Sunday 27 March, Easter Sunday

The procession with flowers 

Today is a big day in Florence as it's Easter Sunday. And the clocks went forward one hour. We need an early breakfast to be at the Duomo by 10 am for the Scoppio del Carro. Expecting crowds. I brought two Cadbury's Creme Eggs to celebrate.

Four oxen pulled the tall cart

We had a special breakfast with boiled eggs and a cake baked by the waitress. From our window we could see the procession of guilds with bands and costumes. When we went out, we watched the huge cart being pulled by four oxen through the Piazza della Repubblica to the Duomo. We were very close to the procession and almost had a TV interview, but our Italian wasn't up to it.

The cart in P. della Repubblica on its way to the Duomo

At the Duomo, we took our place in the crowd and waited patiently with everyone else and watched the explosion being set up on the cart. Promptly at 11am, the 'dove' shot down a wire from the altar through the nave to the cart outside. On impact, fireworks on the cart went off in several stages. Many people took photos and videos of this unique occasion. We were very lucky to have experienced it.















We had to push our way out afterwards through the crowds. Then we visited the Bargello Museum to see the sculptures and ceramics by Donatello, Michelangelo and della Robbia. At 2pm we found a good place for lunch, Il Boccale, where we had a very nice meal - I had crostini with fresh tomato and rabbit with a nice sauce and artichokes, which are in season here now. Plus more Chianti.

Fireworks going off on the cart

Then we strolled to Piazza S. Trinita where a violinist and guitarist were playing, and we sat listening in the sun for a while. We came back for a rest. I wrote some postcards.


We went out later and walked to San Lorenzo but didn't find the bar Richard had in mind. Back at Piazza della Repubblica we went for a drink at Pazkowski but the service was very slow. It was also raining hard.

In the Bargello former palace and museum

We managed to find O Vesuvio (recommended by the Guardian) but there was a long queue so instead we went into Cimetori 30 opposite. I ordered deep fried courgette flowers to share and scalloppino and Richard went for pappardelle with cinghale. The service was very slow and chaotic and the house Chianti was rather rough. We didn't leave a tip.