Tuscany

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Geo: 43.7687, 11.2569

Seems like we have saved the best accommodation for last in the Tuscan town of Poggibonsi. It is a wonderfully restored historic building with tile roof and exposed wooden beams supporting it. Fireplace, silver service and Tuscan antique furniture are present. Price certainly not exorbitant as after all this is Bird and HP. We are well pleased.

Okay now for Firenze (Florence). We have never been here before, resisting the place as little more than a pretentious stuffed shirt. Oh, what an error. The place is wonderfully beautiful. The Renaissance was born in Firenze, and more art from that period is here than anywhere else (at least we are going to say that).

For us the highlight of the day was the statue of David. Seems folks consider Michelangelo's masterpiece to be the Pieta in the Vatican. But for us it is David. We'll show you later. We waited in line for one hour forty-five minutes.

We climbed 414 steps to the top of the Bell Tower with Bird refusing to do the same on the Duomo Dome (No disagreement from HP). The colors on the Duomo, Baptistery and Bell Tower match what we saw in Orvieto (without the scaffolding).

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Comments

[Mike]

If you are going back to Venezia or Milano to catch a plane & you have time go to Vicenza ( us army base there) and Verona. In between is alto ceccato ( where I lived) and 2 km away is montecchio maggipre where Romeo & Juliette 's
castles are. Nice little restaurant in Juliette's . In Verona there is a Roman colesium . Went to the opera there in summer. Kinda worth seeing.

[fredwfussell]

Sorry Mike we are going up through Austria to fly out of Frankfurt.

[Mike]

I think you are probably going right by there on the Italian autobahn (within 10-15 miles )

[fredwfussell]

Yep, but we are already six hours on the autostrada. Should have included the Verona amphitheater as Bird loves Roman history;). Next time. Thanks for the suggestion.