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Jewish And Kosher In Florence

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jj1000, Eli, Chapshnell, @Yehuda, @Mootkim
« Last edited by Mootkim on December 10, 2018, 02:57:07 PM »

Author Topic: Florence Italy master thread  (Read 110950 times)

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #60 on: May 18, 2014, 07:39:13 PM »
The people I just spoke to over Shabbos said it's not worth it to do the Jewish tour. I saw two free walking tours with Florence Free Tours, but the reviews aren't that great.
Was waiting for you to chime in :)
Seems like those bad reviews are from May. Earlier reviews seem positive. Could be something has gone sour with them recently.

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #61 on: May 18, 2014, 07:42:26 PM »
Was waiting for you to chime in :)
Seems like those bad reviews are from May. Earlier reviews seem positive. Could be something has gone sour with them recently.
I know. Since it's free and you don't need to book, I'll just keep an eye on them for now. I'm getting the feeling that a lot of the history in Florence is in the Ufizi and the Acadamy museums. I'm sure there are benefits to walking tours, but Florence was known for Renaissance art, not may famous buildings. Did you see any better looking ones?

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #62 on: May 18, 2014, 08:00:25 PM »
I know. Since it's free and you don't need to book, I'll just keep an eye on them for now. I'm getting the feeling that a lot of the history in Florence is in the Ufizi and the Acadamy museums. I'm sure there are benefits to walking tours, but Florence was known for Renaissance art, not may famous buildings. Did you see any better looking ones?
No, although I haven't searched much. I emailed the Shul to find out about getting a tour (it said tours require reservation) but otherwise, like you said, I think we'll just walk around and check out the 2 museums. Not so into art, so might end the day early to get to tower of Pisa. Sleeping there overnight so if I can do the tower that afternoon, I can leave for Venice first thing in the morning.

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #63 on: May 18, 2014, 08:04:00 PM »
No, although I haven't searched much. I emailed the Shul to find out about getting a tour (it said tours require reservation) but otherwise, like you said, I think we'll just walk around and check out the 2 museums. Not so into art, so might end the day early to get to tower of Pisa. Sleeping there overnight so if I can do the tower that afternoon, I can leave for Venice first thing in the morning.
I heard it's pretty tough to do both museums in one day, so we'll probably just go to Ufizi. I'm not an art person, but I've heard you get a little more into it once you've seen the stuff there. The only thing I really want to see at the Academy is David (the statue), but I don't think that justifies the cost of admission.

We're planning on visiting Pisa on the way to Florence. I heard the lines to get into the leaning tower can be absolutely ridiculous, but if you show up around 8 PM here a lot more manageable. Also, it might not even be worth it to climb the tower because the view from there aren't that great anyways. I think we are just going to take pictures and continue on to Florence from there.

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #64 on: May 18, 2014, 08:09:50 PM »
I heard it's pretty tough to do both museums in one day, so we'll probably just go to Ufizi. I'm not an art person, but I've heard you get a little more into it once you've seen the stuff there. The only thing I really want to see at the Academy is David (the statue), but I don't think that justifies the cost of admission.

We're planning on visiting Pisa on the way to Florence. I heard the lines to get into the leaning tower can be absolutely ridiculous, but if you show up around 8 PM here a lot more manageable. Also, it might not even be worth it to climb the tower because the view from there aren't that great anyways. I think we are just going to take pictures and continue on to Florence from there.
I agree with your plan completely. You see how much Academy costs?
Only sleeping in Pisa bc there's a 10K Marriott there. From my research, you don't find hotels for much less than that (other than 7K SPGs).

Offline Ergel

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #65 on: May 18, 2014, 08:12:07 PM »
Go see the David. You won't regret it. We did that instead of uffizi
Buy tickets in advance from a booth elsewhere in the city
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline moish

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #66 on: May 18, 2014, 08:13:52 PM »
I heard it's pretty tough to do both museums in one day, so we'll probably just go to Ufizi. I'm not an art person, but I've heard you get a little more into it once you've seen the stuff there. The only thing I really want to see at the Academy is David (the statue), but I don't think that justifies the cost of admission.

We're planning on visiting Pisa on the way to Florence. I heard the lines to get into the leaning tower can be absolutely ridiculous, but if you show up around 8 PM here a lot more manageable. Also, it might not even be worth it to climb the tower because the view from there aren't that great anyways. I think we are just going to take pictures and continue on to Florence from there.
you can buy tickets to tower online in advance

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #67 on: May 18, 2014, 08:15:42 PM »
I agree with your plan completely. You see how much Academy costs?
Only sleeping in Pisa bc there's a 10K Marriott there. From my research, you don't find hotels for much less than that (other than 7K SPGs).
True. We're staying at a hotel in Florence on the other side of the river.  Reasons: free parking and #1 rated hotel on trip advisor.

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #68 on: May 18, 2014, 08:16:40 PM »
Go see the David. You won't regret it. We did that instead of uffizi
Buy tickets in advance from a booth elsewhere in the city


you can buy tickets to tower online in advance
Have either of you seen Ufizi?

Offline Ergel

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #69 on: May 18, 2014, 08:23:27 PM »
Have either of you seen Ufizi?
No. My mashal, lehavdil elef alphei havdalos, would be as follows. You can either see a ksav yad of the rambam or of the rivash, tashbetz and terumas hadeshen. While the three are all greater than we can ever imagine, I'd choose to see the rambam
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Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #70 on: May 18, 2014, 08:24:35 PM »
No. My mashal, lehavdil elef alphei havdalos, would be as follows. You can either see a ksav yad of the rambam or of the rivash, tashbetz and terumas hadeshen. While the three are all greater than we can ever imagine, I'd choose to see the rambam
Nice mashal. I'll have to think more about it.

Offline Ergel

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #71 on: May 18, 2014, 08:27:07 PM »
Nice mashal. I'll have to think more about it.
On that note, make sure not miss the ksav yad of the sefer haikarim in the great synagogue in Rome. Pretty cool
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Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #72 on: May 18, 2014, 08:28:19 PM »
On that note, make sure not miss the ksav yad of the sefer haikarim in the great synagogue in Rome. Pretty cool
I hope it's covered on the Ghetto tour.

Offline Ergel

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #73 on: May 18, 2014, 08:30:44 PM »
I hope it's covered on the Ghetto tour.
If you do RFJ, sure. Otherwise I'm not so sure it will be
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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #74 on: May 18, 2014, 08:34:12 PM »
If you do RFJ, sure. Otherwise I'm not so sure it will be
We're doing Jewish Roma because of the student rate. I'll ask.

Offline Ergel

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #75 on: May 18, 2014, 08:38:03 PM »
We're doing Jewish Roma because of the student rate. I'll ask.
Just ask her to point it out to you when you're in the museum
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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #76 on: May 18, 2014, 09:26:09 PM »
True. We're staying at a hotel in Florence on the other side of the river.  Reasons: free parking and #1 rated hotel on trip advisor.
Points not accepted, though :)

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #77 on: May 18, 2014, 09:26:53 PM »
Points not accepted, though :)
Correct.

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #78 on: May 18, 2014, 09:34:03 PM »
So, seems like visit the Shul/musuem (first see if you can get a tour and not just walk through it by yourself - ps there's a student discount of like 1 eur pp). Go to Academie to see David. Walk around town, see Ponte Vecchio bridge and head to Pisa to see the tower.
Would be nice to find out about Ruth's Kitchen (I emailed Florence Chabad), otherwise looks like we'll be bringing food from Rome.

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Re: Florence Italy master thread
« Reply #79 on: May 18, 2014, 09:38:39 PM »
So, seems like visit the Shul/musuem (first see if you can get a tour and not just walk through it by yourself - ps there's a student discount of like 1 eur pp). Go to Academie to see David. Walk around town, see Ponte Vecchio bridge and head to Pisa to see the tower.
Would be nice to find out about Ruth's Kitchen (I emailed Florence Chabad), otherwise looks like we'll be bringing food from Rome.
I already heard back from the Chabad Rabbi. He said to call him. My guess is he doesn't want anything in writing which is not normally a good sign.