A Taste of Florence

Hi everyone! Today we decided to be adventurous and spend the day in Florence, only about 55 miles from Bologna. An easy 90 minute trip when your bus is on time (ours wasn't, but we're used to that by now), going to Florence feels like taking a step back in time. So much of the early renaissance mastery in art, architecture, and literature that the Medici family sponsored in the city is still extant; our tour through the Uffizi gallery (formerly a state palace/showroom for the family, and one of the world's largest museum collections) was one awe-inspiring piece after another, from endless halls of Roman-era sculpture to entire rooms of Michelangelo, a da Vinci collection, a wide array of medieval Christian and early Gothic art... even the ceiling friezes were a celebration of knowledge, with portraits of great thinkers in politics, academia, science, and arts. Plus, the pedestrian organized chaos of the Ponte Vecchio is right behind the gallery.

Sadly, we didn't really get to enjoy the culinary delights of Florence, as the only thing we ate was takeout pizza while waiting in line at the Duomo. It wasn't like Dominos or anything though - still a big step up from what you are probably imagining. The on-the-run lunch was worth it, though - it gave us the time to explore. The interior of the famous church is spectacular, and late in the day we climbed to the top of the 20-story medieval bell tower for a cool breeze and panoramic view of Florence. Check out the pics!Read more