Italy- Florence

Our first morning in Florence started with coffee and a visit to the food market.  We were out early enough to see the leather stores setting up and managed to experience the alleyways and side streets before they were full of other tourists.  The food hall was full of dried fruits, freshly baked cookies and breads and local wines and limoncello.

Coffee from News Cafe was very good

Street vendors setting up in the morning

Food hall

After heading back to our hotel to drop off our spoils and eat some breakfast, it was off to see the main attraction in town- the Duomo. The red tiled domepoking out above the surrounding buildings is the first part of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore we saw as we approached, but it is the green and white towers and arches which really make this cathedral stand out compared to many others churches I have seen throughout Europe.

The winding, claustrophobic walk up to the top of the dome was rewarded by a close up view of the beautifully decorated dome ceiling, and an even better view of the surrounding cityscape from the outside viewing platform.

In the afternoon we went to the Galleria dell'Accademia where Michelangelo's famous depiction of bublical David stands, followed of course by some gelato (unfortunately no photos were allowed inside the gallery, but they were allowed at the gelato shop).

The next day we started with a visit to the leather markets and did some wandering through the many street vendors which were selling scarves, gloves, bags, belts etc. Hidden in a side alley not too far from the Duomo, we found this hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop called I Fratellini which made cheap and delicious sandwiches that we had with a nice glass of wine. It was a relaxing break from walking and from the sun, and sitting on the sidewalk with all the other people added to the experience. At the nearby statue-lined Piazza della Signoria, we visited the Museo di Palazzo Vecchio.

Neptune fountain on the Piazza

Fake David in front of Museo di Palazzo Vecchio

View of Florence from the terrace in the museum

Espresso pitstop

With the statues at Piazza della Signoria

In the afternoon we made the 30 minute trek across the Ponte Vecchio and up the hill to the Piazzale Michelangelo which had a beautiful view over the city.  A little further up the hill was the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte, a simple and serene cathedral with a nice garden where we stopped for a sunset picnic and a glass of chianti while looking out over Florence.

Ponte Vecchio

View over Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo

Basilica di San Miniato al Monte

The next morning was a quick visit to Santa Maria Novella, another beautiful church decorated in the same style as the Duomo, before our train to Venice.