I’m liking Florence already. It’s got the bustle of Sydney but a definite cool factor. We’re in the Hotel Medici, just around the corner from the Duomo. It’s 6 storeys high and has a roof terrace, but we haven’t got up there yet. Our room is small but has high ceilings and a window with shutters, so it has a nice feel to it.
Once we arrived in Florence the mini-drama for the day was that my case wouldn’t open. It’s a brand new hard shell from Victoria Station, and the combination lock decided not to work. After going through ALL the permutations of three number combinations (I have very sore thumbs now!) we had to break it open by snapping off the zip pulls that connect to the combo lock. It’s still useable, but since it was a month old and cost over $100, I’ll be taking it back when I get home!
We took a wander around to get some lunch (seafood risotto just next to the Duomo – yum!) and then as we wandered, we came across a sign saying GLUTEN FREE PIZZA & PASTA! So guess where we’re going for dinner tonight!! Woo!
So Florence is already in my good books for this. 🙂
Then mundane stuff – found the tourist office and got a map, plus directions to a supermarket and laundromat. We’ve now got clean clothes again and met another Aussie in the laundromat, as you do!
We found a small market, the usual sort of thing – 100s of stalls, but really just copies of about four: leather accessories, leather jackets, tacky souvenirs and tacky tshirts. Must pop back! I almost bought some linen pants, as it”s been very warm (29C today!) and the black pair I brought with me have been getting a lot of wear, but I’ve been quite good at not impulse-buying… mostly 😉
OMG. I thought I was away from school, but a school group just walked past us and into the hotel we’re at. They sound Australian, too. How funny!
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Just got back from our evening meander. We stopped for dinner at the GF pizza place – ohhh I was happy. I had the Siciliano pizza – eggplant, red capsicum and parmesan. Mmmm 🙂
Then we wandered further to find the supermarket so I could get something for brekky, but they were shutting just as we got there. Luckily enough we found a farmacia that was still open, and they had some Dr Schaer bread, so I now have breakfast!
The last stop of the night was for gelato (of course). We popped into the Festival del Gelato, a huuuuuge shop of many many gelati. And…. they had GF cones as well! What a night of victory for food senza glutine! Happy me. I had a ciocciolate mousse cone, and it was great – actual choc mousse!
Two Weeks Away 