I will be traveling to Florence by bus.
I was considering taking the train, but when I tried to buy a discounted ticket online, I encountered a strange error and couldn't purchase it.
When I investigated, it seems that it couldn't be purchased because it didn't match the special conditions. In fact, I couldn't understand that from the error message... It seems like a system error. There are several discounts available, and some of them seem to be available, but they are not that cheap, so I decided to go by bus.

The bus is quite cheap if you book it far in advance, but if it's just a few days later, there are only options for 29 euros, so I booked that.
I think I booked it with Euroline, but it turned out to be a bus with the Baltour logo. I'm not sure.
The bus station is right next to the south side of Naples Central Station, which is the same place where I arrived from Bari.

Because the departure was a little late, I stayed in the hotel lobby after checking out and then left in the afternoon to arrive at the terminal and board the bus.

By the way, the manners of the immigrants or people who seem to be working abroad on the bus are quite bad. They cut in line and have a bad attitude. I wondered if the EU is okay with accepting such people... Then, Germany immediately closed its borders to immigrants, and that spread to other EU countries. That's understandable. If so many people like that come in, it will be impossible to manage.

Anyway, the bus slowly made its way from Naples to Florence, and it arrived near Florence Station around 9:20 PM.

Because it was a late hour, people who seem to be local residents were wary of what was behind them.
When I approached, they seemed to be wary of pickpockets and stopped or moved to the other side of the road.
Is there that many pickpockets in Florence? It's only 9:30 PM.

My accommodation here is:
Veneto Residence Florence
Dormitory, 4 nights, 72 euros (63 euros + tax) (approximately 9,770 yen), no meals included.
Approximately 2,450 yen per night.

I chose it because it's relatively close to the city center and the price is reasonable.
On the way from the station to the accommodation, there were so many Japanese people. What is this?

I snore when I'm tired, and the roommate, a Turkish man, said he couldn't sleep, which caused a problem. However, he also snores, so I recorded it and played it back to him, saying "You do too!" He then stopped and, as if to say "Let's be friends," he kissed my hand. I don't understand. He took the earplugs I had without me giving them to him. I hate people who are careless like that... It's not free.

Anyway, Florence is surprisingly a small town.

In Florence, I first headed to the Pitti Palace.

Initially, I intended to visit the Uffizi Gallery and arrived just after 8 am, right when it opened. However, it seems there was some kind of event today, and the gallery wasn't opening until a little after 10 am, so I couldn't wait that long and came here instead.

Here, I obtained the Florence Card.
Since I'm planning to stay for three days, it's perfect.

It's strange that Pitti, a rival of the Medici family, started the construction, but it ended up being bought by the Medici family, which is why we can see the current Medici collection.

Next, I am going to see the Palazzo Vecchio.
This place is famous for the huge paintings displayed in a vast hall.

Visit the Accademia Gallery in Florence.
It is also a very high-level museum.



↓ The David statue by Michelangelo is amazing; the real thing has an incredible presence. There's a sense of three-dimensionality and tension that you can't understand from a photograph.

Visit the National Archaeological Museum in Florence.
Surprisingly, the exhibits related to Egypt are enjoyable.

I visited the Uffizi Gallery in Florence early in the morning.
Because I have a Florence Pass, I was able to enter with the earliest priority admission.

Inside, it is indeed spacious, and there are many high-quality paintings, which was satisfying.
Da Vinci is famous, but there are many other masterpieces.

Visit the Palazzo Medici Riccardi and the Chapel of the Magi inside.
Although it is small, it is luxurious, as expected of a Medici family building. It is worth seeing.

I went to Dante's House (birthplace, Dante House, Museo Casa di Dante).
It's a very small museum, and you can finish seeing it quickly.
I didn't quite understand the content.
He was a philosopher who wrote "Divine Comedy," but I don't really understand what that is.

When I looked it up, it seems to be based on the fundamental worldview of Christianity, so I feel like it's difficult to understand without studying Christianity.

...Well, whatever.
For now, I'll end my visit here.

Visit the World Ethnology and Traditions Museum (Museo di Storia Naturale, Sezione di Antropologia ed Etnologia).
It may not be unique to Florence, but it might be useful as a reference when visiting South America or remote areas.

I went to the Bargello National Museum.
I was impressed by the sculptures, but there were also many religious paintings.
It was not crowded, so I was able to see it at a leisurely pace.

I went to the Galileo Museum (Museo Galileo, Institute and Museum of the History of Science).
It seems to have many exhibits related to navigation in the medieval period.

I went to the Basilica of Santa Croce, which is located a little east of the city center.
It is also huge and impressive. The paintings displayed there are also worth seeing.

Let's go to the San Marco Church (Basilica di San Marco in Florence), which is located next to, or rather on the same grounds as, the San Marco Museum/Monastery in Florence.

The entrance to the museum is right next to it, but they are not connected inside, so you might miss the church if you're not careful. Of course, the museum is also great, but this church is also impressive in its own way.

Enter the Museum of San Marco through the entrance next to the San Marco church.
This museum is famous for Fra Angelico's "Annunciation," which is located right after you go up to the second floor, but there are other works that are also worth seeing.
There are frescoes in a small room that appears to be a dormitory in the monastery. It's fun to imagine that you were staying and sleeping in a place like this.
The "Last Supper" by Ghirlandaio, which is located in the gift shop room, is also worth seeing.

I went to the Stibbert Museum, which is located just north of the station.

This is a private collection, but it is quite comprehensive and enjoyable.
I think it deserves to be more famous.

According to Google Maps, it is accessible by bus, so it was relatively easy to get there.
It's a convenient world now, compared to when taking the bus used to be a hassle.

When I arrived, it was just 5 minutes before the opening time, so I was able to participate in the first "tour."
There is no guide, so it's not exactly a tour, but a staff member unlocks each room in order.

At first, there was only me, and then two more people arrived and joined in later, so we were a total of 3 people who viewed the exhibits.

I went to see the Medici Chapels in Florence.
I didn't have high expectations, but it was much larger than I expected, with a high ceiling, and it was overwhelming.

I went to the Church of Santa Maria Novella, which is located in front of the station.
As usual, it is a huge church, and the paintings on the walls are impressive.

There seems to be a chapel exclusively for the Medici family next to it? Indeed, it is the Medici family...

Visit the Baptistery of San Giovanni, which can be accessed with a common ticket for the Duomo (Florence Cathedral).

It was under renovation, so I couldn't see much of the surroundings, but the interior wasn't heavily renovated, so I was able to see it sufficiently.

I've seen so much that I'm starting to feel numb, but everywhere is a magnificent chapel.

I went to see the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo, Basilica of the Assumption of Mary, Florence Cathedral), which is in the center of Florence.
It is huge, but surprisingly, there are not many frescoes or paintings inside. Rather, it seemed that some of the other cathedrals around it were more luxurious.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo, Cathedral of the Flowering Mother, Florence Cathedral) has the Crypt of Santa Reparata beneath it.

It is not particularly eye-catching, but because the main cathedral in the center of the town has often undergone repeated renovations and reconstructions, there are often such ruins remaining underground.

Climbing the dome (cupola) of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral (Duomo, Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence Cathedral).

There was a line, but people with the Florence Card can enter with almost no waiting.
The inside is a narrow passage that continues all the way to the top of the dome.
It's truly a beautiful view.

Next, we climb Giotto's Bell Tower.
Although the scenery is similar to that of the dome, from here, the dome is directly in front of you, offering a unique view, and it might feel more like Florence.



Next, we climb Giotto's Bell Tower.
Although the scenery is similar to that of the dome, from here, the dome is directly in front of you, offering a unique view, and it might feel more like Florence.

I went to the Basilica di San Lorenzo, which is right next to the Medici Chapel.
It is also a large and impressive church.After viewing a large number of Christian paintings, I started to feel that this is similar to the "story of having one's abilities taken away" that exists in Japanese mythology. In the Kojiki, there are instances where gods have their abilities taken away, and this is similar to the structure where Christ is killed and his blood and flesh are taken away, which is equivalent to having his abilities taken away. This is an interpretation that would likely anger Christians, but the fact that Christ was originally an outcast and disliked, and later deified, makes the story of killing him and taking away his abilities more understandable. I don't find the standard interpretation that Christ died to bear the sins of others to be convincing; I feel more comfortable thinking of Christ as a victim who was killed by the sins of others. If I said something like this in a Christian country, I might be persecuted or exiled. I'm glad I'm Japanese.

I decided to stop by the Santi Michele et Gaetano Church.
Even churches that are not well-known as tourist destinations often have something worth seeing.

I will visit the Novecento Museum (Museo NOVECENTO, Museo del Novecento), which exhibits modern art.
However, I don't really understand this kind of art... I'm not sure if it's good or bad.