The traveling manatees by Nancy French: Florence, Italy

We are still primarily sheltering inside, but are currently doing it in Georgia instead of Florida. Last week, we traveled to a Roswell, GA, to visit with daughter, Nicole, and family. Towing a 5X8 U-Haul trailer, to deliver a number of items that were left behind in conjunction with their move last February, meant driving more slowly. But, we actually arrived more quickly than we typically would. Due to COVID, we made only essential stops and did the drive in one long day. Historically, we make this distance in 2 days.

Obviously, visiting with our two granddaughters was the highlight of the trip. At 3 and 5-years old, they are growing quickly and their skills are multiplying by leaps and bounds. Though we are mostly staying at the homefront, we were able to find a lovely outdoor respite at the Medlock Bridge Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Seemingly, it was one of the only parks within a 50-mile radius of Atlanta that was not overrun with visitors. This stop provided short hiking trails and 50-degree water on our own private, yet muddy, clay beach area.

The following story is a continuance of a flashback to our Italian vacation from 20 years ago.

June 2000. Arriving late afternoon in Florence, we checked into the Cellai Boutique Hotel and took the 15-minute stroll to the Piazza della Signoria. As the center of political life in Florence since the 14th century, the prominent Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace) overlooks the square. Finding a nearby restaurant, we had a relaxing dinner and called it a day.

Details on David's hand

The following morning, we headed first to the Galleria dell’Accademia, Europe’s first school of drawing. Best known as the home of Michelangelo's sculpture David, the museum also houses a number of other sculptures and a large collection of paintings by Florentine artists, mostly from the period 1300–1600. For us, once we stood beneath the phenomenally rendered David, carved from a single block of marble, everything else in the museum paled in comparison.

The Piazza del Duomo in the heart of Florence is home to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Within the cathedral, there are gorgeous mosaic floors and a stunning dome over the main altar. Nicole took advantage of the opportunity to climb the 463 steep, narrow steps leading to the dome, where she could admire up-close the Last Judgement frescoes.

In front of the cathedral, the Baptistery of St. John is one of

the most important monuments in Florence. The white marble is accented in green and pink stone, a beautiful and uniquely designed building. The extraordinary bronze, eastern doors, dubbed the Gates of Paradise, were created over 28 years by sculptor by Lorenzo Ghiberti. The doors consist of 10 rectangular panels, each showing multiple scenes.

After a quick lunch break, we walked to the Palazzo Vecchio and signed up for a tour. The entrance is flanked by a copy of Michelangelo’s David and a statue of Hercules and Cacus. The richly decorated interior includes numerous frescoes and paintings from the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. Moving to the Uffizi Gallery, we were exploring one of Italy’s top museums, with a large collection of Renaissance masterpieces. The Birth of Venice by Botticelli and The Holy Family (Doni Tondo) by Michelangelo were highlights for us. The Google Art and Culture link provides a walkthrough of this museum, here.

The Uffizi also provides great overviews of the Arno River and the Ponte Vecchio. The current arched, stone bridge was built in the 14th century. Initially, all types of shops from tanners to fishmongers were allowed, but in the late 16th century it was decreed that only goldsmiths and jewelers be allowed to have their shops along this span. During our visit, we saw a number of souvenir shops interspersed with the gold shops the bridge is famous for.

Our final day in the city, we boarded a bus for a one-hour trip to San Gimignano. This small,

walled, medieval town is in the Tuscany region of north-central Italy. Famous for its well-preserved Romanesque and Gothic architecture, about a dozen towers are still in good condition. Alan and Nicole climbed to the top of one to take in the fabulous views and snap a few photos of the surrounding hilltop setting, encircling walls, vineyards, and stands of cypress. Numerous shops and restaurants serviced the large groups of tourists that descend on the town. All of our food experiences in Italy were exceptional, but in San Gimignano, we found a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant that provided perhaps the best meal we had in the country. A freshly made pasta tossed with garlic and sun-dried tomatoes still makes my mouth water just thinking about it 20 years later. I tried to recreate a number of the foods we enjoyed during our Italian travels on our return home but unfortunately was never able to come up to the mark.

The next day, we flew to Rome.