The Great Italian Road Trip 2023, Part 2–Firenze

Ciao ragazzi, and welcome back! Nice to see everyone’s (hopefully) smiling faces again (and if you aren’t, you will be by the end of this post!).

We left the action last week with a sad farewell to one of the most amazing cities on the planet, Venezia, and we pick up the story after a vaporetto and bus ride to Marco Polo airport, in order to retrieve the (alleged) VW Golf from Sixt.

It wasn’t a Golf. But thankfully, this time, it also wasn’t a hateful Jeep Renegade. It was the lovely Cinquecento X from Fiat. With its 999cc turbocharged inline-THREE-cylinder engine, mated to a fairly serviceable 6-speed manual gearbox, it wasn’t going to win any drag races. Or rally races. Or…..anything, actually, it was pretty slow. But it still hauled all the things with enough applicable gusto. I will definitely award brownie points for the ECU automatically blipping the throttle just a little when you let off the clutch, so you don’t have to. That was a nice feature.

Originally the plan was to cruise through Ravenna, over to Bologna, and down to Firenze, with stops along the way (as is fashionable on a proper road trip after all!) to see Dante’s tomb (Ravenna) and the Lamborghini museum along with the famed Bob Wallace Roundabout. Sadly, because of the massive stress and logistical hiccups caused by the stupid Belgian baggage dingbats, the new goal became getting to Firenze quickly, to facilitate earlier check-in, and then some time for shopping for much-needed missing clothing items (socks, undies, more shirts, etc). So those other stops will get checked off the list on a future visit.

Upon arrival in Firenze, it was back to–for those of you who read last year’s entry–the famed Hotel Duomo, room 31. A bit of a shop, a quick change of clothes, a quick sip of some Stagg Jr. while taking in the view, and it was time for dinner…..

…..at last year’s big winner, Vetreria, just off from the Duomo itself on Via del Proconsolo. But no simple ragu this time friends, oh heavens no. I was pining for something I missed out on last year. Bistecca alla Fiorentina. The famed Florentine t-bone, 40 days dry aged. 1.25 kilograms of absolute beefy heaven. I would rate the flavor as well north of prime here in the US, but not quite on par with (though also not anywhere CLOSE to the price of) Wagyu/Kobe. Magnificent, though. That’s what matters. Fans of TV’s “King of the Hill” will know what I mean when I say it was my Bobby Hill moment. And the staff was absolutely SHOCKED that I ate the whole thing (in about 15-20 minutes as well). ‘Murica.

After dinner, too early to retire for the evening, the next stop was Divina Terrazza rooftop bar. There’s something important to know about rooftop bars in Italy….yes, the drinks are expensive. You aren’t paying for just the drink though. You’re paying for the view…..and what a freakin view!! The drinks were pretty spectacular as well.

After drinks, on the way back to the hotel….yep. Busking! Firenze is a party town through and through, and it shows at night for sure. Last year’s “Wonderwall” guy was there, but there was a new sheriff in town who absolutely stole the show…..and the crowd!! But more on that at the end of the post.

Up early-ish the next morning, and into the comfy (running) shoes. It was time to climb the Duomo….all 463 steps of it. Fun fact: People were a lot smaller in the 15th/16th centuries. So their stairs are smaller. The doorways are smaller. The passageways are smaller. Richard Hammond would have been the tallest man for miles. It was a relatively easy climb, if you don’t count all the wheezing from all us out of shape tourists. But man….it was worth every second and every labored breath. There were a few spots along the way to get photos, so if you go, definitely plan for anywhere from 45-60 minutes. It’s about 15 minutes up, 10 down, plus stops for photos along the way.

After coming back down to ground level, a quick breakfast was followed by a 10-minute walk to the Uffizi gallery, directly adjacent to the Piazza della Signora (the really tall clock tower building pictured a few scrolls up the page here). The building was originally the offices of the Medici, who were essentially the family that kickstarted the Renaissance itself. It houses countless masterpieces, to include Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus”. I’ll share a few below:

After the Uffizi, a little wander across the Arno (that’s the river that runs through Firenze) via the Ponte Vecchio (which literally means “old bridge”) :

…to the neighborhood known as the “Oltrarno”, because it was critical to find a very specific tiny little restaurant called Babae and their famed Buchetta di Vino….Wine Window!! These little arched (former, mostly) openings are on loads of buildings throughout Firenze; this one happens to be a functioning restaurant where you can get a glass of wine (or spritz!) through the window. Yes, there’s a premium on the price to have one but come on….you can’t do this in Texas that’s for sure (cue the Texans jumping in their Texas Edition trucks with their Texas shirt and hat on to come yell at me).

Next up was the Accademia Gallery. While there is an incredible number of unfinished sculptures by Michelangelo inside the Accademia, let’s be honest. There’s really just one sculpture *EVERYONE* wants to see. Yep. Saw him……all 18 feet of solid marble. Words don’t do justice. Simply astonishing.

The next “thing” on the day’s itinerary was still a couple hours away, so a quick stop at Fontana del Porcellino to rub his snout (not a euphemism, weirdly) and drop a coin off his tongue for luck.

Lunch was a lovely quick sandwich at Santa Croce Bistrot, a delightful little cafe just a quick stroll down a lane near…you guessed it, Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze. A massive Franciscan church, with frescoes by Giotto inside as well as the final resting places of some of the most important figures in all of human history–famed composer Gioachino Rossini, Niccolo Machiavelli, Napoleon’s sister-in-law and her daughter, Galileo, and Michelangelo…..among *MANY* others. It’s a very awe-inspiring experience to stand just a few feet away from the final resting place of humanity’s greatest sculptor.

A little rest-up at the hotel (where checked baggage was waiting!! GODS BE PRAISED IT ARRIVED!!) then it was time for dinner at Sesto on Arno. Located on the sixth floor (the “Sesto” in the name) of the Westin Excelsior (along the Arno, hence the “on Arno”), the food, beverages, service, and views were absolutely second to none. A boulevardier kicked things off, followed by the chef’s choice in tasting menu form (surprises always make for a better adventure, but please be sure you communicate any restrictions up front or–better yet–when you make the reservation! Help those hard-working hospitality industry folks out!!). First up, an amuse of raw prawn dumpling with a roasted chile. Antipasto was veal carpaccio with tuna sauce, capers and onion. Primo was the pappardelle with tuscan rosemary rabbit and truffle. Next up was a beverage called “Joy”, along with a secondo of roasted saddle of rabbit with mushrooms, potatoes and onion, and finally a plate of basically just a bunch of chocolate.

Once again, refusing to turn in *TOO* early, it was time to Fuk. No, seriously, look:

The bartenders were great, it wasn’t too busy and we had a great conversation until a huge group of American teenagers walked in, eager to take advantage of Italy’s more down-to-earth drinking age. One of the fellas went over to take their order, none of them had any idea what to ask for, and when he got back to the bar I just said “Bambini Americani” and shrugged. He laughed and laughed. Pretty sure I made a new friend with just those two words.

Before we get into the final day in Firenze, I want to highlight something I personally think is really cool. There’s a street artist in the city whose instagram is @cletabraham (i know i don’t do the plug thing often, and this isn’t paid or affiliated in any way….clet is just really talented) who “constructively defaces” street signs. Once you see one, you find yourself realizing they’re everywhere. I love this person’s work. Here’s a few examples I caught:

Okay with that out of the way, the final day in Firenze was spectacular. I mean just about ANY day in Firenze will be spectacular but *THIS* day….was day one of The Professor’s Vespa Adventures in Italy™. I can’t speak highly enough of New Tuscany Scooter Rental. Luca (the owner/operator) is immensely personable, will take the time to tailor a tour/route for your preferences if you want, patiently explains the ins and outs of what will result in an expensive camera citation (BUS LANES!! STAY OUT OF BUS LANES FOR THE LOVE OF GAWD!!!), and all around a wonderful gentleman to work with. Give ’em a google if you’re headed to the area and interested in renting a Vespa. He has a host of various scooters for all experience levels–we had a 125 Primavera (in RED–the best and most Italian color!) and it was magnificent. Total freedom to go wherever (EXCEPT THE GOTDANG BUS LANES!! SERIOUSLY STAY OUT OF THOSE), and man was I anxious to fit in. Lane splitting, getting in front of all the cars at the stop lights, racing other Vespas…..what a freakin trip that was. So much so that…..well, we’ll talk about that later. Toured all over the place, but the primary goal was Piazzale Michelangelo, south of the Arno, with a spectacular viewing point of the Florence skyline. There was also some more wandering in the Oltrarno where I came across Mannina, probably the second-best-known shoemaker in Firenze after Stefano Bemer. While I sadly don’t have the time available for their bespoke shoemaking offer (you have to come back every few weeks for a fitting until the first pair–and thus the lasts upon which your shoes are made–are perfected) I was able to find a lovely pair of handmade Italian cap-toes in black, which should easily last me a decade or more. Cap it all off with an apertivo and a sammich with a fairly-decent view and I’d say all things considered, Firenze once again did not even come *CLOSE* to disappointing. Rome was just a couple hours down the autostrada, but that’s next week. For now, I leave you with–first and foremost–a photo of me absolutely scarring a child for life on the carousel in the middle of Piazza della Repubblica, as well as the videos of the most entertaining busker I’ve seen in ages as promised.

As always, if you’ve made it this far, thanks so much for reading. But more importantly, if you can, please go see a part of the world you’ve never been to before. There’s a lot out there to experience. Next up….Rome!!