We spent our last morning in Venice wandering the streets and watching the garbage men pick up the big bins of trash and roll them down the alleyways to the canal. I never thought about how they would dispose of garbage in a place like Venice but they have garbage boats that pick up the smaller bins the garbage men collect and empty them into the boat. Of course this was Topher's favorite thing we saw in Venice. He really pitched a fit when we had to leave the garbage boat and pack up our things to head to Florence.
This is probably a good time to highlight the benefits of packing very light and in backpacks. We were able to make our way all through the city, up and down many sets of steps over the canal bridges and tons of cobblestone with no issues. We saw so many people pulling luggage with broken wheels and struggling with all their stuff and we just breezed on by. Don't get me wrong, it was still hot as Hades and a lot of work to get to the train station but it was so much better than it could have been. Topher just enjoyed his ride in the stroller :)
Our train ride to Florence was fun and relatively uneventful. Christopher had a good time watching the countryside go by and playing with his cars. By the time we got to Florence we were all starving, tired and short on patience though. We tried to eat dinner at the hotel but it their kitchen wasn't open until 7:30 and we were all going to die before that. We found the one place in walking distance that was open earlier and ate a giant pile of food before totally crashing at the hotel.
Topher practices his Italian and sleeps hard core on the cushy hotel bed.
First thing the next morning we headed to the Piazza del Duomo. The cathedral was so much bigger than I expected and exceptionally detailed. Of course Topher liked the small puddles in the cobblestone much more than the building.
Thomas bought tickets to climb the steps to the top of the Brunelleschi's Dome and I am not sure that any of us really knew what exactly that entailed. We climbed and climbed and climbed and then when we thought we were almost there we climbed some more. We finally emerged at the base of the dome on the inside of the cathedral and it was beautiful! We were able to walk halfway around the dome admiring the ceiling.
I assumed we would then climb down all those stairs and go on our way. We were already sweating to death, legs burning and Topher squirming. Then we realized we would be climbing to the very TOP of the dome and we had so many more stairs to go! They got narrower and narrower and steeper as we went up, up, up. I let Topher out of the carrier to climb some on his own because my legs were about to totally give up.
Finally, after 463 steps we emerged at the top of the dome and all those steps were worth it (I think).
Christopher found the cutest little French friend and they bonded over their mutual love of cars. The two of them drove all over the top of the dome and it was adorable. Sometimes boys just need to get down in the dirt and play even when they're on vacation.
Look at his little crossed fingers! I love when he does that!
Sitting on the sidewalk eating our treats we looked up and realized just how far we'd climbed. If I knew how far up it was I might not have done it- ha!
More puddles!
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| The Tree of Life |
We continued to wander through the city on our way back to the hotel and stumbled upon a little courtyard with The Tree of Life! Florence is like that- everywhere you wander you will find something interesting or unique and always beautiful. I think we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant this day while Christopher practiced his art skills.
After naps- which, by the way, are the best thing ever on vacation- we headed out on the bus to Pitti Palace. We ended up not being able to find the entrance to the grounds but we enjoyed the courtyard and chasing pigeons for a while.
Again, we wandered along the river to just see what there was to see. We stopped at a book store and we had to buy a small toy cow and a horse so we could leave there without Christopher totally freaking out. He was having a bit of a hard time after being dragged around all day.
We ended up at Ponte Vecchio along with every other person in Florence it seemed. The sunset from there was unbeatable and you could feel the magic of the city creep in as night fell.
When he wants to sit an play he doesn't really care what everyone else is doing.
After dinner at a hidden cafe around the corner from the Uffizzi Gallery, we decided to walk until we were too tired and then catch the nearest bus back to the hotel. I love almost any city at night, the dark along with twinkling lights makes everything feel so much more cozy but Florence was extra special in this regard. We stumbled upon the most magical carousel in Piazza della Repubblica and couldn't pass up the chance to ride.
I gave Christopher two Euros and he paid the attendant to get aboard his horse. He laughed and giggled the entire time and I had to peel him off that horse when the ride was over. I love that he loves carousels as much as I do.
This day in Florence made me fall so in love! It was my favorite city we visited and I really want to go back and find more of it's hidden treasures someday.
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