Author: Rosie

We are up early to visit the Vatican Museums, admire the Sistine Chapel and stare in awe at the scale of St Peters Basilica.  We each bought a 55 euro three hour tour that comes with a guide and early bird access to the sites/sights before the general admissions are allowed in.  OMG it was incredible and worth every penny to be allowed in early!

Our hotel in Florence is one street back from the banks of the Arno and is ancient, large and the rooms spacious.  The view from the window is great, the Ponte Vecchio is one street to the left, just out of view.  On our arrival in town the skies opened up, the day turned twilight and torrential rain with thunder and lightening were the order for the rest of the day.

While Rosie was wandering the apartments of the Medici imaging life in decadent Renaissance Florence The Operator was climbing the tower.  Only recently opened to the public  it towers 95 metres above the piazza.  Remember….the taller your families tower, the more powerful and important your family was

The Medici artworks were gifted by the family to Florence in the 1700s, hey, they owned the town at the time….smells like some kind of tax deduction/evasion to Rosie….with the clause that the works of art are never to leave Florence. 

Out of the station we came and immediately in front of us was the Grand Canal.  The sight was incredible, straight away the colour, noise, hustle and bustle, the lapping of the water  and roar of boat engines, hit you, it was total sensory overload, there was so much going on.