Firenze/Florence

Tour Day 8: The Uffizi Gallery

This day was likely one of the more packed days for me (and by choice as we were free to explore after the morning tour of the Uffizi Gallery). We started the day off with the same local tour guides breaking into two equally sized groups. Riccardo was an engaging guide and educator along the way, weaving stories, teaching us about perspective in art, and finding little nest eggs like the elephant in a da Vinci painting. I have wanted to see the Uffizi Gallery for years, so was enthralled the entire time.

Afterward, we could explore as we wished before meeting up for our last dinner together. While I was enthralled with the statues in Rome's Borghese Gallery, I was just as enraptured by the paintings in the Uffizi.

The rooms are beautifully curated by artist or theme. For example, an entire room dedicated to da Vinci while there was also one dedicated to images of Mary, biblical and mythical imagery, etc.

One of the images that struck me the most was one almost everyone was walking by but not spending any time looking at it. I walked up to see who it was in the painting and was surprised to see this is a portrait of Galileo! The tear line on his right eye alone was captivating, but the detail as a whole is rather impressive. No matter where you look in the Uffizi is a masterpiece, so we cannot blame them for overlooking this one.

Detail from Portrait of Galileo Galeli, Suttermans. Look at the tear line on his right eye (the viewer's left). The detail is stunning!

Onto the self-portrait gallery! As a young girl, I played the board game Masterpiece with my sister. I have wondered since then what each of the masters look like and was so pleased to see a number of them here! Some are stern and taciturn where others you can see how jovial they were and likely drew the attention of everyone wherever they went. Some appeared unassuming and gentle while others powerful and commanding. Regardless, it was an interesting peak into the psyche of each with how they wished to portray themselves.

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Above: Clockwise from top left: Artista Romano,, Caravaggio, Liotard, Filippo Balbi, Rembrandt, and Simon Voulet; Middle: Van Dyke

Tour Day 8: Bargello Museum

I ended up not being able to reconnect with others as planned (it is a HUGE museum), so I explored the city a bit including the Bargello Museum (see images below) where the crowds were much lighter and Michelangelo, Donatello, and Medici treasures were on display with no barriers between you and the art...just be careful not to touch these masterpieces! It was a very different experience from the US where we have most things like this behind glass or sectioned off with barriers. I grabbed a tasty but inexpensive sandwich and water at a local restaurant to eat on the street while people watching. The crowds were definitely more populated here, but it was the weekend as well.

Museo Nazionale del Bargello

Whose depiction of of David do you prefer above? (L to R: Michelangelo, Vorrecchio, Donatello, Donatello)

While Michelangelo's is found in the Academy, the other 3 can be found in the Bargello. All are intriguing for different reasons.

Tour Day 8: Basilica di Santa Croce

Next, onto Basilica di Santa Croce (Holy Cross Church). After returning to the hotel to freshen up, I ran into yet another couple from the tour and we decided to go to Santa Croce upon the recommendation of our city tour guide, Riccardo. This church is worth the walk, even though we did get a little lost and ended up in a flea market. This location includes not only a historic 14th century church, but also the tombs of very famous Florentines like Machiavelli and Michelangelo as well as Bunelleschi's Pazzi Chapel. As with the rest of Florence, the artwork is beautiful. It is worth seeing this location if you have the time to do so.

Piazza Santa Croce in front of the Basilicia is a family-friendly location where toddlers can relase all of that pent up energy while others dine, people watch, and rest from their day touring this city's sites.

Tour Day 8: Evening Gatherings & One Last Look

Before our last group dinner, a number of us went to the rooftop bar for an aperitivo and to spend some time together. This is likely the best kept secret for the best view of Florence! We went onto the final group dinner of our tour where we toasted goodbye to each other and the end of the tour. A number of us—myself included—had very early flights the next morning. It was back to the room to pack and prepare for the 17 hours of flights home.

Before I went to bed, I wanted to do one last walk through Florence at night to have one last look at Il Duomo in the gentle rain. It was as if the city was muted and only those there for the experience were out with little noise made while it rained.

On the way back to the hotel, I heard street music a few blocks over. I stumbled across Happy Music Quartet, a street band playing The Beatles songs. We sang, danced, and clapped along. I happily hummed Hey, Jude on the way back to the hotel, skipping down the street as I had promised a friend I would do while in Italy at least once. It was a magical way to end the trip and one I will remember fondly for years to come.

Andiamo a Casa!