Our Final Day In Italy / Italy, France, Spain / Europe

On our final day in Italy we visited another UNESCO listed site, the historic city center of Florence. We began with a guided tour of the Galleria dell’Accademia museum for a guided tour to learn more about works of Michelangelo, Botticelli, and other Italian artists. It turns out Michelangelo was quite a character! We were some of the very first people in the museum for the day, so our guide Francesca said that we had to do what was usually last first, and go see Michelangelo’s David while the room was almost completely empty. She said almost nobody gets the chance to take photos there that aren’t full of other people!

Michelangelo's David

Michelangelo's David

Botticelli's Madonna

This side of a wedding dress chest depicts an authentic scene in Florence.

Completely Intact Stradivari Viola

We had breakfast after the tour at a place recommended to us by a friend of Courtney’s and she ordered hot chocolate, which turned out to be like a cup of rich, melted chocolate! She gave the waiters quite a laugh trying to stir whipped cream into it to make it sippable! My cappuccino and fruit tart were amazing. We sat outside and relaxed while we viewed statues (including a mini-David that Francesca had told us to look out for during our tour earlier), and people-watched before walking through the statues.

Rape of the Sabine Women

We crossed the Arno River on the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge for some window shopping. There were many jewelry stores with interesting collections. Then we stopped at the Piazza Santo Spirito and had pizza and risotto for lunch at another place recommended by Courtney’s friends. We were brave and tried the olives that came with our bread while our food was cooking. It's the first time Courtney and I ever tasted olives we liked! Then we joined another guided tour for what might be the most famous buildings in Florence. First, we entered the Saint John's Baptistery, which is an octagonal building whose center was once a baptismal pool. It’s full of intricate mosaics all the way up the the biblical scenes on the ceiling! Then, we entered the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, where the Archbishop holds weekly mass. It’s best known as Il Duomo and is full of incredible works of art and architecture! Our guide shared the history of the building, including telling us all about how the clock on the back wall runs a 24-hour cycle and has to be reset every month because it always ends the day at sundown. All of our guides were very informative and knowledgeable. Finally, we climbed the narrow steps of Giotto's Bell Tower for a spectacular view of the city. Courtney says the steps about did her in, but the views all over Florence were totally worth it!