Happy One-Week-in-Europe Day!

We started the day with some pastries bought from a ristorante across the palazzo from the Duomo. I don’t know what it was but it tasted like puff pastry filled with a custard/cream cheese topped with powdered sugar. #pleasemoreplease I would have taken pictures but…I ate it too fast! 🙂

The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore looks much smaller inside than one would expect from the grandness on the outside. The height and spectacle truly comes from the Dome. Part of our exploration led us into the crypt which documented how the church had evolved over the centuries. We had to exit the church and walk around the corner to start the trek up the 463 steps (I overestimated last night..thank goodness!). They are so much more narrow and winding then I could have imagined. BUT. WE DID IT. And it was so worth it. The views rivaled those from yesterday because everything was closer. The steps on the was down were faster (obviously) but somehow more confusing. At one point I told Alison I was convinced we weren’t actually moving and the stairs would just go on forever. Luckily they didn’t.

In the middle of the Palazzo is the Baptistry. Once thought to be a Pagan church, it has an unusual octagonal shape with a large mosaic dome depicting the stories of the Last Judgement, Genesis, Mary and Christ, Joseph, and St John the Baptist. I didn’t mention it yesterday but San Miniato al Monte was by far the most solemn and reverent church we have visited so far. Each church has had it’s own “feeling” and I am glad we are able to experience these places with less people around. I don’t think it would be as spiritual or captivating if I was being shepherded through them with hundreds of other tourists. It’s bad enough watching a couple dozen take “selfies” with priceless works of art. Cait told us before we left to put down our cameras and truly see the world around us, not just through a lens or screen. Which has proven to be sage advice.

We left the Baptistry, grabbed some pizza, and headed down the streets to do some shopping. Al and I each picked a scarf from a street vendor and we admired the leather goods on display in store windows or hanging from carts. The city even smells like leather occasionally.

Next stop was the Galleria dell’Accademia and THEE David. The special exhibit had musical instruments from the 1700-1800’s. The David is at the end of a long hallway and it is hard to focus on anything else in the room. It was way taller than I was anticipating. I had read that in 1991 a man named Piero Cannata took a gemstone hammer and chopped of David’s left toe. Al and I spent more than a few minutes trying to identify which toe (we think the pinky). The sculpture is so real looking that I honestly thought it was breathing. There is such definition and tautness in the muscles and yet the body is relaxed which emphasizes that David won the battle with his mind rather than muscle. In the same hallway are The Four Prisoners, unfinished sculptures only partially chiseled from the marble. (We forgot to take pictures so you should go Google them!).

We ended the day with gelato, reserved our seats for the train tomorrow, packed up, and had dinner at the hostel.

Tomorrow we leave at 08:30 and arrive in Venice at 10:35. After dropping out bags off at the Hotel we are headed out to museums. Hopefully the weather cooperates (it’s predicting 90% chance rain) and we can squeeze in a Gondola ride (squeeee!).