David and Pop-Pop's Europe Trip
Florence, Italy

Perhaps because Italy was much hillier than England, France, or Spain, it was at Florence that I first got to see a city spread out beneath my viewpoint before I arrived.

Now I should tell you about Florence. I am not sure just how, but Florence feels like it has a sense of community and culture even without people. Most of the buildings where we were were old enough to have coats of arms decorating the stone walls to show which family (once) lived there. The town has narrow streets and what architecture-antiquities there are have been worked into (or guided the construction of) the surrounding newer buildings. the artwork is less abundant and less evenly scattered than in Rome, which makes it more something to stop in this square and look at the statues and fountians instead of a quick glance at an individual something as you are walking to some place really famous.