The joys of a fall in Italy II

Florence

We arrive in Florence in the middle of the day by rail. Mario, our host at the B & B Repubblica, is a slow talking, relaxed man. He recommended a nearby restaurant crowded with locals, but we find it a bit too expensive for what we get.

We nap after yesterday's big day in Rome and to wake up to the most beautiful music we've ever heard. There is a Tunisian festival in the square below.

Leaving the Piazza Santa Croce, we have a great dinner at Bocadama with friendly service and great atmosphere. My friend's pasta is delicious with fresh ripe tomatoes, basil, buffalo mozzarella, garlic and olive oil and wine house, both red and white is wonderful.

The next day, the gallery tour. We are off to see David's butt at the Accademia Gallery. He is magnificent. We stop to see the Duomo and a long tour of the Uffizi. At the end of the Caravaggio exhibition, I feel a little sick from all the violent images and heads in baskets.

Ponte Vecchio is a pretty outdated pedestrian bridge on the Arno full of gold shops that was once the butcher shops in the old days. We find

a small shop just off the bridge and was buying a dress for 39 euros and discover the designer has dropped by for a visit.

I have pre-booked one of the best Tuscany Tour with a walk around pass that a friend has recommended. We leave at around 8:30 for spectacular Siena. We have some free time to sit and have a cappuccino in the square and watch the bankers smoke and talk on their cells on their break.

Then we visit a Tuscan farm. Lunch is organic and everything but the cheese is grown on the land. We have sliced meat, cheese, bread, pasta Bolognese, and a salad with lots of vino. Afterwards we pass olive groves and vineyards to see the cattle, but one of the tourists have over-imbibed and causing a ruckus with a protective cow and her calf, so we are all ushered out of the barn quickly.

We drive through the countryside to the Tuscan hill town of San Gimignano. That's all we ever hoped for in a Tuscan town with its ancient walls and towers and an incredible view of the landscape. We stop along the wall of a glass

wine as we sit and absorb the lush vista.

Our last stop is a quick visit to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I'm glad we've seen it. It's a long day but well spent.

The next day … my friend have pre-booked a cooking class with a travel agent. We meet a group at a small square and head over a bridge to our evening class. My friend told the class would be held in someone's home and sterile, catering and slick operation disappoint me. But thankfully our group of six awarded to Roberto, a clever and witty chef. And stylish. He keeps things moving quickly. His quips are fun and we learn some interesting cooking tips that we can use at home. We make gnocchi, stuffed zucchini, chicken cacciatore and panna cotta. The wine we would be sipping in the class is nowhere to be found. I have taken other cooking classes out of the country and I do drink local food is one of the best parts of the experience. Our meal is delicious and the vino is uncorked for this segment of the night.

We want to go back

San Gimignano, but none of us want to drive a rental so we choose a bus to Fiesole. We confused with the bus system and almost fooled into taking a very expensive tour bus to the nearby Fiesole. The city is located above the city of Florence and the view is fantastic. We have a relaxing lunch with the locals on the main street.

I really do not like to shop at home but in Florence, it's really great. Santa Croce is filled with vendors of all types of goods. The leather prices are excellent compared to Canada. I'm always amazed at how confused consumers have accepted the vinyl to the leather prices used to be just to get a trademark on a bag.

We return a few times to a small serving so called off the Santa Croce Square because of their good cappuccinos and changing daily specials. It is a place with good value and good food.

We have spent seven days in Florence. The city is so interesting that we'd love to stay another week (or years!) But we went to the Cinque Terre for a few sea adventure.

Tips

If you

For your visit to the galleries, be sure to book tickets in advance to avoid long lines.

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Submited at Saturday, December 4th, 2010 at 2:00 pm on Europe by john
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