Florence

So, we arrived in Florence on the high speed train, no joke, this train goes ear-poppingly fast! We started off from the Termini station a little worried because we were seated in separate carriages - I'm not saying it was user error but I did use self-serve machine to buy the ticketsJ After pestering every Trenitalia staff member we could find over two separate days, we finally got on board and decided to take our chances. I have to say that being a rule follower or polite, does you no favours in Italy - like waiting your place in line, being served at a kiosk (anyone louder gets sorted WHILE they're serving you). There is no line and if you're unhappy at losing your place, you can exclaim "Hey!" but they normally just look at you like you're an idiot and say "calma'. I have found this doesn't help much as you're usually a bit cranky by this stage and being told to calm down never works!!

Anyway, back to Florence, we got on the train and took seats we intended to claim as our own and a family get on with 6 suitcases - one suitcase at a time! After some broken Italian, the mum agreed that we could sit together and they'd sit in someone else's seats - no-one claimed those seats and we were all fine for the 1 ¼ hour trip to Florence 278 km away.

The countryside progressively became more Tuscan as we got closer to Florence, houses as I expected them to be and definitely a more rural environment. Long lines of olive trees on hills that were sometimes so steep you wouldn't believe anyone could walk down them.

Finally to Florence, quieter than Rome of course and it seems to be a very pretty city. We walked to our hotel with the help of some directions and passed by some incredible shops. Louis Vuitton; Fendi; The Ferrarri Store; Dolce & Gabbana to name a few. Our hotel room is huge by anyone's standards, the wallpaper is tired and peeling and the fresco on the room is cracked but we love it. Not dirty just old (and Italian). Walked to the window to look outside (we always check the view) and got the shock of our lives (check the blog pictures) a magnificent view across the square - Piazza della Reppublica to the Savoy hotel on the other side. We certainly feel lucky to be staying here!

The square at night is a hub of activity and beautiful to see and hear with a band playing an a carousel. We've been watching the street sellers spin these blue things up into the night sky to attract buyers, we're three storeys up and they've routinely been going higher than our hotel. You can tell once they've been bought though that the unpractised can only spin them as high as the first floor!

Florence is helping us appreciate Italy more, Rome was crazy and loud and fast and Florence is much more sedate in her pace. We've cancelled some tours to slow our pace down a little and are just taking things as they come now.

More next time!