Dana's Moment
It is impossible for me to identify a single favorite moment. That is, unless I can get away with declaring that an entire afternoon was my favorite moment! If the reader will allow it, I pronounce my afternoon in Florence my favorite moment. Our single full day in Florence was the only day that didn't include a bus ride or a packed schedule of activities. On this day, we joined a local tour guide on a walk around the Duomo, past the museum/home of Dante Alighieri, through the Piazza della Signoria, along the Arno river, and through the Piazza Santa Croce. This sounds like a lot, but it really only took a couple of hours.
After the guided tour, we had 7-8 hours (!!!) to explore Florence on our own. It was glorious. Because we were there on a Monday, the major museums (Uffizi Gallery and Accademia Gallery, in particular) were closed. Fortunately, the entire city of Florence is la museum, so there was no shortage of sights or things to do. After a lovely lunch al fresco in the Piazza Santa Croce, Trena and I visited the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, then wandered the city. Highlights from this day include riding a carousel in the Piazza della Republica, coffee and tiramisu mere feet from the Duomo, and viewing the frescos on the interior of the dome of the Duomo. Although all of these experiences occurred over the course of 10 hours or so, the entire day felt like a single moment.