A slight drizzle had began to fall as we arrived in Florence on early Christmas morning, shrouding the beautiful city in an enigmatic, ethereal mood. As we walked through the quiet and empty streets the towering, massive dome of the Duomo Di Firenze was still clearly visible through the thick mist.

The picture above was taken from the Uffizi gallery, overlooking the Arno river – the bridge and color palette of the photo reminds me of  Tom Tykwer’s film Perfume.

(above) A replica of Michelangelo’s David stands in Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall of Florence. The original is found nearby in the Accademia Gallery.  (below) A triumphant Perseus wearing a winged headgear holds up the severed head of one of the Gorgon Sisters, Medusa.

On a less macabre note, the Gelato shop at the opposite corner of the square sells the best Gelato I’ve ever eaten, period. (It was freezing cold that day, but that didn’t lessen the amazing taste of the ice-cream one bit.)

(above) The dome of the Florence Cathedral ( Duomo Di Firenze ), a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest brick dome ever constructed. It is hard to convey the sheer scale of the dome with my 50mm lens, but trust me when I say this thing is gargantuan.

For me, the biggest prize for visiting Florence had to be the Uffizi Gallery. (above is a picture of us waiting to get in ) I saw paintings that are the stuff of legends – Botticelli’s Birth Of Venus, Leonardo’s The Annunciation, Michelangelo’s Doni Tondo, Carravagio’s Medusa and many, many more.

(below) One of the long corridors inside the Uffizi Gallery.

The artistic treasures of the Uffizi Gallery and the incredible beauty of Florence made it the top highlight of my Italy trip. I hope one day to re-visit this beautiful city.