Michael S. LibermanItaly and Greece Day 6: Florence to Rome
July 7, 2024
Yesterday we left the hotel at 8:30a and didn’t get back until 8p. A very enjoyable day learning about the history of the city and exploring on our own, but a very long and hot day. And I didn’t do so well with hydration! And I also forgot to bring the backup battery so yesterday was a somewhat shorter blog post as I rationed phone use during the day!
It’s Sunday and we start a little bit later. I have breakfast at the hotel with Brian and Elaine. They’ve been to Florence before and took advantage of this return trip to visit Boboli Gardens for a view overlooking the city. Elaine is a painter collecting images for future inspiration. Brian is a photographer documenting their travels.
This first part of the trip is settling into a nice rhythm as we spend a day transferring to a city with a sightseeing stop on the way, and then spend a full day exploring the city.
Today is a transfer day. At 9a we board the bus and leave Florence to head towards Rome. We head south out of Florence on the E3S highway to the west of Siena passing the many farms and vineyards of the region.
Brad’s been working the past few days on an addition to the itinerary. We’re on the way to Orvieto in Italy’s Umbria region. It’s one of the hilltop towns in Italy. Access to the town is via funicular. The massive Duomo of Orvieto dominates the small town piazza.
We’ve got a couple of hours on our own to see the town and get some lunch. Michelle and I find a small cafe called FE3.0 on an alleyway deep into the town center. The gnocchi is spectacular!
Then we tour Pozzo della Cava, an underground archaeological complex in the medieval quarter of Orvieto featuring 30-meter deep well.
At 2:30p we’re back on the road for the 90-minute ride into Rome.
Rome … the Eternal City! With iconic locations like the Colosseum and Vatican City and neighborhoods teeming with markets, trattorias, and gelaterias, Rome is a city where the history of the Roman Empire, the Catholic Church, and contemporary urban living converge.
The bus drops us off fairly close to the Spanish Steps. We walk to the top, take photos, and walk back down. Then we walk over to the Trevi Fountain. It’s jammed packed with tourists but we join the scrum and luckily find a great spot at the edge of the fountain for more pictures. Next we walk over to the Pantheon for a quick look. Dinner is around the corner from the Pantheon at Il Barroccio. We enjoy Fettuccine Alfredo, salad, and Chicken Saltimbo with Corey and Hannah. This is Cory’s third trip with Brad and Hannah’s first. Tomorrow we see Vatican City and the Colosseum.
An action shot of you! 👍🏻How many batteries do you bring – power management seems a logistical challenge! Finally, did you drink Orvieto wine in Orvieto? 🍷(but white😋)
I have three batteries with me. I typically use one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Shooting stills and video so that increases battery use. And I’m connected by Bluetooth to my phone to add GPS location data to the pictures. That uses some power. Also, as the day goes along I download photos that I think would work for the daily blog post. I did have Orvieto white wine with my gnocchi at lunch. A highlight!!
Thanks Mike,
We missed the Pantheon and the Spanish Steps on our pilgrimage through Rome several yeas back. We did get to see a Saint canonized at the Vatican and spent a lot of time in the four major Roman basilicas.