Day 12 - Florence Dome and Uffizi

Today we did just about nothing - the kids were asking for some downtime. However, we did get up to climb Brunelleschi's dome when it opened at 8:30. I explained to the kids that it is a much more pleasant experience to do it when no one is at the top, so they didn't complain about getting out of bed. Greg thought it was cool to walk between the two layers of the dome. Jeremy said it felt like "leg day" at the gym. Kate was noticing the large cracks (fissures) - that have been there since it was constructed. Chris pointed out something I had not paid attention to: to get to St. Peter's dome you spiral around it; for Brunelleschi's dome, you literally climb on the curved dome.

Climbing up to the top of the Duomo's dome

Sandwiched between the two layers of the dome

View from the top of the dome

For lunch, Greg and I went to our favorite sandwich place - iFratellini - for yummy porchetta and wine.  Taking it to eat in nearby Piazza Della Signoria tops off the experience. 

We ventured out again in the afternoon. Chris and Kate wanted to buy some leather items, so we went to the leather district by Santa Croce. Chris (and a little later, Jeremy) bought a nice wallet, Kate got a bracelet, and Greg got a traditional coin purse (a miniature man bag). 

We don't normally visit art museums but I figured one during our trip - especially here where the Renaissance began - wouldn't kill anyone. And, we survived the wee bit of culture which included one of the most famous paintings in the world. I chose 12 artists and paintings to research and explain to them at the Uffizi museum. Kate has excellent taste - her favorite was Botticelli's Birth of Venus. Chris' was Michelangelo's brightly colored Doni Tondo. Greg thought the Battle of San Romano was pretty cool. 

After dinner, Greg, Chris and I walked up to Piazzale Michelangiolo for the sunset and the best view of the entire Duomo. We were not alone. It absolutely ranks as one of the best sunsets I have seen. But the focus of the sunset view is over the Arno and its bridges, and not the Duomo. On our way down, Chris commented that we had found the biggest street in Florence. Yes, we had finally walked outside the original (last) confining city walls. 

A hazy view of the Duomo

Sitting on the steps of Piazzale Michelangiolo

The sun lit the river on fire!

Jeremy said his day - laying around on the couch - was relaxing; he doesn't like going to museums, or doing anything, really. 

For doing close to nothing, somehow Greg still managed to reach his 10 mile daily walking goal. 

Logistics: 

- At the Uffizi, we focused on: Giotti's Ognissanti Madonna, portraits of Duke and Duchess of Urbino, Madonna of the Magnificat, Birth of Venus, La Primavera, da Vinci's Annunciation, Michelangelo's Doni Tondo, the Battle of San Romano, Madonna of the Goldfinch, Venus of Urbino, and Caravaggio's Medusa and Bacchus.