Day 11 - Arrivederci Roma, Buon giorno Firenze!

It was a quick breakfast and pack the bags to get ready to leave Rome today.  The train wasn't until 10:58 but we wanted to make sure we made it as there wouldn't be another for a couple of hours.  We ended up hanging around at the station a bit, but the time went quickly enough.

Our departure board

The train was definitely a slow one and the worst we've been on so far.  No buffet car or cart, a toilet without a flush (although we were relieved it actually had a toilet) and the seats were pretty uncomfortable.  But the journey was OK and we arrived in Florence on time.

We checked in and although it's a basic hotel - no breakfast even, this time - the woman on reception was really helpful and gave us loads of tips about where to go and what to see.  There are a few food stalls in the nearby piazza and we grabbed a bite to eat from there before having a bit of a wander around Florence.

It's definitely a more relaxed pace than Rome and we can walk around the streets without worrying too much about getting run over every 30 seconds.  We saw a few sights, including the Piazza Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio. We'd been advised by the receptionist that entry to the Galleria dell Accademia (where Michaelangelo's David is) would be easier in the afternoon, but the queues were ridiculously long, even after four.  As I think I might be the only one that wants to see this, I might need to arrange a time when I can go by myself to save Lucy and the boys the wait and the boredom.

The church in Piazza Duomo

After a nice wander around, we decided to go back to the food stalls for a lighter dinner.  We each chose something we fancied and sat on the grass eating, with wine for me and Lucy, which was a very pleasant end to the day. A drunk Italian did start singing songs to Luke for some reason, which was a bit weird, but we eventually managed to get him to leave so we could finish our food in peace.

I'm having to type this up in the common area in the hotel, as the wi-fi in our room is too flaky, but we've managed to get free wi-fi in every hotel we've stayed in, which is pretty cool.  The 21st Century is great!

Luke's joke of the day:
What do you get if you cross a cat with a shark?

A town with no dogs!


Callum's riddle:
What doesn't burn in fire but floats in water?
(answer tomorrow)