Firenze Day 2: Hidden Treasures - The Tip of the Iceberg

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Today marked our first full day with the Road Scholars Hidden Treasures of Florence tour — and what a start it was. After a generous buffet breakfast at the Hotel Glance, we gathered at 11 o'clock for a sit-down lecture by Giovanni Guidetti, who introduced us to the brilliance of Michelangelo. It was also our introduction to Giovanni himself — one of our guides for the next eight days — and, as I would soon learn, a true Renaissance man in his own right. His depth of knowledge about history, art, architecture, and religion is staggering.

From there, we strolled through the lively Central Food Market of San Lorenzo — a sensory overload of colors and aromas — on our way to lunch at Konnubio Restaurant. The menu was an unexpected delight: a pea flan with onion and asparagus cream, paccheri (that's a pasta, for those like myself who are unschooled in Italian cooking) with stracciatella cheese, cherry tomatoes, and basil, and finally, a “soft” chocolate cake. And yes, there was wine.

Now, confession time: “pea flan” ranks right up there with “liver and onions” on my list of least-appealing dishes. It looked as questionable as it sounded — the color of baby-food green (I’m being polite). But here’s the twist: it was delizioso! I devoured every bite and nearly licked the plate clean. The pasta, too, was heavenly (and mercifully not green).

Lunch was my first real chance to get to know fellow travelers — to form first impressions, swap stories, brag on our children and begin the slow process of matching names to faces. I sat with cellist Lenore and her artist daughter Michelle; siblings-in-law Lynn and Henry; and solo adventurers Eleanore and Lucy. Lucy and I hit it off instantly — a connection that would grow into a travel friendship for the rest of the journey.

After lunch, we visited the Cappelle Medicee, resting place of my favorite Medicis, Lorenzo and Giuliano. Up until now, my knowledge of this illustrious family came mostly from Netflix — which, naturally, had me admiring their cheekbones and backsides as much as their political genius. Seeing their tombs in person, surrounded by marble so intricate and symbolically rich, was humbling. Every surface told a story; every sculpture seemed to breathe. And this, I realized, was just the beginning of Florence’s artistic treasures.

Our day wrapped up around 4:30 p.m., leaving me time to wander through the nearby leather stalls.

Tip: Walk along the sidewalks behind the vendor tents — you’ll dodge the hard-sell pitches and discover some wonderful hidden shops and cafés. One such gem was Nino’s, a little shop channeling its inner Costco with tasting counters — but instead of cheese cubes and crackers, there were chocolate morsels, 100-year-old balsamic vinegar, limoncello drops, and pistachio liqueur. Yes, please. I purchased some of it all.

That evening, I joined Lucy, Henry, and Lynn for a casual dinner at the Central Market before we strolled together to the Ponte Vecchio. The Arno shimmered and the Duomo glowed in the moonlight, and all I could think was — bellissimo.