Ciao! It's me writing again as Phil is too busy looking at sport to be writing updates...apparently!

Had a pretty uneventful, expensive (had to pay 30euros just to reserve a seat!) to Florence. Got here around 2 and found our way to the bus stop and onto the bus fairly quickly (we're getting used to the travelling thing now!) the bus then decided to wait for about 20 minutes with the engine off and the air conditioning off while we all slowly roasted to what we thought was surely death!! Eventually got on our way and found the campsite with not too many hiccups - just getting off at the wrong stop and having to walk up the street to the campsite (my arm muscles are going to be immense when i come back after lugging all the stuff about!!).

We're staying in a house tent here, which is basically a big tent with 3 beds in it - proper beds though! it's pretty cool. They're apparently not allowed to build hard roofs because of the olive groves or something. It is very pretty though, we're right by a place called Pizalle Michaelangelo which is where the tourists flock to look down on the stunning view of the city....the bar of the campsite overlooks this, so even more of a bonus for us! We pretty much checked in and relaxed yesterday playing cards and drinking happy hour wine (3.50euro a bottle in happy hour!) Then went to a restaurant opposite the campsite which gave 10% discount! I had the most amazing meal - sea bass risotto with prawns, onions and peppers in a creamy saffron sauce (this is for your benefit Dad...i expect you to have mastered the recipe on our return! haha!).

Woke up pretty early this morning as the house tent is boiling! had breakfast and headed into Florence. We have just done a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of the city on an open top bus which was pretty cool, it is a very pretty city...sculptures, paintings, churches, bridges etc. We just went up to a place called Fiesole which overlooks Florence and was very very nice, lush and green, olive trees everywhere, very worth seeing!

We're now off to explore some more places by foot and Phil is hoping to stumble across a place where he can watch the end of the British Open and I can read some of my Harry Potter book which i managed to get this morning, thank god! Was killing me yesterday not having it! (loser i know!)

Thank you for all the messages...hope all is well at home and hope the weather picks up for you soon haha!

Looking forward to seeing some of you in two weeks, coming round very quickly!

Off to Rome for 4 days tomorrow, looking forward to being able to settle in one place for a while...anyway, will write soon no doubt...

lots of love xxxxxxxxxx