http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , Italy , Tuscany , Florence en-us Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:27:42 +0000 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:27:42 +0000 My adventure continues with movein day It started with a quick breakfast they were closing up in 5 minutes which consisted of this granola with dried fruit with milk a breaded fruit thing it39s hard to explain bread and cheese and water. Already I miss the easy availability of water. BUT THE CHEESE The cheese was so much more flavorful than cheese back in the U.S. I found myself eati http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-791763.html I am sitting down in my hotel in Firenze Florence Italy. I39M IN FREAKING ITALY. Getting here was an adventure in itself though. I haven39t been on a long flight like that in a while. It39s hard being cramped up in one little spot for 10 12 and then 1 12 hours. And shout out to the older German gentleman who I accidentally woke up while I was laughing at a movie I39m sorry it3 http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-791566.html Again around tripPoland WAWItalyFirenze San GimignanoSienaAssisiPerugiaRomeSorrentoPompeiRavelloAmalfiPositanoCapri IslandMontepulcianoPienzaMontalcinoVolterraCinque Terre Manarola Vada Pisa Casarza Ligure Riva del Garda Ostrerreich Insbruck Germany Schwangau Neuschwanstein Castle Poland http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-788714.html Villa Bucciano TuscanyVilla Bucciano is a wonderful hamlet placed between Pisa and Florence where you can spend your relaxing and unforgettable stay in Tuscany. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-787294.html After the Garfagnana national park we booked into a campsite just outside of Florence for 3 nights. We spent 2 full days exploring the city. The first day we went to the famous Uffizi Gallery which displays many Renaissance masterpieces the Vecchio Palace well worth the effort if you want a crash course in ancient mythology and the Piazza della Signoria filled with sculptures and tourists. Th http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-786519.html We roll into Florence by midday and relaxedly wander through town. We have lunch at a nearby vegetarian cafe bveg and head to the Duomo via a high end shopping district. We grab gelato at the first gelato shop we see where the servers wear little sailor hats and the cones are stacked into cone trees. The fruit sorbet looks enticingly icy. We encounter over ten more gelato vendors in our walk http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-785427.html Can39t believe it is Friday already. We headed off to Florence after breakfast with our plan for the day. First visit was to the Duoma. With our Firense cards we bi passed the queues. Not so impressive inside as the Sante Croce but the exterior is beautiful neo Gothic marble with a huge dome that dominates the skyline Brunelleschi39s dome 463 steps to the top which we decided against. To t http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-785420.html We had a leisurely start to the day with breakfast in the shady courtyard. Temperature rose throughout the day to 26 so water and rests were required.We headed off with our trusty guide books and maps and the Firenze cards Jim had bought online. It was a very popular venue today with loads of groups of young teenagers here and there Quite a few Americans around as well but we coped.So we came to http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-785285.html This morning we headed to the centre of Florence where we got shown how they make leather. I bought a leather wallet and some earrings. It39s quite hard to distinguish the real from the fake but if you buy it from a shop generally most of them are real. Later we had a guided tour around the centre of Florence we got to see The Old Bridge the dome the fake statue of David didn39t have http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-785253.html Last night we had a four course meal at a restaurant that looked over the water in Sorrento. Unfortunately it was the second time that day where I had to use my nursing skills as an older lady tripped over and fell hard on the ground and hit her head. Most people travel overseas to escape from work but you can39t completely escape when you are a nurse . Anyway today we got up early and heade http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-785138.html Palazzo Torriani Historic Home of TuscanyIf you want a really special place to see the Tuscany Palazzo Torriani is waiting for you http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-784901.html Its redbrick roofs and pastelyellow coloured housesYes MORE of red roofs and yellow buildings look thereBesides the main attractions drawing us in that was perhaps my strongest impression of Firenze as it is fondly called in Italian. Like Venice this beautiful city was flooded with tourists and travelers alike looking to embrace the centre of medieval European times. I was http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-782678.html After Arriving in Ancona we traveled down to Florence where we started our semester abroad of study. I studied both art history and Italian...Here are the entries from my travel journal51910It39s the second day of classes and we are already starting to pick up the language only a little. The lessons are very interesting and well taught. Our teacher does not know any English but she works http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-779350.html Ciao Hey everyone. Hope all is well where ever you might be at this very moment. I am currently in Florence Italy just having a cill out day as Im feeling a touch sick and needed to laundry isn39t that what everyone drams about doing in Italy Alright we39re to begin... Once upon a time last Tuesday I arrived in Manarola Cinque Terre Italy. Immediately I was blown away by the beauty an http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-778067.html Florence TopCar ServiceFlorence TopCar Service gives many choices of cars and vans for every needs... http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-777138.html ltpre styleborder 1px solid cccccc padding 5px background none repeat scroll 0 0 f5f5f5gtFor many years I have dreamed of the hillsides of Tuscany. Each movie I have watched showing the beautiful hillsides full of grapevines..........made me yearn for a trip. So I and two other friends are going Sept. 2013. I think of us sorta like the TV show I have seen 39Grannies on Safari http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-776518.html Day 17 Tuesday 28th FebruaryLeft the Youth Hostel at 10am to start the 175 mile journey to Rome. The local bus route took us close to the autostrade but surprisingly charged us extra for our rucksacks. Today was a hitch alone day. After an hour a brilliant piece of luck as I was picked up by a 30 ish year old very smart looking lady in a sports car and as an added bonus she was travelling to http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-773986.html Day 16 Sunday 27th FebruaryBreakfast at the hostel was 150 Lira for rolls jam and coffee. This is only the second time that I have stayed in the same place for a second day and so at last some proper time for sightseeing. So here goes. Unfortunately it rained nearly all day.Medici Chapel with its four sculptures by Michelangelo of the four times of day. Medici Riccardi Palace with its fresc http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-773788.html Uffuzi and Accadamia 15.05.2012With our tickets already booked through our hotel we got up early to have a very brief breakfast before setting off to the Uffuzi gallery. ltbr styleoutlinecolor initial outlinestyle none outlinewidth 0px margintop 0px gtBeing an 8.30 booking we were able to collect our tickets and go in before the gallery opened to the public at 9. Although the http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-773722.html We woke to the most miserable cold windy and rainy weather. I guess we were fortunate to have above average temperatures the past few days but it still wasnt pleasing to see. We had to pull out our jumpers again before checkin out and heading to the main station. We boarded our less busy train this time though we were still not sat together Again we just swapped seats with another man so we wer http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-773710.html