We waved goodbye to the islands of Venizia as our train took us south to Firenze (Florence). Nestled between rolling green hills and mountains, Florence is almost every bit the artist's Mecca as it was during the Renaissance. After getting off the train, we were thrust into a mad dash to get our city cards (if you should ever find yourself in Florence for a few days I heavily recommend getting this card. It covers most of the major attractions with skip the line privileges, and even covers public transportation. Quickly pays for itself many times over), and catching the appropriate bus to our new accommodations. It was sweaty, hot, and frustrating, but we made it to our hotel in one piece. After checking in and refreshing, we made our first stop to the Academia gallery, home to Michaelangelo's world famous statue of the biblical David; poised and au naturale. I admit to being taken aback seeing the statue in person.It was much larger than I thought it was going to be, but as regal as the pictures I'd seen countless times; needless to say, it did not disappoint. Next we walked further and saw the Duomo Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, but opted to venture inside one of our other days at an earlier time so as to avoid the crowd. We ventured on to the Ponte Vecchio (Vecchio Bridge) before stopping to get dinner. After filling our stomachs and resting our feet, we tackled the Palazzo Vecchio. There was a great museum exhibit of the upper floors (several rooms had ceilings completely) gilded with gold!). A further climb up the tower of the palace revealed a vast overlook of the city. So I ended my day with a shot of Firenze and the hills beyond bathing in the golden setting Tuscan sun. A view to die for. Stay tuned for Firenze day 2!