The Piazza de Pitti fronted by the Accademia Italiana.

Carabinieri in their stylish hats.

Franca on the Ponte Vecchio.

This is the city hall of Firenze in the Piazza della Signoria, next door to the Galleria degli Uffizi and the Loggia dei Lanzi (an outdoor area holding some amazing statues).

One of my favourite statues in Firenze; Perseus holding the head of the vanquished Medusa. Cast in bronze by Benvenuto Cellini in 1554.

Neptune keeping watch over his fountain.

This was supposed to be a short walk into the city we had no idea how many sites we'd run into such as the Santa Maria del Fiore in beautiful pre-dusk light.

The next few photos are from a pre-dawn walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo which was close to our B&B and the best view onto the city.

The Ponte Vecchio over the Arno River.

This is Santa Maria del Fiore's little brother the Basilica di San Lorenzo.

These crests adorn many street corners. These are the coat of arms for the various "contrade" (ie: neighbourhoods) around the city.

The Santa Croce di Firenze.

Ponte Vecchio again and all the jewelery shops hanging off of it.

The bonds of love.

Another sunrise over Firenze.

This is a view from Piazzale Michelangelo of the Belvedere Fort which has apparently been closed to tourists ever since some idiot took a header off its wall. According to our B&B proprietor you used to be able to walk down the wall almost all the way to the Arno.

My third morning at the Piazzale Michelangelo at dawn. A beautiful fog this morning made for a nice change of pace.

The common area kitchen at the Fiorenza B&B in Firenze.

Needless to say, we stole an armload of these little guys before we left.

The Fiorenza is set in a beautiful (and quiet) neighbourhood about a kilometer from the city up past the Giardino di Boboli. The perfect setting if you're driving into the city and want an easy place to park the car.