Another Magical Sunday

For Chip’s first Sunday in Florence, March 18, I wanted to re-create that perfect Sunday I had experienced several weeks ago. Some of you may recall that this was the day I met my wonderful Italian family and shared in their birthday celebration. And, the thing is, the day turned out to be even more magical, which seemed impossible.

We first walked over the Ponte Grazie and had coffee at Caffè Ruffilo in the San Niccolò neighborhood, followed by a walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo. Fortunately, the hoards of tourists had not yet arrived, so we had a little more privacy as we enjoyed the spectacular views than I had had last time. There was even another wedding taking place on one of the terraces, with Florence as a stunning backdrop. We then continued up the hill to the Church of San Salvatore al Monte. Last time I walked up here, the church was closed. But now, because Chip was with me, the church was naturally open. (What is it with him?) The simplicity of the church, including its mostly white interior, really appealed to us.

Now it was time to walk up to the top of the hill to visit the Church of San Miniato al Monte. Now, as you can imagine, I’ve seen a lot of churches over these past seven weeks, and this church remains my favorite. I couldn’t wait for Chip to see it. And, as luck would have it, there was a mass going on. We sat quietly near the back of the church, enjoying the lilting tones of the mass, being said in Italian. We may not be religious, but this was an inspirational experience. When the time was appropriate for us to leave, we set off through the hills along Viale Galileo Galilei. The weather was perfect: bright sunshine, clear skies, and pleasant temperatures. Our destination? Chateau Fontana, that magical place where I had had that unforgettable time with my Italian family.
We arrived at the restaurant before it was open for lunch, but they let us sit out on the back terrace, where we enjoyed a coffee and the warm sunshine. It was so warm that we even managed to get some sun! But instead of staying for lunch, something made us leave to continue on our journey, and are we ever glad that we did. That’s because, a short way down the road, we came upon a Tuscan villa with a sign out front: La Terrazza del Principe (the Terrace of the Prince). We walked through the iron gate and down a narrow stone path lined with flowers, not sure what we would find at the end of it. Around a bend we came upon a patio filled with tables, all set with white tablecloths, place settings, and wine glasses.

A friendly woman approached us and told us that they were just opening for lunch. So we took a seat at a table overlooking a expanse of green field and the Boboli Gardens. We couldn’t have dreamed of a more delightful and beautiful place to have lunch. In fact, it was so beautiful that we wanted it to last for a long time, so we proceeded to have a typical Italian three-course lunch: wonderful homemade pasta, followed by the secondi (meat dish) and a decadent dessert of panna cotta. At the end of the lunch, the owner even brought over two glasses of homemade limoncello. Heaven!

We learned that the owner lives in the house and has converted the ground floor to a restaurant. There’s also a rustic interior dining area, complete with a room in a wine cellar. We couldn’t believe our luck in finding such an amazing place, and we can’t wait to return, perhaps for dinner next time. This was truly a royal dining experience!

Our journey continued as we walked down Via di San Leonardo, a narrow cobblestone street that winds its way downhill toward the Arno, going past ancient stone walls, groves of olive trees, and charming Tuscan homes, including the villa where the Russian composer Tchaikovsky lived in 1878. I found myself wondering how many masterpieces he composed here, with this beautiful countryside as his inspiration. We also passed by the Church of San Leonardo, an 11th-century structure in which Dante, Boccaccio, and Saint Anthony all spoke. Can you imagine?

We then walked through a massive stone gate, perhaps one of the original gates to the city, and came upon the Forte di Belvedere (Fort Belvedere). Originally this was a fortress built to guard Florence against enemy attacks. However, it eventually became a private retreat for the Medici grand dukes. (Of course—those men knew a good view when they saw it!) Today the fort is open to the public, offering absolutely spectacular views of Florence and the Tuscan countryside. We could even see the places we had visited earlier in the day, including Piazzale Michelangelo, San Miniato, and our restaurant!

After taking all of this in, we continued down the road until we came to Via de’ Bardi, a street that a 14th-century historian, Giovanni Villani, once described as "a flea-ridden hamlet where vile, common people lived." Well, the street has certainly changed since then and is now the home to some of Florence’s wealthiest. But even before that, Dante even lived in one of these homes, now commemorated with a plaque. We eventually reached the Arno, where we crossed over using the Ponte Vecchio and headed for home. It was an early night after our full day, especially since we had a train to Venice to catch the next morning. Yes, Florence is simply magical on Sundays.