we started the day off with the meager breakfast and off we went….
today we decided to take the tour bus around florence and the surrounding. it started off badly…
i heard the tour guide mention the michelangelo museum and thought that would be awesome to see, how little i knew! although it was interesting, the woman whose task it was to follow us around and make sure we didn’t steal anything (as if) or deface anything (yeah right) was a total bitch. she was not nice at all to the boys (who are old enough not to touch anything) and when asked a perfectly normal question answered with sarcasm and insult. she should never be allowed to work with the public.
on top of that, the tour bus only stopped there once every half hour and we missed it by 5 minutes so had a longggg time to wait. (everyone was in such a good mood anyway.)
so we got back on the bus eventually and i’ll be damned if i would recommend getting off again. the bus led us by many things we had already seen but it was neat to see them from another perspective and with a guide to give more information.
journey to fiesole
the bus headed to fiesole high above florence. it was a beautiful ride. the villas on the way to fiesole were magnificent! i would highly recommend a trip to the town. i would have liked to have seen it off of the bus…but maybe another day.
palazzo pitti
after this we were on to the palazzo pitti. it was a beautiful palace with a wealth of art throughout. i was most interested in the royal apartments which were quite interesting aside from the asian tour group that would not move aside after some time to allow other visitors to see the items of great interest. after finishing that tour i made a joke about the modern art area and that quashed that visit…
michael in front of neptune in the fountain
michael and i went to see the gardens outside which the kids weren’t interested in. it was probably 95 degrees so they were not interested in tromping around in the heat. it was a beautiful garden area but i think that schönbrunn palace in vienna was much more beautiful both inside and out. i tend to enjoy palaces that leave the interior in tact rather than just empty the rooms of furnishings and cram them full of art that has nothing to do with the original use of the room.
on a side note…we waited in line for our tickets at pitti just behind christopher meloni and his family. we didn’t bother him nor take any pictures. it seemed rude. he was very cute with his kids though; keeping them busy while waiting to take their turn. the nanny looked very put out though with the tattling to mom and dad by the kids.
after the palace we walked to a side road to a restaurant that at first glance the day before looked like a great place to eat. it was ok…very expensive but just ok. i’ll update with a name when my keepsakes are out of storage!
we went back to the hotel to chill for awhile. kaity was really not feeling well. i think it was a migraine compounded by excessive heat. she slept while the boys and michael and i went out to get dinner and walk around.
tyler on the merry-go-round
we went to the piazza della repubblica for yet another not very good italian meal at the caffe gilli. (i thought we could have gotten a better meal by knocking on an apartment door and asking to join the family meal.) it was expensive and not great but then again maybe i didn’t order the right thing. i had the lasagna which had multiple types of beans and legumes in it. the bonus was that tyler finally got to ride on the merry-go-round which he’d been dying to do since we saw it the first time.
jazzy quartet
while we were eating, there was this great little band playing in the piazza. they were very jazzy and the tourists were really enjoying them. apparently everyone but the the hari krishnas enjoyed them. the krishnas come out of no where with their not very jazzy chanting and bells and surround the little quartet, drowning them out and eventually forcing them to stop playing for a time.
damn krishnas
i thought it was very rude and uncalled for. (but that’s my feeling on a lot of religious interruption.) after the krishnas marched onward to bother someone else, the quartet began again and it was a nice background to dinner. i have to admit the quartet seemed very patient so i wonder if this is a regular interruption.
michael & porcellino
after that, we decided to walk around town for a bit before going back to the hotel.
tyler & porcellino
just by chance we happened upon the porcellino at the mercato del porcellino.
thomas & porcellino
it is a bronze sculpture of a warthog. which is believed to bring good luck.
after that we walked to the uffizi area again and then toward the arno to have a look at the bridges again. a few more pics of the duomo and other beautiful sites all around the downtown area.
michael and i had a quick coffee while the kids were at the hotel. this cafe had one of the few really really friendly service people we encountered. i appreciated his genial manner.
back to the hotel and preparation for leaving in the morning….
)
we left zagreb around10.30. the roads weren’t busy, thank goodness. the border crossing was fairly quick and easy. the slovenians were nice this time. (or as nice as was possible anyway) it’s always an adventure to drive with michael; part mario andretti, part evil knievel. 
