Trip Over to Florence – Italy

The streets of Siena, some are flat, or flattish, they undulate with the terrain they were built on centuries ago, some are steep slopes, some are steep steps, some are a combination three, but all are interesting...
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#sienahistory #sienatravel #siena #sienaitaly #sienatrip #sienaitalia #sienastreets #solotravelinitaly #solotravel #solotrip #italianhistory #italytravel #historicbuildingsenrichourlives #oldbuildingsmakemehappy #seekandyoushallfind #seetheworldthroughmylens #neverstopexploring #neverstoptravelling #traveltheworldwithme #travelinitaly

Walking up hundreds of steps on a centuries old spiral staircase was a killer, but so worth it for the view from the top of what was going to be the high alter in Siena Duomo, but building stopped in 1339 when the black death wiped out a lot of the population, and it has just stood there like thus for the last 1000 years, it is really high and only about one metre wide!!
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The Florence Duomo, all made of marble, hoping to go inside once the Easter crowds disappear, also hoping the Easter crowds do disappear!!
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#florence #florenceitaly #florenceduomo #firenzecityitaly #firenzeduomo #florencetravel #florencetrip #solotravelinitaly #marblebuilding #historicbuildingsenrichourlives #italianhistory #seeeverythingdoeverything #traveltheworldwithme #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #neverstopexploring

Inside Siena Duomo, amazing to think it was built over 1000 years ago, and is still standing in original condition. You can pretty much guarantee that there will be nothing built today that will still be standing in 1000 years!!
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#siena #sienaduomo #sienatrip #sienaitaly #sienahistory #italytravel #italytrip #madeinitaly #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #neverstopexploring #neverstoptravelling #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #historygeek #seekandyoushallfind #blackandwhitemarble #historicbuildingsenrichourlives #oldbuildingsmakemehappy

David acting cool in Piazza Della Signoria, he`s not the real David. The real one by Michelangelo was taken away for safe keeping inside Galleria dell`Accademia in 1910 and this one replaced him. You are not allowed to photograph the real one. I have no idea who created this David, but I think anyone who can create a David, or even any recognisable shape out of a piece of rock is pretty skilled!!!
The second pic is a bronze sratue of Perseus having severed the head of Medusa. This one is in the Loggia dei Lanzi, just near David.
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My walk continued down Aldersgate St where I came across this lovely old building, Ironmongers Hall, and next door with a complete change of architectural style, the Barbican......click the link to my website in the bio to read about my walk, there is a map so you can find all these places too.
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#ironmongershall #barbican #barbicancentre #londonarchitecture #historicbuildingsenrichourlives #historiclondon #londonwalks #londontravel #londontrip #londonhistory #londoncalling #londonisalwaysagoodidea #london #traveladdict #traveltheworldwithme #solotravelinlondon #solotravel #

This is Porcellino, the bronze pig next to the New Market. Rubbing his nose brings you good fortune, so it is polished to a high shine from all the fortune seekers over the years. There is a replica of Porcellino on Macquarie Street in Sydney, so I`ll check in on my fortune when I get home!!
Second pic is the end of the Uffizi Gallery, down by the River Arno, the top floor is the Vasari Corridor, built so the Medici could walk from here, across Ponte Vecchio to Pitti Palace without having to put up with the stench from the butchers shops that used to be on the bridge, and not have to walk with the peasants.....it is being made ready for visitors, but will not be open until May 2024.....oh well, it looks like I`ll have to come back to Florence one day 🌞
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All this time I thought it was a TV show 🤣😂 "Computer says no....!" It`s actually a street named Little Britain as in the 1500s The Duke of Brittany lived here. And I liked the City of London bollards, they mean business. Read about my long walk in the south west east end of London by clicking the link to my website in the bio.
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At the end of my long walk, I found just what I needed, an 800 year old pub down by the Thames. Read about the walk I took to get to The Prospect of Whitby for my well deserved fish & chips, click the link in the bio.
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So many photo ops in Venice, I`m loving it, just wandering around, getting lost, getting found again.....beautiful!! 😊
The internet here is a bit difficult at times, so posting photos taken with my camera has become quite an exercise, but we`re getting there.
#Venice #venetiancanals #lovevenice #gondola #exploringvenice #veniceisbeautiful #waterworld #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #venicetravel #neverstopexploring

I spent hours wondering around the Boboli Gardens behind Pitti Palace in Florence, some of the stairs are very steep and seem to go on forever, like the ones in the pic behind Neptune`s Island. Then miles further away there was suddenly this giant sculpture of a head, or really just a face and neck.....
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A bronze variation of David up the hill in Piazzale Michelangelo looking over Florence as if he owns the place.

The Florence he owns, the Duomo, amazing building, you can see it from everywhere.

Ponte Vecchio, and all the other bridges that cross the River Arno, apparently the Ferris wheel was put up at Christmas time and not taken down, maybe it`s waiting for next Christmas!!
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One of the best Cicchetti Bars I found in Venice, and the most reasonably priced, over on Fondamenta Nani, not far from the Accademia Bridge. I came across it after my stroll around the Dosodura area, it`s just a small select your cicchetti, order your drinks and stand up at the bar to eat and drink place - delicious🥂!!
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Taken from the little balcony surrounding the dome of Siena Duomo. A great experience to be able to go up there, then to go outside to see the views as well as look down into the inside of the Cathedral.
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In the main square of Florence, Piazza della Signoria, the Palazzo Vecchio with the Torre di Arnolfo rising from above it, and next to Palazzo Vecchio is Loggia dei Lanzi, full of sculptures from Florence`s history.
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At the Rialto Markets in Venice, seemed to be a lot of locals shopping there, I bought a punnet of strawberries, so fresh and juicy. I thought the Risstto kits looked like great gift ideas, but bringing food items back to Australia isn`t going to work.
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After climbing up about 70 to 80 steps on a really narrow stone spiral staircase you are up near the dome of the Siena Duomo, from there you get a whole different view looking down into the Cathedral, and up inside the dome.
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Venice streets getting a good wash in the rain, the place in the second pic is where the Rialto markets are held in the mornings.
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#rialto #rialtomarkets #venice #veniceitaly #venicelife #veniceintherain #venicearchitecture #venicestreets #explorevenice #venicewalks #solotravelinitaly #solotravel #neverstopexporing #traveltheworldwithme #venicetrip #venicetravel #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #seeeverythingdoeverything

The Albert Memorial that Queen Victoria had built after the death of Prince Albert, her husband. It stands in Kensington Gardens looking over the Royal Albert Hall. The second pic is a model of it in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
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The amazing building that is the Victoria and Albert Museum, all the white marble at the main entrance with the V & A initials. The second pic is in the cafe amidst the columns, arches and lights.
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On the "beach" side of the Prospect of Whitby on the River Thames. It was originally named The Pelican 800 years ago, the stairs to the river still have that name, later named The Prospect of Whitby after a ship that used to moore out the front. When I arrived at the pub the tide was lapping around the top of the steps, by the time I had finished eating, the tide had gone out completely!! I wasn`t eating for that long, and only one glass of wine!!! The water on the Thames moves fast!!

#theprospectofwhitby #pelicanstairs #pelicanstairslondon #riverthames #historicpubcrawlslondon #londonsoldestpub #londontravel #londontrip #londonlife #historicbuildingsenrichourlives #historiclondon #oldlondonpub #londonwalks #londoncalling #londonisalwaysagoodidea #london #traveladdict #travellerau #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring #solotravelinlondon

Spencer House in St James`s, London, is the home built by Diana`s ancestors so they has a place in the city as well as Althorp House where Diana grew up. Both houses are owned by Diana`s brother, the current Earl Spencer.
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Pitti Palace was the home of the Medici family, who ruled over Florence for most of thr period from 1434 until 1737. They lived in absolute luxury in this massive Palace with m massive gardens, chandeliers and sculptures are in every room. On the side of the Palace that didn`t look over their gardens, the windows were higher so the peasants couldn`t look in, so they built little stairs to walk up if they wanted to look out.
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#pittipalaceflorence #medici #palazzopitti #palazzopittiflorence #palazzopittimuseum #chandeliers #sculptures #carvedceilings #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #traveltheworldwithme #traveladdict #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #neverstopexploring #seekandyoushallfind #seeeverythingdoeverything #historicbuildingsenrichourlives #italianhistory

Went on a really interesting tour at the Royal Albert Hall yesterday, behind the scenes and how it came to being is amazing! The new sculptures of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip are looking good.
You have to wonder how it is that without technology they were able to create this magnificent building with all the carved stone work, and then more recently, with technology up the wazoo they stick ugly poles through it to hold up the ugly awning. Sure the awning is great if it`s raining, but seriously!????!!
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#royalalberthall #London #historicbuildingsenrichourlives #londonwalks #londonhistoty #exploringlondon #londontravel #londontrip #solotravelinlondon #solotravel #traveladdict #traveltheworldwithme #seekandyoushallfind

Flower carts at Covent Garden in London, one of the beautiful market places in London, and has been for hundreds of years.
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#coventgarden #coventgardenmarket #coventgardenlondon #flowercart #londonmarketsarethebest #londonmarkets #londontravel #londontrip #londonhistory #londoncalling #londonisalwaysagoodidea #seekandyoushallfind #londonwalks #london #solotravelinlondon #solotravel #exploringlondon

The Bridge of Sighs in Venice with the gondolas going along the Canal underneath it, and a row of Manolo Valdes bronze sculptures in Piazza San Marco. They will apparently be there until mid June 2024.
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#venice #veniceart #venicetravel #venicetrip #veniceintherain #venicearchitecture #veniceitaly #brigeofsighs #gondolas #piazzasanmarcovenezia #manolovaldes #manolovaldesartwork #bronzesculptures #seekandyoushallfind #seeeverythingdoeverything #historicbuildingsenrichourlives #traveltheworldwithme

St Bartholomew the Great`s Gatehouse, the arch was built in the 1300s as the entrance to the church yard and the little Tudor house was built on top of it in the 1500s. It survived the Great Fire of London and came through both Worlds Wars unscathed. Swipe to see the 2nd picture from inside the church yard looking out. Read about it and all the other things I found on my walk by clicking the link to my website in the bio.
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#tudorhouse #tudorarchitechturalstyle #londonarchitecture #stbartholomewthegreat #stbartholomewsgatehouse #londonhistory #historicbuildingsenrichourlives #historiclondon #londonwalks #londontravel #londonlife #londontrip #londonpics #londoncalling #londonisalwaysagoodidea #londonstreets #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring

Somewhere in Venice - I`m lost again 🤣!!
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Loved this hat stall at Spitalfields Market in London, might go back and get a Fedora on my next visit later this month. Wish I had an occasion that requires a hot pink top hat, or that vintage leather top hat case.
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The pulpit in Siena Duomo, and the stairs leading up to it, I can`t get over the fact that people have been walking in here for over 1000 years, and I`m one of them🌞
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#siena #sienahistory #sienatravel #sienaitaly #sienaduomo #sienaduomobellissimagiornata #sienatrip #sienaitalia #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #solotrip #italianhistory #seeeverythingdoeverything #traveltheworldwithme #traveladdict #travelinitaly #historicbuildingsenrichourlives #oldbuildingsmakemehappy #seekandyoushallfind #sienaduomopulpit

One of my favourite stores - Liberty, I love that is was built using the timber from a couple of old ships, it all creeks as you walk through. See the golden ship on the wind thingy on the roof of the 3rd pic. They usually have an amazing display hanging down through the middle of the store, I was expecting something with an Easter theme, but nothing!!
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