Well, we're finally on route to Rome but now a couple of weeks further behind schedule. Dory felt that we needed more time in Florence & decided not to start for a while, lol. This resulted in us being proudly towed out of Camping Michaelangelo three days ago & visiting yet another garage. We didn't exactly feel hard done by, given our location, but before I fill you in on our affair with Florence I'd better start with Milan.
We managed the trip from France to Italy without any trouble. The toll roads were not only easy but quite fun in the way they carried us across the mountains. As soon as we exited a tunnel we were winding through a new one. Dory could've easily been a roller coaster!
Arriving into Milan, it was blatantly clear that this city was all about the fashion. Pretty much everyone we passed was dressed to the nines & could've been on their way to a photo shoot. When Alex & I stopped at a cafe to refuel & do some people watching I actually considered taking notes. Conveniently, there was a Ferrari exhibition taking place nearby, which kept Alex entertained while I did my fashion research.
When the window hopping became a bit much for Alex, we decided to jump on a tram & take a mystery tour. While we got to sit back & enjoy Milan from a commuters perspective, we didn't exactly end up in the most welcoming part of town. We alighted the tram purely to take advantage of the outer city prices & indulge in an ice cream each. Shortly after, we called off the tour & made our way back to the safe city centre.
I may be a disgrace to the female race but we left Milan without a single shopping bag - sorry Meags!! I'm still convinced Alex was involved in some sort of conspiracy. Strangely enough, we stumbled upon the main shopping district moments before our train was due to take us back to the campsite for our final night. Grrrr....!
Though Milan is stylish & intriguing, its no match for Florence & its effortless beauty. Every route we took into the old town felt like a secret side entrance. Even Alex, with his wizard navigating skills (cough *iPhone* cough), couldn't get a proper grasp on the unique layout & we were forever winding up in the wrong place - not that it mattered.
We spent our first night in Florence at a secured car park about 2km from the Castello (old town). It was comfortable enough & we were able to stay a full 24 hour period, which suited us perfectly. We spent the next day familiarising ourselves with Florence &, of course, returned to Dory minutes before our allocated time was up. To our horror, she refused to start & that's the moment our holiday really began.
ADAC arranged for road side assistance to jump start Dory & then we headed to ANOTHER Iveco for further help. They were closed when we got there but we decided to camp out the front so we could get it sorted first thing in the morning - plus, we were advised not to stop the engine. In light of recent events, we were on edge the whole night & slept intermittently with a bike lock on the door.
We ended up at Camping Michaelangelo the next day, after boycotting Iveco & opting with a motorhome workshop we found on the same street. Everything seemed fine until we were calling ADAC again a few days later. Granted, we weren't sure if the guy who worked on it new what he was doing because he didn't speak a word of English & they didn't actually charge us for the 'repairs' - thinking back now, it was a weird situation, lol.
Despite the small (okay, big) set back, we really enjoyed our extended time in Florence & at our semi-permanent pitch at Camping Michaelangelo. We made great use of our Firenze Cards, which gave us access to some amazing places. Naturally, the highlight for us was viewing Michaelangelo's, David, at the Gallery Academia - its a special experience & left us at a loss for words. The Ufizzi definitely deserves a mention as well. Another treasure is the Ponte Vecchio, which is just like a bridge you'd design as a child - it won us over instantly. In my opinion, the best way to cross it is while eating an ice cream.
Speaking of food, we went absolutely nuts over a little restaurant we found called, All Antico Vinaio. It had the most delicious, flavoursome, focaccia sandwiches we'd ever tasted & it was crazy cheap! At first, we were a bit intimidated & almost walked away but an online review gave us some encouragement so we nervously approached. We asked for "whatever" & before we knew it our taste buds were on the ride of their lives! Lol! But seriously.
Adding to the charm, there were gardens hidden all over the place - most of which will remain a mystery to us, or a stolen glimpse through a keyhole. The one we managed to uncover was Boboli & it was fittingly magical. It lies behind the walls of the Pitti Piazza, containing magnificent, eerie Grottos, sculptures, parks, gazebos, picturesque views & endless garden trails with high hedges - Alex & I were literally lost from each other at one point.
I could go on about Florence for hours but I better leave it at that. Dory's back to her normal self (not a huge comfort, I know) & she saw us safely to Rome this afternoon. The last couple of days we spent in Sienna, but I'll save that for the next blog update.
Ciao for now!
Sarah
