Trips,Travels and Vacations: Revisit Florence

Jon and I were up to catch the 6:45 Bus to Florence San Marco. It is treat to walk through the deserted streets and see the real beauty of the city in the soft light of dawn with no tourists except us. The bar staff who are serving coffee and pastries and the whir of the machines can be heard spreading the rich aroma of fabulous Italian coffee. Security people are setting up the barriers to herd the lines through the Duomo.

We are up this early to take a small group tour of the Vasari Corridor, something we have wanted to do since we learned it was open. The only way to get into it is on a private tour as the city has contracted the rights out to a select group of tour guides. By the time we enter the Uffizi there are herds of people crowding into lines. We have to endure a two hour tour of the gallery with crowds in every room. Have twice had the museum almost to ourselves years ago this was the price to pay to see the private corridor. I do find the radios with earphones are awesome in crowned control. Also learned the 1993 bombing was mafia to kill a policeman and his whole family who lived in a home next to the gallery. It changed the security at the museum.

There is a reason all these people come here.

The only painting Michalangelo ever painted.

Finally the double doors are carefully opened and we slip out of the crowds and into the corridor. Designed and built so the Medici could walk from their palace to the government offices in safety and privacy. It also allowed them to spy on their fellow Florentines in case they were hatching any evil plots.

It is full of lesser works of art and the real fun is the views. It is 1 km long.