Florence, Tuscany

Florence is insane ... seriously, just insane. I'm having complete art-overload, and I'm loving it. I made Bridget go to four churches and one museum, and that was only the first day we were here!
I think we might have done everything that I "needed" to do while I'm here, but I've probably forgotten to do something pivotal, so maybe it would be best to just let me blather on and not ask me if I saw anything in specific ... just a warning.

Yeah yeah, I know this isn't the "real" David, but naked men in public squares just seem to do something for me...

Here's the Duomo with the amazingly pink marble exterior put on in the 19th century.

Napolean did a lot of strange things to Italy, it turns out...

Okay, so the Duomo looks a little doofy from the outside, but the inside is amazing! Especially Brunelleschi's dome, which was an architectural feat at the time. He constructed the largest dome of his age over the apse of the Duomo using a double-dome structure. This is mostly fun because when you go up the the top of the Duomo, you get to walk between the domes!!

Here I am between the very slanty walls of Brunelleschi's two domes...

It gets crazy towards the top where the stairs are just cut into the side of the dome!

And once you get to the top you get a great view! Here's Bridget right in front of our neighborhood:


And finally, in front of the Duomo is the Bapristry with Ghiberti's famous bronze doors.

So, on to the Uffizi and the Palazzo Vecchio and the Palazzo Pitti and I don't even remember what else ... wheee!!