Florence, Italy – by all accounts, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It’s a renaissance art-lover’s paradise. Michaelangelo’s “David” resides there in the Accademia Gallery. The place oozes history. And of course there’s bistecca alla fiorentina. What are we waiting for? Andiamo!
We boarded a train in Venice this morning. Two-and-a-half hours later we pulled into Florence’s train station, Firenze Santa Maria Novella. Everything is beautiful in Florence – even the name of the train station.
First Challenge of the Day
We grabbed a taxi, and I faced my first challenge of the day — how to tell the driver where we wanted to go. My Italian is usually good enough to give simple instructions to a taxi driver. But not this time. Here’s how the conversation went…
Taxi Driver — “Buon giorno.” (Hello).
Mio –“Buon giorno.” (Howdy).
Taxi Driver — “Dove vuoi andare?” (Where do you want to go?)
Mio — “Voglio andare qui, per favore.” (I want to go here, please).
Then I handed him a piece of paper that had the name of our hotel on it – Hotel Calzaiuoli.
Can you blame me for taking the easy way out? I could’ve sprained my tongue trying to say “Calzaiuoli.” And after I had butchered the name of the hotel, who knows where we’d have ended up?
I’ve found that taking a taxi upon arrival in a new city isn’t the best time to practice one’s language skills. Instead, hand the driver a piece of paper, (or your phone), giving him the name of the hotel and the address.
One time, after flying into Paris, I botched the name of our hotel. The guy took us where he thought I had said to go, but it was the wrong hotel. The name of the hotel sounded a lot like ours, though. Kinda sorta. No one needs extra hassles like that after a 15-hour flight.
Discumbobulation Ahead?
Pronunciation isn’t the only thing we have to be wary of in Florence. We need to be on guard against succombing to Stendahl Syndrome, the effects of which can include headache, nausea, disorientation, discumbobulation, and worse!
Stendahl was a French writer who lived at the turn of the 19th century. He was a rather sensitive soul, apparently. The story goes that when he visited Florence, he became so overwhelmed by the magnificent art, architecture, and general beautifulness of Florence, that he became seriously ill.
Many visitors to Florence have come down with similar symptoms. The phenomenon has been studied and there seems to be something to it. Too much beauty and wonderfulness in too short a time can apparently overwhelm the senses of some people.
It’s called “Stendahl Syndrome.” It’s a real thing. Really. But my guess is that people who come down with Stendahl Syndrome must be a wee bit “edgy” to begin with. Anyway, we’ll be careful. As for Stendahl, the guy could write! We’ll check in with him later.
Bel Quartiere (Nice Neighborhood)
The taxi ride from the train station to our hotel took just a few minutes. It’s a nice hotel. Not too big – 45 rooms. The building is hundreds of years old, but it’s been totally redone.
The hotel is located on Via Calzaiuoli, hence the name. Via Calzaiuoli is the main walk-street in an upscale pedestrian-only zone. If we walk in one direction on Via Calzaiuoli, we come to the famous Palazzo Vecchio – city hall.
If we walk in the other direction, we come to the even more famous “Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral,” better known as The Duomo. We’re right in the thick of it.
If you need to spend a lot of money in a short time, you can do it on Via Calzaiuoli. (Swarovski and Chanel are just across from the hotel). Narrow specialty shops beckon one to come in and browse.
If you’re hungry, no problem. Restaurants, cafes, and gelaterias are steps away. In fact, there are two gelaterias on the same block as our hotel. Which one will have the best gelato? Clearly, multiple taste tests will have to be performed.
But we have to EARN those gelatos! It’s time to do some exploring.
To be continued…
Notes
The great photo of Florence at the top of the post is from italy.it
Love to read your stories! Going to Rome, Venice and Florence in October.