Firenze

How can you ever possibly describe Florence and do it any justice?  I have to go back.  I have to spend many days (weeks, months...) exploring this beautiful, fascinating, historic, ancient city.  My friends predicted that I would fall in love while I was in Italy.  I did.  With Italy.

This is inside the train station--stazione--in Florence.

Lisabetta was our tour guide:

This is the cathedral of Florence--Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore--and it is in the Piazza del Duomo.  It is incredible.  It's made of marble that is all from Italy.  I can't remember but I know the white is from one area, green from another, and pink from another.  One day I am going inside!  I want to climb all of those steps to the top of the bell tower.

His pictures are gorgeous and I paid enough attention for him to relentlessly chase me around dropping the price.  I bought one when he got to 10 euros (he started with 35).  Shoulda held out one more time.  I love it, though!  Love the colors.  But I got a hard time from my classmates.

Chef Owens

This is about a half block over from the cathedral (duomo) and is sort of a little fix-it shop where they are in charge of the maintenance and repair of the cathedral.

Beautiful reflection!

I feel silly because I don't know who this is or how to look it up.  There are some flowers on the ground underneath.  A guy was leaving one while I was there.

The Piazza della Signoria is amazing!  It has many sculptures, Loggia dei Lanzi, and the Palazzo Vecchio.

Fountain of Neptune:

David:

Judith and Holofernes:

Inside the palazzo:

Perseus with the Head of Medusa:

Of course the one hidden from me is the one that got my attention.  This is The Rape Of The Sabine Women. She doesn't seem to like the curtain, either.

Arno River:

Ponte Vecchio to the right:

It is a tradition for lovers to put their names on a lock and lock it onto the fence around the bust of Benvenuto Cellini and then to throw the key into the Arno.  Their love will be eternal--or until a city worker cuts the lock off (apparently this tradition is frowned upon).  The locks have spilled over to these chains.  There seem to be thousands of them!  Someday when I am there with a travel companion of my own choosing......

A Room With A View was filmed in one of these windows.  What a view it would be!

Tripe sandwich:

Benvenuto Cellini:

Mine is Crema D'Oriente and The' Verde.  MMM!!!

Where would I like to live in Florence?  Hmmm......

He asked "Take a picture?" and I said "Sure!" and snapped him.

Then he laughed and snapped us.

We were all intrigued by Steve's Zucchini Ripiene.

I bought one of the little square ones.  So pretty!