Destination: Firenze
by Jim Langford

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It is important to allow time for shopping, long lunches, and more than anything, watching your fellow human beings participate in the commerce of the city.

Our first day in Firenze, the schedule called for the Basilica of Santa Croce, shopping, the Ufizzi Gallery, the Science Museum and more shopping along the Ponte Vecchio.

We caught an early train from Terontola, approximately three kilometers from the farmhouse, and spent a very enjoyable day in Firenze. This was our first train ride in Italy and we quickly picked up on the nuances of train travel.

Each car had an air-conditioned section, but you had to have a separate ticket to sit there. By the time we left the country, we were comfortable with deciphering Italy's train schedules. Before our vacation was over, we would be in Firenze at least three more times.

The countryside is beautiful and the train ride was very relaxing. Getting off the train, we walked into immediate chaos. We had to dodge both large and small travel groups, mothers trying to keep track of small children, commuters on their way to work, students traveling alone or in pairs, and many of them sleeping on the steps of the station. It was a totally unique experience. And fun.

As you walk off the train and into the station proper, there are two exits. The one to the right we started calling the front of the station. The exit to the left: the back. When you walked out of the front this is where you found buses, taxis, tour maps and information kiosks.

Since we had mapped out our itinerary, we caught a taxi to the furthest point away from the station: the Basilica of Santa Croce. This enabled us to see a number of shops and other items of interest for our stroll back, including the Duomo (cathedral) of Firenze. The Duomo wasn't on our schedule of things to see, but I can tell you it is immense and the lines to get in were extremely long.

The line for tickets at Santa Croce, one of the largest churches in the city, was short and we quickly found ourselves in a construction zone.

Here is a tickler for your clients going to Italy. Restoration is an ongoing process at all sites. So prepare them. Approximately one-third of the interior of the basilica was filled with scaffolding and artisans at work. We were not able to see all of the statues, frescoes, paintings and stained glass, but the time spent inside was well worth it. Actually, just being able to watch the skill and the patience of accomplished craftsmen, and realize the effort required to keep these treasures intact, was a bonus.

Next came our stroll towards the Uffizi Gallery, with many shopping stops, for they are all intriguing, and an eye towards finding a place to eat. At approximately 10 minutes before noon we sat down in a restaurant with a large covered patio and I estimate some 24-28 tables. Within 25 minutes, all tables were full.

It does not hurt to advise your clients that outside of the U.S., people throughout the rest of the world have a different, and I think a more civilized, approach toward life. Lunchtime in Italia, for example, is to be spent with friends, enjoying good food, good conversation and to relax. In many of the smaller towns, most of the shops will close at noon, and not re-open until 3:00 or 4:00. In the larger cities, they stay open because they have come to understand tourists.

Simply said, from the outside, the Uffizi Gallery is imposing. A huge U-shaped two-story structure, the Gallery is the oldest museum in the world.

The space it creates was full of art students recreating the masterpieces found inside, in chalk, on the squares of the plaza. The lines were extremely long. We walked up to a separate window, confirmed our reservation and we were inside.

You could easily spend most of a day there. More than 45 rooms contain some of the most significant art of all time. There were some schools of art that had no interest for us, and there were definite paintings we wanted to see. But with more than 1700 paintings to view, as well as sculptures, tapestries and even antique furniture, we wound up doing some room skipping.

After all, the Ponte Vecchio was only three blocks away. The bridge that originally housed butchers because they could throw their refuse into the water is today a mecca for shoppers of jewelry.

To be thoroughly enjoyed, the optical charm of Firenze - its art, its architecture, its history, its soul -- must be rationed over several days. By the time we caught our 8:35 train and returned to the farmhouse at a
little after 10:00, we were tired but sated. Our first visit to Firenze was an experience we shall always hold dear.

Besides, we have some great images, both mental and digital.

Jim Langford is the president of the Pharmer Group, a communications consulting firm based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.