Florence will always be known for many things but art will always be the number one attraction for us. Well, let’s be more specific. THE reason to visit Florence as far as we are concerned is to see one thing: Michaelangelo’s David. Because of the number of visitors trying to get in to admire the statue, you normally must buy your ticket, then come back during the time slot allotted to you. So, when we arrived in Florence just after noon in mid-April 2002, we headed straight over before lunch so we could get our slot. Well, our timing was great as we walked right in! And there were not all that many people there, so we walked around him once or twice, then just sat and stared for about a half hour. It is truly an amazing sculpture and a fantastic work of art. Even the veins show on his forearms and on the backs of his hands. No photos are allowed inside, so this picture is simply a copy of a post card. However, we don’t think that any picture (right) can do this masterpiece justice. You simply have to come see him in person.

Now we did have a laugh at some of the “street art” available, much of it using David. Everywhere are plaster figurines of all sizes (and some are not very good reproductions). However, the most popular appear to be the aprons and jockey shorts with photographic reproductions in the appropriate places. But probably the most creative is the picture of his genitals with glasses and lips applied.

While in town, however, it is almost impossible to miss the Duomo, quite imposing, colorful and located in the center of town. However, because of its size and the closeness of the nearby buildings, it is difficult to capture the whole thing in one shot (left).

The other major tourist trap in town is the Ponte Vecchio which is a wide 14th century bridge that is lined with shops on either side. This is the heart of the jewelry district and you can spend hours looking at all the items for sale. But beware as the prices do not reflect any bargains. However, if you are serious about buying jewelry here, there are several small discreet shops on the surrounding streets that will more than happy to give you a private showing of their wares, usually their own design as well as some mass-produced items at more competitive prices. In the picture at right of the Arno river flowing through Florence, the Ponte Vecchio is the second bridge back.

While we only had one afternoon in Florence, it appears to be a place that you could easily spend a day or two just wandering about. If you are seriously interested in art and museums, you had better allow several days more as there are plenty to see. There were plenty of visitors there when we visited, although the locals seemed to agree that there were much fewer tourists than there usually are at this time of year (for which we were thankful, but are sure the merchants weren’t). We can hardly image what it must be like in the middle of summer!

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