Yes.
Yes, you are right.
There is a very naked, very green man standing over our heads.
No, it is not the Jolly Green Giant ---though I am sure he was very jolly in his day.
This is part one of our day in Florence, Italy – or Firenze as it is known locally.
Our bus stopped here for a great panoramic view of the city, and we also got to pose with the lovely form of the bronze David, a replica of the original marble one in the museum.
Yes, we could have stayed in line all day to get a glimpse of the real one, IF we had a ticket - but when you’ve seen ONE naked statue – you’ve…well, you’ve not seen them all, but there was SO MUCH TO DO in one day that we chose instead to experience all that we could fit in, instead of waiting in line all day for one thing.
And this bronze, though a replica is every bit as impressive as his marble counterpart! There is also a replica marble statue OUTSIDE of the museum, so yes – we really had our share of “Little David” as he was soon called on our day in Florence.
We did EVERYTHING we could, and I am having a hard time figuring out how to break this day down cohesively, not to mention I’m in the midst of a beautiful Alaskan trip which has a lot of beauty to be posted as well –so Florence, you will be spit spot shoved in amongst everything else!
THIS is Florence!
You can’t miss the dome of The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. We were making a beeline there as soon as we did our panoramic view up top, and I’m glad we did this view…it was wonderful to get a glimpse at how the city is laid out.
Me in Florence. Still having pinch me moments! FIRENZE!
There were souvenir stands all around the big green Little David –if you come, watch your handbag. Gypsies are rampant. They will try to entertain you and then ask for money. Or they will just take your wallet from your pocket. And by all means, don’t hold any babies that mothers are offering for you to hold in an effort to “help them out” Because they will just help themselves to your belongings if you do!
Our fearless leader, Jim West – doing his best to ward off the villians:
Oh look, there is the other naked Little David. And others.
The woman gypsy mime was begging all of the tourists for tips. I suppose they have to make a living somehow…but gah! It was like fending off flies at a summer picnic…I’m sorry, but it was.
Back to the souvenirs….I’m sad that I couldn't fit this into my luggage, but I was already at weight limits!
Who wouldn't love a red Italian Ferrari?
We met in the square to join up with our guide who would take us on a walking tour of Florence.
Streets were narrow, but look what I see ahead!
There are so many photos – and it is hard to get everything into one shot – in fact, this place is SO HUGE, and the street space SO SMALL and the people SO MANY that there is no way it will fit into one camera shot.
So…the ever popular Quiltville Slide Show! The detail of this cathedral is magnificent. Feel free to pause the play and use the back and forward buttons so you can see all you need to see.
No, we didn’t get to go inside….you can stand in line for hours for the privilege of paying to climb the 300 something steps to the top of the dome, but again, we had ONE DAY. And the 130+ steps we climbed while in Vinci to see the view there was a quick reminder that I didn’t want to triple that to see the top of the dome.
Click the image below if you are unable to view the slide show on your mobile device. You’ll be taken to the photo album for viewing.
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| The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, May 2015 |
We were here on a Saturday. And WEDDINGS were happening all over the place. Horse drawn carriages carried brides and grooms through the squares and off into their new lives. We caught this cute couple on the merry go round:
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie…
That’s Amore!
More Florence to come –this is posting while we are on our 12 hour train ride from Anchorage to Fairbanks…
I’ll catch you back in real time as soon as I am able!
I was there in October with my mother....our epic trip! Florence was our favorite, followed by Tuscany. There is so much to see and take in, it's not possible to do in 1 day. Maybe next time I'll be able to go back with you! I didn't see any fabric shops in Florence, I found one in Venice which was closed when I went back to it, and I found one in Rome. That was the only time we had any issues with language or the siesta, I guess it's not a big tourist hot spot!
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures - I was in Firenze 43 years ago, on a high school band trip! I would love to go back - I know I would appreciate it much more now. The carrousel photos are fun, 2 years ago our son and DIL were married at the same time as the county fair so I jokingly said hey great you can go to the fair and take pictures. AND everyone was on board with that(the photographer was thrilled because it was so different), they got some really nice and unique wedding photos on the ferris wheel and carrousel!
ReplyDeleteAh, Firenze! I lost my group almost as soon as we arrived, so I had 5 hours to explore on my own! What a beautiful city! By the way, it's 467 steps to the top of the dome - I got in the wrong lineup, thought I was in the line for the cathedral, next thing you know I was heading up those stairs. The long, hard-on-the-knees, trip was worth it in the end. I will never forget the view! Loving your trip review, it is bringing back wonderful memories.
ReplyDeleteDear Bonnie, I love your blog and your quilts and your generous spirit. However, as a descendent of the traveller/gypsy community, I must point out that these charlatans should not be called gypsies. They give us a bad name!
ReplyDeleteThe best thing we did was go up on top of the dome. We were there later in the day and there was no line. Amazing view.
ReplyDeleteWhat type of camera do you carry on trips like this?
ReplyDeleteReminds me when I was stationed in little Bavaria for the summer, training deploying troops; we got one day off, and a small group of us decided to go to Leipzig. So much too see, and so little time!
I am glad you got to experience this trip also! Next time, I want to go with!