You may have the universe if I may have Italy.”
– Guiseppe Verdi 

The birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence has been a shining beacon for me for as long as I can remember. After 410 sequential days of Italian on the free app Duolingo, it seemed about time to go to Italy.

We flew first to Bologna and then went to  Vidiciatico (say that 3 times fast) where Jim’s father had been in an important battle at Riva Ridge. Those 10th Mountain Division soldiers were courageous. It was a moving experience to be on the “Gothic Line” which were the demarcations used during WWII to mark the steady northward flight of German forces.

From there we were off to Florence. In photo above we are on top of the Duomo, looking out over the city. Access to the top is via 468 steps in a spiraling stone tower. There was SO MUCH to see and do it was impossible to do it all.

I met David. As many times as I have seen the statue the original graceful marble figure still stuns the mind. How did Michelangelo do it?

The Birth of Venus might be every little girl’s favorite painting. Flowing robes, the beckoning sea and magic. I always wanted to have her hair! It was mind boggling and affirming to see the original.

From Florence we went to Lucca and then Pompeii, but that’s for another blog post.