Venice to Florence
We got an early start and found ourselves amongst the trucks and cars on the autostrada at around 9:30. The speed limit of 130 keeps the left land moving quickly, while the right lane is exclusively truck traffic, with the exception of those of us weaving in and out trying to drive faster than 80 and yet not quite prepared to drive 130.
We stopped twice along the way and reached Florence at around 2 pm. After checking in at Camping Michaelangelo and parking under an olive tree, we headed out to scout out Florence (Firenze, in Italian). The campsite is on a hill overlooking the sights of Florence. The picture I posted of Florence was actually taken from the campsite!
Florence is much easier to Navigate than Venice. Everything is within walking distance of the campsite. It is a steep downhill walk to the centre of the city, which of course, makes for a steep climb back up.
We walked towards the Uffizi and seeing the lineup decided to save that for tomorrow. It was just a short walk to the Duomo (Cattedrale DiSanta Maria Del Fiore). Begun in 1296, the world's fourth largest cathedral took almost 150 years to complete. We scaled the 463 steep stone steps to the cathedral dome. The signs clearly indicate that there is no "lift" and that those with heart conditions should not attempt the feat. The climb was well worth it...what a view...a panorama of this beautiful city.
After walkding down the 463 steps we looked at our map and saw that the Galleria dell'Academia was nearby and so we headed in that direction. There was no lineup here and we paid 10 Euro each to see the world's most famous statue...David. He is truely stunning though not in proportion...his hands are huge while other parts of him are small. "No pictures allowed" in this gallery, but we did take pictures of both replicas of David in Florence. There were some other fascinating and very old paintings in the gallery,some dating from as far back as the 11th century.
After a gelato, we hiked back up the hill and had a meal of fresh pasta, and fresh vegetables. Tomorrow we will tackle the rest of Florence.
3 comments:
hi
Glad to see you are on the move again.
I love following your journey.
Have you had any more of that good chocolate? I am not sure if you will get this i am having some problems.
Bye for now
mom
Thank you for taking me on your trip, Blogging requires no packing stress and stuff for us observing from afar, yet I get the whole picture.
Anna Mae
Hi girls!! Sounds like you're having an amazing time! I visited Florence and Siena at the end of my year as an English language assistant in eastern France. Your blog and pics are bringing back great memories!! I LOVED Florence. You're making me want to go back!!! You should have taken me with you. I can drive a standard!! Wishing you continued fun and adventure on this incredible journey.
Love,
Mel
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