Up at 07:00hrs to pack yet again and head off on foot to the railway station for our 08:43hrs train to Florence. The journey on route was very picturesque, passing eventually through the famous Tuscany hills that shaped the mind of the greatest Polymath of all time, Leonardo de Vince. Having seen models of some of his many ingenious inventions on display in Venice, we were keen to see some of his equally famous artistic masterpieces in Florence. And of course we would be following in the footsteps of other famous Renaissance painters and sculptures – many of whose works were bequeathed to public display by last of the Medici’s.
On arrival in Florence our immediate task was to find a hotel, which we finalized through the tourist office at the train station. 15 minutes later we were safely in our room. 10 minutes thereafter we were back out on the streets, chasing down our first prize of the day, the gothic cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, famous as much for its 670 year old dome by Brunelleschi, the largest stone dome in the world, as it is for its marble façade. The views from the top of the dome across the city and hills beyond is magnificent.
Following rehydration stop, we plodded over to the Basilica of San Lorenzo, an austere structure with the vaults on each side however festooned with priceless artwork. First however we visited the Medici Chapel, home to the sarcophaguses of successive generations of leading family figures, with the church interior made entirely of marble in somber colours from across Italy and beyond; a truly majestic shrine to the most powerful dynasty of the Renaisance period.
And before we knew it the clock struck 17:00hrs, and so we returned to the hotel for a shower and short rest. At 19:30hrs we strolled down to the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge over the Arno river to watch the sunset. This was followed by a most sumptuous dinner in a quiet romantic setting. While returning to our hotel, we came across a most amazing flute player busking outside the famous Uffuzi Gallery. To our untrained ears he sounded everybit as capable as James Galway, and judging by the size of the audience crowding around him, others were equally impressed. Even the onlooking statues of famous Florentine artists seemed to come alive, stirred by his haunting rendition of classical and contemporary music.
To cap the day, as we entered the main high street on route back to our hotel, we found ourselves acosted by a very large religious procession, dedicated to The Virgin Mary, involving numerous monk and nun orders, missionary groups, charities, and an equally large number of ordinary folk at the rear, all singing hymns and chanting prayers to Santa Maria, Madre te Dio – a very solemn and moving affair.
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