HAVING FUN IN FLORENCE

For years I've wanted to go to Florence, ever since I saw the movie "Room With A View".  I had a great hotel just a hop-skip-and-a-jump from the Mercato Centrale (central market place) and the Santa Maria del Fiore Church or Duomo. The Duomo has the third longest nave in Christendom. Think of the confidence of the age in which this church was built: The Duomo was built with a big hole in its roof awaiting a dome. This was before the technology to span it with a dome was available. No problema. They knew that someone would soon handle the challenge...and the local architect Filippo Brunelleschi did.

This picture was taken from the Ponte Vecchio (famous bridge with shops on top) over the Arno River.

Statue of Neptune in the Piazza Signora.

Piazza della Repubblica.

Street performer/Opera singer. She sang like an angel.

There's another church named Santa Croce, it sort of looks like the Duomo's little sister. It once was a Franciscan monastery and has a nice quiet feeling with a courtyard full of trees and birds chirping. The inside has clean lines and well spaced art. Also inside are the tombs of Galileo Galilei, Michelangelo Buonarroti and several other well known names. This was my favorite church in Italy because it was quiet, cozy and comfortable. It had a nice peaceful feeling and I sat on a pew for a long time both resting and contemplating life. This is one of my favorite memories.

I had a reservation for the Uffizi Gallery and although I did enjoy the Sandro Botticelli painting "The Birth of Venus" and few others but it was a poorly organized space with one of the worst audio guides I've ever heard.  Being the planner that I am, I also had a reservation for the Accademia to see the famous statues of Michelangelo, specifically David.  But it was closed that day due to strikes. So was the Pitti Palace. There were several strikes on local train lines, museums and cultural centers while I was there. I've seen official reproductions of David in New York and London so it was okay that I didn't get to see the real David.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandro_Botticelli

This is a typical scene all over Italy and France.

Florence is full of art and leather products. I bought some beautiful gray gloves. Florence wasn't as pretty as I thought it would be but if you cross the bridge, Ponte Vecchio, and look at the city from the other side it looks so much better. I had some really fun days in Florence, great gelato and a decent hotel room too.  The gelato was so satisfying and delicious that it filled me up for most of the day.