Journal Entry: Florence is Over-rated

Florence is completely over-rated, unless maybe you are looking to buy leather goods. The Uffizi and the Accademia are both way over-priced for what they have. I was totally unimpressed. There were three paintings in the Uffizi that were worth paying for, Boticelli’s “Primavera” and “Birth of Venus” and Artemisia Gentileschi’s “Judith Beheading Holofernes.” However, those even were not worth €15! And at the Accademia, the famous Michelangelo’s “David” was nice, but I hate to say it, I’ve seen better! Yesterday in fact, Roman sculpture at the National Museum (well the day before that actually). And the price was just ridiculous. The Louvre is cheaper. The Louvre that would take a week to go through doesn’t cost €15!!!**

The Uffizi took me about an hour and fifteen minutes. The Accademia took forty-five mintues, and I looked at every piece! The National Museum in Naples took longer and I thought it was small. In fact, I would bet the Asheville art museum is bigger than the Accademia. 

The only cool thing in the Accademia, besides the “David” was a room full of plaster casts. The gift shops were also extremely over-priced. 

All in all, I don’t think I’d bother coming to Florence again. Unless I want to buy leather goods.

There was a leather coat factory outlet I went to. They had some nice coats for €149. They were originally €400-€700. I would have bought one, but all the ones they had in my size were either too short or not my style. There were two longer ones I liked a lot but they were too small.

 

I really wanted this coat, but I'm not rich - it was €1700(!)

I went to another store and the salesman was uber-pushy. He gave me a good price on a jacket but I didn’t really like it. I think he was offended. I hate pushy sales people.

The hostel is okay, but I just about froze last night. I am going to ask for an extra blanket tonight. I woke up with my hips hurting this morning. 

 

There was a leather outlet store on this piazza where the salesman was obnoxiously pushy

Oh, and I finally got my eggs for breakfast! €7 for two eggs, 2 sausages and I had asked for two pieces of Panchetta (which is bacon) but the waitress must have heard “pancakes” LOL because they brought me pancakes. That also included a Cappuccino.

I wonder how many miles I’ve walked this week. It seems like a lot. 

**[I love art, I'm an artist, and I think the Accademia and the Uffizi were rip-offs. You have to pay extra in advance to secure your ticket or wait for hours in line to get in. You cannot take pictures, even without a flash. Currently as of 2014, the price to do this is about €42 for both. I call BS.]

Journal Entry: Florence First Evening

This hostel in Florence is good, there are some minor things that could be better. Like fans in the room. It’s too quiet.

 

Hostel Courtyard

The water in the shower also does not stay a constant temperature, it goes from hot to cold every other minute.

I found the American breakfast place where Lizzie ate! It’s called, hell I can’t remember, but it’s on the corner of the square by the duomo (called Astor).

I climbed to the cupola in the duomo. It was worth the €8, although part of the way is two-way traffic in a very narrow,  and very steep corridor. I am going to the Accademia and the Uffizi in the morning. I will stop by the duomo inbetween perhaps. I did not see the main part of the church yet. 

 

From the Cupola of the Duomo

There are really too many tourists here, it’s one big tourist trap really. Might be better in the off-season.

Oh, and here there are some foreigners, I’m not sure their ethnicity [south-east Asian?] that were selling the same kitsch [and fake purses] that the Nigerians were selling in Rome. They had set up their goods on sheets in the square of the duomo. As I was trying to find the hostel, the lot of them suddenly gathered up their goods and ran like mad through the square. I suppose the police were coming, although I never saw the police. [It was an impressive thing to see.]

The door to the hostel is very old and very short. I hit my head coming in, pretty hard. I have a pump knot [for those of you not from western NC, that's a goose egg, or a lump] on the top [of my head], the guy who runs the hostel was so nice, he gave me some ice to put on it.

The gelato in Portici is better [and cheaper].

Gelato

I am going to order four eggs for breakfast. Watch me.