Sitting in bed in our lovely, modern, expensive hotel room in Florence (Firenze)... so happy to have said goodbye to the Backroads Tour group yesterday. Don't get me wrong, we met some lovely people and saw and learned about such amazing and beautiful things, but anyone that knows me knows I am a solitary creature. And, holy shit, the crowds! My Auntie Cay told me it would be busy, but I didn't picture it like this. So. Many. People. It's like PNE or Vegas busy in all the popular spots. Our last two days at the Villa away from the crowds were so dreamy. We are going to try to find either a Villa or an Agritourismo spot to spend a few more quiet days after Venice.
Our cooking class lead by Chef Frederico at the Villa Palagina was a blast. We made focaccia and hand cut pasta (flour and eggs, who knew it was so easy?). Eighteen adults playing with dough sipping pink prosecco makes for a perfect afternoon and lots of laughs! We prepared the bread and the noodles and Frederico cooked and served it to us for lunch. The bread was yummy, the pasta left a little to be desired. After lunch Bill and I spent a lazy afternoon by the pool overlooking the Tuscan landscape. Absolute heaven. Then our last supper together as a group, which was lovely. I chose a bottle of wine that was a couple of dollars more than the house, but it was organic and came from neighbouring Sting's winery. So delicious. Mmmm. A couple people around us tried it and ordered more of the same. It's amazing the difference a couple of Euros can make... Or so we thought... Until we paid the bill the next day. Oops. I pointed to the wine that was a couple of dollars more, what we got was the one above the one I pointed to. Turns out if you spend twice as much as the house, you get quite a lovely experience.
Back in the bus yesterday morning for the last time. An hour drive to Florence and a city walking tour lead by a lovely local guide. Then hugs and well wishes all around and Bill and I taxied off to our hotel for a nap before our sunset Uffizi Gallery Tour.
The Medici family ruled Firenze for 300 years and were great patrons of the arts. The last daughter of the bloodline (childless) wrote a will at the age of 73 leaving all of the great works of art and the palace to the city of Florence. What a gift.
Standing before the works of Michael Angelo, Bottecelli, Raphaelo, Caravaggio, and Leonardo De Vinci is indescribable. I get it now. Every strand of hair in Bottecelli's Venus and the shimmer of the robes and the softness of the skin in Michelangelo's Tondi Doni, and the face of the old man that you want to reach out and touch it looks so real in the nameless piece by the unknown student of Caravaggio made me want to weep. Sigh. Such beauty.
And then we left the gallery to our prepaid set dinner that came with the tour... It sounded so lovely in the brochure. Our first big tourist trap mistake. Such terrible food. Such terrible service. Oh well. The gorgeousness we've experienced so far will carry us easily past one shitty meal.
Next stop Venice.
No comments:
Post a Comment