Rome (Roma) to Florence (Firenze)

---

I woke around around 7:30 this morning so I could spend sometime on updating my blog. By 9 both Janine and I were up and after we had showers etc. we ventured out in search of breakfast. The first couple of places didn't appeal much but the third one seemed to have just what we needed. We both had a half toasted sandwich each with freshly squeezed orange juice. I had a cappuccino and Janine had a black tea. Very nice!

We headed back to the apartment to finish packing and then checked out at 11:30am. We walked to the Metro stop near the Colosseum, stopping at the supermarket to pick up a fresh baguette and a bit more prosciutto. It was another hot, hot day today so we took our time. We bought our tickets and made our way to the platform and in no time a train arrived. Two stops later we were at Termini and in plenty of time to catch our train to Florence at 12:50pm. We waited for the announcement of our platform and as soon as the number came up, we made our way to the train. Lucky we did as even though we had reserved seats in 1st class, the carriage we were supposed to be in had its airconditioning break down. So we had to go into another carriage and then it became a free for all! Janine and I grabbed two seats facing each other with a table between us. We both had the window, which was great. There was a bit of a karfuffle between a few people who were demanding certain seats but we kept our heads down low as we did not want to move. Eventually the train was on its way so we relaxed and pulled out all the food we bought. Janine made us lovely rolls from the baguette filled with cheese and proscuitto and we washed that down with a cold beer! We also had the green olives that were delicious. It was a very comfortable train ride to Florence and only took 1 and half hours.

On arrival we followed the instructions from our AirBnB host to the apartment. It wasn't far but it was bloody hot and trying to maneuver our bags over cobbled stoned streets was certainly a 'physical challenge'. We were met outside the apartment by Francesca and Antonio and then proceeded to climb the four flights of stairs that were very steep! Ohmygoodness!!! Thank goodness Antonio offered tim carry our bags up - I do not know how he did it! Janine and I tried taking her bag up but we only got to the first floor and decided to give up lol.

The apartment is delightful and we can even seen the Duomo from my bedroom window!

After a little siesta time, where I caught right up in my blog, we finally decided to brave the very steep stairs and head out to explore the city. We are only one block from the river so we walked round the Westin hotel and were greeted with the beautiful sight of the river Arno and its many splendid bridges. We walked along the river front until we came to the Ponte Vecchio. Both Janine and I were in awe of this Bridge and also the view you get from the middle, looking down the Arno in either direction. From here we headed to find the Duomo but easily became sidetracked by the numerous shops along the way. We were also trying to find just the right bar to have a Aperol Spritz but the search continued. We came around the corner and we're both blown away with just how big the Duomo is! I have seen this before but hadn't remembered just how spectacular it is. There is no way to fit the whole building into the phone camera so I will have to bring my Nikon back to take some shots. Hopefully the photo's I have included will give a sense of its size.

We then were on a mission to find the Marcato Centrale - this old market has recently been renovated and reopened to the public (perhaps three years ago). Before we went in though, we finally found a bar that had Aperol Spritz for €4 - which is a bargain. There was no one else in there so we were a bit dubious but the drinks were great and were of a good size. Thanks to us they started to get more and more customers and every one of them ordered Aperol Spritz haha. We're good for business lol.

After our drink we headed into the Central Market - the first floor has all these different restaurants and bars so we walked around, checking all the different offerings before settling on a starter of burrata, tomatoes and olives. We had this with a glass of white wine. After a while we checked out some of the other food vendors then chose a char-grilled steak with potatoes to share and a glass of red wine. All very delicious but rather expensive for what you got but we both enjoyed the experience.

Feeling very full we made our way back towards our apartment - loving everything we saw along the way. The buildings in Florence all seem so much more glam than Rome - this city certainly has a different feel about it. As we wandered along we came across a square with a busker who sounded very good so we decided to get a gelato each (as you do) and enjoy it by sitting out in the square, listening to the busker. What a delightful evening!

When we decided to head home we realised we were literally around the corner - less than a 5 min walk! Good to know for tomorrow night. Tomorrow we are off on our Tuscan Wine adventure.

---