Catch up with Davo

Volterra

Volterra

San Gimignano

San Gimignano

San Gimignano

Love a red Vesper

Sneaky David photo

Today’s adventures will take us to a few more Tuscan towns so we get going early and we are on the road by 8:30am. Gina is behaving this morning and we make it to Volterra pretty easily. After fitting into the tiny spots they have for car  we head off to explore. Volterra is tiny town with a piazza and lots of great views. Its Sunday so there is a food market on with salami, cheeses and all kinds of strange things.

Now back to the car and time to program San Gimignano into Gina, we arrive figure out which of the five parking areas to go in and set off to explore. This is another walled medieval town, known as the “town of fine towers”. The towers are dotted around everywhere but how do you get a good view? Jane and I head up to the first Piazza then take a detour this way and that way and end up getting great views of all the towers. Satisfied. Time for lunch, insalata and acqua frizze Per favore, how cool are we? As they answer in English, maybe not so cool – but fun. Time for a quick shop on the way down to meet Sue and I find a cute pin with Italy colours shaped like a Vesper.

Now to the main event time to navigate into our apartment in Florence. We get to the town edges relatively easy, then figure out where to park hop in a taxi and we are there. Its Sunday afternoon the place is pumping with tourists everywhere. We have to wait a while to get into our accommodation. We have a gelato whilst we wait and I spot my first symbol of Florence, the fleur-de-lis its on the serviettes.

We finally get out onto the streets of Florence again I am struck by how different so many areas of Italy are. Florence feels like a much more sophisticated city, I will find out more as we explore.

First we head to the Galleria dell'Accademia to see David. The line takes about an hour, David takes 5 minutes and the gift shop takes about 10 mintues. Does that sound like I did not appreciate one of the wonders of art? Not much else to do with the massive amounts of people.

A few more photo opportunities along the main street, peppered with shopping and angel photos and we are back to downstairs for dinner. Then I get to do something totally new and go to a Laundromat. I don’t think you have lived to you go to a Laundromat at 10pm and night. Anyhow whilst the washing whirls. Sue reads her book and Jane and I walk around the area, chatting with other tourists and taking photos of statues.

So in Florence I have two firsts within hours of each other, David and a Laundromat. I am not underselling David, its just I am excitable about anything. Tomorrow is a public holiday in Florence to celebrate the birthday of their patron saint, so we will see what fun that brings.