See Me Now

With my departure logistics seemingly resolved (see prior post), I set out to sight-see this morning. I overcame my duomo fatigue and toured Milan's Cathedral/Duomo dedicated to Maria Nascente. Although this structure is referred to as the Duomo, and it does have one, the dome is not obvious from the outside. You have to go inside to see it, which I did. Although the cathedral interior is huge, in my opinion it is the least impressive of the duomos from an artistic standpoint. However, as you can see from the photos, this cathedral is a Gothic cluster-you-know-what. It took several centuries to build and features hundreds of exterior sculptures carved by numerous European artists. There are also grotesque gargoyles all around the exterior – these serve as rainwater downspouts. The cathedral facade was cleaned in 2006, so the marble and concrete looks good for now. The building was constructed with stairway access to the roof so I climbed up. The close-up views of th...

I'm leaving Florence tomorrow, so it's time I gave my fellow travelers a sightseeing update. To be in Florence is to be on sensory overload, however, so it is impossible for me to describe all the walking and viewing I've done. I'm sure you're relieved. I'll describe some of the highlights, and then let you peruse pictures if you're interested. The Duomo, the Cathedral and the Baptistry are probably the most well known sights in Florence (oh, except Michelangelo's David ). The intricate artistry and marble opulence of the Cathedral, in particular, are beyond description – I'll never forget my first heart-stopping glimpse of the moonlit Cathedral when I first arrived in Florence on a trip years ago. I've included a few of my own pictures in the link below, but they don't do it justice. They don't distinguish the detailed carving or the variations in colors of marble. It's possible to climb to the top of the Duomo but I de...