May 19, 2009: Florence, Italy
We packed the highlights of Florence into one day! We started our day with a traditional Italian breakfast: coffee and bread... that’s it! We walked to the nearby Uffizi Art Museum where we saw many sculptures and paintings. Photos were prohibited, so we can’t share with you what we saw. Then, the next door Florence Science museum was a short stop because, unknown to us, the whole musuem was under major renovation. We did, however, see a few of the instruments Galileo used to make historic findings. We were free for most of the afternoon to check out local sites (such as the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, Santa Crocè), have lunch, and shop the wonderful streets of Florence. Most of us made a few purchases and enjoyed authentic panini. At 3:30, we regrouped and visited the Galleria dell’Accademia, home to Michelangelo’s famous “David”. Again, we couldn’t take photos to share with you. The rest of the day was free, so we relaxed, shopped, and visited a few extra sites on our own. We are all anxious to escape the heat tomorrow as we head to the Swiss Alps!
Duomo (with the Baptistry in the foreground).
Santa Crocè.
The Duomo (Campanile on the left).
Happily waiting in line at the Uffizi Museum.