From Rome to Paris - A Spring in 2012

[rbjhan]

とても興味深い very interesting! Had to add a dash of Japanese

Honestly, this trip was before I went to Japan for the first time, which is a damn good thing.
Last year in Spain I was missing the vending machines, the Konbinis, the Ta-q-bin... forget about onsen!

 

[rbjhan]

Day 6 Siena

It was 1.5 hours by bus from Florence iirc. TBH if I'm doing it now I would spend at least one night here, can't recall why I didn't...

Natraully I started at Piazza del Campo





Didn't climb the Torre del Mangia as I had another idea...see below!

 

[rbjhan]

Duomo


A massive addition of the Duomo was once planned ( to rival Florence) however never completed.
What's been built had been converted into the Duomo Museum, and you can climb up here to the top of Facciatone, for the best view of Siena.

 

[rbjhan]

Stroll through the old town


San Domenico


I follow cycling like a religion...Strade Bianche is one of my favourite races on the calendar. Hopefully I can go back one year in March to see the finishing in Il Campo

 

[rbjhan]

Day 7
I bought the Firenze Card (only 50 euros in 2012!), which is quite handy. Best thing about this card is that admission and reservation are both included. Places like Uffizi, even if you have made online reservation in advance, there's still a separate queue to get in. With Firenze card I just showed it at the entrance and was waived straight in (disclaimer, I don't know how it works now.)

Speaking of the Uffizi, oh dear was I disappointed. Super crowded, no air con(?), and no photos
And I didn't get any special feeling with Primavera

The only picture you can take is this one...

 

[rbjhan]

Galleria dell'Accademia
Again, photos not allowed...
But there's this one in the courtyard


Of course, David is everywhere in Florence more to come.

Went to the Mercato Centrale for lunch.


OMG this was so good

 

[rbjhan]

Palazzo Pitti
This place is massive! I think I maybe covered 20%?
Back then I didn't even have a wide angle lens this is the only picture showing the size of it (taken from top of Giotto Bell Tower)

 

[craven morehead]

Day 6 Siena

It was 1.5 hours by bus from Florence iirc. TBH if I'm doing it now I would spend at least one night here, can't recall why I didn't...

Natraully I started at Piazza del Campo
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Didn't climb the Torre del Mangia as I had another idea...see below!

Visited Siena ever so briefly in 1992 maybe half a day.

 

[rbjhan]

Visited Siena ever so briefly in 1992 maybe half a day.

I'm so staying overnight next time.

 

[rbjhan]

Ponte Vecchio


Mostly jewellery shops


End of day 7.

 

[VPS]

Fantastic photos - I've probably asked before but what camera are you using?

I had a wonderful day in Sienna - sat in the square and the most expensive hot chocolate I've ever had but it was so worth it

 

[rbjhan]

Fantastic photos - I've probably asked before but what camera are you using?

I had a wonderful day in Sienna - sat in the square and the most expensive hot chocolate I've ever had but it was so worth it

What I have now is an Olympus OMD EM-10, with a Panasonic Leica 8-18mm F2.8-4, and an Olympus M Zuiko 45mm F1.8.
Back in 2012, iirc was an Olympus Pen EPL-1 with the kit lens - during this trip I repeatedly cursed the lack of a wide angle

 

[rbjhan]

Day 8
Went to The Mall in the morning, a girl needs to shop

 

[rbjhan]

Got back to Florence in the early afternoon.
Went to Palazzo Vecchio.




More David

 

[rbjhan]

Took a bus to Plaza Michelangelo.

David again of course!
The 4 below are Dusk, Dawn, Day and Night - from the Cappelle Medicee.






This is one of my favourite photo of the whole trip.

 

[rbjhan]

Day 9
Last day in Florence!

First stop Cappelle Mecidee, which turned out to be my favourite place in Florence. Especially the Sagrestia Nuova Paradise for Michelangelo fans...

Sadly photos not allowed.

 

[rbjhan]

Next stop Santa Crose


Burial place for almost all the Florentine Renaissance big guns.

Galileo


Michelangelo


Machiavelli


Dante, however, was not buried here. This is his cenotaph.

 

[rbjhan]

Leave the best to last!


Yep, I went to climb Giotto Belltower.
It was probably the most tiring climb of this trip? It was over 400 steps...also people go up and down using the same stairs, so you need to step aside from time to time...

Halfway


The Baptistery

 

[rbjhan]

Finally!
And this is why I chose to climb the tower instead of the Duomo.










That is the end of my time in Florence, my favourite Italian city
Next stop Venice.

 

[rbjhan]

Where to stay in Venice?
Now that question really should be how much is your budget?
The answer, I suspect, will always be not enough!

As a result, I actually chose a hotel in Mestre, on the mainland. Here you can stay in a nicer hotel for less money, of course the trade off is you are not actually in Venice....since I had two nights planned, I thought twice a day bus ride was acceptable.

But if I'm going again will probably bite the bullet and book a hotel in Venice.

Departed Florence fairly late, so Day 9 ended in Mestre.