spring in italia :: pt 2

panoramic over Florence
Since the last post, I've spent some days in Florence and saw a lot of friends. I just arrived in Rome this afternoon and have a full day left tomorrow before heading back to the States. My time in Florence was unique as it really is so familiar and comfortable there for me, that it's so easy to fall back in a routine. I ate at several of my favorite stops for caffe', a panino, focaccia, ciambelle, but also added a couple new places to try out. Almost every meal was filled with another meeting with friends and it was so great to catch up with everyone.

last day in the countryside • walking up the 414 steps • view from bell-tower
I did try to add a few things to my list that I haven't visited in the city, so in between times I was meeting up with friends, I could do some tourist things on my own. One of the fun things I decided to do was climb up Giotto's Campanile, the bell-tower of Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo). We climbed up the dome several years ago, and as this climb is a tad higher and more interesting as you get to see the inside of the church as well as the construction of the dome, the view from the bell-tower, I have to say is better in my opinion. Mainly because you actually have the Duomo in the view, la vista is so quintessentially Florentine. I lingered until I felt that I'd had too much sun, then headed back down the 414 steps.

looking down • bell-tower • GROM gelato
A friend who recently opened a new holistic shop in nearby Fiesole, invited me to a health fair she was a part of just outside the center. I went on Saturday afternoon, and ended up visiting for a couple of hours. I even had a Jin Shin Do accupunture treatment done, which is only performed with finger pressure and voice...it was really interesting to learn about and have been treated with it.

I'd been longing for the coast, since the weather has been heavenly and I'm so used to seeing the ocean everyday...so on Sunday I decided to head to the Riviera and take in the sun. I was planning to try out a new city in Liguria, Portovenere, but since it was Sunday and the public transport sometimes gets a bit sketchy, plus I'd never been and wasn't familiar with it...I finally choose to just go back to Vernazza in the Cinque Terre...one of my most favorite places. I've never been to this area and not hiked most of the day, so it was a nice change to get off the train, pick up a piece of the famous Ligurian focaccia, and sit myself down on the harbor while I ate.

view from the rocks in Vernazza
I climbed on the rocks on the east side of the harbor along with several other sunbathers, spread out my towel, grabbed my book, and claimed my home for the next 4 hours. Every now and then I'd venture about waist-deep in the cool Mediterranean balancing on the uneven rocky floor and trying not to fall into a cave area. I so enjoy the Italian beach culture...but more so in the natural areas like this and not the beaches with no space to spread out and umbrellas neatly placed in rows that you have to rent for the day.

view from where I ate lunch • umbrellas • from the rocks
After a 2.5hr train ride back to Florence in the evening, I had some dinner on a cafe overlooking the Arno, and called it a relatively early night. This morning I had a hot bombolone along with a marocchino and caught a mid-day train to the Eternal City.

...and this is where I'll leave until the next post...

baci...a dopo!