We left Rome and headed for Florence, making a quick service stop along the way where we bought some Bellinis to take home. When we got to Florence we stopped on top of a hill, at the Piazzale Michelangelo, for our group photo. Beautiful views of Florence spread out below us.

Then it was into Florence where we met our local guide for the optional walking tour. First stop was the statue of David. Incredible! I had no idea it would be so impressive, you see pictures and you think “Yes, a lovely statue of a gorgeous man”; but, oh boy (pardon the pun), in the “flesh” it is so much more than that. The statue is huge and has such a presence and the detail! Wow!
Unfortunately, but understandably, you can't take photos of the real David.

Then we walked through medieval streets to the the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore also known as the Duomo. Yet another amazing building, really something to behold.

After that we walked to the Piazza della Signoria, a square that houses many, many beautiful sculptures, including a replica of David.

We finally met Gerry and the others, by which point it was stinking hot again, so we opted to sit at a conveniently located sidewalk café, for a lunch of meats, cheeses and pickles with bread. Delicious. I got it into my head to try a Limoncello – kick like a donkey I tell you!! The girls and I would come and go, leaving the men and various other members of our tour group at the café, for an amble to various stalls and little shops scattered about.

We bought various bits and pieces. Rox and Amanda (lovely girl, one half of an Aussie couple on our tour) had a little foray into the shops and Rox bought a couple of gorgeous dresses. It was here in Florence that I had the best gelato in Italy! Deeeelicious!

We are staying in the Hotel Miro Art, it’s quite a nice hotel, apart from the fact that the shower tried to kill me. As is the case in most of Europe, the shower is located in the bath. In this hotel the shower head is also located quite low down, so you have to do some contortions to get the water to fall on any area above the waist – you bend your knees quite significantly to get your head under the shower; and it all becomes quite complicated when you need to rinse your face – you have to bend your knees and simultaneously twist your upper body to just the right angle to get your face under the spray. I thought I was doing quite well until I managed to inhale a whole lung full of water! I sprang back, gasping for air and in doing so managed to hit the (very large) protruding lever which regulates the stream of hot water….unfortunately instead of hitting it into the “off” position I hit it into the “full on and freaking hot” position, so apart from the fact that I had soap in my eyes and lungs full of water I was being simultaneously incinerated by a blast of very hot water hitting me squarely in the chest. The flow of descriptive language from my mouth was enough to bring Rox and Paula into the bathroom in a state of horror……. Oh the fun you can have on tour!