463 Steps

Buon giorno,

On Thursday, after enjoying a few days in Vicenza and Padua (Padova), we traveled to Florence. On Friday, we hit several museums and toured the Piazza del Duomo. The Duomo is one of the most famous buildings in Italy and is conveniently located a block from the apartment we rented. In the photo above, the cathedral is pictured at night.

The Duomo was begun in 1296 and took nearly 150 years to complete. It features a beautiful red tiled tome, with incredible frescoes. Tommy wants to know how they could paint those frescoes, way up at the top of the dome.

Of course, we had to climb the 463 steps to the top of that dome. The climb harkened back, a bit, to trying to get into the pyramids. But this time, although there was again a line to enter, stop-and-go traffic in the stairways, and a big crowd at the top, I was able to conquer my claustrophia. And, in exchange, we were all rewarded with these views of Florence.

Here are a few more shots from the city, taken during our romantic stroll after a fancy 17th (!) anniversary dinner ... with the kids, of course. (Yes, that's the dome of the Duomo in the background of the last picture)

Ciao,

Kim