Wednesday. We rose early and drove 40 minutes to catch the train to Firenze for the day. Early rising was a bonus – there was a spectacular dawn glow in the sky showing the hill towns standing out above the mists in the valleys. Kodak moment. The Tom Tom navigator was very useful and got us to the railway station at Chiusi with plenty of time to spare. I parked nearby and put in all my spare change (about nine euros) to get a ticket until 5pm. We were planning to return about 7pm but I thought I’d chance it for the last couple of hours.
Getting tickets was straightforward – first class of course (about 42 euros return). The train was quick, but very dirty and with a very rattly airconditioner. A couple opposite us were dressed very smartly – Jan said she had never seen a shirt ironed to such perfection.
Firenze and a walk from the station to the River Arno and the famous Ponte Vecchio. Very beautiful and some very expensive jewellery shops. We grab a coffee and a brioche at an outdoor cafe and head for the Uffizi gallery. We had pre-booked tickets with the help of our very gracious host at the Terre Di Nano, Georgio. This was supposed to avoid the huge queue outside – but we still had to queue to collect our tickets! Only about 10 minutes though. Then we queue again to get through the metal detectors at the entrance. Inside we lose ourselves for a couple of hours in the wonderful paintings – all those famous ones you have seen in books but never in real life. We had a couple of beers and shared a panino at the snack bar at theUffizi -which has a spectacular rooftop setting with the tower of the next door palazzo – er- towering over it.Then to the Duomo – again very spectacular. Jan decides she wants to go to the cupola at the top – up 480 steps. I think, well, the view is probably brilliant. We queue for 20 minutes and then, ignoring all the signs about weak hearts and old age, we start up the steps. I forgot to mention that it is about 35 degrees and humid in Firenze! Yes, the views are brilliant and yes, you could easily just die on the way up the tiny winding stone stairs. On the way down my legs start to wobble and I suspect I might never walk straight again. We get a grand view of the inside of the cupola – wonderful paintings of hell with devils poking flaming brands up people’s bottoms. It looks like a piece of cake compared to walking up all those stairs.
