This is what most of the churches we went into looked like. Amazing paintings and sculptures. Nice woodwork. Beautiful floors. Good light.
When we went outside, there was an outdoor market, and at the other end of the space, these kids were setting up for an outdoor concert.
Another church. I'm awful about writing down which was which. Trust me, if you go to Italy, you're likely to have the same reaction - "Oh, another cool church." The names become less important, and you just enjoy them for what they are.
Here is Lorin on Phyllis and Paul's street. This is why you don't want a car in the old parts of italian cities. (Tim!)
This is a shot of the Ponte Vecchio. This is a famous bridge in Florence for two big reasons. One, this bridge is covered with merchants/little stores. So people go there to shop. Two, see those round windows up to the right? There is a little hallway in there that the Prince would use to walk to the Duomo from his palace. (Photos of that coming up.) He could use this walkway and avoid all the people on the streets.
There is now a third reason that this particular location is famous. Where I am standing when I took this photo is the exact spot I was standing when I decided to get a motorcycle. So for those of you that have heard that story, here is where I was.
Scooters, cars, and motorcycles were whizzing by.
She was able to get the traffic to stop...
These guys just crossed. It all just sort of works out ok in Italy. Everyone dodges everyone else.
Some people stop and open their doors. No one cares, they just go around them.
On the bridge. It has the feel of a street, not a bridge. (The novelty of this faded rapidly in Venice.)
There were a lot of shops selling gold and jewels on the Ponte Vecchio.
This is at one end of the Ufizzi. It's a famous museum. People sit here and people watch.
The Ufizzi is U-shaped. The river in the last photo is at my back, and I'm facing towards the open end of the U. That tower over there is the bell tower of Palazzo Vecchio. It was covered in scaffolding being refurbished.
That's Poseidon back there.
This is the Piazza de Republica. During tourist season it's a madhouse.
Piazza simply means "plaza" or open space. The italians have a word for everything.