Saturday, April 13, 2019

Arezzo

One of the reasons why I planned to stay so long in Florence was to give me opportunities to do day trips to nearby towns that I would never otherwise get to see. The first of these towns was Arezzo, an exquisite little town an hour by train from central Florence.



The best thing about Arezzo, the thing that makes it charming and relaxing and desirable, is that 99% of tourists haven’t worked out that it exists yet. You can still amble through the medieval piazzas with just a handful of other people, and drink coffee in the outdoor cafes without having to hear some American loudly mispronouncing ‘espresso’ and asking where the nearest Olive Garden is.



After the traditional Italian breakfast of caffe latte and a croissant, we strolled around the town exploring picturesque laneways and tiny piazzas, then walked up to the Medici Fortress that stands on the highest point of the town. If it had been Florence, we would have had to pay to go in, but in tourist-free Arezzo they don’t bother, so we could wander through it to our hearts’ content. It was here that I took my favourite photo yet of Benny.



Then I promptly lost my camera. Fortunately a local man found it and liaised with a local caribiniero to get it back to me. Hooray for Arezzo!

Afterwards we had lunch in a local osteria, then went to a free contemporary art exhibition in the town hall that our new caribiniere friend had recommended. Then we had gelati, and then I discovered, and subsequently raided, the local branch of OVS, an Italian clothing retail chain, very similar in style to H&M and only slightly more expensive, and my new favourite thing.

Meanwhile Benny made some unusual new friends, which seems to be a habit of his.





We had just enough time to have a look at some Roman ruins, again at no cost, then it was time to catch the train back to Florence.

If only every day trip from an Italian city could be this sweet!

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