Anybody Been to Florence?

[peter]

I'm off there for a few days next week, and having limited time (3 days) am trying to prepare a loose itinerary of what to see. There are some obvious 'must see's' - Brunelleschi's Duomo, the Uffuzi (Botticelli's Venus) and Michaelangelo's David, but aside from these, the possible choices are so vast as to make selection nearly impossible. I'd be interested if anyone had any tips - either pertaining to museums/churches themselves or more generally as to how best to allocate valuable time in the city. I'm fortunate enough to be staying in a very central location, so travel to the major sites will not be a problem - but your worst enemy on such trips is trying to overdo what can be possibly seen in your timeframe, so some degree of selection is essential. Any thoughts anyone?

[kevinswatch]

No.

-jay

[Sorus]

I haven't been, and I'm probably not the best person to be offering advice on such things, but for myself I would probably take my time with the 'must sees', then wander about and see what I discovered on my own.

Not a traveler, but I've found some pretty cool stuff in my own neighborhood using that method.

[Avatar]

Nope, never been.

No tips either, I'm terrible at stuff like that.

--A

[peter]

I have problems with my legs that demand I'm close to the center of things, and luckily with Florence the old city is very concentrated in terms of its 'attractions'. I tend to follow your plan Sorus, wherever I am, but in this city there is literally so much that a degree of advance prep is essential. I'm gradually nailing a loose plan down ........ but knowing me it's unlikely to be adhered to in any degree!

[Cagliostro]

I've not travelled enough, but I find going to a pub on the first night and talking with the locals can give you better insight into the charms of the place than anything else. Then you can pick and choose from their recommendations, unless you want to see just the touristy stuff. I usually find the touristy stuff to be rubbish, but occasionally is worth it. I would imagine that is true of just about anywhere you would travel. Unless you don't speak the language, and then that might be more difficult.

[peter]

I've started of my holidays in the pub on no few occasions Cag - trouble is I tend to still be there at the end of them. No, you're dead right, chatting with the local people is a great way in to seeing what is really worth the biscuit in these places, but I have my doubts that our time in Florence will allow us to adopt this approach. The place is so tourist orientated as well, that I suspect ,like Venice, there will be little that constitutes a 'local scene', especially in the center. I think this one is just going to be a case of jumping in and blitzing the tourist stuff. As you say, most likely there will be much in the way of rubbish, with hopefully a few gems scattered around.

[Avatar]

Well, technically the odds should be good...it's one of the places where the tourist stuff and the good stuff probably overlap a fair bit.

--A

[peter]

Made it. Saw Brunelleschi's beautiful Duomo and ate a wonderful meal in our hotel. Of to the uffuzi today to see boticelli's Venus emerging from the sea ( or is it Venus's Boticelli emerging from the sea! ).

[Avatar]

I believe it's "The Birth of Venus."

Nice, enjoy, travel safe.

--A

[DoctorGamgee]

The Ponte Vecchio is worth a gander, right near the middle of the town. Lots of shops and a lovely view of the Arno. Try the Pigeon stuffed with sausage. Heavenly.

We enjoyed the gardens, if they are not too much for your legs.

[peter]

Love the Ponte Veccio! Have lunch booked already today, but will keep my eyes open for the pigeon.

[Cagliostro]

I believe it's "The Birth of Venus."

Nice, enjoy, travel safe.

--A

I thought it was "Venus In A Halfshell" (turtle power).

[Sorus]

There's an apartment complex called The Venus de Milo Arms. I think I've mentioned that before, but I still find it amusing.

[Avatar]

I should have known better than to try and be serious.

--A

[peter]

Well, I'm back and have to sum up by saying that one can not, on reflection, be anything other than awestruck by the scale and magnificence of this venerable and labrynthine mechanism for getting between tourists and their money. No - only kidding, it's a fantastic place where statues by Cellini and Giotto can be seen in the street, where a chance turn into a nondescript courtyard will reveal frescoes and interiors of beauty that aren't even mentioned in passing in the guidebook and where ones immersion in art becomes almost total from the moment one steps from ones hotel into the street. I have returned with a deep and burning desire to throw myself into Assassin's Creed at the earliest opportunity!

[peter]

Ok - let's be serious for a minute.

The historic centre of Florence is a maze of high walled and narrow streets where, due to the architecture, the sun penetrates only on brief and short lived occasions. These streets have such an old and labyrinthine feel to them that one almost expects to see Dante or Machiavelli huddled in a conspiratory group at every street corner. The large squares in which the major churches and cathedrals are found are bright with sunlight which washes the glorious facades, showing them in all the perfect glory in which the Masters responsible for their production conceived them.

The best of these beyond doubt is the square of the Duomo with its Baptistry, Campanille and Cathedral [sporting the famous dome itself], which is free to enter and has the wonderfully painted inner dome surface high above your head to marvel at. The Uffuzi, while a must see Museum, is firmly rooted in renaissance art, which is not to everyones taste - and it must be said that getting in and around it is a difficult and frustrating task. The Loggia with its public display of twenty or so sculptures of roman and renaissance origin, is quite breathtaking and if there is a better display of civic art gathered in one place anywhere in the world I'd like to know where!
The Boboli gardens were indeed a hard climb but the porcelain display at the top was worth the effort on it's own. The Pitti Palace was wonderful, mixing as it does a mix of art and the actual living quarters of the Medici princes [and Napoleon] who stayed there. It was in the Pitti that I experienced my biggest revelation of the trip, when I found myself almost physically unable to tear myself away from a group portrait of the Empress Marie Louise and her family, done by an artist whose name I forget and in the Rococo style of which I am not normally a fan; It was quite beautiful - quite beautiful, which is all I can say.

As a trip for the art, Florence is good - very good - but it's true glory is simply in the place itself. Go there if you can.

{Alas I missed the pigeon stuffed with sausage, but had just about every other regional dish going. One tip - stay away from the lampredotto; that's tripe ravioli to you and me! }

[Avatar]

Welcome back. Sounds like you enjoyed yourself.

--A

[peter]

There were highs and lows Av, as with any trip. Loosing my walking pole that had been with me to Mt. Everest (alas, not to the summit) and being busted for smoking in my room in our hotel in London were lows, and the atrocious inefficiency of transport at every point (8 of the 9 major legs of our journey were late/cancelled or just simply horrendous {the train from London back to Cornwall was so overcrowded that people were squashed into the aisles like sardines, standing all the way, and you could not get to a toilet for hours on end}) makes me want to stay at home for good from now on!

Highs were the Art, Food, Wine, Sun, History and just simply having experienced a little bit of the 'Grand Tour' that the 'upper-class' (of which I am most definitely not - but why should they have all the fun! ) experienced for months on end.

[Avatar]

Yeah, the thing that puts me off travelling is that it's hard work.

I'm much to lazy to enjoy that part of it.

Give me teleportation, then we'll talk.

--A