July 15 Florence

Florence – July 15.

Or as the Italians call it Firenze.

It was going to be another hot one. We had decided last night that the only way to know what the history of the building and sculpture you were looking at was, was to take a tour. One mob had been featured on a Michael Palin BBC travel show, so we decided to go with them, also their commentary was in English. They had a package deal, Firenze in a day – 3 hour walking tour at 9.00am, then a guided visit to the Ufuzzi gallery, followed by a visit to the Academia to see Michaelangelo’s David.

One problem, there was only one space left on the walking tour. So I did that, the girls rested at the hotel, and Brian walked around by himself, with his Lonely Planet guide.

My walking tour was great. Lots of interesting stories regarding the history of the famous buildings and about the Medici family; who many centuries ago pretty much owned most of Firenze. The family died out – One brother took one look at his arranged wife and decided there would be no consummation of that marriage, and the sister was barren. So that was the end of a dynasty. But when the sister died – the last remaining member of the family, she left the entire estate to the city of Firenze, with the caveat that everything must remain in Firenze. Most of it did, Napolean took a few bits and pieces for himself, and the Nazi’s picked up a couple and blew up all the bridges, except for the famed Pont Vecchio.

The city is very interesting and the sculpture of David is absolutely awesome. It really draws you in, and you find your self just staring at it. The detail in the body, plus that the fact that he carved it from a single slab of marble, with no help in just 3 years makes it even more remarkable.

But, overall you are left with a feeling that it is just a bit too commercial. All the galleries are very expensive to visit, and there are long queues to see anything, plus out side all the famous monuments you have illegal street vendors trying to sell you handbags, sunglasses and dodgy paintings. The street vendors have their wares displayed on large pieces of cloth, and when someone gives the signal that the Police are coming, they just pick up the 4 corners of the cloth so it forms a bag and walk away. The Police are very slack, and apart from standing around chatting to each other smoking, seem to do little about getting rid of them.

We climbed up to Michealangelo park in the early evening to see the sun set over the Pont Vecchio. Brian got some great photos. Then we had the usual hunt for something to eat. In the end we were too hungry and tired to walk any further, and settled for some overpriced, poor quality pasta and pizza, and that was the Firenze done and dusted.