Saturday in Firenze

Somehow when you wake up at 9:30 AM after a really good night's sleep and the skies in Florence are sunny, jet lag resulting from crossing eight times zones tends to evaporate. Delighted with the rush of energy generated by authentic Italian cappuccino, the gorgeous, cool day and and our enthusiastic daughter, we set out to see the sights. One of the best places for fabulous views of the old city are from this spot, the Piazzale Michelangelo on the south side of the Arno River. A hilltop venue easily accessable by bus allowed us to save our energy for the slow walk (downhill) through old neighborhoods in the Oltrarno area of town, then across the Ponte Vecchio bridge into the famous Piazza della Signora and further on to the Piazza del Duomo. The terra cotta dome of the Cathedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, the Campanile belltower, and the Baptistry are so breathtaking whether up close or from a distance as in this photograph.

Today was not about museums but more about walking about, taking in the flavor of the city on foot, the outdoor artwork, the al fresco dining at lunch, and the gelatto. We took lots of photographs and enjoyed plenty of narration on the history of various sights along the way from D who has read The Agony and the Ecstasy at least a dozen times and was well prepared by tour books. Nice.

I'm determined to sample a new flavor of gelatto every day that I'm here; yesterday was caramel, today coffee with ribbons of chocolate. The choices are endless.

We've got big plans for tomorrow; on to the Accademia to see Michelangelo's David and a tour of the Medici Palace. More food, more wine, more gelatto and a concert in the evening. It's all good.




Ciao for now.