Welcome to Italy!

Our train reaches Firenze (Florence) from Paris 1 ½ hours behind schedule. We suffer from the long ride and lack of sleep. Outside the train station, we queue up for a taxi. The cab driver must have chuckled to himself when he pockets €10 to drop us off at our hotel, just one block away.

We previously asked for an early check-in but unfortunately our room will not be ready for an hour. Monica and I find a caffé nearby and smooth over our nerves with tea, coffee and a panini sandwich. I am tired and irritable as Monica can attest. Finally, our hotel room is ready. “Grazie” we say, using one of only a handful of words we know in Italian. Our kind concierge replies with a smile, “prego”. We are pleased with our room and nap until mid-afternoon.

We get up refreshed and anxious to recoup the rest of the day. We walk the narrow streets to the Duomo, a Gothic structure built in the 14th Century. There are 463 steps to the top and the view of Firenze is spectacular. The façade of the Duomo is made from pink, green and white Tuscan marble. An architectural marvel of the time, the inside of the dome houses the ‘Last Judgment’, one of the largest paintings of the early Renaissance. Michelangelo referred to the Duomo in Firenze whilst building the dome of St. Peter’s in Rome. He said, “I can build its sister bigger but not more beautiful.”

The old city center of Firenze is a hustling, bustling market place. Each piazza provides an assortment of street merchants and tourists. We enjoy a gelato as we take in the sights along the Arno River which runs through the city. We find a place to eat pasta al pesto and drink Chianti. Benvenuto a Italia!