Farewell Florence

We have spent our last day in Florence exploring more gardens. This time it was the Bardini Gardens which are on a steep hillside across the Arno River and which abutt the city wall. Also in that vicinity is the Piazzale Michelangelo which is a lookout over the city. Of course you can buy anything there, so there is a festive atmosphere with lots of gelato being eaten and music playing.

Yes,we also indulged. I had a caramel pannacotta flavour and Jock had tiramisu flavour. It is not too sweet and not too creamy and yet more satisfying than a sorbet. It’s extraordinary just how many gelato shops there are and how much seems to be consumed. But then again there is not a lot of junk or fast food around and it seems Italians (Florentines and Romans anyway) can manage their gelato and wine and pasta very comfortably, and stay trim.

Lucky them! All that walking must help. We have noticed that some side streets are closed off to cars in the afternoons for the passeggiata, the ritual afternoon walk.

A small bollard with a glowing red light round the top of it rises from the ground, preventing cars passing. What a wonderful, simple idea.

It was a gorgeous sunny day today and a nice way to end our stay here. We also visited a rose garden under the Piazzale. The roses are not in bloom of course, but it was still very lovely and must be quite a haven in the summer heat. As it was Sunday the church bells rang out all round the city. From our vantage point high on the hill we could hear a symphony. Beautiful.

Last night we took ourselves off to a concert in town which was real tourist fodder but was very enjoyable. It was called the Three Tenors and indeed did have three tenors singing well known arias, accompanied by piano and mandolin. They were not of course THE three tenors and I am sure none of us would have heard of any of them. But they sure could sing and the harmonies and soaring sound in the church was uplifting.

Tomorrow we head into rural Tuscany on the train, where we will pick up our hire car, so we better get back to studying the road rules and learning the signs. Wish us luck!