Florence

After Milan I would say Florence was a breath of fresh air, however, considering the slightly whiffy sewerage system this might not be the best turn of phrase..

There is a lot to see in Florence, but for me the town itself was perhaps the biggest draw. Medieval buildings dominate, meaning the city centre is a joy to wander, the walls are mercifully graffiti free and seemingly everywhere you look there is a statue, or a wall ordained with mosaics or shrines. We wandered through the historical centre and across the Ponte Vecchio - the medieval bridge that was the only to survive the war. The Germans spared it as they departed because of its history, it has buildings along either side and a covered walkway along the top which was built for one of the rulers in days gone by to take him from the city hall across the river to his mansion without being at the mercy of assassins. It was at this time that the businesses on the bridge changed from Tanneries and butchers to Jewellers - to reduce the smell. Nowadays the jewellers give the bridge an impressive sheen, wandering across in the daytime and the sparkle comes from all angles.

The following morning we got up early to queue for the Galleria D'Accademia, where Michelangelo's statue of David is kept in a purpose built hall. We got there just before the doors opened at 8.15 and there was already a sizable queue - although nowhere near where it had been the previous afternoon. This can't take that long we thought to ourselves. Almost exactly two hours later we finally got in. There were a lot of tour groups being let in so we found ourselves waiting in the same spots for long periods before moving a little way. The only thing that broke the monotony was when the police turned up and tried to round off the guys selling cheap paintings, electric cars and scarfs. They tried to escape one way, only to realise they were being surrounded and suddenly they seemed to be a horde of them coming from nowhere running down the street and it seemed, mostly escaping.So anyway, once we got inside the gallery wasn't all that big, dominated by David at one end. It is an impressive statue for sure, beautifully crafted from a single block of marble and 5 metres tall. Particularly impressive is how smooth his skin is and the veins on his arms, although we both thought his hands were a bit too big.The queuing pretty much took it out of us for the rest of the afternoon so we rested up and in the evening took a walk across the Arno and up Florence's only hill from where there were stunning views of the town and also a monastery. We arrived and the monks started doing mass, Gregorian chants and all. It was peaceful to stand at the back of the chapel and hear the service.We took the long route back to town, following a map from the Lonely Planet but doing it backwards - which is only ever going to lead to confusion. We found our way though via a lovely apperitivo bar out in the sticks.

We decided queueing at the other big draw, the Uffizi gallery, was a non starter so booked a tour which would guarantee entry at 4.15. We spent the morning taking in some of the many churches and a Pharmacy which had been started by monks and now produces all sorts of oils and tinctures.The Uffizi was impressive, and the tour was worthwhile, taking in the major works from Leonardo, Giotto, Botticelli and Raphael. It was interesting to see how the styles changed in the different periods, although it is clear where the money for these works came from with the vast majority being religious pieces.
I could go on about Florence, there was so much there, and we will have to go back. I'll leave it at that for now though!