| Glenn's Florence Journals #5 4-17-02 Wednesday is museum day. The plan is to visit the Galleria dell' Accademia (which houses Michelangelo's "David") and the Galleria degli Uffizi (which houses an enormous collection of Renaissance art). We had made reservations at the Uffizi on Sunday to avoid the 2-3 hour lines waiting to get in. This appointment was for 1:15 p.m.. We started the day the usual way, with showers and breakfast and off we were to the Accademia. The Accademia opens at 8:15 a.m. And we had heard of long lines there as well but also of people just walking in with no wait at all. We took a chance and decided if we went early enough that the lines would not be a problem. We left around 9:45 and guess who was wrong! The lines were already set at about a 2 hour wait. We would never get in, truly enjoy the museum, and get to the Uffizi before 1:15 p.m.. Here is where flexibilty comes into play. We quickly opted for hanging out at the internet cafe until noon, when we would have to leave to catch lunch before heading on to the Uffizi. The time was well spent as we both took the time to e-mail friends that we had not e-mailed lately. We closed up shop at the internet cafe around noon, as planned, and off we were to the Uffizi. We had lunch on the way there. On the way to the Uffizi we wondered if the reservations would save us any time or not. Even with reservations there is a capacity limit within each museum and they must wait for people to leave before letting more in. Amazing!!! We walked right up and were let in with no wait at all. Fantastic, considering the line outside the Uffizi was well over 2 hours long. I am not sure where to start describing the Uffizi except that words will do no justice. You must see it for yourself. The Galleria has over 35 rooms that represent many famous artists ranging from the 13th century to the 18th century. Some rooms are specific to the period and some are specific to the artist. A guidebook is recommended and hours upon hours are also recommended to truly enjoy this Galleria. We spent almost 4 hours there and, even though we had been in every room, had not fully enjoyed each piece of art. We were getting tired and decided to head home. The Uffizi is a "must do" in Florence. |
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| The towering Palazzo Vecchio sits at the corner of the Uffizi Gallery, decorated at the top with coats of arms from prominent Florentine families |