Kristen, We're Not In Rome Anymore...

After blogging last night and then eating a fabulous meal in the shadows of the Colosseum, Kristen and I made our way over to the perfectly lit up Colosseum for a few photo opportunities. Apparently, many of the visitors to the city had the same idea. See the picture below which will not do the building the justice it deserves. Kristen had read that The Forum was also a great place to see at night. The ruins of the empire in The Forum at night are an eerie sight and can give you chills beyond imagination. Fortunately, an Italian movie was being filmed in the area and had a portion of the ruins lit up. The actors must have been terrible because it was "action this" and "cut that" for what seemed like an eternity. We decided that to truly do Rome you have to do it twice. Once during the day, and once at night.


We then hopped the metro home (the metro closes at 10:30 p.m.) and made it an early night because of the train we were catching for Florence at 8:30 a.m. 

The train ride this morning through Tuscany was breathtaking and quick (1.5 hours). We found ourselves outside yet another train station in no time but did not have the same issues as before. We quickly found the route to the bed and breakfast (a long, long walk) over cobble stone streets and through heavy foot and pedestrian traffic.

We're wondering if you guys can tell where one of us stops typing and the other one starts. I think we write pretty differently...

So rule number one of European travel learned today. DON'T PACK A FIFTY POUND BAG! This bed and breakfast is wonderful, but it's up three LONG flights of concrete stairs. I would like to say I was a champ and did it all, but I wussed out and made the bed and breakfast owner carry it.

This bed and breakfast is really cute. The owner is actually from Montreal and speaks French, English and Italian. It's SO nice to have someone who is able to answer our questions! Also for the first time we have a computer in the B&B so we can log more pictures now that were not watching the clock while we type! The best thing about this place is the rooftop terrace. Tonight after dinner we plan on opening a bottle of wine and enjoying the terra cotta rooftops of Florence.

After getting the workout of the day, we decided we hadn't climbed enough stairs. So we went to the HUGE Duomo in the center of Florence. The cathedral is SO ornate, full of small patterns and trim. I forgot about not having bare shoulders so they gave me a nice pancho made out of hospital gown material to wear. And yes, I was the ONLY idiot wearing one in the whole place...


We decided to make it a two dome week and took the 500 steps to the top of the Duomo. Yes, we're crazy. The view from the top made it all worth it. You could see the hills of Tuscany with the castles and villas. It was back down the same way we came up an out we went into Florence... The picture shows the bell tower next to the Duomo.

And us from the top. That's the hills of Tuscany behind us...

Florence feels VERY different from Rome. Small narrow streets and piazzas with no fountains, just sculpture (piazza's in Rome all have fountains). I say just... just Michaelangelo's and Boticeli's and Raphael's. There is also a lot of shopping finally! Florence is famous for EVERYTHING so I expect I can find a lot I need!

Like the overachievers we are, we decided to do a foot tour of the city of Florence all in one day. Just a few of the things we happened to see, the Piazza Vecchio, The Ponte Vecchio, Santa Maria Novella (under restoration), Pitti Palace, and of course THE DAVID! The David is in the Accademia Gallery in the north part of the city. Apparently, the country felt bad for the gallery with its priceless but not famous works of art and gave them the TOM CRUISE of the art world. He can carry a museum by himself. In fact, they built him the nicest part of the museum. Several people paid the $15 entrance fee, stood by David for 20 minutes and left. We were two of those people. Like the Sistine Chapel, no pictures are allowed, so feel free to google Michaelangelo's David at this point.

Funny thing is the fact that Kristen and I are so vegetable deprived that we fought over a plate of peas last night at dinner. We keep wandering around looking for broccoli! But of course, this did not stop Kristen from ordering the world's largest and oiliest calzone at lunch. 


Day Two in Florence is tomorrow. We look forward to every single second. We enjoy reading the comments. Keep them coming. Thanks so much for saving the dogs from the great escape. Please watch one half Basset, he is the true culprit of the digging issues. And Tony, has it rained? CIAO FROM FLORENCE!