Skip the lines in Florence with a little preplanning

We always feel so terrible as we walk past the long and winding line to see the statue of David in the Galleria dell’Accademia of Florence. Yes, we truly feel sorry for the tourists who are burning up valuable sightseeing time waiting in the summer heat, fanning themselves with whatever they can come up with at the moment. As we enter the reserved door and breeze through security and as we walk through the doors and into the hall where David shines in his own atrium, we actually say a little prayer for those who are going to be in line, still, having moved a few feet, when we exit half an hour or so later. So why do so many people blow a huge amount of time waiting in line at not only this landmark but also so many others in Italy? Ignorance, we guess. It’s so easy, and not that expensive when you count time as having value, to book your entry in advance through the official web site of Florence museums.

A funny story about Florence. Years ago, while at a favorite country inn at dinner, a loud and slightly drunk woman from a country I won’t identify except to say that it has 50 states said, “I don’t know what the big deal is about Florence! I mean, we drove around and around and around and just could not find any mention of “Florence” on any sign or on our map from AAA, so we stopped in this totally charming town called “Firenze” and it has a statue of David, too! It’s standing right outside by the town hall! What’s the big deal about Florence? Go to Firenze instead!”