Florence Day 3

I'm glad I paid to take 3 tours of Florence -- all walking tours led by excellent local guides (including an ex-pat). The first was an historical walking tour, where I learned how to tell renaissance architecture from medieval, the Medici, and where the terms "hole in the wall restaurant", "dead ringer", and "graveyard shift" came from.

At the San Trinita Church, I learned about the painstaking process of creating frescoes and once again sensed the "rebirth" this era heralded -- where science, art, religion, history worked together.

The second tour was to see David at the Accademia, and yes, an extraordinary and beautiful sculpture. But I was also struck by Michelangelo's series known as "The Prisoners" -- allegedly unfinished works. I could viscerally feel the figures freeing themselves from the stone.

I also experienced my first Italian bank -- my debit card would not work in the ATM, and after a 45 minute wait, I discovered I was in a Credit Union type bank that had limited services. The ATM at the Bank of Sao Paolo around the corner happily (and in English) spat out Euros and I've decided not to ponder the exchange rate. The Post Office was a bit of a shock -- .85 Euros -- about $1.35 per stamp. Gulp. But then, for $1.50, I can get a delicious -- DELICIOUS -- cup of coffee..

Tomorrow, the Uffizi!!
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