Thursday we left Rome on a rainy day. Traffic in Rome was crazy but we had allotted more than sufficient time to wait for the taxi (Freenow app is very useful in Rome when you want to order an extra large taxi) and get to the train station (with three big bags now plus another biggish (not carry one size) one and assorted other carryons). It was cold downstairs in the station and we had an hour to wait, so went upstairs and it was nice and warm.
Our train was on time and eventually we got our luggage stored both above seats and between them. We had a nonstop to Florence (only 90 minutes or so), which was fortunate. It was raining when we arrived, so the taxi line was very long…I decided we should walk…not sure it was the best decision since the sidewalks in Florence are uneven at best and quite narrow…and it was raining. Nonetheless, we managed to make It to our apartment in under 15 minutes, put our stuff in the apartment (the owner helped carry up the luggage one flight…no elevator). We set out to explore the city.
The Duomo complex is massive and impressive made of white and green marble, more in the Roman than Gothic style. It was built in the 13th and 14th centuries. The line to get into the cathedral stretched for blocks on Friday and we arrived after it was closed on Thursday…The statues below are in front of the Uffizzi…the original “David” is inside the Academia museum.
We walked over the famous Ponte Vecchio (meaning old bridge), the oldest stone bridge in Europe, lined with buildings and jewelry shops. We walked past the Piazza de’Pitti and on to a small church. It was becoming very cold and windy, so we walked back to our apartment quickly, got some food at a market (hot soup for most) and warmed up.