Friday 2 June 2017 Florence
An early start this morning to catch the train to Florence. Up at 6am, dressed and medications taken. The taxi arrives at 6:30am to take us to the Roma Termini (Rome Station). Everybody in Rome must be going somewhere this morning as I haven’t seen so many people at a railway station since the last Adelaide Crows game at home. Now to figure out how to purchase a ticket. And there’s plenty of dubious characters only too willing to help you. I really do need to search Google for how to say Piss Off in Italian.
Saw a lot of people lined up by what I think is the ticket office. And look you have take a number from a machine and there are three options and their all in Italian. I press what I think is the Intercity train tickets. Lets wait and see. 15 minutes later more desk staff turn up and the line is shrinking quickly and finally our number is called out. I’ve obviously made the right selection. €43 each to Florence. The tickets only in Italian and have to ask which platform, which carriage, which seats. 10 mins to find our train before it leaves. Off we go to Florence at 250km/h most of the way, with only a couple of stops it’ll take about 3 hours.
Florence. Dea needs a wee and I need some coffee and breakfast. Can’t find the toilet in the station but there’s a Maccas across the road. It must be the only toilet in Florence as the lineup is the full length of the store and Dee tells me it’s Unisex and one cubicle.
I’ve never had breakfast at a Maccas before and probably wont again. The coffee is good but the sausage and egg McMuffin leaves a lot to be desired. MacDonalds, sausages are meaty tubes not a pattie better suited to a burger.
Sometime, later when the bacon and egg muffin has turned cold, Dea returns from the toilet. We decide we will take the City Sightseeing bus tour as it’s parked across from the station, which means we know how to get back.
Florence is a wonderful and very beautiful city. The weather was fantastic, the sun was out just a little breeze to stop the sun from getting to harsh. Lot of tight streets and alleys with a lot of art and culture. Wish we had planned to stay a couple of days. The best place to see the city view is the Piazzale Michelangelo. It’s lookout with a bronze copy of Michelangelo’s David. The views are spectacular.
Continued on the bus tour until we arrived at Ponte Vecchio, the bridge with shops over it. This gave Dea a chance to look at all the magnificent and very expensive jewellery available. Dea took a fancy to a gold fob necklace, asked how much, thankfully she thought €4,000 was a bit much.
Coffee and nice gelato at the café at the bridge. For future travellers you will be paying a premium at this café.
Back on the bus and headed back to the station to continue on to Pisa. Had a nice lunch in the mall below the station. The train ride to Pisa is not on a fast train and there are many stops. Takes 1.5 hours. No allocated seating for this trip first in best seat.