3.10.2014 Flight and Afternoon in Florence
A take of at 12:55 at noon is a rather comfortable situation: you sleep well and long in advance, have a leisurely drive to the airport - and arrive at daylight time, at least for some hors.
There isn´t a big need for the destination Florence, so we enter a prop airliner, that brings us to Florenz in about 1 1/2 hours. This is the view down to Zwölfaxing.
Cumulus couds restrict the view.
Kottingbrunn and Bad Vöslau.
Hohe Wand - from an unusual perspektive, with Maiersdorf and Stollhof in front.
After about half an hour another familiar view: lake Bled in Slowenia and the village of Bled, where I stayed this year in May.
Unmistakably: Lake Bled and Bled.
Somewhere in the Po plain ... the small town to the right with the
hexagonal ground plot must be Palmanova, behind to its right Udine. The light
band in the background to the left is the broad ballast bed of the Tagliamento
river.
This is easy to discern: the city of Venice, inmidst the lagoon, with the Lido in front and Punta Sabbioni to the right.
Venice - as seen from 7000 m.
Venice in the background, now Chioggia in front.
Now we cross the river Po, giving its name to the whole surrounding plain.
Reached the Apennin ...
... with Lago di Bilancino.
View over the densely settled plain North of Florence - from Prato to Pistoia.
Now flying a big loop ...
... to land in a Northeastern direction. Nice view to Florence ...
The river Arno
Shortly before landing.
Landed and taken a taxi to the hotel - an hour or so later, we start our walk to the old town. Our hotel is situated a little bit outside, but a walk along the river Arno ...
... is nice anyway, isn´t it?(as long as you aren´t too tired).
A wair, with the tower at Piazzale Guiseppe Poggi in behind.
The weir as seen from a bit beneath. Here, we branch off to the Old Town.
Santa Croce Basilica. The front view is nicely encased with marble, to encase the rest, the money was short seemingly - as opposed to the dome.
Cultural festival in a tent on Piazza Santa Croce.
A few streets further, and we arrive at the Dome. Here the rear view with the apsis.
Whereas the outside of the dome is encased in different colors of marble, the interior view is rather simple - you won´t expect this, but with the huge dimensions of the cathedral, nevertheless the effect is stunning. Seemingly, you should concentrate on the essential things inside and not be distracted. The view up the cupula seems to be an exception.
A total view of the dome and the Campanile only is possible with some photographic tricks.
Detail over the main portal.
Opposite to the dome is the Battisterio di San Giovanni, with a gold covered relief on its door.
We walk along the Via Tombuoni. In the Chiesa de Santi Michele e Gaetano a wedding seems to have taken place.
Is this a fainthearted start of a marble cover?
Back at the river Arno, we look upstream to the Ponte Vecchio.
Heading for the Ponte Vecchio - view back.
!
Scullers or paddlers can be seen on the Arno nearly all the time.
Ponte Vecchio, built in 1345, nearly overall is covered with buildings - the Vasari corridor being in the uppermost floor, where the sovereign could walk more than 1 km inside buildings from Palazzo Pitti to the Uffici and the Palazzo Vecchio.
Looking through one of the many jewelry shops on the bridge down to the water of the Arno.
Upstream view from Ponte Vecchio.
The other side of the Ponte Vecchio is in the shadow now. On top of the arcs once more the Vasari corridor, the buildings in behind.
The Uffici. We did not expose ouselves to the crowds and have postponed the visit of this famous museam to another time.
Ponte alle Grazie
Vasari corridor
Ponte alle Grazie
Ponte alle Grazie
Near sunset now.
180° - panoramic view of the river Arno. Far left is Ponte Vecchio, then the Uffici, the high tower is part of the Palazzo Vecchio. Click here or into the picture for a larger version.
We have setteled in a comfortable street restaurant in the Via di San Nicolo and enjoy the warm evening - though wearing a jacket, but outside even in October.