Travels in Italy 2019

I did spend 9 days in Florence, so of course there will be multiple posts.  I promise to continue on to Siena, Montalcino, and Lucca after this one. We've (sort of) covered the Bargello, the Uffizi, the and Boboli Gardens.  And some food and wine. The other two big visits I made were to the Pitti Palace and the Museo Galileo. Inner Courtyard of the Pitti Palace The Pitti Palace was built in 1457 by Luca Pitti, a banker who didn't want to take second seat to the Medici, and so built on as grand a scale as possible.  In a bit of irony, the Medici bought the Palazzo in 1549 and kept improving it until the last Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany died in 1737. They amassed a huge collection of art of the period.  After the Medici Grand Dukes died out, the Hapsburg-Lorraine Grand Dukes took over until 1860 (with a couple interruptions). In the late 18th century, Napoleon used it for a short period and the Bourbon-Parma Etruria kings also.  When Italy became a unified country,

So far, this blog has visited the Bargello, the Boboli gardens (this order was determined by the occurrence of a sunny day), the Gli Uffizi.  Next on the itinerary was the Pitti Palace.  But first, I think we're past due for a post on food and wine.  And opera! Priorities must be followed! There is a conspicuous lack of chain restaurants in Italy.  There are the occasional McDonald's, mostly by the train stations.  There's Eataly, which I would classify as a chain at this point.  But for the most part (>95%) are single proprietor places.  This is good for the adventurous, but a drawback for those seeking familiarity.  I've found that the ratings of eating establishments on Google Maps to be a fair guide.  If you are looking ahead and plan, ViaMichelin.com provides some good information (but as always, anything recommended there will be posh, even if not starred). The cost of eating in Italy is substantially less than in Seattle.  A very good 3 course meal at a Mi