Day 26: Florence & The David

We arrived in Firenze last night and from the moment we stepped off the train we all knew this place was different. We were in store for a surprise from Adrien, since she booked our hotel here. She lead us down the vibrant streets of Florence and we followed in true duckling fashion. Adrien being the wonderful actress that she is stopped to confirm her location in front of this:

Come to find out this was the view from our bedroom window. Not only did we have prime time housing in the heart of Florence but we met the owner of the hotel, Kelly, who was an inspiration for Kristen and I. Kelly is from California, sounds like a New Yorker, and acts like an Italian.She studied in Florence and quickly came back after her studies to marry a Florentine man who is the kindest man you will ever meet. 

Needless to say Florence had us at "Ciao!" and this lovely city has only continued to win our hearts and our taste buds. Today we woke up to a complete Florentine breakfast from Kelly, with hot chocolate, hard boiled eggs and tasty pastries. We were in heaven as we bundled up in our warmest and headed to the Uffizi  to meet the David. We walked along each street with excited anticipation, each one of us had been told of this breathtaking art form and so every step gave us pure joy. We expected from the reputation that the Uffizi would be a majestic Italian building, however we were surprised to find that we inadvertently walked right by it because fit right into the normal layout of the city. With a simple door and a simple sign into a simple building, we were guided to see the tremendous artistry of Micheal Angelo. 

There are no words for the David as it is truly captivating of the senses. You cannot help but know God and come closer to the Savior through this profound work. We all spent several hours in meditation at the feet of this beautiful young man. In our own personal insights we all seem to come to a deep appreciation for one another as well. Adrien has such a gift for seeing creation in every form and Kristen has a gift to listen to the Spirit and open her mouth. Both of these talents were used and enriched today because of Michael Angelo's gift to listen and allow creation work through him as well. The result?  A majestic sculpture of a young man with so many questions and so much faith simply captured in his eyes. A body sculpted under the mold of the divine but also does not fail to express the hard work and sacrifice of mortal life. This simple piece of stone has life beyond comprehension that touches all who view it. We were moved, changes, and molded today in the presence of true artistry. Blessings. 

Other things we love about this city...GELATO and the wonders of the city at night! As we walked the night streets we wandered on to this plaza...and then we found this little piece of magic:

Introducing...food for the GODS!  Dark Chocolate Gelato, Italian Dark Hot Chocolate, with real home made whipped cream...STOP IT!!! SO DELICIOUS!!!

Basically, I'm madly in love with this place. Thank you Florence for making me feel again...you will have a piece of my heart forever.