Arriving in Florence by train. The EuroStar and the FrecciaRossa trains provide a fast and comfortable connection to Florence from Naples, Rome, Bologna and Venice. Approacing the train station, Santa Maria Novella, Brunelleschi's dome appears.
I am meeting with a friend for lunch and we have a nice visit, then he suggests we go visit the current exhibition on the History of Astronomy which has been set up to celebrate Galileo's observations into the Solar System. The exhibit is huge and the objects on show and the installations are very beautiful, interesting and illuminating! (indeed I finally understand the graphic of apparent movement of planets which has always been a mistery for me)
After wondering for a while in the most popular area (it's incredible the number of people that crowd the downtown during the day!) I am looking for presents to give to the children of a friend of mine who I'll be meeting in the evening.
That is when I realize how difficult it is to get away from the tourist area. Around me only souvenir's shops, leather shops, gelato shops, pizza shops, pottery shops. So I need to venture further away.
I finally make a "right" turn and I find myself on Via dei Servi. Finally the place I was looking for.
First of all, this is not too far from the center (it is actually still in the center of the city, a few blocks away from Piazza della Signoria!) You can see important landmarks at each end of the street: Brunelleschi's dome on one end, and at the other end Giambologna's equestrian bronze of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, on Piazza della Santissima Annunziata. So the perspective is unique!
[in the above picture the perspective of Via dei Servi from Piazza della Santissima Annunziata looking towards Brunelleschi's dome of St. Maria del Fiore]
Secondly, the variety of shops is Great! There is probably the most authentique ice-cream shop of Florence, definitely top quality gelato, a very nice Kebab restaurant, excellent Sushi-bar (also take away), book-shops, home tools and an art-store where I found very good quality sculpting tools (chesels and rasps) at very reasonable price! So I can finally put my hands on that piece of Italian Alabaster I was given a couple of years ago when visiting Volterra.
Lastly, on Via dei Servi you can find a permanent exhibition of wooden models of Leonardo's projects and machines! This exhibition is a great place to take your children to as they are allowed to play with and explore them!
I took some pictures of Florence yesterday, you can view them at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/scaggia.nerone.cc/Florence?feat=directlink
(copy and paste the above link in your browser)
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