward to seeing some Tuscan countryside!
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| Some nekkid guy at the Galleria dell’Academia |
Travel Tip:
For popular museums, reserve ahead if you can. When we arrived at the Uffizi this morning, the non-reservation line was already 2 hours long at 9:30am. We’d fortunately been given the heads-up, and so had made multiple museum reservations a few weeks ago. It limits how much you can play with itineraries, but avoiding wasting hours standing in line is worth a bit of planning.
I wish we’d done a bit of reading up and research about the Uffizi before we went, though. It’s a large collection, and not organized either chronologically or by artistic style or movement, that we could discern anyway. (And some collections were in temporary display rooms while their permanent quarters were in the process of restoration.) If we go back on a repeat visit (on another trip) I’ll try to be better prepared.
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Wonderful photos and comments, thanks! Laughing heartily at the “nekkid guy” reference. He *does* look familiar . . .
Both times I stayed in Florence I stayed as a pension where my bedroom window overlooked the back end of the Duomo. Heaven! Which is exactly what Florence was. Halfway thru the second stay we moved to a convent and stayed with nuns for 2 days–since we extended our stay in the city. Interesting place!
Yes, the Uffizi can be over-whelming! Our solution to the long lines at museums is to travel in winter, when you can simply walk in.
Beautiful, just beautiful.
Enjoy your vacation.
It all sounds and looks wonderful — your view is stupendous.
I heartily approve the resolutions of what to do on a future visit. Pacing is all important, and once you accept the limitations of what can be fit in — especially first time round — seeing a city is so much more luxurious. And whether or not you ever make it back to see all those “pending”items, you will have savoured more carefully what you see this time ’round.
I’d love to go back to Florence. Sometimes you need to get a taste of a city first, before you really know how you will interact with it. And even if you don’t get back you have those memories and the thoughts and dreams of what you would do…. I still have mine.
What a wonderful view! Almost worth putting up with the pub noise to get this!
Fabulous…..thanks for taking us along!!
It has been over 10 years since I was there, but if you have time, I remember loving the Bargello:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bargello
Also, I am totally envious of your view, but when we were there, we commuted into town from Fiesole (we stayed where they shot the pensione scenes from A Room With A View) and had a glorious meal at the Cave Di Maiano. It’s still there, just FYI, if you have some free time and want a lovely meal somewhere new.
I know what you mean about the Uffuzi, both in terms of needing advance reservations and it being a bit daunting figuring out the collections.
Great photos by the way.
Oh, marvelous, marvelous!! Sigh.
Ahh, Florence! My parents and older sister lived there for 5 years (before I was born), and I think the last time I was there I was about 10, so I’m overdue for a visit! Thanks for the lovely mental vacation from your great snaps; it looks and sounds as though you are having a fabulous time!
Oh, this is making me think of my trips to Italy and how wonderful they were. Mardel, remember when we went with Nancy E? Great fun. Pseu, I hope you got to go up to San Miniato for the view. Enjoy the rest of your time in Italy.
How beautiful. Would love to go back there now. I didn’t appreciate it enough in my twenties.
Ooh la la! I just posted a blog asking gentle readers about their favourite views from a room. You’ve certainly answered! Lovely, lovely, breath-catching views.
By the way, did you realize that the church is Sta. Maria Novella? It’s worth a look, but it also means that their perfumerie is very near to where you’re staying.
Marie
I can just imagine Florence and you have reminded me that I would love to visit this beautiful city again…I know the crowds at this time of year can be overwhelming but if you sneak off the beaten path (in search of gelato) they soon disappear….Enjoy the rest of your trip…xv