Some postcards from Florence ....

So, what can I say about Florence?

it's hot,

it's tiring,

it's crowded,

it's narrow medieval streets are infuriatingly confusing,

sight-seeing is very hard on the feet ...

... but it is so. so beautiful.
I've just come back from a short break there. We went in galleries, cathedrals, churches, crossed bridges and wandered through ancient cobbled streets. There's too much to write about so I'll just give you a flavour of what we saw.

We were really here to see the art, so the Uffizi gallery was high on our list of must-dos

There is room after room of Renaissance masterpieces but I suppose the highlights for me are the Botticellis

'The Birth of Venus'

 'Primavera'

I must confess after the first hundred paintings of the Madonna and Child you get a bit blase, so we were pleased to discover a lovely cafe and terrace halfway. Never has a glass sparkling water been so welcome.

Cheeky birds are waiting to share your meal with you. This little chap took food out of my hand.

 Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's town hall since 1302, bathed in a golden light in the early evening.

'Il Porcellino', the much loved bronze boar, in the Mercato Nuovo. His snout is bright and shiny from all the stroking and kisses lavished on him.

The market in the shadow of San Lorenzo, full of leather goods, scarves and other trinkets. I was sorely tempted by the handbags, but restrained myself. Partly, because I couldn't justify bringing yet another handbag into the house, but mainly because of the measly baggage allowance imposed by the budget airline we were using!

A view into the cloisters at the peaceful monastery of San Marco.Each of the monks' cells have a fresco by Fra Angelico painted on the walls.

The famous 'Annunciation".

We loved the Bargello Museum, filled with Renaissance sculpture.

Mr B. was amused by Michelangelo's 'Bacchus". 

The drunken expression was just right.

The Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiori dominates the city and can be seen from everywhere.

The Campanile is the bell tower standing tall and graceful next to the Duomo.

A vast Gothic confection of pink, green and white marble. How did they manage to create such a  building so long ago? Could it be built today? I doubt it.

On the last day, Mr. B. decided he wanted to climb to the top of the Dome as a birthday treat ... so we did. It was fun spotting all the places we had visited during the week.

Our hotel was down there somewhere behind the dome of San Lorenzo.

Just to prove I made it up the 463 steps in one piece!

Later in the afternoon, we took a bus up to the hills beyond the city, and had lunch on a terrace with wonderful view. It was a perfect contrast to the bustling streets far below us, and a nice way to finish our visit.