Paint Misbehavin’

Mum was up early this morning and wandered down to the lobby in search of a coffee. I messaged her to suggest asking the concierge, however she advised that he was asleep on the lounge (!) Our breakfast experience involved the great Nutella heist, an operation to secure enough small jars of nutella for Josh to top his pizza at tonight’s cooking activity. Following our criminal op, we headed off with our guide Valerie for a walking tour of Florence and the Uffizi gallery.  Both were wonderful. The history of the powerful families, their machinations and their impact on the city was really interesting. Valerie talked about power and prestige making empty spaces, and showed us the development of the architecture through that lens. The Uffizi is in the Medici palace and is filled with treasures- Botticelli, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, almost too much art. Our guide had decided that Cam looked like Cosimo de Medici, sharing this with a number of  others who agreed. When we reached his portrait, we tried to get Cam to match the pose and were shushed by the security guard, who was then was part of a conversation with the guide about the resemblance. We are not so sure, however I’ve included a photo for you to decide. 

We split up after lunch for some free time. I walked along the Ponti Vechio to the Piti Palace, in search of some gorgeous mosaics advertised in our hotel. It was within their opening hours, but they were closed. There was a sign that said if they were closed, ring the bell and they would open, but no joy there either. Very Italian. On the way back to the hotel I did find a beautiful wooden box, painted in the pattern of the San Miniato church floor and lashed out on that as a memento of our family trip.

We regrouped in the afternoon for a trip to see the David. It’s beautifully positioned in a niche with natural light, but it was so crowded and we’ve seen so many copies by now that the impact was diminished. More interesting were the six half finished Michelangelo sculptures in various stages of completion. You could see the pieces emerging from the marble. There was also quite a bit of shushing by the guards. Apparently you have to be quiet to appreciate art. The art experiences have been incredible but we need a small breather from the overload. 

Dinner tonight involved our younger travellers making pizza at a little restaurant nearby.  Josh’s Nutella stash came in handy and his “dessert pizza” was a hotly contested item, handed out only to gain strategic alliances. 

After an excellent gelato (hazelnut and amareno cherry for me) we walked back to the hotel along the side of the Arno with the sun setting over the river. It’s a very beautiful city. The colour palette used in the city seems to be limited to those quintessential “Tuscan” yellows with terracotta and sage. We’ve enjoyed the transition from the hectic chaos of Rome to the quieter pace of Florence.