I'm finishing up week three here in Florence and it's overwhelming to describe everything I've seen and done. During the past week, I've had a good balance of doing the expected tourist things (Bargello, Orsanmichele, Palazzo Davanzati, Palazzo Vecchio, Pitti Palace, Boboli Gardens, Villa Bardini & Bardini Gardens) and some out-of-town things such as another e-bike ride, more long walks on my own, and a day trip to Pistoia.
Here's a scattered selection of photos I hope you find interesting:
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On Tuesday, I went on another e-bike ride with the same company as before. Also, I recruited a few fellow travelers to come with which made me temporarily popular since we all had an exceptional time.
Before signing up, I contacted the tour company and asked if the lunch stop could be someplace different from the last one (La Pia) so I could have a different experience. Why of course they said, and then came through in a big way. Our wine/lunch stop was at Borgo Machiavelli, yes, THAT Machiavelli. This was his family's estate and where he stayed during his exile starting in 1512. It's now a restaurant, event space, and 'museum' where you can tour various rooms including the original wine cellar. We had a fantastic meal and tasting there.
Supposedly, this is the table where Machiavelli wrote The Prince. And that's Jacopo, our cycle guide.
Today, we visited the towns of Monteriggiano and San Gimignano, stopping in-between for another winery lunch at Il Colombaio
Sign pointing toward the Pilgrim’s Way – a section of the Via Francigena in the medieval town of Monteriggione
Linda, Martina, & Teri at San Gimignano
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