Florence

After farewelling Robin I headed off to Florence (Firenze). I have briefly visited here once before, only for a day, so I have booked in for a week to really walk amongst the history and soak in this great city’s Renaissance impact on art, architecture and Church and Italian culture.

Firenze is such a beautiful city: so peaceful and clean after Rome. Much of the city is zoned off from vehicles and push bikes dominate. Here is a pic of a little chap who nearly ran me over! How good is that?  There are many parks and wonderful eateries that are much less expensive and offer a more genuine Italian eating experience.

So far I have visited two very famous churches, ok, there were others of course but these two need a special mention because they contain such important art works – Santa Maria Novella (built from 1227) and the Cathedral Church of Santa Maria del Fiore, known as the ‘Duomo’ (built 1359). The Duomo is the fourth largest church in the world after St Peter’s, St Paul’s in London and the Cathedral in Milan. The pic above shows the Duomo and its Tower with the famous Baptistry to the left. Amazing frescoes and mosaics inside, and yes I snuck in some pics. I am not a brave person when it comes to taking on heights but I had to take up this challenge in Firenze by scaling the Duomo dome. I look like I am enjoying it all next to the edge, but trust me, I was very uncomfortable and was not standing near the edge. I enjoyed getting down and then walking on flat ground to take the pic of the famous Ponte Vecchio (built 1345).

Many of the famous sites here are unable to be photographed because they are artworks. So you will just have to come for yourself and amongst other things, visit the world’s first and therefore oldest art gallery – the Uffizi (built 1580). That will be my  Carraveggio-Michaelangelo marble statue day tomorrow, followed by days in Siena, Pisa and Cinque Terra.

On this election weekend, I dedicate this page to those families with young children. Teach them to ride well and to stop and take time to observe the world around them. Pace e bene.