Joe Bloggs

Firenze

I was there three weeks ago and lack of an Internet connection at the time postponed any posts on the city of Florence. There probably is more art and architecture of note per square meter here than anywhere else on the planet. As my companion said "anywhere you look, it's like a postcard". Indeed. And most of the people there (hangs head in shared guilt) were either taking their pictures to send home or buying said postcard. Wonderful stuff, but too many tourists. Furthermore, I'm not convinced the Italians really know how to look after the place. Surely banning all cars from the center would be a start. But it is difficult to complain. For all the vehicles, and even more people, you just have to enter a church (like the Santa Maria Novella pictured on the left), or climb Giotto's Bell Tower (where the picture of the Duomo was taken on the right) and you can be back in the Renaissance. Magnifico.

Click on the photos for enlargements.