Day 21 Florence

We had heard from our host that taxis sometimes don’t get to Trastevere very quickly these days, so we had planned to get up early enough so that if one didn’t come then we still had time to catch a bus. Of course the taxi was there within 5 mins, there was less traffic around so we were at the train station by 7.40am, and our train wasn’t until 9.10am. I’m not sure that all this being early is going to rub off on me though…

We had a nice breakfast at the Mercato in Rome, our train was great, went 250kph, our new host allowed us to check in early so we were all unpacked and organised to see the city by 1.

Our first stop was going to be the Florence Mercato for lunch. We got distracted a bit on the way there by the leather merchants. And then there were so many options for lunch. Trisha minded the table while I ordered mine which was beef ragout with salad and potatoes. It was very yummy and huge, so Trish ended up sharing it. We haven’t eaten a lot of meat in the last 3 weeks so made up for it today.

So then it was walking time again. We went through a few piazzas, checked out some more leather, bought leather gloves for me, Trisha nearly bought a bag. And then we were at the Duomo which is always a stunning sight. There were lots of artists around and it was interesting seeing their drawings and paintings. There is also a Lindt shop right next door, and we might have bought a few things to sample. Off walking again to see the piazza that the replica of the David is in amongst other interesting statues,

Then it was past the Uffizzi gallery and over the pont vechio bridge to the pitti palace. Just so many sights in a small area. Lots of people too, but not nearly as many as in Rome and feels a lot more comfortable. We also saw another Legami shop where I bought a small case for my foldable glasses.

Then it was a slow walk back to our hotel, though it was nice by the river. Our hotel is pretty small and basic, but had aircon and a fridge which is great. It also has a private bathroom for us, but it is in a separate room over the corridor from our room.

We went out later to the supermarket and had a light dinner in our room.

20,896 steps, and a much more comfortable 26 degrees.Read more