We started and ended our walks around Florence today by visiting the homes of the Middle Ages Palazzo Davanzati and the apartment of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The Davanzati house was built in the 1300's and is a wonderful museum of the lifestyle of a noble family from that period. The furnishings and wall decorations were very lovely - sorry we couldn't take photos inside, but there is one "borrowed" from the internet. We walked through Dante's neighborhood, heard nuns and monks sing at the Badia and visited the Santa Croce Leather School. Later in the afternoon some of us crossed over the river to visit the former residence of the Brownings - Casa Guidi - which can actually be rented for a stay - three bedrooms with baths, kitchen, living room and dining room. They lived in Florence for 14 years and Elizabeth died here in 1861. Another interesting day in Firenze! More later . . .Ciao!
I HAVE SET UP A NEW PHOTOBLOG SITE FOR THE 2014 TOURS. YOU CAN STILL SEE PHOTOS FROM 2008 TO 2013 HERE. TO VIEW THE LATEST TOURS GO TO: WWW.INTUSCANYWITHPATRIZIA.BLOGSPOT.COM
"Il Treno a Lucca" The Train to Lucca - Oct. 4
Our Tuscan adventure took us away by train this afternoon to lovely Lucca. After an hour and a half we stepped inside the fortified walls of the city and into a place quite different from Florence. Wandering from sight to sight we all enjoyed our free time here. Lucca has a beautiful walking and bicycling trail along the tree-lined upper part of the walls. Some of us took time to stroll there while other checked out shops and sidewalk cafes. A couple of folks were spotted eating gelato too! This city has a quiet sophistication that makes it seem a world apart from Florence and other places full of tourists (us!) this time of the year. Napoleon took a liking to this Italian jewel and gave it to his sister as a gift! The train ride was our initiation into the nuiances of Tuscan train travel. It was a good beginning to several more train rides coming up in the next week or so. We were happy to hear "Firenze - Santa Maria Novella" as we pulled back into our home station after a very pleasant day. More later . . . Ciao!