Day 21 Florence

A lovely day spent roaming Florence. We slept in and it was a very relaxed start to the day. We found a cafe for breakfast- very average scrambled eggs but good coffee. We then found the markets which were packed full of “genuine leather”. We were hounded to buy something but managed to escape. We then wandered through the High street of Florence, amazed at the price of everything. At 12 30 we arrived at the Academia and were pleased to be in a fast track queue as it was very hot and there were lines of people everywhere. Inside was quite unusual as you came upon the statue of David reasonably quickly and while there were other artworks to view, most of the sculptures there are plaster reproductions. It was easy to to get close to David and take good photos. It was a huge statue and really quite breath taking. After a drink and a snack ( more bread! ) we went back for a rest as the heat was almost not bearable. Fortunately the narrow streets with high buildings on each side provide lots of shade. We headed off at 7 pm for a return visit to a restaurant we had found earlier in the week. Again we were treated to lovely service, delicious food and quaint surrounds. The pasta in Italy is cooked to perfection and we realise that we always overcook it and smother it with sauce unlike the way it is served here- truly al dente. Still looking for a plate of green vegetables though. We had a lovely walk back and packed up ready to leave for Lake Garda tomorrow. Our lasting memories of Florence will be the huge number of tourists and people, the heat and the number of sights to be very seen and visited.Read more