Friday, June 24, 2011

After Santa Croce

June 15th continued...

After Santa Croce I headed towards campus, snapping more pictures along the way.


Cool looking door! One on every block in this city!


Laundry hanging out of a window

Fancy cakes in a bakery window (this one is especially for you Di!)

Nearing the area of our campus and beginning to feel completely starved, I looked for a quick place to grab something on the go and found just what I was looking for:



The center of Florence, which is super touristy (on the bank with the Duomo and my hostel) tends to be expensive. Knowing that their primary shoppers are tourists, the businesses charge more. But if you cross the bridge or know where to look you might be in luck for some cheap eats.

All over Florence, locals eat standing up at "bars" or "cafe bars." For coffee you go in, order your coffee and pastry and then stand around a counter with a bunch of strangers (if you want to drink it there) or ask to get it to go. Street food works in the same way and for me the more locals are inside ordering and eating, the more I trust that the food is good. So far I haven't been wrong.


It just so happens that the neighborhood near our campus is full of students and locals and for super cheap you can eat a yummy...


 
Here was my lunch! A prosciutto e formaggio calzone! My very first one :)

After class I went for another solitary meander to wind back to the Medieval part of the city that we toured the day before, so that I could have a chance to take more pictures (I was taking a lot of notes yesterday morning)

I started towards home down the Via Colonna-turned at the Piazza Annunziata (where the rock concert was held) and walked towards the Duomo. Here are some pictures from my walk to the city's cathedral:


View of the Duomo



A tabacco shop where you can buy bus passes. I like the colored bike!


For all of you who like to cook, a shop that sells chef's clothes!



Apron anyone?


Chef's attire is available for men as well!


Pet shop


Nearing the cathedral


A tourist stand next to the Duomo. They remind me of a circus booth!


The Duomo's bell tower



Kids riding bikes in the square


Details of the inlay work of the Duomo which is late medieval period. We had to do a visual analysis of this for our first assignment for class.


Tourist shop that sells fans. Almost everyone in our program has one to combat the heat!


I then turned into the medieval neighborhood near the Duomo where Dante used to live and headed towards the Piazza della Signoria. Here are some shop windows and sights along the way: 






She's in the shadow but there is a Madonna and child on a ledge



Here are some pictures of the Piazza della Signoria:


Copy of Michelangelo's David outside the main entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio


Cellini's "Perseus" commissioned by Cosimo I to warn his enemies against crossing him


Horse and carriage. One of the ways that tourists can see the city.


View of the Neptune Fountain finished in 1575 


Equestrian Statue of the Grand Duke Cosimo I finished in 1595.


Relief sculpture on the pediment beneath the statue


Inside the courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio


The ceiling of the courtyard


A detail of one of the columns


A cherub statue in the center of the courtyard

After leaving the Palazzo Vecchio and the Piazza della Signoria I headed home. Here are some of the shops along the way:


A buttons and ribbons shop


The Snail is famous in Florence because it is the emblem for one of the city's mottos: "Make Haste Slowly"


Gelato Stop. Grom is a place that Marko had pointed out. Long line and delicious!


I ordered fragola (wild strawberry) and pistacchio. Yum! 


Street art and bicycles. You can see the Duomo on the left and the Palazzo Vecchio on the right of the man


One of the medieval streets I walked down to get to the main boulevards heading home


Some shops along Via Cavour on the way home:



Swanky children's shop on the Via Cavour  (main boulevard)


Amazing Toy Shop!...


Lego Pirate


Lego Tiger


Pinnochios! Pinnochio is huge in Florence because the man who wrote the story lived in a small town nearby.


Giant Teddybear!


Clarisse, just for you, a room of dolls!



Il papiro is a family owned shop that makes traditional Florentine marble paper!


The paper is used to make cards, journals, and many other amazing things!


An antique coin shop!


And finally the flower stand I see every day when I come to Via Nazionale and turn right to get home!

3 comments:

  1. OOH I like the little white aprons! And the red one too. I don't think that would fly in a Parisian pastry lab though :)

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  2. love the toy store, did you see all the dolls, all French Corolle, got to go there, I am telling you!!

    yum the ice cream, only a few days and I will be eating some every days, haha!!

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  3. What is actually drawn on the ceilings inside the courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio? What is the symbolism behind the columns?

    Just bring home snails for everyone. You can't go wrong with that unusual gift.

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