Florence

Next up on the itinerary - Florence. We rode a Eurostar train from Venice after two nights there and arrived in Florence around 10:30.

First up was a climb up 480 spiraling, claustrophobia-inducing stairs to the top of the Cathedral's dome for an amazing view. This is the bell tower - according to my buddy Clark (more on him later) the bell tower was finished in only 10 years at the request of those building the cathedral. They wanted to see something completed before they died - as the actual Duomo had no chance of being finished in their lifetimes.

That night we went up to Piazza Michelangelo - which overlooks Florence for a great view of the city and its major landmarks. i.e. the Duomo.
Another night shot of this impressive dome. It was the largest dome in the world until the advent of the modern domed sports stadiums. Finished during the Renaissance - in the 1400s. The builders of the cathedral actually left a big hole in the roof - just waiting for the time when the technology would be available to cover it with a huge dome.

This is me on the top of the Dome. Nice view - great weather that day.

This was the view from our hotel room window. As you can see by these pictures, the dome pretty much dominates the skyline of Florence.

Jessica and I in front of Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge). It's lined with jewelery shops

While we were in Florence the "Settimana della Cultura" (culture week) was happening. This is a yearly event in which all the state-run monuments and museums are free to the public. We took advantage and this picture is taken from the Pitti Palace gardens - a huge palace across the Arno from the main part of Florence. It houses Renaissance Art now - and great gardens.

Here we go - this is Clark. Clark and I lived together three times during our missions - beginning, middle, and end. We were actually companions during the last time at the end. He has been getting his masters of art history in Florence for the past year and a half and was kind enough to give us a private tour while we were there.

Palazzo Vecchio - David once stood in front of this building, where a replica now stands. It was the city government building.

And speaking of David, here's his copy. Sorry for the naked-ness. We saw the real David (free!) in the Accademia museum on our second day in Florence - no pictures allowed there, so the copy will have to do. Very impressive in person I must say - second time I've seen it. Amazing.

Another view of Ponte Vecchio - another Florence landmark.

Here's the front of the Duomo - with a cameo by Jess.

We ate at the same restaurant for dinner both nights in Florence - a place called ZaZa's. Clark took us there the first night with a sister missionary from Genoa who came down to spend the day with us complete with her boyfriend in tow. This is a picture of the bruschetta we ate there. SOOO GOOD. Tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, toasted bread. The picture might not look appetizing, but it was a little bite of heaven on earth. Jessica insisted we record this momentous event.

The great thing about Florence was being able to spend time with Clark, Lisa, her boy-toy Gabrielle, and another sister missionary we served with, Eliana. With her brother in law Pietro (my first zone leader) she met us later the first night and we went up to the Piazza together. Very fun and I got to use my language skills more. I think that helped me get up to speed. Fortunately, both sisters and Gabrielle (and Clark obviously) understood english, so Jessica was OK - although understandably quiet during the day.

This is a video we took from the top of the Duomo. Enjoy!

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