Yesterday was our last full day here. Today we travel by train to Bologna. Spend the night at the lovely airport Sheraton and then catch an early flight out on Wednesday morning.
Yesterday we continued on the trail of Dan Brown's novel and visited the Palazzo Vecchio. Never been there before. No doubt having the story of the book to pique our interest helped to make the visit more interesting, but it is an amazing place....previously a Medici palace so quite a showplace. The hall of the 500 featured in the book is enormous and the mask of Dante is pretty eerie (even if the placard allows that it is probably NOT an actual death mask cast after he died).
The other thing that made it fun was an extremely enthusiastic ticket taker who was clearly enthralled with the art and happy to be working there who gave us little insights and sent us off running to the map room because (whisper, whisper, whisper, shoo, shoo) some Italian celebrity was going to be filming something in the room adjacent to it so the map room would be inaccessible in short order. Her enthusiasm was truly contagious.
Then we actually did some buying (having only done shopping until that point). A lovely new purse (for me), some boots (for me again) and some belts (for both of us). And lots and lots more strolling around.
Then at twilight, we took a bottle of prosecco down to the piazza to catch the perfect light on the Duomo (photo to follow) and to toast a wonderful trip. The crowds of Friday and Saturday night have dissipated so it wasn't nearly as busy so it was nice to just sit and to sip and to shoot photos.
Then on our way to dinner, a couple commented to us as we passed by that the gelato shops are worth photographing as well (Michael has) and we got to talking. So in our requisite installment of 'it's a small world after all'....they live in Concord less than 2 miles from where we used to live, and they used to take their pets to Encina Veterinary Clinic (though they didn't see Michael). Just crazy.
Dinner was at a place recommended by the guy at the hotel desk last night. Acqua al Due. They apparently have franchises in Washington DC and San Diego so not exactly a just mom and pop local place but a very unique place with tasting dishes with five pastas and three desserts and excellent steaks in blueberry sauce or balsamic sauce. Crazy busy place with plates signed by celebrities (I only recognized John Cusack) all over the walls so a totally different dining experience than we've had so far and thus a fitting end to the trip.
Yesterday we continued on the trail of Dan Brown's novel and visited the Palazzo Vecchio. Never been there before. No doubt having the story of the book to pique our interest helped to make the visit more interesting, but it is an amazing place....previously a Medici palace so quite a showplace. The hall of the 500 featured in the book is enormous and the mask of Dante is pretty eerie (even if the placard allows that it is probably NOT an actual death mask cast after he died).
The other thing that made it fun was an extremely enthusiastic ticket taker who was clearly enthralled with the art and happy to be working there who gave us little insights and sent us off running to the map room because (whisper, whisper, whisper, shoo, shoo) some Italian celebrity was going to be filming something in the room adjacent to it so the map room would be inaccessible in short order. Her enthusiasm was truly contagious.
Then we actually did some buying (having only done shopping until that point). A lovely new purse (for me), some boots (for me again) and some belts (for both of us). And lots and lots more strolling around.
Then at twilight, we took a bottle of prosecco down to the piazza to catch the perfect light on the Duomo (photo to follow) and to toast a wonderful trip. The crowds of Friday and Saturday night have dissipated so it wasn't nearly as busy so it was nice to just sit and to sip and to shoot photos.
Then on our way to dinner, a couple commented to us as we passed by that the gelato shops are worth photographing as well (Michael has) and we got to talking. So in our requisite installment of 'it's a small world after all'....they live in Concord less than 2 miles from where we used to live, and they used to take their pets to Encina Veterinary Clinic (though they didn't see Michael). Just crazy.
Dinner was at a place recommended by the guy at the hotel desk last night. Acqua al Due. They apparently have franchises in Washington DC and San Diego so not exactly a just mom and pop local place but a very unique place with tasting dishes with five pastas and three desserts and excellent steaks in blueberry sauce or balsamic sauce. Crazy busy place with plates signed by celebrities (I only recognized John Cusack) all over the walls so a totally different dining experience than we've had so far and thus a fitting end to the trip.
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