Tall Buildings

One of many churches and otherwise very large structures in Florence. The intricacy of the carvings and the depth of the marble is (almost) lost due to the immense scale of these buildings.

Good sculptures in the piazza. I think that is Herod having beheaded John the Baptist towards the left. Will have to double check on that though.

We spent most of the day in the Uffizi, VERY old government buildings that have since turned into art museums. No pictures allowed but again, lots of Catholic artwork.

After the Uffizi, we went to the Accademia Galleria, a collection mostly of statues and some paintings, but the only reason people really go there is to see Michelangelo's Statue of David. No pictures, but they couldn't do him justice. This is definitely the most impressive sculpture, maybe most impressive of any piece of art, I have ever seen. I don't know what it is about it but David looks so human, despite having (intentionally) disproportionate features. Combine that with the immense scale of the statue (17ft head to toe, on top of a 6 or 7 foot base) and all you can do is stare.

Later that day: Pasta with finely chopped onions sauteed in olive oil with ground sausage meat. So far, dishes have been very simple without many ingredients or seasonings. The result is a very light and satisfying tasting meal. Less ingredients = more taste?

For more pictures of Florence during the day: https://picasaweb.google.com/118239697569233938659/FlorenceDay2?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNSAqfm_w9DchAE&feat=directlink