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TravelTranscript
00:00Thank you very much.
00:30Thank you very much.
01:00I'm Rick Steves. Welcome back to our Grand Circle Tour of Europe.
01:03We're here again with some tips to help make travel easier,
01:06to share a few off-the-beaten-path surprises,
01:08and to make a bit of Europe's history and art come alive.
01:15So far, we've trekked our way from Holland, through Germany,
01:18over the Alps, and into Italy.
01:21From Venice, we explored the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria,
01:24and tackled Rome.
01:28Now we've reached the cultural summit of our trip, Florence.
01:33With the wrong approach, Florence can be an exhausting mix of cultural obligations,
01:39noisy traffic, two big buildings, and two small sidewalks.
01:42But with some background in the Renaissance,
01:45a proper city orientation,
01:46and a friendly, peaceful hotel on the quiet side of the Arno River,
01:50Florence is a joy.
01:52In this half hour, we'll savor
01:54some of the world's top Italian Renaissance art,
01:57a fascinating walk through Florence's historic center,
02:01and the best ice cream in all of Italy.
02:05After our Renaissance ramble,
02:07we'll work on the fine art of siesta.
02:11As for survival skills,
02:12there's no place like Florence to hurtle the language barrier.
02:15And for an extra challenge,
02:17we'll do it on the telephone.
02:20We're getting our bearings on the colorful,
02:23cobbled, less earth-shaking south bank.
02:26It's called Ultra Arno.
02:28This is Florence with training wheels,
02:30and an ideal place to ease into Firenze,
02:34as this city is called in Italy.
02:37Before we cross the bridge
02:38into the world of Leonardo, Michelangelo,
02:41Lorenzo the Magnificent,
02:43and hot streets clogged with cars and tourists,
02:46let's start peaceful with the Brancacci Chapel.
02:50We'll slip in here for a few minutes,
02:53just as young Michelangelo did 500 years ago.
02:56He came here to study and draw
02:58the Masaccio sections of these frescoes.
03:01One of the early stars of the Renaissance,
03:04Masaccio painted individual, powerful,
03:07and realistic figures.
03:12We were lucky.
03:13Other Masaccio works were featured
03:15in a special exhibit this week.
03:17Check around.
03:19Art shows abound in Florence.
03:33Breath-taking.
03:35And on the forgotten side of the Arno,
03:37so no crowds.
03:38You see, art permeates Florence.
03:45So, before we head over the bridge
03:47into the world of masterpieces,
03:49let's talk language.
03:53How much Italian do you speak already?
03:56Buongiorno?
03:57Scusi?
03:58Ciao?
03:58Pizza?
03:59That's a good start.
04:01Europeans are great at languages,
04:04and fortunately for us,
04:05English is the world's most common
04:07and popular second language.
04:09If a Norwegian meets an Italian
04:11here in Florence,
04:11they communicate in English.
04:14How many Italians speak Norwegian?
04:16That notorious language barrier
04:18is about two feet tall.
04:19With a few communication tricks,
04:22a little confidence,
04:23willingness to make mistakes,
04:24and a polite approach,
04:25you can step right over it.
04:28A prerequisite,
04:29basic courtesy as a guest,
04:31show an interest in their language.
04:35Niccolo,
04:36Maxima,
04:36guys.
04:39This one?
04:40Bryce?
04:40Yeah.
04:42Really nice.
04:50Six stars.
04:52Six stars.
04:56If you sort of go smaller
04:58or larger
04:59or this size
05:01or that size
05:02or say half and half
05:03and speak very loudly
05:04and slowly,
05:05they usually understand.
05:08I find an English-Italian dictionary
05:10handier than a phrase book.
05:11I try to learn
05:12five new words a day.
05:14Believe me,
05:15a working vocabulary
05:16of 50 words
05:17takes you a long way.
05:18Come on.
05:19Ready?
05:20Avanti.
05:21Rambo.
05:22What is this?
05:23Rambo.
05:23Muscole.
05:24Muscole.
05:25Muscole.
05:26Muscole.
05:27Do muscole?
05:29Okay, let's wrestle.
05:30Okay, muscole.
05:31Put your muscole where you're...
05:32When I can,
05:33I try and speak in Italian.
05:35And if I get stuck,
05:36usually they'll end up speaking in English
05:38and helping me out.
05:39And I can then find out
05:41what I was supposed to say
05:42in the first place.
05:43So...
05:44Learn a little bit of the language.
05:46I'm just amazed
05:47by the people
05:48that don't even learn
05:48to say please and thank you
05:50and, you know,
05:51how rude they are.
05:52Show to the people
05:53that you're actually
05:53trying to communicate with them.
05:55Use your phrase book.
05:56If you're on the train overnight,
05:57read it overnight.
05:58So when you get there
05:59in the morning,
06:00you can tell them
06:01or you can try to ask,
06:02you know,
06:02how do I find the hostel
06:03or how do I find the museum?
06:06But try.
06:11Practice on time schedules,
06:13newspaper headlines,
06:14signs,
06:15menus.
06:16These are multiple-choice questions.
06:19Make educated guesses
06:20and proceed confidently
06:21as if you figured it out.
06:24It's a puzzle.
06:25The more you play,
06:26the better you'll get.
06:27Pick up the gestures.
06:29Exaggerate the accent.
06:31You're surrounded
06:32by expert local tutors.
06:34As long as you're polite,
06:35they'll appreciate
06:36the effort.
06:37Young professionals,
06:38students,
06:39and anyone
06:40in the tourist trade
06:41is likely to speak
06:42some English.
06:43To communicate
06:44something difficult
06:45and important,
06:46have it written
06:46in the local language
06:47on your notepad.
06:49I'm vegetarian,
06:50boiled water,
06:52well-done meat,
06:53your finest ice cream.
06:58The best ice cream?
06:59The best ice cream.
07:01Good one, eh?
07:02Chocolate.
07:03Chocolate chip.
07:03And hazelnut.
07:09Okay, enough language
07:10lessons for now.
07:12But try them.
07:12Let yourself go.
07:14This effort will give your trip
07:16a personal dimension
07:17that many travelers miss.
07:22Florence is a magnificent city,
07:23but seeing it requires organization,
07:26especially on a blitz tour.
07:30Check with the tourist information office
07:32and pick up a flyer
07:33listing museums
07:34and their hours.
07:36Many museums close
07:37one day a week.
07:39For instance,
07:40on Mondays,
07:41David is closed.
07:44And don't forget
07:45siesta hours.
07:47Let's cross the bridge
07:48for some masterpieces.
07:49Actually,
07:50the city is small,
07:51at least Michelangelo's Florence was.
07:53Everything of interest
07:54for our short visit
07:55was contained
07:55within the old city walls.
07:57These are replaced today
07:58by a handy ring road.
08:04From the top of Giotto's tower,
08:06north of the Arno River,
08:07we're orienting ourselves.
08:09Giotto designed the tower
08:11for the Duomo,
08:11that's Italian for cathedral,
08:13200 years before the age
08:15of Michelangelo.
08:17Some call it
08:17the most beautiful bell tower
08:19in Europe.
08:20The view is
08:22Florentine.
08:24Over there,
08:25you see the Uffizi.
08:26Originally,
08:27it housed the city offices.
08:29Today,
08:29it houses the top collection
08:31of Italian paintings anywhere.
08:33The Botticelli's alone
08:34could change your life.
08:37The train station is there.
08:39Nearly everything
08:40is within a 10-minute walk
08:41from this tower.
08:43The Uffizi,
08:44Michelangelo's David,
08:46and the other
08:46Renaissance masterpieces.
08:49And from here,
08:50we get a great look
08:51at Brunelleschi's dome,
08:53the dome that kicked off
08:54the architectural Renaissance.
08:56So as we descend the tower
08:58to begin our Renaissance walk,
08:59let's orient ourselves.
09:03We'll start here
09:04at the Academia
09:05and cut through
09:06the heart of the city
09:07to the Ponte Vecchio
09:08on the Arno River.
09:10That will take us
09:11by the cathedral,
09:12the baptistry,
09:14the Orsan Michele Church,
09:16Palazzo Vecchio,
09:18and the Uffizi Gallery.
09:20Our hotel is here,
09:21just beyond the old bridge.
09:24Long lines are a part
09:25of sightseeing in Florence.
09:26Even if you have
09:27two hours in this city,
09:29make a point to see
09:30the symbol of the Renaissance,
09:32Michelangelo's David.
09:34This is the ultimate.
09:36When you look
09:37into the eyes of David,
09:38you're looking into the eyes
09:40of the Renaissance man.
09:41Civilized,
09:42confident,
09:44the shaper
09:44of his own destiny.
09:47Carved by Michelangelo
09:48in his mid-twenties,
09:49David represents
09:50a revolutionary outlook.
09:52That meant democracy,
09:54curiosity in exploring nature,
09:56and, in art,
09:58a return to realism.
10:00The rebirth,
10:01or Renaissance,
10:02of Greek and Roman cultures
10:03started about 1400.
10:06It lasted around 150 years.
10:08With a boost
10:09from its leading family,
10:11the art-loving Medici,
10:12and with the aggressive
10:13and creative spirit
10:14of its people,
10:15Florence was the epicenter
10:16of a cultural explosion
10:17that sent shockwaves
10:18throughout Europe.
10:20It's no wonder
10:21this rebirth happened here.
10:23And it's no wonder
10:24this confident man
10:25became the symbol
10:26of the Renaissance.
10:28Michelangelo captured
10:29the precise moment
10:31when David eyed Goliath
10:32and said to himself,
10:33I can take this guy.
10:38Allow some time
10:39to see the prisoners
10:39that lined the hall
10:40leading up to David.
10:42These unfinished figures
10:43seem to be fighting
10:44to free themselves.
10:46Michelangelo thought
10:47God put the figures
10:48into the marble.
10:50His job was
10:51to liberate them.
10:54Look closely.
10:56Notice Michelangelo's
10:57understanding
10:58of the human form.
10:59He enjoyed traveling
11:01to his favorite marble quarry
11:02to study and sketch
11:03the muscular,
11:04tanned,
11:04and sweating bodies
11:05of the workers.
11:09We're moving on
11:10to the cathedral.
11:11And there's
11:12Brunelleschi's
11:13magnificent dome.
11:14It inspired future domes
11:16from St. Peter's
11:17to the capital
11:18in Washington, D.C.
11:20Called in to finish off
11:21the big hole in the roof,
11:22architect Brunelleschi,
11:23rather than capping it
11:24with one more
11:25gothic spire,
11:26decided it was time
11:27to get classical.
11:29So he chose
11:30a Roman-type dome,
11:31similar to the ancient
11:32Pantheon in Rome.
11:34He designed
11:35a dome within a dome.
11:36First he built
11:37the grand white skeletal ribs,
11:39then filled them in
11:40with interlocking bricks.
11:42A great feat of engineering.
11:44It was the wonder
11:44of the age.
11:45People gave it
11:46the ultimate compliment,
11:47saying not even
11:48the ancients
11:49could have done it.
11:50Michelangelo,
11:51when he set out
11:52to construct the dome
11:53of St. Peter's in Rome,
11:54said he could build
11:55a dome bigger,
11:55but not more beautiful
11:57than the dome
11:57in his hometown,
11:58Florence.
12:01In the museum
12:01behind the church,
12:03you can see
12:03Brunelleschi's wooden model
12:04of his dome,
12:06as well as works
12:07by Donatello
12:07and Michelangelo.
12:09.
12:39And so it goes. Forever the blend of souvenir stands, noisy Vespas, which look like fun to ride, and Europe's
12:47greatest art, on our Renaissance Ramble.
12:53Riches galore, but how do we avoid having the experiences become one confusing swirl?
13:01Italy offers two potent remedies. Pleasant cafes on nearly every corner, and a mid-day siesta.
13:09To digest this rich culture, get an early start, and pace yourself.
13:21Cappuccino for you.
13:29Our next treasure, the baptistry. It's about a thousand years old, believed by many to be the oldest building in
13:36Florence.
13:37Inside, medieval art before the confidence of Renaissance humanism, and a ceiling to remember.
13:44The torturous journey to hell. Monsters and poor sinners being gnashed between the teeth of nightmares.
13:52Dante may have been looking at this very inferno as he was baptized.
13:57While medieval art told stories, Renaissance art used every scientific and mathematical trick possible to be realistic.
14:05The baptistry's bronze doors are a textbook example of Renaissance realism.
14:11Shiny copies grace the doors of the baptistry, while the originals are protected in the museum behind the church.
14:18Determined to create the 3D effect, Ghiberti pulled out all the perspective stops, using a series of mathematically correct arches
14:25to show the illusion of depth on a flat surface.
14:30Realism was in, and artists used math, illusion, and even dissection to get it.
14:38Now, for a different taste in art, ice cream at Vivoli's, the best in Italy.
14:42My favorite flavor is rice. That's riso here.
14:47Uh, scusi, tre mille riso?
14:50Solo riso?
14:51Si, solo riso.
15:09For a change of pace, let's return to language.
15:12For most of us, the best way to dramatically improve our ability to communicate is to use what Voice of
15:18America calls simple English.
15:19Often, you're dealing with someone who learned English out of a book.
15:24Enunciate every letter. Choose easy words.
15:27They're reading your lips, wishing you were writing it down.
15:31Use no contractions, no slang.
15:35Choose internationally understood words.
15:38If my car is broken, I point to the vehicle and say, auto, kaput.
15:44That will be understood.
15:47Make single nouns work as entire sentences.
15:51The question, photo, is more effective than, may I take your picture, sir?
15:56And speaking louder doesn't help.
15:59Above all, be patient and undemanding.
16:02Any European who speaks English is doing you a favor.
16:06Remember, you are the foreigner.
16:08Use these tips and watch that language barrier shrink.
16:14Let's carry on with our Renaissance sampler.
16:16So far, we've visited David, the Duomo, and the Baptist Street.
16:21And now we're picking up speed.
16:23There's the Orsan Michele Church.
16:27The artwork inside was paid for by the guild, a medieval form of labor union.
16:37The guilds competed with each other by commissioning sculptors like Donatello and Verrocchio to make
16:43masterpieces for the outside.
16:47Now, the historic center's main pedestrian street empties into the civic center with the Palazzo Vecchio,
16:54the incredible Uffizi Gallery, and the marble greatness of old Florence littering the cobbles.
17:00This square still resonates with echoes of Florence's past, riots, celebrations, and executions.
17:08This plaque marks the spot where Savonarola, the 15th century monk who turned Florence into a theocracy,
17:13was burned.
17:15Today, it's a tourist world.
17:20What was life like 500 years ago when the Florentines stepped out of the Middle Ages,
17:26when man decided life was more than a preparation for what happens after you die?
17:31Clues are everywhere in Florence.
17:34It was an age when art and science merged. It wasn't an anti-christian movement,
17:39but now art no longer needed to embellish the house of God.
17:42Finally, art could be enjoyed for its own sake.
18:01Behind the Palazzo Vecchio is the Bargello, the city's great and often overlooked sculpture museum.
18:09It's a small, easy-to-enjoy museum. Take your time. Meander around the courtyard.
18:15Imagine carrying these stones from quarry to artist's studio, and the sheer physical strength of chiseling away for hours.
18:24Find Donatello's David.
18:28Michelangelo studied this early Renaissance masterpiece as a boy.
18:31Donatello's David was the first male nude to be sculpted in Europe in a thousand years.
18:37Had it been done a generation earlier, many would have considered it pornography.
18:42The scene is biblical, David with the head of Goliath.
18:45But the subject is the body, a pre-Christian classical nude.
18:51The scene is, of course, good to have a very FrLaure.
19:11Perhaps we have a ball of chiseling away from this here and do not leave.
19:11ThePrether guest Los angloce is the first male funk which is known in Europe as a boy Handicui,
19:11and the body, a French visitor, and theจะ in the yard will use swiftly to make it clear enough ran
19:11out there.
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19:15theres a temporary most of pre-Christianւ,
19:15because the third has added impaired taste in New Scotland,
19:1614 000 aux angloce equity discrimination,
19:28The Uffizi Courtyard is a Renaissance Hall of Fame, ringed by statues of great Florentines.
19:35There's Lorenzo the Magnificent, and Giotto, the father of modern painting, Donatello,
19:43Leonardo, from Michelangelo and Dante to Petrarch, Machiavelli, the father of hardball politics,
19:49and finally the man who gave his name to a new world, Amerigo Vespucci.
19:56Clearly the Renaissance was more than the visual arts, but many come here solely for the painting,
20:01and that's above us in the Uffizi Gallery.
20:05The Uffizi houses the greatest collection anywhere of Italian Renaissance painting.
20:10Giotto, Leonardo, Raphael, Titian, Michelangelo, and a room full of Botticelli's.
20:45The gallery is arranged chronologically on one manageable floor.
20:50No tours, so buy a book before entering.
21:08We've reached the Arno River, and there's the old bridge, the Ponte Vecchio.
21:12Our introductory walk is over, but the experience of Florence is just beginning.
21:31Okay, I promised a break.
21:34In a few minutes, Florence is closing up for siesta.
21:41Let's buy a picnic lunch and put our language tips to work.
21:45Panini.
21:46Panini.
21:47Panini.
21:473 panini.
21:483 panini, si.
21:51200 grammi, vero?
21:53150.
21:55Ok.
21:55Ok.
21:57And the cornmeal.
22:00Do it again.
22:02Do it again.
22:03Do it again.
22:03Do it again.
22:05Do it again.
22:08And the olive oil.
22:10Olive oil.
22:11Olive oil.
22:11Olive oil.
22:1228 and 16.
22:14Good.
22:15Perfect.
22:16Good.
22:18Happy tired.
22:19Happy tired.
22:41Okay, now for a real test.
22:43The telephone.
22:44I use it more and more in my travels.
22:46I call restaurants, hotels, museums, tourist offices, and friends.
22:52Most European phone booths come with multilingual instructions,
22:55on the wall or on the first pages of the phone book.
22:59Follow them step by step.
23:01The phone will work, usually.
23:04Most international operators speak English and are helpful.
23:07If I can't manage in a strange phone booth, I let a local person help me out.
23:13For local calls, I bought a local phone card at a kiosk,
23:17and I don't have to hassle with coins.
23:19For calling home, your phone company credit card is a great new convenience.
23:24So stay patient and figure it out.
23:26Once you've made the connection, the real challenge begins.
23:30Communication, especially with no visual aids, is very tricky.
23:35Speak clearly, slowly.
23:37No extra words, no needless ideas.
23:45We speak no Italian.
23:47And we've managed to communicate all along in rudimentary ways.
23:51So are you traveling with reservations?
23:53No.
23:54And without speaking the language you can manage?
23:56Yeah.
23:57Well, we try and make a reservation like the day before we're going to get somewhere.
24:01So we just...
24:02How do you make a reservation?
24:03We just phone up from a book.
24:05We have some books that suggest places.
24:07So we just phone them and ask them if they speak English,
24:10and usually they say a little, and we figure it out.
24:12We learned how to say a double room.
24:14On the telephone?
24:15On the telephone.
24:16When I first arrived, I met several people and asked them to write down numbers for me,
24:211 to 10 and 10 to 15, so I can sort of guess.
24:25We can take between the two of us, guess at prices, guess at times.
24:28You find a lot of people work with you to try to communicate?
24:31Oh, yeah, people are very nice about it.
24:33It's fun.
24:35Especially in peak season, you're wise to call ahead to a hotel your guidebook recommends.
24:41Second best, arrive early and take advantage of the room-finding service in the train station.
24:46Hey, where's the bar?
24:48No.
24:52If you arrive by noon, you can normally find a reasonable room near the station.
24:57We're very lucky to find it.
24:59The boat came up to us on the station and just said,
25:03are you looking for somewhere to stay?
25:04We came here, very lucky.
25:06If you're on a budget, you've sort of just got to sort of go with luck, really, haven't you?
25:10Yeah.
25:10You arrive in a place not really knowing where you're going to stay,
25:15and quite often things just sort of turn up and fall into place.
25:19My favorite area is here, in the Altruarno.
25:24Pensione Sorelli Bandini is a 500-year-old palace on a scruffy square just across the old bridge.
25:31Nearby is Pensione La Scaletta, friendly, clean, with a great rooftop garden.
25:37There are some good budget restaurants in the neighborhood,
25:40but in Florence, I usually picnic or grab a bite at one of the countless self-service places.
26:08Here we go.
26:16Join us next week as we soak in the traffic-free charm of the Italian Riviera.
26:21Until then, I'm Rick Steves, wishing you happy travels.
26:24Ciao!
26:25Ciao!
26:25Ciao!
26:26Ciao!
26:29Home videos of destinations in this series are available for $24.95.
26:34To order the 80-minute, three-program tape on Florence, the Italian Riviera, and Hilltowns,
26:39call 1-800-866-7425.
26:42Also available, Rick's 420-page where to go and how to travel guidebook for $17.95.
26:49To order, please have your credit card ready and call 1-800-866-7425.
26:55What a payoff!
27:08See you!
27:08Bye!
27:08Bye!
27:08Bye!
27:09Bye!
27:16Bye!
27:18Bye!
27:42Transcription by CastingWords
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