Week 13 - Last week in Florence

Week 13 - A week of last minute things...

Sunday, Nov. 20

Blogging in the morning.  

At 2:00 pm, we dress and walk to Omero to see if we can have lunch.  It's busy and there is one table open.  It's right by the window with a beautiful view.

The Tuscan view

Artichoke and Prosciutto

Bistecca alla Florentina

Looks pretty good

Another look at the skyline

Xmas is coming...

Santa Croce

Monday, Nov. 22 - Errands

Bus to Pitti Piazza to mail our package home:
    Extra clothes
    Gifts and other personal items
    (The Shipping Company)

Then we walk toward Tigotà for personal items, etc. for trip home.
At Piazza Santa Croce there is a Street Fair "Buon Natale"

We stop for bratwurst and sauerkraut (at least, I do)
John has a plain hot dog and we have a beer.

Our walk toward the bus stop...

Someone actually lives in this place?

Walking along the Arno

The entrance to
the boathouse?

Where do these stairs go?

take a right at the top of the stairs
and you end up at
Piazza San Felicita
on Via Guicciardini

We are a little early for our bus,
so we have a caffè latte at Bar D'Angolo

Tuesday, Nov. 23

Yesterday, we found out the bus won't be going all the way to Pian de Giullari, so I go online to see where the bus will pick us up. The #38 and 38B only goes to the bottom of our hill. The #11 stop is just as faraway and goes into town.

We decide to take a bus tour - the #11 will go from the bottom of our hill to Galluzzo, turns around and then into town.  So we walk to Bus Stop at Gelsomino to Galluzzo and then back into town.

Walk down the hill...

Catch Bus #11 to
Galluzzo

Our walk then starts at Vigna Nuova, go to the "leather street" and buy gloves for John and me a new wallet (with a coin pocket)

Then on to Pointe Vecchio for shoes at Rive Gauche

and pillow slips at Obo Studios near Boboli Garden

Lights for Christmas

Festive trees

A bright moon

Wednesday, Nov. 24

I want to go see the "Hall of 500" in the Palazzo Vecchio.  John is weary of going to yet another museum, but since I want to go he does too. 

The Courtyard

Entrance

Upstairs

Peeking into the map room
restoration of the globe is
in process
no photos allowed

Camillus the general parades in triumph

A bedroom?

Stairwell ceiling
the Medici "balls"

Creation of the elements
earth, wind, fire, water

Room of Cosimo I
Guess he had to look at the floor
to remember who he was 

Fresco of Piazza Signoria

Alessandro de Medici
Top: as Mars
Bottom: works on fortress
of San Giovanni

Alessandro de Medici
as Mars

The Hall of 500 is closed for a meeting, but we can look from an open door.

A peek from a door

Another look

The last room is Sala Leone X, a room filled with de Medici nobles...

In the center of the room full of the Renaissance panels stands a Henry Moore statue

Stunning!

Warrior with Shield

Donated by Moore to the City of Florence

We leave Palazzo Vecchio - start our walk back to Porta Romana 

It's an hour or more before the bus we want, so we stop for a bite to eat...

Il Ricctteria

The walk to Porta Romana... looking festive!

Ponte Vecchio

Via Guicciardini

We have to walk some from Via Fermi

Thursday, Nov. 25 Happy Thanksgiving

It's laundry day for us, so we walk down with laundry bag to Via Fermi to catch #38A bus.

While laundry is being done, we go next door to have lunch at Tuscan Taste.

It's raining and school's out - we catch a taxi home.

Friday, Nov. 26

This day is for straightening, cleaning and packing.

I take a last look out the back window and see "our" partridges, much closer today.

Can you find them?...there are 2

Almost done.

Saturday, Nov. 27

We're packed and ready to go...

All ready!

Waiting for the Taxi

Off to SMN station

Last views from "the Hill"

And we're off to Rome!

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Next Week ...

The train to Rome and Rome!