Viva Italia - Firenze day 1

Look up, look w-a-a-a-ay up and you'll find our hotel in Firenze (Florence). It's on the 3rd floor, which doesn't sound high, until I tell you that each floor is about 2, so it feels like we've hiked up 5 floors not 3. We're at Hotel Perseo this time, just a couple of minutes from Il Duomo.

Elizabeth called today our bonus day. The original plan was to stay in Rome until noon, then spend the afternoon travelling to Florence, but we decided yesterday to come here this morning instead. We paid the surcharge to take the faster train (1 1/2 hrs instead of 3) and were here by noon. The italian countryside was so green!

Beautiful sunny and warm (hot?) again today. We had lunch (vegetables!) at a sunny patio in Piazza della Signoria. The guy sitting beside us wanted to talk. Turned out he's from Florence, owns a leather store just down the street, and gave us restaurant suggestions (thanx Raphael). We're going to try one out tomorrow night - stay tuned. Then we wandered past the Uffizi, over Ponte Vecchio, and into the Boboli gardens (thank you culture week for another free entry).

Peter wanted to have dinner somewhere overlooking the Arno. Golden View Open Bar is directly opposite the Uffizi, just off the Ponte Vecchio. We had a really fun waiter named Vilsa and Rick Steeves was there (of Rick Steeves Europe? PBS? ring any bells?) Great food. Wonderful experience.

After dinner, more strolling around, gazing in shop windows under a full moon. Elizabeth is in love, italian style, with a pair of designer shoes from Miu Miu ($900).

Sorry - no photo today. Nothing wants to load.