Italy has a great train network, and I used it today for an adventure in Florence. The ride up took about an hour and a half, and we rode through some REALLY old and small towns. Most of them were perched on top of a small mountain or hill with fields below, and many of the towns still had thick stone walls around them.
Wow, Florence knocked my socks off. Marvelous structures were found at every corner. There were tons of people walking around, and even though it was pretty touristy, there weren't as many tourist traps. The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the main cathedral of Florence. It was really wonderful.
After walking around the cathedral, I visited the Piazza de Republicca, which is kind of the city center. It was bustling and I took some time to watch the action.
After that, I came upon the Vecchio Palace, which has a great sculpture garden in front. I'll post some photos here later as a description simply does not do it justice.
After lunch near the Vecchio Palace I crossed the river and headed up the hill. The city converted one of the old villas into a museum and botanical garden. I saw a great Cabianca exhibit, who lived and worked in Florence in the 19th century. The gardens were absolutely stunning. It was set up like the Huntington gardens at home, but had less plants and more art. It also provided fantastic views of Florence on one side and a whole bunch of Tuscan towns on the other. I spent most of my time on the hill and eventually made it back to the city for dinner.
I was pretty much beat after returning to Rome, so I stayed local for a few hours before bed. Tomorrow, off to Athens!
