I CLUMB AND CLUMB SOME MORE

I've always used "climbed" as the past tense of climb, but today I clumb.  It's a grammatically acceptable alternative, and it just seems to more aptly fit my experience of ascending to the Piazzale Michelangelo (as in, my legs felt heavy from all the steps I clumb).  The piazzale is perched above Firenze on the south side of the Arno (my side of town). 

Some of the 163 steps up to the Piazzale were these wide ones that reminded me of scaling similar steps to the language school in Sorrento.

And close to 100 of them were just regular steps.  I clumb them all and immediately treated myself to a gelato from a stand that was strategically located very close to the top of the stairs.  I'd like to own that little business.

The view of Firenze from the Piazzale was spectacular and definitely worth the physical effort to climb those stairs.  

There's a reproduction of David standing in the center of the Piazzale.  The sun went under the clouds, which made a really clear picture impossible, but I love this shadowy silouette-like photo of this famous fella.

I couldn't take enough pictures of these juicy tulips and daffodils that sang the platitudes of spring.  There were several beds of them in the Piazzale.

Perched even higher, above the Piazzale, is the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte.  There were more steps that led to the top, but I chose to ascend more gradually on a road that wound its way up to this church.

There were some nice frescoes inside.

And a nice altar.  There was organ music playing all the while I was inside.

I could have sat on the stone wall surrounding the church courtyard all afternoon enjoying this even more expansive view of the city.  It was a warm, beautiful April day, perfect for climbing a Tuscan hill.  And I clumb it!