Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson, Roberth Nordin
Videos: Christer Lundstedt, Roberth Nordin
06.58 After a short Easter celebration with my parents in Skulnäs, I´m about to start this year's Easter adventure. It was -12 C during the night. It is nice to go to warmer areas.
07.52 Yet again I am driven to the railway station in Örnsköldsvik. 08.12 In about fifteen minutes, a quarter of an hour, the train that shall take me down to Sundsvall will arrive. There I will join up with Christer for further travel. 08.38 The trip has begun. With me, I have an old acquaintance, Christopher Silfverbielke, in literary form. With me is also Canon Ixus, my new camera. The last camera got senile. Now the train slow down, we stop , in the middle of the forest. 08.45 The stop was due to an oncoming train. 09.28 With coffee in a mug and a good book in hand, I enjoy life. 10.11 Sundsvall is getting closer and closer. We have just departed from the train station in Timrå. 11.00 The trip at new year ended with a visit to the hamburger chain Max. This Easter trip starts with a visit at the same fast food restaurant. In about an hour, I am again on board a train and then Christer will hopefully be with me.
The travelers have found each other at Arlanda.
Lunch at Alfredos, this time with a menu and waiter.
Christer has collected his free coffee.
11.29 I and several others with me are sitting in the waiting area at the railway station. I sense that everyone is waiting for the train. Some, perhaps like me, wait for other things as well. For my part, it is Christer. The other probably wait for someone or something else.
12.00 One has become two. We have booked tickets separately but still got seats next to each other on the train. 14.50 Soon the two travellers will become three. Christer and I just had coffee and will meet Roberth as we reach Arlanda airport. He arrives there by plane from Östersund. 15.28 When we arrived at Arlanda, Christer bought two yellow straps. He wants to both tie together his bag and also make it easier to recognize it. The straps he had previously used for the same purpose is left at home in Sundsvall. It is difficult to avoid to forget something when you travel. It is best to forget something that is not too important. Now we have seated ourselves on our now classic bench at the SkyBridge. While Christer tie up the bag, I will call Roberth. 15.52 The three are united. In addition, we have returned to the restaurant Alfredo's upstairs from where we just were.
In the plane, on our way to Germany.
We will change plane in a rainy Düsseldorf.
17.16 There is a touch of class at old Alfredo's. We got to sit at a table and order from a menu. Earlier we have placed our orders at the counter. The pizzas we chose were really tasty. Christer and I treat ourselves some coffee from Starbucks at terminal 2. Christer got his coffee for free. He utilized the benefit of a receipt he got in the summer when they happened to give him a cappuccino instead of an Americano. What horror, black coffee, stained with milk.
17.53 Bitte gurte während des Sitzens geschlossen can be read on the seat in front of me. In short, on with the belt! 18.49 Now one hour remains of our flight with Air Berlin to Düsseldorf. There we have about an hour of waiting before we fly on to Italy. This trip takes us to Tuscany with surroundings.GERMANY
20.12 It is a call out on a flight to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. We are now at a new airport, the one in Düsseldorf. Christer and I flew to Düsseldorf Weeze with Ryanair in 2009 but Weeze is not Düsseldorf more than that it is included in the name. Now we are the real Düsseldorf Airport.
20.34 We have enjoyed a few purchases from a small kiosk. Christer has also bought candy, Easter bunnies. Roberth still feel a little hungry and look for something more to eat. 20.39, Our flight is flashing on the monitors, it is time to go to the gate, no Robert in sight. Christer takes a check, OK, Robert is buying a bretzel, a pretzel. 20.56 The three of us went to the gate B58. We walked down a few stairs and took the bus to LGW's DASH 8-Q400s. It is a propeller aircraft with two seats on each side of the aisle. LGW is a company that cooperates with Air Berlin and run some of their routes like this that will take us to Florence. 21.39 We fly over Europe. It is dark outside. We are expected to land in about an hour and a half.ITALY
23.08 We are on firm ground again and stand by the luggage belt at the airport in Florence. The airport was formerly called Amerigo Vespucci (after the man who gave the name to America) but is now called just Aeroporto di Firenze-Peretola. Here are offices if the baggage gets lost.
23.21 It went fine to get our luggage. The fact is that Roberth's bag came first on the baggage band. Now we are waiting for the bus that will take us into the city. 23.40 Things are running smoothly. For 6 Euros each, we shall go to the railway station in the vicinity of our hotel. The bus company we go with is called SITA and the bus line is called Volainbus.
Peter is reading a menu in the dark.
We are waiting for the airport shuttle Vola-in-bus.
00.10 We made it to the railway station Santa Maria Novella. There were no open kiosks inside the station. Christer and I have bought sandwiches in a vending machine. They were unexpectedly expensive (5 Euros) and have been named "industrial sandwiches" by Roberth.
00.44 It did not go completely perfect then we went to our home here in Florence. We went on a minor detour, but it is great to get to walk after all that sitting today. It is always risky to go on the basis of a memory image of the location of the hotel. To actually follow a map is always better. On our way we saw several places that sold sandwiches, certainly cheaper than ours. We are now in all the cases in our room, number 308, at the Hotel Ascot (http://www.hotelascotflorence.com). 01.07 Evening snacks, sandwiches are eaten. Now the three of us will move into the sleeping mode. 07.45 A good night sleep has, for my part, been replaced with a refreshing shower. The room is crowded and one of the beds makes it almost impossible to close the bathroom door. We get the feeling that a two bed room has been converted into a three bed room. 08.27 Now it has been Christer's turn to shower. The sky is overcast. 09.35 After the breakfast, we now start to plan the day, a full day in Florence. Something mysterious happened during breakfast. There was a wet spot on the tablecloth. Furthermore, it appeared as if the spot grew during the meal. 10.06 The time of departure is here and Roberth just sneezed.
We are looking out through our window.
Peter is doing some research before our sightseeing in Florence.
Roberth and Christer are ready to leave the hotel.
Hotel Ascot, Florence.
Peter and Roberth in Mercato Centrale.
Basilica di San Lorenzo.
10.35 Our first stop on our Florence-walk was in the market, Mercati Storici Fiorentini/Mercato Centrale. There it was a variety of delicacies and it is a pity that we can't go shopping for things to bring home to Sweden already. We will probably return here in the afternoon for the purchase of the nightly goodies. Outside the market hall, products of leather were being sold as far as the eye could see.
10.42 Investigating makes us tired. We are now sitting on the stairs of the Basilica di San Lorenzo with Piazza di San Lorenzo in front of us. The cool overcast morning has slowly turned into a warm day. Tourists and a group of nuns has passed in front of us. 11.05 The sun breaks free from behind the clouds. It spreads its light and heat upon us and the beautiful cathedral (dom). The older parts of Florence are on UNESCO's world heritage list. The great Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, usually called simply "Il Duomo" was built between 1296 and 1436. It was for a while the largest in the world. 11.28 We left the Duomo and the people that throng on the Piazza del Duomo. I saw a guy with a Kånken backpack. Roberth bumped into an older hefty lady in red. Now, while a honking ambulance passes, we are sitting on a new staircase. We are at Piazza di San Firenze. We're not quite where we meant us to be. However, it has given us more to see. 11.51 Time for a bench break. We are on a stone bench at the Piazza di Santa Croce. In the Franciscan church at the square, in the Basilica di Santa Croce, are according to information we have, Italian celebrities such as Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei and Machiavelli put to rest. There is also one of the myriads of slivers from the cross of Christ. Once a year an old-fashioned form of football, calcio storico. is played on the square In the 15th century, a man by the name of Savonarola executed heretics here on the square. We have also seen the lady in the red again. 12.23 After we left Robert at the hair salon Hairforce are Christer and I now back on the Piazza di Santa Croce. Roberth should just like in Berlin last year get a new hairstyle. It's starting to become a tradition during the Easter.
Piazza del Duomo, Florence.
Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, the most famous building in the city.
Basilica di Santa Croce, the final resting place for Michelangelo, Galilei and Machiavelli.
Statue of Dante Alighieri, one of the most famous sons of this city.
Piazza di Santa Croce.
Suddenly Roberth entered here.
Roberth and the hairdresser Giuseppe.
12.58 We picked up the by Giuseppe newly styled Roberth and went off to lunch. When there are many of restaurants, it often takes longer time to choose where to eat. We try to avoid "tourist traps" and the restaurants packed with people. Now we are at the small Trattoria Pallottino (http://trattoriapallottino.com) where we ordered one of the dishes of the day, porchetta. Porchetta is pork roulades flavoured with herbs. In the city, we have seen a few cars that slide around very quiet. Everything that you hear from them is a little beep now and then.
13.56 We got really good food and drink. At the neighbouring table the waitress lost her grip on the wine bottle. There was wine on the canvas, plate coasters and one of the guests. 14.35 The Palazzo Vecchio (now municipal offices) and Piazza della Signoria is right next to us. Here are a lot of people and a replica of Michelangelo's David. The Uffizi gallery is right next door. More statues can be seen at the Loggia dei Lanzi. Here, you can see Cellinis Perseus and Giambolognas or that he actually was named Jean de Boulogne, The Rape of the Sabine Women. Finally, a bit of trivia, the Feldtherrenhalle in Munich, which we saw last year had the Loggia dei Lanzi as a role model, when it was constructed. 14.49 We have walked over courtyard of the Uffizi courtyard. A short distance away, a small dog sometimes bark, sometimes howl. Roberth and I sit on a railing with the backs against the river Arno. To the left stretches the famous bridge, Ponte Vecchio. 14.54 We have now learned more about Ponte Vecchio, the Old bridge, built in 1345. It is, therefore, 12 years older than the Charles bridge which we saw last year. On the bridge are mainly gold smith shops and historically it has been an important place for trade. It is said that the economic concept of "bankruptcy" originated here: when a merchant could not pay his debts, soldiers destroyed ("rotto") his table ("banco") with goods. This document came to be known as "bancorotto" (ruined the table; possibly it can come from "banca rotta" which means "destroyed bank"). Without his table the merchant could not continue to sell his goods. (Source:Wikipedia) 15.15 We, along with many others went over the bridge. On it was a fenced in fountain with a bust. In the fence where padlocks. Once again, we have been able to see padlock decorations. The bust is Romanellis tribute to the sculptor and goldsmith Cellini. Now we are at the majestic Pitti palace in Piazza Pitti. 15.29 As soon as Roberth has eaten his in the gelateria purchased Italian ice cream, we shall start the trek to our home on the other side of the city centre. We will first cross the river Arno again.
Trattoria Pallottino, our lunch restaurant.
Roberth is eating porchetta.
Palazzo Vecchio, Florence.
Lots of people outside the Uffizi art museum.
The river Arno goes through Florence.
Ponte Vecchio, a medieval bridge.
15.46 Just as we sat there, a black man arrived with belts that he wanted to sell. He wondered if we were from Kenya. The initial guess was not really good. Now we make a map-look stop on Piazza Santa Trinita.
16.29 Now we have returned to and bought goodies in the market where the day's adventures began. We have also visited the upper floor that had various restaurants and a school where you could learn to cook. On the TV appeared the football match being played right now, the city's team Fiorentina play against another local Tuscany team, Empoli. Everything is now clear for some evening snack time. Now we just need to take us home with the treats. 17.38 Wine, Latuja, Bardolino Classico 2015, cheese, Caciotta alle Vinace and air-dried ham, Coscia Di Suino Stagionata. It is what we purchased and soon to be consumed. Roberth has also purchased some shampoo and other things that are good to have for the body to smell good. These products was not bought in the market hall. 18.39 It tasted good with the wine, cheese and ham from Tuscany. 19.37 We seem unable to bring life to our TV. Well, they mostly speak Italian on it. The football match, by the way, ended an unexpected home loss. Empoli won 2-1. 20.08 It is time to go out to see what a Florence-evening at Easter means. According to the hairdresser Giuseppe something exciting should apparently happen during the evening. 20.33 Outside the hotel, we met a little company. The first had a cloth over the mouth, the other was without and the third smoked a cigarette. All with their own way to take care of the inhale. Now we await the possible events at the cathedral. Something is going to happen here, according to Giuseppe. 20.48 Not much happened and we went on at random stroll along a pedestrian street. Suddenly we heard drums. We turned and went towards the sound. Pretty soon we got to see a parade with drums and standard-bearer. They were, so typically during Easter, dressed in feathers.
Palazzo Pitti, a renaissance palace. Today it has galleries and museums.
Roberth couldn´t resist Italian ice cream.
A local man reads the newspaper.
Piazza della Repubblica.
Cooking classes inside Mercato Centrale.
20.58 We have reseen and reheard the drummers and standard-bearers. We are right now in front of the Palazzo Vecchio and the Loggia dei Lanzi. Here the parade gas stopped. They are waiting for something.
21.26 Guys with trumpets played and the group was about. We did the same. Pretty soon we found the restaurant/pizzeria Gusto Leo (http://www.ristorantegustoleo.com) where we got a table for four. They were wondering when the fourth would connect. We said that it was, in fact, only three. Robert joked, however, and said he could probably fix up a fourth guest. Now we wait for the pizzas and beer on tap for Christer and I and salad and wine to Roberth. 22.29 It was good food and drink. Now we have done a stop at the Duomo and Roberth have entered. Now my mobile is ringing, time to stop writing. 22.31 It was Robert who called. He thinks that we should go in as well. Christer is off, to see what's happening at the big church gate, where some carried in some kind of tray, with incense. We'll see what we do. 22.44 Roberth came out and picked us up. We are now in the cathedral, and here we are looking at and listening to the Easter sermon which is in progress. 23.15 After a little wandering and searching we finally found the train station. Here we have bought tickets to Siena tomorrow. There are plenty of dogs in the city. There is everything from cotton balls with matchstick legs to small calves. 23.38 It is nice to be at home in room 308. Now we are going to unwind before our second night here begins, buona notte!
The cathedral (Duomo) at night.
Men in feathers play drums and carry flags.
Dinner at Gusto Leo.
Easter mass in Florence.
08.40 Internet reports about a failed robot test in North Korea and that the Italian woman, Emma Moreno died at the age of 117 years. She is no near familiar to us, but she is likely the last deceased of those who were born in the 1800´s.
09.11 We took the elevator down to the breakfast dining room. Suddenly it stopped and two men wanted to go up. They were not allowed to enter, we want to go down for breakfast. The doors were closed and we once again pushed again the button for the right floor. The doors slid open and there they were again, those who wanted to up. We had already come down to the right floor. We quickly stepped out of the elevator, turned in the wrong direction, but found the way to the breakfast. This day started bad. 10.22 We are about to get fed up with our cramped room. We have actually purchased train tickets-and got a new city to see. Today we travel south in Tuscany. We shall visit the beautiful city of Siena, a city Roberth previously visited with his wife, but that is a completely new experience for me and Christer. 10.35 We are on foot heading towards the railway station, the nearby Santa Maria Novella. Once again the quiet and sometimes beeping cars pass by. They are electricity-powered and emits no ordinary car sound, hence the beeping. Outside the railway station, stands as always, the grim soldiers and the keep watch. 10.45 We are once again sitting on a train, or is it in a train. Before we went on board, Roberth helped some Asians to validate their tickets. Here in Italy all tickets must be validated (stamped) in a small vending machine before departure. Otherwise it will be fine.
It is time for a train trip.
One of the passengers carried a Christmas bag on Easter day.
In Poggibonsi there is a strange man on the platform.
Peter and Roberth have arrived to Siena.
With the help of escalators we leave the station and arrive in the town center.
Tuscany views seen from Siena.
11.01 A short distance away in the cart, the salon is a Santa Claus. It is painted on a bag that a lady has in her lap. It feels a little odd on Easter Sunday.
11.12 Now the rail station begin to move away from the us. Soon, it also applies to Florence. Roberth hope to get to see the scabby suburbs. Roberth has as I said been in Siena in the past. He remembers the long and backbreaking slopes during the hike up from the railway station. 11.42 Robert did not get what he wanted, the suburbs looked pretty nice. At the station we are at now the signs says Empoli. Through the salon, the hallway, people come dressed in jackets. 12.03 Next to Roberth, diagonally opposite to Christer and, in fact, directly opposite me sits a man in a red, white, blue short sleeve shirt. He just lifted brought down a bag and gave a sweater to a lady in his travel company. Another lady got a bottle with drink. 12.15 On the platform in Poggibonsi is a stiff man. He is made of, we argue about if it is, wood or metal? 12.40 The trip is over. It is time to get off. I must be brief, otherwise I'm going to go get further from Siena. 12.54 There was nothing to worry about. Siena was the end station for the train. It is still no excuse to sit still. From the station area we walked into a mall and there, we took a long series of stairs and escalators up to the city's higher centre. Robert told me that these escalators were not here at his last visit. 13.05 We begin our stay, our visit in Siena with coffee and pastries at Café Berta, which is located right inside the city's northern city gate.
Porta Camollia, the northern city gate.
Café Berta gave us what we needed.
Walk along Via Montanini.
Piazza Salimbeni with a bust of the politician Sallustio Bandini.
We are trying to reach Siena´s famous square.
Piazza del Campo is visible.
13.24 We are at a vantage point near the Cafe Berta and look out over a beautiful typical Tuscan landscape. We will, now when we have photographed, walk on.
13.37 We walk on the narrow charming streets on our way to Siena's heart. The street called Via Camollia has changed its name to Via Montanini. 13.54 After a bit more walking, we finally reached the city's unique shell-shaped inclined square. We sit down on the ground and enjoy in the sunshine here on the Piazza del Campo. We are hiking through The older parts, which are UNESCO-listed. Here are in addition to us, lots of tourists, locals and the beautiful building of the Palazzo Pubblico (City Hall) with its tower, the Torre del Mangia. 14.26 We have left the scorching sun on the square and temporarily sought us out on the Palazzo Pubblico. Here are texts on the walls, which stood here since the middle ages. 14.57 We walk around on the streets and in the alleys. We look around or is it that we actually are lost. It is hard to know whether you are lost when you do not know where you are going. There are no tourists here where we are right now. 15.11 It took her little time to find the right, but now we are at the cathedral (the duomo). The beautiful sanctuary shines and glistens in the sun. 15.24 After the cathedral visit, we are now eating lunch at the restaurant Antica Trattoria L'Aquila. 16.27 There is something special with food. It is prima as long as it is like the kind we just had.. Wine to the food is starting to almost become a must. Christer took a refreshing Austrian beer to drink. Now, we have managed to get lost again. We are once again on the road to completely leave the map we got. 17.06 With the help of small, blue dots on a map app on Roberth's mobile at last we have found the right place. We are back at the vantage point near Café Berta. That app is smooth. Enter the city, where you are in the city and where you want to go and the dots appear. It, of course, requires a good internet connection.
Palazzo Pubblico with Torre del Mangia.
Piazza del Campo, Siena.
Roberth is calling home.
Duomo di Siena.
Christer has ordered an icecold Austrian beer.
Late lunch at Antica Trattoria L´Aquila.
17.22 The time has come to take the final steps back towards the railway station.
17.50 We are now on a bench at track 3. We have bought, some to enjoy, beverages, and snacks. Christer's soda, San Pellegrino Chino, has a certain touch of bitterness. 18.09 The train to Florence is boarded. It is soon time to begin the trip home. It has been a lovely stay in Siena, a beautiful city has been combined with the first meeting with the hot sun and summer heat. 18.21 Now, our journey home just started. There will be no journey, for those who are not on board now. 18.53 Christer has been affected by the uncomfortable problem that one of his lenses ended up crooked, and makes the eye irritated. 19.36 We are still waiting for someone to check our tickets. The conductor has a quarter of an hour to do so before we step off at home in Florence. 20.06 Quickly and smoothly we went back to the Hotel Ascot. Now, the last evening in the city is planned. 20.46 After a brief stop in the room, it has become time for the last effort for today.
The football (soccer) team AC Siena went out of business 2014 and the new team Robur Siena is modestly successful.
We got lost and ended up on a beautiful spot.
The shortcut on the way back offered fantastic views.
Street art in Siena.
Roberth is ready to head back to Florence.
Wine and waiting at Trattoria Pizzeria Cornelius, Florence.
21.43 The eternal question is addressed, where should we eat dinner? We walked, discussed, pondered and searched a little before we sat down at a table outside a Trattoria Pizzeria Cornelius.
22.36 For dinner it was pizza for Christer and Roberth, and to me a sea food pasta. For dessert Roberth had a cannoli, a Sicilian pastry that he tested right in Sicily. This was organised with the help of the nice Sicilian waiter "Stefanino" (little Stefan). He was called that by an elderly woman in the staff. In addition, Roberth and I had a Caffè Corretto, i.e. espresso with grappa. 23.13 It was not so convenient to solve the train tickets for tomorrow's transfer to Bologna. To get sensible prices, we need to go with a train already at 08.21. Shit happens, we will in any case go further. Most of the trains to Bologna are really expensive high-speed trains that are fully booked or only have the most expensive tickets left. 23.54 Time to go to sleep. We were unexpectedly robbed of a sleep-in tomorrow.
You can see 19 photos from April 14 in this photoalbum.
You can see 235 photos from April 15 in this photoalbum.
You can see 159 photos from April 16 in this photoalbum.