March 12, 2023 - Retracing The Amazing Race.

Today was another sunny day, mostly spent relaxing. It again reached 20 degrees which I think is a bit warmer than usual for this time of the year. We walked to Esselunga grocery store this morning to pick up a few things. Coffee was getting low among other things.

After lunch we left for the other side of the river, We wanted to retrace the steps that the contestants from the Amazing Race had taken when they were in Florence last year. We have a list of the wine windows so visited quite a few. We can’t figure out which ones they went to. At one place we asked if it was one of the windows that the amazing race contestants had come to, and he replied yes you can go to the window and ring the bell, I will know you are there and you can order. We asked again and received the same answer, Maybe that is the only sentence he knows in English. As I write this, Jacques is informing me that he has found the list on the internet. As Glenda says "Google sais tout". 

The one where we asked the bartender if his bar had been in the Amazing Race.

This one had been converted into and apartment intercom panel.

This one is not really a wine window but Jacques liked what was on display.

We tried to find the door that led to the tunnel that the amazing race contestants had gone to deliver what they had gotten at the wine windows but when we couldn’t find it, we stopped to ask at a nearby hotel and we were told where it was but that it was locked because it was a private club. So much for that, we did see the stairs going to the tunnel because while we were taking a picture someone came in through the door which opened with his key card. We found a few more wine doors and then I guess tomorrow we will be looking for more wine doors.

The tables by the water where the racers had to serve what they picked which was Tuscan soup, cured meats and biscotti.

We were hoping to go down where the tables were setup but it was a private canoe club.

I wanted to see the wild boar statue, so we went to mercato nuevo. The story goes that if you rub the nose of the pig and then put a coin in its mouth. If it falls in the grate, you will come again to Florence. I guess we will not be coming back, after 3 tries I gave up. We did meet 3 young teenagers from Halifax who were on a school trip. I forgot to ask what school they attended. They were only spending one day per city. So far, they had visited, Venice, Milan, Bologna, Lucca and maybe more, I don’t remember them all.

With sunny skies and 21 degrees, everyone came out to enjoy the fine weather.

A street performer dressed as a statue.

Florence's version of pot holes.

Another picture for Jacques.

We again spent a few hours on the patio. It was warmer outside than in the apartment. With the sun shinning I opened the window to help dry the clothes that I had washed this morning.

Flowers on our patio.