Florence, Pisa and the Cinque Terre

Calgary-Amsterdam-Florence was a long flight.  Immigration and Customs in Amsterdam was quick and efficient, they stamped our passports even though we never left the airport, and then onto the plane for Florence. Immigration and Customs in Florence consisted of one dog, with his handler, wagging its tail and sniffing luggage.  I guess once you clear customs into the first EU country that's it - there were no more customs in Greece or Turkey.

Florence is a beautiful city, as one local stated it is like an open air city museum, with renaissance buildings and art.  For instance, we stayed at the Machiavelli Palace Hotel which is attached to a church founded in 1206 that belonged to the Knights Templar. In the early 1700's a small convent was built next to the church which is now the hotel. Two noble Florentine families, very famous for their political and commercial initiatives, bought and renovated the convent to this hotel in 1990. 



Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

There are numerous squares, plazas and cathedrals that have statues and art from all the various renaissance period artists. There were way to many to visit in the time we were there. The original statue of David, by Michelangelo is in the Museum of Academia, but we settled for going to the famous Piazza della Signoria which is a 14th century sculpture showcase where they have a copy of the original David (original was there until the late 1800's).



Copy of David


The Piazza also houses the Loggia of Orcagna, which houses 15 statues by the great masters, who did seem to love nudes and violence!

 

Rape of the Sabine

Ponte Vecchio, built in 1177, is a bridge that crosses the River Arno. Built with stores and shops along both sides it now is home to some 30+ fine jewellery stores and a gold and diamond shopping mecca for tourists.

 

Ponte Vecchio

We took a sight-seeing and wine tasting tour through the Tuscan countryside which included visiting three medieval villages. The countryside is beautiful with rolling hills, large agriculture scenes and quaint villages. 

 

Tuscany in the rain

Then off to Pisa on a day trip to visit the leaning tower. Pisa is a really nice city, friendly and easy to get around. The tower is situated in the Piazza dei Miracoli and was built in 1173 as the bell tower for the Cathedral. It started sinking in 1185 and construction was halted for the next century. Construction then continues and it is what we see today.  

 

Leaning Tower of Pisa and Cathedral

Although the Tower is the big draw to the area, the rest of the Piazza is equally stunning, with both the Cathedral and the Baptistry being beautiful and now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Bapistry

After we left Florence, we took the train to La Spezia, where we intended to hike the Cinque Terre trails along the Mediterranean, unfortunately the trails were closed for safety reasons due to rain and mudslides, so we toured the five villages by train.

Houses growing out of the rock in Cinque Terre!

These are colorful little villages hanging off the cliffs above the Mediterranean where the folks still make their living from  fishing and terrace farming.

Cinque Terre Village