On our first full day, we got up fairly early and started walking although we didn’t have reservations for anything until after lunch. We wanted to show the teens as much as possible in the two full days, so we walked the piazzas and perimeter of the historic district, stopping to point out the sites and take pictures along the way.

This gave them an opportunity to acclimate to their new surroundings and since this was the first time they were actually touring a foreign city, it was important to not overwhelm them off the bat.

After lunch, we made our way to the Galleria Dell’Accademia for our 1:45 reservation. As I discussed in my previous post about the FirenzeCard, having the reservation and the card didn’t save us from a long wait (about 45 minutes) in line, however, this was one of the few places that after getting our bags screened, we did not need to wait in a second line for a ticket. We went towards a door that was marked for FirenzeCard holders and gained access to the museum.

We headed straight to see the David first since we had discussed him at length on the long line. The teens found him to be bigger than they expected and they were impressed by the details and craftsmanship (score!).

As we milled around him, they were surprised when the staff admonished the crowd for being too loud. Several museum employees yelled, “Silenzio!” The teens were confused because we weren’t in a church, so why did we have to be quiet? We had to explain that in many places in Europe, the people expect a certain kind of reverence especially in the presence of important pieces such as the David. That was quite a conversation, but they found that demand for respect interesting.

Our next reservation was the Uffizi Galleria at 4:30pm so we spent some time walking the streets. We visited the Mercato del Porcellino / Mercato Nuovo- a 16th century covered market. If you’re looking for leather goods, this is the place to shop. There are handmade leather goods at a good price here, but you need to know how to spot the fakes. That will be for another post- on it’s own. This market typically opens at 9am and closes sometime around 6:30/7pm depending on the time of year.

At 4:30 pm we presented ourselves for our 4:45 reservation. So here is one of those situations where you’ll have to procure another ticket after showing your FirenzeCard. It’s located across the street from the FirenzeCard entrance. The line wasn’t exceptionally long but it was still a nuisance. However, once procured, we got in quickly.

If you’re travelling with children, you need to really do your research here. There are so many rooms with so many artists that it could be overwhelming for teens and children. We knew in advance that the teens had studied certain painters such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, and Leonardo da Vinci, therefore, we planned our visit around these famous painters and artists and showed them things that were interesting to them along the way. My best advice is to not overwhelm children or they will have a bad taste for it. I could have spent hours in this museum however two-and-a-half was enough for these two teens.

After the museum, the girls were tired enough that we grabbed some dinner and headed back to the apartments. I recommend staying away from the touristy places for a full dinner. If anything go to those places for dessert and a coffee or a cocktail only, otherwise you will spend a lot of money for the same dinner that you could have gotten elsewhere for a quarter of the price.