October 2006 - Florence, Italy

On our first full day in Florence we visited the Boboli Gardens, at the Pitti Palace, home of the Medici family from 1550. The gardens are very steep with lots of fountains and statues dotted around.

We tried to visit the Forte di Belvedere at the very top of the Boboli Gardens but it was shut so we wandered into the Bardini Gardens next door. The gardens themselves were quite unimpressive but there was a nice terrace with great views over the city, including the Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore.

Costume museum, Boboli Gardens lions: Back at the Palace we visited the Galleria del Costume which Hazel very much enjoyed. There were lots of beautiful 'Cinderella' gowns and 'Prince' suits. (From left to right, Grandma Eileen Ward, Hazel, Great Aunt Adrianna Fusco, Grandma Joann Rex, Grandpa Frank Ward, and David Ward.)

The Piazza della Republica is the site of the main square of the old Roman city of Florentia. It is also home to a carousel that Hazel really enjoyed. She rode three times but would have stayed all day.

Duomo Raisin Break: Hazel enjoyed looking around the cathedral and wasn't adverse to a snack of some raisins on the front steps either.

We also visited the church of Santa Croce and enjoyed a nice lunch outside at a restaurant around the corner. Hazel had great fun chasing after and trying to kick the pigeons in the piazza.

On Wednesday we took a train to Lucca, a town that dates back to 180 bc and the Romans, and which is known for the walls built in the 1500s and 1600s that enclose the city. We didn't have a chance to walk the walls but we did have a nice lunch and a stroll around the town, so peaceful after the crowds of Florence. In fact, David, Hazel and I liked it so much that we are thinking of planning a trip back to Lucca and perhaps the nearby coastal town of Viareggio.

Fiesole is a hill village about 5 miles outside of Florence that we visited on a bus tour.

We only had an hour to look around and most of this time was spent at a cafe waiting for Hazel to drink the richest, thickest hot chocolate I have ever experienced. She wasn't leaving that table until it was gone! We took a little look around the Duomo di San Romolo and were lucky to hear a string quartet practicing by the altar. They were very good and Hazel was enthralled.

Mercato Nuovo: This market has been going since 1547 and is sometimes known as the Straw Market. The bronze statue of the boar, Il Porcellino, is a 17thC copy of a Roman marble statue that lives in the Uffizi gallery. Tradition calls for rubbing his nose to ensure a future trip to Florence. We also let coins drop from his mouth into the grate below. The money is collected and distributed among Florence's charities.

San Lorenzo market: Hazel liked this market because one of the vendors gave her a biscuit! Downstairs has stalls selling all manner of meats and fish, pasta, cheese, wine, pastries, etc. Upstairs is all fruit and veg. We had lunch at one of the in-market cafes on our second visit and the food was wonderful. I had ribollita, a Tuscan soup made with vegetables and stale bread and cooked for a long time so that it is thick and stodgy. Very good, honest!

Ponte Vecchio: The 'old bridge' was built in 1345 and is now lined with jewellry shops. Above the arches in the middle of the bridge you can see the private passageway that was built so that the Medici could cross the bridge without mixing with the riffraff.

What's Italy without lots and lots of pasta! Hazel samples spaghetti al pomodoro.

We stumbled across a playground at Piazza Ciompi, near Santa Croce. We also found a playground two blocks from our apartment so Hazel was able to get some sliding and swinging in.

Some miscellaneous pictures taken around and about town.

Frank bought Hazel three roses from a flower seller that came into our restaurant the last night. They were lovely and it was a shame to not be able to bring the home with us.