Accommodation in Florence is expensive. But I found a really large apartment (two bedrooms, two bathrooms, large kitchen, large living room) in Montecatini Terme for about R1300/night and €60 buys you a five day train pass (which, just putting it out there, was not once checked by anyone anywhere…) so that worked out well.
The high-speed train runs from Naples to Florence, so we got off there, stored our suitcases (not cheap) and headed off into the city.
You can find many pictures of Florence online. The Duomo is magnificent. The queue is too long though, and we were not even there in high season. Crazy.
The east gate is apparently something to behold, but as you can see from the pic above, they were renovating and one can’t get close to it.
On Piazza Della Signoria, this spot between the Neptune fountain and the Loggia marks the Bonfire of Vanities as well as the spot where Girolamo Savonarola was hanged and burned alive a year and a bit later, in 1498. An early case of FAFO.
We specifically went to the small square in front of the Casa di Dante museum to find this profile of Dante’s face carved into the pavement. Apparently nobody knows who did it or when. Also, supposedly, it’s always wet.
Anyway, plenty pictures online. We came for the food.
This is Alimentari Uffizi. It’s maybe a hundred meters from the Loggia. It seats about 16 people inside, maybe a few more on the pavement. We got there, they had space.
I proceeded to eat myself into a state.
Meat and cheese platter, bread, olives, a glass of Caspriano Toscana Bianco and a coke, then we had the Vin Santo & Cantucci, as well as something similar to Becherovka (but Italian, of course). It all came to €51 (they do take cards) and it’s worth it. Go.
Now the problem with all of this is that it broke me. I have a condition* where if I eat too much, I then can’t eat again for… days, sometimes. So after Alimentari Uffizi I ran out of appetite. Couldn’t get into the Lampredotto (which one gets from Trippaio del Porcellino on Piazza del Mercato Nuovo, piccante e salsa verde) at all.
So we took the bus to the Piazzale Michaelangelo to appreciate the view.
Florence is a pretty place, will go there again.
* Reduced glucose tolerance, and no it’s not diabetes, I’ve had it pretty much since I was born, and it’s actually getting better not worse.