We arrived in Florence yesterday afternoon with plenty of time left for sight-seeing. We spent time in the beautiful San Lorenzo Church,which was designed by Brunelleschi for the Medici family in 1425. It holds the Medici tombs by Michelangelo. We wandered through the winding streets lined with hundreds market stalls. It seemed that we were sharing Florence with millions of people from all over the world.

This morning we got going early as we had a large agenda. We wanted to see the Piti Palace and the Santa Croce, which we were unable to see on our last visit several years ago. Our hotel is located near the SMN train station, so it is a long walk to the Pitti Palace over the Ponto Vecchio. We stopped along the way at the Piazza della Signora, a virtual outdoor sculpture museum with works by some of the greatest Italian sculptors

Our trek was worth it on several levels. Today the Palazzo Pitti and its Boboli Gardens were open free of charge in celebration of Heritage Days. We waited in line for a half hour to get in and as we entered, we were immediately amazed by the beauty of the palace and the gardens above. We headed toward the Boboli gardens and enjoyed the fabulous views of the city from lofty heights. We were also impressed by the Medici apartments filled with fabulous art and an unlikely, but beautiful, costume collection. The 16th century Palazzo Pitti also houses a silver and a porcelain collection.

After lunch, we walked along the Arno and crossed over the Ponte alle Grazie to visit the magnificent Santa Croce. We were not prepared for the huge space inside with walls lined with exquisite tombs and memorials to such famous Florentines as Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante and Machiavelli.

We headed back to our hotel after a short visit inside the Duomo. The colorful and intricate exterior belies the dark and sparse interior.

We had only a short time to re-discover this completely walkable, ancient city. We didn’t have time to visit the Uffizi and The Accademia, which houses the unforgetable David, by Michelangelo. Thank goodness we have the memories of these special places from our previous visit.

Florence is a city of beauty as well as grittiness, but one you will never forget.