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TRAVEL BLOG ENTRY
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“Florence is actually the busiest of the Italy cities” |
Ah, Florence. Really what can one say about Florence, other than its spectacular. Most tourists seem to concentrate on Rome and Venice, while passing through Florence on a day trip. It's unfortunate that people take this great city for granted and even more unfortunate that so many decide to see it on organised bus tours. Florence is actually the busiest of the Italy cities we saw, and it's all down to the bus tours, because in the evenings the crowds really thinned out.
The highlight for us was the Duomo. It is a mammoth building, with amazing detailed decor, but the best part is the view from the top and the design on the inner dome. The inner dome has some of the most graphic depictions of heaven and hell we saw throughout Italy. And the view outside is filled with read peaked roofs and the rolling tuscan hills. Just being up there made us thirsty for wine.
Next to the Duomo is the Bapistery and in order to get in you have to plan your time accordingly. Because we hadn't we arrived to see it just as a mass was starting. So instead of waiting and paying the entrance fee, we went in and attended mass, which was hilarious because it was in Italian...completely missed that it would be in Italian when we went in. It was worth it though - it is a beautiful building with just as much gold on the inside as there is on the outside. The door of the Bapistry on the outside is also well worth wading through the crowds to try and see.
Another church worth seeing is Santa Croce...a gorgeous church that I remember visiting on my first trip to Florence, and the only Catholic Church in Italy with the Star of David on it.
We also got our fill of fine art in Florence. Patrick and Shar went to see the original David at the Academie, while I went to try and get into the Uffizi Gallery to no avail. Instead I met them in Piazza del Signora where the replica of David is and we went to the Uffizi the next day. Some of the art in the Uffizi is amazing, but when they say it is the largest collection in Italy, I was surprised. The museum didn't seem that large and didn't have as many famous paintings as I maybe expected.
The two days we spent in Florence just doesn't seem like it was enough. I would love to spend some more time exploring the old city and the hills of Tuscany. Next time we will be sure to schedule more time in for the Tuscan Sun.
previous travel blog entry
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