What luck. Today was a museum day, and we were in for rain.
If you know anything about the Uffizi, you know 1) reserve your ticket ahead, and 2) don't go on Tuesday. Figuring I was by myself and could deal with crowds, I ignored #2 - which turned out to be good and bad. The good is that the next day I am here the public museums will be striking (closed) which I never could have known 2 months ago. The bad is that it truly was crowded. Today - actually all over Florence - felt like a Saturday at Disneyland! I don't mind that I had to wait in line to pick up my reserved ticket and then had to wait in another line to get in. But I would have preferred to get up close to Botticelli's beautiful artwork to see the details. And to have a step stool to view it properly - from my height I get a bunch of glare on most of the artwork . As soon as I got through the 1st upper wing, it was smooth sailing - with much less people. I enjoyed my personal tour of the Uffizi!
For lunch we went to the the Central Market's Da Nerbone for a lampredorro (stomach) sandwich. Not! We had yummy other meat instead, with wine to wash it down. The market is nice to walk around to see the primary ingredients of Tuscan cuisine.
Traditional meats in the Old Market - Florentines are not wasteful!
Traditional meats in the Old Market - Florentines are not wasteful!
In the afternoon we took a "secret passageways" tour of the Palazzo Vecchio - inspired by Dan Brown's "Inferno". I am glad I did because now I know it is skippable for next time. The concept is cool, and our actress guide made it better, but I guess my interest wasn't there. (The Brazilian loved it though!). You get to see 2 "secret" rooms and the ceiling/roof trestles. Don't imagine recreating a scene from Inferno though. In fact, the ceiling of the gargantuan Room of 500 isn't canvas, it is wood. However you can search out Dante's death mask.
For dinner we had reservations in the Oltrano at La Casalinga. We shared good caprese salad, pesto pasta, and ribolita. It is quite reasonably priced until the waiter accidentally (?) adds 10 euro to your bill.
I would say my biggest struggle this trip is asking for directions. I hardly understand the response, and they like to throw in nearby streets or places, which actually confuses me more (just give me simple). Last night trying to find the restaurant we got simple. Literally "la, la". We found it.
On the bright side, I can be a resource. I helped several Americans (there are many in Florence) and even gave some Italians directions!
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