Today the sun rose on Florence and it was beautiful. I have to say, sun is a friend to this city. It changes the entire dynamic of the place for the better.

We got up early and had a croissant and a cappuccino and set off to catch the sun lighting up the Ponte Vecchio from a nearby bridge

From there we made our way to the train station to make reservations for Rome in a few days an from there by bus (the number 12) we headed up to Michelangelo Square (Piazzale Michelangelo) which boasts one of the best views of Florence you can imagine. And it was true! Simply fantastic!

I am so glad I brought the Minolta 70-200mm with me on this trip. It’s a bit heavy to lug around, but oh so worth it for photo opportunities like this one.

After we took in the panorama of Florence from Michelangelo Square we wandered over to San Miniato al Monte which was a short walk away.

San Miniato al Monte was founded in 1018 which in and of itself is rather remarkable, but the church itself is not what you are here to see. The sight to see at San Miniato al Monte is the cemetery. Quite possibly one of the most surreal cemeteries I have ever seen.

After wandering around the cemetery we caught the bus (the number 13) back to the train station and walked back to our hotel to recombobulate.

While at the hotel I went online to make some reservations to go see Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia Gallery. We knew it was a long shot, but we had to try. After making the reservations online we were told we would know if we were successful within 24 hours.

After resting a bit more we headed back out to get the lay of the land and do a little more exploring. In our travels we came across Festival del Gelato. It was very festive and bright with a fantastic selection of frozen deliciousness.

Cynthia had strawberry and I had chocolate. It was delightful and Cynthia’s spirits continued to improve.

After exploring a bit more we went off in search of dinner and found La Pasticceria Robiglio. The food was great, as was the atmosphere. And we had what may have been the best Sangiovese I have ever tasted.

At this point we were pretty tired so we headed back to the hotel to get some sleep.

All in all, a very successful day.

Florence – Day 2

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