Spring Break 2014 The Grand Finale ~ Florence!

Friday morning, we were off to Florence.  I am a firm believer that all cities should stick with the name they are given by their home country.  Florence is Firenze in Italian.  Why don't we all call it Firenze??

It's still funny for this girl to see these road signs.  The GPS says, "Exit right towards Paris…or Keep left for Firenze."  I'm used to heading to Chicago, Springfield, or St. Louis.

We loved being in Florence, but even more, we loved being in Florence with the Keowns!!  We were thrilled to spend Friday with them. First stop was lunch.  With six kids in tow, you keep those little people fed!

Up next was the Duomo!  Wow!  

Loved the floor tile!

We usually light a candle in cathedrals.  I look over and see this….

….and then this!  Tears!

The mamas!

We ventured over to the Ponte Vecchio.  This is a medieval bridge with shops built along it.  This was common in those times.  The earliest records of this bridge date back to 996!!

We were kind of relying on Allison's knowledge of Florence since she was here on a school trip last year.  That wasn't such a good idea.  She could only seem to remember where their hotel was and where they bought Oreos…..terrific.  Makes ISB proud I'm sure.

We went to the Accademia to see this guy.  Wow!  Is it possible to have a crush on marble?  Yes, yes it is…...

That's not confusing at all.

Making our way over to Michelangelo's lookout with a great view of the Ponte Vecchio.

They found bubbles.  Bubbles are so much fun!

I wish this wasn't blurry, but he moves really fast!

What a view!

We have a tendency to stand right in front of what needs to be seen…every. single. time.  Ugh!

Lucinda and her mom

Where is Mike Keown??  We have just about every combination of individuals and no Mike.  Sorry Mike.

She can't help being this adorable!

That's a lot of love right there.

Super Sleuths…just for Farrah!  We miss her!  And, there is one unhappy little brother in there as well.

We were sad to say farewell to the Keowns.  It was time for them to head back to Volterra.  

Making our way to the Piazza della Signoria by way to the Uffizi Museum.

"The Fake David"
This is where the David used to stand.  But, due to weathering, he was moved inside and replaced with the fake one.

In front of the Loggia dei Lanzi…an open air gallery.  My favorite spot in Florence.

As I have said before, I love every city at night.  Florence was no exception.

Thomas and one of the Medici Lions

The Palazzo Vecchio (town hall) and one of the Medici Lions

Saturday brought rain, cold, and lines!

Waiting to get into the cathedral.  It was Easter weekend after all.

Waiting to climb to the top of the Duomo.  Looks like spring break in Italy, right?!  Hahahaha!

After 2+ hours of waiting, we were headed up the 400 stairs to the top.

Worth the wait!

It was just a little windy up there.

Family picture take #1

Family picture take #2

The inside of the dome…the paintings of Hell were very interesting.  We'll just say that Thomas and Allison are going to work very hard to get to Heaven after seeing that.

The Duomo Museum

The original Gates of Paradise from the Florence Baptistery.

Michelangelo's Pieta

The current golden gates on the Baptistery.  Can you see it through the construction and scaffolding?

The Ponte Vecchio from the Uffizi Museum

The town hall and dome from the Uffizi.

Strolling through Florence.  Oh the places they have gone and the things they have seen!  Lucky kids.

Well, we were starving.  And quite frankly, I was tired of pizza, pasta, and bread.  So, we caved and went to Hard Rock Cafe.  This one was huge, and the food was delicious!

You could go on the stage!  Fun times!

The setting sun over Florence.

Good night Florence….

On Easter Sunday, it was time for us to head home. What a wonderful trip we had.  Thank you to Chris for all of his amazing planning.  It was nice to just be along for the ride and enjoy the moments.
Arrivederci, Italy!  We'll be back.

Until next time,
Wendy