Saturday, 28 June 2025
Art at every corner -- part 2 – Florence
Art at every corner -- part 2 – Florence
By Shanaz Ramzi
The train from Venice to Florence left on the dot but surprisingly arrived 15 minutes behind schedule. By the time we got a taxi and reached our hotel, Mio Hotel, which was not in the city centre, there was no choice but to unpack and call it a night, for, unlike in Venice, there was no nightlife a hop, skip, and jump away. Mercifully, we had spotted a shawarma kiosk, Star Kebab, close to the hotel, as we had driven passed, so my husband walked down to grab something to eat in our room, quite delighted that we could finally devour meat after a couple of days!
The next morning, we woke up early as we had booked tickets for the famous Galleria Uffizi, an art museum that was a fair distance away from our hotel, in the historic centre of Florence. We walked to the tram station that was thankfully within walking distance from our hotel, from where we struggled to purchase tickets from their vending machines but with no luck, as the machines for taking cash were not working. Finally, a Good Samaritan who could speak English told us we should just take the tram anyway, get off at the next stop, and purchase the tickets there, as they were valid for a couple of hours so it didn’t matter where we got them from. Relieved, we did as we were guided, and it worked. Back on the tram, we got off at our station only to discover that it was a twenty-minute walk to the gallery! Huffing and puffing we finally made it right in time to join the queue, but not without being amazed by the beauty of our surroundings, for every building and every sculpture we passed, -- and there were plenty -- was a work of art. The Square where the Gallery is located is in itself so stunning that one had a hard time deciding what to photograph and what to skip.
Spread over two floors and two corridors of a sprawling building, the Gallery has a mind-boggling collection of paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages to Modern day, but even on its own, without any displays, the building is stunning, with its magnificent adorned ceilings and woodwork. After an exhaustive tour of the Gallery, we hung around in the Piazza della Signoria, taking photographs of the numerous sights, and shopping from its quaint outlets. Then, since we had planned to spend half a day in Sienna, we walked to the tram station from where we took a tram to the bus stop, from where we had been told we would get the bus to Sienna. However, when we reached the stop, we were informed that the last bus to Sienna had left five minutes ago, and our only hope was to go back from where we had come, and take a train to Sienna. So, back we went, as in any case all the action was in the city centre, regardless of whether we would be able to catch the train or not.
Lucky for us though, we discovered by the time we reached the train station and found the counter dealing with tickets to Sienna, that there was a train leaving for Sienna in half an hour. We booked our tickets and quickly grabbed a salad and tea from one of the cafes at the station, so that we could have it on the train. We had been told that we would have to take a bus once we reached the station in Sienna, to go into the town, but weren’t quite sure which bus stop we should get off at. Again, luck was with us, for I started chatting with a young girl also waiting at the bus stop, and she advised us to take the bus she was about to take, and to get off where she would. She gave us a few names of the places we should see there.
Armed with this information we did as we were bid. Getting off at the stop with her we walked toward where we saw signs of activity, and soon found ourselves walking up and down steep cobbled streets, till we reached the Piazza Del Campo, mentioned by our guide. The Piazza turned out to be a delightful place, unlike anything we had seen before. An iconic Square with a unique sloping fan shape, it was like a stadium without seats or stairs, and people were sitting on the cobbled floor of the Square as if they were in a grassy park. At the bottom of the slope was a huge tent, and we learned that Italy’s annual cycle race was scheduled to take place, and the cyclists were going to gather there the next day. On top of the slope were quaint curios and souvenir shops, and open-air eateries from where one could get a 360-degree view of the Gothic architecture all around. We shopped a bit and then had our supper in one of the cafes – it was the first time that we had cold soup that had to be eaten with a fork!
Recharged, we walked around and took photographs, and then located a taxi stand so that we could take a ride back to the station. Back in Florence, we hailed another taxi to the hotel, and then busied ourselves packing, as we were booked to leave for Rome the next morning.
Friday, 6 June 2025
A Dream Vacation – part 1 -- Venice
By Shanaz Ramzi
I had been wanting to visit Europe and see certain cities in depth for many years now, and was beginning to fear that by the time my husband and I got round to doing it, we would either be too old to do the inevitable long walks, or not enjoying the best of health, both of which would detract from the pleasure of appreciating all there is to see and do. So, when amidst all the war tension and uncertainty my husband and I finally got our Schengen visas, we decided to go ahead with our trip – despite the turbulent times. However, while mercifully the war came to an abrupt end, my worst nightmare came true the day before we were set to embark on our travel, for my left knee started to pain acutely.
Determined not to get bogged down, I armed myself with Brufen and pain-relief rubs and gels, and off we went, our first destination, my dream city, Venice, comprising more than 100 islands in the Adriatic Sea. Reaching early afternoon, we hailed a cab from the airport which surprisingly had their fixed rates posted on its window, so there was no bargaining or question of being hoodwinked. It dropped us off at the pier from where we had to take a water taxi to reach our hotel, as Venice has only canals connecting the 111 islands comprising it, or 400 bridges that can be crossed on foot. Just as we were negotiating with a taxi driver and debating whether we should opt for a water bus instead to take us to our hotel, we saw two more couples asking the same driver what it would cost to take them in the same direction. He offered to take all of us together in 100 euros so that we could split the total amount among us, which suited us all, so we all clambered into the boat. I was very impressed by the driver’s fairness for he took 35 euros each from two sets of couples, as we had a little farther to go, and 30 from the remaining couple as they were going to get off a little before us.
The ride through the Grand Canal with magnificent Gothic and Renaissance palaces flanking both its banks, was a picturesque one. To our delight, our hotel was in an alley directly overlooking the pier where we were deposited along with our luggage, so we didn’t have to lug it far. We checked in into our hotel -- Hotel Commercio and Pellegrino -- and then went for a walk to the nearby central square, Piazza San Marco, to explore the area, bustling with tourists and kiosks selling souvenirs. The vistas were great no matter which direction you looked; if it weren’t some magnificent architecture your eyes would set on, then it would be one of the quaint bridges over the canals connecting the islands, or the black, red and gold gondolas lining the bank, beckoning you to them. To our delight, we spotted a building that was playing host to the Venice Architecture Biennale, on its first floor, so immediately went up to see the displays there.
We had lunch at one of the open-air sidewalk cafes that line all the streets of Venice -- the best pizza we had on the trip, I might add – and then rejuvenated, went for a stroll in the many alleys, exploring the shops dotting them. Dusk in Italy wasn’t till 8:30 pm so we had plenty of time to make the best of the daylight hours. Then we went off for what was the highlight for me, of our tour – the hour-long gondola ride! Our gondolier was most affable and gave us a guided tour of all the sights we passed, enhancing our appreciation of this fascinating city on canals. As we started walking and debating where to partake of dinner, it suddenly began to pour, so we darted into the nearest eatery that had canopies over their tables, and had dinner with the rain pelting down, making the evening quite surreal. The rain subsided just as suddenly as it had started, and our dinner over, we made our way quickly back to our hotel, to call it a night.
The next day we packed before breakfast, as check-out was by 11 am, and left the bags with the hotel reception as we planned to spend the day sight-seeing, before taking the train to Florence in the evening. We then made our way to the Square, and seeing that the queue for St Mark’s Bell Tower, also known as St. Mark's Campanile, was short, as it was still early in the day – the previous evening it had been formidable – we decided to go for it. The tallest structure in Venice at 323 ft, it offers a breathtaking 360-degree view of Venice so the trip up the elevator to the turret is worth it. Although a reconstruction after its collapse in 1902, The tower faithfully replicates the original structure and remains a prominent symbol of Venice.
We had booked tickets for St Mark’s Basilica for the afternoon but learned that they required physical tickets to grant us entry, which would be available from the ticket office located within the Square but at a fair distance away. So, we spent a good hour trying to locate the office, in the process seeing a lot more of the tiny alleys, bridges, canals, and the beautiful architecture of buildings in which such mundane things like ticketing offices were located. Finally, we found it and returned to join the queue outside the golden Basilica, a magnificent building with a façade that is as awe-inspiring as its interior. It reminded me of a grander version of Hagia Sofia in Istanbul.
After lunch at an eatery overlooking the canal and the Bridge of Sighs, built in 1614 and renowned for its location – sitting between Doge’s Palace and the New Prison from where the prisoners would wistfully glimpse their last view of freedom through its small windows before entering the prison cells – we walked to Doge’s Palace, the next major tourist attraction in the Square. The Doge's Palace isn't just a museum; it's a meticulously planned labyrinth reflecting Venetian history in its very structure. From its entrance into the grand courtyard full of architectural elements and beautiful sculptures to its two floors housing opulent chambers and art masterpieces, not to mention prisons, the palace offers a variety of stunning gems.
After our trip to the Palace we were back in the narrow lanes boasting a plethora of inviting shops, and of course, we had to succumb to the temptation, though our bags were packed. Finally, we made our way to the hotel to freshen up and collect our luggage. Luckily the pier from where the waterbus was to take us to the train station was just across from our hotel, so we didn’t have to struggle too much with our bags. Reaching the station much ahead of time, we sat down to have tea at one of their cafes, and took turns to explore the numerous interesting shops dotting the place, until it was finally time to board our train.
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