A Different Perspective - 10

Trip Start Aug 28, 2008
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23
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Trip End Sep 24, 2008


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Flag of Germany  , Rhineland-Palatinate,
Thursday, September 11, 2008

Florence is on the agenda today. Florence is so different from Venice...we are back to the big city with cars, buses, and motorscoters. Seems strange after a week of towns with few cars and only people walking around. We make a short stop before our hotel on a hill overlooking the city. Wonderful view of the city at our feet. Unfortunately it is HOT, HOT, HOT!!!!!!! I could use some nice artic cold from the bank!!!
On to the hotel with about an hour of free time. We quickly turn our room into a Chinese laundry. We will need our coolest clothes for this stay as well as in Rome.
We meet the group and walk to the Academia where Michelangelo's David is displayed. This is the focal point of the museum. It is hard to describe what I felt when I first saw the David. Awe would be the best word. The David is 14 feet tall. You can't help be mezmerized by the statue as you walk around him. We learned that when Michelangelo sculpted he wouldn't make a paster statue first and the take measurements to transfer to a piece of marble like most. He would wait for the marble to "speak' to him and then he would start.....amazing! There were 4 unfinshed works that gave you an idea of the process Michelangelo went thru.
On the way to dinner we walked by the Duomo....Florence's largest cathedral. The outside is covered with green, pink, and white marble and very ornate. The cathedral was buiilt without a dome because the people knew someone would figure out how to build a dome and it has the first dome of the Renaissance era.
Italians eat in courses.....typically 3-4 a meal. We forgot about this at our group meal and thought we were finished after the plate of 3 different kinds of pasta. After the plates were cleared the waiter brought a steak knife and a fork and we were wondering what kind of desert would require a steak knife! Silly us it was time for the meat part of the meal...steak sliced up with chopped spinach leaves on top...delicious! No gelato tonight :( but a variety of deserts. Time to roll down the streets to the hotel.
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