"Florence the Beautiful" a Florence Travel Page by Beausoleil

I'd love to be a bird and fly over Florence. It is beautiful on the ground but must be stunning from the sky.

This photo was taken from the Boboli Gardens behind the Pitti Palace. It's a bit of a hike up the hill but the scenery on the way is motivating.

When you get to the top, no matter which way you look, the views are incredible.

After you stand in line for hours to get into the Uffizi Gallery, you get this view of the Ponte Vecchio from inside the gallery. (Hint: Make reservations for the Uffizi.)

The immediate bridge is the Ponte Vecchio but what interested me was the succession of bridges stretching into infinity.

If you go down to the grassy area beneath the Uffizi, you can rent a kayak and row the Arno.

When you arrive outside the Duomo in Florence, you are overwhelmed by the mass of humanity. We were there in mid-October and it was still crowded! You fight your way through the crowds, enter the spectacular Duomo and feel the immense size of the place.

There are zillions of people snapping photos of the dome (and I did too), but away from the dome, there are spots of peace and silence like the one pictured here. If you step into one of these, you get a feeling of the purpose of the building.

Take a few moments after seeing the dome to visit a quiet spot and luxuriate in the peacefulness.