A Few Days in Florence

Today is my last full day to experience Florence and I spent the morning at Uffizi Gallery, built on the collection of the De Medici's, and expanded for centuries. Many of the statues are copies of Greek statues but even those copies date to the Renaissance and those copies still needed to be carved by masters. Makes you wonder--at what point does it being a copy mean anything at all?

It did have several original paintings including, of course, the Birth of Venus by Botticelli, who was so good for his time it was scary. Plenty of other greats too, Raphael, Caravaggio (whose style was well loved by the De Medicis), and Leonardo's great unfinished masterpiece, the Adoration of the Magi--which is returning after being under restoration.

So a big day for art. Yesterday was more of a city walk type of thing where I lined up to get into the Florence Cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore). That's its full name but mostly it's called Il Duomo for it's massive dome containing the world's largest fresco. Took about 90 minutes in line but it was worth it to see the Dome.

When the Dome was painted most of the people hated it, mostly because it made the dome look smaller. That painting of Jesus? Way up there in the centre? That Jesus is six metres tall. That's a big Jesus, but it doesn't look like it. After the Cathedral I went up to Ponte Vecchio. You remember that episode of Game of Thrones? The one where they're on the bridge that's also a city? Ponte Vecchio is like that -- a bridge lined with shops. Only on this bridge they mostly sell jewelry and souvenirs.

It would take somebody days to see every museum, Florence has them by the truckload, but even walking around you see history and statues and artwork everywhere. Being the richest city in the world -- even if it was hundreds of years ago -- can certainly provide a lasting legacy.

I'm not off to Rome until Sunday but tomorrow I have an all day tour. To where? Perhaps a place with a tower that's not so straight??? Nope! I'm not going to Pisa.

So take your guesses and make your bets. See you tomorrow.

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