One of the biggest surprises about tourist sites in Italy is that admission for the kids is free. Now, this isn't really saving big bucks in the grand scheme of things, but it is certainly a pleasant little savings. Most of the entrances to tourist sites have a turnstile - like at an amusement park entrance - to count the visitors. The ticket takers always ask that the kids duck under the turnstile. While this is super fun for the kids, it makes me feel like we are cheating and doing something inappropriate. The first couple of times we were told to duck the turnstile, the kids must have picked up on my nervous energy and looked at me with hesitation in their eyes. But, now they just swing like little monkeys from the turnstile and happily enter the attraction.
We had some time to kill before Tom's arrival today, but we wanted to stay relatively close to the flat. The kids clearly had some energy to burn (even after those 463 steps yesterday), so we went to the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens. Now, I don't generally love touring gardens so I wasn't super pumped up about this adventure. But, I knew it was something that we had to check off our "must do" list. We entered the gardens on the southwest (downhill) side. This area of the gardens is more natural and less English/manicured. There were lots of large trees and arbor-lined walks. Florence, like many cities, doesn't really have a green canopy so the trees were a welcome reprieve from the heat that has finally settled down upon us.
The girls had a lot of fun running along the meandering paths and discovering marble statues. We happened on no less than four outdoor bathtubs - of which I made the kids jump into and pretend they were taking a bath. I found these tubs a strange item to have in a garden, but I guess it really isn't that odd since so many of the statues depict people bathing or in phases of partial undress. The centerpiece statues depict Neptune or make reference to him, so I guess there is a water theme going on here. Which brings me to my next observation about the gardens - the water in virtually every fountain was slime green. This certainly made a nice backdrop for the statues, with the contrast between the stark white marble and the nasty, green pond scum. While some people may find this adds to the mystique of a place, I think it looks grotesque. I mean, how hard is it to put a few pumps and filters on these babies and get that water looking good? I guess if they charged admission for kids, they could afford those pumps!
Since we are on the topic of water and bathtubs, I should tell you about public restrooms. There are no specific men's or women's restrooms - they are often shared by both in restaurants and trattorias. The individual stalls are more like Fort Knox, so you don't have to worry about someone trying to sneak a peek of you whilst you are exposed. And, I am happy to report that Italian men are able to "hit the porcelain." So ladies, don't fall for that I can't control the stream excuse any longer.
Our flat, like most personal homes and hotels in Italy, has a bidet. The kids and I were betting to see who would be the first to try it out - and Bella won. As she settled her cute little tush down on that plumbing fixture, Scarlett and I huddled around to cheer her on, no one knowing quite what to expect. I thought the water would stream out with more pressure like a hose, but it comes out in a gentle flow (somewhat to our dismay). Now, the knobs to turn on the flow of the water are adjacent to one's back, so you have to get the water flowing before you nestle down. Then, you just sit on your throne and let the warm water trickle down the tush until you feel nice and clean. It is a strangely odd, but enjoyable, experience.
So from bathtubs, to restrooms, to bidets, the Zarcones continue to explore all that Florence has to offer!
No comments:
Post a Comment