A taste of Italy: Florence 2

First impressions of Florence:-

• Dark, narrow streets;
• Graffiti galore;
• Noisy scooters clattering along grimy cobbles;
• Incredibly stylish locals tricked out in the latest fashions, even if only popping out for a pint of milk (purple puff jackets and sunglasses the size of dinner plates being the current trend).

So a bit like most any other Italian city we've visited!

Despite all this I was still disappointed by how rickety the Ponte Vecchio looked. One of the world's most famous bridges, it has supported shops and residences for centuries. The shutters were worn, the stucco shabby and the wind was cold blowing off the River Arno.

All the shops along the bridge are glitzy jewellers and at this time of morning most were still shut, locked up behind thick wooden shutters and iron hinges, like one big abandoned treasure chest.

All the decay, layers of grime and uninviting public spaces only serve to make the interiors all the more glorious. Leaving the city to look a bit dowdy might be a deliberate ploy by the city leaders to force people off the streets and into the cafes, galleries, churches and museums (most all of which charge admission fees). It worked for us, because we made a beeline for a coffee shop for a lukewarm cappuccino (later I read in the guidebook you have to ask for a cappuccino caldo in order for it to be served hot).

For lunch we found a wagon down a side street surrounded by construction workers and businessmen knocking back plastic thimbles of red wine. We managed to resist the local speciality, trippa (cow's stomach) and instead had a delicious toasted panini with peppery Tuscan ham and melted cheese for €2.50 followed by the first of many ice creams.

Time for the Uffizi gallery, Italy's most famous picture gallery. Despite it being the off season, I had still booked advance tickets for a time slot which meant no queueing and we were allowed to walk straight in through security. I noticed a small sign saying that due to a national strike not all of the rooms would be open. Sure enough, we were in the first room for about 2 minutes when the guard pulled the rope across the entrance and began pushing us along.

Much had been made in one of our guidebooks about how much was carmmed into the first 15 rooms and how it would take all day just to see them, but I was not that fussed as the first few rooms were nothing but fat babies and crucifixes.

Luckily the room closures stopped at one point and we were allowed to longer awhile over the Botticellis. The first thing that struck me was how dull and lifeless the canvasses were. Spring looked more like winter, Primavera was so grey and cold. The Birth of Venus seemed in better shape, but up close the legs looked gangly and Botticelli couldn't paint realistic toes if his life depended on it.

The sculpture galleries were lovely - long halls with windows allowing plentiful light to reflect off the busts and figures lined up under an ornate ceiling. Though photos aren't allowed inside, I snuck a couple.

What struck me though was that the canvasses could have used a good clean, the walls were in dire need a lick of paint and aside from a few portraits and Greek mythological subjects, practically all the paintings were of the same Biblical themes over and over. In my opinion the view from the windows over the river was more interesting than most of the paintings inside.

An announcement was made the museum would be shutting in an hour. By this time we were in a deserted sectionof the ground floor where several rooms had been emptied following a temporary exhibition. At one juncture we were faced with a sign giving us the choice between USCITA or CARAVAGGIO. A few people must have mistaken the exit sign for the name of some obsure Renaissance artist, otherwise why would they pass up on some Caravaggios? As it were, there were only 2 Caravaggios on display amongst a number of people copying his distinctive style.

The final few rooms were a line of shops, each with a theme. One was full of books, another had nothing but posters, one was for kids and another for fashionistas complete with sequined handbags and silk scarves.

We crossed the river and headed uphill for the postcard view of Florence, the only spot you can truly appreciate the layout of the city and admire its skyline.

Anyone else hungry after all this walking?? Time to eat!