Food, Phones, and Florence | #AdriaticHorizons
Our first official day on the road began with me, waking with a start in my Rome hotel room and quickly realizing that my phone was not in its usual spot within arm’s reach. Naturally, I panicked. How would I find my way around these new cities? How would I check in with my parents and friends back home? How would I make people jealous on Instagram?!
After combing through my hotel room, I faced the fact that my phone really was lost. There wasn’t a lot I could do to remedy the situation; I told my Tour Manager what happened and she offered to get in touch with the folks at the bar where I likely left it. I knew I probably wouldn’t see it again, though. I was embarrassed, naturally, but I decided to count my blessings. I wasn’t really traveling alone, for one thing. I knew where I had to be at all times, and if I stuck with my fellow travelers, I (probably) wouldn’t miss the bus. I also had my iPad and could use the abundant free WiFi to check in with my folks and let them know I was phone-less. And, most importantly, I still had my DSLR and didn’t need to rely on my phone for photos. I resolved to enjoy the rest of my trip, starting with a day in Florence.
After rolling into the city, we visited a leather shop for a leather-making demonstration and a bit of shopping. As a leather jacket enthusiast, I debated dropping several hundred Euros on a real one, but then I remembered how much gelato that money could buy. From there, we took a guided tour of the city, including the Medici Palace, the Duomo, and the Ponte Vecchio. The city was a bit crowded (as always) but had a generally more relaxed vibe than Rome, which I appreciated. I marvelled at the statues outside the palace; unfortunately that replica of Michelangelo’s David was as close as we could get to the real thing, as the Galleria dell’Accademia is closed on Mondays.
After the tour, we broke off into smaller groups, exploring the city on our own. At the suggestion of our Tour Manager, we stopped by All’Antico Vinaio, apparent home of some of the best sandwiches in the world. As a New Yorker, I am wary of any superlatives when it comes to food, but reader, this sandwich lived up to the hype. It was a perfect combination of crusty bread, cured meats, and an incredible truffle spread that I want to put on every food ever. My friends and I sat near the palace and ate our sandwiches in silence, all off in our own little food heavens.
That evening, we all piled onto the bus for a short ride over to a villa-turned-restaurant, where a traditional Tuscan meal (and several other Contiki travelers) awaited us. On the way, we stopped at the Piazzale Michelangelo for some prime sunset photos and an amazing view of the city. Yes, the guy playing the theme from The Godfather on his violin was a little on the nose, but it was absolutely breathtaking. Dinner included more bread, meats, and cheeses (naturally) as well as some live opera and a bunch of 20-somethings from all around the world doing the Macarena. If that wasn’t enough dancing, we were then bussed over to a nightclub for even more partying and sugary drinks. As I was still a little partied out from the night before, I didn’t stay too late. Besides, I needed to save my energy for the next day’s adventures in Venice.