We found the piazza on which we were to meet our group, and, because we were early, had time to explore another nearby piazza. It was a lovely, sunny morning, there were not a lot of people out and about (yet!), and we enjoyed looking around!!! We also got our first glimpse of "il duomo"...more on that later!!!!
We met our group for the tour, and were HAPPY to find that it was ALL people from previous tours...Mikey, Lee, Chase, and Loren, Jim and Marilyn, and Tammy, Dennis, Derek, and Ann, and Cynthia and Kim. We were SAD that, yet again, Sandy, Bill, Tiffany, Barb, and Megan were with a different group, but AT LEAST we got to see them, briefly, as they arrived!!!!
Our guide was Antonella, and, as was the case with all of our other tour guides, she was amazing!!!!!
We walked around the Galleria Uffizi, the piazza of city hall, toured a church that started out as a grain market (Orsanmichele, and which still contained hooks and chutes, and other remnants of it's agricultural past), rubbed the nose of the "good luck" warthog fountain, looked at the outdoor markets, walked around the duomo, walked to the middle of Ponte Vecchio, and ended the tour at the Accademia, where we saw David, by Michelangelo (UNBELIEVABLE!).
Antonella told us that the builder of the dome burned his plans for it before he died. No one had been able to recreate it since...and computer models deem it "impossible" to remain intact. Very interesting! Jim, who is a professor of mathematical psychology, spent the next couple of hours trying to figure it out!!!
Michelangelo was FURIOUS that the statue was to remain on the ground, as he had sculpted it disproportionately, which would look "normal" from far above (if you look closely, David's hands and feet are HUGE...rather "hobbit-like"!!).
Michelangelo relented, and David ended up on a platform on the ground. The statue was later moved to the Accademia (which is not a very impressive museum) after several incidents of vandalism and abuse.
After lunch, Marilyn and Jim dashed off to the Uffizi for a tour, and Mikey, Lee, Loren, and Derek went to the crypts to see the tombs of famous artists and scientists of the city. Duane and I intended to go to the crypts and the science museum, to see Galileo's telescope, but had tickets to the Duomo Museum, so headed there (with hopes of catching the crypts and museum later).
Off all that we did and saw on the trip, the Duomo Museum was probably the most disappointing. Most of it was closed for renovations (although we DID get to see the actual Baptistry door (see gold door in photos above). The tickets also allowed us to climb to the top of the dome, and see the inside of the baptistry. We stood in line for the dome for awhile, but the lines were long, and not moving at all (AND there were about 500 stairs to climb to GET to the dome), so we decided to leave.
Instead, we decided to explore the central market. On Robin and Davey's trip, they brought back a cool glass container with two spouts...in one, balsamic vinegar is placed...in the other olive oil. Theirs broke soon after they brought it home. I told them I'd get a replacement (and I wanted one too!). I'd looked in a couple of stores in Rome and Florence, but hadn't found them. The market had them! Being the cynic that I tend to be sometimes, I'm FULLY expecting THIS to be the place where my credit card number (which I had to use because they were PRICEY!) will be jacked (so far, so good...)...
After the exhibit, we FINALLY crossed the Ponte Vecchio (TWO times on the bridge, and we only made it half way!), and found a nice little "out of the way" place for dinner. Ristorante La
Galleria was actually about FOUR restaurants on an enclosed courtyard, and we got a nice table "outside" one of the main buildings.
After dinner (and another dessert of cantucci vin santo!), we walked around that side of the bridge for awhile. We looked around a few "tourist shops"...
This made me giggle...(yes, I AM a big child sometimes!!!)...
...found a grocery store (we LOVE touring grocery stores when we go on vacation...!)...
...had gelato at La Strega Nocciola (I wasn't going to have any, but the woman behind the counter was VERY persuasive...!!!)...
...walked back across the Ponte Vecchio, and saw one of the most AMAZING sunsets I've ever seen!!!!
After the sun went behind the hills, we went back to the hotel, sat in the garden on the roof for a few minutes, then went to our room to shower, pack, and go to bed!
Florence was AMAZING!!! Day SIX....off to Venice!!!
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