Florence
Days 7 & 8
We got to Florence before noon. Our rooms would not be ready until 2:30, so we had a short orientation walk with Michela. We continued on to the Arno River, taking pictures along the way. Some of our group walked to the gardens that they said had a great view.
Hotel California had a small elevator to get to the first floor lobby. It was not always working, so we usually had to take the stairs. Our room was on the main floor, right next to the breakfast area. We had a very small balcony with no view.
The admissions window at the Foundling Hospital
The lines to get in the Accademia Gallery to see the David statue was very long, but if you made reservations with a guide, it seemed to be a little shorter. Regardless, it was worth the wait. There were so many incredible statues in addition to David.
Several times while walking around the Duomo area, there were individuals singing, perhaps promoting the opera, or just entertaining. And it was entertaining!
If we had planned better, Florence would have been a great place to take a cooking class. The pasta was amazing.
No cats were seen in Florence.
It was overcast most of the time and very hot, with the sun occasionally peeking out. There was much to see in Florence, and there were a lot of people walking around. We did not feel the threat of pickpockets, but there were scammers trying to sell their wares, literally on the streets. If someone stepped on them, they tried to make them pay for damages. You really need more than two days to see everything in Florence. Many places were closed or we just ran out of time!
