Frolicking in Florence

Helen and I boarded a train for Florence/Firenze last Saturday morning, off on another adventure. We found our hostel easily, both having copied down the directions off the website. And then we were off to meet classmate Chelsea at Ponte Vecchio. Of course, there were many stops for photos along the way.

Travel buddy...personal photographer...Helen has many talents.

After we met up with Chelsea, we went to the leather market. After being schmoozed by several desperate salesmen, Chelsea found a jacket, I found a bag, and Helen found lunch. We were all pretty happy with the results.

We went to the Duomo, of which I couldn't resist taking about 50 pictures, all from various angles and times of day.

This is  photo #45 out of the 53 I took of the Duomo. 

It was suitably impressive, and I was suitably impressed. Not enough to climb the Duomo for the view, but I ended up getting the exercise and the panorama anyway.

We made our obligatory stop at a gelateria (yes, it was obligatory), and then parted ways. Helen and Chelsea went to explore more of Florence, so they ended up in a cafe. I applaud their logic and their priorities. I, on the other hand, went to explore the Uffizi, home of Botticelli's The Birth of Venus. I rather enjoyed traversing an art museum on my own; I set my own pace, elbowing my way through tour groups crowding around the art like the Magi around baby Jesus.

Footsore and overheated, I met up with the now-solo Helen, Chelsea having returned to Perugia. We returned to our hostel to clean up and sit down. It took the promise of dinner to put me back up onto my feet and the streets of Florence.

Rough translation: "There is what there is." And what there was, was good.

Needless to say, we slept well that night. Which was a good thing, considering our adventure on Sunday. We got up, changed into comfortable clothes and sneakers, experimented with the coffee vending machine, and checked out of the hostel before most of the other guests hit the snooze button. Armed with more directions, we found the offices of Florence by Bike for our tour of the Chianti region just outside the city.

We had no idea what we were getting ourselves in to. Which was a good thing, since I'd have probably run away screaming had I known about the hills.

There are prices to pay for views, but the aching muscles were worth it. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we rode through miles of vineyards, olive groves, and quiet towns. There are worse ways to spend a day, and the sense of accomplishment after we braked for the last time, back in Florence after a 20 mile ride, was priceless.

Out of respect for those who would be sitting in our vicinity on the train ride back to Perugia, Helen and I returned to the hostel not only to pick up our bags, but also to clean up a bit and rehydrate. Feeling (and smelling) much better, we walked back to the train station and collapsed into seats in the closest compartment.

To be honest, it took a day or two before we fully recovered from our adventure, and I still cringe a little at the thought of a bike seat, but I'll say it again: it was worth it.