Renaissance spirit: Florence/Florencia - Italy/Italia Corina Moscovich

Firenze S. María Novella Train Station

The river divides Florence into different touristic spots.

As the Rolling Stones sing: “You can´t always get what you want”. The most popular sites in Florence include the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Uffizi, the Bargello, the Accademia, the Palazzo Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens, the churches of Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce and the library of San Lorenzo.

Of course, I could only visit a few of them. E.g.: It is way too cold to wake up super early in order to queue in order to see David´s Michaelangelo. Sorry David. If l would see you alive like that maybe I would be an extra effort... (Bad joke)

Weather speaking, Florence is much drier than Venice. In December it is cold every day, a bit less cold when the sun is up (about midday). It gets really cold at night. 

Florence is super “walkable”. In some hot touristic spots is difficult to find your way. And that I don't like. 

Even if you don´t feel like walking because you feel cold, when you start moving, you get your reward. 

I´ve tried to have this picture without people: it was impossible

Machos de Firenze

Papa Francisco: From Argentina to the world 

Basilica of Santa Croce

I was glad to find creativity in the less expected places.

Data records 93: hard to miss

Before this picture I took five more (it was fun to see them getting ready)

Florence's cathedral (the Duomo in Piazza Duomo) is the fourth largest in the world, after St. Peter's in Rome, St. Paul's in London and the Duomo in Milan.

Pidgins are everywhere (not as bad as in Venice), same as scooters, shops of coloured leather bags and stationary (resembling old times and contemporary stuff as well).

The Arno River flows from Mount Falterona (in the Apennines Mountains) down through Florence, Empoli, and finally Pisa, where it deposits into the sea. 

Several bridges span the Arno in Florence. From East to West, the bridges (pontes) are: P. alle Grazie, P. Vecchio (most famous one), P. a Santa Trinita, P. Carraia and P. Amerigo Vespucci. Ponte Vecchio at night becomes a light show itself. 

 
The less touristic side of Florence: The Oltrarno includes the area of Santo Spirito, San Niccolò and San Frediano.

Via Dell´Orto (In Spanish Orto means...)

Next destination: Lucca (by bus) 

Area of Lago di Santa Croce, Farra D'Alpago, Italy Corina Moscovich

If you want to visit something different and not too far from Venice, a very good option is to drive one hour and explore the area of Lago di Santa Croce, Farra D'Alpago. All nature around you and very important: you breathe fresh air. You escape the bloody humidity of Venice.

Super ancient tree (I was told)

Poetry

 The sub-region of Alpago is a vast, enclosed natural basin which is surrounded on all sides by hills or mountains. I felt like Heidi (Girl in the Alps).

 In Col Indes you can admire the so-called "Casa del Libro" (“the Book House”), an actual house erected in 1990 by sculptor Livio de Marchi. 

Completely built in wood, all parts of this house reproduce books: the walls mimic piles of closed books; the roof is like an open book laid on top of the walls, and the fences are gigantic pencils pointing upwards.

 We ate at the Bar Bianco. There you can buy cheese and other typical and biological products of the region of the Caseificio del Cansiglio.

  I had the opportunity to see goats, donkeys, cows, sheeps, etc.

 

To go from Venice to Florence I did the following: First I took a train from Santa Lucia Station to Mestre Station. There I took the train to Florence Firenze Fredi station. It was a regional train, with some stops in between. Finally, from Firenze Fredi I took the last train to SMN (Santa Maria Novella station).

Corina Moscovich

Burano Island, Venice, Italy (day 3) Corina Moscovich

Burano Island is 45 minutes away by boat (Vaporetto 12 at Fondamento Nove for 15 euros return ticket). 

To go to Burano, first you have to go to Fondamente Nove.

Burano is an island in the Venetian lagoon. 

It is a colourful area, with less shops and distractions than in Venice itself. 

Amazing opportunity to take loads of pictures. 

I guess in summer it looks really beautiful...

I was told that houses started to be painted in bright colours so that fishermen could distinguish them easily.

If you go to Burano in late December (or January) dress warmly as it can be really cold.

This is where I had my first truly Italian pizza. As the cold air was entering my bones and joints, I had a green tea to keep me warm while waiting for the Vaporetto to go back to Venice.

Next: I don´t know! :)