It's wet and windy in Florence today so what better to do than visit a few art galleries crammed with priceless masterpieces?
First the Uffizi Gallery with it's Leonardo da Vincis, Caravaggios, Boticellis, Michelangelos and many others. Second the Duomo (cathedral) and Baptistry (with its amazing sculpted bronze doors).
Third the Academia with the original of Michelangelo's David, looking as magnificent as it did last time we saw it 30 years ago. The story goes that Michelangelo 'saw' his finished sculptures inside the blocks of marble before he started work, and released them by chiselling away the excess stone. There are several unfinished sculptures known as the 'Prisoners' for that reason, and when you look at them you can imagine the figures trying to 'escape' the stone.
The art works really are wonderful and it was a privilege to see them in person. We were lucky to have a local guide, Paola, which again added a lot of insights and helped avoid the frustrations of queueing too much.
Once sated with art we shopped in the thunderstorms and rain and got cold and wet. Shop front vernadahs have not caught on here. My 4 euro street hawker umbrella got frightened by a gentle puff of wind and half fell to bits - but I still hope to nurse it along and not discard it till our last day in Italy!
So much to see here, but better on a fine day!
Check out the exclusive rowing club on the Arno River near the famous Ponte Vecchio (bottom right.)
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