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Published: June 20th 2013
Wednesday 19thJune We have decided to go into Pisa this afternoon so call at the Tourist Information Office to find out about trains. We need to get some cash as we have spent quite a lot of our euros, when we find a bank I realise that I have only brought a
credit card instead of a
debit card. (Getting ready for this holiday was a bit of a rush). Go back to the information office to ask about changing some English money and she directs us to the Post Office who oblige. Banks don’t change sterling into euros now. We have a siesta and then head for Pisa, the train journey is quite slow and we have to change at Lucca, it all takes over an hour, should have been about 40 minutes. Walk to the Leaning Tower it is quite a spectacular sight and there are a lot of people on the green where it says in several languages “keep off the grass”. The Police suddenly blow a whistle and clear the area but a few minutes later it is once again filled with people all trying to find different ways to photograph their friends propping up the
tower.
We have quite a long journey back home then go out to eat around 9.30pm it is very lively tonight in Montecatini full of people enjoying themselves.We are loving the Italian ice cream I had two today in Pisa and another tonight.
Looking forward to exploring Firenze tomorrow.
Thursday 20th June Florence, the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany, is beautiful and very interesting, it is also crowded and hot, we have to be careful not to get knocked down by bikes. We see the Duomo, Florence’s magnificent cathedral with its amazing dome which is one of the supreme feats of late medieval engineering. Nearby is The Campanile which is a beautiful belltower standing 85m tall, we did not go inside but to reach the summit you have to climb 414 steps. There are long queues outside all the museums.
We take a walk along the River Arno to the Ponte Vecchio with its huddle of old buildings. (Vecchio means old). This is the only Florentine Bridge not to have been destroyed by retreating Nazis in 1944, reputedly saved by Hitler's direct order. We walk through the outside area of
The Pont Vecchio
The beautiful bridge with its huddle of old buildings.the Uffizi, Galleria Degli one of the world's finest art galleries, it houses a collection of paintings which feature all the great names of the Florentine Renaissance.There are lots of statues, (some of them move when money is dropped into their pot)! The Police are very visible in the city especially when we move further round to the Palazzo Vecchio. The temperature is around 38 degrees and we have some delicious ice creams before we leave. The train journey home takes about an hour and it’s very crowded with luggage piled up in the aisle
Montecatini, where we are staying at the Hotel Reale is very pleasant with a strong café culture, each evening we have enjoyed sitting and watching people walk by. The Italians are very stylish, usually dressed up for the evening, I really wish I had brought more than the one dress! There are a lot of Americans here in Italy at the moment.
We are heading back to France tomorrow
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Gill Steel
non-member comment
Italy
Hi, loved the blog and the photos, never wanted to go to Italy before but this has given me a real desire to see it for myself. Keep on enjoying yourselves. Temp here has dropped to around mid teens so enjoy the heat while you can. Love Gill