Are we there yet? Two more blocks, really!

Remember when you took the kids on a trip or you were a kid on the trip?  The standard question eventually was, :"Are we there yet?" and the answer you always told the kiddies or were told by your parents was, "Just a few more blocks" or "Almost there".  Well that has become the standard joke on this little jaunt.  They ask me how much further we have to walk and I say, "just a few more blocks, not far".  On the way back this afternoon the weather was so clear as we came up our street you could see the mountains in the distance.  Jim the attorney said, "I betcha John is going to have us walk to that Church on the mountain and tell us it's only a few blocks away".  Hmmmm, they always believe me so I don't know what the issue is.  Needless to say everyone is really tired today.  They saw most of Florence, it is not possible to see everything in one visit.  We leave for Venice, one of the most expensive places to visit in all Italy!

We started the jaunt at the Uffizi gallery, the premier art museum that was once the private gallery of the Florence's ruling family, the Medici.  It has an extensive collection.  Here is picture from the top floor gallery looking out at the Ponte Vecchio.

Ponte Vecchio

 From the roof terrace there is a great view of the Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall of Florence where the Signoria held its meetings.

Palazzo Vecchio

 Here is Mom on the roof terrace with the Duomo and the Bell Tower of Giotto in the background.

Mom on a cool tin roof

 View of Duomo through the rail.

Duomo view in fours

 We then marched with these fellow over to the Mercato Nuovo or Straw Market to look at handbags, what else?

The defender of the purse at the Straw Market

 In Rome you throw three coins into the Trevi Fountain to come back and rub St. Peter's Toe for a Blessing on your pilgrimage.  In Florence you place a coin in a pigs mouth and then rub it's nose in hopes you don't get ripped off in the markets.....errrrr, ok I made the last part up.  You place a coin in his mouth then rub his nose to come back to Florence.

Mom and Rosemary polishing the pig in hopes of returning to hog heaven.

 Then on to Lunch at the Medici restaurant in the San Lorenzo market to be fortified for the upcoming Olympic handbag shopping.

Rosemary's rosy cheeks after some Vino Rosso

 As we made our way to the Mercato Centrale, the city's central food market.  Hey the guide could care less about bags made from dead animals, he wanted to see the good stuff Italy is famous for, like food!  The Mercato Centrale is Florence answer to the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia.  My Philly friends would all feel quite at home and might even think they were home if they were in the Centrale.  On the way we ran into these four little pigs enjoying a quite Pranzo outside a meat market specializing in Pork.

Four little petrified pigs enjoying their last supper.

 Once in the Mercato Centrale Mom found a new friend.  A Weinheimer Dog.  We had two of these growing up.  The stall owner said this gal was 7 years old and she was very friendly.  Our second one would never have been welcome in the Market as he would have devoured the whole place.

The grey ghost and the silver fox meet up at the market.

 Not everyone is into handbags, shoes and ceramics.  Rosemary in her glory in one of the fabric stores.  We tried to find one we were in yesterday but never did but we did find this one.  She didn't find any fabric to suit her fancy so it looks like the money she brought to support the Italian economy is going to the Amish.  Hey Jack, Guess where your going this fall???  Whoopie pie here you come!

Rosemary in Florentine heaven.

 Not all art is found in the Museums.  These street artists draw in chalk every day near the Piazza Republica.

Street Chalk Art.

 The City of Milan was a united Italy's first capitol, in order to put pressure on the Pope to surrender the Papal States (all of Central Italy), the Capitol was moved to Florence.  When that happened the new government tour down an ancient neighborhood dating to Roman and Etruscan times in the name of progress, displacing thousands of families who had lived there for centuries.  Adding insult to injury this triumphal arch was erected by Il Duce who was Prime Minister at the time.  It roughly translates as, "In this ancient, destitute and wretched run down neighborhood we restored beauty.  Not an exact translation but you get the picture of how arrogant it was to destroy and displace people then insult them!

Insulting Arch

 This column marks the center of Roman Florence, here was the ancient forum.  A column has stood here on this spot for thousands of years.  Not even Il Duce dared erase Roman Influence.

Column marking the center of Roman Florence

 We ended by limping back to the hotel and passing the Great Duomo of Santa Maria Fiori and the beautiful bell tower designed by Giotto.

Arrivederci Fiorenze!