A Florentine Evening - the Duomo and Dinner

Upon check-in at the Albergo Merlini, dumping our luggage in rooms, and freshening up, we were eager to be out in the beautiful early evening sunshine in Florence. We headed out, probably around 6:00 p.m.,  with no map, but a general idea of where we were going as we set off in search of the Duomo, as the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Saint Mary of the Flower) is usually called. No panoramic photograph of Florence would be complete without it.

Too bad my birthday is so far away.

Hmm. plaid and leopard print. Ick.

Along the way, we saw a shop which made us question Italian fashion, and Barb promised (threatened??) to buy this outfit for me....although, despite walking by this shop everyday, we somehow never worked up the courage, or maybe the sartorial lassitude which would be required to enter this shop. Blech. Maybe it was some sort of Art Installation... Or, how about this combo? Really? This is Italy??? There was never ANYONE who wore anything even remotely this hideous. It was like stepping into a parallel universe of some small town 1986 bargain basement sale.


Having been to Florence before, when we came to a street with the baptistry ahead of us, I knew we were close, but I didn't say anything. While keeping up a constant flow of chatter about all the shops we were passing, and ooh....look at the food in that shop, we'll have to go back there, BAM, there it was, all of a sudden right around the corner, and I think I had bumped into Barb as she had stopped in jaw-dropping amazement , as I was still looking back at the food shop, at the stupendous immensity of the Duomo RIGHT THERE. It almost defies belief....You cannot imagine how huge it is until you are standing before it, it was like a slap in the face. Nothing wakens your senses like the magnificent artistry and architecture of the Duomo, and you want to absorb every detail. My photos don't do it justice, but they're what I have!

Early evening sunshine on the Duomo

We spent quite awhile taking our first photographs of it that evening, and went back the next day for another hour of photographing...... This is the central door of the Duomo, which is flanked by a door, marginally smaller, on either side. It is huge.... I used my cell phone as my camera since it actually takes better photos than my camera, but it can be daunting taking pictures alongside a professional photographer who has a kick-ass camera and immense talent. So I get really self-conscious, and kind of just snap away, thinking, "this is as good as it gets...." I should be more patient, but whatever, I'm pretty snap-happy whenever I travel, so it's nice to be with someone who isn't standing around tapping their foot impatiently while I click away. :)  Do yourself a favour, if you don't have it, download Google Earth, and search "the Duomo, Florence", and take yourself to the street view. Sigh. Sniff. Take me baaaaaaaaaaaack!!!

Facing  the front of the Duomo is the octagonal Battistero di San Giovanni (Baptistry of St. John), which is famous for its bronze doors. There are three sets of doors, one made by Andrea Pisano, and the other two by Lorenzo Ghiberti, who designed "The Gates of Paradise" (this name was given by Michelangelo), which are gilded, and probably the most famous. There were too many people there to take a full picture of the doors, so here is my photo of one of the panels.
This scene is apparently of Joshua. I just liked it.

Vowing to return in the photo-friendly morning light, we set off in search of dinner, without wanting to have a super-big meal, we found a little restaurant near the train station, having made a big loop of a few blocks near our hotel. Many restaurants have food that is ready-to-eat, and just needs reheating sometimes, and the best pizza I remember having was at once such place in Florence on my honeymoon. The offerings looked mouthwatering, and I chose breaded chicken (which I later found out is something made for tourists :(....) and spaghetti, and Barb chose pizza and Caprese salad. We chose a half-litre of Chianti to go with it, and sat down with our cafeteria-style trays at a table with wobbly pew-like benches. Sadly, it was probably the most disappointing food we ate in Italy, although really not terrible, just mediocre. But we were so hungry at that point, we ate it all.... And I have to say the propietor was extremely genial, probably just happy to have customers..... the lighting made the food look yellower than it was.

Night had fallen by then, and Barb had not yet tried that Great Italian Wonder - Gelato!!! So, at Caffe Degl'Innocente, which serves gelato (not for breakfast, although maybe they would, they seemed to like us, I almost asked one day....), so we ordered the first of many gelati on what became a gelat-tasting extravaganza. I had pistacchio, while Barb had nocciola (hazelnut). It was love at first taste for Barb, while I got to fall in love with it all over again. Smooth, creamy, and so fresh-tasting, it's like a fairy garden party in your mouth. (Yes I am a mother to girls....stay tuned for the vehicle pics I took for my son, though, lol). My next blog on gelato will include some more pics of gelato, and I am going to attempt making it too :)

It was our first evening in Florence, with our first walk down via Faenza (I think we started off going the wrong way), our first view of the duomo, our first dinner, and our first taste of gelato on this trip.  We headed back to our little golden twin beds at the Albergo Merlini, glimmering with happiness, and what we didn't know yet was we were about to experience our Best Day Ever in our Further Explorations of Florence....but that's another story (okay, did that make you think of "Hammy Hamster"? Okay, one of those things just doesn't belong here....and now I'm in Sesame Street)!!!  Time to turn the brain off, and arrivederci until next time!