First of all, what should have been a quick 2 hour or so train ride on the express train from Venice to Florence,....

.....turned out to be a 4 plus hour ride on the wrong train (the local).

So I got to Florence a bit later than I had planned to.

As I was checking in at the front desk of my hotel (a little before noon), I casually mentioned to the desk clerk that I wanted to go to the museum that had the David statue that day, because I was leaving Florence early the next morning, headed for Rome.

Well, imagine my surprise when the clerk told me that if I was going, I had better hurry because the museum closed at 2:00 p.m.

So, like a whirlwind, I tossed my bags into my room and made a beeline for the museum.

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David is housed in The Gallery of the Academy.

Here's a photograph of the bust of the famous sculptor who created this masterpiece between the years 1501-1505, at the age of 25.......

And I've also included a photograph of Michelangelo Buonarroti's own self-portrait.