Michelangelo, Gucci in Florence

From Bologna an express train cuts under the Apennines to Florence.

The track is remarkably smooth and allows speeds of up to 300kmph.

Both stations are very convenient to their old town centers and its a pleasure to walk from either station. Despite our visiting in October Florence was still heaving with other tourists around the Duomo, Santa Maria Del Fiore.

One of our destinations was to the Gucci Museum which, though having a very nice place to eat, did not have a shop for retail perfume sales.

Crossing the Arno River along which Florence is built allowed us to walk up the hills that overlook the town and down

past a home of Galileo Galilei across Ponte Vecchio back into the town.

Naturally we visited Santa Maria Del Fiore

and walked through the town to the far more interesting Santissima Annunziata Florence. This is the church of artists in Florence and outside were dozens of students sketching the square on which Santissima Annunziata Florence occupies one side.

The elaborate Baroque interior verges on the overwhelming – however just off the main church we enjoyed an opportunity to enjoy a recital practice inside the Chapel of San Luca.

This small chapel is under the Academy for Painters. Buried under the chapel are numerous artists including Cellini. The altar painting is by Giorgio Vasari of Saint Luke (supposedly an artist himself) who is painting the Madonna.