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We drove from San Gimignano to Florence by following the directions on our GPS. We had a little difficulty
finding the rental car drop off on Via Borgo Ognissanti, and we later learned that we had apparently driven through a
restricted zone on the way to the drop off, because we eventually got a ticket in the mail for 100 EUR.
After dropping off our car we walked almost a mile to the Relais il Campanile where we were staying.
Our hotel was only a couple of hundred yards from the Duomo (above).
After checking in, we had just enough time to quickly make our way up to the Piazza Michelangelo, where a breathtaking sunset lit up the city below.
The Ponte Vecchio, literally "old bridge", was the only bridge in Florence spared in WWII by the Nazis in retreat.
As we walked down from Piazzale Michelangelo, we caught a view of the Duomo through the trees.
After dinner, we walked along the bank of the Arno and saw the Ponte Vecchio (top-left) and the Uffizi (top-right) lit up at night.
We shared a gelato as we walked past the Baptistry and Duomo (bottom) on the way back to our room.
After breakfast in our room, we went to the Baptistry where we each rented their audio guide. Next, we went to the Uffizi gallery,
where we overheard a very interesting guide giving a tour. We eventually asked if we could give him a few Euros to tag
along, and he said not to worry about it because we were close to the end. (Thanks Kirk A. Duclaux, University of Oklahoma,
Director of Italy programs in Italy.) The Uffizi does not allow pictures of the art, but we did get a nice photo of the
Ponte Vecchio from there.
After lunch we walked through the Medici Chapel, which was free because it was undergoing restorations. We still had some
extra time before our 17:00 reservation at the Accademia,
so we decided to climb Giotto's Tower. From Giotto's Tower there are views of the Duomo, the Baptistry, and all of Florence.
Here's another shot of the Baptistry and Duomo.
In 1401, a competition was announced by the Florence Merchants' Guild to design the
Baptistry's North Doors.
Michaelangelo referred to them as the "Gates of Paradise" and their creation is often said to mark the beginning of the Renaissance.
These pictures show some of the detail of the colorful exterior of the Duomo.
On our last full day in Florence, we went to the Casa di Buonarroti (a museum dedicated to Michelangelo in a house he owned, but never lived in),
the Bargello (another famous sculpture museum in Florence), and the Istituto e
Musseo di Storia della Scienza (Institute and Museum of the History of Science). None of these museums
allowed pictures, but these hungry birds who came over to beg from us while we were eating sandwiches did.
On our last morning in Florence, we walked to the train station, bought tickets and boarded the train. We were
excited to be going to Venice, but also sad because it was our
last stop in Italy.
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