Florence

The architecture alone and streets lined with gold and designer stores is enough to send any woman into a tailspin of spending and photography, but visiting Florence as a family takes quite another spin. I knew that taking the children, ages 6 & 9, might prove to be difficult as what child would want to walk aimlessly around looking at building after building, fresco after fresco, and statue after statue? Heck, all I heard from my children all day was, "Can we go back to the room? Can we have gelato" and my favorite, "These statues all need underwear mom!" From the eyes of a child, this is probably the most boring place in the world, unless of course your child absolutely loves art and all things about art and has a wealth of knowledge regarding painters, sculptors and the ilk. But for my two, no, they had none of that going for them. They were bored but they were troopers and tried to enjoy themselves.

We drove to Florence on a rainy Saturday morning. I should have known that was just the beginning of the rain because all weekend long, the rain persisted. Despite it though, Florence still turned out to be a great city, full of life, happiness and atmosphere. We rented a little one bedroom flat which I highly recommend. Our weekend landlord, Luca, had a fabulous place minutes away from the Duomo and Baptistery and as they say in the real estate business, location is everything. This flat was literally in the center of town. http://www.housetrip.com/en/rentals/5787 . The only downside was the 8-10 minute walk complete with luggage in tow that we lugged through the town from the train station, and in the rain. We met up with Luca's girlfriend and thankfully, she spoke very good English. Once we exchanged keys, the family set out to explore our surroundings. We found the Hard Rock Cafe right at our corner. Next to that and all around us was a shopping extravaganza, complete with stores like Valentino's, Miu Miu, Gucci, Coco Chanel, and Lush. Yes it was a shopper's heaven, but since my 9yr old tells me I shop too much, I mean really what girl doesn't like to shop, I did my best not to shop. And since most Italians are not as broad shouldered and as thick in the middle as I, shopping wasn't much of a concern. More importantly, as we rounded the other corner, the Baptistery was right there and the Duomo, right behind it. We were center stage for the main attraction.

The baptistery, named for John the Baptist was an octagon structure with bronze inlaid doors, also known as the Gate of Paradise, that depicted ten stories from the bible. In the Middle Ages, it was believed to be a Roman pagan temple dedicated to Mars. The first panel on the door represents the creation of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from Eden. The second panel is the story of Cain and Abel. The remaining panels are in this order, from left to right, Noah & the Ark, Abraham, Isaac and sons Esau and Jacob, the stories of Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David and lastly, Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.On the other side of the Baptistery, another set of doors sits and depicts scenes from the new Testament. My daughter and i got a sneak peak inside and saw the phenomenal mosaic ceiling, the tomb of the anitpope (who knew?) and the mosaic scene of Hell in the Last Judgment, a strange looking picture of a devilish looking figure which I did not even think I would see in a place of worship. Here's some more information on the Baptistery which I found rather informative. http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/florence-baptistery.

We also visited the Duomo, which is a must! The outside architecture alone takes your breath away, and the inside is even more magnificent. As we approached the pulpit area I stopped dead in my tracks as my gaze led upwards towards the ceiling. The fresco on the ceiling was painted in such a way that is appeared as if the subjects were popping out of the picture. Truly an amazing feat since it was all painted in one dimension. My husband visited the tombs and told me there wasn't much to them, so at least I know I didn't miss much. You can climb to the top of the Duomo and, from what my husband described, have an excellent view of the city and the surrounding areas. I will warn you, there are about 436 steps to the top and not every step is carved equally. Our next stop included the Piazza della Signoria. It's located near the Palazzo Vechio and is a piazza full of statues each with their own story. In this piazza was where the original David, by Michaelangelo, was located, but it has since been moved to the Galleria Academia. However, you can see the David by Donatello. It is still a wonderful piece. My favorite statue though was definitely the one of Perseus holding Medusa's head while standing atop her dead body. Much detail went in to the making of that statue.

In the same area, you can visit the Palazzo Vecchio and view the art and several pieces of the time when the family ruled. There is also a secret passages tour which was recommended to me by a friend. Unfortunately on the day we tried to tour the palace, they did not have that tour available. Dinner that night was the Hard Rock Cafe where I enjoyed a good old American salad and hamburger. After living in italy for awhile, you need a taste of home. The waitress even gave us free refills on our drinks which is totally unheard of in Italy. I was so happy to be eating in an American restaurant. After dinner we walked around the corner and ended up at a local open air market that was open for the weekend. They had assorted cheeses, meats, sauces and pastas. My husband's favorite was the meat being sliced off a roasted pig leg. I enjoyed the chestnuts roasting over an open fire (now just don't go breaking out into song. I know, the temptation is hard!)

The next day we spent exploring the city and all the culture it had to offer us. We visited the science museum where the kids went on a scavenger hunt to locate Galileo's finger, thumb and tooth! (They did find it and were very pleased with themselves, even though they rest of the time they were bored with mom's show and tell education time.) We visited the Ponte Vecchio, the covered bridge in the city. Once you crossed the bridge, you came upon what I call "The street lined with gold." Literally, all along the street on both sides, there was goldsmith after goldsmith. At least here my oldest permitted me to browse the earrings, charms, and bracelets. We continued on our way to the Palazzo Pitti, not very exciting but it was a large palace. And finally we visited the Galleria Academia where Michaelangelo's David stood, front and center, in all it's masculine beauty. The detail and form used to create this masterpiece is mesmerizing, and i think, even my husband began to feel a little taken aback by David's in your face genitalia, but it's art, so it's all good. 

Florence is a beautiful city, steep in culture, religion and fashion. My one qualm with the place is the cost of everything if you are not an EU citizen. Each large touristy city has a pass that allows you to visit all the museums for one set price. For a family of four, it would have 200 euros and frankly, when you cost out the individual places you want to see, you pay much less. Also, if you want to grab a bite to eat, eat where they locals go, you will find the best food there rather than what a book tells you is the best gelato in the whole world. (Sadly, it was not)