Finally got out of the house around 10:30 and had decided to visit Boboli Gardens before it got too hot. The buses were messed up today, and were diverted for some reason – maybe the road construction going on around town. So what should have been a quick ride at least doubled, partly owing to having to take another bus to backtrack. Then I walked right past a small entrance to the gardens that was not super obvious, and then probably walked a half mile to get to what I thought was the entrance, but it wasn’t. I tried to sneak through an unlocked gate to avoid the half mile return walk, but got busted as I was scooting through – so I had to do the long walk back. As I was heading back out to the street at Porta Romana a guy came out of the guard shack to give me some info. The map he was using taped to the table had big AdAstra and SoprArno ads, and those are two of the B&Bs owned by Francesco and Lynda (Pelatti).
Back to the entrance I had passed without realizing it and I was at the ticket window, but it was around 1pm by now, so I went a bit further down the street and found an air-conditioned trattoria (Trattoria Pitti) for lunch. They had cacio e pepe on the menu, which is thick spaghetti with black pepper and pecorino cheese – the dish is a staple of Lazio, the region that surrounds Rome. There has been a running joke with Rebecca as she is focused on the dish, and even had T-shirts made – one saying cacio and the other pepe.
After lunch it was into Boboli Gardens, which is an historic park and was originally the Grand Ducal Garden of the Palazzo Pitti and built by the Medici starting in the 16th century. It is located behind the Pitti Palace and is around 74 acres in the heart of Firenze in Oltrarno (the other side of the river). The garden, which welcomes over 800,000 visitors every year, is one of the most important examples of an Italian garden in the world and is a real open-air museum, for its architectural-landscape setting. It also has a collection of sculptures which range from Roman antiquities to the twentieth century. During the time of the Medici no one other than their family was allowed access, and it was never used for parties or entertaining – such a waste.
In the gardens I went to the Isolotto, an oval shaped island in a pond, which has the Fountain of Oceanus. The fountain is surrounded by three more statues which were inspired by three of the widest rivers in the world: Ganges, Nile and Euphrates. I then did a good climbing walk up toward the amphitheater, which is located just behind Palazzo Pitti, and then left through the palace. The views of Firenze from behind the palace are wonderful, primarily owing to the elevation that enables looking over much of the city. The Boboli obelisk, is an ancient Egyptian granite obelisk which was moved in the 18th century from Rome to Florence. It was really hot out, and instead of the buses I took a taxi home.
Photos of Boboli: https://photos.app.goo.gl/LS19BFK7d7az7yNAA
Back to the entrance I had passed without realizing it and I was at the ticket window, but it was around 1pm by now, so I went a bit further down the street and found an air-conditioned trattoria (Trattoria Pitti) for lunch. They had cacio e pepe on the menu, which is thick spaghetti with black pepper and pecorino cheese – the dish is a staple of Lazio, the region that surrounds Rome. There has been a running joke with Rebecca as she is focused on the dish, and even had T-shirts made – one saying cacio and the other pepe.
After lunch it was into Boboli Gardens, which is an historic park and was originally the Grand Ducal Garden of the Palazzo Pitti and built by the Medici starting in the 16th century. It is located behind the Pitti Palace and is around 74 acres in the heart of Firenze in Oltrarno (the other side of the river). The garden, which welcomes over 800,000 visitors every year, is one of the most important examples of an Italian garden in the world and is a real open-air museum, for its architectural-landscape setting. It also has a collection of sculptures which range from Roman antiquities to the twentieth century. During the time of the Medici no one other than their family was allowed access, and it was never used for parties or entertaining – such a waste.
In the gardens I went to the Isolotto, an oval shaped island in a pond, which has the Fountain of Oceanus. The fountain is surrounded by three more statues which were inspired by three of the widest rivers in the world: Ganges, Nile and Euphrates. I then did a good climbing walk up toward the amphitheater, which is located just behind Palazzo Pitti, and then left through the palace. The views of Firenze from behind the palace are wonderful, primarily owing to the elevation that enables looking over much of the city. The Boboli obelisk, is an ancient Egyptian granite obelisk which was moved in the 18th century from Rome to Florence. It was really hot out, and instead of the buses I took a taxi home.
Photos of Boboli: https://photos.app.goo.gl/LS19BFK7d7az7yNAA