I’ve got a nasty ear barotrauma that hasn’t been relieved by 1000 yawns and 1000 gulps. Plus an equally nasty cold. And a bit of a sunburn. Burned by the angry Tuscan sun.

At the entrance to Palazzo Vecchio. This David statue is an exact replica of the original one by Michaelangelo, to be found at the Accademia.

But I swear it’s all worth it, all worth seeing Florence for the first time. I’m still on Florence time, and I could feel the fatigue in every inch of my body. Florence is, simply put, a feast for the eyes. If seeing Botticelli’s La Primavera and Birth of Venus is not enough, then seeing the glorious naked body of David sculpted by Michaelangelo will surely be worth all the earaches in the world. It was a childhood dream fulfilled for me. When I was a child, I saw Daddy’s book containing pictures of paintings and sculptures of the Rennaisance masters, Raphael and Michaelangelo among them. I saw the David statue in that book, and was extremely fascinated by it. When I finally got the chance to see the original statue in the Accademia, I basked in its presence for several minutes, almost unbelieving that it was right before my eyes.

For sure I will be writing more about Florence in future blogs. I had wanted to blog while we were there – but who could possibly find the time? There was simply so much to do in so little time.

I hope to post pictures soon. Antabayanan!