On April 16, 2016, we docked in Livorno, Italy, the gateway to Tuscany. We took shuttle to Florence, to walk around the historical center of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The ride into Florence took about a hour passing though the tuscan countryside and its many vineyards. Passing over the Arno River, we went to the historic area and were left off only a block from the Santa Croce Church which housed the tomb of Michelangelo. From there we walk to the river and went to the Ponte Vecchio Bridge, lined with many gold stalls. Then we went passed the Straw Market and the Piazza della Republica, on our way to the icon of the city, The Duomo, which was started in 1296. We went around the back of the Duomo to the Duomo Museum, which has many of the original works that were built for the Duomo, like the Ghiberti’s doors for the Baptistry and a Pieta by Michelangelo. Continuing on we went to the Palazzo Vecchio that has a copy of Michelangelo’s David. On our way back to Livorno, we passed the City Walls and some of the walled towns in Tuscany.
