Let's Do ANOTHER Duomo - Florence, Italy - Day 5

After the self-induced butter chicken coma (followed by a cheese plate and more wine that was not pictured in yesterday's post) we managed to get up early for another packed day in Florence. The two big sights that we wanted to be sure to see were the Uffizi Gallery and climbing to the top of the duomo for a 360 degree view of Florence. We had planned to hit the Uffizi first, since once again we didn't have reservations, but as we walked past the Cathedral and duomo we noticed the line wasn't too long so we decided to do the Uffizi after. Big mistake. The incredible morning view over all of Florence and the surrounding countryside was worth the wait later at the Uffizi that we had to endure. Here is Florence from above!

From the top of the duomo.
I think every city in Italy has a duomo so this might not be the last of views from the top.
The Campanile (bell tower) in the foreground is also a recommended climb.

Florence and the surrounding Tuscan countryside.

Florence, otherwise known as Firenze in Italian, was the birthplace of the Renaissance and has been called
the Athens of the Middle Ages. It is the most populous city in Tuscany with over 370,000 residents.

The ceiling of the duomo was incredibly beautiful
and to be able to climb up into it to get to the top was unforgettable.

We climbed and climbed and climbed...and it is not a climb for the claustrophobic
and I bet it's no fun in the sweltering heat of July and August.

We didn't get any pictures inside the Uffizi because the guards were on the prowl but we waited a little
over an hour to see one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the Western world.
Building of the palace began in 1560 for Cosimo I de' Medici
as the offices for the Florentine magistrates — hence the name "uffizi" ("offices").
In high season (particularly in July), waiting times can be up to five hours.

The Ponte Vecchio "Old Bridge" is a Medieval stone closed bridge over the Arno River,
noted for still having shops built along it, as was once common.
Butchers initially occupied the shops; the present tenants are jewellers, art dealers and souvenir sellers.

Last night in Florence for now...we'll be back over the next week.

Ridiculously large cones of gelato...we should have split one.