DAY 99 WEDNESDAY JULY 1 - ENGAGING WITH FLORENCE

Quite a nice breakfast was provided by our Hotel Bodoni.  It featured a machine that provided squeezed orange juice at the touch of a button.

This morning we planned to see the Cathedral before it got busy and to try out our route to the station for Friday.  The Piazza del Duomo was fairly clear so we had plenty of time to admire the intricate marble carvings, which were quite different from the style of the Milan Duomo.

We thought about climbing the bell tower (470 steps)

but they charged 18 euros for a ticket which covered all buildings in the square.  Every other place has separate prices for each building.  The cathedral is the third largest in the world after St Peters Rome and St Pauls London.  These huge buildings were conceived as a tribute to God, but did they end up as symbols of the political power of the Church?

We found a subway that brought us out at the platforms of the station, and we arrived in time to view where our train to Rome would be.  There were actually going to be three fast trains to Rome leaving in 20 minutes.  All were running late.  There was a strange sculpture in front of the platforms.

We had to read the tiny inscription in Italian to learn that it was a tribute to the people who were herded onto trains on Platform 4 heading for Auschwitz. We felt sick in the stomach.

There was a large fort close to the station.

It was only open for participants in a huge conference.  So we meandered our way back, spending time shopping at the central markets.  We wondered how there could be so many shops selling leather goods made in Italy at bargain prices.  We were told that there are factories nearby where Chinese workers are paid slave wages to do the skilled work.

After sorting our stuff to send home we went to the Post Office next door, but they would not let us in because a man was repairing a breakdown.  For us it was siesta time before we walked to our 4pm appointment for an ecotour.  We did not find our tour vehicle, so we wandered for an hour again.  A crowd was gathered around a young man trying to beat 15 seconds to solve various forms of the rubix cube.

A talented artist was decorating the road surface.

At 5pm we returned to the tour appointment and we were allotted a four seater electric cart driven by Alex.  We had a great time cruising around at pushbike speeds with a recorded English commentary supplemented by Alex.  We covered dozens of monuments, galleries and palaces and took too many photos to include. This is the Arc de Triomphe style gate in the Place of the Republic, the old town centre.

 We gave Alex a good report on Tripadvisor.

We were strolling back at 7pm when we heard organ music coming from a church that was not marked on our map. The sign outside said an organ recital was given each evening from 7 to 9.  We went inside and enjoyed the most incredible experience of organ music.

Bach's Toccata and Fugue was in progress and it reverberated through your whole body.  People came and went but no one made much sound and the atmosphere was electric.  This must be one of the smallest churches in Florence, but its impression using sound puts it on a par with the visually dramatic large cathedrals.  Another of our amazing serendipity experiences.

We had a buffet dinner for 6 euros each on the way back to the hotel.