Day Trip to Florence - 9/5/17
Buongiorno, everybody! My name is Erin, and I'm here to give you a little glimpse into our incredible excursion today to Florence, Italy -- the City of Lilies! Keeping with the theme of the past week, there was a lot of walking, beautiful architecture, wonderful artwork, and of course a fountain of historical knowledge spewing from our incredible tour guide.
The day started a wee bit early, with most of us rolling out of bed at 5:15 to catch an early train to Florence. However, after some sugary croissants and espresso from McDonalds (yes, they have that over here), we were ready to go. Our entertaining and funny tour guide, Patrizia, was there to meet us at the station, where she soon led us to the Church of Santa Croce to see the tombs of Galileo, Michelangelo, and Machiavelli. After a quick panini stop for lunch at Caffe Mario and some of Florence's best gelato, it was off to see the heart of city and Santa Maria del Fiore (a.k.a. Il Duomo, the largest freestanding structure in the world!). I know I was personally a little excited to see a church I had learned so much about in art history, but it was more than I could have imagined! The brilliant pinks, greens, and gold ceiling in the baptistery next door were utterly astounding. Lastly, Patrizia took us to Florence's Academy of the Fine Arts, which is home to Michelangelo's David. It's amazing to think that in the past couple of days I have already seen so many renowned cultural artifacts, and yet again this statue blew away all of my expectations. I was astonished to see so much talent and artistic beauty captured in one piece of marble, and that seemed to be the case everywhere in Florence.
Lastly, my favorite part of the day :). Around sunset, many of us took the opportunity to climb to the top of Il Duomo for a breathtaking view of the city and mountains beyond. It was a real struggle carrying our tired legs up those 463 stone steps (but who's counting..), but we were ultimately welcomed by the most gorgeous view I have ever seen. Florence may be known for its exquisite Renaissance art, but it is also home to beauty of a different kind. One of the things Patrizia hoped to share with us today was her passion for the city, and I can say without a doubt that she did. Ciao for now, Firenze, but I know I'll be back.
The day started a wee bit early, with most of us rolling out of bed at 5:15 to catch an early train to Florence. However, after some sugary croissants and espresso from McDonalds (yes, they have that over here), we were ready to go. Our entertaining and funny tour guide, Patrizia, was there to meet us at the station, where she soon led us to the Church of Santa Croce to see the tombs of Galileo, Michelangelo, and Machiavelli. After a quick panini stop for lunch at Caffe Mario and some of Florence's best gelato, it was off to see the heart of city and Santa Maria del Fiore (a.k.a. Il Duomo, the largest freestanding structure in the world!). I know I was personally a little excited to see a church I had learned so much about in art history, but it was more than I could have imagined! The brilliant pinks, greens, and gold ceiling in the baptistery next door were utterly astounding. Lastly, Patrizia took us to Florence's Academy of the Fine Arts, which is home to Michelangelo's David. It's amazing to think that in the past couple of days I have already seen so many renowned cultural artifacts, and yet again this statue blew away all of my expectations. I was astonished to see so much talent and artistic beauty captured in one piece of marble, and that seemed to be the case everywhere in Florence.
Lastly, my favorite part of the day :). Around sunset, many of us took the opportunity to climb to the top of Il Duomo for a breathtaking view of the city and mountains beyond. It was a real struggle carrying our tired legs up those 463 stone steps (but who's counting..), but we were ultimately welcomed by the most gorgeous view I have ever seen. Florence may be known for its exquisite Renaissance art, but it is also home to beauty of a different kind. One of the things Patrizia hoped to share with us today was her passion for the city, and I can say without a doubt that she did. Ciao for now, Firenze, but I know I'll be back.
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