Today we got back on the bus and headed to Florence. It was a hot and sunny day with a slight breeze. When we arrived, we started the day with a walking tour of Florence.
As we walked into the city and saw the famous shops on the Ponte Vecchio bridge over the river Arno. After passing the bridge we made our way into Piazza della Signoria, which is famous for its sculptures, which include a copy of the David. Many of the sculptures were some sort of representation of the political powers of the day (Medici’s and the Republic). The square had the statue of Persesus with Medusa’s head, The Rape (properly translated to kidnapping) of the Sabine women, the Fount of Neptune and many others.
After looking around the area a little we went over to the Museo di Palazzo Vecchio where we saw rather odd carving on a block that looks like a doodle. We were told it was made by Michelangelo and was his version of a selfie.
After this we walked to the Cathedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore which is the 4th largest cathedral in the world and is madd of all local marble. The white marble represents the faith, the pink represents hope and the green represents charity. It was a truly stunning building. We also saw the Basilica Santa Niche which is holds the tomb of Michelangel and da Vinci.
After we finished the tour Joe and I broke away from the group and had an early Anniversary lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. Every year we visit a different Hard Rock for a meal and to get a pin.
After a wonderful lunch we explored the city more and saw the famous shops and bought some street art from a painter named The Flying Painter, on Ponte Vecchio before heading back to prepare for the concert.
The concert went great and we enjoyed some delicious pizza for dinner before heading back to the hotel for the night.