Day Three: Firenze

First off, let me apologize for the lack of posting over the last couple of days. The Internet connection where we were was not the best. Actually it was terrible and I was not about to connect at all for anything. So, let’s start where I left off…

We left Venice via private bus and departed for Florence. In Florence (Firenze in Italian), we met our local tour guide and were treated to a tour of the Academia Museum. We studied paintings by famous artists, most notably Michelangelo. After that, we were treated to Michelangelo’s prize masterpiece. I think that it’s safe to say that once we turned the corner and our eyes finally locked on David’s marble body, almost everyone in the group dropped their jaw in amazement. Of course we have all seen pictures of it, but to see it in person was something else. I was able to understand why this sculpture is regarded so highly, and why so many people come to see it every day.

After David and Academia, our tour continued on to the Duomo, the famous cathedral of Florence. The architecture of the building was absolutely spectacular. It was over three stories high and the outside was made of mostly marble. But however impressive the outside may have looked, the inside of the cathedral was three times as impressive. There were stain glass windows, paintings, frescos (ii?), busts and statues adorning the glorious insides of the building. It was amazing and extremely humbling to be in the Duomo. It feels like you are sharing and being a part of the history that has taken place in this area. Very cool experience.