It was time for our first Italian train adventure – Venice to Florence. Our first change of trains was in Bologna, a gritty industrial city, at least as far as we could glean from the very large train station. Fortunately we figured out in time that “est” and “oest” 1 were different ends of the platform, not different platforms, and managed to board our train within the allotted 20 minutes. The trains all seemed very new; only second class seats were available so there were no reserved spots. 

The flat plain between Venice and Bologna gave way to the rolling hills of Tuscany – many of which we didn’t see because we were in tunnels going through them. Change of trains #2 occurred in Prato – a much smaller station and easier to manage. It was only 20-30 minutes from there to Florence.

Florence (or Firenze) – uniform, yellowing, four-story buildings, narrow streets. It was easy to project yourself back in time. Our guesthouse, the Bellevue House, was a single floor of one of those buildings, quite close to the station. You could reach it by taking a very small elevator or climbing three long flights of stairs. Needless to say, we chose the stairs. It’s a family owned place – an Italian husband and Australian wife who had great restaurant recommendations. A nice small bathroom, shutters, terrazzo floors and a fresco on the ceiling, a view of courtyards, and most miraculously – screens on the windows.

We walked to the Piazza Santa Maria Novella and environs and enjoyed a martini at one of the bars on the square – more tortilla chips offered as aperitivo!

Then we went to La Grotta di Leo, just a few doors down from the hotel. We splurged on bistecca florentine (new mystery – in the United States, why is florentine associated with spinach?). It was a giant T-bone served with roast potatoes for two. We also discovered the Joshua Tree Pub – a very fun spot on the Via Della Scala. 

The next day was Halloween. J picked up breakfast at a little snack bar, and then we made our way to the Academie. We had ordered tickets weeks ago on line. The lines were crazy. We had to pick up the tickets at an actual ticket office, and then stand in yet another line for our noon entrance time.

The David was everything I thought it would be, especially his eyes. The collection at the Academie is generally amazing – Michelangelo’s Prisoner series, unfinished, where you could see and sense the marble being formed into figures.

After imbibing massive amounts of art, we walked through various piazzas – the Republica and the Signore, right by the Ponte Vecchio, and enjoyed window shopping in the high end shops. We had a fairly expensive lunch, but it was right on one of the squares and I convinced J to have anchovies on our pizza Napoli. 

After fortification, we did Rick Steves’ Renaissance walk, which took us to the outside of the Duomo and campanile, as a well as the octagonal Baptistry with its special ornate doors. Apparently the facade of the actual duomo is of recent origin and the green and white marble does in fact look newer.

From there we walked to the church (Orsanmichele), adorned with statues in the exterior niches, the Palazzo Vecchione (City Hall, not the bridge), with its paintings of Austrian landscapes above the arches. I guess everyone had to leave their mark on Florence.

We passed by the various outdoor sculptures, including the Rape of the Sabine Women (question whether this would even be allowed in Florida), and finished at the Ponte Vecchio (the bridge). 

By then it was getting quite chilly and windy and we headed back to the hotel. We liked the restaurant so much from the night before we went there for a second time, and to celebrate Halloween stopped by the Joshua Tree again. Patrons were in costume, the wait staff was enjoying a Chinese food feast, the Addams Family tv show was playing in the background, dry ice was occasionally released, and a good time was had by all.