Unbelievable! 3 months spent in "Developing countries" (Third World) and barely a hitch on the trains. First one I take in "civilised" Europe disappears off the noticeboard into thin air, the second is late and I get to Florence about 4 hours later than planned. All the same, I didn't share my carriage with beggars, eunochs or old women selling "bang bang" plastic toys for kids.
I committed art heresy in Florence by not going to the Uffizi or Galleria della Academia museums. You see more than enough magnificent artwork in the churches and cathedrals for a start, and by going to the exit of the Galleria and peering through the door you can see Michelangelo's 'David' without parting with any more Euros!
No, in Florence I was in wandering mode, not museum mode. I had to be. On the Monday all the museums were closed. This didn't stop me going into the magnificent Duomo and up the dome for close ups of the beautifully painted cupola and wonderful views over the city. The facades of the Cathedral are also fabulous. Kicks the Taj Mahal's arse anyday, says I...
Apart from that I wandered over the other side of the river, via Ponte Vecchio, up to a hill for eerily misty views over Florence, and I enjoyed being in these quiet, cute little Italian streets. It's hard to believe places like this and the subcontinent are on the face of the same Earth.
