Florence, Firenze...

I got up super early today....6:30 Italian time. I don't even get up that early in America....this better be for a good reason. Oh, we're going to Florence? OK!

We took the train from Venice to Florence, arrived around 10:30 AM, and then decided to sight see right away since we leave tomorrow evening. Our hotel is literally 2 blocks from the Duomo, the large church with the huge ass dome on top of it. It took them 150 years to make and it's over 800 years old right now. Unfortunately, since it's Easter weekend, most attractions in this church were closed. We couldn't see the cool Satanic fresco under the dome because it was roped off for Catholics that wanted to confess. Aaron joked about pretending to be Catholic so we could sneak in but I thought that we might get hit with a lightening bolt for that....plus, his Jewish Grandmother would be rolling in her grave if she knew about that one.

So no Duomo....

We looked in the tour book for something else to do....scan scan scan...and BAM, there it was.

Taxidermy museum! BINGO! Actually it was a museum of zoology, but the book said that it was one of the largest taxidermist collections out there, plus there were models of dead human bodies as well. Aaron went BUCKWILD with his 3D camera there. For real, I think he took a shot of every animal, especially if they were pointing towards his lens. We also checked out an amazing geode exhibit that they had there. I liked that exhibit much more....much less sad furry dead creatures in that one.

We then went to the Palazzo di Pitti, but skipped the art museums and instead only went into the gardens, the Guardino de Boboni and the Guardino de Bardini. Both were gorgeous and smelled so good with all the blooming wisteria. We had some AWESOME views of Florence up there and immediately, our sadness at not being able to climb the Duomo was gone. These gardens were not as nice as Versailles in France, but whatever, we can't all be French.

After leaving the gardens, we headed for the Accedemia Museum, the house of Michellangelo's David sculpture. It is way bigger in person, a whole 17 feet tall. I always envisioned it short, average human height. Sadly, I couldn't take pictures in this museum but there was a replica outside so we got some snapshots with the imposter. It was great to walk BEHIND the David. You never get to see the back. I got to see his perfect sculpted butt and his sling. I never knew he was holding a sling....

After leaving there, we walked into the Palazzo di Vecchio, but didn't pay to see the art exhibit upstairs....too much art in Florence. We're not even going to the Uffizi museum which is actually the #1 museum to visit while here. They house the Venus, but we couldn't get tickets as they were sold out. Guess Florence is going to be on our list of revisits.

We had a true Tuscan dinner, chianina steak. Chianina just means the type of cow, and that it's expensive. It was a delicious prime rib and rib eye, followed by some gelato....

Gelato today was awesome. We only took the Lonely Planet book's suggestions for places to eat and it did not steer us wrong. Well, it DID say that at Gelateria Carabe down the street from the hotel had a specific almond slushie was the most refreshing thing to taste in your life, Aaron got it, and immediately said that it wasn't that refreshing, but to each his own. The gelato place we found after dinner had mini cones so we were able to eat multiple flavors for cheap and without filling up on them. Seriously, these cones were 50 cents a piece and the flavors were special. It was called Gelateria Neri and what was nice about this place was that it felt like the locals came there. The tv was on and it was a channel with "Whose Line is it Anyways" in Italian and the guy behind the counter really loved his job, making sure each tiny cone was beautiful before it reached your hand.

Gelato Flavors of Florence

Stina- Almond, Apple (holy shit, it tasted like a jolly rancher), banana (tasted like pureed banana on a cone) and caramel(which after the two previous flavors, was equally exciting).

Aaron- Almond slushie (not so refreshing), chocolate and hot peppers (Aaron liked it but said that it would "mess me up"), ricotta and figs (tasted like straight-up cheese), and pink grapefruit (tasted like candy).

I think we're going back to this gelateria tomorrow before we leave for Rome.