Firenze

After a smooth drive from the quiet hamlet of Adine we arrived in Firenze. Any idea of driving to the hotel to drop off the luggage was quelled as soon as we met the traffic.

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 The small hotel was located only a minutes walk from the Duomo.

The doors of the Baptistery were made by Ghilberti in the early 1400's.

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 This is the Baptistery dome and another look at the doors facing the Duomo. The original door panels are on display in the Duomo Museum.

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 Some parts of Florence were crowded almost beyond imagination and others were quiet.

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 Many of the statues that adorn the Duomo are copies. "Adam and Eve" and the section of cantoria are originals now located in the nearby museum.

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One of the major items in the Duomo Museum is the Pieta del Duomo by Michelangelo. The sculpture was not quite finished when he decided to destroy it in 1555. At this time he was 80 years old and seriously depressed. It was repaired and completed by his students.

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 David, housed in the Accademia, is being cleaned. The work is being done during closed hours, but the scaffolding remains up during the day. I was able to take this snapshot before the security guard spotted me and told me to stop. David was sculpted by Michelangelo in 1501 and stood in the Palazzo Vecchio until 1873 when it was moved to this location.

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 After wandering through narrow streets and the New Market area, we checked out the "Yellow Bar." Very good pizza, ravioli and salads.

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 We enjoyed a short carriage ride through the downtown. If the crowd get to thick to get through -- the horse bites. You get a clear path real quick.

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 The Piazza Della Repubblica was blocked off for bicycle races.

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 All the kids got helmets. There was a military band, balloons and trophies for the winners.

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 After visiting the Basilica of San Lorenzo, it was time for lunch. Mario's Trattoria serves true Steak Florentine. A full kilo of rare t-bone (Audrey did share.)

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 After a lunch like that, dinner was a Lemoncello gelato at Perche No!

Much of the Medici Chapel was closed from view and photography was limited. This is the dome.

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 The Ponte Vecchio was filled with tourists -- all shopping for gold. Alas, there are no bargains to be found.

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The Uffizi is a huge art gallery One could spend several days in this complex and still not see everything.

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 The Science Museum (just around the corner from the Uffizi) was built to display many of Galileo's instruments. Two of his telescopes and several other instruments were there.

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 One last chance to walk around and look at the river. There was a neat toy shop with wooden motorcycles (full size.) Had dinner at Cibreo's. The trattoria, not the ristorante. Interesting, but not very Italian,

Off to the airport at 6:00 a.m. to head home.

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