Clayton & Co.: Discovering David

Before they had kids, my brother Phil and his wife Meiken spent a summer in Florence while he completed an internship. At the time I thought, "What a great experience." Now that I have been to Florence myself, I can only imagine how much fun they had soaking up the city without having to worry about kids. That being said, I loved being in Florence with my kids.

We took them to the Accademia to see Michelangelo's David and it was awesome to see their genuine interest. They asked a lot of questions (and not just about nudity and male genitalia) and we took more than just 30 seconds to walk around it, which was a little surprising to me. I didn't realize how big it actually was and couldn't believe he was so young when he created it. We talked about David and Goliath and pointed out the sling and the rock and it was definitely a highlight of the city for all of us.

Henry in front of the Duomo

It was so beautiful inside and out and I have to say that I am always amazed at these structures that were created without the use of machines.

Ruby strikes a pose in front of the Duomo

A family shot

Ruby and Henry inside the Duomo

A picture with cousin Caroline

We loved trying out different gelato along the trip.
Here Alex is finishing off a Kit Kat flavored one.

Caroline tried Nutella flavor

Henry and I chose strawberry

The bell tower of Palazzo Vecchio, the Old Palace that functions as the town hall

A replica of the David. The original stood in this same piazza until the late 1800s

Fontana di Nettuno

Ponte Vecchio is the oldest surviving bridge in the city and was the only one not destroyed during World War II. It is over 600 years old. Today a lot of shops line the bridge. It was so crowded.

Alex, Caroline, Henry and Ruby
If you cross over the Arno and drive up the hill to Piazzale Michelangelo, there is an amazing view of the city. There is also another replica of the David.