Despite not buying tickets to the museums prior to arrival, we were able to get tickets through our hotel. When we checked out of Residenza Betta, Elizabetta, the owner was very warm and friendly to serve us a cappuccino before we headed out.
After a quick breakfast, we headed to the train station to get our tickets for Venice later in the day and drop off our luggage so that we could explore the museums.
Our first stop was the Galleria dell’Accademia where the statue of David is kept. Of course, pics had to be taken despite being told not to…I just can’t help myself! It is truly an amazing statue up close – I still wonder why we aren’t seeing such amazing art these days or maybe I’m just not in the loop.
Since there isn’t too much else to see at the Accademia, we had quite a bit of time before our assigned time to enter the Galleria degli Uffizi. So, we walked around the square a bit and then found lunch to relax a bit. Along the way, we found the boar that people touch/kiss to have good luck that someday they will return to Florence. π
The Uffizi was an impressive building with a number of great works of art by Boccelli, Caravaggio and of course Michelangelo. It’s actually smaller than I expected in terms of the number of pieces there compared to Vienna or other places. However, it was still well-worth the visit. Just be sure to book way in advance if you visit during high season!
After we finished the museum, we just wandered around and hung out until we could catch our train to Venice. We crossed the bridge – Ponte Vecchio – which used to be where the butchers held their shops. Now, it’s the main jewelry center of the city. We walked to the Piazza dee’ Pitti to see the Palazzo Pitti, which used to be a palace but is now a museum with gardens. However, I think we were too exhausted to do any more touristy things, so we enjoyed the outside and then went to the station for Venice!
I will post on our first night in Venice with the next posting.
-T
