Florence

What can I say about Florence, other than it is an amazing city! It was so good to be back, and even though it has been 3 years since I was there the first time, I still knew my way around pretty well. Our first day there we met up with my old professor from when I did my study abroad, Steve, and went to lunch, then met with the whole group for dinner later that day. It was fun to be around a group again, and to be able to meet everyone.

We saw a lot of incredible art while we were there. We went to the Uffizi Museum where we were able to see the works of Botticelli (Birth of Venus and Primavera), Titian, Carravaggio, Artemisia Gentileschi, Da Vinci, and a few Raphael works. We also went to the Bargello, where they have a lot of work by Donatello, and the contest panels from Ghiberti and Brunelleschi (for the baptistery doors). And who can go to Florence and not see Michelangelo's David, which is a great experience altogether.

Overall, we really enjoyed our time in Florence. Our hotel was a dive, but what can you expect for cheap accommodations, right?

This is not the real David, by the way. It's a replica that replaced the real one when they moved it into the museum. We really enjoyed watching all the tourists think this one was the real one though.