European Adventure: Day Twenty-Two - The Best of Tuscany

One of the tours I was set on doing was the Walkabout "Best of Tuscany Tour" which was based from Florence. When I was last in Italy I was only 13 and just remember snippets of Florence and Pisa. We didn't do much else in the surrounding Tuscan area and that was something I wanted to see on this trip. Initially I wasn't sure if we would be able to fit it in. This tour was a full day - 8:30am - 8:30pm - and we only had the one full day in Florence. I managed to find a solution by booking another day trip of Florence for Wednesday and selecting a later train to take us into Venice. It made for a busy Wednesday but allowed us to do the Tuscany tour on Tuesday.

The tour started at the Florence train station which was conveniently located close to our hotel. We were the first group to arrive meaning we got first choice on selecting seats! We met a few of our fellow travellers – a couple from Australia and another from Ohio so we made small talk until everyone else started showing up. It was almost a full bus but there were still a few empty seats allowing us to spread out a bit – maybe about 30-35 people total on the tour. The guide was really nice she was initially from Poland and now lives in Florence when she isn’t attending university in London.

The bus did a small loop around Florence and we were able to see a few of the other main sights, including a portion of the wall that used to surround the city. The guide gave us a brief history lesson about Florence and the surrounding area which was helpful. Florence was founded in 59BC by former soldiers given land from Julius Caesar which is why the city was built in similar fashion to an army camp. Over the next hundreds of years Florence was caught between various empires/rulers and was invaded and taken over numerous times. In 1861 it became part of the United Kingdom of Italy and was made the capital in 1865, however when Italy was officially unified in 1871 Rome became the new capital. 

The first stop of the tour was Siena, which was about an hour outside of Florence. Once we arrived in town the bus parked a bit outside the city walls and we met our local guide. The guide was an older woman who lived in Siena for most of her life.  She led us on a guided walking tour through the medieval city of Siena where many of the buildings were yellow-ochre with terracotta rooftops and green shutters. Something that interested me was that as we walked through the city certain areas had different flags on their buildings. The guide explained at these flags represented the “contrada” which are different districts within the city and that there were 17 in Siena that race in the Palio di Siena.  The Palio has been going on for over 600 years and is a horserace that takes place in Piazza del Campo (the main city square) two times a year on July 2 and August 16. Out of the 17 racers representing the various city districts only 10 ride in the race and jockeys are given a horse through some sort of draw. In the morning of the race the horses are taken to a church to be blessed by a priest and then over 50,000 people gather in the Piazza – however there are actually only 1000 reserved seats! It can be a dangerous race and often jockeys are thrown from their horse but whatever horse crosses the finish line first wins regardless of if the jockey is with them or not. The city is decorated in these various flags and the spectators wear clothes and colors that represent the wards.  There are festive banquets both the night before and the day of and it has become a tourist attraction that brings many people to Siena each summer.

Piazza del Campo

Piazza del Campo during the horse racing - not my photo!

The first place we stopped was at the Palazzo Salimbeni which was the oldest bank in Siena still in operation from the medieval period. At this point the guide spent some time explaining the history of Siena which was settled between 900-400BC. Over the years it was part of various counties and like many parts of Europe often under siege.  Afterward we walked up to Piazza del Campo where the guide pointed out the main sights and how they related to the Palio race. The square was interesting – with old beautiful buildings surrounding it. It was hard to imagine the square full off people and the horseraces, but the guide showed us some photos which were remarkable. Dad has decided at some point he wants to come back for the races one summer.

The building to the left is the bank 

The guide led us up to the Siena Cathedral which was a mostly uphill walk and was tough! I had decided to wear a long dress that day and was thankful I swapped my sandals for running shoes. We passed through a few small residences and it was interesting to see how the medieval buildings were now apartments.  It started to rain once we reached the Cathedral but fortunately we had tickets which allowed us to get immediate access. The cathedral was built between 1215 – 1263 and was beautiful. Inside we were able to see the marble mosaic floor which covers the entire cathedral. Forty artists contributed to creating the 56 panels and the floor was amazing! We were lucky to be able to see it as it is only uncovered for six-ten weeks each year. The rest of the time only a few panels are on display with the rest covered up.  My favorite part of the cathedral was the Piccolomini Library which has colorful frescoes that adorn the walls and ceilings. It was a wonderful room and I could have spent hours in it just walking around and looking at the artwork.

Piccolomini Library 

This is where our tour ended and we had some free time to see Siena. We walked back to the Piazza del Campo and had a coffee at one of the cafes. We spent a bit of time looking in the shops and I bought a few postcards. We met our group an hour later and our main tour guide led us back to where the bus was parked. This was another uphill trek and exhausting! I felt bad for two older ladies who really struggled with the walk, but the guide modified the rest of the stops for them during the rest of the trip.

We drove through the Tuscan countryside to our next stop which was Fattoria Poggio Alloro a Chianti Vineyard. It was an organic family run winery and farm which we got to visit for a tour, wine tasting and lunch. The tour led us through the vineyards, the barn and the room where the wine is produced. We learned the history of the estate which was formed by three brothers in the 1970’s and is still a family run business. Our lunch was delicious as it was a traditional Tuscan meal that included homemade pasta, homemade prosciutto, salami, local cheeses, a garden salad and biscotti. They served four wines – a white, two reds, and a desert wine. I didn’t try the reds but found the whites to be enjoyable. The olive oil served was also made on-site and dad enjoyed it so much he ordered 5 liters to be shipped home. The views from the winery were phenomenal and are ones that will stick with me forever as Tuscany is an amazing region.  

After our lunch we drove to the hilltop town of San Gimignano which was only 10 minutes away. San Gimignano is a small, walled medieval town that is famous for its medieval towers and buildings.  In 1348 the black death killed half the townsfolk and after that there was hardly any development which is why the town remains much like it was in the 1300’s. From where the bus dropped us off it was a 5 minute walk to the main city walls and then another 10 minute walk to the main city center. The guide recommended that we have gelato at an award winning shop which we did. The line was out the doorway and into the square and the staff spoke limited English, but Dad’s Italian came in handy! It was the best gelato I have ever tasted, and I was glad we listened to the guide.

The town is full of winding streets and squares so Dad took off to explore and Brian planned to climb one of the towers. I spent a few minutes in the square talking to some of the other people from the tour and one of the women decided she was going to stick with me. She wanted to find something for her daughter who was around my age and thought I could be of help. We spent our free time wandering in and out of shops before she was finally able to find something she liked. This meant my free time was eaten up, but I didn’t mind. I met Brian on the way back but we split up again because he wanted to look in one other store. We ended up being the last two to the meeting place but luckily the bus wasn’t there yet.

Once back on the bus it took us on a scenic drive through more of the Tuscan countryside which was gorgeous. We passed through a few small towns, including Volterra which was one of the settings of the Twilight books. That made me laugh as I can only imagine the amount of teenage girls who flocked there once the movie came out!

Our final stop was Pisa where we got to see the Leaning Tower, Cathedral and Baptistery. I had been here before when I was 13 and not much has changed – it is still leaning! The area in which you get into the Leaning Tower has been changed in recent years so buses aren’t able to park nearby. We were fortunate and were able to take a tram so that saved us a mile walk. We were given free time to explore the area so Brian and I took a bunch of photos including the typical tourist ones! In order to get into the cathedral or baptistery you had to pay, so we just saw them from the outside. After our free time we were able to do a tour of the main historic area of Pisa, which was different. Aside from the tower/tourist area there isn’t much to see – it’s a university town and seems very run down.

The drive back took just over an hour and it was just after 8:00pm when we arrived. The entire tour was 12 hours and it was definitely worth every penny. The guide was amazing, the scenery was fantastic and the sights/lunch were awesome. It was the best tour of the trip and I suggest adding it to the list if ever in Florence.

Once back in the city we walked over to a street vendor and bought an extra suitcase.... it was much needed at this point. We stopped at a restaurant across the street and had dinner which was really good, then we returned to the hotel. I had put in a sweater and a pair of jeans to be washed at the hotel and when I picked them up only the jeans were returned. The hotel had no idea what had happened to it and said they would call the laundry service they used in the morning. It was a little annoying but it was an older sweater so I didn’t worry about it.

https://www.walkaboutflorence.com/tours/best-tuscany-tour - A link to the tour website 

European Adventure: Day Twenty-One - Vatican City and Travelling to Florence

The Vatican was a must-do on our list however the dates didn’t work completely in our favor. We arrived too late Saturday to visit and it was closed Sunday, which only left Monday for us to visit. As we were leaving for Florence that day I planned the Vatican tickets for the first entrance (9:00am) and the train for later in the afternoon (4:00pm). It made for a long day but definitely worth it. After getting up and dressed, we finished packing and left our bags locked at the hotel. I was a little apprehensive about this remembering how our camera had been stolen from a hotel back in 1997, but luckily we had no problems.

The plan was to visit the museums and Sistine chapel first, and then St. Peter’s Basilica afterward. In hindsight that was a bad plan as by the time we finished the museums and made our way to the square the lines were massive- likely more then five thousand people waiting to get inside the Basilica which was free and didn’t involve any sort of tickets. This meant for the second time in my life I didn’t get to see St. Peter’s Basilica. When I was here as a teenager I was the only one dressed appropriately as Mom, Dad and Adam were all wearing shorts. It was the one thing I am most disappointed about not seeing on this trip, as I had waited 15 years to come back and visit! For anyone making a similar trip, St. Peters opens at 7:30am – do that first and book Vatican Museum tickets for later in the morning like around 10:30-12:00.

Inside the Vatican Grounds 

Because we had Vatican tickets we had no problems getting inside and through security. The lines were already wrapping around the building but there was a separate line for pre-bought tickets – that is a crucial planning tip on any trip – pre-buy whatever you can! We picked up our audio guides and began visiting the museums which were in one word - remarkable. 

It’s impossible to fully describe everything we saw, but it was amazing. The museums are separated into various rooms/galleries. The first one we entered was this long hallway full of marble statues and busts called The Chiaramonti Museum. The museum is arranged to not only include the sculpture on display, but also highlight the architecture of the room and paintings through the frescoes. What I liked was how it was arranged – with both large and small pieces displayed together. This museum has over one thousand sculptures on display and was incredible to walk though.  

We then walked into the Octagonal Court which had a bunch of large classical sculptures some of which that have been in the same places since the 1500’s. This area was somewhat covered with netting, but was still outside and really interesting to walk though. There were pieces that were clearly art, but others that I couldn't figure out the purpose for. 

This area led into the Hall of Animals which was full of pieces linked to nature and animals. I didn’t spend too much time in here as a large tour group was right behind me but the purpose of this room was to create a “stone zoo” type place that highlighted the animals and hunting. According the Vatican Museum site “Coloured marbles were used to allude to the colours of the coat or plumage of various animals or, by contrast, to confer a particular colouristic effect on a work of art” (http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MPC/MPC_Sala03.html). 

The Hall of Muses opened in 1784 and includes many statues of the Greek muses and Gods; including Apollo and Athena. It was a interesting room, and the paintings at the top of the walls which directed the muses and various areas of art were quite beautiful. 

The Round Hall was stunning as it is imitates the inside of the Pantheon and it’s red walls have areas that display statues with columns surrounding the room. In the middle is a large basin which is believed to have once stood in a public area of Rome.

The ceiling 

The Greek Cross hall was built in the late 1700’s and is the entrance of the Pio Clementino Museum. There are pillar-statues on each side and in the center of the floor is a mosaic of Athena. This was one of my favorite areas of the museums as I loved the architecture and the mosaic. Just off to the side was The Hall of the Chariot which was roped off.  Surrounding the large marble stature of a chariot are smaller works which depict scenes from athletics events and games.

Two of my other favorite rooms were the Gallery of Tapestries and the Gallery of Maps. Both of these are long rectangular rooms that have high ceilings and the walls showcase these works of art. The tapestry one is full of rich colors and beautiful hand woven scenes of people and places. The Map Gallery actually has the maps painted directly on the walls. It took the artist three years to pain the 40 panels as the gallery is 120m long. The maps are mostly of Italy and are painted to represent the various regions and the main cities. The ceiling in this room was amazing as they were painted by a group of artists in the 1500’s.

The rest of the rooms were just as amazing at the next, and were full of beautiful art both on the walls, and in the décor and ceilings of the rooms. The Raphael rooms were phenomenal but due to jam-packed tours I didn’t get any decent photos. The Sistine Chapel was by far the most beautiful chapel/church I have ever been in but sadly photos weren’t allowed to be taken. Still, I am so glad I had the chance to sit in there and admire the walls and ceiling. The Sistine Chapel was restored between 1477-1480 and is where the papal conclave (how a new pope is selected) takes place. It is most famous for the painted ceiling and “The Last Judgment” which were both painted by Michelangelo.

Once we finished with the Vatican Museums we walked past the crowds waiting to get in (which continued along the entire wall and must have been in the thousands) and toward St. Peter’s Basilica. Sadly as I mentioned these lines were also into the thousands and there was no way we would be able to line up, see it and make our train. Brian wanted to get some stamps from the Vatican post office so he braved the crowds and crossed the square with dad and I agreeing to meet him a nearby restaurant that had been recommended to us. One the way dad went off and bought purses (souvenirs for mom, Amanda and I) and I went into an Italian post office to get some stamps. This was an adventure, as I had no idea how their system worked and the staff weren’t too helpful. Finally a gentlemen in broken English showed me the machine I needed to use to get a number… however this wasn’t helpful as when my number was called and I went to the desk I was told it wasn’t the right line. I was in there for about 35 minutes before I was finally able to get my stamps – stamps which were insanely priced! I’ll keep this in mind next time I want to complain at the inevitable Canada Post price increase.

We all met at the restaurant which was La Soffitta Renovatio and had one of the best pizzas/meals of the Italian part of our trip – it had been recommended by Sergio the guide from the night before, and was a great recommendation. I had some of the best tasting white wine there – and Italian wine is not something I usually like.  It is a must visit if in the Vatican area. Once lunch was finished – it was a long lunch since we had a little extra time from not seeing St. Peters – we walked back to the hotel and gathered up our suitcases. We got to the train station early and again there were hardly any seats in the station (what’s up with this Europe?) so we stood for most of the time. The train started in Rome, so we had no trouble getting on. The suitcases we had proved to be a bit of a challenge but with a bit of force we got them all on board and situated throughout the carriage.

It took just under two hours to get to Florence and I instantly fell in love with the city! We had visited it for a day when I was here last but it was a place I didn’t remember – likely because it was crammed into a day with Pisa and a few other villages. Florence is officially my favorite place in Italy (okay it’s actually tied with Portofino which is a place I loved from my last trip!). It is such a beautiful town, and much less busy/crazy then Rome and Venice. Our hotel was close to the train station but we couldn’t figure out the map and took a cab. Thankfully we did as the cobbled streets would have been tough to wheel everything on.

The hotel was amazing – the Best Western Grand Hotel Adriatico is a wonderful place to stay. The rooms were large and comfortable (even dad’s single room!) and the staff were helpful and friendly – well save for one person we encountered the next day.  It was also a great location, as it only took about 15-20 minutes to walk to the main sights from where we were. We took an hour to get settled before heading out into the city. We opted to walk along the Arno River and toward the Ponte Vecchio “Old Bridge” which is a medieval stone bridge that has section enclosed with shops built along it. The bridge is built at the narrow part of the river and was built before 996. It was destroyed in 1117 and 1345 but both times rebuilt. The shops along it used to be butchers, but now consist of high end jewelry stores, art shops and the typical souvenir places. When we got to the Ponte Vecchio all the shops were closed so it was easy to walk across and get some great views of the water without crazy crowds. We also stopped and saw the other two popular bridges of Florence – Ponte Santa Trinta and Ponte alle Grazie where people were sitting on the edges, drinking wine and eating sandwiches. It was a really nice environment – very laid back with people just being and taking it all in, rather then rushing around from place to place.  

The closed shops on the bridge 

 Dad ended up going back to the hotel and Brian and I found a small pizzeria for dinner. The food wasn’t the greatest but the pizza was amazing and we had a nice date-night in Florence which we enjoyed.