Italy Part Two: Florence

Hello Again Everyone,

As I said in my last post I will continue telling you about our adventures in Italy. So, our last morning in Rome we left the hostel bright and early and caught our train to Florence. Upon arriving in Florence we headed straight to the Florence Youth Hostel. After dropping off our bags we found a little pizza restaurant and had lunch. While eating we had a perfect view across the square of replicas of many famous statues including Michelangelo's David. When we left the restaurant we walked through some of the neighbourhoods and went to the Museo del Bargello. At the museum we saw some of Florence's best artwork and statuary. After leaving the museum we went and saw the Florence Cathedral, also known as the Duomo. We explored the inside of the cathedral for a while before returning to the hostel to check in. We then returned to the cathedral area and climbed Giotto's Campanile. The campanile is the cathedral's bell tower, and after Kathleen and I climbed the 414 steps to the top we had a beautiful view of the city. Upon descending the bell tower Kathleen did some shopping and then we had some more pizza and pasta at another local restaurant. After finishing supper we headed back to the hostel and had a relaxing evening before going to bed.

The next morning we were up early to catch the bus for our Tuscany tour. Our first stop was Siena. The first thing we learned about the city was its bi-annual horse race named the Palio which takes place at the centre of the city at the Piazza del Campo. Our tour guide informed us that its such a fast race with such sharp corners that it isn't uncommon for riders to fall off their horses during the race. The second thing we saw in Siena was the Sienna Cathedral. With its many different coloured marble columns and its interior mosaics it was easily the most beautiful cathedral we've seen since we came to Europe. We then got back on the bus and headed towards a tour restaurant and winery for lunch. When we arrived at the winery we had a tour of the winery itself and were shown how the wine was made and how it was stored. We then had lunch which was the most delicious meal I had in Italy. It was made up of four different courses including pasta and toast with olive oil, salad, meat and cheese, and dessert. Each course came with a different kind of wine including 2 red wines, a white wine, and a dessert wine. The next destination, San Gimignano, was beautiful with its 14 towers and medieval wall. Kathleen and I walked around, ate gelato, and enjoyed the many views the town had to offer. Continuing down the road about an hour and a half we reached Pisa. We took a road train to the Piazza del Duomo, also known as the Field of Miracles, where we saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Firstly, after getting off the road train, we did what every tourist does and took the picture that makes you look like your holding up or pushing down the tower. We then climbed the 296 steps to the top of the tower and had an amazing view of Pisa. After descending the tower we took the road train back to the bus and then were on our way back to Florence. When we arrived back in Florence we had supper and then went back to the hostel. The next morning we caught our train to Venice, but I'll tell you about that in my last post about Italy.

Until then,
Rocky