February 14

The Duomo. I like to joke that it doesn't seem real. Picture this: you're walking through typical, winding European streets packed with fast-walking people and stores and shops. Everything seems normal, perhaps even run-of-the-mill. Then, all of the sudden, the crowds break and you're in the middle of an open square with your neck cranked looking upwards at an unfathomably huge church that seems to rise up from nothing at all. That's Florence's Duomo for you. The church towers the square and appears both out of place, yet remarkably appropriate at the same time. Its facade is so impeccably ornate that it seems nearly impossible to take in the details even with the most scrutinizing of glances, yet its impossible to overlook its sheer size and grandeur. It appears so serious and somber, yet goofy tourists pose with peace signs by its doors all day. My oh my, it's a paradox all right.