Day 4 - Florence

The fourth day of our trip was quite a busy one.  After a quick breakfast at our hotel we checked out and departed for the train station in Venice, just a short way down the Grand Canal.  We boarded a high-speed train, that was not actually that fast, and headed for Florence.  In a little under two hours we had made it to Florence and after a short cab ride we arrived at and checked into our hotel.  After a few days without seeing or dealing with any cars it took some time to get used to having to watch for cars and motorcycles before crossing the street, though it seemed like most of the people walking through the city could not have cared less as they walked down the middle of the road.  We made a quick stop for lunch where Dad had the best lasagna of the entire trip then continued on to the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella.

Basilica of Santa Maria Novella

We enjoyed this Basilica much more than Basilica San Marco, because there were many fewer people there and we were able to take our time walking through the church.  We were impressed by the scale of the church and the tremendous effort that must have gone into crafting such a beautiful building prior to the aid of electric lighting to make the inside surfaces visible.  In addition, it was interesting to see some of the frescoes that Michaelangelo helped paint while he was still an apprentice to Domenico Ghirlandaio.  Next, we walked over to the Accademia Gallery, home to Michaelangelo's David.  The attention to detail and the precision that went into carving the statue is truly amazing.

Eating Gelato on the River Arno

Due to all of the traveling that we had done, we did not really have time for our usual afternoon nap, so after a quick stop back at our hotel, we went out to another delicious dinner at Buca dell'Orafo.  Dad and I both had a wonderful risotto with asparagus, and Mom, who once again proved that she was better at ordering than the rest of us, had Pappa a Pomodoro, Tomato Soup, that also made the list of one of the best things we have ever eaten.  In traditional Italian style we once again capped off the night with gelato on the River Arno.