Firenze

As soon as Matthew decided to come to Italy, we knew we would have to make a trip to Florence. After some discussion, my sainted mother booked train tickets for us that had us leaving from Perugia at 6:30 AM and returning at 11:30 PM, leaving a full day to explore the city. Lots of photos coming right up!

It was Matthew's first time on a train!

Our first stop was Giotto's bell tower, which we climbed with glee. Here's my attempt at an artistic shot of the dome from a lower level of the tower.

Just a detail on the cathedral hundreds of meters above the ground.

One of the original bells!

We got to the top of the tower and I cracked up at all the random crap they'd shoved in a corner.

Worth the 414 narrow steps for the view!

We were surprised to find an observatory dome just off the piazza.

This clock is very... odd.

We also got to visit the excavation site turned museum that shows the long history of the cathedral, with mosaics and foundations dating back to Roman times and continuing through the centuries. I thought this mosaic from one of the earlier churches was beautiful.

We had half an hour to kill, so next we made a visit to the Ponte Vecchio.

The Arno was beautiful!

We were quite charmed by the juxtaposition of this roadside shrine against the electrical box and bicycles.

We had bought tickets for the Uffizzi beforehand, so we didn't have to wait forever in line. I can't possibly share all the photos I took (I love artwork), but I'll give you some of the highlights!

To begin with, the building itself is a work of art.

It's the Palazzo Vecchio (one of our next stops)!

The frame is as beautiful as the painting itself.

I love the three-dimensionality of the text.

I was highly amused to find Florence in this painting-- I have seen this face many a time when I say something stupid.

We took a walk over to Santa Croce, which I had never seen, but we decided against paying for a ticket to go inside (we had plenty of other options to keep us entertained, most of which were free!)

On our meander back, we stopped by the Palazzo Vecchio and took a peek inside the foyer.

Such a lovely courtyard area!

Now, famous statues.

The famous one is on the right. The silly one is on the left.

And, of course....

Another basic tourist destination.

Then, the baptistery! The ceiling is just breathtaking.

Look at those floors!

Finally, we wrapped up with the museum of the Duomo's treasures, which was hilariously impossible to navigate-- we kept popping out in the weirdest places (including the top of the building). However, the displays were very nicely done!

Then it was bedtime. Whew!