FLORENCE - ONE OF MY FAVORITE and PIZA

Leaving Venice and trying out the bus system for the first time was okay. We got better as we went along, but we had to walk through all the different train cars to get to our class. We had no idea there were different classes and cars so we walked through the aisles hitting everyone with our backpacks as we went along.

These were the sculptures that we saw at night. They obviously had alot to do with Roman Mythology.

When we arrived in Florence, it was night and the city was pretty dead. There weren't very many people walking around, so it was incredibly peaceful. We walked on the coble streets and looked at all the beautiful architecture and sculptures. In the background, you could hear a man quietly singing and playing his guitar. It was beautiful!!

The next morning we got up ready to see MUSEUMS!! Of course, we couldn't help but get a silly picture of the blowdryer. It was pretty ridiculous (looked like a vacuum) and the pressure was very low.

We walked along this bridge the night before and decided we wanted to come back for a picture the next morning. Shops line the inside of the buildings.

We went to the Uffizi pretty early in the morning to avoid lines. Because of the strict "no photo"rule, I couldn't get pictures but we saw alot of Madonnas with Child, other Religious art, and art from the Renaissance period. It was so great to have my mind stimulated and think about something other than normal life. These were some of my favorite :

Birth of Venus

Madonna and Child with Angels


Outside the museum, I had a man tell me that my face was like a Botticelli. I was pretty flatered. After the Uffizi, we pulled out the handy guide book by Rick Steves and tried to figure out where the Academia was to see "The David." But first thing first, YUMMY Italian pizza.

The pizza there is so good. The crust is alittle thinner and the sauce not so sugary, more tart. VERY GOOD!!

To get the picture of "The David" we had to break the rules. When I pulled out my camera to get a picture, a Russian lady stuck her hand out over my lens and yelled, "NO PHOTO!!" She shook my camera, so mine was blurry - BUT, Sue found a perfect corner to get a great shot. So thank you Sue for being brave against the "NO PHOTO" lady.

Here we are to one of my favorites - "The David." It was AWESOME, AMAZING, INSPIRING, PERFECT, ETC. I had no idea the sculpture was this big, but it stood well above our heads.

Now - I got chills when I turned the corner and saw this. I have never gotten chills before looking at art work, but it was unbelievable. (Of course, Sue had to make sacracastic remarks about me getting chills looking at this - but can you blame me.)

After the Accademia museum, we walked around the city and looked in all the shops. I have been looking for a leather jacket for years and since I was in Italy I decided this would be the place. So, I bought a leather brown leather jacket that is so soft, light, and I love it. It was funny when I was trying it on because they salesman kept giving me younger looking jackets. I would tell him I wanted a more professional looking jacket that would never go out of style and he picked the one out that I bought. I put it on and he said, "That would be perfect for you. You will grow into it." Now, as he said, "You will grow into it" he would move his hands around his chest - suggesting that I would grow in that area. I looked at him and said, "I am 30 years old and the mother of 3 girls. This is it." After we left the store, we were hysterically laughing.

I also found the girls gifts in a little book shop. The shopkeeper (who used to be a teacher, but makes more money making leather books - I KNOW!!) made a purple and blue leather book for the girls. The girls loved them!!

After shopping, we decided to look at the Duomo in Florence. The church was beautiful!! The inside of the cathedral was a dome shape with alot of scenes from the underworld and people being impelled (pretty graphic).

Duomo

The architecture is BEAUTIFUL and the colors were amazing!

We climbed 463 steps to the top. The stairway was extremely narrow and many people turned around to go back down because they were claustaphobic. The only problem was the way up was also the way down, so the hallways would get pretty crowded.

We made it!

The view of Florence from the top of the Duomo.

Outside the Duomo, we saw the Golden doors on the baptistry. They were beautiful and depicted diffferent stories from the Bibe.

We spent along time trying to figure out what stories belong to which picture.

Look at the detail!! This is of David and Goliath.

The next day we got on the train for Piza.

Do you see the camera hanging off the backpack. This is what would hit people in the face as we walked through the train aisles.

Piza - We took a bus to the Leaning Tower of Piza and when we got on the bus the bus driver started yelling, "Teiv. See the one holding the baby - Tiev. Hold on to your cameras, purses. Do you know what a Tiev is?" We were all looking around so confused. I saw 2 women with one carrying a baby and had no idea what he was talking about. But than, we realized. He was trying to say Theif and pointed them out to us. A man on the bus told them to get off.

We weren't in Piza very long because we just wanted to get there and say, "Been there, done that" and get the typical picture taken.

I thought this was a pretty picture of Pat. I am so grateful for my Mother- in-law.

After Piza, we got on the train for La Spezia to go to Cinque Terre (5 Cities on the ocean- Absolutley Beautiful. This is when I missed Warren. because I knew he would love this place).