Italy - To Firenze

Leaving Bologna after our brief recce, we headed south on a road to rival the autoroute blanche, as you progress the valleys become deeper and the road winds its way from tunnel to bridge. The highway is narrow and heavy with traffic, being peak holiday season and all, although nothing to complain about, besides the excitement is building, Florence awaits. It is one of those places I guess you have to visit, and if you do so, do yourself a favour, buy a tent and a mattress and make use of the superb Camping Michelangelo. The camp site is shaded by olive trees and sits up on the hill overlooking Florence. I can’t believe any hotel in Florence could have a better location. As with most camping in Italy, the facilities were excellent, far exceeding expectations.

View from the camp site, through the olive trees















Everyone goes for the art no doubt, and jeez, it is everyone that goes. My least favourite pastime of jostling with tourists had to be endured to take in some of the wonders that lie in Florence. I am not so sure that one does ever take it in though. I still feel it to be a little surreal to have stood in front of David for example. It’s just not what you expect to do, that’s the stuff of coffee table books. We took on the Americans and Japanese in the art of gallery visiting. Highlights: the Uffizi, Academia and the Palais Pitti, not to mention the Duomo, Santa Crocce, bridges and of course the frivolous; yummy ice cream and granita. It was incredibly hot though, not quite touristing weather, that did get us down a bit. Florence cannot be done in a day, and it was a pleasure to spend the extra night under our olive tree and stroll into town the next morning.















Ponte Vecchio from as seen from the Uffizi (below).















For me, the beauty of the art was rivalled by marvelling at the period and circumstance in which it was created. Something that is difficult to describe and I think it’s a personal thing, go see for yourself. In the galleries however, some rooms were closed and some were sharing an attendant to keep the unevolved amongst us at bay. The natural light seemed to be left to the discretion of the staff member who may or may not wish to catch a tan that day, and the humidity and air conditioning were at best random. I’m no expert, but I thought these things important in preserving art. It all seemed to have that lack of funding feeling about it. Something has to be done about this. You can’t have treasures like that in your country and not look after them properly. Focus! Sell Modena and use the cash, hmm probably won’t get enough though…








































Two Daves, neither the real thing, photos of the real thing are not allowed and those taken from the waist with a new camera and the wrong setting don't turn out so lekker ;)















A normalish plain 'house' sporting some very Tuscan colours.















A not so normal, not so plain church with beautiful marble work.

From here, south and then to the coast.