FLORENCE

Yesterday, we drove to Florence and parked our car on the outskirts before walking into the centre. After getting completely lost, we ended up in town as the Florence Marathon was being run. We walked along the Arno River and across the Ponte Vecchio to the Uffizi gallery to spend some time amongst the Masters. After a quick walk around the gallery, we were tired and hungry so stopped on the terrace for a leisurely lunch in perfect sunshine. As we were not in a rush, we ordered plates of antipasti and a good bottle of local Sangiovese to fortify ourselves to the afternoon ahead. And it worked a treat. In the warming glow of our imbibement, we meandered through the amazing gallery in relative peace and quiet.  Compared with the hordes at other international galleries, the Uffizi was a joy with plenty or room to enjoy the space. With guidebook in hand, we viewed masterworks by Leonardo, Michelangelo and Caravaggio, not to mention Titian’s cheeky ‘Venus of Urbino’ and Botticelli’s ‘Birth of Venus’. By mid afternoon, we wandered out to explore the city more closely.  And what a beautiful city it is. The Arno River was like a mirror reflecting the buildings and bridges more accurately than they appeared in reality. The view from Pont Vecchio was breathtaking before we sat in the late sun at the Pitti Palace. As the sun set, we walked back through the Duomo and then to our car. An amazing day.