Statia

STATIA'S FLORENCE & VENICE, ITALY TRIP REPORT

Travelers:
Statia and husband

Ages & Health:
34 & 43, respectively. Overall healthy.

Dates of Travel:
July 2 - 14, 2003

Itinerary:
4-1/2 days Florence
4-1/2 days Venice
1 day Paris

Main Modes of Transportation:
Air France (coach class)
Eurostar
Cabs
Buses
Vaporetto
Water Taxi

Accomodations:
Apartment Rentals in Florence & Venice
Hotel in Paris

Dining Style:
Medium price range, with the occassional splurge

Clothing Packed:
For her: Knee length skirts, sleeveless summer sweaters & blouses, along with stylish Clark's sandals.
For him: Zip off cargo pants, button up shirts, and white (gasp!) tennis shoes (believe it or not, we didn't stand out in the crowds).

Trip Purpose:
Husband's birthday in Florence.
Renewing our vows on a gondola for our ten year wedding anniversary in Venice.

Overall Perception:
We enjoyed Florence for the art & history. His favorite.
We enjoyed just wandering and exploring more in Venice. Her favorite.
Paris was simply a place to relax before heading home, since we'd been there before.
We thoroughly enjoyed each city for it's own reasons.

Now, if you want more detailed info, feel free to read on. Since I'm sure this report might get to be a bit long, you could always do as I do when reading trip reports. I like to print them out to peruse with a nice glass of vino or a gelato, at my leisure.

To begin with, I have received such a wealth of information from the people on this board, so I want to give back by contributing my own trip report with the most detailed information that I can. I am a very detail oriented person, so forgive me if I delve a bit too deep than most people care to hear, that's just my writing style, and I will aplogize beforehand. This is my first time posting such travel details on a public forum (I usually only do reports for friends and family), so I hope to be of some assistance to someone out there.......just as you all have been to me. I tried to include detailed info in my heading, as well as include headings and caps in my report, so that specific info could be found easily herein, rather than having to read the whole report. So, here goes..........

JULY 2 - 3 HOME (ST. EUSTATIUS / SABA / ST. MAARTEN) to PARIS CDG / PISA / FLORENCE for ARRIVAL

My husband and I left our little island home of St. Eustatius at 10:45 a.m. and had a rather uneventful and enjoyable trip all the way to Paris. AIR FRANCE has even made some additions to their coach service since our last European adventure in 1999. We typically fly American Airlines (due to their monopoly on our hub), so in all honesty, Air France is quite a step up for us. Each seat had it's own seat-back televsion screen for movies, television shows, documentaries, geographical info, and music. Also included were eye mask, headphones, blanket & pillow (for which I'd had my own pillow cases made and felt more sterile and comfy). The service was good and the meals were great in comparison to what we are used to on AA. Wine, good entree, cheeses, after dinner drink etc. We were overall pleased with the service and provisions on Air France for our 8.5 hour flight over "the pond." It was also nice that AF placed carts with self service drinks near the emergency exits, for those who try to wander about and walk around a bit during the flight.

I have to make a special mention here to all the Fodorites who wished us well in a thread before we left. As intended, I printed the thread and showed it to my husband shortly after takeoff from St. Maarten. He was thrilled to say the least. Thanks to you all!

We only slept an hour or two due to excitement about our arrival (which we expected) and finally landed at PARIS CDG at 6:15 a.m. LT the next day. No problems with customs or immigration (although we now hold an EU passport, so that might have simplified things). We arrived at terminal 2D and had to take a shuttle bus to 2F for our connection. Everything was well marked and we honestly had no problems getting from one terminal/gate to the other. The weather was chilly at 50+ degrees F., which was unexpected for July. I was glad I had brought my sweater. We had a pleasant time while hanging out at CDG for nearly four hours, and it was nice to be around some of the French culture again (although we knew we'd love the Italian culture just as much).

When we finally boarded our flight from Paris to Florence, we were seated with a very nice American lady about our ages, and got to know each other quite a bit on the flight (she was traveling alone). I was surprised that our flight from SXM to CDG had mostly French passengers, yet our flight from CDG to Florence consisted of mainly American passengers. As we were approaching Florence, the pilot announced a "little problem" Uh-oh........the trip had been so good up to now, what could be the problem? Apparently, there was too much wind to land in Florence, so we were to be diverted to Pisa. Luckily we're easy people, so we didn't mind. I'd actually wanted to include Pisa in our trip to begin with, but figured we didn't have time. So, as Martha would say, "this was a good thing," although it would get us into Florence later than planned.

Upon arrival in PISA, we all collected our luggage and had the option of getting to Florence on our own, or taking the Air France chartered bus that would arrive within two hours. All of the passengers swapped ideas of the train, sharing cabs, etc. Our new friend, Leslie, and we kept debating the same issues, and even thought of trying to high tail it by cab to the Leaning Tower while we were there. However, we opted to wait around for the chartered bus, and were glad we did in the long run, since it arrived much sooner than expected. So, our stay in Pisa was brief, but another little adventure in our trip, nonetheless.

I have to add here that our only concern with being delayed into Florence, was that we had someone awaiting our arrival at the apartment that we'd rented. So, I felt compelled to attempt to telephone her to notify of our late arrival. I bought a phone card at a tobacco shop in the airport and could NOT figure out how to use it. I finally let my husband have a go at it, but he couldn't figure it out either. My husband then summoned an employee in the tobacco shop to assist, and he was very helpful. Turns out that it wasn't us.......it was the phone. Eventually, however, we found a working phone and reached our landlord, who said she'd be happy to wait for our delayed arrival, and if it got too late, she'd leave the key with the restaurant downstairs. We were already having a wonderful impression of the Italian people!

After boarding the bus, for which Leslie had saved us seats next to hers, we all enjoyed a most pleasant, and comfortable ride from Pisa to Florence. We really wanted an opportunity to see the Tuscan countryside, but didn't think we could fit it in our short stay in Florence. So, this worked out rather well. We were all three very tired from such a long day and a half, but tried to diligently stay awake to enjoy the view. Some of us were successful, some not. I , myself, happened to be the successor, although it was tough at times.

I want to add a nice tip here that I recieved from you Fodorite's. I brought along some key chains and post cards from the island where we live, figuring they would be nice little tokens to give new friends in Italy. I gave one of each to Leslie, and she seemed to really appreciate it. It's a nice way for people to remember you, and the post cards are great for jotting your email addresss on the back.

Once we arrived FLORENCE AIRPORT, we hugged Leslie goodbye, and all headed our own directions. Little did we know that Leslie would eventually end up needing a cab to Santa Maria Novella Stazione, as she was headed to Rome. So, after going our separate ways, we still all ended up in a cab together since our rented apartment was not far from the train station. (We'll be keeping in touch with Leslie......ha). It was really quite humorous how we couldn't seem to get rid of one another......not that we minded at all.

After dropping her off, the cab driver (who was young, very nice, and gave us the "fair fare" of 15 euro) proceeded to take us to Piazza San Giovanni (where the Duomo is located), and from there it was a short walk to our apartment on Borgo San Lorenzo. We walked about half a block and we were "home." I was so glad that I had studied my maps so thoroughly before we left home. I was honestly shocked in Florence at how much closer everything was than it seemed on my National Geographic laminated map that I'd studied so much for six months beforehand.

Our apartment in Florence worked out great for us, and the location and price were perfect. We'd rent there again and will be glad to elaborate if anyone is interested. The only downfall was the six flights of stairs several times a day, but we didn't mind since it kept us in shape for all the walking we were to do, and it put us high up enough that we had no street noise. After we got settled in, we picked up groceries nearby and went out to explore. We didn't have anything on our itinerary for this day since we knew we'd just use our time getting acquainted with the area. It didn't get dark until nearly 10 p.m. (which was strange for us coming from an island where dusk is at 6 p.m. year round). So, we had plenty of time to soak up the local atmosphere. We found a little net NET CAFE at the end of VIA DE CONTI and VIA F. ZANNETTI, one block past Borgo San Lorenzo, and let our families know we had arrived safely. The price for 15 minutes was 3 euro; one hour was 10 euro. As it turned out, I did a small trip report to the family daily, although emailing on vacation is not usually my "thing." However, they enjoyed hearing our highlights, and we enjoyed hearing from them, as well.

After stopping off at a few small places and enjoying some antipasta, we ended our afternoon/evening of exploring at a little wine bar near our apartment, which we came to frequent nearly every evening. It was OSTERIA DELL AGNOLO, BORGO SAN LORENZO 24R, TELEPHONE 055.211326, FIRENZE, ITALIA (www.osteria-agnolo.it). We found that Valentine (sounds like val-en-teen), was superb at serving just the right olives with the right wines. Our personal favorite was Clemente VII with his superb black olives. Just the right flavor combination.

Needless to say, after being up for nearly 36 hours straight, we slept very well that evening.


JULY 4 - FLORENCE

We both awoke just after dawn to the sight of the dome of San Lorenzo staring us in the face through our window. What a sight to behold! We opened the window and thoroughly enjoyed watching the swallows swooping down over the dome, as well as across our window. It was so pleasant, but we knew we needed more rest, so we eventually closed the shutters and went back to our snooze. Our vow renewal consultant called from Venice about 9:45 a.m. and we were glad to hear her voice (finally, after six months of emails), and we were also glad that she called to wake us from our slumber. We are not late sleepers, but I think we had really needed it at that point.

We had a leisurly morning at the apartment (even though we felt a little guilty about it, but after all this was vacation, right?) We ate breakfast while watching the international news, and then headed out for the day about 11 a.m. First stop was the train station (just a ten minute walk away) to buy our Eurostar tickets to Venice. It took awhile, but we finally found the EUROSTAR CLUB, on recommendation from a Fodorite. It was located down track 16, for those of you who may venture there. Purchasing train tickets to Venice was very easy there. We figured we'd splurge the extra 20 euro for first class, after what all we'd spent on this very special trip. PRICE FOR FIRST CLASS EUROSTAR TRAIN FROM FLORENCE TO VENICE WAS 78 EURO PER PERSON.

We then headed to the DUOMO (free) after buying a scarf to cover my shoulders from a street vendor. We were concerned about my husband's shorts (even though they were longer), but that wasn't a problem. I think that the covering of shoulders and thighs was the main point in most Italian churches. It's really all a matter of "respect" which I totally agreed with. I saw many women, in many churches in Italy, with less "covering" than I had, but I still felt the need to use my scarf out of respect, overall. We had no line getting into the Duomo in the middle of the day.

I can agree with some people's standpoint that the interior of the Duomo is not as awesome as the exterior. I conclude that this is due to the large, empty space in the absence of rows and rows of pews, that one is used to in such a church. The absence just gives it a different feel than say, St. Patricks Cathedral in New York or Westminister Abbey in London. However, the exterior and the interior of the Duomo were both quite awesome, we just preferred the exterior in so far as it being more ornate. It's really quite unbelievable when you see it in person, versus photos. The artwork on the inside of the dome itself was beautiful. Especially when climbing to the top, which I'll get to later in my report.

We then proceeded to the BAPTISTERY (3.00 euro per person) directly in front of the Doumo, for which there was also no line for entry in the middle of the day. The Baptistery was also very beautiful. So much ornate gold and Byzantine mosaics. We read our Rick Steve's Guidebook to get some background on a lot of the artwork in the Baptistery, and it was rather interesting. The bronze doors were also quite intriguing in their detail.

We then attempted to find Dante's house, which we seemed to keep passing up for some reason (despite all my map studying beforehand). We finally realized why. It was under construction/restoration and not open to the public. So, we settled for DANTE'S CHURCH, which was eerily serene. After visiting the colossal Duomo, which we much admired numerous times on the trip, Dante's chapel was so small and simple. There was some nice instrumental music playing inside, and when admiring the artwork within, it was almost as if you could feel Dante, himself, there. A very unusual experience.

We finally stopped for a few pizza slices and a cool beer at a little cafe on via Orsanmichele (opposite Orsanmichele church). I'm not usually a beer drinker, but it sure tasted good on a warm day after much walking. We had attempted to visit Orsanmichele Church, as well, but it was closed. I suppose it was due to understaffing, as our Rick Steve's Guide had suggested. However, we enjoyed great service, wonderful pizza, and a nice duo band while having lunch. We were also surprised that it was not really all that hot in the middle of the day, nor was it during the rest of our trip. Although we live in the tropics and are used to the heat, we seemed to always find a shady side to walk on various streets, as well as in the piazzas.

We finally made our way through PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA where we really enjoyed admiring Neptune's Fountain and the sculptures of Loggia Dei Lanzi. Then, we went on past the Uffizi Museum, ending at the River Arno. The river had a lovely view in both directions, and the PONTE VECCHIO is even more attractive in real life, than in photos. After spending some time admiring the view, we headed off in search of MERCATO NUOVO.

We weren't having much luck in finding it, so we finally stopped to ask directions from a shopkeeper who was sitting outside her store. We attempted our best Italian in our request, and obviously it wasn't that good because she answered us in perfect New York English, "What do you want?" Needless to say, after her directions of turn here, and turn there, then turn here, and turn there, we finally found Mercato Nuovo. Also known as "The Straw Market," there were numerous vendors there selling everything from various souvenirs to beautiful leather bags and tapestries. We didn't buy anything, but were glad we made it there in order to pet "Porcellino," the brass snout pig. Legend has it that if you pet his snout, you will return to Florence. It certianly seemed easier than having to find a blue bead in order to return to the island where we live.

By this time it was well into the afternoon, so we dropped off our film from the day, and stopped for a glass of wine at OSTERIA NUTI, near our apartment. We seemed to end up stopping there at about the same time daily and our waiter, Leondardo, was very nice and quite good to us. Osteria Nuti is really just a touristic restaurant, but we enjoyed having cichetti and a glass of wine close to home in the late afternoon, before getting ready for our evening. We found that on most days during our stay in Italy, we started out farily early and ended our touring for the day at around 4 p.m., in order to just sit in a cafe or two and soak up the local atmosphere. It also meant that we only got to the "must sees" on our list, and very few of the "if we have time to sees," but we felt that it made for a more relaxing vacation, rather than going non-stop from dawn until dusk.

I also want to mention the PHOTO DEVELOPER we used daily. We were very satisfied with their service and their price was about 8 euro per roll of 24. It cost us a bit more to develop our film as we went along throughout Italy, but since we have no film developing location where we live, we didn't want to wait until we go to the States this fall to develop them. Also, we didn't want to risk ruining the film in x-ray machines, and we would have the opportunity to re-take any photos that didn't turn out well. The location we used for developing was MUSIC CENTER, PIAZZA DUOMO, 15A, FIRENEZE, ITALIA, TELPHONE: 055-211-538. They are located on the right hand side of the Duomo. The owner got so used to seeing us that he began to put our name on our film envelopes as soon as we walked in the door. It was rather humorous, and he said he hated to see us leave on our last day in Florence. My husband told him, "I'll bet!" ha. You could say we spent a "pretty penny" there, but the photographic memories are more than worth it.

Early that evening, we strolled Borgo San Lorenzo to shop for some souvenirs. I was rather surprised at the great service we got when we bought some framed prints from one vendor. He hustled to wrap everything so nicely for our travels and even threw in a free Tuscany calendar. There was a good array of all types of souvenirs to buy on Borgo San Lorenzo, about one block north of the Duomo, near San Lorenzo Church. I even found a lot of nice, hand painted, ceramic Florentine kitchen items for many friends and family. You also notice in Florence that the aroma of leather is virtually everywhere. I understand that some great prices can be had on leather items, but we didn't really bother to look due to the tropical climate where we live.

We then set out to find LA GIROSTA, on recommendation from a Fodorite, to make reservations for my husband's birthday dinner. It took awhile to find because it was a hole in the wall with no visible outdoor sign, but the inside was very elegant and cozy.

We ended our evening by cooking dinner in and stopping back at Osteria Dell Agnolo for a night cap, as we had the previous night. It was very convenient since it was almost directly across the street from our apartment. We now trusted Valentine to give us a wine similar to the one we'd had the previous night. He opted for Nero D'Avola, which was also very good. We also decided to start a "wine wish list" since we have a friend who owns a wine store where we live. It was nice to try various wines while we were in Italy and add the ones we really enjoyed to our list, for future reference.

In our last evening stroll, we encountered a college aged girl, from the US, sketching the Duomo while sitting on the street corner at the end of our block. Her work was so awesome that we just stood there watching her for awhile. Turns out she's an art student in New York City who hails from Ohio and she'd even been to the tiny island where we live. What a small world! My husband tried to talk her into letting us buy one of her sketches, but she wasn't going to sell any since she wanted to bring them back to school. Understandable. Nevertheless, she was very talented and sat there for hours that evening just sketching away.

We had been invited to a Fourth of July college party at a place called The Fish Pub that evening, but we decided we'd forego the party and get to bed at a decent hour. Not that 11:30 p.m. is a decent hour for us, but it's decent when darkness doesn't come until nearly 10 p.m. Plus, we had lots more to accomplish the next day! Turns out that it rained most of that night, so we were glad we'd stayed in. We were very fortunate we had such wonderful weather the whole time we were there.

To be continued......

Jean

Wonderful... Keep posting.

dln

Statia, your trip report does equally well in the morning with a big mug of coffee! Keep on writing--I love your adventure so far!

ira

Hi Statia,

Thanks for your great report.

I have very pleasant memories of your lovely island home.

Statia

Thanks for the replies.

Jean & DLN: Thanks for the encouragement, glad someone is enjoying it.

Ira: You're kidding! Most people don't know this place exists. I'll bet I know some folks included in those pleasant memories, being that this is such a small place. Glad you enjoyed your time here.

I'll add more very soon. Working on it.

jal716

Totally enjoying your letter as I plan our trip to Florence, Venice and Rome for Sept. Keep it up!!!!!! Love all of the tips. Thanks.

Statia

JULY 5 - FLORENCE

I'd like to begin with a quick tip for other travelers, which worked really well for us. We felt very safe walking around Italy since we never carried anything we couldn't afford to lose each day. We kept our credit cards and ATM card at the apartment (unless we thought we'd need the credit card), and only withdrew the cash we would need for the day, depositing the ATM card back home before we went out. Therefore, we only had our maps, guidebooks, water, etc. in my purse, and some cash in my husbands front pocket. We felt much safer that way and if we were pick pocketed or my purse got snatched, we hadn't really lost anything too terribly important. I also kept a copy of our itinerary for the day with me, and left the orginal at the apartment. I've lost travel info on a trip before and it can sometimes be a pain to "wing it" after you've done so much research. We also left our passports home, and only took a copy of each with us during the day. We also had all necessary emergency numbers for our accounts at the apartment and hid all of the above items in a safe place. We just had a lot more peace of mind when we got into crowds during the day knowing that we didn't have many important items on us that could be stolen. We also used our money belts diligenty when traveling from city to city. However, I will add that we never once felt threatened in any way during our stay in Italy, or Paris.

We awoke about 6 a.m. day and got some laundry done. Having a washing machine was a big plus in being able to do laundry, thus being able to pack very light. We each traveled with a 22" rolling suitcase, and one duffle bag, with another duffle bag in the suitcase for souvenirs bought along the way. The mornings were nice and cool, almost chilly, in Florence. So we loved having all the windows open to enjoy the cool breeze. After a light breakfast in, we headed out for our reservations at the ACCADEMIA at 8:30 a.m. It was very easy to find and we got there just in time to be whizzed in ahead of the accumulating line of about 100 people. It was nice to have some quiet time with "David" before everyone else came barging in. We felt that the small additional reservation fee was worth that alone. The total cost for entry was 9 euro each.

"David," of course, was awesome. It really makes a huge difference seeing him in real life, rather than in photos. But, then again, isn't everything that way? My husband agreed with Fodorite Tom, of "TNT," that it was a bit "like looking in a mirror." ha! Just kidding, but he did actually say that. It was quite unreal to think that Michelangelo carved that work of art out of just one piece of marbel. We also really enjoyed "Prisoners." It was amazing to read our guidebook descriptions and see how the sculptures actually did look like they were trying to escape from the marble. We used our Rick Steve's Guidebook for most of the works in the Accademia and felt that it gave us a more detailed approach to the things we were seeing. We noticed that in most museums on our trip, we saw some things that we might have overlooked without reading the guidebook as we went along.

After the Accademia, we headed home to hang the laundry, and then went to the DUOMO MUSEUM (6 euro per person). As Rick Steve's had suggested, this is a very interesting and quiet museum to take in. It's a nice step out of the hustle and bustle of the other museums since it seems so many people overlook it. It's located directly behind the Duomo and contains many of the original pieces of work (scupltures, choir lofts, etc.) from the church and Baptistery. We used our Rick Steve's Guidebook there, as well. The original panels of the Bronze Doors of the Baptistery were really interesting in reading the narratives of the Biblical stories. They were so detailed! We also enjoyed seeing the historical aspect of the building of the Duomo, as well as the panels of the Campanile. Each panel depicts the march to civilization through various industries of the time period. And, last but not least, Michelangelo's last Pieta is housed here. It's especially beautiful since he sculpted himself in it.

We then stopped for a panini before heading on to the PONTE VECCHIO, across the Arno, and on to Pitti Palace. The Ponte Vecchio is chock full of gold and silver stores, which I kept having to pull my husband away from. The bridge can be very crowded, but you can get a nice view of the Arno from the middle point on either side. There is also a great gelateria at the end of the bridge on Oltrarno. We took the Fodorite's advice and made sure we had a gelato a day, for which we were not dissappointed.

At the PITTI PALACE, we opted to tour the Royal Palantine Apartments, which were very interesting, but contained more works of art than ancient furniture, as we'd previously seen at the Palace of Versailles in Paris. The paintings were huge and beautiful, nonetheless, and we enjoyed our tour. Rumor has it that the Medici family didn't want anyone else in Florence to own more art than they did, which was quite obvious. The apartment ceilings were also very ornate and interesting. We visited the Costume Museum, as well, but found the earlier centuries clothing the most interesting, since there was also much modernism.

After a break in the courtyard of the palace, we headed out towards BOBOLI GARDENS. I had seen another Fodorite mention that the gardens were a bit of a dissappointment due to the lack of upkeep, and we noticed this, as well. My husband suggested that maybe they were having a Bush Cutter Union Strike........ha. I honestly think that they are just grossly understaffed at the moment. The fountains in the gardens were lovely, and we hiked it up to the highest point, although we were getting quite hot in the sun on the way. This was the only time that we were honestly hot and sweating the whole time we were in Florence.

Although it was a bit of a walk and our feet were tired, we were so very glad that we'd ventured up to the back of the gardens, and up the stairs to the rose garden, because the view over the Florentine countryside was marvelous! We stood up there for quite some time just admiring the view in every direction. It was really great. It reminded us of the scenery in the HBO film, "My House in Umbria." There was also a lovely view over the Duomo and the city from just outside the entrance to the gardens, for those who may not want to venture so far uphill. At the palace, we chose the combination ticket which was 10.50 euro per person, and a better deal if you are planning to see two or more sights within the grounds.

After we left the gardens, we stopped off at a cafe for which we'd been given a flyer upon entering Pitti Palace. CAFE PITTI was directly across from the palace, and seemed like a nice enough place, so we thought we'd give it a try. We each ordered water and a cool beer, and requested a menu for lunch. After bringing our drinks and menus, the waiter never came back within the half hour we were sitting there looking at our empty glasses. We were quite shocked. I can honestly say that this was one of the worst restaurant experiences I've ever had. I've had slow service, but no service was another story. On top of that, there weren't even very many other patrons there, so it's not as if they were busy. So, we finally decided this place was not worth eating at and figured we'd pay for our drinks and head elsewhere. But, the waiter still stood near the door and ignored us, not even offering to bring the bill. My husband was quite ready to just leave exact change........sans tip.....on the table. However, I did convince him to at least take the money to the waiter so that it wouldn't get swiped off the table by a passerby. So, we won't be recommending this particular place to anyone in the near future.

We then crossed back over the Arno on Ponte Vecchio and brought our daily film to be developed. We proceeded on to Osteria Nuti where at least we knew Leondardo would give us wonderful service. We had a calzone for lunch there, and it was good. We were just looking for a simple meal. Leonardo even gave us a limoncello on the house after lunch. Yum, yum. We've had limoncello here in the islands before, but it's MUCH better ice cold in Italy.

By now, we had things to do at the apartment such as emptying the dishwasher, ironing dry clothes, reorganizing, etc. That's the one downfall to renting an apartment....household chores. However, we still feel that the good outweighed the bad, by far. Money saved on hotel, money saved on meals, space saved on packing with being able to do laundry, etc., not to mention having a lot of space all to yourselves when coming "home" at the end of the day.

However, even with "things to do," we still opted to head up to PIAZZELLE MICHELANGELO to watch the sunset, instead. We'd originally had it planned for our last night in Florence, but decided this night was perfect for it, and why wait for the weather to possibly turn bad?

We took a cab up, even though we knew we could hike it or take a bus. We figured the cab (8 euros from Duomo to the piazzelle) would save on time. The view on the drive up was just beautiful. The trees and homes were lovely. When we entered the piazzelle and ventured to the railing we were just in awe. It was a spectacular view over the city. We now knew why so many guidebooks and people recommend it. Actually, we likened the view to Lookout Mountain in Chatanooga, Tennesse, believe it or not. Of course, this was Italy, so it was different, but both views are surprisingly similar.

We continued to walk around the piazzelle and take photos together at different vantage points. Luckily my husband is wonderful about picking just the right person to take a photo of us together and always offers to take one of them in return. At least we've never had our camera run off with yet. In our meandering around and stopping to admire the view, we ran across two college age girls from London who were carrying a bottle of wine and looking a little forlorn. Bret, the sweetie that he is, said, "Do you need someone to open that for you?" Well, as it turns out, that was their dilemma........a nice bottle of wine and no corkscrew. Well, of course, we are always prepared. So, he offered to open their wine for them and we proceeded to engage in a nice conversation about travel and such. Katrina and Leslie (yes, another one) were quite pleased to have found someone with a corkscrew, and we had a nice time chatting with them. They were backpacking and camping through Europe, and we told them how wonderful that they had the opportunity. We advised them to enjoy it while they are young, as sleeping on the ground gets a little more difficult as you get older. However, I haven't let dear husband in on the fact that I would sleep on just about anything in my efforts to see the world........ha.

Of course, everyone was scurrying to get photos just as the sun was setting and we did manage to get a decent shot ourselves in all the hubub. I must say, we were quite shocked to see a hint of a "green flash" as the sun went down over the mountains in the distance. We quite honestly thought that green flashes were only seen when the sun sets over the ocean, as we see from our patio often. So, we were thoroughly excited that we saw a green flash over a mountain (or at least a very large hill)! What 'til everyone back home hears about this!

As twilight came over the city of Florence, we decided to hail a cab before everyone decided to leave at once, and we found one waiting for us just outside the piazzelle. We were quite surprised on the entire trip that no matter where we were, the mode of transportation we opted for always seemed to just be sitting there waiting for us. Maybe it's luck; maybe it's sheer optimism. I don't really know, but we were certainly glad for it.

After we returned to town, we headed for OSTERIA DELL AGNOLO (I told you we got to frequenting that place), and decided to have dinner there this time. We had to wait quite awhile for a table outside, but we didn't mind. We had plenty of company with some more new friends that we made. Susan was from Germany, and Claire and Turlogh were from Ireland. We all discussed things we'd enjoyed in Florence and ended up having dinner together, as the tables were so close. We also met a really nice couple from Rome that night. We met so many fantastic people on our trip, the Italians included, of course.

Our dinner that night was fabulous! I had spinach ravioli in parmesean sauce and my husband had pasta with clams. He also opted for tiramisu for dessert, which was wonderful.........some of the best we've ever had. The total, with wine, was 78 euro. We finally made it home around midnight (luckily home was just across the street) and had a very restful sleep. We'd had a wonderful day!

To be continued...........

ira

Hi Statia,

So you have been to Lookout Mountain, too. Small world.

Am loving your trip report.

How much is gelato in Florence? Other posters have mentioned that they found it very expensive.

Statia

Ira,

Yes, it's a small world, as I've found many times here on the island, even after moving from a city the size of Houston. We've run into many people we know far away from where we came from. When were you on St. Eustatius, by the way?

We always bought gelato, in both Florence and Venice, in the 1.50 euro cup size, and shared it. After all, we usually just wanted a few tastes. The size was enough for the two of us, yet not all that small. Picture a small cup at Baskin Robbin's.

Thanks for the compliments. More to come tomorrow.

Bailey

STATIA
This is great!!...armchair travel at it's best...it's even fun waiting for the next installment!
Bringing postcards from home is a great idea!! Also safety tips were good...if you don't have a bunch of stuff to lug around you also don't have a bunch of stuff to worry about.
"CEPT MAPS....I love maps!
MANY MANY thanks for taking the time to post your story!! I wish I had the patience...I'm the visual type...photos. Speaking of photos...wold love to see some of yours!!

Bailey

PS would also like to here about your home....Eustatius.....how long have you lived there? ETC...I know, I know I'll leave you alone & let you finish this epic!!

Statia

Bailey,

I've actually tried to post photos on the website that I think you might have mentioned...worldisround.com? However, I got stumped after scanning and couldn't figure out how to upload, so I emailed them for assistance.

Actually, you can find info about my home island of St. Eustatius at http://www.statiatourism.com/. I've lived here for the past ten years, but originally hail from Houston, Texas.

Thanks for the encouragement on the report. I really appreciate all of the input from everyone and will post further tomorrow.

travler2

Statia: Thank you for such a wonderful report. I, too, am a detail oriented person so I especially appreciate all the helpful things you included. I found several of your topics very useful for my upcoming trip.

One of the things I was interested in was your flight on Air France. Now, I understand that your experience is no guarantee of what type of service I will encounter on my Air France flight. But you mentioned that they put self-serve beverage carts by the emergency exits. My reserved seats are in the emergency exit row. We chose this because we thought it would give us more leg room for the long trip across "the pond." But I was unaware of this self-serve cart. Is it placed in such a way as to be disturbing to the passengers seated by the emergency exits? Maybe we should change our seats assignments?

Also, did you take your 22 inch rolling luggage as "carry-ons"? If so, then I am assuming that Air France did not give you a problem with each of you taking a 22 inch suitcase and a backpack...which is what I am hoping to do as well.

Once again, congratulations on celebrating your special occasions.

Statia

Travler2,

The aircraft we flew from SXM to CDG had no emergency exit seating, as the exits stood by themselves. We checked beforehand, because those are the seats we typically try to get. So, I would say that on your flight the carts would be placed in the galleys (there were also some there on our flight, as well). I don't think that AF would place carts anywhere that would disturb passengers.

We checked our 22" suitcases only because we knew ahead of time that AF has a one carry-on per person allowance (versus two on AA, which we are used to). We just didn't want to take any chances at the gate. However, I saw several people with both a 22" rolling suitcase, and a personal item or duffle bag, and they weren't stopped at the gate. So, I would think that you could chance it. Just be sure to pack accordingly in case you have to check the suitcases at the last minute.

We packed half of each other's clothing in each suitcase in case one got lost in transit.

Thanks for the congrats!

kismetchimera

Great report Statia....Where exactly is your island located if at 6 pm is already dusk?

cigalechanta

Wonderful report, thank you, Statia.

Statia

Kismetchimera: We're about 90 miles south of Puerto Rico, in the Dutch West Indies....35 miles south of St. Maarten. Thanks for the report compliment.

Cigalechanta: Thanks to you, too!

Lina

I'm enjoying reading your report too! I can visualize everything! Keep writing. Lina

crazymina

Well, Jesus. Now I want to go back to Italy, and it wasn't even my favorite country...

Thanks for posting Statia!

Statia

Glad I have some readers! Thanks!

JULY 6 - FLORENCE - HUSBAND'S BIRTHDAY

We arose early due to having reservations at the UFFIZI at 8:15. There was honestly not much of a line for the non-reservation patrons, but we decided to use our reservations anyhow, and headed in a bit earlier, even though it cost a bit more (total cost 12 euro per person). We used our Rick Steve's Guide for this museum, too, and learned a lot as well as enjoyed the many works of art. It really is a very interesting museum with beautiful paintings, and doesn't take all that long to see (maybe two hours tops if you see everything).

After the Uffizi, we grabbed a couple of paninis as we walked back towards the Duomo. My husband knew it would mean a lot for me to attend mass at the Duomo, so that was our plan. The mass was held in a little side chapel and we were surprised that it was not even really crowded. I would have thought that lot more people in a city like Florence would be attending Sunday morning services. We knew to go in through the side entrance on the advice of another helpful Fodorite. The mass was, of course, all in Italian, but we enjoyed it nontheless. Being Catholic all my life, I knew what was going on anyhow, and my dear husband (although not Catholic) participated, as well. He lent me the same courtesy at Sacre Couer in Paris a few years ago.

We finally made it back to the apartment in order to do those much needed be done "chores," and then I had my husband open his birthday cards. He had one from me, of course, and one that our close friends had sent along with me, which included a 25 euro note for him to buy a nice bottle of wine in order to celebrate. That was so thoughtful that they went out of their way to get the currency for the country we would be visiting.

We had planned to spend the afternoon in FIESOLE, and knew we could either take a cab or bus, so we opted for a cab up, and bus back. Here again, in order to save time. The cab ride from the Duomo was about 17 euro (20 minutes) and really worth it, since we noticed how much more scenery we saw from the cab, as opposed to standing in the bus on the way back. The view all the way up was really lovely with all the winding hills, and nice homes, as well as the view over the city as we were ascending.

The cab driver dropped us off in the main piazza in Fiesole, and we ventured past the Roman ruins area that I'd read about. We took some nice photos at a viewpoint just past the ruins and museum entrance. Afterwards, we entered the ROMAN/ETRUSCAN RUINS area (6.50 euro per person). There were hardly any people there, so we enjoyed the solitude, although it was the only "other" time we were really hot, besides Boboli Gardens. Here again, I think it was a factor of being in the sun without much shade. The Roman bath ruins were very interesting, though, especially when you picture the Romans actually there so long ago and what it must have looked like at that time. The area also held the oldest Roman amiptheatre still in use in Europe. The views over the valley from there (opposite Florence) were also wonderful. And, there were quite a few nice olive trees, which I'd never seen before. We also visited the museum on the grounds, which was interesting even without the audio guide, but I would recommend renting it as the descriptions are all in Italian.

We then had a nice, cool lunch on the main piazza underneath a bunch of shade trees. I can't recall the name of the place, but it was the third cafe down from the beginning of the block. After lunch, we headed up via San Francisco to the main viewpoint over Florence. Luckily we'd been walking a very steep path near our home for months before the trip, so it was a piece of cake. When we reached the viewpoint, which we arrived at quicker than we'd anticipated, the view was TOO DIE FOR. The entire city of Florence in the valley below was breathtaking. It was even more beautiful than the view at Piazzelle Michelangelo, in our opinion. Just stunning! We decided to sit on a bench in the shade for awhile and enjoy the beauty before us, as well as map out our plan for the following day (which would be our last in Florence). We had gotten to most of the "must sees" on our list, so we figured we'd incorporate a few of the "if we have time to see" items.

We then began to head back into town to get ready for my husband's birthday dinner, as we didn't want to be rushed. We opted to take the bus back, and it was very easy. We bought a ticket from a vendor near the bus stop, and the bus left within five minutes time. We were surprised, however, that there were very few seats on the public buses, so most people stand. The bus was also very clean, efficient and cost effective at 1 euro per person, per hour. Standing was no problem, even on those curves going back into town, but we did notice that we couldn't see as much of the scenery, so we were glad we'd sprung for the cab on the way up.

We weren't real sure where to get off the bus, but knew it was headed for the train station, which was not far from our apartment, so that's where we were headed. However, at one point, we saw the Duomo in front of us, so we got off there, instead, and realized we were just across the piazza from our street. Great! We decided to walk around a bit and check out the leather photo albums for our vow renewal photos. The prices were good, but we weren't really convinced they were genuine leather, however, so we opted not to buy one at that point in time.

Hubby was a bit tired by now and wanted to take a nap before getting ready for dinner. I, myself, am not a napper (I'm useless the rest of the day afterwards), so I went to the net cafe to get an update out to our families, instead. I was quite surprised when I returned to the apartment because my husband had then decided he preferred not to go to our appointed dinner at La Giostra. This especially surprised me because a) it was his birthday, and b) he is a grand lover of gourmet cuisine. However, he convinced me that with his being a lover of Rennaisance art, just being in Florence was a big enough treat for his birthday. So, we stayed in that night, had some wonderful pizza, and spent the evening looking through our pictures taken thus far, as well as photo books we'd bought. And, believe it or not, we ended the evening by falling asleep watching Letterman...........ha! I do think, though, that we probably both needed the rest at that point, after not getting much sleep the night before, and with our trip not being half over yet. I have to add that since our return home, we've read many rave reviews here about La Girosta, so we'll be sure not to miss it on our next trip.

To be continued.......