BAC Le Marche - The Adriatic Coast to the Sibylline Mountains 2010

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June 11 – Riccione to Florence

After the hundreds of motorcyclists drove north past our hotel revving their engines and producing a surreal atmosphere, we thought that the parade was over. WRONG. They all slowly filtered back either solo or in small groups until the wee hours of the morning. At 1:30, I got up, closed the windows, pulled the metal shades tightly shut and tried to turn on the air conditioner to cool off the room and to lower the humidity. This was all in the dark. This was a BIG mistake because I tipped over Ann’s water glass and drenched her bedside table. It took us a while to clean up the mess. Afterwards, I slept really well because the outside sound was mostly closed off. What was still semi-noisy was drowned out by the hum of the air conditioner.

We got up at 7:00 and went down to the breakfast buffet. Most of our group were still there eating and waiting to go to the train depot. We said our final farewells, loaded our rental car, turned on our GPS and headed out to Florence.

Tom Leever suggested a scenic route to get us to Florence. It went north to Forli and then southwest on SS67 which took us into the hills on twisty, narrow roads through small villages and tree-covered terrain. It was a very scenic route and very worthwhile to take.

We got to Florence and Hotel Silla a little after 1:00 We checked into our room. Then we turned in our rental car, a small Fiat Panda, on the other side of the Arno. Walking back to our hotel, we stopped for a pizza. Then we strolled through the historic part of the city, over the Ponte Vecchio and along “the other side of the river” to the hotel stopping to buy bananas and peanuts.

We had a wonderful dinner at Trattoria 4 Leoni. This is a very popular restaurant so we got there around 7:00 to see if we could get in. We were lucky. There were a couple of tables in the outdoor terrace that were set aside for drop-ins. We shared a table with a young couple from Boston who were on a short tour of Italy to celebrate her new PhD form MIT. We had a great conversation with them throughout our dinner. Our waiter was fun, too. He was young and loved to tease us by correcting our Italian pronunciation. He started us out with a small glass of sparkling wine. We ordered a half-liter of wine and he brought us a huge bottle that was in a basket like the old Chianti bottles. We were on our honor to drink the amount that we ordered. For our meal, I started with asparagus baked with slices of parmesan cheese and wrapped with prosciutto. My main course was rici pasta in a sauce with sausage. Ann had a salad with tomatoes and fiocchetti di pera in salsa di taleggio e asparagi – a ravioli-like pasta stuffed with pears with a sauce of taleggio chese and asparagus.

We walked slowly back to the hotel.

June 12 – Florence

Breakfast was on the hotel’s terrace. Strawberries, bananas, oranges, yogurt, soft boiled eggs, toast with jam, croissant, cheese, cold meat, juice, coffee and cereal were all available. I tried most of the choices. Ann did too. The weather was sunny and the temperature was in the low 70’s. That, the planters with colorful flowers and the fragrant jasmine set a dolce vita atmosphere. The waitress who was less than friendly last year when I was here was full of smiles and softly singing to herself.

Florence - Ann Going Down the Duomo

The morning continued to get better as Ann and I walked across Ponte S. Trinita over the Arno, found the pedestrian street, strolled up to the Piazza di S. Giovanni and climbed to the top of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo) with hardly any other tourists. The views of Florence were magnificent although it was slightly hazy. As we walked down the narrow, steep, dark passageway the couple that we shared a table with at dinner last night were climbing up. We greeted each other and continued on our way. Part of the fun of the climb and descent was to get a close-up view of the garish paintings on the inside of the dome. The scenes were Hades on the lowest circle, Purgatory on the next higher level and Heaven on the top.

Florence - Kids at a Door of the Baptistery

When we reached the ground, we plugged our headphones into our iPhones and followed Rick Steves’ audio tour of the Renaissance walk. He talked about the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo), Giotto’s Tower and the Baptistery with Ghiberti’s bronze doors. Then he led us down the pedestrian street (via de’ Calzaiuoli) past Orsanmichele Church and its famous statues stepping out of niches on the outside walls. We ended the tour at Piazza Della Signoria with its copy of David, Perseus and other statues, Ammanati – Neptune Fountain, Savonarola Plaque, Palazzo Vecchio the entry to the Uffizi Gallery and a view of Ponte Vecchio.

Florence - Santa Croce

We put away our iPhones and walked over to Santa Croce Church. The church has many famous painting and tombs of famous people including Michelangelo and Galileo. We were a little disappointed because some of the main attraction were being renovated and we could not see them. However, we were able to see the church’s leather school and shop as well as its museum that features Cimabue’s Crucifixion along with Gaddi’s Tree of the Cross and Last Supper.

Getting hungry, we decided to try nearby Trattoria Anita which was recommended by Rick Steves. The trattoria was on small side street and a little hard to find. This was good because there were few early diners and we were seated right away. I had bruschetta and pasta al Anita. Ann had Tuscan white beans and flat noodles with tomatoes. It was all good.

After lunch we walked back to our hotel to escape the afternoon heat and to rest.

Our rest lasted until dinner time when we walked down the Arno and went to Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco. This is a very friendly restaurant that specializes in Tuscan cuisine, especially wild boar. Ann and I finally learned to order a meal without going to bed bloated. We split antipasto of cheese and cold cuts including cinghiale. Then we shared a plate of fried codfish and mixed vegetables prepared similar to tempura. For dessert, we split a plate of mixed dolce – mini cream puffs with chocolate sauce, marzipan and tiramisu. We also had white wine and fizzy water. I had a camera with me, but I forgot to take photos.

We took the long way back to the hotel passing Piazza Spirito and the Pitti Palace.

June 13 – Florence

It was overcast but warm this morning when we had breakfast on the terrace of our hotel. We had nothing planned after breakfast so we took our time relaxing at the table.

After a while, we decided to hike up the streets and stairs behind the hotel to Piazzale Michelangelo. The view of the city was outstanding. It seems to be a destination of the locals because there were lots of people there including several bicycle groups. Our objective was to find San Miniato Church. According to the Rick Steeves’ guide book, legend has it that St Minias was beheaded on the banks of the Arno in 250 AD. He picked up his head and walked here (this was before the #12 bus) where he died and was buried in what became the first Christian cemetery in Florence. It took us a while to find the church. We walked into S. Salvatore al Monte first and knew that it wasn’t the correct one. We had to climb another couple staircases before we found it.

When we went into the church, organ music was playing and people were coming in and sitting on the pews. We realized that this was Sunday mass, so we made a quick exit when the priest started the ceremony. This gave Ann a chance to wander around the cemetery and look at all of the crypts.

We then went downhill to river level, checked out Porto S Nicolo (one of the city gates) and went back to the hotel.

Florence - Golden View Open Bar - View from the Window

Our Uffizi reservation was at 2:00 so we decided to have an early lunch to make sure that we got there in time. We ate at The Golden View Open Bar at an inside table right next to a large window where we could look out at the Arno and the Ponte Vecchio. The view was outstanding and the food was good, too. I had taglialinni noodles with a tomato, chinghiali sauce. Ann had a house salad with perfectly ripe tomatoes and avocado. We had the chef’s special dessert which was a vanilla mousse with raspberry sauce and quartered figs.

After lunch, we toured the Uffizi using Rick Steves’ audio guide. I like the guide because it gives just enough history of the schools of painting and covers only the most important works. There were lots of people in the gallery and they gathered in front of the major paintings. Ann and I quickly learned how to get around the bunches or stay far enough behind them. Even though it is usually crowded the Uffizi is always a wonderful experience.

When we got out, we walked a few short blocks to the Bargello, a museum of sculptures. There were works by Michelangelo, Donatello and many others. We were fading, so we looked at most of the statues and left.

It was around 4:30 and I was getting hungry. My mission was to find some good gelato. I led us to Grom which uses organic products and fresh ingredients. Ann had chocolate and raspberry. I had raspberry, strawberry and mint.

As we were walking back to the hotel, we heard some rhythmic drumming. Then we saw a parade of people dressed in period costumes marching in formation down the main pedestrian street. There were nobles, ladies, drummers, trumpeters, soldiers, flag bearers, etc.

It started to sprinkle while we were watching the marchers. We made a beeline for the hotel.

Dinner was at Borgo Antico on Piazza Santo Spirito. This was another good recommendation from Rick Steves. We opted to sit inside because we anticipated more rain. I had a Tuscan salad which is made from old bread, onions, tomatoes, etc. I also had penne with tomatoes and basil. Ann had risotto with smoky cheese and zucchini. There is a large mural on the wall showing riders in an old Giro d' Italia including Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali.

June 14 – Florence

Breakfast was on the terrace again. It was slightly cloudy and a little cooler than the last two mornings. We are going to miss our dolce vita mornings.

We walked across the Arno in the direction of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella. Ann toured the church while I went to the post office to pay a parking ticket that we got in Riccione. It seems that the post office in Italy does more than handle letters and packages. Unlike our post office branch at home, they have several clerks who are friendly and helpful. When my number came up, I handed the clerk my parking ticket. She read some instructions on the back. Then she filled out a form for me. I filled in my name and address, signed and gave back to her. I paid the fine and got a receipt. This was much easier and less stressful than I anticipated.

I met Ann back at the church and we walked over to the Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy where Ann picked up some gifts. Then we walked to Piazza San Lorenzo and strolled through both the outdoor and indoor markets. We got more gifts and an apple for me.

Bags were getting heavy and noon was approaching, so we went back to the hotel and dropped off our load. For lunch, pizza and gelato were around the corner.

The temperature in Florence has cooled off compared to other days. This gave us a chance to wander around and go to places we have not visited before.

Florence - Our Afternoon Walk

That happened on our afternoon walk. Ann and I agreed that she had to lead even if we got lost. She took us up a zigzag route to the top of the hill behind our hotel. Our route was farther west than the one yesterday. We went through the Porto San Giorgio and found one of the upper entrances to Boboli Gardens. I had no interest in paying the 10 Euro per person entry fee, so we continued up the hill and found ourselves on a narrow country road. It was level ground now and it was easy to walk although we had to flatten ourselves on the roadside wall to let cars go by. We were walking on rough cobblestones which were beginning to make an impression on our feet.

At the end of the country lane, we came upon the main road going back down the hill to the Porta Romana and the Pitti Palace. The sidewalk was wide and roughly paved with large cobblestones. Large trees grew overhead to shade us from the sun. We saw many villas and some fancy hotels so we figured that this was the high-rent district of Florence.

We reached familiar territory and dragged ourselves back to the hotel. I took a shower and put my feet up while Ann went back to peruse a linen shop. She didn’t buy anything but she reported that it was all beautiful hand made Tuscan linen.

Our last supper in Florence was around the corner at Osteria Antico San Niccolo. For starters we had antipasti with cheese. Mine was pecorino with sun-dried tomatoes (I though they were going to be fresh). Ann had Pears and brie on arugula. We switched plates when we were half finished. For our main dish, I had fettuccini with asparagus. Ann had Italian veal curry. The food was good but not great. The interior of the osteria wood-paneled and lined with wine bottles. The kitchen staff looked Asian.

June 15 - Going Home

Our return trip went smoothly. We took a taxi to the airport. Our first flight went to Frankfurt. Then we flew to SFO. Bay Porter Express drove us home.