Saturday, Sep 10
We caught the bus at 7:15 am and were in Camucia by 7:30 am for the train to Firenze (Florence). Had a near mishap with getting only one ticket from the ticket machine, but John raced back and got another just as the train pulled in. Sometimes when you buy tickets for two people, you get one ticket that says "2 adulti," meaning two adults. The ticket we got at Camucia for Florence had a "2," but it meant second class seating.
However as the train was pulling
out of the station we realized John's ticket was not validated. After you buy a ticket you have to find a yellow validating machine and insert your ticket to be date and location stamped. So at the next stop John thought he could quickly leave the train, find a validating machine on the platform and quickly hop back on. The issues: how close would a machine be to our part of the train, and how quickly would the train leave the station after stopping. Thus far, the trains have been remarkably punctual and barely waste any time in the stations. Before the conductor came through, John was able to jump on and off and get validated. The whole ticket thing was a concern because of the signs warning that getting on a train without a ticket was a 40 euro fine- we were not sure where a non-validated ticket might fall in that scheme.
The moment we stepped off the train in Firenze we felt the humidity. Suddenly it was really hot. But we stashed our packs at the luggage deposit area in the train station and set off for the Duomo- the big cathedral with the first dome since the Romans. Bruneschelli was the architect. Giotto who did the frescoes in Assisi and the Annunciation in Cortona designed the bell tower next to the Duomo, and Ghiberti did the amazing doors to the baptistry (a separate building) which depict scenes from the Bible.
We were last on Firenze in late fall. There were still tourists, but we were surprised to see a waiting line snaking around the Duomo. A woman said she had been waiting 45 minutes. We only had 2 hours before our train to Padua (Padova). So we did a circuit of the building and worked through the crowd, and decided to get in line to see if it moved at all. The angels were with us and the line suddenly started moving. We were at the entrance quickly and saw a male uniformed attendant telling a young woman in a halter top she could not come in. Signs were posted outside the main doors outlining the dress code. Arms and shoulders must covered; no shots or short skirts. Some women had long scarves and threw them over their shoulders or around their waist.
The Duomo is am architectural feat, but had less of the feel of a place of worship than the other cathedrals and basilicas we'd visited on the trip. A quick look around; then down to the crypt to see the old Roman foundation and the remains of the Church of St. Reparata from the 4th century founded by Syrian Christians. The Syrians were some of the earliest Christians and many came to Firenze as traders.
Our last stop in Firenze was the Palazzo Medici dating from 1444, but bought by the Riccardi family in the 1700's and subjected to a Baroque make-over. Still just the sheer size of the rooms and the outdoor spaces was impressive.
Next stop Padova.
Below
Palazzo Medici garden
Line outside the Duomo
The Bell tower next to Duomo
Lighting a candle inside the Duomo
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