Florence

Ellen and I left Cinque Terre for Florence, passing through Pisa on the train. We were glad we hadn’t set time aside for Pisa it seemed rather run down and deserted. We arrive in Florence and were immediately struck by the stench of an old city. I must admit, we did not fall in love immediately, but eventually we came to love it. The first night there we visited the Duomo in downtown Florence. We missed the lines and were truly able to enjoy it. We walked, climbed I should say, the 463 steps to the tops of the dome. The extremely narrow and steep steps were a workout in 95 degree weather, but well worth it. The dome was painted with scenes from both heaven and hell. The paintings were remarkable, but could not prepare you for the stunning panoramic view from the top. The view looked over the entire city, the river, the various churches and synagogues, piazzas, and the old village of Fiesole in the distance. It was truly remarkable!
On our full day in Florence we decided to invest on a sightseeing tour bus…and we could not have been happier about our experience. The double-decker bus took us all throughout the city and educated us on the history of the city. We were able to get on and off frequently and join back up with the tour at a later time.
One of our favorite stops was Piazza Michaelangelo. The Piazza had a bronze copy of the David, It had the best panoramic view of the city. It was situated above the Arno River. It looked over Ponte Vecchio, Florence’s oldest bridge ornamented with antique shops and gellaterias. The bus took us directly across town and to the old village of Fiesole. I decided that if I lived in Florence I would live there instead. W were no longer in a dirty, cramped city, but 9km outside in rolling hills and immense trees overlooking the city. (apparently this is where the rich people live, so I hear) Fiesole and the southern outskirts of the city gave me an entirely different outlook on the city. I am so thankful we decided to spend the money on the tour.
Unfortunately, the line to see the real David was hours long and we didn’t have the time to invest in it so we had to settle with seeing both of the copies, in Piazza Signoria and Piazza Michaelangelo. I would have loved to spend more time in the museums in Florence. It is a city rich with history and culture.