Florence

Florence is beautiful. The place we're staying in is a building erected in the 12th century, and has a lot of character. While the hostess explained how to run the A/C and operate the locks (in Italian), I read the poorly translated sign and failed to make any sense of it, other than getting a sense of alarm. Laura and I had a good laugh after reading the Italian version, basically saying don't use the a/c and water heater at the same time or it would blow the fuse.

We went out for dinner and drinks at one of the places Laura's friend Monia recommended, where Laura got along famously with the wait staff. I, on the otherhand, had my glass of wine taken from me (it was meant for another table). We had the bistecca alla fiorentina (T bone the size of my head) and a truffle pasta that was phenomenal. After dinner, we had a quick apéritif and some grappa at a nearby bar.

Next morning, hit Florence and saw the major landmarks. The piazzale Michaelangelo offered the best view of the city.Read more