Stairway to Florence!

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I have never run a marathon. Can't say it is on my bucket list. I figure, mathematically, that the 4 half marathons I have done actually equal 2 whole ones! Regardless, our first day in Florence was a marathon of sightseeing! After a great night's sleep we woke to a melody of bells of the as they peeled through the crisp morning. We showered, in our unique little room, and then Curtis went off in search of fresh baking for breakfast. He found a place with Nutella and marmalade filled croissants which we enjoyed over coffee. We then headed out to begin our race.

First on our agenda was the Duomo, Tower, and Baptistery. We were fortunate that the line was very short. As we stood in line we suddenly remembered that the lady at the tourist office had said we must get a ticket at the office across from the Baptistery. As the line moved, Curtis told me to take our Firenze cards and run to the ticket office. I rushed over the cobblestones (can't believe that some people are sporting stilettos) and got our free tickets. Fortunately, the line hadn't moved and my husband had struck up a conversation with Linda and Jack, a lady and her nephew from Minnesota. Chatting with them helped to pass the time in line. Not long after we moved to the entrance to the tower. What a way to work off a croissant! The trek to the top of the Duomo was 463 steps up narrow, stone stairs to see the grand view into the cathedral from the base of the dome. As we peeled off clothing and wiped the sweat from our brows, we finally made it to the first level where we got to admire the exquisite paintings on the domed ceiling. Some were a little grotesques and disturbing as they vivdly portrayed hell and purgatory. We thought we were done so followed the herd out, only to find that we had to keep going up an even narrower, spiral staircase, where we squeezed against the stone walls to make room for those going the other way. Definitely got up close and personal with complete strangers! Not a good place for a claustrophobic! As we emerged from the tight space we realized we were in the dome again! Suddenly it became clear that we were closer to the top. The images were incredibly close in their vibrant colours and endless details. We then went out to the outside of the dome, where we were treated to a beautiful 360 degree view of the city. Going down was just as much of an adventure but better on the heartrate. We reached the bottom and headed out into the brilliant sunshine onto our next site, the Campanile (Giotto's Tower) beside the Duomo. Historically, the man who designed this bell tower was called the ugliest man ever to walk the streets of Florence! But the beauty he created! Now remember we had just walked up and down 463 steps. The Tower was another 413! Pretty sure I was either melting or dying. Huffing and puffing, we finally made it to the top where we had the distinct pleasure of taking pictures of where we had just been on the Duomo!

We then passed by Ghiberti's Bronze doors which documents scenes from the Old Testament. These Gates of Paradise, as they are known, are a true work of art. We then made our way into the Baptistery which is one of Florence's most important religious buildings and is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. The dome inside is completely covered with mosaic depicting scenes from Genesis, the life of Christ and of St. John. It is a golden spectacle, a true wonder to gaze upon. Unfortunately we were unable to go to the Duomo Museum as it was undergoing renovations.

Onto Basiica Di San Lorenzo, the oldest church in Florence (393) and burial place of all principal members of the Di Medici family members. It is a very plain, brown structure on the outside but once you step through the doors you are transported into a beautiful place of worship with massive pillars lining each side.

Next we headed to L'Accademia where we got into the short line because of our Firenze Card. We got through security and headed into the first froom to view the paintings. While there, I am pretty sure I saw the "troll" we saw in a church here seven years ago. Apparently she moved into security in L'Accademia. After wandering through the first room of paintings we entered a sculpture-lined hall, where waiting at the end, was Michelangelo's 14ft marble statue of "David". This phenomenal sculpture is one that we have all heard about and seen reproductions of, but to see it in real life is truly magical. We snapped him from several angles but refrained from doing the touristy "hold David's penis between your fingers" pose!!

Stopping briefly at a small hole in the wall for a snack we were treated to the most delicious sandwich with proscuitto, arugula, and melting buffalo cheese on a warm, soft bun! Everyone doing a marathon needs energy at certain points!!

We then hit the Uffizi Gallery where we got to see the amazing works of famous artists. Such paintings as "The Birth of Venus" and
" The Adoration of the Magi" by Sandro Botticelli. Work by Leonardo DaVinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Caravaggio were a few of the others we enjoyed.

Last, but not least, we found our way to Palazzo Vecchio where we were once again mesmerized by the infintessimal amount of detail that went into the paintings that adorn the ceilings. We wandered through the Grand Salon dei Cinquecento, the Hall of Lilies, Apartments of the Elements, and Geographical Map Room. Our eyes could not take in every detail there was to see. It was certainly a place of grandeur.

Ready to fall across the finish line, we headed down the wide stone staircase to the Archaelogical Museum where we saw the results of an archaeological dig, proving that there was once an ancient Roman Theatre beneath the Palazzo Vecchio.

Finished! It only took 9 hours but we managed to see everything we had planned for today!

Finally the end was in sight. We dragged our tired and weary bodies over to a restaurant Lorenzo had suggested, only to find it very busy so we went back to a small place just down from our apartment called Lo Scudo (The Shield). We were thrilled with our choice made that much better by our bubbly server "Gabriella" who was from Romania. She chatted with us as if she had known us forever and wrote on our map the directions to get "the best" gelatto in all of Florence. We told her we were coming back to Lo Scudo the next night as the food was fantastic and she said that she would not be working but would be sure to check in with the girl who would be there!!

Race Recap:

Duomo - 463 steps

Tower - 413 steps

Uffizi - 100+ steps

Palazzo Vecchio - 150 steps

Our Apartment - 71 steps x 3 (after the marathon we returned to the apartment before dinner, only to find the elevator broken)

Stairway to Florence for one day = 1339 up and 1339 down plus 7 km of walking

Our bed will feel good tonight!

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