Continuing on from the last blog, which was cut short due to insufficient wifi time...
After braving 3 very hot but wonderful days in Venice, I headed to Florence. Completely different to Venice but just a beautiful, Florence is awash with stunning sculptures, buildings, paintings and Men. It is home to David and the Birth of Venus and many more pieces of art. I only had one full day in Florence and decided to make the most of it by getting up early and hitting the galleries.
Everyone else in Florence had the same idea and I ended up queueing for over 2hrs to get into the Uffizi. However, the wait was well worth it. The Uffizi has been a gallery/museum since at least the 1600's and has thousands of pieces of art. Amongst the ancient Roman sculptures and centuries of paintings is Botticelli's Birth of Venus and La Primavera. Both absolutely stunning! After spending a good 3hrs here, it was time for a bite of lunch on the way to the Galleria dell Acadamia. Luckily, I had pre-booked a ticket at the Uffizi and didn't have to hours in line to get in.
The Acadamy is a school for artists and is also home to David. Quite honestly, the most beautiful sculpture I've ever seen. He really is a stunner! An added bonus is that there was a Michelangelo exhibition on there too!
After a couple of hours ogling David and all the other masterpieces, I decided to visit the Duomo. Because it was a Sunday, the churches are on open to the public in the afternoon but by the time I got to the Cathedral, they were preparing to close so I couldn't climb to the top of the Dome which is apparently a sight to behold... maybe next time.
After a very long day, I headed to the Piazza for a sorbetto (sorbet) and to watch the sunset from the Ponte Vecchio.

The next day I headed to Genoa, where I am now. A beautiful port city on the Amalfi coast, the sea was a very welcome sight and the seabreeze a very welcome respite from the italian heat.
Again, having only one day to explore, I crammed a fair bit into the day. I headed to the port first and then through the old city (which is a UNESCO world heritage site), then I spent the rest of the day exploring 3 Museums, Palazzo Bianco, Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Turdi.
One thing I have noticed so far in Italy, is that their artists had a total obsession with the depiction of the beheading of John the Baptist! There are soooo many (bloody) paintings with him getting his head chopped off, its amazing!

Anyway, tomorrow I head to the Cinque Terre, into more heat and more beauty. Can't wait!

Ciao
Caz