We visited Florence, Italy after we left Verona. When we first arrived, we drove through the Tuscany area of Italy around Florence. It's a beautiful drive through these grass covered mountains with an occasional rocky peak showing through. And the valleys are full of grapes growing in the Italian sunshine. There are small villages entwined within Tuscany which mainly consist of a quaint hotel or 'Bed and Breakfast' and a restaurant or two, gas station and a small grocery. Then as you are coming around and up or down a large curve, you might see a beautiful lake right before your eyes. These roads are two lane and it takes a lot of concentration to maneuver the curves and observe the beautiful scenery.

We stayed in Florence for two nights and we arrived at our hotel in the early evening after our drive through the Tuscany area. After settling into our room, we began walking toward the center of Florence. I had no idea what I was about to see, but I was absolutely awestruck as I turned a corner and before me was the most unbelievably beautiful Cathedral I have ever had the fortune of observing. I was so taken back by its size and beauty that all I managed to do was to stand and look.

The official name is The Cathedral Duomo. Work began on its construction in 1375 although it was commissioned in 1294. It was to replace the church of Santa Reparata. The Dome was added in 1420. It took 140 years from the time it was commissioned until this magnificent project was completed. Also, beside the Cathedral is a bell tower known as Giotto's Campanile. The relief panels on the tower represent the Life of Man with Genesis and Arts and Industries. The upper levels of the tower contain sixteen niches which hold statues of the Prophets, Sibyls and the Baptist. The entire facade is of marble in colors of Carrara white, Prato green and Maremma pink. Above the doors of the Duomo are the Stories of Mary and statues of the Apostles, and God the Father.

We decided to tour the Dome, mostly because the lines waiting were not as long and I felt that I could look down into the interior of the Cathedral from the Dome. Little did I know that, once we were inside the Dome, there were over 400 steps to the top. But I was more than determined to make the trek up to the top of the Dome. The steps were of cool stone with stone walls and just wide enough for one person. As you walk up these stone steps, you are also turning and winding and you begin to feel somewhat dizzy. Finally, after making it to the first level of the Dome, we walked out into a balcony and below you could view the beautiful interior of the Cathedral. And as you looked upward, you could see the beautiful, colorful painted ceilings depicting religious scenes and people. After walking three quarters of the way around this balcony, you exit through another door and more steps upward. The next entrance is also a balcony where you can almost reach up and touch the Dome ceiling.

After reaching this point, we began our descent and honestly, the going down was more stressful than the going up. To say my legs were weak as we finally reached the bottom is an understatement. But the views through the tiny windows as you travel up through the dome are also worth the trip as you can view the City of Florence from above.