More in Firenze

Right now it is Monday early afternoon and we are sitting at a nice little cafe (we found our requisite half sun/half shade table) both typing away. We are such nerds! Pat has some work to do, so I figured it a good opportunity for me to write a post about our second day. Yesterday was another great day. We started at Santa Maria Novella, another of the many beautiful churches here. Construction began in 1279 and was completed by 1360. The stunning white & green marble exterior dates from the 14 century. You are not allowed to take pictures inside, so I will just tell you that the altar is amazing (and perhaps a bit visually overstimulating) - three long sections of stained glass, surrounded by frescoes. Here is a view from the piazza:



On our way to the Galleria dell'Accademia were sidetracked by this:



Yes, that is pizza with french fries on it! We had to try it. We stopped in this place for a quick snack and got a couple pieces to sample. Sadly, it did not live up to its potential. But at least we were fortified to go fights the crowds to see the David. And oh yeah, we supplemented the sub-par pizza with our first gelato of the trip. Which definitely did not disappoint!

After the immense Uffizi, we were both taken back by the relative diminutive size of the Accademia, but as Pat said, “I guess if you have the David you don't really have to have anything else.” True dat! There is nothing small about the David. Those of you who have seen it know how truly breathtaking it is – the sheer size (17ft from a single block of marble), the perfection of every minute detail, the vivid expression of life on his face, in his hands and in his posture. And then you realize how little room for error he had . . . it is mystifying that a human being could have the physical, emotional and intellectual tools to create something so unbelievable. And to think that Michelangelo created it when he was only 25 years old. Wow. Again, no pictures allowed in there, but here is a shot from the net. Of course, it does not come close to doing it justice. But if you close your eyes for a moment, you can be there.



As a high five to Michelangelo, here is a picture of his tomb that we saw on Saturday in Santa Croce.. Notice the three female sculptures representing his three great areas of achievement: painting, sculpture, and architecture. If you look closely, you can see the chisel, paintbrush and measuring tool.



Our last stop before dinner was mass at Ognissanti (All Saints), the church in the same piazza as our hotel. It was all in Italian, so we couldn't participate, but still thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The language is so beautiful and so is the interior. The painting on the ceiling has a 3D quality. And it contains numerous works by Renaissance masters as well as Botticelli's tomb and the habit of St Francis (that he wore when he received the stigmata in 1224). And even with all that, this little church didn't make the “must see” list in either of my books – that is how much there is to see in Florence! Here is a pic of the outside from the piazza, I will try to get some inside shots later today.