Florence

We left our hotel in Rome around 830. We drove to Florence and found our hotel. We then just started exploring. What a beautiful city. Florence is the home of Renaissance art. Michelangelo is from here. The Medici family ruled the area and sponsored the start of art. We had lunch then visited the Duomo, the square, then just explored. 

This is the street from hotel to the Duomo. 

Emerging from the street you can see the side of the church, three different marbles used give it a "noisy" exterior. 

This is the north side. Up close it seems overwhelming. 

Inside felt much different than the mosques we had seen in Istanbul. 

The spine of the chapel. 

Many statues inside. Many more outside. 

The painting inside the Duomo dome. This picture fails to capture how high, how big, how interesting, and how breathtaking it was. I also felt my life hadn't accomplished much after being here. 

South side of the Duomo. 

Zoom of inside of dome. 

 Alter. 

This clock is opposite the alter and runs backwards... Cool huh?

These doors are gold. They took 40 yeRs to carve. 

This is the Uffuzzi   It is the Italian Louvre. I probably enjoyed it more. I did have a gelato just before going in. 

The piazza outside Uffuzi. 

That is a head. 

Bridget did her thesis on Machiavelli 

Bridge over river. 

Full of jewelry. 

Inside the art gallery. 

I hate stepping in Thorns too! But I usually have clothes on. 

View from Piazza de Michelangelo. 

At sunset. 

We sat on these steps and listened to an Italian guy sing phonetically to American rich songs. 

The car from the mentalist. 

A church. At night.