This page is narrated by Patty.

Patty is in Florence. Like Lucy Honeychurch, she wants a view of the Arno.

Channeling Lucy, but knowing that the hotel is about two miles from the river, she wonders desperately about her view.

It's not the the Arno, but it's not a yucky alley either. A room with a view.  Bene, Bene!

Look, a hotel hairdryer like the one my mother has in her bathroom!  Unfortunately, no vento forte ever came out of this wimpy thing.

Patty has just arrived in Florence. After travelling all night. In business class.  With all of the liquid amenities. And surprisingly good German granola for breakfast.  So, all alone, tired, but with a full tummy, she goes out sightseeing. And sees a church.  At first, she tried to remember the name of them all, but she soon gave up.  There were just too many.  And in Florence, they all kind of looked like this.

No, this is not another view of the same church.  It is another one.  This is the famous "Duomo," or cathedral of Florence.  With its famous campanile (bell tower and belfry).

This is front of the church, which has a real name, but everyone calls it by the "Duomo" name.  I suggest you visit the pages narrated by Bill if you want the real information.  (I was still tired!)

Here are the famous Ghiberti doors.  I stood there for 1/2 hour but couldn't get a picture without a tourist blocking the view.  Can you believe I remember the name of the artist from my college "Art in the Dark" class, more than 20 years ago?

More doors and one of the annoying tourists.  (who, me?)

Obviously, this is the ugliest door, as there is no crowd clustered around it.

I have figured out that Florentines will over-decorate EVERY SURFACE of every building.

Doors.  Probably not done by Ghiberti.  Don't remember these from the class...

Another view of the church. The whole thing is done in white, pink, and green marble. A little bit would be pretty.  This is an awful lot of white and pink and green.

White and pink and green.

Okay, the campanile was very pretty.  But I was tired with achy feet (for future reference remember that confession!), so I decided not to walk the 100+ steps to the top.

Instead, I went to a cafe and sat down.  I did some people watching in the Piazza della Signoria.  This is a Medici palace I am looking at. And possibly the piazza from "A Room With a View."  Well, I had a great table with a view.

A better photo of the castle, actually.  Now it is the town hall.

Okay, I had to get a photo here.  How weird is it that the man crouching under Neptune has got a catch basin held in a very odd place???

David.  He is gorgeous.  Even if he is a fake.  I just saw the real one.  He was ENORMOUS. And incredible to view in person. It was almost reason enough to travel to Florence in and of itself.  He's all man, uh, I mean, marble....

On towards the Arno!

And the famous Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge). This is it, but it is obscured by jewelry shops.

The beautiful Arno as seen from the Ponte Vecchio.

The view on the other side of the bridge was a little less gorgeous.

Back past the Piazza della Signoria for a glass of wine before a snack and a good night's rest.