We’ve done more than ‘just a tad’ of walking past, through, over and around Firenze’s myriad landmarks since arriving. We all to often haven’t participated being either too preoccupied or pressed for time with things like… well, I can’t think of anything right now. Buying soap comes to mind … But, still – we’ve haven’t stopped often enough and last weekend we thus committed ourselves to paying proper homage to the renaissance remnants throughout this great city. Below are some highlight pics from our self-imposed focus on Florentine culture. Included among the pics from within the city are a few snapshots from our day trip to Pisa. Enjoy! Ciao!! ❤️😘🇮🇹
This is the sculpture gallery, Loggia dei Lanzi. It sits at the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio at the same end of the gigantic Piazza Signoria Florence. This structure eminates a MEH 😑 kind of vibe when I think about other attractions competing for our time and attention. OOOHHH – look!!! Over THERE!!!! A GELATERIA!!!!!
<>
The featured tourists smiling in front of the Palazzo Vecchio.
<>
The awesome atrium to the Palazzo Vecchio. 600 years ago, the other visiting Dukes were like… dayumm, that Medici has REAL MONEY!This is the tower at Palazzo Vecchio. One of Firenze’s most recognizable landmarks. We climbed it.This is the Duomo. The picture was taken about halfway up the tower. It is a great place for this pic (I love the rooftops surrounding the Duomo) and a breather from climbing.The view of Fiume Arno (Arno River) looking to the west. Our Villa is about a mile past and basically aligned with that tower in the middle of the pic.I’m sorry that the Duomo is so fuzzy in this pic. But Anne looks awesome! 🤩😎😘At the top of ‘il Torre’. Those are our gelati. We had to sit down and take a break from the Sunday Florentine crowds. Funny thing about gelato prefs.. it may offer clues about its owner’s personality. Anne gets the same single flavor on a ‘cono’… every time. I go for the ‘copa’ and order two different flavors every time. Discuss?Sunday afternoon Florentine crowds. the thing is, these aren’t tourists. It’s the townsfolk’s day out.The only museum open on Mondays is the Galileo Museum. It’s a really great museum and showcases how the Florentine culture (with full support of the Medici) thrived in the sciences (astronomy, mapmaking, tool and instrument design, civil engineering, mathematics etc.). Anne is shown here with one of Galileo’s big balls.In the gallery adjacent to the Galileo’s balls, we came across the ‘relic’ of his middle finger (right hand). It’s so interesting to me that a culture and ruling Duke so deeply intertwined with Catholicism (two of the Medici became Popes) that a scientist would have a relic taken from his remains. This kind of finger gesture (punny?) sure seems secular, to me because the only other relics I’ve seen are those of Saints.The Ponte Vecchio from the west side.The Ponte Vecchio from the west side – south bank.Ponte Santa Trinita… Fiume Arno looking westward.“Mio melone grosso” is obstructing the view of the Ponte Santa Trinita.Everyone who sees these arches takes a picture.The info says that the tower is leaning by 4 degrees. It looks like more than that to me.Seriously, FOUR degrees to one side?Another angle of the Leaning Tower. Because there isn’t much else to do in Pisa.That’s the Duomo. It’s nice.We climbed the steps of the tower to its top – 249 all together. It felt like a carnival fun-house, really that tilt tilted us.Our last entry for SIGHTSEEING PICS: we visited the L’Accedemie Galleria. Everyone goes to see Michelangelo’s David but we honestly enjoyed seeing the medieval art and musical instrument collection also housed within the museum. The ‘Academia’, perhaps inspired by ‘The David’ sports a lot of wood(en) instruments. Is it just me, or does this angle of Michelangelo’s Masterwork require a viewer’s eyes to look a little higher at the subject’s face? And I’m a flesh-and-blood, 100% straight guy saying this. I don’t think those marble women, staring at David all day even care what David looks like, (ahem) from this side. See what I mean? This is what they see all day of David. Chiseled from marble, he is, indeed.
The Brandt Blog 
February 11, 2022 at 09:35
Jeff & Anne, thoroughly enjoying your blog! Jeff I just love your commentary! Safe travels.
February 13, 2022 at 02:07
Thanks Lisa – I’m sure Lucia and Antonio would like seeing the old country. Hope you share the pics with them, too. Thanks Lis- 😘😘
February 12, 2022 at 18:48
My gelato pref is a cup with one scoop and I would rotate between my 3-4 favs depending on my mood.
February 13, 2022 at 02:05
Our fave shop in Milano is closed for remodeling. So sad.