Monday morning we said goodbye to Venice and hopped on the Vaporetto to get to the bus that would take us to Florence. Martin explained that we would break for lunch at the Italian version of the truck stop. But the Autogrill was like no truck stop we had ever been in. Fresh pasta and sauces, delicious salads and homemade soups were all available. We made our choices and ate, then explored the adjoining store with its huge selection of cheeses, pastas, wines, chocolates and other goodies. What an experience!
As we neared Florence traffic picked up and our astute driver guided our tour bus through the narrow roads of Florence. We settled into our hotel that had a beautiful view of the Arno and the Duomo on the other side. We regrouped and started our orientation walk of this beautiful city. Martin took the intimidation out of the city by showing us landmarks to help us negotiate our way. We enjoyed a lovely evening walking through the city and seeing the sites lit up. Truly breathtaking. |