OK, today the Uffizi Gallery. Considered by many to be the most important gallery in Italy. When we were here last year, we had one day in Florence and when we saw the line there, we said no way are we going to get in there with the few hours we have. Ditto today. We got there about 10 and the line went all the way to Rome! OK, we're going to have to play the reservation game. You call and make a reservation and pay an extra 3 Euro then you go to Uffizi and get in the line to pick up reservation tickets. after you get them, then you go and get in the entrance line for people with reservations.
So we were walking back to the apartment when we saw a ticket booth by another church. It had a sign out front listing the various galleries and their prices. Although we had seen this ticket booth before, we thought it was the entrance booth for the church. We stopped and asked, and they could sell Uffizi tickets right there, including the reservation (for 3 euro of course). So we have our tickets for tomorrow at 3:30.
So our second choice for today was the Bargello Museum. We also missed this one last year because it closes at 2pm and we were too late last year. We did, however, stop there last year. This is the place where we poured some of Marge's (Maridee's Mom) ashes. It was a well-protected corner with an iron rail blocking access. There was a large gap between the bricks and that's were we put her. We checked on her, and she's still there, and doing well!
The Bargello is famous for being the place with lots of statues by Donatello, Michelangelo, and della Robbia. della Robbia is famous for inventing a new technique--glazing terra cotta. His sculptures were like wall hangings--generally a Madonna figure which was all white and then a blue background and outlined with colorful flowers.
After a little rest back at the apartment, Maridee sent me out to go climb the Duomo. I went, but it too had a huge line and so I went over to the bell tower which had no line at all. It has 50 steps fewer than the dome, but still, 413 steps is pretty respectable! With all of the walking and climbing we've been doing, I was surprised how easy it was to get to the top. Mind you, I was still huffing and puffing, but getting there wasn't too hard. The view was pretty spectacular. Besides seeing all of Florence, it was very interesting to be able to look down on the Church, as well as to look across at the Duomo. Print this post
3 comments:
So when you get home are you going to buy a house with stairs? :-)
I can't wait to hear how your visit at the Uffizi goes. It would probably be my favorite...if I WERE to be there with you!!!
Glad Grandma is doing well and resting comfortably in her hole! It's not as big of a gap as I had imagined...maybe someday, you ought to find some quick-grout or quick-crete and fill it in yourselves...we wouldn't want all of her spread across the streets of Florence!
Question (obviously you can answer with an email): Can you actually climb up into the dome? Between the layers?
Okay Dad- Is Mom trying to kill you??? She keeps sending you on these very rigorous walks alone- hmmmm. (Just Kidding Mom)
That's so cute that Grandma is still holding up the fort- literally! I guess when Parker asks where his Oma is, I can just tell him that she's in Italy.
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