Well it’s been a while since I started my Italy story, so let me continue.
Florence April 30th May 2- 3
We started our tour through Florence by first getting lost on the bus system. We were heading the complete opposite direction in which we needed to go. Mack ultimately asked the bus driver where the stop what that we need to get off at. He kind of laughed a little and told us to get off and get on the bus going the opposite way. We soon found the bus we needed to be on and climbed aboard with luggage strapped to our back. Luckily the bus wasn’t that full and we were able to comfortably stand at the back of the bus. But soon that all changes and the bus became packed to the brim and space to breath was getting scarce. The hostel that we were staying in was close by a bus stop, so when the time came we pushed and shoved our way through and practically ran to our hostel. We tore off our bags and were off to discover the city.

the Duomo front facade

the duomo apse end

ceiling of the dome

birds eye view from the top of the dome

Boboli garden fountian

more boboli garden

palazzo pitti

In the three days that we were there we saw so many buildings and architectural wonders. Some of the biggest things that we were the Duomo, San Lerenzo, The Accademia (where the famous David is)Santa Croce, the Ponte Vecchio, Pitti palace, the Boboli gardens, Santo Spirtio, Santa Maria Novella, the Uffizi and the Palazzo Vecchio with one of the reproductions of the statue of David. We were brave enough to climb atop of Brunelleschi’s famous double shelled dome enabling us to see the entire city of Florence.

ponte vecchio

Florence was very different from Rome, in that it was a bit slower paced and felt more leisurely. We were able to go to the all the sites that we wanted to without killing ourselves like we did in Rome. The streets weren’t filled with honking cars; they were filled with vendors selling everything from leather goods to scarves. IF you sopped even for a second glance of a second the booth owners were on their feet trying to cut you a deal. At one point one of the booth men was trying to sucker me into buying something that I didn’t need, and in his desperation to win me over he asked if I was Italian and said that I looked like an Italian. Of course I was not charmed and left with no purchase in hand.

the uffizi

The same evening we choose to eat at a popular restaurant in Florence called Yellow. We were seated in a small room just off the main dinning room somewhere in the front but at the same time next to the kitchen. Our view allowed us to see the cooks in the kitchen slaving away at customer’s dinners and creating some not only dishes that picture perfect but all gave off aromas that made my mouth water. Also in the Kitchen was a little old lady who was making past by hand. First she was cranking noodles through some sort of noodle maker and then she was carefully folding dough over cheese making ravioli and tortellini. This lady folded the dough with such ease and speed that is was clear that she had been doing this for decades. That meal was oh so good and probably the best we had in Florence, well maybe even in Italy!

palazzo vecchio

inside the palazzo vehccio

On May 1st we left Florence to travel to Castiglion Florentino to visit some friends from K-State that have been studying there since the end of January. We were picked up from the train station by our friend Corey and proceeded to hike to the top of the hill where the Study Center is located. The city itself is an old castle town and most of the city center is still located within the original stone castle wall atop a Tuscan hill. While our friends were finishing up some school work we grabbed a few bottles of wine and parked it where we could find a patch of grass and some sun. After our wine was drunk and our arms and legs tanned we meet with the entire group of 35 and caught up on all the happenings of the past few months. Soon we sat down to a family style dinner with pasta, salads, and pork and of course vino. After dinner we continued our reunion filled with humorous/ humiliating stories, laughing until our sides hurt, hugs and 1000 I missed you guys.
Luckily we were able to be covert enough to scam a free night at the study center. By hiding out and sleeping on the floor we saved 27 Euro and an amazing time with some of our closest friends. In the morning we snuck out and began to plan out our day. It was then that we learned that one of us had been spotted. Carl, one of the three I was traveling with, was seen by one of the study center staff and was made to pay for his night at Castiglion. After he made his payment we hugged our friends goodbye and headed off to the train station. We arrived back in Florence around 2:00 and continued our sightseeing.

On our last day in Florence we decided to take a short trip to Pisa. Pisa is located only an hour train ride outside of Florence. At about 3 in the afternoon we boarded a train and soon found ourselves in this small little Italian town famous for about one thing. We walked from the train station to the site of the Basilica, baptistery, and of course the tower. We stood on the lawns inform of the three white structures. We stood there admiring how crooked everything was. Every building on the site has been sinking and shifting since the foundation had been created. On the Basilica the entire west façade was slanted, and at one point it looked like they tried to correct it during construction or something but only made the crooked part stick out more.

the big three, baptistery, basilica, and tower all in one shot

yeah yeah yeah

but it is more funny when other people do it

Even though there were signs all over the green lawns telling tourist to stay off, they of course were full of people posing with the tower in the background. People were pushing the tower over, keeping it up with their hands and or feet and even teaming up with a partner for back up. It was really funny to watch some of the fellow tourist create these types of scenarios with the tower.
After climbing to the top and meandering around to the other buildings on the site, we headed back to the train station for a short ride back to Florence. I think the total amount of time we spend in Pisa was three hours and that includes the 40 minute walk to and from the train station.

crooked as it gets

All in all the four day stay in Tuscany was absolutely wonderful. It seemed as though the sun was shinning continuously and there was warmth all around. Making everything we saw seemed to shine.