Page 50 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2025 GRAND VOYAGE
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F FLORENCE, ITALYLORENCE, ITALY
lorence has always held a special station and we almost missed our
place in our hearts, but this visit left departure. Only a chance pause at a bus
F us wondering if it would be our last. stop connected us with transportation to
The sheer numbers of people crowding the Estacion Central. We arrived with only
city center stripped the joy out of wander- minutes to spare.
ing its historic streets. Fortunately,our re- Once in Florence, we found ourselves in the
ward for enduring the congestion was a midst of national holiday celebrations on a
spectacular tour of the Uffizi Gallery and a warm Indian summer day. After navigating
leisurely lunch. through the chaos, we settled into a
Even getting to Florence proved to be an popular restaurant near the Uffizi Gallery,
unexpected challenge. Our ship docked in where we watched diners tackle the
Livorno, a working-class port that lacks the enormous Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a 1.5-
charm of Italy’s more celebrated kilo T-bone steak that seemed to be a rite
destinations. The plan was simple—take a of passage for meat lovers. We opted for
train to Florence. What could possibly go more manageable pasta dishes and glasses
wrong? Google Maps failed us with of wine, a welcome antidote to the
incorrect walking directions to the train morning’s chaotic start.
50 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE SPRING 2025
