To the Duomo!

Two things we learned this week: 1)  get up early to visit the dome and tower in Florence and 2) get tickets first. The line was long at 8, although the exhibit doesn't open until 8:30. We also watched numerous people get in line without knowing tickets are only sold at certain exhibits or a machine down the street.

For 10 Euros per person, you get into all the exhibits; however, some are under construction. The whole museum includes the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Brunelleschi's Dome, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry of San Giovanni, the Crypt of Santa Reparata and the Historical Museum.

 

We climbed the duomo first. It is 463 steps to the top. We recently watched the PBS special which was helpful to better understand how Brunelleschi built it. It is a slow climb with a few stops to see the interior of the dome. The stairs are steep and the ceilings low. At the top, you can see all of Florence and an early climb means you can see the sun flooding over the city as well.

Next, we went to the tower, which has a 414-step climb with wider, easier passages (best for those who do not like confined spaces). At the top, you get a beautiful view of the duomo. As often happens when we travel, Jason got stopped by a family who thought he looked like Zach Galifianakis. The son was wearing a Hangover t-shirt and, per his mom's request, Jason was kind enough to take a photo with him.

Next we visited the inside of the cathedral.  It was easily the least impressive of the three - the architecture is neat but probably best viewed from the outside and the coolest thing about the inside is the painting inside the dome and tourists aren't allowed to go up to the front where the dome is.  There was also a small museum about the excavation of early churches/crypts under the cathedral in the lower level, where Jason was excited we got to see some saints' bones.

We had been looking forward to the duomo all month and it did not disappoint. But it did tire us out. We spent the afternoon wandering lazily and hanging out by the river.  Although the maps show parks, it was hard to find one available to the public! In the evening, we found a pub with Rogue beer and a Seahawks sign - a little taste of home!

Next up, a few more museums and the central market.