Florence is a city of merchants, and many students are complaining of overly aggressive purveyors of products and services and a level of rudeness to which they are not accustomed. But Florence is the repository of so much precious art and architecture that the tourists flock there in droves no matter how they treat us. Having said that, most Florentines have been very gracious to us. Our hotel is absolutely lovely (see photos of the lobby and garden) and our meal on the night of our arrival was delicious -- pasta with meat sauce for the first course, then veal and potatoes with a subtle sauce, and a delicate custard with berry sauce for dessert.
Our knowledgeable local guide, Paola, first took us to the Academie, where we saw the original David by Michelangelo. Our students were surprised at its immense size (16 ft. high) and, of course, awed by its beauty. After seeing the marble quarries at Carrara, it was even more impressive. For hundreds of years it was displayed in an outdoor gallery of, but after some attempts at vandalism, this special spot in the Academie was created for it. Now a copy of the David, along with dozens of other significant original statues, are displayed in the Piazza della Signoria. This is a delightful open-air meeting place for young people and tourists that we enjoyed as well.
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