Florence is home of the paintings of Botticelli, the sculptures of Michaelangelo and also some renowned architecture (sorry, didn't pick up the names). It is also the capital of the region of Tuscany and home of Dr. Lecter in the film Hannibal.
Florence has an incredible amount of cultural significance but, to us at least, it was bit of a let down. It feels shameful to admit it but that is how we felt. In contrast to Venice Florence seems a bit grubby. It could be better presented. Tidy itself up a bit. Try a little harder.
Tuscany as a region is a much better prospect. A good month tour at some stage in the future has been added to the to-do list. It has a good balance; skiing to the north; coast to the west; chianti wine region to the south. Perfect. Italian midlands 1, English midlands 0.
Back to Florence and our highlights were the remarkable views from Piazzo Michaelangelo, the Ufizzi museum, and Michaelangelo's David (of Goliath fame). I'm not a sculpture buff but I was won over. It's hard to put your finger on why but it's larger than you would expect and there is a ludicrous level of detail. It's regarded as having perfect proportions. On this point I disagree, at least for David's sake.
Next stop Rome. We move on with some positive memories of Florence but regretful of the distinct lack of wow factor. My recommendation - Hannibal Lecter museum. But that just my opinion.
