So back from Florence, and David is a rip off.
It’s a wonderful statue and is a real masterpiece. The other few statues in the Accademia are also Michelangelo works, his unfinished sculptures, and are also great to look at.
The problem is that entrance to the museum is 6.50 Euro, and beyond David and the unfinished ones, that’s all there is to see.
This is a tough comparison when seen against the Uffizi museum, which costs 6 Euro and is jammed pack with art. I spent 4 hours walking around the Uffizi and still missed some famous works. I spent an hour in the Accademia, and that was only because I refused to leave after 20 minutes.
After leaving the Accademia, I went to the Duomo, and climbed all 436 steps (I didn’t count, it was posted next to the signs that said people with heart disease shouldn’t climb it) to see the view over all of Forenzi. The climb was a claustrophobics worst nightmare, with people going both directions in spaces narrow enough to barely fit one person with broad shoulders. The ceilings were also barely 6 feet high. It was quite the tight fit.
When going down the stairs, I did however have the opportunity to show off my amazing Italian skills. “Scusi!” I said as I bolted down the stairs. “Gratzie!”
“No worries” he said next to me.
“Thanks!”, I shot back, at which his amazed girlfriend said,
“Oh my God, he spoke English!”
I take it they were having a rough day trying to communicate with Italians in the city.
All in all the trip was a good one, and 30 Euro for a round trip on a decent train was much better than 80 Euro both ways on Eurostar. I’ll save 50 Euro and have my travel take 4 hours more total any day.
