Florence is, quite simply, beautiful. Beautiful people dressed in beautiful clothes, speaking a beautiful language, walking amidst beautiful architecture containing beautiful works of art or deliciously beautiful food. It is all rather humbling and sometimes, to be honest, a little annoying. No city should be this perfect! There are a few blemishes: the insistent gypsy beggar, overpriced gelato, hotel receptionists who never smile or make eye contact, cars that drive too fast through pedestrian areas. But all of this pales into insignificance next to the massive marbled Duomo which actually made all 4 of us, when we first came upon it, stop in our tracks to just stare, non-believing at the sheer size and audacity of a church! The thing is enormous and extravagantly carved and decorated in marble, bronze and gold, and you just can't
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