Wednesday, July 6, 2011

R&R: Florence & Pisa

After a very long and and fast paced day in Rome, it was time to visit Florence. Our driver picked us up at the dock, and we headed for out. I welcomed the hour and half drive into the interior northern Italian peninsula. Bright yellow sunflower fields, umbrella shaped pine trees and enormous wind generators dotted the landscape.

About the only thing in Pisa, from a tourist’s point of view, is the leaning tower. In itself, the tower is a beautiful work or architecture, but I never realized that it was only an attention grabbing oddity for Piazza dei Miracoli.

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After Pisa we headed to Florence, starting at a scenic outlook over the city. Unfortunately, our driver was not much help in explaining the city or giving us any information about the sites we were visiting, so we just took numerous pictures and enjoyed the scenery.

These shots were taken from Piazzale Michelangelo which overlooked the city, and featured a bronze reproduction of David.

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Our next stop was Chiesa Di San Miniato Al Monte, which features some of the most interesting and beautiful architecture I have seen. I love the detail and contrast of the interior. The driver mentioned that the top of the church features an eagle, rather than a traditional cross. This was because the construction of the church was provided by a local guild who’s logo was an eagle.

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Afterwards, we took a walking stroll down in the city.

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Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore:

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