Well, I reached Italy! I think I deserve some type of traveler’s gold star. My plane out of Amsterdam was delayed this morning because of fog in Paris. Consequently, I only had 30 minutes to transfer flights. I believe I jogged about 2 miles through the Paris airport. I was missing my belt and shoes when I reached my gate, but I made my flight!
I flew Air France today. I have to say, comparing Delta to Air France is like comparing Motel 6 to a Four Seasons. For instance, on my flight from Paris to Florence (only 2 hours), I enjoyed a fresh croissant, coffee that actually tasted good, peaceful music, a box of sugary mini pastries, beautiful interior design and a calm and pleasant (not to mention strangely good-looking) staff. When a baby started crying, a stewardess went to help calm him down and brought out some toys and goodies for the child.
Now, let’s reminisce about my flight into Amsterdam on Delta (a ticket that cost 5 times my Air France ticket). The staff was cranky and didn’t even appear to have matching uniforms. I think they were all just told to “wear black and a scarf” to work. I was served some type of microwaveable dinner that I couldn’t exactly identify. My choices were “meat” or “no meat”. I choose the safe route and went with the “no meat” option that I believe was pasta with some processed vegetables mixed in. I couldn’t even eat my bread for fear of tearing the enamel off of my teeth. Someone had carved their name (Brandon I believe) into the seat in front of me, and a stinky French teenager with a cold sat next to me the whole time. In summary, if the French have gotten one thing right, it’s their attitude towards commercial aviation! Finally, take a look at one of the pictures of the Alps that I took from the plane ride into Italy. This scenery was a highlight for the day.
My hotel in Florence is at the very center of the city. The hotel is family owned and the owners have done a wonderful job of taking care of me so far. The hotel is in a large house that is probably 200 years old, and my room includes vaulted ceilings, hard wood floors and an entirely marbled bathroom. I was shocked when I saw how nice my accommodations were.
Upon arrival, I headed straight into the city to do a little site seeing and some shopping. I stopped by the Florence Cathedral/called the Duomo (see picture below) and then headed to several clothing shops. The shopping here is fantastic. Everyone here seems to have really fancy shoes on, especially the men. Europeans never wear tennis shoes.
I headed to dinner at a restaurant near my hotel. I ordered lasagna, and let me just say, it was the best lasagna that I have ever had. It was entirely different than the lasagna we have in America. There was almost no tomato sauce or tomato taste in the dish. After dinner, I walked through the city streets and enjoyed the shops. Most of the streets around my hotel are heavy shopping districts that are closed off to traffic, so that makes walking very pleasant. So far I love Italy. The atmosphere is somehow relaxing and energetic at the same time. I have a full day tour of Tuscany tomorrow, so that should be a wonderful addition to what has already been a great trip.
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