The UFFIZI GALLERY....This was a must see destination in Florence. It must certainly contain the greatest collection of Italian paintings anywhere! It included the works of Caravaggio, Titian, Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Raphael. Unfortunately, no cameras were allowed so all photos have to be found on the Internet.

I am always happy to see works of art that I've seen all my life. In the Uffizi Gallery, that meant viewing Botticelli's Birth of Venus. However, my personal favorite was a painting of The Holy Family by Michelangelo. Nobody else had the attention to detail and precision that he did.

Once again, it was "off season" and the expected long lines were not there. Reservations are always wise at the Uffizi, because the museum only allowed 600 visitors at a time. However, that wasn't an issue on this visit. There was a bit of a crowd towards the end of the visit, but I was able to admire anything and everything I wanted up close and in peace.

MARTIN