Florence Overlook Run

We set out in Florence to kill two birds with one stone. First, get in a decent prep run before the marathon. Second, see one of the best sights in Florence when the crowds would be thin. Our run to the Piazalle Michaelangelo met both goals.

To get to the Piazalle Michaelangelo, we criss-crossed through town to the river, then crossed at Ponte Vecchio. We ran down the river for a ways, then began up a slowly ascending, tree-lined residential street. There was even a bike lane! The residential area was very different from the part of Florence we stayed in, and it was nice to see a new area we wouldn't have seen.

After maybe a mile and a half of the slow climb, we reached the summit, which opens up to Piazalle Michaelangelo. Overlooking all of Florence, it is a key vista point and had the hallmarks of a tourist haven. Lucky for us, at 7AM we only shared the view with two other runners.

A view of Florence:

Image credit www.borghiditoscana.net

Here is the copy of Michaelangelo's David that is in the Piazalle:

Image credit www.florence-on-line.com

After a few moments enjoying the view, we headed back down a different route, along a switch-back of decomposed granite pathways down to the river. Then, we crossed back through town, on streets much more full of life than they had been a half hour before. All told, a beautiful and scenic four miles.