April 19-20 Back to Florence

We bid Marcia and Havey farewell as they headed back to Oregon before taking an easy trip back to Florence on the high-speed train for a two-night stay. Monday, we started our day ascending Brunelleschi’s Duomo, 464 steps, to view the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore from above and the ceiling's frescoes up close. "Awe-inspiring" doesn't even begin to describe the experience. The views of the city, from the top were beautiful.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Cathedral
We hadn't had enough climbing or gorgeous views, so we climbed another 414 steps up Giotto's Bell Tower. I'm really glad we made the effort because the views of the Duomo were worth it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giotto's_Campanile
Next, we took in the Baptistery before touring the Duomo Museum. I really appreciated the exhibit of the construction of the Duomo, as well as the many works of art by Italian Masters.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museo_dell'Opera_…
After a siesta, we made our way across the Arno River via the Ponte Vecchio, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponte_Vecchio,
for another climb up to Piazzale Michelangelo to admire views of Florence from yet another vantage point. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazzale_Michelan…
Veering off the main route on our way back to our lodgings, we stumbled upon a real gem of a neighborhood restaurant. Randy had pappardelle with wild boar ragu, the best ever. I chose lampredotto risotto. I later found out that lampredotto is tripe—great texture and delicious.
We've been shopping at Conad, an Italian chain, about every other day. Great prices, for snacks and very good wine.
I'm really glad we decided to spend the time for further exploration of Florence.Read more