In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
At peak times, there is a huge queue for the Uffizi, but you can book on line and bypass the poor plebs and go to the "priority" entrance. Book at: [url=http://en.firenze.waf.it]Uffizi Tickets Gallery Reservation Florence Michelangelo David[/url]. You can book a guided tour, but I'm not sure if it wuold be worth it, particularly if you wanted the chance to take a break or give up early.
You can book reserved tickets to the Accademia via that site as well, but if you're low on energy, there probably isn't enough there apart from the original of "David" to make it worth a visit on a first trip.
I would certainly put the Duomo on your list, and the Baptistry facing it across the piazza. If you can manage it, the museum of the Opera ("works") of the Duomo is very interesting with original materials and machines used to construct the cathedral.
I love to visit all the other churches -- San Miniato, Santa Maria del Carmine, Santo Spirito, San Marco, Santa Maria Novella, Santa Croce etc. etc. but if I had to pick a favourite, it would be Santa Croce and the Pazzi Chapel in its cloister. Although I always head for the cloister at San Lorenzo for a little peaceful and restful loitering. (I don't really care for the Medici tombs in their extension to San Lorenzo. A bit too fascist for me.)
Speaking of restful loitering, the Boboli Gardens are beautiful, but very hilly, so they might be a bit much for you if you're not fully fit. (Adjacent to the Pitti Palace, which hosts an ever larger art gallery than the Uffizi.) An alternative is the Giardino dei Semplici, a small green oasis right in the city. (Only open in the mornings when I was there last.)
As a final suggestion (I could go on for ages) the Palazzo Vecchio (still the city's Town Hall) has a lot to see in it, and the Loggia dei Lanzi and piazza outside (the city's main one) are great for people-watching.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
The Church and cloisters of San Marco, with something like forty cells affrescoed by Fra Angelico, together with Savaronola's cell and a number of other rooms holding important art works is a real treat (hopefully without a disinterested coach tour getting in the way of your enjoying it).
It is not particularly central, but I'm sure there is a bus which would take ten minutes or so from the railway station. Shuts at 2pm I think (unless they have extended the opening hours). Google it for a preview!
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Dont know how old you are but a friend of mine, who is over 60, stayed a week in Florence and visited the Uffizi every day for the last hour, when it was free for retired people and also quiet. She visited a different section each day which is not so tiring and there wasn't any queue at that time. Dont know if this still applies.
ciao
pam
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Yes to everything above.
The Uffizzi takes at least half a day, but at the end is a good rooftop cafe, to rest your legs and back.
so sorry to hear about your health problems but at least in Florence, everything is very centralized. You must book in advance for the Uffizi - in the past I used to just turn up but the last few visits to Florence, I just took one look at the queues and decided not this time. As in a lot of Italy the view from outside is a sight in itself and I don't think I've actually been inside the Duomo but I love the church where Michaelangelo is buried and visiting the house where he lived. I'm sure people more local to Florence will advise you on the best 5 sights. My advice for your visit would be to make sure you book restaurants and don't just turn up as Florence can be extremely busy and crowded.