After taking in the sights on the Ponte Vecchio we arrived at the Pitti Palace and the majestic Boboli Gardens.

These beautiful formal gardens are situated behind the Pitti Palace which was the property of the Medici family.  This stunningly beautiful palace is the 2nd largest museum in Florence.

The gardens cover and area approx 45,000 metres and include statues from the 16 and 17th century.  There are many areas where you can sit and relax before continuing on your stroll through the many twists an turns.

I have read a number of reviews about the gardens and some have not been very encouraging saying they are drab and because the people went in July (summer) nothing was flowering.   However,  we were enamoured of the surroundings and we also went in July when it was hot.

The gardens are set out in such a way that there are fountains and statues hidden away in little grotto’s and every now and then you just happen upon an amazing piece of sculpture and this makes it interesting as you wander around.

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We are so excited to be here in Florence so we rise early and head down to partake of a very tasty buffet breakfast.

Everything, as usual in Italy,  is cooked to perfection, proscuitto, eggs – scrambled, poached and fried, an assortment of cheeses, breads, jams, little Italian sausages and fresh tomatoes gently grilled to perfection.

The breakfast room is abuzz with tourists from many countries all quickly downing a hearty feed before setting off for an exciting day of exploring.

Our first stop is the Ponte Vecchio on our way to the Pitti Palace of the Medici’s and the Boboli gardens.

The Ponte Vecchio is full of the hustle and bustle of tourists all taking in the amazing array of jewellery on display.

Hmmm I wonder if my husband would notice a new piece of jewellery, maybe I could tell him I have had it for years and he just hadn’t noticed it.

We arrive back at the hotel and park the car. It looks so tiny in the parking space when we look down at it from our hotel room window.

There is il negozio di alimentari (grocery store) just down the road from our hotel so we set off to buy some food for dinner and lunch the next day. It reminds me very much of the corner shop from my childhood. The air is filled with the aroma of food and hessian sacks. It doesn’t take long to make our decision as there isn’t a great deal of variety, so armed with tomatoes, deli meat, bread, a variety of cheeses and some biscuits, we make our way to the counter to pay.
The lady huddled behind the counter seems more intent on carrying on a loud discussion with a man who is rearranging items on the shelves, than attending to us. However, eventually she adds up the total and we make our payment of something like 1 million lira.

Back at the hotel, we eat and drink before settling in for the evening. We have a lot to do tomorrow and we want to make an early start.

So much to do and so little time. We are already regretting having only booked 5 days in Florence.

So here we are at San Gimignano, the City of Towers. During the medieval times, rich families who lived in the Italian walled towns would erect high towers to compete with rich families in other towns. Apart from being a status symbol, the tower would serve as lodgings and fortresses.

In cities such as Florence most of the towers no longer exist because of wars or urban renewal. San Gimignano has saved thirteen towers of varying heights and it is for these towers that San Gimignano is well known.

Wherever you walk in these ancient towns, there are really interesting buildings with all manner of accoutrements.

I love how the public buildings have beautiful mosaic tiled  pictures and painted pictures, generally of the Madonna and the Saints, in places where people simply gather to talk.  And not a sign of graffiti, how refreshing.

We have spent a pleasant afternoon meandering around the town and all too soon it is time to leave and head back to Florence.