Florence - Day 4

Our last full day in Florence dawned as all the other had, with full and glorious sunshine. We were well and truly blessed when it came to the weather on this trip.

We had now seen most of the major tourist attractions and the problem was that the remaining ones, like the Pitti Palace or the Palazzo Vecchio, would likely be closed, as most museums and palazzos close on Mondays. So we settled on a nice relaxing afternoon in the Boboli Gardens, situated just behind the Pitti Palace. It promised large landscaped areas with tree-lined walks, impressive fountains and possibly one more gelato in the sun.

When we reached the gates, however, we saw that it too was closed. This time under some obscure tradition where it closes the first and last Monday of the month. So we trekked on, deciding to make for San Miniato, a church up on a hill on the outskirts of Florence that is known to have terrific views of the city. After a half-hour of frustration, though, we had to admit we were lost. Lucky for us we happened upon some Germans who seemed to have the same problem. We chatted with them for a while and then realised that between us we had the solution: they had a map and we had Fiona's extraordinary map reading and orienteering skills. So we eventually found the right way and parted ways with our fellow lost souls. As seems to happen when we get lost trying to find something in particular, we stumbled across some other hidden gems - perfect Tuscan views looking down onto the city over olive groves and old terracotta roofs.

It was hot this day, so we were glad when we eventually made it to San Miniato. We were even more relieved when it proved to be absolutely worth the effort. The view over the city was amazing. The church itself was also quite nice, with a golden mosaic over the altar and wonderful carvings and marble inlays elsewhere.

We went across the street for lunch and sat on the cafe patio, which also had an amazing view. We sat and stared while the typically 'relaxed' Italian service took its time getting our orders. We can't count how many tables (mostly of North Americans) we saw, here and elsewhere, that sat down and ended up leaving before getting their drinks or food because they thought the service was too slow. We realized quite quickly that if you were in any sort of rush, don't bother sitting down, just get some street food. If it really bothers you that a full half hour will elapse between the time you sit down and the waiter brings your drink, Italy is not for you. With a view like we had at this particular cafe, why would anyone begrudge a few more minutes?

With our plans for the day in disarray, we improvised. We wanted to be back at San Miniato for sunset, so we could get some good shots for our faithful blog readers, but what to do with the 6 hours in between? We walked down through the Piazzale Michelangelo, which had more stunning views plus an outdoor version of David, and then back down the hill to find the small piazza with the Bartolini sculptures we read about the day before. We eventually found Piazza Demidoff, where the Bartolini had been erected to commemorate a city magnate from the 1800's. Although it had seen its share of weather, it was still very impressive. The green space that surrounded it was so inviting that we decided to stay a while, staking a claim to one of the park benches. Fiona, the good wife that she is, let me use her lap as a pillow for a very satisfying mid-afternoon nap - very much a la 'Notting Hill' with the gender roles reversed.

Suitably energized, we stopped at a small store to pick up some items for dinner and headed back up the hill. We made it back to San Miniato just as the monks were beginning their vespers, all done in Gregorian chant, so we stuck around for a half hour and bathed in the serenity. It was one of the most relaxing experiences.

We then went back to our little cafe with the view to have another birra e vino. By the time we finished, the sun was going down and we headed back to the Piazzele Michelangelo to stake out a good spot. Fiona had been reading up on shooting sunsets and she took a great many excellent shots. The last of the sunlight was still fading away as we power-walked back to the hotel, where we took a small bottle of champagne up to the rooftop patio. We looked at all the pictures we took and remembered all the places we had gone and food we had eaten. We hit the bed exhausted.

The next day we packed up our belongings, noting that there seemed to be significantly more than what we came with. We had a late afternoon flight so we managed to squeak in a tour of the church across the piazza from our hotel, Santa Maria Novella, acquire some excellent Tuscan balsamic vinegar and even pick out a nice stone mosaic, just small enough to still squeeze into the suitcase.

The cab ride back to the airport was an adventure. Because the rate is set from downtown hotels to the airport, it is in the cabbie's interest to get you there as soon as possible. We initially marvelled at the skill of our driver as he ducked and weaved around, through and out of traffic. We got a little more worried however when we came within inches from being sideswiped by an enormous tour bus. Our driver wasn't even phased.

Our return flights were uneventful. As we spiralled in towards Aberdeen airport, the sun was illuminating the green fields all the way from the seaside to the mountains. It was such a spectacular view and reminded us of the special beauty our 'home' has. Even after a vacation such as the one we just had, with very little negative to say about anything, it still felt nice to be back home.