Were those eggs cooked?

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Home to the infamous sculpture of David, Numerous museo, and the start of the renaissance it's no wonder this city is over flowing with art and culture. We spent most of the day Monday walking and discussing the history behind some of the major components that made empires great. Number one is Food, and number two is wine that being the fact it's no wonder early Romans took over so much of Europa.

We are enjoying Italy, we stopped at it's great city Milan for some time. Running quickly to the fastest cheapest place available to feed our travelers stomach. It's interesting how similar things taste here in Italy. For instance did you know nine McDonalds hamburgers here in Italy taste just as .....Mcdonald like as in Canada. Mind you we have never eaten nine hamburgers back home, we rarely eat there but some how at 50 cents a piece on an empty stomach it just sounds like a good deal. Deal or not, on a broken toilet whilst moving on a broken train is not the place you want 4.5 burgers to meet their maker...especially when the place they go to rest is rails passing quickly beneath you. Luckily my team leader has just informed me that the hamburger awesomeness was on the nice train not the broken one. So it's a good think we didn't have nature yelling our names because that wouldn't have been something i could easily write about and still hold my head High.

We have met one individual within our travels that answered many of the questions that both Kevin and I were tentative to hear. Like do people still hate Germans? Why is there so much Graffiti everywhere? What are the best things to see in Europe? What do you think of your own educations system? How are your governments run? and well the list just goes on. I would love to inform you of the information that was passed between us and this fellow traveler. But we want to encourage you to go out and meet your own random new friends and ask them your selves, because its more time and takes up less space.

However, the one thing he did share that we would like to impart to you for the deepest part of our hearts. Wasn't even a question we asked, actually it was a fact he told us out of the blue.
"Canadian solders are the best, because they are allowed to grow Beards!"

So here are some photos, of our fascinating almost free excursion to the city of Florence. Where Traffic is scary, Buses always seem full, the dogs are dressed better that the people and Italians yelling is just ordinary conversations.

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Photos

Santa Maria del Flore
The duomo. The dome
This church and actually several others takes on a very cryptic name in being called a duomo, or dome.

The high and sheer brilliance
is not easily seen while looking at the photograph

Kevin and i debate
If the artist was painting the levels of heaven and hell, there were 5 levels with angels, demons, humans, and i think God.

If we paid money!
we would of had an opportunity to get a real guide, and possible the chance to climb 450+ stairs to get to the top and see the city from there.

A gaurd stands beside Jesus
I wanted to stand beside Jesus but then who would take the picture.

Impressive
The marble floors, architecture, scultures, painting and the like 600 years it took to build this.

FOR JOHN!
Mighty awesome John, We have Gone back and added our thoughts and trials just for you, because we love you very much...Thank you for all your support and love!

Peoples prayers
Catholicism has many symbols that help them be focused in their walk with faith. Symbols that make what is happening in the spiritual tangible in the physical. Like the remembrance of the forgiveness of sins through the curcifictions. Or Candles being lit for each Prayer

Ideas to think about
If the catholic church was a country it would be the largest and most influencial country due to amount of worshipers and the worlds attention on the pope and other sects.

What's beneath the surface?
Dead people? If you want to go see the crypts of this magnificent and big church you must pay about 6 euros. Needless to say this is why the picture has metal bars around the edges.

Is this greek?
This is the phrase i often use when i break dishes.

You must be wondering.
What is this. Well it's the outside of the church i wanted the illusion of it's tallness to inspire you to climb something!

Florence!
The place where the Renaissance started, David was created here and you can find Da Vinci's telescope. The Baptistery doors, which won a contest in Florence. We saw the replicas but i didn't know what it was i just thought it was neat doors. i still don't know what it is Gold or Bronze. From what i do know about the door it consists of many different significant stories in the bible in a picture formed out of some metal.

A lot of the churchs look like this.
One in a million.....no one in every city

View from the outside of a museum
We didn't want to pay.
But I love this. Jesus being Baptized.

Comments

[John E. Laine]

Kevins Ring :-)
It's a funny thing about rings :-)) Picture Number 28 is fantastic..., surrounded by ALL that magnificent beauty, the one aspect of all these photos that really struck me, was the ring on Kevin's hand. I know the kind of man he is, and I know what that symbol holds in his heart, and that is frankly one of the most beautifully important works of art, ever created. :-) The commitment of one person to another person, for LIFE. These photos are amazing, in their richness and texture of color, but each time i look at a photo, i see one of your rings first, and it always makes me smile :-) It certainly looks like you are enjoying Italy a LOT more. I am really glad to hear that... it sounded like you needed to warm up a bit, and get into a place that was a little more your "speed" :-) when you are posting photos, please include some kind of discription of what we are looking at ? I am quite interested in what you are seeing, and it helps to know what i am looking at, what city, what was going through your mind, as you took the photo... that sort of thing :-) it helps me to live vicariously with you guys, and experiacne it as well. Love you both :-) John

[John E. Laine]

Public comment :-)
Hi, Silly me, I just saw that part... ??? I have sent you a comment on every Blog post you have posted, and not once have i received comments back. I think i just figured out why.... I was not doing it correctly, and now, i am hoping that there will be Public Posts to your trips :-) ? Love you both John