Arrivederci Firenze (Goodbye Florence)

Today is the last day for us to wander the magnificent city of Florence.  We have been going out for at least four hours of walking every day, usually more.  I did have to take a break to rest a blistered foot for a day, while John and Heather went to the Galleria dell’Accademia   (founded in 1784 to teach techniques of painting, drawing and sculpture) where the famous statue of David is housed.  I stayed in the apartment and did some laundry.  There is a washing machine, but this is the dryer:

Strolling along the Arno River toward the Ponte Vecchio was one of our favourite activities in Florence.  Each day the lovely buildings looked different, depending on the light, and sometimes there were wonderful reflections in the water.  John has taken way too many pictures of these views to ever include in a blog.

A special licence is required to take a car into old Florence. Many of  those who don't walk around Florence travel this way:

The Ponte Vecchio is a bridge that is covered with houses and shops.  It is the only bridge in Florence that was not destroyed in WWII.  The current bridge was rebuilt after a flood in 1345 and has been a place of commerce since before that time, but in 1593 Medici Duke Ferdinand I decreed that only goldsmiths and jewellers be allowed on the bridge, and that is pretty much how it still is today.

Yesterday we went to the Uffizi Museum, which is not to be missed when in Florence.  There is a replica of David there, so I really didn’t miss too much the day before. This is one of the statues at the Uffizi:

It was breathtaking to be able to view the most wonderful works of art from the beginning of the Renaissance in the 13^th century up to works by Carravaggio, Rembrandt and others.  Many of the paintings are those we have seen in art history books.  It is not permitted to do any photography within the galleries, but John is a bit of a rebel.  He especially liked  this Botticelli:

                                                    A view from a window of the  Uffizi

This week has flown by, and now we have to pack our bags to continue the adventure.  There is much more of Florence that we did not see, so I hope there will be an opportunity to return here.  Ciao for now.