The one with Brunelleschi's Dome (Florence)

The next morning we caught a train (actually three again) to Florence, arriving after lunch, making us hungry enough to be blind to all but food. We checked into the Hotel Romagna, which was very centrally located and nice, and ran back out for food. We literally only made it to our door because there were some panini/pitta thingies calling our names. Katie made a good point: it is surprising how good these relatively cheap panini, pizzas, etc are. For that price, it should be worse lol! Being fed and satisfied, we were ready to sightsee.

Being that I figured that we would be tired from traveling and I knew we were staying for longer, I didn't plan anything too strenuous for day one in Florence. First we walked over to Santa Maria del Fiore, otherwise known as Brunelleschi's Dome! It was very impressive, as it should be. I can never believe the vision that it must have taken these architects, or really artists, to think up and then help to create these buildings. I was struck by how empty the inside felt, but it also let the dome stand for itself. Another must see is the Baptistry doors. They were quite beautiful and intricate. I have this fascination with doors. They serve a vital purpose but are also much more about an artistic image than their purpose alone. It is neat :)

Inside Brunelleschi's Dome

Next we headed over to the Piazza Della Signoria which has a sort of outside sculpture garden that is interesting to look at. I love plazas. I know that it is basically a town square, but they are often so pretty and integral to city life. There is a replica statue of Michelangelo's David too. I hope that no one strikes me dead for this, but I honestly didn't see what the big deal was. I saw hundreds of statues throughout Italy, and David was interesting, but not necessarily earth-shattering. I was really just struck by how big his hands were. I was more impressed with the nearby fountain, which had a giant man, which smaller men around his legs, and for some reason they seemed to be crushing several horses with their weight.

Ponte Nuovo 

Next we headed over to the Ponte Nuovo area to check out the streets and see the nearby palace (outside). We had our first Venetian gelato at a rip-off price, and picked up some fruit for later. Finally we went back to the hotel for a rest before dinner. For dinner we went to a nearby restaurant and both ordered pizza. Mine had artichokes and olives on it, I think.  I also tried espresso for the first time. Even with the sugar, I wasn't crazy about it.  Then we crashed, which seemed to be a trend on this trip because a girl can only do so much before hitting exhaustion.

MMmmm, I obviously like it!