Firenze! What a city (despite the tourist overload). Such a short time spent here yet so much was taken in. Il Duomo was magnificent, so giant and majestic and perfect from every angle. Piazza Signorelli, Basilica something something, and Ponte Vechhio, with that line of jewellery shops that just dazzle you as you walk by. It made me think of Miss Johnson and Italian class, for some reason I always remember her mentioning it.

The Uffizi galleries, with the legendary collection of Renaissance art, was a highlight, and was definitely worth the one hour line up. It was ofcourse my genius idea to get gelato for the two of us while Ariane minded our spot in line, which seemed like such a revelation until I found myself running frantically through the Piazza, two towering cones in my hands, lemon and baci and god knows what flavours running down my forearms, almost running into the fake David statue in my attempt to not drop them on anyone…But it was worth it in the end, the perfect refresher. There was almost too much beautiful stuff in the galleries, ofcourse I loved seeing Botecelli's Primavera and Birth of Venus, I think the former was my favourite. I also enjoyed Titian's Venus of Urbino, which was Ariane's absolute fave, as well as Carravagio's Medusa and others by Andrea del Sarto (which just made me think of Miss Kennedy and those godforsaken weeks in Extension English studying Robert Browning and his poems about Del Sarto…goooood times).

Florence has a golden loveliness about it, it radiates with artistic spirit and a relaxed air that somehow makes the tourists bearable, it was not a stressful places to navigate. Walking its streets was a pleasure.