Piazzale Michelangelo

When visiting Florence, Italy, taking the time to walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo is an absolute must. There is obviously the bronze replica of Michelangelo’s statue of David, but the real reason is the see the breathtaking views of the city. From the square, there are panoramic views of everything from the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, to the hillsides outside of Florence.

View of the Duomo
Replica of David
Hillsides in the Distance
Enjoying the View

We were there during the off-season, so the crowds were light, but we can only imagine how crowded the square must be during the summer. There are plenty of vendors selling food and souvenirs as well as a full service restaurant where you can sit down and enjoy a nice glass of wine. Florence is one of the most beautiful, old-world cities and seeing it from the piazza really allows you to fully appreciate how stunning it truly is.

Old Wall Around the City
Not Too Many Tourists
Ponte Vecchio
Florence

It is not an easy walk to reach the Piazzale Michelangelo, but it is more than worth the effort. Seeing Florence from the heights above the city was definitely a highlight of our visit. Of course we enjoyed walking the narrow streets, looking up at the Duomo, and seeing the amazing architecture up close, but seeing the whole city at once was even more spectacular. Everyone visiting Florence should definitely put this on their itinerary.

Panoramic View
Walking Up to the Piazza
The Arno River

 

Take Time to Reflect

A lot of people spend so much time looking forward and planning their next adventure that they don’t go back and savor their past experiences. Perhaps we are fortunate since we write about the places that we have visited that we get the opportunity to review our photographs and relive past moments. With that in mind, for this week’s Daily Post Photo Challenge, Reflecting, we went back to a couple of our trips to Chicago where we captured images of reflections off of they skyscrapers as well as the “Bean”.

Cloud Gate (The Bean) in Chicago
Interesting Reflection
Reflections on Skyscraper
Skyline and Its Reflection
One Last View of the Bean

 

Looking Up

After a long winter of mostly gray skies, we are enjoying seeing sunshine once again. Whether walking the streets of a city or hiking the trails in the mountains, it is very common to take photos looking skyward. Sometimes it is because it is the only way to capture a building in the narrow streets of major metropolises because you don’t have the opportunity to step back and take in the whole scene without turning your camera skyward. Other times, it is just the natural inclination to look up through the tops of the tree branches and see the bright blue sky beyond the green foliage. We are a little late for last week’s Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge, Sky, but here are our photos for the challenge.

The Dom in Florence
Palm Tree in Bolivia
Cologne Cathedral
Colorado Mountains
We Head Back to Vegas in Two Weeks
Michelangelo Piazza in Florence
Looking Up in the Amazon Jungle