Our Trip to Italy - The Other Side of the Arno River in Florence

On our 2nd day in Florence, we visited some of the sights in the Oltrarno (other side of the Arno River).  We crossed the interesting Ponte Vecchio, the famous bridge, lined with shops and lots of people . . .

From this side of the river, we stopped to watch a tournament being played in the water.  We never did find out the name of the sport -- a combination of kayaking and water polo.  

Outside the Pitti Palace . . . 

This lavish palace wowed us -- with its amazing ceilings and art collection!

Looking for ideas for redecorating my house . . . Haha!

Outside Pitti Palace, in Boboli Gardens . . . 

I thought this heron was a part of the sculpture in the fountain.  He didn't move for about 10 minutes.  Not until he finally opened his mouth did I realize he was real . . . 

We hiked up to the Piazzale Michelangelo -- this square has a superb view of Florence and the stunning dome of the Duomo.

the ancient walls of Firenze

The walk back down was enjoyable -- through the Oltrarno neighborhood.  We ate at a fabulous place - BORDINO'S - the best Tuscan Bean Soup I've ever had -- Ribollita.  

We took the long way back "home", in order to visit Santa Croce, one of Florence's biggest and oldest churches

We were surprised to find the tombs of very important Florentines housed right in the cathedral -- they were beautiful in themselves . . . 

Hundreds of people are buried in Santa Croce, including Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante, and Machiavelli . . . 

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