We got up a little early and took the high-speed train to Florence.  The train was quiet, smooth, and ran about 300 miles per hour.  If I could travel by this kind of train, I would choose it every single time over flying.  It was great.  We floated through idyllic countrysides with grassy, rolling hills and small stucco houses with wide spaces between.  The train was easy to use and it was a fantastic ride, highly recommended.  We got into Florence, dropped our stuff at the hotel and went to the Bargello.  (no cameras)

We saw Michelangelo’s Bacchus, Apollo, and his Brutus bust.  The Brutus was really intriguing.  If you looked at it from the  got a heroic sense of Brutus but if you looked at it from the side or back you saw something more sinister.  They had Verrachio’s coy and smirky David.  Donatello’s David and St. George.

We also visited the Duomo museum and saw Michelangelo’s unfinished Pieta.  Forlorn, I think it really impresses with a sense of sadness.  Nicodemus (with the face of Michelangelo) looks at Christ as though he were looking back on his life’s work.  The Baptistry doors were beautiful.

Then we went to the Accademia.  Michelangelo’s David is incredible.  It’s not really fair to try to describe it.  He stands proud, solid, confident.

They also had Michelangelo’s Prisoners.  I really liked the Prisoners a lot.  Much of Michelangelo’s work looks to me like it inspired Rodin’s work (Rodin is one of my favorite sculptors).  We got some food and hit the hay trying to rest up for tomorrow.