Santa Maria del Latte

DISCLAIMER: I am currently in an internet cafe on a European keyboard that doesn't work entirely well, so any typos might not be my fault.

So we're in Italy now, where the coffee comes from (and I haven't sighted one Starbucks yet, first time on the trip there hasn't been one staring us in the face)! Our journey here was a long one, involving a bus, a ferry, another ferry, a taxi, and two trains.

After leaving Agios Gordos on the bus we arrived at Corfu Town just in time to catch the ferry over to Igoumenitsa (probably spelled wrong, sorry no time to look it up), where our ferry to Bari was to depart from. There was a moment of panic upon arrival in Ig., as the first ticket booth we found was very closed (it was about 22:30). Thankfully a pair of nice women in a smoke filled car rental shop directed us to the port itself, where the actual getting of tickets went smoothly. We then waited with a couple of other backpackers from the Pink Palace for the 23:59 ferry, standing on a sketchy pier with a number of transport trucks and not enough lighting. Needless to say, it was a relief when our ship came in and we were able to board.

Two escalators later and we were inside the behemoth marveling at the luxury of ocean travel. Where a plane, bus or train is limited by its narrow shape, boats make the most of the space they have. There was a bar, a full restaurant and (apparently) a disco, none of which we actually really saw as we followed our fellow steerage (I mean second class) passengers upwards to try and find a comfortable place to sleep on the overnight passage. It was slightly surreal walking through the plush hallways of the ship, as people were strewn along walls and curled up in corners, their arms flung over their faces against the light. We managed to find the ship's theatre, not actually working for this trip, and slept as much as we could in plush airplane type seats (sadly my back got painful pretty fast, so I didn't get much shuteye).

We arrived in Bari around 8:45 and managed to get to the train station in time to hop on the 9:15 to Bologna, about a 6 hour trip. We chugged up the coast in our first real European train, complete with booths and (joy of joys!) seat arms that raised up to allow my tired body to catch a little rest. Disembarking in Bologna we managed to carry on our streak of luck, as we only had to wait a few minutes to catch a connecting train to Firenze.

About an hour later (and after some beautiful countryside, all hilly and green and dotted with terracotta-rooved villas) we emerged from the Florence train station to be greeted by cobblestone streets, Renaissance architecture and...an ad for the Sex and the City Movie? Once past the poster, I remembered where I was - Florence, possibly one of the most magical Italian cities, a place whose core still has an entirely Renaissance flavour despite the hundreds of years that have passed. We arrived at our hostel a little breathless, not from the walk, which was barely 15 minutes, but the fact that the DUOMO is right at the end of our street. If we lean out the window of our room just a bit, we can see it peeking through the space between the apartment buildings.

After a quick shower to wash off the 25-or-so hours of travel, Max and I set off into the narrow streets right at the height of the golden hour (the honeyed light that comes on the cusp of evening). The city is even more beautiful bathed in the remnants of the sunshine, and the colours of the Duomo's marble have never been so gorgeous as they were last night. We walked all through the area around the cathedral and stopped at a little Trattoria for some perfect pizza. On the way home we had our first taste of the best gelato in the world (I couldn't decide on just one flavour so chose mixed berry, banana and raspberry, called lampone in Italian) and ate it sitting on the steps of (yes, I'm mentioning it again) the Duomo.

Last night was an early night, so we woke this morning refreshed and ready to explore. We went to the cafe across the street for breakfast (a caffe latte and a croissant for me) and savoured the taste of the first really good coffee we've had on this trip. Mmm.

We decided to start our sightseeing right at the end of our street, so the Duomo was our first stop. I think it might be one of my favourite churches in existence - the intricacies of the marble exterior, geometric shapes in white, green and red marble forming the most amazing spectacle and set off by delicately carved twisting columns and statues of saints and other holy folk. Once we were inside, Max and I decided to climb Brunelleschi's dome, 460+ steps up and up and up until you're hovering over th whole city. I actually didn't know that we were able to go all the way up to the top, as the first exit opens onto the inside of the dome. From that vantage point you can look down onto the church or up at the gorgeous paintings on the dome's inner walls. Scenes of heaven and hell rise with dizzying false perspective, giving the impression of infinte height (and terrifying depths). The hellish images are the most fascinating - bears, goats, people being disemboweled or ripped open to expose their skeletons, and a particularly grotesque monster eating unfortunate souls whole, his face distorted and grimacing.

About halfway around the dome Max and I found another door to what we thought might be the next level of the inner balcony. The steps continued upwards, however, getting smaller as the walls began to curve. After what seemed like an eternity, we popped up through a trapdoor onto the summit of the dome. Once I finished reeling from a hint of vertigo, I gazed in amazement out over the city of Florence. Terracotta rooves, punctuated by the odd tower or dome stretched out around us as we walked around trying not to think about how sharply the dome dove downwards below us.

Once we'd negotiated all 4600+ stairs back down to earth I took a moment to breathe a sigh of relief (claustrophobia didn't get me this time) and we set back off into the cobbled streets.

I only have ten minutes left on this computer, so check back tomorrow for the tale of the rest of today and my impressions of the Uffizi gallery, which we're seeing tomorrow morning.

Ciao!