Fiesole

We can't get enough of the far-away hills outside of Florence, and Fiesole does not disappoint! 20-minute public bus ride, up, up and you're there. Last week, a beautiful sunny day, we wake up, change plans, pack our food and head for the hills!

Who knew the ruins unearthed date to 1100BC. The amphitheatre below, still used for summer music and theatre events, is dated from the 1st century.

The long view, from the thermal baths where Marc could still make out some of the inscriptions, hot, 

warm, cool.

Anyone who knows me, knows I am a bath girl. Every day. Sometimes twice! We've been in our apartment for a month now - with no bath. Here's me dreaming of Roman times!

An impromptu trek into the far hills of Florence today to Fiesole, where I found my first bath thus far, 800BC. Spectacularly warm, sunny day, just like Quebec/Ontario I hear! #joysbeenfound #butwheresthethermalwater

Walking through the still-nurtured olive grove, the harvest has just been completed in late November. By mid-December, all farms are cutting back their trees to encourage next year's compact growth. The smell is unbelievably glorious of the leaves and freshly sawed-off limbs.

Remnants unearthed of the Etruscan temple. 

Check out that sky, and the colours on the hills, reminds us of the Gatineaus!

We climb, climb, climb, along the town road heading towards a small Monastery. 

This is the view, of Florence, with benches. 

San Miniato, a massive building directly across from us, is a speck.

In the 'why did we wait so long?' Department....Florentines do not eat or drink on the go, no fast-food outlets, no coffee double double. They take time.  You can go into one of many cafes and order your stand-up coffee for €1, or sit down and pay €5. We usually do neither, on the go, go, go, but we seriously flag at 3 pm. The day before this trek, we bought thermoses (thermi?...) and  this is my first sip out of mine, happy girl.

Lovely little hermitage, high, high, higher still. We wander through a small garden, and what's this, high up on the wall? Measuring about 12 inches high, a sculpture, dedicated to Albert, from his step-daughter Margot. A sculptress in her own right, she lived with and cared for Albert till the end of his life. Web-readings suggest she came to Florence 5 or 6 times in her life to study, often making the trek to this quiet refuge above Fiesole. After his death, she created and had this sculpture installed here in his memory.

The road up, up, up.  Marc references Buster Keaton for this photo!

Beautiful day.